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Student Perspectives Of Music Courses In A Southwest Missouri School District: An Exploratory Case Study, Mary Elisa Wren
Student Perspectives Of Music Courses In A Southwest Missouri School District: An Exploratory Case Study, Mary Elisa Wren
MSU Graduate Theses
The purpose of this study was to investigate student personal perspectives (grades 8-12) of music courses, their value, and what music courses they might choose or recommend. Numerous researchers and educators have debated and researched how music course offerings and instructional approaches used are central to the relevance, inclusiveness, accessibility, and equity in music education (Abramo, 2011; Clauhs & Cremata, 2020; Cooper, 2013; Green, 2006; Kelly & Heath, 2015). However, few researchers have investigated how students think about the motivations and barriers to different types of music courses. A semi-structured interview was used to explore secondary music students’ (a) perceptions, …
The Impact Of Profession On Depression, Weston David Phipps
The Impact Of Profession On Depression, Weston David Phipps
MSU Graduate Theses
Depression has long been a focused topic in the world of clinical psychology. While the exact nature of what drives an individual into depression has been difficult to determine, new at-risk populations are emerging every day, giving clinicians and businesses alike the opportunity to monitor their clients/workers health and stability more closely. The current study aims to examine the connections between individuals born into low resource environments and the likelihood of them taking on high-risk professions later in life. These high-risk professions are thought to be nurturing grounds for depressive symptoms when compared to lower risk professions. The current study’s …
Body Condition: Seasonal Effects And Influence On Aggressive Behavior Of Ozark Zigzag Salamanders (Plethodon Angusticlavius), Ayesha Farooq
Body Condition: Seasonal Effects And Influence On Aggressive Behavior Of Ozark Zigzag Salamanders (Plethodon Angusticlavius), Ayesha Farooq
MSU Graduate Theses
Body condition is a measure of the size of energy reserves such as fat and protein, which can influence health and the ability to obtain resources in aggressive encounters. Individuals with better body condition ultimately experience a fitness advantage. Physiological factors such as sex, reproductive condition, and diet can influence body condition of individuals. Body condition could be affected positively or negatively after an animal is kept in captivity for extended periods of time. In the first chapter, I explore whether sex, season (fall and spring), and time in containment at the laboratory influences body condition. In the second chapter, …
Invisible Monsters: Chuck Palahniuk’S Transgressive Look At A Hyperrealized Society, Jordan R. Trevarthen
Invisible Monsters: Chuck Palahniuk’S Transgressive Look At A Hyperrealized Society, Jordan R. Trevarthen
MSU Graduate Theses
By critically analyzing Chuck Palahniuk’s Invisible Monsters, I was able to conclude that the transgressive portrayal of hyperrealized consumerism warranted a close examination into the value American society places on an individual’s ability to replace authenticity for consumer obedience. Palahniuk’s dangerous representation of the body throughout the novel serves to highlight numerous ways in which a consumer transgresses against their own physical and mental well-being to achieve happiness constructed by capitalistic agendas. By using French theorist Jean Baudrillard’s concept of hyperreality in connection with gender, disability, and feminist theory and ecocriticism, I attempt to deconstruct the neoliberal ideology to which …
Yes, Baby: Essays, Amy Gault
Yes, Baby: Essays, Amy Gault
MSU Graduate Theses
This creative thesis includes thirteen flash nonfiction pieces and one fiction short story exploring emotions and experiences that have changed who I am today. These writings are personal experiences or are inspired by personal experience. These creative works interrogate deeply transformative events and situations, such as familial relationships, trauma, poverty, living in the Midwest, patriarchy, and the beauty in existing. In the thesis’s critical introduction, I examine how my flash nonfiction pieces employ Milan Kundera’s theory of the appeal of play and Charles Baxter’s concept defamiliarization. I analyze how the succinct form of the flash essay allows my nonfiction writing …
On Covering Groups With Proper Subgroups, Collin B. Moore
On Covering Groups With Proper Subgroups, Collin B. Moore
MSU Graduate Theses
In this paper, we explore groups that can be expressed as a union of proper subgroups. Using “covering number” to denote the minimal number of proper subgroups required to cover a group, we explore the nature of groups with covering numbers 3 and 4, while also finding covering numbers for p-groups, dihedral, and generalized dihedral groups.
Sex-Dependent Effects Of Induced Acute Inflammation On Glucose Homeostasis And Rna Editing Enzymes, Christian A. Rivas
Sex-Dependent Effects Of Induced Acute Inflammation On Glucose Homeostasis And Rna Editing Enzymes, Christian A. Rivas
MSU Graduate Theses
The first line of defense against bodily insults, like pathogen invasion, is the innate immune system. Innate immunity sets in motion countless cascades that result in inflammation. Inflammation simultaneously affects multiple biological processes like metabolism and gene expression. Males and females react differently to inflammation. To understand both molecular and physiological sex differences in inflammation, we examined how inflammation affects gene expression and glucose metabolism. Adenosine deaminase acting on RNA (ADAR1) is upregulated by inflammation and catalyzes RNA editing, a process where nucleotides encoded by the genome are modified. ADAR1 also controls the innate immune reaction by decreasing activity of …
Influence Of Cell Cycle On Aim2 Inflammasome Activation, Ashok Kumar Dubey
Influence Of Cell Cycle On Aim2 Inflammasome Activation, Ashok Kumar Dubey
MSU Graduate Theses
A cell cycle's progression has a significant role in the development of a disease. All the signaling pathways and inflammatory reactions are maintained in a healthy mode if cell cycle checkpoints are precisely regulated and kept in homeostasis. AIM2 inflammasome is a cytoplasmic double-stranded DNA sensor. Upon activation, it elicits an inflammatory reaction with the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β and IL-18 and they are cleaved by the proteases, Caspase-1 from their inactive form. Also, the AIM2 inflammasome helps in regulating cell division and inhibits cell proliferation; thus, leading to a cell death called pyroptosis. Here, I examined …
A Component Analysis Of Behavior Skills Training To Train School Staff To Implement Noncontingent Attention, Joshua E. Parrish
A Component Analysis Of Behavior Skills Training To Train School Staff To Implement Noncontingent Attention, Joshua E. Parrish
MSU Graduate Theses
As the field of Applied Behavior Analysis expands into multiple disciplines, efficient and effective training becomes an increasingly important aspect of implementing behavior analytic methods and procedures in these additional disciplines. Specifically, as behavior analysis in schools increases, the need for an efficient method of training in implementing behavioral interventions increases due to multiple responsibilities held by school professionals and an occasional high student to teacher ratio. Behavior Skills Training (BST) is among the most researched forms of training for multiple levels of participants in increasing new skills. In evaluating the individual components of BST, effectiveness and efficiency may increase …
Evaluation Of Different Machine Learning, Deep Learning And Text Processing Techniques For Hate Speech Detection, Nabil Shawkat
Evaluation Of Different Machine Learning, Deep Learning And Text Processing Techniques For Hate Speech Detection, Nabil Shawkat
MSU Graduate Theses
Social media has become a domain that involves a lot of hate speech. Some users feel entitled to engage in abusive conversations by sending abusive messages, tweets, or photos to other users. It is critical to detect hate speech and prevent innocent users from becoming victims. In this study, I explore the effectiveness and performance of various machine learning methods employing text processing techniques to create a robust system for hate speech identification. I assess the performance of Naïve Bayes, Support Vector Machines, Decision Trees, Random Forests, Logistic Regression, and K Nearest Neighbors using three distinct datasets sourced from social …
Implications For Defense Strategy Stemming From Geopolitical Transformation Fueled By Climate Change, Steven R. Burrows
Implications For Defense Strategy Stemming From Geopolitical Transformation Fueled By Climate Change, Steven R. Burrows
MSU Graduate Theses
Climate change has quickly become one of the most globally significant geopolitical issues facing all of humanity. Left unfettered, climate change is poised to impact nearly every facet of our environment ranging from increasingly dangerous and damaging storms, rising sea levels, increasingly extensive droughts to glacial melting, loss of arctic sea ice and a myriad of other catastrophic events. While still evolving, the current identified environmental threats will initiate long standing impacts not only to the environment, but to the global geopolitical and security climate of nearly every nation on the Earth. This project will not provide a synthesis of …
Gender Representation In Children's Media And Preschool-Aged Girls’ Internalized Beliefs About Gender, Jessica Lindsey Kanne Atkins
Gender Representation In Children's Media And Preschool-Aged Girls’ Internalized Beliefs About Gender, Jessica Lindsey Kanne Atkins
MSU Graduate Theses
The current study examines patterns of gender representation through three categories (distribution, presentation, and stereotyped behaviors) in children’s media and how these patterns relate to preschool-aged girls’ internalized beliefs about gender. Both historical and presently available children’s media tends to display high levels of stereotypical gender representation. By preschool age, children have already developed distinctions between boys and girls, and hold internalized beliefs regarding gender. The objective of the current study is to examine the relationship between these two factors. To accomplish this, preschool-aged girls were interviewed to assess their internalized beliefs about gender. Their caregivers completed questionnaires related to …
Reflective Freewriting As A Strategy To Improve Pre-Service Teacher’S Physics Content Knowledge And Overall Attitude Toward Physics And Physics Teaching, Kali Ann Shoaf-Laughlin
Reflective Freewriting As A Strategy To Improve Pre-Service Teacher’S Physics Content Knowledge And Overall Attitude Toward Physics And Physics Teaching, Kali Ann Shoaf-Laughlin
MSU Graduate Theses
A pilot study conducted in the pre-service teacher (PST) physics classroom at Missouri State University sought to validate a tool for learning. A writing treatment, in which students were asked to participate in reflective freewriting exercises over the course of the semester was administered to one lab group. The Physics Attitude Scale was used to determine whether a positive impact was made on pre-service teacher attitudes about physics and teaching physics. Classroom exams and lab reports were used to determine whether or not aptitude was affected. This action research study used qualitative data to assess content knowledge and overall shift …
The Strong Black Woman Schema: How It Informs The Gendered Racial Identity Development Of Black College Women/Non-Binary Students And Their Navigation Of Pwis, Whitney Ngozi Akalugwu
The Strong Black Woman Schema: How It Informs The Gendered Racial Identity Development Of Black College Women/Non-Binary Students And Their Navigation Of Pwis, Whitney Ngozi Akalugwu
MSU Graduate Theses
The strong Black woman schema (SBW) is known to be a salient aspect of Black womanhood. This culturally specific schema can be understood as a protective factor against the social inequities that Black women are subjected to. However, not much is known on how the SBW schema informs Black college women’s gendered racial identity development and how it informs their navigation of PWIs. The purpose of this study is to explore the strong Black woman schema and how it informs the gendered racial identity development of Black college women/non-binary students and their navigation of PWIs. This study will also address …
Continuing, Shauna Le Ann Smith
Continuing, Shauna Le Ann Smith
MSU Graduate Theses
Taking something whole, breaking it apart, and making it into another form of wholeness is the essence of both papermaking and grief. The papermaking process involves separation, maceration, and forming of new life; the grieving process involves a similar evolution. Creating this body of work has been a pursuit of continuation—a part of me forming new life. Using papermaking processes, I create work that is visually quiet. The details are only noticeable through sustained attention and close proximity. The quiet visual qualities are intended to create a viewing experience that is meditative and slow. The lack of details of the …
Morphological And Genetic Analysis Of The Root System In Two American Grapevines (Vitis Species), Parinaz Mohtasebi
Morphological And Genetic Analysis Of The Root System In Two American Grapevines (Vitis Species), Parinaz Mohtasebi
MSU Graduate Theses
The North American grapes species Vitis rupestris Scheele and Vitis riparia Michx have been the pillars of rootstock breeding for many decades. Though a large body of viticultural knowledge has been accumulated on their impact on grafted scions, the genetic basis of their root system architecture (RSA) has received limited scientific attention. In this study, I generated and analyzed adventitious root systems from dormant cuttings of 22 V. riparia and 19 V. rupestris accessions, as well as 162 interspecific F1 hybrid progeny from a cross between V. rupestris (♀) and V. riparia (♂). I photographed the roots and then extracted …
Thawing Interests: The Arctic In U.S. Grand Strategy, Benjamin S. Murray
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 …
Geometric Dissections, Daniel Robert Martin
Geometric Dissections, Daniel Robert Martin
MSU Graduate Theses
In the study of geometry, the notion of dissection and its mechanics are occasionally over-looked. We consider and trace the history and theorems surrounding geometric dissections in both recreational and academic mathematics. We explore the important advancements in this particular topic from antiquity through the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. We conclude with an exploration of the Banach-Tarski paradox
The Rhetorical Use Of The Other: An Analysis Of Symbolic Disability In Contemporary Horror Films, Seth Hadley
The Rhetorical Use Of The Other: An Analysis Of Symbolic Disability In Contemporary Horror Films, Seth Hadley
MSU Graduate Theses
In this research, I examine the concept of the Other in horror films. I use Kenneth Burke’s identification, Jean-Francois Lyotard’s metanarrative concept, and Lennard Davis’s bell curve of normalcy to describe the Other and how otherness relates to disability. First, I discuss how horror films have portrayed the Other historically in a negative context and slowly transition to the virtuous Other, the final girl. Next, I discuss the trend of portraying disability or otherness as an asset or tool in contemporary films like A Quiet Place, Birdbox, and Don’t Breathe. Then, I examine how current horror films explore the implications …
A Music Teacher’S Use Of Informances With Primary Level Classes And Study Of Family Attitudes For Music Education: An Action Research Study, Joseph Cooke Emerson
A Music Teacher’S Use Of Informances With Primary Level Classes And Study Of Family Attitudes For Music Education: An Action Research Study, Joseph Cooke Emerson
MSU Graduate Theses
Concerts are often the summative project for the elementary music room. However, the emphasis on concerts creates challenges for music instruction. The preparation for a traditional concert often takes away from instructional time, which is already limited for music instruction. Second, the use of concerts conceals many aspects of the instructional process from students’ families. This results in a limited view and understanding of their child’s formal musical education. By designing opportunities for parents and other stakeholders to see students beyond a traditional concert, I thought that I could help to deepen families understanding of music education in my elementary …
Investigating The Structural Properties Of Licoo2 Through Annealing In A Reducing Atmosphere And Characterization Using Raman Spectroscopy And X-Ray Diffraction, Mathew A. Boeser
Investigating The Structural Properties Of Licoo2 Through Annealing In A Reducing Atmosphere And Characterization Using Raman Spectroscopy And X-Ray Diffraction, Mathew A. Boeser
MSU Graduate Theses
The electrochemical performance of lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2) cathode materials in lithium-ion batteries is strongly influenced by their structural and chemical characteristics. Annealing in a reducing atmosphere is able to modify the crystal structure of LiCoO2 by inducing oxygen vacancies, ideally enhancing its electrochemical performance. This master's thesis presents an investigation into the effects of low to mid-range annealing temperatures in a reducing atmosphere on bulk LiCoO2 powder, utilizing Raman spectroscopy and X-ray Diffraction (XRD).
Celebrating Mundane Moments, Meidi Karampourdashti
Celebrating Mundane Moments, Meidi Karampourdashti
MSU Graduate Theses
I feel appreciation for life and recognize the beauty of being present in the moment, not only living for a future goal. I paint moments that highlight shared slices of life that are common throughout many contemporary cultures. The theme of my paintings is to celebrate mundane moments with images living them, regardless of their geographical location. I am pausing the moments representing what appears over and over through life, reminding myself I can enjoy all of them. This body of work slows down to focus on the beauty of a moment’s essence spent with family members or friends and …
Sc-Matrl: Semi-Centralized Multi-Agent Transfer Reinforcement Learning, Ayesha Siddika Nipu
Sc-Matrl: Semi-Centralized Multi-Agent Transfer Reinforcement Learning, Ayesha Siddika Nipu
MSU Graduate Theses
Distributed decision-making in multi-agent systems (MAS) poses significant challenges for interactive behavior learning in both cooperative and competitive environments. While reinforcement learning (RL) has shown great success in single-agent domains like Checkers, Chess and Go, researchers are motivated to extend RL to MAS. However, as the number of agents increases, effectively dealing with each agent becomes increasingly complex. To mitigate the resulting complexity, a semi-centralized Multi-Agent Influence Dense Reinforcement Learning (MAIDRL) algorithm was previously developed, enhancing agent influence maps to facilitate effective multi-agent control in StarCraft Multi-Agent Challenge (SMAC) scenarios. While MAIDRL shows improved performance in homogeneous multi-agent scenarios, it …
An Explainable Deep Learning Prediction Model For Severity Of Alzheimer's Disease From Brain Images, Godwin O. Ekuma
An Explainable Deep Learning Prediction Model For Severity Of Alzheimer's Disease From Brain Images, Godwin O. Ekuma
MSU Graduate Theses
Deep Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) have become the go-to method for medical imaging classification on various imaging modalities for binary and multiclass problems. Deep CNNs extract spatial features from image data hierarchically, with deeper layers learning more relevant features for the classification application. The effectiveness of deep learning models are hampered by limited data sets, skewed class distributions, and the undesirable "black box" of neural networks, which decreases their understandability and usability in precision medicine applications. This thesis addresses the challenge of building an explainable deep learning model for a clinical application: predicting the severity of Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD …
Family Drug Treatment Court Program Effectiveness As A Protective Factor For Parents In Prevention Of Substance Abuse Foster Care Re-Entries: A Mixed Methods Study, Eugenia Ann Richardson
Family Drug Treatment Court Program Effectiveness As A Protective Factor For Parents In Prevention Of Substance Abuse Foster Care Re-Entries: A Mixed Methods Study, Eugenia Ann Richardson
MSU Graduate Theses
Foster care re-entry rates are high. Studies show that many foster care entries are due to substance abuse. These parents may enter a Family Drug Treatment Court Program that offers intensive therapy for the parent as well as services for the family. This study looks at the effectiveness of a Missouri County Family Drug Treatment Court Program at preventing foster care re-entry for those who graduate the program. This study uses a mixed methods research design. Caseworkers for the Missouri County Family Drug Treatment Court were interviewed. Quantitative secondary data was also obtained from the Missouri County Juvenile Office. Results …
Engineering And Characterizing Proteins: A Dual Study On Canine P53 Protein And Cyan Thermal Protein, Dhruv B. Sitapara
Engineering And Characterizing Proteins: A Dual Study On Canine P53 Protein And Cyan Thermal Protein, Dhruv B. Sitapara
MSU Graduate Theses
This research aims to explore protein development and characterization, focusing on a dual study of canine p53 protein and cyan thermal protein. For the canine p53 protein, the goal is to comprehend its structure to better understand a key component of canine cancers. This multi-step process involved expressing the canine p53 DNA-binding domain in E. coli and purifying it through affinity and ion-exchange chromatography. The purified protein was studied to test the binding of canine p53 protein to human DNA sequences using Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) experiments and an Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay (EMSA), visualized with a SYBR-safe stain. The …
A Comparison Of Peak Ground Reaction Forces Of Pitches From The Stretch And Windup, Richard D. Edwards
A Comparison Of Peak Ground Reaction Forces Of Pitches From The Stretch And Windup, Richard D. Edwards
MSU Graduate Theses
Ground reaction forces can help coaches and players understand the lower extremity biomechanics of pitching in baseball. Research has told us that there are repeatable characteristics of ground reaction forces that pitchers produce during a pitch. This study examines the differences in peak ground reaction forces produced from pitching from the stretch versus pitching from the wind-up. Five variables were recorded for each pitch from the push-off leg and the landing leg. Landing forces were then compared to landing forces of the other pitching style and the same comparison was made for the push-off leg. This was achieved by altering …
Structural Engineering Of Thermostable Fluorescent Proteins Tgp-E And Ytp-E And Crystal Structure Of Tgp-E, Matthew Ryan Anderson
Structural Engineering Of Thermostable Fluorescent Proteins Tgp-E And Ytp-E And Crystal Structure Of Tgp-E, Matthew Ryan Anderson
MSU Graduate Theses
Thermostable fluorescent proteins, such as thermal green protein (TGP) and yellow thermal protein (YTP), could be used as biosensors to monitor cellular activity and as a fusion tag to monitor a protein of interest. The use of fluorescent proteins can sometimes be limited in certain organelles with low pH and in thermophilic organisms. This research aims to improve the thermal stability of TGP and YTP. TGP was created from a synthetically derived eCGP123 protein to improve solubility by substituting residues on the positively charged b- barrel surface with negatively charged glutamate (E) at Los Alamos National Lab. YTP was developed …
Grit, Efficacy, Commitment And Career Planning, Mary Clare Newsham
Grit, Efficacy, Commitment And Career Planning, Mary Clare Newsham
MSU Graduate Theses
This current study advanced understanding of the career goal-setting and relevant goal-related attitudes to the career planning process. Specifically, this study evaluated how career goal commitment, career goal self-efficacy and grit affect career goal structures and effort. A multidimensional career goal commitment scale was developed to differentiate intrinsic (affective) from rational types of commitments. Findings supported affective career goal commitment as consequential to the completeness of career goal structures and in career-relevant effort. Also, career goal self-efficacy was found to predict career planners’ self-efficacy for shorter term performance.
Menagerie Pains, Rachel D. Mcclay
Menagerie Pains, Rachel D. Mcclay
MSU Graduate Theses
In my creative thesis, readers follow Toddus as he accomplishes different tasks set out by the prince he serves, Prince Dinnax. My critical introduction examines the use of a hero in both my book and Redwall, by Brian Jacques, through the three steps of a hero’s journey outlined in Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Campbell’s steps can be found in almost every book published, even non-adventure books. After following the steps, I examine my own choice of hero. Toddus is a personal guard to a prince, and as such does not carry a lot of …