Digital Commons Network^™

The Fractionation Of Woody Biomass With Bifunctional Aryl Sulfonic Acids At Mild Conditions, Duo He

Dissertations

Fractionation of lignocellulose is a fundamental step in the valorization of cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin to produce various sustainable fuels, materials, and chemicals. Over the years, most fractionation processes are cellulose centered or lignin-first. However, regardless of the fractionation strategy, the previous reported fractionation processes either need high temperature and high pressure or intensive size reduction of lignocellulose prior to the process. Therefore, there is a need to develop low energy and rapid delignification with simplistic recovery of chemicals for advanced utilization of renewable and biodegradable lignocelluloses for the future biobased economy.

To address this need, an innovative and scalable …

Counseling Supervisors' Experiences Facilitating Supervisees' Cultural Competence, Christopher D. Bozell

Dissertations

A vital attribute of counselors to provide quality client care is cultural competence. Counseling supervisors are tasked to demonstrate cultural competence in supervisory interventions by aiding the supervisees in increasing their knowledge, awareness of attitudes and beliefs, and skills related to culturally sensitive practice. Although many professional organizations require counseling supervisors to provide culturally competent supervision, very few studies have examined how counseling supervisors demonstrate their skills. This qualitative Descriptive Phenomenological study explored the experiences of counseling supervisors when facilitating supervisees’ cultural competence.

Ten individual semi-structured interviews with counseling internship site supervisors were conducted to collect data about their experiences …

Relative Effects Of Self-Paced And Machine-Paced Learning Under Computer-Based Training, Eunju Choi

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of a self-paced instruction versus machine-paced instruction using a computerized format. Instructional applications such as Programmed Instruction and Computer-Based Instruction have long touted the benefits of self-pacing (e.g., teaching machines, Personalized System of Instruction), but direct comparisons of different pacing types are lacking. Some preliminary research suggests that self-pacing may be prone to distraction by competing reinforcers and overall poor self-management of time. As such, it may be possible that machine-paced lessons (based on optimal timings) may foster better learning while retaining other beneficial features of CBI (interactivity, flexibility of …

The Relationship Between Distance To The Woodward Avenue Streetcar And Real Estate Prices In Central Detroit, Alex Biles

Masters Theses

In recent decades, cities across the United States have pursued streetcars not only for their transportation benefits, but also with the goal of revitalizing downtowns and nearby neighborhoods by stimulating economic development and boosting property values. In Detroit, construction of the Woodward Avenue streetcar, also known as the QLine, was unprecedented due to the outsized involvement of private investors. Although the announcement of the QLine attracted substantial investment, ridership has largely fallen short of projections, and impacts on nearby property values were unclear. The purpose of this study was to estimate the effects of distance to QLine stations on real …

Taking Aim: The Evolution Of Women In Competitive Shooting Sports In The 20th Century United States, Alena Rose-Marie Buczynski

Masters Theses

Throughout history, women have been overlooked, discounted, and ignored for their skills and abilities as competitive and professional athletes. Competitive shooting sports were popular in the United States; however, men excluded women from participating in many of these activities until the early 19th century, when America saw the rise of famous markswomen such as Annie Oakley, Calamity Jane, and Lillian Smith. These women challenged the masculinity of the sport of shooting and bested many of their male counterparts as they traveled and performed across the United States. In the 1970s, women found themselves entering the Olympic arena of competitive shooting …

Kinetic And Structural Characterization Of Pseudooxynicotine Amine Oxidase From Pseudomonas Putida S16, Vishakha Choudhary

Masters Theses

Our laboratory has previously shown that nicotine oxidoreductase (NicA2), a member of the flavin-containing amine oxidase family, uses a cytochrome c protein (CycN) as its electron acceptor rather than characteristically accepted molecular oxygen. Within the Pseudomonas putida S16 genome, the nicA2 gene forms an operon with cycN and pseudooxynicotine amine oxidase (pnao), another flavin containing amine oxidase enzyme. The first two steps in the nicotine catabolism pathway are catabolized by NicA2 and Pnao. Through redox chemistry, NicA2 converts nicotine to pseudooxynicotine and Pnao converts pseudooxynicotine to 3-succinoylsemialdehyde-pyridine. In this thesis, we characterize the kinetic and structural properties of …

Mild-Condition Fractionation Of Woody Biomass And Tandem Preservation Of Lignin And Carbohydrates, Danni Xie

Dissertations

Various fractionation processes like kraft, sulfite, and organosolv, usually need to be carried out in expensive reactors due to high temperatures (e.g., 160-260 °C) and high pressures (e.g., 5-50 atm). During fractionation, conventional chemicals such as mineral acids (e.g., sulfonic acid and hydrochloric acid), aliphatic organic acids (e.g., formic acid and oxalic acid) and alkalis (e.g., sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide) are typically used as catalysts, which could cause structural alterations or even losses to the fractionated components. Recently, aromatic sulfonic acids are expected to in situ solubilize the fractionated lignin through the pronounced hydrotropic effect during fractionation, besides acting …

Determining The Effectiveness Of Virtually-Delivered Written Exposure Therapy For Treatment Of Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms, Stephanie M. Haft

Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted individuals with mental health issues (Swendsen, 2020). Although the peak destruction of the COVID-19 pandemic has passed, the psychological fallout remains. Social isolation, home confinement, and travel restrictions have exacerbated mental health issues during the COVID-19 pandemic, contributing to negative psychological distress (Smith et al., 2020). Survivors of trauma have higher vulnerability to prolonged psychological distress than the general population and others with non-trauma-related mental health conditions, which has been exacerbated during and following the COVID-19 pandemic. For these reasons, survivors of trauma may particularly benefit from virtual-delivery of trauma-focused treatments. Mental health providers …

Development Of Smart Wearable Sensory Systems On Flexible And Fabric Platforms For Health Monitoring Applications, Simin Masihi

Dissertations

Wearable sensing technology has recently received an increased attention in both research and commercialization phases and has moved from a vision of science fiction to reality with a wide variety of applications. This incredible growth can be attributed to several factors, such as affordability and ergonomics provided by advances in flexible electronics. The other factors that realized wearable sensing technology include a critical need for more accessible health care services experienced during the recent COVID pandemic, integration to the Internet of Things (IoT), and a growing consumer desire for health awareness. This dissertation presents the fulfillment of three main projects …

Probing The Equation Of State Of Neutron Stars With Heavy Ion Collisions, Om Bhadra Khanal

Dissertations

The equation of state (EOS) is a fundamental property of nuclear matter, important for studying the structure of systems as diverse as the atomic nucleus and the neutron star. Nuclear reactions, especially heavy-ion collisions in the laboratories, can produce the nuclear matter similar to those contained in neutron stars. The density and the momentum dependence of the EOS of asymmetric nuclear matter, especially the symmetry energy term, is widely unconstrained. Finding appropriate constrains, especially at higher densities of the nuclear matter, requires the development of new devices, new experimental measurements as well as advances in theoretical understanding of nuclear collisions …

Time-Dependent Photoionization Modeling Of Warm Absorbers In Active Galactic Nuclei, Dev Raj Sadaula

Dissertations

Warm absorber spectra are bound-bound and bound-free absorption features, seen in the X-ray and UV spectra from many active galactic nuclei (AGN). The widths and centroid energies of these features indicate they occur in outflowing gas moving with hundreds to thousands of km/s. Depending upon the energy and momentum of the outflow, it can affect the gas within the host galaxy. Thus, warm absorbers’ mass and energy budgets are of great interest. Estimates for these properties depend on models that connect the absorption features' observed strengths with the density, composition, and ionization state of the absorbing gas. Such models assume …

Evidence For An Early Saginaw Lobe Ice Retreat And Drainage Adjustments Across Southern Michigan, Usa, Nathan Erber

Dissertations

The Saginaw lobe of the Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS), flowed out of Saginaw Bay, across Lower Michigan and into northern Indiana. As it retreated, the Saginaw lobe deposited the Sturgis moraine, a recessional moraine of the lobe in southern Michigan. Positioned to the west and east of the Saginaw lobe were the Lake Michigan and Huron-Erie lobes, respectively. These lobes retreated across the region asynchronously, with the Saginaw lobe retreating first. The asynchronous behavior of the lobes allowed for the Lake Michigan and Huron-Erie lobes to overprint and alter landscapes once occupied by the Saginaw lobe ice.

The Kalamazoo moraine, …

Attachment And Older Adults In Psychotherapy: A Latent Profile Analysis Of Psychological Distress Across Treatment, Brian Michael Stran

Dissertations

Older adults have been largely underrepresented within the psychotherapy literature. Given the unique social and emotional changes associated with older age (Carstensen et al., 1999) and the perceived gap in training that trainees report in working with older adults (Woodhead et al., 2015), there is a pressing need for research that can aid mental health practitioners in the conceptualization, treatment planning, and treatment of their older adult clients.

In the first part of this manuscript, an integrated theoretical model, consisting of socioemotional selectivity theory (SEST; Carstensen et al., 1999) and attachment theory (Bowlby 1969), was developed to provide psychotherapists with …

Graduate Students' Self-Determination As Writers, Need For Cognition, And Sense Of Belonging As Predictors Of Confidence In Program Completion, Mary Ebejer

Dissertations

This study explored graduate student self-determination as a writer, need for cognition, and sense of belonging as predictors of their confidence today in their program completion. The data set consisted of 2,390 graduate students at universities across the United States. The data analysis was conducted using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM), with students nested in programs, nested in universities.

The analysis found that both self-determination as a writer and sense of belonging contributed to student confidence in program completion. Need for cognition did not. Seven statistically significant student-level demographic and program-related variables remained in the final model, including: PhD student, returning …

Physical Implementation And Testing Of A Transmission Line Fault Location Algorithm, Shadi Mohammad Alshagarin

Masters Theses

Fault detection and location is crucial in any power system. In order to improve system reliability, reduce outage time and speed-up system restoration from a fault, fault detection and location must be prompt and accurate. Traditional methods of pinpointing faults can be complex, costly, unreliable, and can even result in unacceptably large fault.

This thesis aims to develop and evaluate a physical proof-of-concept for transmission line fault location technology based on a novel methodology with high accuracy and unique visualization capabilities. The proposed prototype utilizes the open-source tools Raspberry Pi 4 and Python computer language. This prototype model is intended …

Design, Manufacture, And Characterization Of A Novel Miniature Coaxial Ion Trap Mass Analyzer, Kyle Davis Lyman

Masters Theses

In the ever-evolving field of mass spectrometry, a void exists in the availability of field-portable devices that can provide in situ analysis with suitable performance characteristics. In this work, a miniaturized coaxial ion trap mass analyzer is developed, simulated, and characterized. This work, funded by the National Science Foundation, is carried out in conjunction with Brigham Young University. The device in discussion is novel in that it utilizes a rectilinear ion guide (RIG), a simplified toroidal ion trap (STorIT), and a cylindrical ion trap (CIT) in the device’s center. The inclusion of the STorIT provides a high trapping capacity, and …

Neurogenesis And Functional Recovery In The Adult Mouse Retina Using An Alpha7 Nachr Agonist After Blast Exposure, Jake Bennett Spitsbergen

Masters Theses

Previous studies have provided evidence that eyedrop application of the selective α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist, PNU-282987, induces neurogenesis and regeneration of retinal neurons from Müller glia in adult rodents. The objectives of this research include: 1) examination of the cellular and functional damage associated with ocular blast exposure, and 2) evaluation of structural and functional recovery post PNU-282987 treatment. Significant ocular blast damage was induced in adult mice after exposure to a single blast of 35 psi to the left eye. Blast-exposed transgenic mice expressing tdTomato Müller glia were treated daily with eyedrops containing PNU-282987 for 4 weeks following …

A Qualitative Case Study Of Health-Related Baccalaureate And Graduate Web-Based Simulated Clinical Learning Platforms, Kathrine Choura Branch

Dissertations

Simulation has been recognized as a teaching, learning, evaluation, and research strategy based on learning theories, that has come to play a significant role in healthcare education (Beal et al., 2017; La Cerra et al., 2019). Health-related academic programs in higher education have traditionally used simulation to fill gaps in learning and strengthen students’ clinical and critical thinking skills in conjunction with didactic classroom content, laboratory practice, and clinical education in the community setting (Hayden et al., 2014). With the onset and unpredictability of COVID-19, there was almost an immediate need for health-related academic programs across the world to transition …

Additive Metal Deposition Feedback Optimization For The 3d Hybrid Metal Printer, Andrew James Wyman

Dissertations

In the additive manufacturing realm, explicitly the direct energy deposition method, there continues to be numerous advancements along with advantages to control print quality of the component and the ability to apply the successful repetition of metallic layers consecutively. Metal additive printed components have the capacity to directly use the component for the desired application or intended purpose from which the three-dimensional model was created. In contrast, plastic printers that produce components that would not hold to the physical conditions required such as a metallic component could withstand.

Research exertions were focused on improving the present Western Michigan University patented …

Teacher Perceptions Of Competence In Supporting Lgbtq+ Students, Christina Beushausen

Dissertations

LGBTQ+ students continually express concerns about safety in school. This population experiences various forms of bullying and harassment from not only their peers, but from their teachers. Teachers are unaware of the unconscious bias and heteronorms they carry into their classroom that alienate these students. Teachers express that they do not have adequate training to feel confident in their competence to intervene in the issues their LGBTQ+ students face. This study examined how teachers’ perceptions of their competency changed after participating in role-playing simulations as part of professional development. Participants included Midwestern middle school teachers who voluntarily participated in role-playing …

Power, Privilege, And Permission: A Qualitative Study On The Perspectives Of Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors Who Serve Racially Diverse Clients, Cherrelle Singleton

Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the experiences of vocational rehabilitation counselors (VRC) serving racially diverse clients and how VRCs are trained and educated to work with racially diverse clients. VRCs are typically employed by federally funded state or federal rehabilitation agencies. In their role, they aim to provide individualized tools and services that empower people with disabilities by alleviating barriers to being successful when preparing for and maintaining employment and being independent in their adult life (Donnell et al., 2013). Often tasked to work with clients who have marginalized identities including race and disability, VRCs must be able to understand and …

Three Essays On Social Networks And Schools, Yunzheng Zheng

Dissertations

Researchers have been increasingly interested in the phenomenon of social networks in education, a research area that provides more opportunities to study the relationships among individuals or organizations in our educational system. The goal of this dissertation was to understand the effect of various social networks on outcomes by investigating various relationships in the educational system. To achieve the goal, three distinct, but related, essays comprised this dissertation.

In the first essay, I examined the effects of interschool networks on student achievement. By using the data collected from the High Impact Leadership (HIL) program and employing the hierarchical linear model …

A Brief Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Protocol For Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms: A Randomized Controlled Trial For Inpatient Detoxification Patients, Taylor R. Weststrate

Dissertations

Alcohol detoxification inevitability involves physical and emotional discomfort. Common withdrawal symptoms include experiences of nausea, muscle pain, stomach and headaches, shakiness, restlessness, anxiety, and agitation. Rarer, but more severe, withdrawal symptoms can include hallucinations, seizures, and delirium tremens. Pharmacologic treatment of withdrawal symptoms is the primary, and often only, approach to intervention. The current study examined the incremental efficacy of adding a psychotherapeutic program based in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for individuals struggling with withdrawal during alcohol detoxification in a residential rehabilitation center. This study compared the standard of care, medication management, which was treatment as usual (TAU) at …

Pathways To Success For African American Students At Predominately White Institutions: A Qualitative Study Exploring Academic Readiness, Jeffery Jackson

Dissertations

African American students’ completion of post-secondary education is among the lowest of any other subgroup in higher education (Banks & Dohy, 2019; Broom, 2018; Carter- Francique et al., 2015; Cokley et al., 2016; Dulabaum, 2016; Karkouti, 2016; Moragne-Patterson & Barnett, 2017; Strayhorn, 2017). This study focuses on addressing this problem by exploring the academic and social experiences of African American college students who persisted at a regional predominantly White institution (PWI) in the Midwest and secure information that can be used to improve their graduation rates.

To address this issue, this study is designed to explore initiatives and practices that …

Studying The Synthesis Of 196Hg At Astrophysically Relevant Energies Through The Measurement Of Capture Reaction Cross-Sections Of (P, Γ) (P, N) And (P, Α) Reactions, Khushi Bhatt

Dissertations

Understanding the origin of all the chemical elements is an important question for the nuclear-astrophysics community. There are many unanswered questions like: What astrophysical events are responsible for the synthesis of what particular chemical elements? How many different elements were made in total? What is the abundance of each synthesized element? etc. Currently, scientists are largely depending upon theory and simulations to define nuclear and astrophysical reaction. This makes it critical to have accurate experimental nuclear physics data to input in astrophysical theoretical models. However, out of more than 20000 reactions involved in these calculations, only a very few are …

Peridynamic Modeling Of Crack Propagation In Brittle Materials With Electromechanical Coupling, Semsi Coskun

Dissertations

The bond-based peridynamics (BB-PD) is a widely used peridynamic model in the literature. Despite Poisson's ratio restriction, it still serves as a powerful tool to solve challenging engineering problems with a relatively cheap computational cost. Consider the Poisson ratio of the material does not deviate from the ones that BB-PD can model. In that case, it becomes advantageous to use the BB-PD compared to other PD models in terms of computational cost and simplicity. However, the BB-PD suffers from the so-called surface or skin effect where the material response at boundaries becomes softer than the bulk material points. As a …

Virginia Kent-Graybill And A School Full Of Family, University Libraries

East Campus Oral Histories

Virginia Kent-Graybill sits with Cassie Kotrch during the Summer 2022 State and U High Reunion to share her story and her school memories.

Fred Buckman & The Push Toward Full Potential, University Libraries

East Campus Oral Histories

Fred Buckman sits with Cassie Kotrch during the Summer 2022 State and U High Reunion to share his story and his memories.

Sharon Alsbro, Emboldened For Life In Germany, University Libraries

East Campus Oral Histories

Sharon Alsbro sits with Cassie Kotrch during the State and U High Summer 2022 Reunion to share her memories and stories of her life.

Eric Kent And Joyce Harger In A Joint Interview Full Of Laughs, University Libraries

East Campus Oral Histories

Joyce Harger and Eric Kent sit down with Cassie Kotrch during the State and U High Summer 2022 Reunion to share their memories and talk about their times on East Campus.