Digital Commons Network^™

The Effect Of Time-Restricted Feeding On Body Weight, Energy, Mood, Sleep, And Hunger Levels Of Adults On Social Media, Rachel Elizabeth Haines

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of time-restricted eighthour feeding on body weight, self-reported energy, mood, and hunger scores, and selfreported sleep patterns of adult men and women on social media. Generally healthy adults ages 18 to 65 were invited on social media to participate in a five-week study which involved a one week of following their normal dietary patterns succeeded by four weeks of practicing time-restricted feeding of eight hours per day, also known as 16 hours of fasting. Daily surveys were created in Survey Monkey and distributed through the messaging platform, Remind, that gathered …

Dispersion Of Spherical Silicon Dioxide Nanoparticles In Poly(Styrene-B-Methyl Methacrylate) Diblock Copolymer Domains, Joshua C. Obinwa

Master's Theses

Polymer-nanoparticle hybrids are nanomaterials in which the unique properties of the nanosized structures can be precisely tuned by choosing an appropriate combination of the polymer and the nanoparticle. However, nanoparticle dispersion in a polymer is challenging due to the aggregation tendency of nanoparticles. To improve nanoparticle dispersion and control the location of nanoparticles in block copolymer assemblies, the nanoparticle surface is modified with surface ligands compatible with the block copolymer. In this thesis, hydroxyl-terminated poly(styrene-b-methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA) was utilized to functionalize the nanoparticle surface, covalently anchoring the hydroxylterminated end of the polymer onto the silicon dioxide nanoparticles. The silicon dioxide …

Molecular Weight And Heating Value Of Lignin Extracted Using Deep Eutectic Solvent., Ekugbere Owen Owhe

Master's Theses

The molecular weight of lignin helps us to determine how lignin can be applied accurately in industry. The molecular weight can predict the behavior of lignin, and how it will function when combined with other materials. This thesis discusses how the molecular weight of lignin can be found with gel permeation chromatography (GPC) after acetylation with acetic anhydride and pyridine. Different lignins gave different number average molecular weight and weight average molecular weight values, which were likely due to the biomass source, type of extraction and solubility in the solvent of choice. How the structure of lignin changed after derivatization …

Pretreatment Of Loblolly Pine Tree Toppings (Needled) Using Dess, Prathima Gujjula

Master's Theses

Contemporary industrial development and swift urbanization require environmentally sustainable energy sources. Ethanol made from biomass provides unique environmental and economic strategic benefits and can be considered a safe and clean liquid fuel alternative to fossil fuels. Ethanol’s significant advantages, such as low cost, biodegradability, and abundance, make the application of biomass for production of biorenewable energy favorable. However, biomass must be subjected to pretreatment processes to liberate the components needed for effective enzymatic hydrolysis that converts cellulose to sugars prior to fermentation to create biofuel. Production of valueadded co-products besides biofuels, through coordinated bio refinery processes, requires selectivity during pretreatment. …

A Multi-State Evaluation Of The Knowledge Of The Background And Dangers Of Popular Fad Diets Among Cooperative Extension Agents In Family And Consumer Sciences, Abigail Paige Mcalister

Master's Theses

Cooperative extension provides communities with research-based information in several areas including family and consumer sciences (FCS) (Franz & Townson, 2008). Because FCS agents teach communities about dietary guidelines, it is important that they are aware of the latest nutrition research. This study assessed the knowledge of popular fad diets and their potential adverse effects among FCS cooperative extension agents, and its relationship among the variables of location, professional certifications held, years of extension work experience, membership in professional associations, and education level. FCS extension agents in Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, and Mississippi were emailed an online survey, which collected demographics and …

Cirrus Cloud Microphysical Properties And Aerosol Indirect Effects Using Airborne Observations And A Global Climate Model, Ryan Patnaude

Master's Theses

Cirrus clouds are strong controllers of the global radiation budget, but significant uncertainties remain regarding the thermodynamic, dynamic, and aerosol indirect effects on their microphysical properties. The lack of observational analysis on cirrus cloud controlling factors, i.e., temperature, relative humidity, vertical velocity, and aerosol number concentrations (Na), limits our understanding of their impact on cirrus microphysical properties, making quantification and parameterization of cirrus clouds in climate models difficult. Using seven flight campaigns funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), impacts of cirrus controlling factors and their regional distributions are individually quantified, and used to evaluate the National Center for Atmospheric …

Spatial And Temporal Effects Of Dry Air On Tropical Cyclone Intensity And Tracks Over The Eastern Atlantic Ocean Basin, Amy Ip

Master's Theses

This study aims to understand how often dry air occurs or co-exists with a tropical cyclone (TC) and to what degree dry air will affect the way the TC proceeds. Four tropical cyclones of 2015 were chosen: Hurricane Fred, Hurricane Danny, Tropical Storm (TS) Grace and Tropical Depression (TD) 9 as their formation and tracks were located within the eastern Atlantic Ocean region. Relative humidity (RH) from MERRA-2 and NCEP-FNL datasets were compared within 3 days of the highest storm status and looking forward 3 days on the storm path. Results at 700 hPa suggested that dry air (≤30% RH) …

Using Moral Foundations Framing To Influence Partisan Attitudes Toward Latino Immigrants, Salma Moaz

Master's Theses

This study aims to use Moral Foundations Theory to reduce prejudiced attitudes towards Latino immigrants. Research has shown that liberals and conservatives tend to differ in their support of moral foundations. Liberals are more likely to endorse individualizing moral foundations (fairness and caring for others) while conservatives are more likely to endorse binding moral foundations (sanctity, loyalty, and authority). Participants read one of two brief messages in support of Latino immigrants framed in either the binding or individualizing morals. the hypothesis was that conservatives who read the binding message will have more pro-immigrant attitudes, be more supportive of pro-immigrant policies, …

Investigating The Role Of The 5’Utr Region Of Tmev In Viral Myocarditis, Maryam Alqahtani

Master's Theses

Viral myocarditis is described as the inflammation of the heart muscle, and it is a common condition that can affect the heart. It is estimated that myocarditis causes 1.5 million deaths annually. In mice, Theiler’s encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) is a common cause of myocarditis. This non-attenuated virus can be used in a cell culture model system to study viral replication and persistence. These processes have been linked to the severity of the heart damage, which in most clinical scenarios, can lead to dilated cardiomyopathy. The 5’ untranslated region (5‘UTR) found in the viral genome of TMEV is well known to …

The Optimum Design Of A Vacuum-Compatible Manipulator To Calibrate Space Based Ultraviolet Imagers, Jason L. Grillo

Master's Theses

Recent discoveries in geospace science have necessitated the design of compact UV imaging instruments to make space-based observations from multiple vantage points. The miniaturized ultraviolet imager (MUVI) instrument from the Space Sciences Laboratory (SSL) at UC Berkeley is under development to facilitate such discoveries on a wider scale. This thesis documents the design, integration, and characterization of a vacuum compatible manipulator to calibrate the MUVI instrument inside the UV thermal vacuum chamber at SSL. Precision linear and rotation stages were implemented with custom mounting plates to achieve four degrees of freedom. Optical components were installed to imitate the MUVI instrument …

Optimizing Ferroelectric Nanowire Fet For Sub-60mv/Decade Sub-Threshold Slope, Abhishek Kartik Raol

Master's Theses

Limitations in traditional scaling methods require novel devices to increase computational density without scaling down device size. Ferroelectric materials’ negative capacitance property reduces the subthreshold slope beyond the previous theoretical ideal of 60 mV/decade and improves computational density without reducing transistor size. The research herein characterizes fields in isolated ferroelectric material, ferroelectric-oxide interfaces, and ferroelectric material integrated in the gate-stack of a ferroelectric nanowire-FET (FeNW) to achieve sub 60 mV/decade subthreshold slope. The research attains sub 60 mV/decade subthreshold slope across multiple FeNW configurations, and subsequently provides a ferroelectric-to-oxide capacitance, ratio-based design method to approaching sub-60 mV/decade subthreshold slope and …

Paleoenvironmental Implications Of Small-Animal Fossils From The Black Mountain Turtle Layer And Associated Layers, Eocene Of Wyoming, Jeremy Mclarty

Master's Theses

The Bridger Formation is an Early Middle Eocene deposit in southwestern Wyoming that preserves a rich record of life from North America. Some horizons within the Bridger Formation contain abundant fossil turtle shells, but turtle skulls are rarely found. Previous research focused on one of these fossil-rich horizons, the Black Mountain turtle layer, to develop a model for the abundance and taphonomic condition of the fossil turtles. The proposed model begins with a limestone layer deposited in a lake. Then, an influx of fine-grained volcanic ash (forming the Black Mountain turtle layer) was rapidly deposited into this lake likely causing …

The Impact Of Berrien Springs Water Types On Multiethnic Hair Textures, Ralna M. Simmonds

Master's Theses

This thesis documents an explorative study into the effect of water from various Berrien Springs water sources on the multiethnic hair texture of Andrews University students/faculty. Participants were living in the area for at least five months, whether originally from the United States or other countries of the world. The theory informing this study is the Expectancy Violations Theory (EVT) by Burgoon (1976). EVT is a communication theory that examines the reaction to behaviors within nonverbal communication that are expected or unexpected in a positive or negative light. In this context EVT has not been used to examine nonverbal communication, …

The Casemate Wall System Of Khirbat Safra, Elizabeth Anne Emswiler

Master's Theses

Problem

A casemate wall system was found at Khirbat Safra in 2018 and 2019, which has been dated to early Iron Age I. However, no comprehensive study of Iron Age I casemate wall systems in Transjordan has been conducted. Therefore, this thesis will present and compare the findings from Kh. Safra and four other sites in Transjordan which have casemate wall systems dating to Iron Age I.

Method

A short study on the history of fortifications, casemate wall systems, and siege warfare was conducted for this thesis. The ruins from Fields A, B, C, and D at Kh. Safra were …

The Concept Of Truth In The Gospel Of John, Bastian Ogon

Master's Theses

Problem

The term ἀλήθεια, 'truth' is a frequently used term in the Gospel of John. The fundamental question of this paper is to discuss how truth is understood by John and if the Gospel of John conveys a specific concept of truth?

Method

The first part will briefly consider common philosophical concepts of truth, as well as epistemological issues connected to them. These approaches will be compared with John's truth concept. In the second part the most important passages where ἀλήθεια is used will be carefully analyzed exegetically, in order to understand the concept of ἀλήθεια in Johannine thought. The …

Exploring The Biological Function Of Carboxypeptidase O: Analysis Of Expression And Association With Chylomicrons And Lipid Droplets, Erika Bauza Nowotny

Master's Theses

Carboxypeptidase O (CPO) is a membrane-bound peptidase that cleaves acidic and polar C-terminal amino acids of peptides; however, its biological function remains unknown. CPO is strongly expressed in the small intestine, where it has been proposed to participate in digestion events at the brush border by extracellular cleavage of dietary peptides. At the subcellular level, CPO is anchored to the inner leaflet of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane, where it has been shown to associate with lipid droplets (LDs). The ER membrane also represents the site of iv chylomicron formation, a process that shares many similarities with that of LDs …

God, Time And The Sabbath: A Brief Historical-Theological Survey, Francis Gayoba

Master's Theses

Problem

This study takes Fernando Canale's work as a starting point, which has demonstrated that unbiblical philosophical presuppositions have undergirded many forms of Christian theology. Of specific interest to this thesis is the presupposition of divine timelessness or temporality, which may have consequences on various doctrines. This study examines the possible influence of these presuppositions on the meaning of the Sabbath, as seen in the writings of Augustine of Hippo, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Andreas Carlstadt, Oswald Glaidt, Andreas Fischer, Nicholas Bownd, and Theophilus Brabourne. The problem this thesis addresses is whether an observable connection can be made …

The Afterlife: An Exegetical And Theological Analysis Of Christ's Discourse In Luke 16: 19-31, Pop-Coman Ioan

Master's Theses

Problem

The parable of the rich man and poor Lazarus, in terms of its complexity and construction, is one of the most difficult decipherable parables that Jesus uttered during His time among men. With much tact, we will try to answer a question that has profound implications: Does the narrative in Luke 16: 19-31 support the existence of life after death?

Purpose

We carefully examine the Christ’s discourse in Luke 16: 19-31 in order to identify those suggestive parallels between this account of Jesus and the culture of the time, which would help us to decode more clearly both the …

Zechariah 9-14 In Light Of Allusions To The Sanctuary Motif In The Old Testament, Artur Boldt

Master's Theses

Topic

Zechariah 9-14 sheds additional light to the eschatological relevance of the sanctuary by emphasizing God’s presence among humankind. The sanctuary motif receives a vertical dimension by focusing on God’s original Sanctuary.

Purpose

Firstly, questions of introduction will be answered to give an overview of the material. In this context, the question of genre will be handled with special care. Then it will be defined how the concept of allusions is understood. This concept then will be applied to three different OT sanctuary references. Followed by an evaluation of these references. Afterwards different passages in Zech 9-14 will be examined …

The Influence Of Jesus' Approach To People Through "Teaching And Healing" On The Faith Of People In Jesus Christ And On Their Relationship To The Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Armin Danz

Master's Theses

The problem underlying this study is the slow but steady decline in membership in the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Numerous missionary efforts in the past have not been able to change this trend. However, an approach that summarizes the work of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew has not been followed: Namely that Jesus taught people about the Kingdom of God and healed them through prayer. Both church historical sources and modern research suggest that wherever the biblical example of Jesus was followed closely it had a positive influence on the growth of churches. …

The Use Of Multiple Sensory Modalities By The Antillean Manatee (Trichechus Manatus Manatus) To Locate Food In Their Natural Environments, Amanda Marie Moore

Master's Theses

Manatees are herbivorous aquatic mammals found in the coastal and inland waters of the Atlantic Ocean. All three manatee species are currently listed as vulnerable on the IUCN red list and there still remains much unknown about their ecology. It is currently unknown what sensory modalities manatees use to locate their food in the wild. A literature review of the Paenungulata clade (sirenians, proboscideans, and hyracoideans) was conducted in order to compare and contrast what is known about the sensory modalities of the clade, to better understand the sensory modalities of manatees, particularly the ones they use to locate their …

The Correlation Between Servant Leadership And Organizational Health Within The North England Conference Of The Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Carlton Hugh Douglas

Master's Theses

Problem

Statistics indicate the SDA church in the North England Conference (NEC) is having little effect on the population in the UK. This may be due to the fact that the leadership approach and the structure of the church have not changed despite globalisation, advances in technology, and increased migration. With the demands of operating within a secular, pluralistic society, the North England Conference faces a real challenge to maintain its integrity while being relevant. This study investigates the correlation between perceived servant leadership principles and organizational health by the leaders, pastoral workers, and members of the NEC.

Method

The …

Layperson's Norms Surrounding Politician Sexual Misconduct And Sexual Harassment, Yelyzaveta Distefano

Master's Theses

While there are legal definitions of what actions and circumstances constitute gender based prejudiced, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape, less is known about lay people's norms and perceptions of what behaviors and situations qualify as each of these categories, especially involving the role of context in which ambiguous social-sexual behaviors occur. Additionally, sexual harassment paradigms have not explored the unique power relationships of politicians and those working under them in political office, an especially topical locale of workplace SH in a post #MeToo America. 277 participants completed a survey with a 2 (setting: workplace, office party at the bar) …

The Effect Of Plastic On Leaf Litter Breakdown In Urban Streams, Lisa Haneul Kim

Master's Theses

The plastic component of anthropogenic litter (AL) is an emerging ecological concern and has been a focus of research, as it is long-lived, mobile, interacts with physical and chemical components of aquatic ecosystems, and breaks down into smaller pieces (i.e., microplastic, <5mm particles). Rivers are considered a major source of plastic to oceans, but little is known about plastic's abundance, distribution, and effects on ecological processes in urban streams. Previous studies report plastic is abundant in freshwater systems, especially in naturally occurring debris dam structures and overhanging vegetation which accumulate high quantities of AL, especially plastic items (i.e. bags, wrappers, packaging material), along with leaf litter and other coarse particulate organic matter. in temperate, forested streams, leaf litter is a critical food source and plays an essential role in the stream food web. the rate at which leaves break down is affected by many variables such as hydrology, water chemistry, and macroinvertebrate and microbial communities. We predicted that plastic accumulation along with leaf litter can slow leaf breakdown by reducing diversity and abundance of microbial decomposers, as well as macroinvertebrate consumers. We measured leaf breakdown, and characterized macroinvertebrate and microbial (i.e., bacterial, fungal, algal) communities in 3 litter bag treatments: leaves alone, plastic alone, and leaves mixed with plastic. Although plastic did not reduce leaf breakdown rates or have a significant effect on macroinvertebrate consumer communities, it showed distinct microbial communities compared to leaf substrates. Results will provide a new understanding of how plastic and microbial communities interact, and set the framework for future studies to look at microbial succession and macroinvertebrate diversity on other synthetic substrates in freshwater systems.

Una Vision Compleja Y Conflictiva: El Renacimiento De La Imagen De Isabel La Catolica Y La Experiencia Femenina Durante La Epoca De La Postguerra, Sarah M. Obrist

Master's Theses

Esta investigacion analiza la experiencia de la mujer espanola durante la epoca de la postguerra y como se relaciona con el renacimiento de la imagen de la reina Isabel I (1451-1504) como un ejemplar de la feminidad. La revitalizacion de la Reina Catolica sirvio como propaganda politica falangista con el fin de inspirar la subyugacion, devocion abnegada y conformidad de la mujer espanola de aquel entonces. La imposicion de tales expectativas de genero sexual condujo a la privacion de varias libertades sociales, educativas y legales de la mujer espanola durante la dictadura de Francisco Franco (1936-1975) y por medio de …

An Experimental Test Of Fiedler's Contingency Model Of Leadership Effectiveness: The Effect Of Gender, Samantha De Souza

Master's Theses

The present study is an experimental test of Fiedler's (1967) Contingency Model of Leadership Effectiveness across genders, as Fiedler's Contingency Model has been tested largely with male participants. The model predicts group performance based on four key variables: leadership style, as indexed by the Least-Preferred Coworker (LPC) Scale, and three situational variables, leader-member relations, task structure, and position power. In situations characterized by high leader-member relations, and low position power, Fiedler predicts a negative correlation between the leader's LPC score and group performance when groups perform a structured task (Octant II), and a positive correlation when groups perform an unstructured …

Is It Because I'M Black Or A Woman? Constructing An Intersectional And Trauma-Informed Model Of Social Support, Moriah Lynn Johnson

Master's Theses

Inequality in the lives of Black women comes in many forms. As Kimberle Crenshaw observed, Black women experience inequality through the criminal (in)justice system, political and popular cultural representations that stereotype and exclude Black women and when accessing much needed social services (1991). As in the tradition of Black feminist scholars like Kimberle Crenshaw and Rose M. Brewer, this paper challenges stereotypical conceptions of Black womanhood within and outside of sociology, while proposing a relationship between the scholarship and social inequalities experienced by Black women. From this framework, I examine the inequalities Black women experience when accessing social services, consider …

Effects Of Pharmaceutical Contamination On Sedment Microbial Communities In Streams, Benjamin Joseph Lorentz

Master's Theses

The objective of this study was to examine the interaction of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCP) and microbial communities in freshwater ecosystems. This study included two components. The first component consisted of an artificial stream study in which sediment was exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of three different pharmaceuticals (diphenhydramine, ciprofloxacin, and fluoxetine) individually and as a mixture. Pharmaceutical exposure had no effect on denitrification rates or respiration rates in the sediments, and sediment microbial community composition showed only slight differences between streams dosed with pharmaceuticals and control streams. The second component consisted of a field study in which …

Observations And Simulations Of Fire Weather Phenomena Across Scales, Matthew James Brewer

Master's Theses

The need for a better understanding of wildfires and how the atmosphere affects them provided the motivation for this work. The November 2018 Camp Fire quickly became the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history. In chapter 1, we investigate the contribution of meteorological conditions and a downslope windstorm event that occurred during the 2018 Camp Fire. Results show that this event was associated with mid-level and surface synoptic scale processes which created conditions favorable for a North wind event. Sustained surface winds between 3–6 m s-1 were observed with gusts of over 25 m s-1. The meteorological conditions …

Understanding The Role Of Eddy Vorticity Fluxes On The Rapid Intensification Of Hurricane Irma(2017) And Michael (2018), Alrick L. Green

Master's Theses

Rapid Intensification (RI) in TCs still remains one of the most challenging tasks for forecasters. The lack of understanding of the physical mechanisms and complexities in charge of these events, limits our understanding and makes it more difficult for weather models to resolves and forecast RI events. The Hurricane Weather Research and Forecasting (HWRF) model was used to examine the connection between rapid intensification and environmental forcing for Hurricane Irma (2017) and Hurricane Michael (2018). The tangential wind momentum budget was used for a comparative analysis for these two cases to identify similarities and differences in the pathways to intensification …