Digital Commons Network^™

Design Of A Portable Fast Scan Cyclic Voltammetry System For Measuring Neurotransmitter Levels, Jayson Foster

Masters Theses

The goal of this project is to design, build, and validate a more economic portable Fast Scan Cyclic Voltammetry (FSCV) device to measure the concentration of neurotransmitters like dopamine. The device will allow educational demonstrations in classrooms and allow researchers to gather data without the financial burden of a full cost system. The device is created on a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) that interfaces with a standard computer through MATLAB. This allows data collected on the PCB to be accessible to the user to display and analyze at will, all while maintaining the system’s portability and low cost. The device …

A Quantitative Tool For Identifying The Epileptogenic Zone Using Network Connectivity Analysis, James Michael Gurisko

Masters Theses

Approximately one-third of patients diagnosed with focal epilepsy do not respond to medication and may be candidates for surgery to remove epileptogenic tissue known as the epileptogenic zone. A detailed pre-surgical evaluation is required and often includes invasive video electroencephalographic monitoring (IVEM) using intracranial surface and depth electrodes, and a camera. The resulting large pools of electrocorticorticographic (ECoG) data are manually analyzed by an expert epileptologist to determine epileptic events. The process is time consuming and prone to human error. This thesis investigates the use of measures to identify the causal relationship between ECoG signals during propagation of a seizure …

Comparing Methods For Full Body Inverse Dynamics Analysis Of A Standing Long Jump, Nathaniel Vlietstra

Masters Theses

The classic iterative Newton-Euler method for inverse dynamics applied to calculating net joint torques in biomechanics analysis has a number of drawbacks. Many sources of error including imprecision in video motion capture data measurements can lead to significant errors in calculated net joint torques. Adding ground reaction force data overconstrains the solution. This study examined the effectiveness of various inverse dynamics analysis methods on a full body analysis of the standing long jump motion. These methods included variations in which equations for segments from the linksegment model were removed to relieve over constraint. Also considered were analysis methods applying least …

Low Noise Nmos Imager Fabrication With A Study On The Effect Of Photodiode Shape On Dark Current, Steven Taylor

Masters Theses

The purpose of this project was to fabricate a low noise N-type Metal-Oxide- Semiconductor (NMOS) imager in the Grand Valley State University (GVSU) Cleanroom with a focus on reducing pixel dark current. Previous research suggests Photodiode (PD) shape affects dark current and charge transfer characteristics of the pixel. Five PD shapes were designed to determine an optimized pixel shape with respect to dark performance. PN junction PDs with the Three Transistor (3T) pixel architecture were found to be the most suitable for imager fabrication in the GVSU cleanroom. The integrated circuit layout of several 8x8 pixel arrays was designed to …

Facing The Idea That Facebook Faces Us Towards Narcissism, Adam Forsberg

Masters Theses

Since its creation in 2004, Facebook has experienced tremendous growth and success, allowing users to communicate and share their life with people all over the world. Facebook is used to share information with others and allows users to show their friends what is happening in their lives. Erving Goffman developed face management theory as a way to explain how and why people preserve and maintain their public self image. This study applies Goffmans theory of face management to develop an understanding of how Facebook is used and specifically whether Facebook use influences narcissistic tendencies in its users. The researcher surveyed …

"Does This Thesis Make My Behind Look Big?" A Master's Thesis Using Qualitative Research To Examine Clothing As A Communication Tool, Lynne Forth

Masters Theses

The purpose of this narrative research study is to discover and understand what and how clothing communicates by using carefully selected individuals as studied in their natural environment. The study utilized Geert Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions Theory, which is based on in-depth research and analysis of cultures across the globe and what aspects define each culture. In order to understand clothing as a communication tool, the researcher interviewed participants from both American and Dutch cultures. Many books, articles and the above mentioned interviews were utilized to gain a more in-depth understanding of clothing as a form of communicating and how this …

Postsecondary Inclusion For Individuals With An Intellectual Disability: A Comparative Case Study, Eric Jordan Moore

Masters Theses

Postsecondary education programs for individuals with intellectual disabilities have emerged exponentially in the United States over the last decade. Research regarding these programs has largely been descriptive, and thus there exists a need for qualitative, outcome-based research. In this comparative case study, graduates from two types of postsecondary education programs for individuals with intellectual disability are surveyed regarding employment outcomes and other personal developments. The results from each program are compared with one another and also with a comparison group of individuals with intellectual disabilities who did not attend a postsecondary program (utilizing the 2009 National Longitudinal Transition Study-2). This …

Design Of Hardware Accelerator For Fuzzy Automata Using Dynamic Partial Reconfiguration, Chinh K. Nguyen

Masters Theses

As embedded systems have become more complex and designers are required to develop new products faster while using fewer chips. FPGAs are a good choice because they offer flexibility to design on-chip devices as well as the embedded systems that are reprogrammable and reconfigurable. Today's tougher cost, higher performance, and lower power consumption requirements demand even more efficient design strategies. Dynamic partial reconfiguration (PR) is a good approach to meet these requirements because it extends the inherent flexibility of the FPGA by allowing partial regions of the FPGA to be dynamically reconfigured with new functionality while other applications are still …

Impersonal Trust In Versus Dependence On Fda, Amanda C. Meyer

Masters Theses

This study emerged following an examination of the work by Susan Shapiro (1987) delineating the construct of impersonal trust, and Shapiro's analysis of trust was applied to an understanding of the impersonal trust relationship which Americans have with Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Few fields outside of organizational studies have undertaken efforts to operationalize impersonal trust and to distinguish it from other related constructs, so this exploratory study assessed whether variables associated with interpersonal trust as outlined by Meyer and Ward (2009) were also associated with impersonal trust in FDA. This study further examined whether measures of impersonal trust could …

Simulation Of An Intake Manifold Pre-Heater For Cold Diesel Engine Startup, Patrick K. Kreun

Masters Theses

Ensuring consistent, reliable diesel engine startups in cold temperatures is of utmost importance in a number of applications. Under extreme temperatures, the use of glow plugs is complemented by intake manifold heaters. In these, the energy released from combustion increases the intake air temperature before the air enters the main combustion chamber. Since the process also alters the stoichiometry of the fuel-air mixture at the intake ports, the preheater operation must be optimized in order to guarantee successful and reliable in-cylinder combustion during engine startups. This paper describes the development of an intake manifold model incorporating an air pre-heater for …

The Gender Of Participants In Published Research Involving People With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Erin Watkins

Masters Theses

Research articles involving participants with an autism spectrum disorder and published from 2010-2012 in Autism, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Journal of Child Psychology and Child Psychiatry, and Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders were examined to determine the reported gender of participants. The overall male:female ratio was 4.62, which is similar to that reported in epidemiological studies, but the ratio was 6.07 in intervention studies. These findings suggesting that males were in a statistical sense over-represented in intervention studies, but not in other kinds of research. Most (82.21%) of these studies included both male and female participants, but …

Delayed Match-To-Sample In Preschool Children, Thomas Ratkos

Masters Theses

In delayed match-to-sample (DMTS) tasks, a sample stimulus is shown and then removed for some period of time before comparison stimuli are presented. Joint control theory (Lowenkron, 1984, 1988, 1991, 1998, 2006) explains correct selections on delayed match-to-sample tasks in terms of the joint control of behavior by the comparison stimulus and a repeated word or words originating from the sample stimulus. Eight children ages 3 to 6 were exposed to a DMTS task with visual stimuli using a 15s delay. During training, children were taught to name the stimulus cards and then repeat the name of the target stimulus …

The Relationship Between Speaking Rate And Nasalance In Typical Adult Speakers, Rachel Whitney

Masters Theses

Nasometry is a non-invasive tool frequently used to measure speech resonance in clinical populations. The instrument uses an acoustic recording system to derive a measure termed nasalance, which is an estimate of the relative amount of acoustic energy emitted from the nasal cavity. Nasometry protocols do not provide detailed instructions for speaking rate control during data collection. Studies attempting to establish a relationship between speaking rate and nasalance have yielded mixed results; therefore, it is important to identify the influence of speaking rate on nasalance in a variety of speaking tasks. If rate is found to influence nasalance values, protocols …

Managing Dispersed Recreation In The Allegheny National Forest, Anne Santa Maria

Masters Theses

In the Allegheny National Forest, an unregulated dispersed camping policy has led to significant impacts to the natural environment. This study used data gathered from visitor surveys, interviews with managers, and environmental conditions of campsites to recommend management actions for campsites along seven roads in the National Forest. The seven road areas fell into two categories. Primitive recreation was more common in some areas and solitude was more highly valued by campers. Other areas had more frequent visitor use, motorized camping, and solitude was less important to campers. These factors influenced management recommendations, which include designing and constructing campsites to …

A Textbook Analysis: A Case Study Of Changes In History Textbooks Based On The Revolutionary War, Danielle Renee Wager

Masters Theses

Research has provided us with information that textbooks are not free from bias. Textbooks are subject to a variety of influences such as the background, beliefs and motivations of the authors of primary sources, secondary sources, and analyses of sources. They are also subject to influences by large consumer groups as well as political and interest groups who finance the textbook market. Due to these influences, it is important for teachers to understand that textbooks are not free from bias, and if they do not do so already, they should supplement their students’ learning with primary and secondary sources beyond …

Arts Outreach In The Middle East, Matthias Clark

Masters Theses

After centuries of debate and discussion regarding the value and appropriateness of arts in the Middle East, specifically music, many indigenous people have recently pursued active roles in championing indigenous and international arts toward social reform, identity formation, and spiritual development. This shift in use and function of the arts has been reflected in some groundbreaking attempts of using arts in contextualized forms that have impacted spiritual communities. This study is designed to compare two specific case studies that exemplify these shifts: the "School of Worship and Music" and the "Creative Center". These organizations will be analyzed and compared in …

Selling Life To Abortion-Seekers: A Content Analysis Of Passive And Active Persuasion In Crisis Pregnancy Center Marketing, Alexander Kocman

Masters Theses

For supporters of the pro-life cause, crisis pregnancy centers (or CPC's) have become the "darlings of the movement," according to the New York Times (Belluck, 2013), offering women with unplanned pregnancies free advice, information, classes, childcare, and needed supplies. For abortion advocates, such establishments are intended to seduce vulnerable abortion-seekers into a situation where they will be counseled out of an abortion and possibly even proselytized. Yet for as much controversy as exists in the news media, medical community, and legal realm about CPC's, there is an unsettling lack of understanding of how--and why--CPC's market themselves the way they do. …

A Professorial Nation: The Pedagogical Gardens Of William Crimsworth, Jane Eyre, And Lucy Snowe, Elise Green

Masters Theses

Charlotte Brontë was not an intentional pedagogue, but nevertheless, her works reflect the dynamics of an educational ideology that depends on the natural environment. In Brontë's works, including The Professor, Jane Eyre, and Villette, safe learning environments are most commonly found in gardens, providing spaces--literally and metaphorically--dedicated to individual growth. These spaces are not isolated, however, as they are located in bustling towns such as Villette and schoolyards like those of Jane Eyre. Likewise, the individual does not grow in isolation; rather, development is a process that is fostered by an individual's interaction with his or her environment. In essence, …

Like, Retweet, Repeat: Social Media's Impact On Real Estate Marketing, Emily Kendall

Masters Theses

With the advent of Facebook and Twitter, people from all walks of life in all parts of the world have the ability to connect electronically, impersonally, and constantly. Small businesses are just beginning to unlock the power of social media marketing, specifically real estate professionals. Shelly Chaiken created the Heuristic Systematic Model of persuasion, the descendant of the Elaboration Likelihood Model. This study applies the tenets of Chaiken's HSM to the methods of persuasion employed by real estate agents via Facebook and Twitter. Fifty participants were surveyed by the researcher in order to gauge their activity, interest level, and motivation …

Canadian Patriotism And The Timbit: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Tim Horton's Inc.'S Canadian Connection Through The Application Of Semiotics, Shelanne Jennings

Masters Theses

This study examines the content of Tim Horton's television advertisements from 1980 to 2014 from a communication perspective. Using Peirce's semiotic theory, this study examines the significations of Canadian culture as they appear within each advertisement for the purpose of establishing the time and extent to which Canadian culture was used over the course of Tim Horton's advertising history. This study finds that Tim Horton's advertisements did not purposefully use Canadian significations during the 1980s to create a connection between their brand and Canadian patriotism. However, after discovering Canadians' natural affinity to the Tim Horton's brand through focus group research …

Looking For Mr. Right Or Mr. Right-Now: A Content Analysis Of Gay Men’S Personals, Matt Reid

Masters Theses

Personal advertisements have long been valued by researchers for evaluating norms relating to love and romance in any given societal context. Using thematic, directed content analysis on ads placed on a popular online dating website, this exploratory study seeks to uncover the various ways by which gay and straight men craft an image of the ideal self.

Results largely diverge from previous studies, most of which were conducted prior to the advent of online dating and at a time in a society where homosexuality was more taboo. The current study found that gay men, more often than straight men, employ …

Moore Of Feminine Style: A Rhetorical Examination Of "Wednesdays With Beth", Terrie Meeks

Masters Theses

Beth Moore is a best-selling author of books and Bible studies, a speaker to crowds that fill places like the Georgia Super Dome, as well as an international speaker, a radio and television personality, and she is achieving this milestone as a woman, in a world lit with male stars. Through all of these venues it is estimated that Moore speaks to hundreds of thousands of people each year. One of Moore's most recent ventures is speaking on Life Today with James and Betty Robison. Each week features an episode of "Wednesdays with Beth." Using Karlyn Kohrs Campbell's theory of …

How Women Became Priests In Ireland: The Development Of Women’S Ordination In The Church Of Ireland, Meagan Farrell Howe

Masters Theses

30 years ago, the Church of Ireland allowed women’s ordination as deacons, then later priests and bishops. Leading to this doctrinal and social development, the Church of Ireland wrestled with big questions on the nature of Christian ministry and women’s roles in the church. Have the Bible and church tradition always upheld male headship? Are women being called by God to serve as deacons, priests and bishops? Can groups with major theological differences reconcile and remain one church? The author introduces this historic Irish development to a United States audience with relevant lessons for social transformation, following the human drama …

The Effectiveness Of Student Success Courses On Students Enrolled In A Remedial Reading Course, Emily Walters

Masters Theses

This study examined the impact of strategies for success courses on success of students in remedial education at a rural community college. Participants included 594 students ages 17 to 51 (M = 20.03, SD = 4.25) that were enrolled in one of two remedial reading courses while concurrently enrolled in strategies for success course. A quantitative study was used to determine if students completed more terms and achieved a higher cumulative GPA, if they were enrolled in strategies for success compared to their peers that were not enrolled in a strategies for success course. Results showed that students enrolled …

Never Give A Sword To A Man Who Can't Dance, Colin Slade

Masters Theses

War dances have long been a powerful means of preparing warriors for combat or the intimidation of an enemy, but they are also used in the ceremonial supplication of deity or celebration of victory. They are a fundamental artifact of many cultures throughout the world. Nevertheless, the United States of America boasts the most powerful military in history, yet it lacks a war dance. This is valid until one accepts a simple truth; military drill is a dance. However, Americans would object to such a proposition even though they have adopted and adapted military drill as their own, describe it …

Dish And Pot: Scatology And Liminal Space In Samuel Beckett, Keegan Bradford

Masters Theses

In the final novel of Samuel Beckett's trilogy, The Unnamable, the eponymous main character whose monologues, musings, and diatribes comprise the entirety of the work bemoans his inability to harness the communicable properties of language: "...it's like shit, there we have it at last, there it is at last, the right word, one has only to seek, seek in vain, to be sure of finding in the end, it's a question of elimination" (Three Novels 368). Beckett's work is consumed with this question of elimination. In this sense, language is parallel to scat in Beckett's work. Beckett's absurd language, circular …

Master Of The Universe: The Theatrical Director As Artist And Communicator, Audrey Thomas

Masters Theses

This qualitative study was undertaken to examine the processes by which theatrical directors determine the theme for a production and communicate their unifying artistic visions to the agents who, in turn, relay it to the audience. The research revealed that the director's message is formed through comprehensive study of the text, the artifact around which the system is formed, as well as information which provides context for the work of the playwright; consideration of the theatrical organization's missional objectives (the environment in which the system exists); and concerns of artistic leadership. Communication of the concept to stakeholders, and ultimately to …

The Impact Of A Functional Understanding Of The Image Of God On Mission, Gary Hubbard

Masters Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to apply the work of biblical scholars regarding the functional image of God to the mission of the Church in order to argue for a comprehensive understanding of mission. By demonstrating continuity between God's creation purposes for humanity and his post-Fall work among his people, this study will seek to demonstrate that the Lord has always desired that his image bearers participate in the missio Dei. Furthermore, by explaining how Christ restores the imago Dei in the Church, this work will show that the mission of the Church is comprehensive, involving active participation in …

The Long-Term Effects Of An Aac Communication Partner Training Program, Brooke Capp

Masters Theses

The current investigation was a follow-up study to a research project conducted in summer 2012 by Fanale. The Fanale (2012) study looked at the effectiveness of parent training on parents' perspectives of AAC, as well as parents' use of specific communication facilitating strategies. The follow-up maintenance study investigated long-term effects of training on parent perceptions' and use of communication facilitating strategies. Through this project parents received additional training and different levels of support over four months in order to enhance the parents' abilities to utilize AAC in other environments, activities, and communication partners, as well as gather information on parents' …

Assessing Middle School Students' Perceptions Of Social Support Provided By Teachers And Other School Professionals, Constantine J. Pappas

Masters Theses

Despite the expanding body of research pertaining to social support practices within the educational environment, there remain questions regarding which types of social supports and teacher behaviors students perceive as being most meaningful. This mixed-methods study investigated students' perceptions of social supports as offered by teachers and other school professionals through the use of qualitative narrative reports and quantitative rating scales. Participants included 94 regular and special education middle school students. Results revealed three types of positive social support (Informational Support, Instructional Support and Emotional Support, respectively) and one type of negative social support (Lack of/Negative Emotional Support) that emerged …