Digital Commons Network^™

Firmware And Software For An Integrated Electrophysiology Data Acquisition And Stimulation System, Kyle D. Batzer

Masters Theses

This thesis describes the firmware and software design for a prototype electrophysiology experimentation system. The overall system, built on the work of previous students and developed with fellow graduate student Mr. Donovan Squires, provides eight channels of acquisition and four channel of arbitrary waveform generation for stimulation of biological systems. In order to show the performance of the system, a common electrophysiology experiment was performed on the giant axon of an earthworm and the results were compared to previously validated systems. The developed system is intended to support future work at the Neurobiology Engineering Laboratory at Western Michigan University.

The …

Refugee Reflections: A Focus On The Lived Experiences Of African Refugees Resettling In Michigan, Diane Roushangar

Masters Theses

Refugee resettlement is often observed by focusing on external indicators of integration such as employment and English proficiency. What is often ignored is the multi-faceted process refugees experience in regard to the emotions that occur during these transitions of resettlement. Emotional stressors include financial concerns, work-related issues, a lack of adequate counseling services and ESL support that can all lead to increased anxiety. This paper examines the process of resettlement that northeast African and sub-Saharan African refugees have experienced including issues of unsafe working conditions, changing gender roles, and a lack of adequate time for adjusting to the culture.

Investigating Crash Frequency And Injury Severity At Freeway Fixed Weigh Stations In Michigan, Fathi Salam Mo. Alkhatni

Masters Theses

At fixed weigh station, the movement of commercial vehicles (CMVs) from and back to the mainline traffic stream could create conflicts in traffic stream in its vicinity. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of presence of weigh stations on injury severity and frequency of crashes on Michigan freeways. A comparison study, which observed crash patterns in the vicinity of 12 fixed weigh stations as compared to crash patterns in the vicinity of 65 rest areas and 77 selected comparison segments, was conducted. The study used eight years (2004 to 2011) crash data recorded in Michigan freeways. …

Climate Change And Metapopulation Implications For Species Re/Introductions: A Spatial Analysis Of Suitable Habitat For The American Marten (Martes Americana) In Northern Michigan, Joshua Michael Green

Masters Theses

The American marten (Martes americana), which was extirpated from Michigan by 1939 due to logging and trapping, has cultural significance as a clan animal to Great Lakes Native American Tribes and ecological significance as a forest health indicator. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (SBD) is considering reintroduction, but several factors must first be considered in assessing the habitat suitability. The goals of this study were to 1) enhance an existing habitat suitability model by including additional relevant variables, 2) conduct a spatial analysis of the habitat within the study area using a metapopulation perspective and 3) incorporate climate …

An Assessment Of Public Outreach With Children And Educators Conducted By The Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project, Erica A. D’Elia

Masters Theses

Archaeological public outreach to children can be enhanced through collaboration with school educators. While archaeologists have begun to collaborate with local and descendant communities, they have been slow to engage in work with educators in the same manner. The Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project provides the context for me to explore some of the current issues in public archaeology and the politics of education. My study was conducted to better understand the needs of both children and teachers. In my work with the archaeological summer camp for middle school students I seek to conceptualize how the camp enhances their educational …

Roatan Honduras And Perceptions Of Divers’ Location Choices In The Caribbean, Juli Dawn Tripicchio

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine the hierarchy of location choices that divers make for destinations in the Caribbean; to identify where Roatan, Honduras fits into this hierarchy; and to determine strategies to increase the volume of dive tourists to Roatan. This research may provide resorts on Roatan, along with other Caribbean dive destinations, with data to incorporate into their own planning and marketing processes so they can better accommodate dive customers and their families. In order to get a better understanding of dive customers, a survey was given to customers of a survey was conducted at a …

Lights, Camera, Vote: An Agenda-Setting Analysis Of Celebrity Endorsements And News Correlation During The 2012 Presidential Election, Amanda Jacobsen

Masters Theses

Many studies have been done in order to prove the idea that celebrity endorsements can affect elections; however little research has exposed the ongoing correlation between entertainment and news media in America. This research investigates the strong correlation between entertainment websites and mainstream news websites during the 2012 United States presidential election by way of celebrity endorsements. The sources examined included celebrity, entertainment journalism sites such as The Huffington Post, People and E! as compared to networks; ABC News, NBC News, Fox News, CNN and CBS News. Twelve celebrities were chosen by means of their given Q Score. Their announced …

Between The Man And Beast: Reactions To Evolutionary Science In Alfred, Lord Tennyson's Idylls Of The King And T. H. White's The Once And Future King, Mary Feldman

Masters Theses

The development and popular acceptance of evolutionary theory in the nineteenth century, of which Charles Darwin was perhaps the leading voice, produced perhaps the greatest cultural cataclysm of the Modern age. It held theological and philosophical implications beyond the scientific realm, profoundly impacting the humanities as well as science. The Arthurian legend, a story that has been told and retold for centuries before and after Darwin, offers us a unique opportunity to examine how a preexisting story was radically altered in the light of evolution. Alfred, Lord Tennyson's Idylls of the King and T. H. White's The Once and Future …

Response To Intervention: A District’S And School’S Implementation, Michelle L. Carter

Masters Theses

This paper demonstrates how the Response to Intervention (RTI) system was implemented in one district and school, and may serve as a model for others to follow. The RTI framework has the capacity to push participating schools to examine the quality of instruction and, more importantly, to use ongoing student assessments to determine the instruction each student needs to be academically successful. The leadership and policy literature as well as legislative and other reforms such as RTI, systematic assessment, instructional strategies, is reviewed. The results of the RTI implementation at the district and building level are shared. For example, in …

Burning On The Shore Of An Unknowable Void: Nature As Mystical Reality In The Fiction Of Cormac Mccarthy, Skyler Latshaw

Masters Theses

Language, spirituality, and the natural world are all prominent themes in the novels of Cormac McCarthy. This thesis examines the relationship between the three themes, arguing that McCarthy empowers the natural world with a spiritual significance that may be experienced by humanity, but not completely understood or expressed. Man, being what Kenneth Burke describes as the “symbol-using” animal, cannot express reality through language without distorting it. Language also leads to the commodification of the natural world by allowing man to reevaluate the reality around him based on factors of his own devising. Many of McCarthy’s protagonists struggle against the rapid …

An Implementation Of Controller Area Network Bus Analyzer Using Microblaze And Petalinux, Tung-Hsun Tsou

Masters Theses

This paper presents a controller area network (CAN) monitor system created in a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) board, which is Xilinx SP605. The goals of this research are to let the system demonstrate a reliable CAN bus monitor system, and to show the Xilinx MicroBlaze and PetaLinux design flow. This system can be used to observe the CAN bus messages by means of C program and embedded Linux environment.

A Xilinx MicroBlaze soft processor is used to read CAN information from the external CAN bus controller, Microchip MCP2515. Two implementations, a stand-alone system and a Linux system, are built to …

Predicting The Effects Of Land-Use And Climate Change On Michigan Stream Ecosystems, Jacqueline M. Taylor

Masters Theses

Land use change from forest to agriculture can alter the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of stream ecosystems. The objective in this study was to use macroinvertebrate community structure and function, physicochemical measurements, and watershed land cover type to assess stream ecosystem health in response to the effects of agriculture and predicted changes in temperature regime due to climate change. I used key biotic indices include the % Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT), taxa richness, total abundance, and Shannon’s diversity to make a comparison of six agriculturally impacted tributaries in the Muskegon River Watershed located in Michigan, USA. The stream …

Using Normative Messages And Incentives To Improve Organizational Performance, Anna L. Conard

Masters Theses

While social norms have been a popular area of study among social psychologists, they have yet to receive much consideration from an Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) standpoint. Much of OBM research has focused on consequences and the utilization of incentives to improve organizational performance. Such research has shown incentive systems to have sustaining, long-term effects on behaviors. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the impact of normative messages and lottery incentives on organizational performance. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions: a) Standard Message with Lottery Incentive, b) Standard Message without Lottery Incentive, c) …

Neiman Marcus Chicken Coops: Exploring Class And Identity Through Backyard Chicken Keeping And The Contemporary Food Movement, Traci D. Joseph

Masters Theses

This paper is a case study of a proposed backyard chicken ordinance for Grand Rapids, Michigan. The study is viewed in light of social movement theory, specifically new social movement theory, to determine if events surrounding and leading up to the debate can be labeled as a social movement. A key finding is a culture of consumption as a common thread throughout the debate. The poultry industry pushed for continued consumption of its products with an agenda of fear regarding disease and improper handling. Proponents countered with a discussion on an ethic of care for the birds. Ultimately, this rejection …

Activated Carbon Preconditioning To Reduce Contaminant Leaching In Cement-Based Stabilization Of Soils, Renee Elizabeth Crane

Masters Theses

Powdered activated carbon (PAC) is often added with cement to enhance the stabilization and solidification (S/S) of materials contaminated with organic compounds. Adsorption of organic contaminants onto PAC can reduce leaching of organic contaminants. Simultaneous addition of PAC and cement reduces soil handling costs, but cement hydration reactions coat PAC with Ca(OH)2 before contaminants can be adsorbed onto PAC. Laboratory studies were done on four aged, contaminated soils from manufactured gas plant sites to compare the performance of S/S treatment with simultaneous addition of PAC and cement vs. cement addition after preconditioning with PAC to enhance contaminant adsorption. Performance was …

Surface Complexation Modeling Of Cr(Vi) Absorption On Mineral Assemblages, Ann M. Gilchrist

Masters Theses

Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) is a waste product of many anthropogenic processes. Because it is highly mobile, the improper disposal of Cr(VI) has caused widespread contamination. Because reduction and adsorption reactions may reduce the bioavailability and mobility of Cr(VI) in environmental systems, a better understanding of Cr(VI) adsorption behavior will improve remediation efforts.

Subsurfaces and soils are heterogeneous, however most studies focus on single sorbate/sorbent interactions to develop surface complexation models (SCM) for prediction of heavy metal adsorption. Theoretically, combining the SCMsdeveloped for single sorbate/sorbent systems should yield accurate predictions of adsorption in more complex systems (i.e., the component additivity approach …

An Orchid In The Land Of Technology: Embodied Presence In A Mediatized World, Kevin Dodd

Masters Theses

This thesis applies the Aesthetic philosophy of John Dewey to the current discourse about mediatization and performance in an effort to explain how a Deweyan conception of embodied aesthetic experience can contribute to meaningful experience and human flourishing in a mediatized culture. The relationship between live presence and technological mediatization is often characterized as oppositional. Through an explication of the process of mediatization and manifestations of presence, this relationship can instead be viewed as reciprocal. An overview of Dewey's theories of experience and aesthetics refutes dualistic thinking and demonstrates how faculties of perception can be engaged and our capacity for …

An Examination Of The Long Term Effects Of Exposure To Prescription Drugs On Infant Growth And Development, Annalisa Maurer

Masters Theses

The effects of prenatal exposure to many prescription medications are well known. However, little is known about the long term side effects early exposure to medications used to treat pain and sedate have on growth and development. This paper explores the long-term effects of postnatal exposure to prescription medication. The potential effects are applied to physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development as well as the overall health of an infant. Additionally, the options of the use of commonly used analgesics and sedatives are compared to other pain management options. Research surrounding long-term effects of early exposure to pain and generalizations/recommendations are …

Disease Ecology Of A Microsporidian Parasite And Its Effects On Mottled Sculpin, Jared Joseph Homola

Masters Theses

Infectious disease can influence organisms at all levels of ecological organization, from individuals to ecosystems. Likewise, the ecosystems where pathogens exist directly influence their success. Recent theoretical studies have tied disease prevalence to biotic factors such as genetic diversity, biodiversity, and host behavior, and abiotic factors that include temperature and increased nutrient concentrations. Parasites included in the phylum Microspora are increasingly recognized for being ubiquitous in nature, although their ecological roles are generally unknown. This study examined several environmental, community, and host-related metrics to compare the biotic and abiotic aspects of 16 small streams; 6 with mottled sculpin (Cottus …

Elementary Art And Writing, Mary A. Beningo

Masters Theses

The problem that I researched in today’s art education world is how to correlate elementary art curricula with writing curricula. To investigate this issue I field tested a curriculum module that reflects the contemporary issues of writing in art education. The curriculum module under investigation has been designed to correlate my 5^th grade fine arts curriculum with the homeroom teacher’s 5^th grade language arts curriculum.

During this study I worked with 56 fifth grade students and incorporated four writing projects into their fine arts curriculum: a Character Exploration project, a Black-out poetry project, a surrealistic textured paper collage …

An Exploration Of The Impact That Postmodernism Has On Competition In Sport, Shara Crow

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to explore the impact that postmodernism has on competition in sport. Previous studies compartmentalized social thought and competition in sport. This study appreciates that the two are connected, and it is through this connectedness that the impact emerges. By describing, finding, and analyzing relationships through text as well as notating text iteratively, it was found through a postmodernist critical awareness to meta-narratives that sport is expressed in two main themes: (a) identity (b) and hierarchy/authority. Moreover, both of these themes are interrelated to social interaction. These findings indicate that social interpretation impacts the complex …

A Preliminary Study Of The Articulatory And Acoustic Features Of Forward And Backward Tone Placement In Singing, Krista Wyllys

Masters Theses

A variety of terms exist for describing tone quality in singing, and voice scientists, voice therapists, teachers of singing, and students of singing use different terms to describe the same sound. One aspect of tone quality is tone placement. Teachers of singing often rely on imagery and imitation to elicit correct tone placement from students of singing. More concrete data about what produces forward and backward tone placement could supplement singing teachers’ current practice of using imagery and imitation to elicit a desirable tone quality. This study examined forward and backward tone placement to determine the articulatory gestures and acoustic …

A Discursive Analysis Of A Pregnancy Center: How Pregnant Women Are Encouraged To Develop A Sense Of Self-Worth And Emotional Wellbeing Through The Use Of Rhetoric And Imagery, Jessica Postma

Masters Theses

This study presents and alternative approach to how pregnancy is interpreted in western society and how settings such as a pregnancy center both challenges and reinforces these social standards. The promotion of abstinence, the aversion to abortion, notions of truth and morality, religious narratives, and the standard of care are all integral components to this analysis of pregnancy, language, and culture.

Use Of A Specific Alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Agonist Can Prevent Loss Of Retinal Ganglion Cells In An In Vivo Rat Glaucoma Model, David Mata

Masters Theses

Acetylcholine (ACh) has been shown to have a neuroprotective effect against glutamate-induced excitotoxicity in cultured retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) through activation of α7 nicotinic ACh receptors (nAChRs). In this study, the neuroprotective effects of the α7 nAChR agonist, PNU-282987, were investigated using an in vivo model of glaucoma in adult Long Evans rats. Hypertonic saline injections were used to induce a glaucoma model. After one month, retinas were removed, flat mounted, fixed and labeled with an antibody against Thy 1.1 to label RGCs and fluorescently tagged for visualization. Eye drop application of PNU-282987 resulted in neuroprotection against RGC loss in …

A New Kind Of National: Modified String Quartet Practices In Post-Soviet Eurasia, Adam Taylor Lenz

Masters Theses

This thesis examines the practices of string quartet modification implemented by three post-Soviet Eurasian composers: Franghiz Ali-Zadeh (Azerbaijan), Vache Sharafyan (Armenia), and Dmitri Yanov-Yanovsky (Uzbekistan). After an introduction to the geography of the region and the biographies of the composers, their works containing modified string quartet configurations are examined within three distinct modification practices. These practices consist of the addition of outside instruments, the addition of electronic components, and the alteration of performance practice. The evaluation of these techniques is carried out through musical analysis and examination of cultural context. After each work has been examined, the body of works …

The Geology Of The South Antelope Pass Area Of The Southern Peloncillo Mountains, Hidalgo County, New Mexico, John A. Yellich

Masters Theses

Volcanic activity during the middle and late Tertiary has been recorded in the mountain ranges of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico and the two provinces of prominent volcanic activity, the Sierra Madre Occidental and the Mogollon Plateau, dominantly rhyolitic in composition, are connected by the Peloncillo Range. The predominant rock chemistry of the south Antelope Pass area is “rhyolitic”; however, lava rock types dominate over welded tuff rock types of the two provinces. There is a limited pre-Tertiary rock record of limestones and sandstones in the northeastern part of the study area. The rest of the study area …

Explicit Teacher-Implemented Phoneme Awareness Instruction: Preschool Effects, Heather M. Osterhouse

Masters Theses

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the impact of explicit, concentrated, teacher-implemented phonological awareness instruction for ―at risk‖ 4- year-olds. Early childhood educators were trained to implement a 10-week program delivered for 20-minute sessions, four times a week, in their classrooms. The program focused on phonological awareness beginning at the level of letter-sound knowledge and advancing to blending and segmenting constituent phonemes in words. Pre- to post-treatment comparisons of phonological awareness and letter knowledge skills indicated that children in the experimental group made significant gains in comparison to the control group in phoneme blending and letter knowledge. …

Functional Annotation, Transcriptional Characterization And Enzymatic Contributions Of Essential Amino Acid Biosynthesis-Related Genes, Teresa J. Clark

Masters Theses

In plants, essential amino acid biosynthesis predominantly or exclusively occurs in the plastid. The plastid in the heterokont alga Nannochloropsis oceanica is surrounded by four membranes, which add great complexity to intracellular trafficking and communication. N. oceanica genes in essential amino acid biosynthesis were functionally annotated. The biosynthesis pathways resemble the pathways in Arabidopsis thaliana, but the gene content seems to be simpler in N. oceanica.

In addition, two A. thaliana mutants with loss-of-function mutations in the aspartate kinase-homoserine dehydrogenase 2 (AK-HSDH2) gene were characterized. These ak-hsdh2 mutants demonstrate unexpected accumulation of aspartate-derived amino acids (ADAAs), particularly threonine, in …

Theoretical Modeling Of Near-Threshold Shape Resonance Behaviour In Photodetachment Experiments, Laurentiu Dan Dumitriu

Masters Theses

This thesis attempts to better understand the results obtained from photodetachment experiments of Fe-, made by the Western Michigan University experimental atomic physics group at the Advanced Light Source (ALS), Lawrence Berkeley National laboratory.

After a relevant description of the quantum mechanics and theoretical atomic physics concepts and formulas involved in this subject, a physically realistic model, based on the square well potential, is developed. Based on this model, the theoretical photodetachment cross section is computed in order to reproduce the qualitative behavior of the experimental photodetachment cross section measured at ALS.

This development, involving programming in Fortran and numerical …

The Effectiveness Of The New Town Policy In Managing Growth And Congestion In Mega Cities: A Case Study Of Lagos, Nigeria New Town Policy, Abolaji Samson Olanipekun

Masters Theses

One of the major challenges facing municipal governments of megacities in developing countries is shortage of urban infrastructures relative to population growth. Because cities play important role in the economic development of every nation, problems confronting them require proactive policy measures by the government. One such mega city is Lagos, Nigeria. From 1962 to 2006, the population of Lagos grew from 1,135,805 to 17.5 million. Crammed on a 2200 square kilometer land area of which 18.9%, Lagos population is projected to reach 20.5 million by 2015, an explosion largely driven by the non-regulatory internal migration system. The result of this …