Digital Commons Network^™

An Exploration Of Middle School Teachers’ Utilization Of Culturally Responsive Teaching, Samantha Phillips

Masters Theses

Culturally responsive teaching (CRT) can be used as a means for effectively teaching and managing students and decreases the achievement gap between students of Color and their White counterparts. This qualitative study with an ethnographic design examines the utilization of culturally responsive teaching strategies of two middle school teachers and two principals in public schools on the Southwest side of Chicago. The study is guided by one research question: What aspects of culturally responsive teaching practices are teachers using in their teaching strategies? The study has two purposes: To analyze the effectiveness of two middle school teachers’ utilization of culturally …

A Study Of Π – Π Stacking Interactions In Rhenium Carbonyl Complexes Based On Backbone Functionalized Bis(Pyrazolyl)Methane Ligands, Balamani Guduru

Masters Theses

π – π Stacking interactions are one of the most important non-covalent inter-molecular forces, which play an important role in the architecture of 1D and 2D networks of supramolecular chemistry. This associative contact involves the attractive interactions of aromatic molecules with each other. To describe and study the strength of the π – π stacking interactions, four new bis(pyrazolyl)ethanamine ligands having different aromatic groups (1-pyrenyl, 1-naphthyl, 2-naphthyl, and 9-anthracenyl) known for their propensity to be involved in π – π stacking interactions were prepared by the reaction of one equivalent of bis(pyrazolyl)ethanamine with one equivalent of the corresponding aromatic aldehyde. …

Geographic Range Size As A Predictor Of Dispersal-Dependent Behavioral Traits In Two Clades Of A Terrestrial Salamander, Teah Evers

Masters Theses

Animal movement has the potential to affect diverse processes within ecology and evolution including range expansion, gene flow, adaptation, and speciation. Two aspects of animal personality that are germane to dispersal are exploratory and aggressive behavior. These behavioral categories may represent a trade-off such that energy invested in territorial defense leaves little energy for movement and dispersal. The Eastern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) is a wide ranging, dispersal limited, terrestrial salamander with well documented phylogeographic divisions. I examined dispersal-relevant behavioral traits within two clades of P. cinereus with disparate geographic ranges. The Northern Clade (NC) has a range extending from …

Adsorption Of Arsenic Onto River Sediments, Leticia Augusta Dos Santos Ferreira

Masters Theses

“Previous studies have noted the relationship between shallow groundwater rich in sodium (Na) and bicarbonate (HCO₃) and elevated levels of dissolved arsenic. However, most experimental work on arsenic adsorption in the presence of HCO₃ and differing Na/Ca ratios has proven difficult to extrapolate to natural systems because of differences in tested mineral compositions and component concentrations. In this study, I performed a series of adsorption experiments using river sediments to evaluate the influence of HCO₃ and monovalent/divalent cations on the extent of arsenic adsorption onto natural sediment in groundwater.

Batch adsorption (kinetics, equilibrium, and metal loading) …

Continuous And Discrete Models For Optimal Harvesting In Fisheries, Nagham Abbas Al Qubbanchee

Masters Theses

"This work focuses on the logistic growth model, where the Gordon-Schaefer model is considered in continuous time. We view the Gordon-Schaefer model as a bioeconomic equation involved in the fishing business, considering biological rates, carrying capacity, and total marginal costs and revenues. In [25], the authors illustrate the analytical solution of the Schaefer model using the integration by parts method and two theorems. The theorems have many assumptions with many different strategies. Due to the nature of the problem, the optimal control system involves many equations and functions, such as the second root of the equation. We concentrate on Theorem …

Numerical Investigations Of 2-D Magnetic Nozzles On Pulsed Plasma Plumes, Joshua Daniel Burch

Masters Theses

"This research presents studies of a novel type of magnetic nozzle that allows for three-dimensional (3-D) steering of a plasma plume. Numerical simulations were performed using Tech-X's USim® software to quantify the nozzle's capabilities. A2-D planar magnetic nozzle was applied to plumes of a nominal pulsed inductive plasma (PIP) source with discharge parameters similar to those of Missouri S&T's Missouri Plasmoid Experiment (MPX). Argon and xenon plumes were considered. Simulations were verified and validated through a mesh convergence study as well as comparison with available experimental data. Periodicity was achieved over the simulation run time and phase angle samples were …

Using Lake Sediment Chemistry In The Exploration For Nickel Laterite Deposits In Tropical Regions, Gabriela Yvonne Ramirez

Masters Theses

"Developing reliable geochemical indicators to guide the search for ore deposits is a long-standing goal. This particularly applies to tropical regions that are often heavily vegetated which hampers boots-on-the ground exploration efforts. Here we present the preliminary results of a study that investigates the usefulness of lake sediment chemistry in the exploration for nickel laterite ore deposits in tropical regions using Lake Izabal, Guatemala, as a case study. Lake Izabal’s catchment area contains Ni laterite deposits along its northern shore, whereas no Ni-laterite discoveries have been made in the south except for a Ni mine in the southern region that …

Lithofacies Characterization Of Marine Shelf Shale And Implicaitons On Depositional Conditions And Processes On The Continental Shelf — A Case Study Of The Upper-Cretaceous Tuscaloosa Marine Shale In Louisiana And Mississippi, U.S.A., Efren Mendez Jr

Masters Theses

"The Upper Cretaceous Tuscaloosa Marine Shale (TMS) is an unconventional shale reservoir deposited on the continental shelf of the northern Gulf of Mexico Basin. Previous studies have focused on sequence stratigraphy, thermal modeling, and well-log correlations. However, a limited understanding of the stratigraphic heterogeneity of the TMS is yet to be studied. This study aims to characterize the stratigraphic heterogeneity of the TMS using core, petrographic, and well-log analyses to better understand the depositional conditions and processes that occur on the continental shelf. The TMS has been classified into four lithofacies of very fine sands – coarse silts (LF1), medium-fine …

Automatic Sparse Esm Scan Using Gaussian Process Regression, Jiangshuai Li

Masters Theses

“Emission source microscopy (ESM) technique can be utilized for localization of electromagnetic interference sources in complex and large systems. In this work a Gaussian process regression (GPR) method is applied in real-time to select sampling points for the sparse ESM imaging using a motorized scanner. The Gaussian process regression is used to estimate the complex amplitude of the scanned field and its uncertainty allowing to select the most relevant areas for scanning. Compared with the randomly selected samples the proposed method allows to reduce the number of samples needed to achieve a certain dynamic range of the image, reducing the …

Experimental Optimization Of Simulated Ring Rolling Operation For Heavy Rail Industry, Jacob M. Summers

Masters Theses

“Industrially cast AISI 1070 steel wheel pre-forms from Amsted Rail Co. were experimentally hot rolled to simulate the conditions for industrial wheel rolling. Ring rolling of near net shape castings can improve location specific properties by decreasing segregation, closing porosity, and reducing grain size without the use of multiple forging operations in a traditional forging line. As-cast wheel sections were subjected to thermomechanical processing routes using a 2-high rolling mill in a temperature range of 830°C to 1200°C. The goal being to simulate the ring rolling process and optimize benefits of mechanical properties of the as-rolled steel. Charpy V- and …

Several Problems In Nonlinear Schrödinger Equations, Tim Van Hoose

Masters Theses

“We study several different problems related to nonlinear Schrödinger equations….

We prove several new results for the first equation: a modified scattering result for both an averaged version of the equation and the full equation, as well as a set of Strichartz estimates and a blowup result for the 3d cubic problem.

We also present an exposition of the classical work of Bourgain on invariant measures for the second equation in the mass-subcritical regime”--Abstract, page iv.

Man-In-The-Middle Attacks On Mqtt Based Iot Networks, Henry C. Wong

Masters Theses

“The use of Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices has increased a considerable amount in recent years due to decreasing cost and increasing availability of transistors, semiconductor, and other components. Examples can be found in daily life through smart cities, consumer security cameras, agriculture sensors, and more. However, Cyber Security in these IoT devices are often an afterthought making these devices susceptible to easy attacks. This can be due to multiple factors. An IoT device is often in a smaller form factor and must be affordable to buy in large quantities; as a result, IoT devices have less resources than a typical computer. …

Pressure Relief Wells: Analysis Of Subsurface Heterogeneity To Evaluate Relief Well Locations For Mississippi River Levees, Emma Marie Young

Masters Theses

“When designing pressure relief well systems, it is imperative to understand what major geomorphology and heterogenies features are present, such as buried oxbow lakes, especially when the feature is parallel to the source, such as the Mississippi River. When present, there is a notable greater increase in head pressures, especially on the landward tow of the levee. This can cause erosional features that originally thought of to have been protected from by installing pressure relief wells. When comparing the effective hydraulic conductivities of horizontal clay layers and vertical clay layers spanning the length of the model, little to no noticeable …

Developing Novel Molecular Detection Techniques For Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Adelges Tsugae), Meg Sanders

Masters Theses

Hemlock forests in eastern North America face a deadly threat: the invasive insect, hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), Adelges tsugae. Early detection of this pest remains a key focus for management groups to ensure rapid response to control and stop the spread of HWA. In Chapter II, our goals were to develop an affordable, easy-to-use trap that is compatible with airborne eDNA sampling techniques and assess its efficiency as a monitoring tool for HWA. We tested three potential trap designs (i.e., passive trap, funnel trap, and motorized trap) against a standard sticky trap. Our passive, funnel, and motorized traps estimated …

A Parametric Computational Fluid Dynamics (Cfd) Study Of In-Line Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines (Hawts) With Yaw, North Alyster Yates

Masters Theses

Because of the constant use of non-renewable fossil fuels, and the enormous impact they have on global warming and pollution, there has been a push to use more eco-friendly and renewable sources for power. One such form is wind power via turbines. The most common form, Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines (HAWTs), can generate massive amounts of power. However, they also have a serious flaw in their design. As the wind passes through the swept area of the blades and past the tower, it creates massive disturbances in the airflow. These disturbances are called a ‘wake’. When trying to create a …

Quantifying Surface Water Capture By Municipal Pumping Wells In An Urban Watershed Impacted By Road Salt, Austen York

Masters Theses

The Spring Valley sub-watershed is located within the Kalamazoo Township contains Spring Valley Lake, a man-made impoundment that ultimately discharges into the Kalamazoo River. Elevated chloride levels in pumped water from the Kalamazoo Station 14 municipal wellfield, located along the shoreline of Spring Valley Lake, has resulted in less than ideal corrosivity values for the water distribution system. Specific project objectives include: (1) identifying the cause of elevated chloride, (2) assessing surface water capture by the Station 14 wellfield, and (3) characterizing of water quality in Spring Valley Lake. Monitoring along a series of sampling transects spanning the sub-watershed, focused …

Use Of The Music Syllabus From The National Standards Curriculum Nsc, At The Lower Secondary Level, In Kingston And St. Andrew, Jamaica, Ornisea Williams Hird

Masters Theses

The Jamaican music education landscape has had a positive shift in the demand for music teachers who are educated to become classroom music teachers. Despite the growing need for trained music teachers to be placed in many high schools in Jamaica and the implementation of two curricula, there has been minimal study that assess how music teachers use the music syllabus from the National Standards Curriculum (NSC) in teaching and learning. The study joins a set of vibrant discussions on the development of music education in Jamaica and examines the use of the NSC at the lower secondary level (grades …

Using Sedimentary Mercury Geochemistry To Evaluate The Niagara-Salina Transition, Silurian Michigan Basin, Usa, Sara Hayes

Masters Theses

The Niagara-Salina boundary in the Michigan Basin is marked by an abrupt transition from carbonates to evaporites. Though the cause is uncertain, previous work suggests the onset of Salina evaporites was driven by basin restriction, but the presence of several global carbon isotope excursions (CIE) suggest a global driver. This study builds on this discussion using two relatively new geochemical proxies - elemental mercury concentrations [Hg] and Hg isotopes.

Mercury concentrations [Hg] were measured in 88 samples from the State Kalkaska #2-15 core from 6604.03 ft to 6797.42 ft. [Hg] ranges from 0.11 to 0.62 mg/kg and [Hg]/TOC from 0.038 …

Serving Special Education Students In The Music Classroom: Accommodating And Advocating For Learners With Exceptionalities, Kathryn Lambert

Masters Theses

Music education programs positively impact the lives of students both socially and emotionally. As the following research suggests, music may have an even greater impact on students with disabilities or exceptionalities. Due to the lack of accessibility, funding, time, training, and other issues, opportunities in music education programs may be limited to groups of students who may not fit the standard music education student profile. As teachers of common core classes may struggle to accommodate students with exceptionalities and may feel as if they are lacking in resources or other needed preparation to adequately serve these students, these struggles are …

Gendered Language In The Catalogues Of Saint Mary’S Academy, 1860-1871, Kylie Hamm

Masters Theses

This research builds upon studies that explore Catholic women’s and girls’ educational institutions in the nineteenth century. This case study focuses on one girls’ academy, Saint Mary’s Academy, precursor to Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana, founded by the Congregation of the Holy Cross in 1844. The research provided here analyzes the gendered language utilized by school leaders in the academy’s public catalogues during the decade of the Civil War, from 1860 through 1871. The language in these catalogues subtly changed over the course of the decade, reflecting changing white, middle-class gender norms surrounding women’s work and education. Leaders of …

The Theory Of Multiple Intelligences In A Special Education Music Classroom, Daniel Passadino

Masters Theses

Special education students involved in music classes currently face a lack of inclusivity. Various methods have been used to promote inclusivity in the music classroom. This paper focuses on how Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligence theory promotes inclusivity in the special education music classroom. The multiple intelligence theory streamlines a special education music curriculum by highlighting each child’s strongest intelligence. To assess a child’s intelligences, they must participate in music-related tests. The tests include mini lessons which cater to the multiple intelligences. For example, when children are taught using visuals, some will not be able to learn as effectively if they …

Cfd Analysis Of Subcutaneous Deposition And Dispersion Of Insulin In Adipose Tissue, Ryan C. Lubbers

Masters Theses

Drug delivery is the most important factor of many therapies, but a lack of technology and research have led to a very generalized understanding of drug kinetics. Insulin pump therapy for the treatment of Type 1 Diabetes depends on precise delivery of the hormone into the adipose region between the dermis and underlying muscle. The kinetics of insulin within the adipose tissue environment is not well understood and varies greatly case to case. The use of computation fluid dynamics (CFD) models to study insulin kinetics in relation to influential factors will lead to a better understanding of the characteristics of …

The Growth Of Starry Stonewort (Nitellopsis Obtusa), An Aquatic Invasive Species, In Two Michigan Lakes, And Its Suitable Habitats In The Midwest And Northeast United States, Emily Neuman

Masters Theses

The growth of starry stonewort (Nitellopsis obtusa), an aquatic invasive species, in two Michigan Lakes, and its suitable habitats in the Midwest and Northeast United States Aquatic invasive species are a major threat to freshwater ecosystems, but gaps remain in our knowledge on how these species invade, grow, and thrive. This thesis aims to understand how an invasive macroalga, Nitellopsis obtusa (starry stonewort), grows within the littoral zone of two drowned river mouth lakes and suitable habitat preferences across 17 Midwest and northeast U.S.A. states to aid in aquatic invasive species management. In chapter II of this thesis, …

Per- And Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances (Pfas) Cycling Within Michigan: Connections Between Contaminated Sites, Landfills, And Wastewater Treatment Plants, Ross W. Helmer

Masters Theses

The disposal and treatment of Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS) contaminated solid and liquid wastes, and associated cycling within the natural and engineered environment is a complex topic. PFAS data on contaminated sites, landfill leachates, the influent, effluent, and biosolids from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) within Michigan were compiled from publicly available and private sources. Most of the datasets are based on a 28-analyte suite generated using a modified form of the US EPA 537 analytical method, with a subset of data from the 18-analyte ASTM D7979-19 method. Approximately 70% of the 171 contaminated sites in Michigan have maximum …

Invasives In Our National Parks: How Tourists Can Help Stop The Spread Of Invasive Species, Alexandria Elivira Marci

Masters Theses

Invasive species are a major issue around the world and more specifically in our U.S. National Parks. Ranging from plants to insects to animals, invasive species are a greater threat than many may imagine. The impact that invasive species have on an ecosystem encompasses more than taking over a native species’ environment; it includes competing for food, water, and other resources, as well as having an adverse effect on our economy and threatening us with deadly diseases. Many factors lead to the cause of spread of invasive species, but all point back to human interference, from purposely spreading invasive species …

Towards Real-Time Energy Efficiency Analysis Of A Hydraulic System, Montasir Mamun Mithu

Masters Theses

The study aims at developing a real-time data analysis system for the energy efficiency study of hydraulic systems. It also aims at implementing automation for hydraulic systems so that energy efficiency can be improved using the real-time approach. This research uses a system-level experimental methodology. A linear push system hydraulic prototype is developed for the study. The prototype contains hydraulic actuator, shock absorber, electronic flow control valve, and electronic sensor. This prototype is used to experiment with different operating conditions to characterize hydraulic system behavior. A real-time data analysis system is developed using LabVIEW and an Open Platform Communication (OPC) …

On Cup-Products Of Cofibers Of Maps Between Moore Spaces, Hopf Invariant, And Lusternik-Schnirelmann Category, Marwa A.S. Mosallam

Masters Theses

In this thesis we make a detailed investigation of the cohomology rings of the cofibers C_β of Moore spaces of dimension 2 by computing the cup products in cofibers and to do so we prove that the Hopf invariant in case of Moore spaces in the zero and nonzero homomorphism case is a homomorphism. We have shown when is ��_r,_k a Co-H-Map. We calculated the homologies and cohomologies of Moore spaces of dimension 2 and of the cofibers C_β where β=��_r,k. We used Lusternik-Schnirelmann category to determine the complexity of C …

Impact Of Calcium Carbonate Reactant Size And Mineralogy On Dolomite Stoichiometry, Katharine G. Rose

Masters Theses

Dolomite is a common, diagenetic, Mg-Ca carbonate mineral. Dolomitization occurs by a dissolution-precipitation reaction between a CaCO₃ precursor (calcite or aragonite) and Mg bearing fluids. The amount of Mg in dolomite, referred to as dolomite stoichiometry (mol% MgCO₃), varies in natural dolomites (38-50 mol% MgCO₃). Laboratory experiments have shown that dolomite stoichiometry is dependent on physiochemical factors of the diagenetic fluids (i.e., temperature, salinity, and Mg/Ca). The impact of the CaCO₃ precursor on stoichiometry, however, has not been studied directly. This study tests how the CaCO₃ precursor size (sieve size) and mineralogy (calcite …

Hardware Acceleration In Image Stitching: Gpu Vs Fpga, Joshua David Edgcombe

Masters Theses

Image stitching is a process where two or more images with an overlapping field of view are combined. This process is commonly used to increase the field of view or image quality of a system. While this process is not particularly difficult for modern personal computers, hardware acceleration is often required to achieve real-time performance in low-power image stitching solutions. In this thesis, two separate hardware accelerated image stitching solutions are developed and compared. One solution is accelerated using a Xilinx Zynq UltraScale+ ZU3EG FPGA and the other solution is accelerated using an Nvidia RTX 2070 Super GPU. The image …

Futuristic Communication, Haotian Yang

Masters Theses

In today's world we can no longer separate our lives from technology. It is that fluidity between the human world and the technological world that my work explores. Technological development has brought us great convenience in communication. The existence of programs like Zoom allows people to work and socialize remotely. Instagram, Twitter and other social networks allow people to share their lives anytime and anywhere with a simple snap of a picture and push of a button. The emergence of mobile phones allows people to communicate at any time. Science and technology continue to develop and these developments provide many …