Digital Commons Network^™

Hydrogeochemical Controls On Reactive And Nonreactive Solute Transport In Heterogenous Porous Media, Mahta Gholizadeh Ansari

Masters Theses

"This work examines how physical and chemical heterogeneity can affect reactive and non-reactive transport in porous media. The effect of heterogeneity of the porous media is investigated both on dissolution rate of magnesite and attenuation time of nonreactive contaminants in non-reactive media. Various spatial distribution were created using statistical parameters in PETREL.A total of 6793 transport modeling simulations were run using CrunchFlow. Lasso regression was used to select most significant features and those features are then used in linear regression and deep learning models.

The magnesite dissolution simulations were performed under different permeability ratios (magnesite /sand permeability) and inlet pH. …

Processing, Microstructure, And Properties Of Engineered Diboride Structures, Connor Charles Wittmaier

Masters Theses

"The mechanical properties and processing parameters of boride ceramics in foam and laminate architectures were evaluated. The ceramic reticulated foam was produced through a polymer substrate replication technique and the hardness and compressive strength were tested. The laminate structure was tested to evaluate the flexure strength and work of fracture as a function of temperature.

The foam architecture was produced using a TiB₂ slurry coating on a polyurethane reticulated foam preform. Foams sintered to 2150⁰C displayed an average grain size of 8.9 ± 7.3 µm, and a hardness of 17.3 ± 2.4 GPa. Crush testing foams were sintered at …

Imaging In Karst Terrain Using The Electrical Resistivity And Multichannel Analyses Of Surface Wave Methods, Ragab W. Jaafar

Masters Theses

"Electrical resistivity tomography and multi-channel analyses of surface waves data were acquired at a study area in Phelps County in the south-central part of Missouri. The objectives of the investigation were fourfold: 1) to image the subsurface in the study area to a depth of 70 feet; 2) to compare the ERT images generated using both the dipole-dipole and Wenner-Schlumberger arrays; and 3) to assess how variations in the MASW array configuration affected MASW data quality; and 4) to compare the ERT-estimated depth to top-of-rock and the MASW-generated depth to top-of-rock.

The subsurface in the study area was imaged to …

Combination Of Bmp-2 And Relaxin To Induce Osteogenesis In Vivo, Sahitya Injamuri

Masters Theses

"Bone grafts are a common procedure for treating craniofacial injuries such as trauma, surgery, and reconstruction. Autografts and allografts have limitations which encourages the use of synthetic bone grafts. While synthetic bone grafts, such as hydroxyapatite (HA) microspheres, are advantageous for their cost and reproducibility, they lack the cells and growth factors needed for proper osteoinduction. Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) has been shown to increase the osteoinduction of grafts but the effective dose is above physiological levels and causes undesired effects on the body. Relaxin has been shown to enhance BMP-2's ability to induce bone formation in vitro and thus …

Evaluation Of Preformed Particle Gel As A Diverting Agent For Acidizing, Bo Wei

Masters Theses

"Preformed particle gels (PPGs) have been developed and successfully used to improve conformance in heterogeneous reservoirs. However, no research has been reported to show their potential diverting applications in acidizing because of their unknown performance in this process. This work targets on evaluating the potential of PPGs to be used as diverting agents and factors influencing the diverting performance.

The swelling properties of three types of PPGs (PPG #1, #2, and #3) were first studied in brine and acid, including the swelling kinetics and equilibrium, PPG strength, and deswelling performance. Effects of different brine concentration, acid concentration, and temperature were …

Networking And Connecting Creative Minds: Understanding Social Media’S Role In Today’S Visual Arts Instruction, Tonya Rose Kirby

Masters Theses

This study explores the use of social media in K-12 visual arts programs, focusing on why and how art educators choose to implement social media in their instructional practice. This study discusses benefits and disadvantages of social media as a pedagogical and creative tool in art education through analysis of the survey responses of 50 in-service teachers. Finally, specific social media platforms are recommended, with in-class examples provided for art teachers interested in using social media in their program.

The Perceptions Of Music Therapy Interns And Internship Supervisors: American Music Therapy Association Professional Competencies, Jordan Rebecca Novak

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate perceptual differences of the AMTA Professional Competencies between music therapy pre-interns and internship supervisors in the Great Lakes Region. The participants (N = 33) were 19 pre-interns and 14 internship supervisors at AMTA Approved internship sites and academic programs. This 32 question survey study utilized a Likert-type 5-point scale that required the participant to rate their perceived need for assistance from little to no need for assistance to very high need for assistance. Results showed that pre-interns and supervisors differ significantly on the subjects of “Leading and accompanying on guitar and piano” …

‘How Yoga Are You?’: Exploring The Contemporary Practice Of Yoga In The United States, Olivia Mclaughlin

Masters Theses

In 2015, to the United States, 21 million Americans claimed to be regular practitioners of yoga. Yoga has long been studied by psychologists, therapists, and medical scientists for its ability to affect positive change in people’s lives, particularly in regards to mental and emotional health and well-being. Within the field of sociology, yoga has gained an increasing amount of attention for its ability to help treat chronic eating disorders among women, becoming extremely popular within the subfields of sociology of the body and gender. Additionally, the cultural impact of the transmission of yoga has fascinated social scientists interested in studying …

The Application Of Chitosan On An Experimental Infection Of Pseudogymnoascus Destructans Increases Survival In Little Brown Bats, Torin C. Kulhanek

Masters Theses

This research builds upon a previous study conducted that tested the efficacy of chitosan on experimentally-infected bats as a laboratory model of White-nose syndrome. White-nose syndrome is a fungal infection caused by Pseudogymnoascus destructans, formerly known as Geomyces destructans. The pathology of this disease is not yet fully understood, but it is devastating bats throughout Northeastern America and continues to spread. Here we tested multiple application time points and concentrations of chitosan on the wings of experimentally-infected bats and compared them with the controls. We grossly viewed the wings first to get a sense of the amount of …

The Effects Of Individual And Social Comparison Graphic Feedback On Incented Performance, Yngvi Freyr Einarsson

Masters Theses

This study examined whether graphic displays of individual performance and graphic displays of the individual performance of each group member would increase performance when individuals were paid monetary incentives. All participants were paid piece-rate pay and there were three conditions: (a) no feedback, (b) graphic display of individual performance, and (c) graphic display of the performance of each group member. Participants were 80 undergraduate students who performed a computerized data entry task. The main dependent variable was the number of correctly completed entries. A monotone ANCOVA was used to detect performance differences, using data from the first session as a …

Development Of Fully Printed And Flexible Strain, Pressure And Electrochemical Sensors, Dinesh Maddipatla

Masters Theses

In recent years, considerable research has been put into the development of printed electronics (PE) as well as the best ways to effectively and efficiently print electronic devices on flexible substrates. This thesis focuses majorly on the design and fabrication of novel flexible sensors using conventional printing processes.

Initially, a flexible printed strain gauge was fabricated successfully on a flexible paper substrate using flexography printing process. Silver (Ag) ink was printed on the paper substrate as metallization layer. The performance of the printed device was investigated by subjecting the strain gauge to a 3-point bend test, with a displacement of …

Warrior Health: A Study Of Female Veterans With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Who Engage In Outdoor Adventure Recreation, Julia Smith

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to show the impact of outdoor adventure recreation on female veterans who have experienced post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The study followed a phenomenological approach in order to gain an overall view of what the veterans experienced, using observation and interviews in order to gather information. Conclusions showed female veterans desire female-veteran-only activities; desire relationships with fellow female veterans; and enjoy outdoor adventure recreation that includes teamwork, planned activities, and relaxation. In order to ensure the best possible avenue for PTSD health in female veterans, future research may include a focus on the impact of …

Real Or Not Real: Fragmentation, Fabrication, And Composite Identity In The Hunger Games And The Mass Effect Trilogy, Tessanna Curtis

Masters Theses

As one glance at box office ratings from the past decade can attest to, twenty-first century Western society seems particularly fixated on coming-of-age stories. These stories reflect the quintessential search for identity, as explained by developmental psychologist Erik Erikson. As Erikson argues throughout his works, the fundamental task of the individual on his journey to becoming a healthy, mature adult is the formation of a personal identity and sense of self that is both unified and whole. What seems particularly ironic, however, is that these coming-of-age stories are released into a culture that is largely dismissive of Erikson’s theory of …

Trophic Transfer Of A Naturally Occurring Algal Toxin From A Freshwater Lake To Little Brown Bats, Devin Jones

Masters Theses

Microcystis aeruginosa is a species of cyanobacteria capable of producing a hepatotoxin called microcystin. As toxic M. aeruginosa overwinters in the sediments of lakes, it is ingested by some mayfly larvae, such as those of Hexagenia spp., and thus

microcystin bioaccumulates in these insects. When Hexagenia emerge from lakes to

reproduce, they provide an abundant, albeit temporary, food source for many terrestrial

organisms such as bats. Little brown bats, Myotis lucifugus, likely feed opportunistically

on aquatic insects. To test if microcystin moves from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems via trophic transfer, we 1) tested bat feces for the presence of …

Preparing For 1:1 Technology: Impact On Collaboration, Instruction, And Student Learning, Pamela R. Schwallier

Masters Theses

The purpose of this action research project was to examine how the preparation of a 1:1 technology initiative, through professional development and early access to devices, in secondary (6-12) schools affected personal computing skills of teachers as well as collaboration, instruction, and student learning. This study takes place at West Ottawa Public Schools where district educators received personal Chromebooks and had ongoing professional development throughout the 2015-2016 school year to prepare specifically for the successful adoption of the 1:1 technology model in the 2017-2018 school year. The district is able to provide personal Chromebooks for all students entering grades 7-12 …

Cultivation In An On-Demand Era: Television Consumption, Explicit And Implicit Attitudes Toward Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Individuals, Jasmine M. Labine

Masters Theses

Past research in media effects suggests that the media we consume influences our daily lives. More specifically, Cultivation Theory suggests that television collectively contributes to our worldviews. In this study, cultivation was applied at both macro- and micro-levels. Macrolevel cultivation, or traditional cultivation, involves analysis of television as a collective medium and the way that it affects attitudes. Micro-level cultivation refers to the idea that certain types of programs influence specific attitudes.

Attitudes toward lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals were analyzed in relation to a number of variables. Few statistically significant results were found relating demographics and general television …

Stratigraphy Of The Upper Devonian-Lower Mississippian Michigan Basin: Review And Revision With An Emphasis On The Ellsworth Petroleum System, Bryan J. Currie

Masters Theses

Compression associated with the formation of the Transcontinental Arch and the Acadian Mountains initiated subsidence in the Michigan Basin and lead to a depositional switch in the Michigan Basin from an oxic shallow-water carbonate platform (Traverse Group and Squaw Bay Limestone) to a deep anaerobic sea floor and the beginning of Upper Devonian Antrim Shale. The vertical distribution of the different Upper Devonian-Lower Mississippian formations and members demonstrates large scale cycles of anaerobic-dysaerobic transitions attributed fluctuations in sea-level, different rates of subsidence and sediment influx triggered by different orogenic events to.

The regional understanding and the distribution of the different …

Approved For All Audiences: A Longitudinal Content Analysis Of The Portrayal Of Women In Movie Trailers, Brooke S. O’Neil

Masters Theses

Movie trailers are ever present in our society and impactful in the way society constructs views about various aspects of life. Trailers are unique in that they are specifically tailored and edited to entice audiences to buy tickets to the film. Further, prior research has indicated that in various forms of media, women are continuously underrepresented, disproportionately sexualized, stereotyped, and victimized. The present study examines the portrayal of women through a content analysis of 230 of the top grossing trailers across seven decades: 1950-2015. The research focuses on women’s representation, sexualization, gender roles, and violence. The analysis reveals that in …

Snatching Defeat From The Jaws Of Victory: The Curious Case [Study] Of California’S Proposition 37, Dave Brundage

Masters Theses

In 2012, California became the first state to qualify a ballot measure for public vote on the topic of genetically modified food labeling. Proposition 37, The California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act, enjoyed overwhelming support leading up to the November elections. However, an 11th hour surge by the opposition led to its defeat. This case study examines the media messages deployed by the pro and antilabeling groups in an effort to understand how each side attempted to curry favor to their cause. Content analysis was performed on 27 television, radio, and internet advertisements broadcast during the campaign. Focused …

Sequestered Alkaloid Defenses In The Dendrobatid Poison Frog Oophaga Pumilio Provide Variable Protection From Microbial Pathogens, Kyle Hovey

Masters Theses

Amphibians produce the majority of their defensive chemicals, however alkaloid defenses in poison frogs are sequestered from dietary arthropods. Alkaloids function as a defense against predators, and certain types appear to inhibit microbial growth. However, alkaloid defenses vary considerably among populations of poison frogs, reflecting geographic differences in availability of dietary arthropods. Consequently, environmentally driven differences in poison frog alkaloid defenses may have significant implications regarding their protection against pathogens. While natural alkaloid mixtures in poison frogs have recently been shown to inhibit growth of non-pathogenic microbes, no studies have examined the effectiveness of alkaloids against microbes that infect frogs. …

The Agenda Setting Effects Of Cnn’S Twitter In The 2016 Super Tuesday Primaries, Joy Huertas

Masters Theses

Governmental fall downs, electoral outcomes, terrorism propaganda, and climate change awareness are just some of the commonly known results of the effects of news media coverage on the public opinion and society as a whole. For years, researchers have utilized the agenda setting theory as a basis for their studies on the effects of the news media coverage on the public opinion in countless of contexts. The purpose of this study was to analyze the agenda setting effects of a major broadcast news organization but from one of their most influential social media channels, Twitter. CNN’s daily Twitter mentions of …

Medium As King: Social Media & The Political Campaign, Isaac Shea

Masters Theses

There is a growing need for a greater understanding of the intersection between great content, effective targeting and proper media usage in mediated communication and especially in American politics. As more campaigns move their efforts online in an attempt to reach a rapidly growing digital constituency, more content will continue to be less visible. The major quest for this study will be to challenge the long-standing idea that “content is king” which Bill Gates termed at the inception of the internet. A theoretical background of Marshall McLuhan and Kathleen Hall Jamieson will not only allow us to answer this question, …

Minimization Of Metamerism In Wood Grain Printing Using Different Gcr Settings, Vinay Anil Turke

Masters Theses

In printing industry, prototyping is necessary to ensure quality reproduction of jobs. Conventional printing processes like gravure cannot be used for prototyping because of high manufacturing cost of gravure cylinders. Such challenges can be successfully tackled by use of relatively cheap and flexible printing processes, such as inkjet. Even though inkjet printing is a cost effective way for prototyping, it has its own limitations, especially in the case of woodgrain printing. Wood-grain patterns need to be printed with a release coating and adhesive. Inkjet printers are incapable of printing release coating and adhesive because release coat and adhesive require certain …

Officer On Duty: How An Image Can Change In An Instant, Derrick Battle

Masters Theses

The deaths of Eric Garner, Michael Brown, and Tamir Rice sparked an uproar in many communities across the United States. These incidents brought to light that there is an issue that remains prevalent between citizen and police officers. The New York Police Department, Ferguson Police Department, and the Cleveland Department of Police have all dealt with tension involving the communities they serve. Since these incidents changes have been made within each department. Some had the help of the Department of Justice to reform old polices. While law enforcement does what they believe it is necessary to protect the public, sometimes …

Sources Of Dignity For Persons: Capacities, Friendship, Love And Subjectivity, Matthew Nevius

Masters Theses

Many people seem to understand the term 'dignity' as applying to all human persons regardless of their race, creed, sex, or religious beliefs. As to what the concept 'dignity' means is a difficult and complex problem. Is the concept 'dignity' an empty concept, void of meaning? What does it mean when we say that this or that person has dignity? Most of the current philosophical literature has very little to say as to what dignity is. I will argue that what we need to find is a concept of dignity that accounts for both the infinite and the irreplaceable value …

Understanding College Students’ Exam Process In A General Chemistry Course, Angela Willson

Masters Theses

The main way most college chemistry courses assess what a student has learned is through a summative exam. After introductory science courses, such as general chemistry, many students cite poor teaching and disappointing grades in these courses as a reason for dropping out of STEM programs. There has been a lack of qualitative research on students’ experiences of the complete process of taking an exam from start to finish, or the exam process, which includes preparing for an exam, taking an exam, receiving feedback, and responding to feedback after the exam has been graded.

My goal in this exploratory study …

Empathic Exchange, Yu-Jung Kim

Masters Theses

My work explores the empathy existing between humans and animals. It is possible for humans and animals commune empathically by staring at one another. With empathy, human and animal connection can be built; comfort and healing can be found through this form of exchange. Non-verbal communication with animals may not often be thought about seriously. I aim to share the experience of empathy, comfort and power of healing through communication with animals I have felt, and to awake people with similar experiences in their memory through my works.

As a child, I thought I could not be truly understood by …

Walking In A Place : Walkestra, Hyemi Song

Masters Theses

In this thesis, the author proposes a project of accumulating data that reflects a walker's unique experiences in a chosen place and transforms it as sonified data that allows other listeners to understand the walker's experience in the place.

Expanding Horizons, Expanding Self: An Incentive To Get Out Of The Classroom And Start Using Art To Explore Your Community With Placed-Based Arts Investigation, Erin Poindexter

Masters Theses

The three primary components of Place-based Arts Investigation (PBAI) are an understanding of place, arts-integration, and arts-based research, each with a heritage in and of itself. These ideas work in tandem to form the keystones of PBAI, a model for interdisciplinary arts-based learning that utilizes the multiple languages of art as methods of inquiry and self-reflection without stifling curiosity. Developed with the intention to provide a true model for ‘arts integration’ in teaching and learning, PBAI uses the distinct advantages of visual art education to engage the learner through multiple modes of inquiry while providing periods of guided reflection (Gude, …

Origami Condition Design, Yin Lu

Masters Theses

Origami is not a brand new discussion anymore, since its value in robotics had been recognized in recent decades. However, no clear or deep discussion happened on how to apply origami on architecture or other practical scale design, because they barely share common characteristics of material and operation. Architects try hard to blend origami into architecture design, what they pursue is the form. I am confused that whether origamishaped design could be regarded as origami design, or in other words, when we talk about origami design, what is it?

The first thing I’d like to clarify in thesis project is …