Digital Commons Network^™

Training Considerations For The Identification And Investigation Of Human Trafficking Cases In Law Enforcement: A Case Study, Emilie O. Coleman

Masters Theses

The purpose of this qualitative case study is to identify the need for specialized training in identifying and investigating human trafficking cases to be provided to law enforcement officers. Approximately 40 million people are victims of human trafficking, and the numbers continue to grow each year. Front-line officers are generally under-prepared to recognize and handle human trafficking cases which shows the need to provide effective and appropriate training to help identify victims and investigate human trafficking cases. Research to provide a solution is guided by a qualitative case study investigation for the purpose of developing and proposing actionable changes law …

Media Dependency In Gen Z Christians, Emma Jolie Best

Masters Theses

The purpose of the study “Media Dependency in Gen Z Christians” is to understand and explore the way Gen Z Christians utilize different forms of media as it relates to their faith. This quantitative research approach focused on the extent to which Gen Z Christians utilize extra-biblical and biblical media, which media they are more likely to consume, and which media they prefer. This research provides insight for the audience in terms of the habits of weekly Gen Z media usage and reliance in a digital media-emersed world, as well as insight into the way that Christian Gen Z learns …

Unmasking The Resistance: A Comprehensive Study Of Anti-Ku Klux Klan Endeavors In Upcountry South Carolina During The Reconstruction Era, Jacob Spencer Moule

Masters Theses

To many in 1865, the American Civil War ended in McLean’s Parlor when Robert E Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to Ulysses S Grant. In reality, however, the American Civil War continued to rage on in the American South, especially in South Carolina, till 1876 when Federal Troops were withdrawn from the South. The South, like most defeated nations, accepted that it had lost the conventional war with the North and with it independence but refused to accept the results of this fighting; primarily the introduction of free-labor principles, equal rights, and voting rights for freedmen. The South …

Somali Students In The American Elementary General Music Classroom, Alice L. Charland

Masters Theses

Education must be cognizant of the Somali culture’s inclination to classify music as a morally charged entity. It must also be careful not to forget American cultural values that have defined the music classroom. The purpose of this research was to identify Somali cultural expressions that occur in the American elementary general music classroom and to identify underlying concepts that contribute to these cultural expressions. Additionally, the research sought to bring light to the relationship between the two, so that future music educators might be inspired to create assessments and activities that better suit the needs of all learners.

Tiktok’S Influence On Generation Z Female’S Comparative Behavior, Brookelynn Dinkler

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to address TikTok’s role in the comparative behaviors among Generation Z females. This study specifically evaluated the communication of society’s perception of beauty standards and how it resonates with and influences TikTok users. A qualitative approach was taken to gain a better understanding of the lived experiences of participants and fill the gap in qualitative media effects research. The research question being addressed was: How has TikTok influenced society's idea of physical beauty and body image concerns among Generation Z females? Through the lens of social comparison theory, the research found that the application …

Important Relationships And Realistic Dialogue In Fiction, Timothy Paddock

Masters Theses

This thesis began as a decision to explore relationships and how they shape the course of our lives. In looking at relationships, it became apparent that communication, specifically spoken communication, is a critical aspect of any relationship. The artist statement discusses the way communication can impact a relationship as well as the correlation between real conversation and fictional dialogue. The critical paper delves into the traits of realistic dialogue as well as how to distinguish between dialogue that works, and dialogue that will bore or distract readers. The research and application of those two projects meet in the creative manuscript …

Exploring International Graduate Students’ Internship Experiences In The Usa: A Case Of Eastern Illinois University Students, Wale Ishola

Masters Theses

International graduate students in the United States begin their academic journey with the goal of professional growth, but they frequently struggle to secure internships due to bureaucratic barriers and competitive marketplaces. This study explores Eastern Illinois University's international graduate students' experiences through the perspective of sensemaking theory, with the goal of understanding how they make sense of the internship process. In-depth qualitative interviews with ten students revealed that students make sense of their internships in two ways: on one end, the struggles, and on the on the other end, how they are strengthening. Through sensemaking, students analyze and adapt to …

Nocturnal Behavior Of Communally Roosting American Crows (Corvus Brachyrhynchos), Caitlin M. Mrowiec

Masters Theses

During the winter months in Charleston, Illinois, thousands of American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) gather together each night to roost. While aspects of this impressive sight have been studied elsewhere, there is very limited information on how crows behave at night. Additionally, the mechanics and origins of communal roosting are not especially well understood, and the behaviors involved are not always consistently described. This study sought to provide a more complete assessment of crow communal roosting after sunset. I collected data between 2018 and 2020 by locating communal roosts and conducting continuous observations for 4 hours after sunset, with additional checks …

A Reflective Study Of Textbook-Centered Ela Curricular Resources, Autumn Frykholm Damann

Masters Theses

It is essential for English Language Arts educators to understand the multiple ways in which they can make the classroom an inclusive environment for all students. This study examines the racist ideas deeply ingrained within texts taught in an American literature-centered secondary English Language Arts course and explains one way for teachers and professional learning communities (PLCs) to survey and closely scrutinize one’s text choices for racist and overall biased messaging. Using qualitative content analysis of the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Collections textbook for Grade 11, I analyze the texts from the first two units I taught as a first-year teacher …

High Prevalence Of Trypanosoma Cruzi Infection In Raccoons (Procyon Lotor) And Associated Risk To Humans In Central Illinois, Esther Onuselogu

Masters Theses

Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, remains a neglected tropical disease and a growing health threat in the United States. Raccoons (Procyon lotor) often coexist with humans in urban and suburban areas and serve as reservoir hosts for T. cruzi. While T. cruzi is rare in humans and domestic animals in the U.S., it is common in wildlife species, particularly raccoons and Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana). This study aimed to assess the prevalence of T. cruzi infection in the raccoon population of Central Illinois and evaluate the risk of transmission to humans. …

Iterative Power Flow Control Architecture For Dc-Ac-Ac Triple Active Bridge Converters: Design, Simulation, And Hardware Testing, Jonathan Henri Saelens

Masters Theses

Driven by widespread electrification and escalating energy demands, efficient and cost-effective converter systems are necessary to maintain and improve our nation's electrical grid. Facilitating this necessity are power electronic converters in applications such as smart grids, renewable energy integration, and electric vehicles. Guided by the demand for improved converter topologies and conversion efficiency, much research has been conducted on varying designs, development, and control implementations. One such topology gaining significant research attention is the triple active bridge (TAB) converter. The TAB is a three-port power converter enabling both bidirectional power flow on each port and galvanic isolation for safety and …

Dig Limits Optimization Using Binary Integer Linear Programming Method In Open Pit Mines, Hussam Naif Altalhi

Masters Theses

"Dig limits optimization is the process for classifying different materials (e.g., ore, stockpile material, and waste) into appropriately sized contiguous zones for open pit mining. The efficient determination of dig-limits is crucial for profitable and sustainable resource extraction in mining. Previous research has focused on defining dig-limits manually or using optimization approaches, but these methods are limited to only handling two material destinations (ore and waste). Thus, there is a need for operations research methods that consider the selectivity of mining equipment and can optimize dig-limits for metal mining operations with more than two material destinations. Consequently, the objective of …

Validation Of Athlet With Purdue University Multi-Dimensional Integral Test Assembly (Puma) Test, Emin Fatih Ozdem

Masters Theses

"Following the Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2) disaster, the development of a diagnostic system for emergency situations in a nuclear power plant was identified as an essential research area to strengthen the safety of nuclear power plants. A real-time estimation system of vital safety parameters on the main side of a PWR (Pressurized Water Reactor) facility was investigated since precise post-event scenario estimations are thought to be a crucial component of the diagnostic system. The alarm system of the plant can detect an SB-LOCA (Small Break Loss-Of-Coolant-Accident), but there were a couple of potential long-term transient occurrences. The accident …

Hysplit In Simulating The Atmospheric Dispersion Of Hazardous Aerosols: A Case Study In St. Louis, Missouri, Ahmet Tolga Odabasi

Masters Theses

"Atmospheric dispersion and transmission play an important role in the behavior and effects of air pollution. Human health can be adversely affected by air pollution in a variety of ways, both immediately and over time. The Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory Model (HYSPLIT) modeling program, a computer model and software package, tracks the transport trajectories and distributions of air pollution and various pollutants, including radioactive pollutants, in the atmosphere. It also facilitates research on pollution sources. This study simulated the transport of hazardous aerosols in St. Louis region for the years 2020, 2021, and 2022 using the HYSPLIT modeling …

The Effect Of School Uniforms On High School Students’ Feelings About School And Their Communities, Maggie Vavrik

Masters Theses

What you wear can feel like a defining aspect of who you are as a person. For high schoolers especially, how they look on the outside, can affect other factors such as their sense of belonging and safety both within their school and their community. In this study, I conducted focus groups at a high school which requires uniforms to be worn. Through the focus groups, I was able to learn how wearing a uniform impacted them on a daily basis. During the study I was also able to observe at the school for a day and note the trends …

Population Demographics Of Channel Catfish In The Lower Wabash River, Valerie J. Thompson

Masters Theses

Inland fisheries are experiencing increasing demands due to anthropogenic stressors, especially within large river systems that support both recreational and commercial fisheries. Riverine species are sensitive to habitat degradation, species introductions, and exploitation, so continued monitoring and management of these communities are vital to maintain abundance and diversity within these systems. The North American catfish family, Ictaluridae, supports both recreational and commercial fisheries throughout the United States. Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus are heavily studied and managed compared to other sport catfishes in this family because of their economic and ecological significance. One important Channel Catfish fishery exists in the lower …

Quisieron Enterrarnos, Pero No Sabían Que Éramos Semillas: The Ayotzinapa 43 And The Historical Legacy Of Las Escuelas Normales Rurales, 1921-2014, Noah A. García

Masters Theses

In September of 2014, forty-three normalistas from the Escuela de Ayotzinapa were forcibly disappeared. While their whereabouts remain unknown, the attacks and subsequential forced disappearances is but one of many attacks the escuela normal rural has faced since its formation in 1926. This thesis traces the development of rural education in the post-revolutionary Mexican State and how its development provides insight into the 2014 forced disappearances. Additionally, I examine how the Escuela de Ayotzinapa’s legacy of a socialist education has historically been opposed. During its early years of operation, this form of education was predominantly challenged by conservatives and Catholics. …

Vote Like A Man, Act Like A Woman: An Exploratory Analysis Of The Political Behavior Of Contemporary American Conservative Women, Alex Hawkins

Masters Theses

This article seeks to establish a baseline for the political behavior and participation levels of Republican women by measuring six political activities. Using CCES 2020 self-selected survey data, the six political activities measured were: made a political donation, attended a march or protest, attended a political meeting, worked on a campaign, contacted a public official, displayed political signage. The political behavior and participation levels of Republican women were compared to the levels of Republican men and non-Republican women. This comparison was established to provide further insight into the political behaviors of Republican women, including the relationship between gender and partisanship …

Evaluating The Influence Of Operator Practices On Hydraulic Shovel Productivity And Energy Consumption Using Telemetry Data, Noah Adekunle Aluko

Masters Theses

"Hydraulic shovels are increasingly being adopted in the mining industry, which is known for its significant energy consumption and carbon emissions. Technological improvements in hydraulic shovels aim at bolstering energy efficiency and productivity because of the drive to curb energy consumption and enhance energy efficiency. However, one aspect that is often overlooked is the vital role of operators. Although the influence of operators’ practices on excavators’ energy efficiency has been acknowledged in past studies, there is a paucity of quantitative research assessing this influence in the context of hydraulic shovels.

The main objectives of this study are to 1) develop …

Learn From The Past: Using Peer Data To Improve Course Recommendations In Personalized Education, Colton Walker

Masters Theses

"This work describes a recommendation approach designed to enhance student success by identifying semester schedules and graduation paths. The primary objective is to provide personalized graduation path recommendations rooted in individual student performance and draw insights from the academic journeys of similar students who successfully graduated. The original research contribution of this work lies in the development of a graduation path recommender system that leverages a combination of Markov Decision Process, Q-Learning, and collaborative filtering techniques to pinpoint graduation paths with a higher likelihood of leading students to success based on their academic progress thus far. The effectiveness of the …

Sub-Critical Crack Growth And Fatigue Behaviour Of Alkali Silicate Glass, Noah Weyrauch

Masters Theses

"Delayed failure in silicate glasses can be linked to subcritical crack growth (SCCG) where surface defects grow over time until catastrophic failure. This phenomenon originates from stress-enhanced chemical interactions between the environment (e.g. water) and the strained silicate bonds at the crack tip. SCCG must be accounted for to predict the long-term survivability of silicate-glass components. This study compares two methods to measure SCCG parameters for a commercial alkali silicate sealing glass and for a series of binary xNa₂O-(1-x)SiO₂ glasses, where 0.15 ≤ x ≤ 0.35. A constant moment double cantilever beam (DCB) technique was used to …

Theoretical Modeling And Experimental Investigation Of Phase Selection During Rapid Solidification Of Alloys, Azeez Aremu Akinbo

Masters Theses

"A novel model, rooted in time-dependent nucleation theory, has been created to explore how rapid solidification affects the extended solubility in metal alloys. This model was used to forecast solubility concerning undercooling in multiple binary aluminum (Al) alloys, and its predictions for both eutectic and peritectic systems closely match experimental data. It was demonstrated that this developed model surpasses the T0 line method, which does not consider the kinetic aspects of nucleation. Furthermore, the model can be extended to ternary and multicomponent phases by assuming that the scarcest element or the slowest diffusing component restricts nucleation. Al-Cu and Al-Cr, vital …

A Source-Critical Analysis Of The Synoptic Resurrection Accounts, Austin W. Blunt

Masters Theses

This thesis applies the Four-Source Hypothesis to the study of the resurrection accounts in the Synoptic Gospels. Scholars have addressed the Synoptic Problem in a variety of ways. Some have sought to harmonize the Gospels into one cohesive narrative, while others have concluded that the writings are contradictory and irreconcilable. Addressing the challenges associated with the Synoptic problem, this study evaluates the claims that each Gospel writer makes about the resurrection of Christ while assessing the unique characteristics and points of emphasis in each account. The resurrection narratives are used as a case study because of their importance to Christianity …

Sustainable Solution For Plastic Waste Management And Education Campaigns To Mitigate Plastic Consumption And Foster Behavior Change, Mayowa Akande

Masters Theses

The issue of plastic waste has become a significant environmental concern in contemporary times. Given the escalating rates of plastic production and consumption worldwide, an urgent need is to implement effective strategies to manage plastic waste. This article aims to investigate sustainable strategies for managing plastic waste through an analysis of existing research and exemplary approaches in the domain. This research assesses diverse methodologies, such as recycling, waste minimization, biodegradable substitutes, and policy interventions, and appraises their efficacy, obstacles, and prospects for enduring sustainability. The results of this research emphasize the significance of inclusive and cohesive approaches that engage various …

The Miracles Of Christ And Kṛṣṇa And The Authority To Redeem Creation, Sallie R. Fuller

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is not to prove the veracity of miracle claims of Jesus in the Bible, nor to disprove those of Kṛṣṇa in the Śrīmad Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa. Rather, the research for this thesis reviews the miracles of Jesus and Kṛṣṇa as documented in their respective scriptures to determine which can authoritatively claim to be God, the Creator of the universe, and thus the one true source of the miraculous on Earth. Further, both claim to be not only God the Creator but Savior. It is the contention here that the Creator has the desire to redeem and …

The Problem Of Deification Within The Church Context In India: An Implausible Deification, Sadananda Rao Matangi

Masters Theses

The self-deification has been the main point on which several related issues have been discussed. No humans are equal with God but are only the servants of God. Even Jesus Christ agreed that the Father is greater than He. The concept of self-deification cannot be used overtly or covertly for self-elevation, Sacro-egoism, Sacro-egotism, self-advantage, or self-probability. On accepting Jesus as one’s personal Lord and Savior, a person may get the blessing of forgiveness of sins, sanctification, salvation, filling of the Holy Spirit, assurance of resurrection, and being with the Lord (on the Second Coming). That does not mean they are …

Extending Public Accessibility To The Mind: Designing Airports For People With Aphasia, Savannah Eloise Garzon

Masters Theses

Imagine traveling in an airport in another country. The language is entirely foreign, and all signs are written in text you cannot understand. You have ten minutes to make your connection. How do you find your gate? How do you ask questions? This hypothetical generation of panic is the reality for many travelers every day who suffer from aphasia. Aphasia is a language disorder often caused by stroke or other brain injury that makes it difficult to communicate, read, and process numbers, especially in stressful environments like an airport. More than two million people in America suffer from aphasia and …

Faith Journey - A Collection Of Devotions And Memoirs To Encourage, Anita V. Presnell

Masters Theses

Faith Journey: A Collection of Devotions and Memoirs to Encourage contains relevant personal stories and devotionals, including short and longer devotions accompanied by poetry. My writing aims to pen devotions to encourage others in their walk of faith. The thesis takes the reader on a journey, touching pieces of my life and reflecting on the devotions that I have written. The critical paper is a rhetorical analysis of seminal authors who have written devotions and the way many have touched and shaped my life. The conclusion is that nothing takes the place of time spent with God and in His …

Living In Untranslatability--Performance Art In China And Usa, Ziyun Ma

Masters Theses

This thesis embodies discontinuities in performance art and its non-equivalent Chinese term “行 为艺术” between language and cultural context into a migrating journey. A comparative analysis on the disciplinary history of performance art studies in the US and China laid a foundation in exploring the dynamics of marginality in two contexts. Extracting from the narrative mechanism and body view of Chinese performance art, I demonstrate how the philosophy of living (生) inspired many artistic creation, which also echoes my research journey. And from our mutual living experience, I pose the concept of constructive untranslatability that applies positionality and situated knowledge …

Development Of S.T.E.A.M. Daises In Formal And Informal Environments For Educating Primary I Learners, Frances Neville

Masters Theses

The federal government has made education a competition among ourselves. Learning is not a rivalry to be imposed on our physical and cognitive development as humans. Escalating beliefs recognize education is more encompassing than CCSS, assessments and the grade level time frames in which standards are to be taught. On the precipice of anti-intellect, low expectations, and what has been termed “The Dumbing of America” an investigation into what it would take to close the achievement gap and increase student learning is overdue.

The goal for my Michigan based project, S.T.E.A.M. Daises, was to develop a program focusing on the …