Digital Commons Network^™

Middle Level Multicultural/Social Justice Art Education Curriculum, Meghan E. G. Andrews

Masters Theses

The way in which children are taught matters a great deal and influences not only their worldview, but also how they view themselves with that world. Through my experiences as an art teacher, I have witnessed a growing need for teaching students in a way that focuses on multicultural and social justices issues in order to help students gain a more well-rounded world view. The art classroom has to power to serve as a safe and effective place to explore these issues. Determining why there is a growing need for a multicultural and social justice oriented art curriculum was important …

Assessing Changes In Land Cover In Southeast Louisiana From 2001 To 2011 Using Time-Series National Land Cover Data, Ashley Tarver

Masters Theses

Each year, Louisiana loses 20 to 25 square miles of land. If land loss persists at the current rate, a forced migration of the human population with serious implications may be warranted. Although studies have measured land use/land cover change in southeast Louisiana over multiple decades, a recent analysis of landscape changes since Hurricane Katrina’s landfall in 2005 is needed to identify areas with chronic long-term wetland losses and associated economic development patterns. This study, therefore, compares land cover and land use changes including wetland loss, and subsequent increases in developed land in ten parishes from 2001 to 2006 (pre-Katrina), …

Revisiting The One-Sided Ewma Control Chart Design, Duy Anh Duong-Tran

Masters Theses

Over the past half-century, Exponential Weighted Moving Average (EWMA) control charts have been widely used in Statistical Process Control to detect small and persistent process shifts. In theory, EWMA control limits monotonically increase over time to account for the continual growth of the EWMA statistic’s variance. These control limits are often assumed constant and are set to their respective asymptotic limits. While not theoretically correct, this simplifies the process of applying and analyzing the EWMA control chart while having little effect on the chart’s performance. One-Sided EWMA charts are often implemented when it is only desirable to detect shifts in …

The Antipredator Behaviors Of Cryptic And Aposematic Anurans And Variability In Alkaloids, Conspicuousness, And Pattern Within Dendrobates Auratus (Dendrobatidae), Annelise Blanchette

Masters Theses

Crypsis and aposematism are common antipredator strategies that have evolved as defensive mechanisms to prevent predation. Prey that employ these defensive strategies also exhibit antipredator behaviors meant to avoid or deter predation. These behaviors include: (1) escape or immobility in the presence of an immediate predator or (2) exhibiting bold behavior by accepting the risk of potential predation in a novel environment in exchange for the benefits of foraging and mating opportunities. In this study, the escape and bold behaviors of cryptic members of Craugastor and the aposematic dendrobatid Dendrobates auratus were tested to compare these alternative antipredator strategies. Craugastor …

Development Of An Effective Portable And Flexible Glove For Hand Tremor Suppression, Abdulrahem Turkistani

Masters Theses

This paper presents the work carried out in designing and developing a prototype for a tremor suppression system that reduces hand tremor by counteracting vibrations initiated from a patient’s shaking hand. This system includes a glove with a built-in vibration simulation module that oscillates and mimics the hand vibration. The oscillation is generated by a DC motor mounted on the top of the glove, and can vary in degree of vibration. The glove is also equipped with an accelerometer-gyroscope based micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) and vibrating coin motors mounted on each finger, both interfaced with a microcontroller. The microcontroller used in …

Home Literacy Practices: A Focus On Dominican Families, Susan E. Pendleton

Masters Theses

The majority of the current research regarding the home literacies that families employ to help their children become literate are explored through North American family structures. For this reason, there is a lack of knowledge about what Dominican families, a subgroup within the Latino culture, do at home to assist their children in their literacy acquisition in the Dominican Republic. This qualitative research study provides insight as to what literacy practices take place within the Dominican household. I gathered pertinent information from 10 Dominican participants using a semi-structured interview so literacy practices could be revealed. Findings from this research indicate …

Security And Privacy In Cloud Computing, Ramakrishnan Krishnan

Masters Theses

Cloud computing (CC) gained a widespread acceptance as a paradigm of computing. The main aim of CC is to reduce the need for customers' investment in new hardware or software by offering flexible cloud services, with a user reaping the benefits of the pay per use approach. CC demands addressing many security and privacy issues: both problems (vulnerabilities, threats, and attacks) and solutions (controls). The thesis discusses all these classes of problems and solutions, categorizing them as either security-related issues, privacy-related issues, or intertwined security and privacy issues. The main contributions of the thesis are twofold: first, using the …

The Impact Of Mindfulness Training In A Division I Gymnastics Team: A Pilot Study, Nicholas Cherup

Masters Theses

The physical and psychological demands of sports can place an athlete under a variety of stressors. Subsequently, the way in which athletes deal with such stressors can positively or negatively affect their performance (Mellalieu, Hanton, & Fletcher, 2009). Flow is defined as a type of experience where one is completely engaged in an activity and optimally functioning. Recently, an increase in mindfulness and acceptance based approaches have been utilized as a means to augment negative emotions in sport and many have suggested a link between mindfulness and flow (Birrer, Röthlin, & Morgan, 2012; Kaufman, Glass, & Arnkoff, 2009; Gardner & …

Killing Me Softly: The Missed Education Of African American Females, Margaret Daphne Cattenhead

Masters Theses

Using a literature review and personal experience, this paper aims to examine the paradoxes and barriers of African American girls in education. The educational system has left black females without support to ensure consistent results across a variety of settings and environments. There are a variety of voices on what barriers African American girls face and how those barriers influence their educational progress. Despite some progress, many African American girls are at risk for suspension, expulsion, and grade retention. They are at risk to be pressured into dominant culture norms for behavior, to be regarded as subordinate, to be negatively …

Banking And Finance For The Modern Christian, Robert Sheppard

Masters Theses

The purpose of this paper is to help Christians to better understand what the Bible teaches with regards to banking and finance as it relates to mortgage lending by applying biblical theological categories and a diachronic analysis of usury from the reformation period until now for the purpose of enriching the lives of Christians everywhere while drawing attention to the cause of Christ. The author will present an analysis of the Christianization of usury in early modern Europe. The author also discusses the biblical principles of lending, Christian debt in the modern era, and biblical lending in the present day.

Music Theory For Student Composers: A Course Designed For Engagement By Using Both A Flipped Classroom And Praxial Philosophy, Michelle Nagy

Masters Theses

In a world filled with innovation, technology and hands-on learning, the subject of music theory in the high school classroom has stayed relatively the same for the past fifty years for the student composer. By using the same tried-and-true methods, teachers are introducing concepts through lectures, while students reinforce concepts on their own during their homework assignments. Music examples are given on a regular basis and they are usually played on the piano by the professor or through recording. These methods, while effective, are not meeting the needs of today’s tech savvy and hands-on generation. While students are engaging with …

The Doctor Will Skype You Now: College Student Attitudes Towards The Integration Of Telemedicine (Healthspot® Kiosk) At John Carroll University, Kasey A. Foley

Masters Theses

There has been a spike in the nation’s interest in telemedicine over the past decade. Mobile applications, remote-monitoring devices, and image-sharing software have been designed to provide patients convenient access to medical attention. One of these technologies, an enclosed medical booth called the HealthSpot® kiosk (HSK), was installed in the John Carroll University Student Health and Wellness Center in 2014. The HealthSpot® kiosk utilizes videoconferencing technology to simulate face-to-face communication between providers and patients. This new technology would seem to be a good fit for a small college campus, as college-aged students accept technology quickly, and small campuses often have …

Satellite Sequencing Optimization And Observational Orbit Determination Using Genetic Algorithms, Andrew W. Verstraete

Masters Theses

The problem of mission design for a robotic servicing satellite in geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) was investigated. A representative set of potential client satellites was selected, and operational needs were randomly assigned based on the average number of GEO retirements, anomalies, and repositioning maneuvers that currently occur each year. An objective function was developed to represent the value of servicing mission sequences, including client fees, time penalties, and operational risk. A genetic algorithm was then used to find sequences of operations on the potential client set that maximized the objective function’s value. Scenarios were analyzed with the database of satellites …

Women’S Role In Their Reproductive Process: The Effects Of Authoritative Knowledge And Biomedical Interventions On The American Birth Experience, Shannon Sheffey

Masters Theses

The primary focus of this study is to analyze the effects of authoritative knowledge and biomedical interventions on women’s role within their reproductive process as it occurs within the US.I explore the technological advances surrounding childbirth practices within the United States and how through this technology, biomedical forms of authoritative knowledge of birth practices have developed and how these changes have benefitted as well as hindered women. Through interviews and interactions with mothers and pregnant women I evaluate how medical interventions emotionally and physically affect women; evaluate the necessity of increasing technological interventions as opposed to low technology midwifery assisted …

The Bended Tree, Graeme Shields

Masters Theses

The Bended Tree is a multi-movement, 40-minute cantata for chorus, organ, piano, flute, oboe, clarinet, trumpet, violin, and percussion. It explores timbral, textural, and harmonic development within loosely a symmetrical form divided in the center by 30 seconds of silence. The text for the cantata stems from a series of Lutheran hymns and Biblical passages, set to original music.

In the interest of facilitating flexibility for performances, the movements are written so that they can be performed individually, in any subset, or in the piece’s entirety. The instrumentation is also variable: the core ensemble is comprised of chorus, piano, and …

Evaluation Of Non-Ionic Surfactants With And Without Hydrogen Peroxide For The In-Situ Remediation Of Napl Contaminants, Charles E. Holada

Masters Theses

Laboratory studies were conducted on Quillaja saponins and nine other surfactants commonly used to remove non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) from soils and aquifers. The NAPL contaminant tested was diesel fuel. Static batch reactors containing an aged diesel-contaminated soil was treated with saponins and nine other commercially available surfactants to determine how much diesel fuel could be removed with the pore fluids after 1 day and 10 days of contact time. Of all the surfactants tested, saponins achieved the greatest removal of diesel fuel after 1 day and 10 days. There was large disparity in the diesel fuel removed by the …

Solar Module Condition Monitoring Using Thermal Imaging, Ammar W. Hashim

Masters Theses

Solar energy industry has been exponentially increasing over the past decades with solar panels sales recording significant growth mainly due to the fact that solar energy is a renewable clean source of energy. Similar to other systems, condition monitoring is essential to maintain high efficiency specially that these systems are still not scoring more than 46% efficiency and also to ensure a safe system and prevent electric and fire risks that may occur. In this work, we introduce a system using infrared thermography along with selected image processing techniques to effectively and non-destructively test and detect these defects. Hot spots …

Coming To The United States: An Exploration Of Third Culture Building Processes Emerging From University Sponsored International/Host-National Student Interactions, Margaret E. Baker

Masters Theses

International students studying in the United States encounter a number of challenges that affect their ability to achieve their academic and social goals. These changes and acculturative pressures often influence their psychosocial wellbeing and factor into their satisfaction in their experiences abroad. Forming relationships with host-national students aids international students in their adjustment to life in the U. S. and influences their satisfaction and success both in and out of the classroom. This qualitative study analyzes third culture relationships as well as the challenges to their formation and the negotiations necessary for the relationship’s continued survival. This project explores the …

Resolving The Civilian-Military Divide Through An Examination Of Select Members Of The United States Army Profession, Caitlin Bankhead

Masters Theses

Since the conclusion of the Vietnam War, the American public and the Armed Forces have steadily drifted apart. This has resulted in a division between the people of the nation and the individuals that defend its values. Consequently, as this division increases, the American public is thankful of military servicemen, but believes that service is something others should do. Conversely, the military’s sole purpose is to protect and defend the nation, its people, and its values, but it has become more isolated. Additionally, military service is becoming a family tradition in which outsiders cannot easily understand the values and pride …

Theatre In Worship: A Curriculum For Teaching Theatre In The Local Church Music Ministry, Brandon Cox

Masters Theses

Music has been a part of church worship for many ages, and no doubt, music education programs can produce leaders within the church who are capable and effective within music ministry. Even so, many are expected to not just lead worship and music, but to develop a program and direct seasonal productions. Many worship leaders have been trained through music programs, but may not have extensive experience in theatre. Typically, part of a worship leader’s weekly duties entail preparing orders of worship, music rehearsals, staff meetings, visiting members of the congregation, studying, reading, writing music, communicating with the pastor, scheduling …

Does College Prepare The Worship Pastor, James Cooper

Masters Theses

This study shows the relevance that musical skills, theological knowledge and ministerial experience provide in the encompassed ministry of a worship pastor and focuses on how colleges and universities prepare these ministers for a life called to service of the King. The literature reviewed showed an overwhelming response to the worship pastor being qualified in three areas: Musical Ability - there are certain aspects of this ministry that require the worship leader to be able to handle various musical situations. While these ministers need not be piano prodigies, it does require them to be able to lead musicians effectively and …

A Comparative Content Analysis Of Sports Concussions In News And Entertainment Print Media Publications In 2005 Versus 2015, Shayla N. Henrikson

Masters Theses

This study examined four distinct areas of sports concussion as they are presented in the media; definitions/descriptions of concussion, informants for direct quotes about concussions, signs and symptoms, and duration of time missed from sport including removal from play. The study examined print media articles published in 2005 (n=64) and 2015 (n=136). Additionally, journal articles aligning with the research components were analyzed to provide a review of the scope of knowledge during each of the collection periods. Overall, the discussion of sports concussion in the media broadened between 2005 and 2015. There was more variety in the descriptions used, types …

2-D And 3-D Mapping Of Soil And Rock Structure In Karst Terrain Of Southwestern Missouri Using The Non-Invasive Electrical Resistivity Tomography Method (Ert), Diya Ali Ahmad Alfuqara

Masters Theses

"Electrical resistivity tomography data were acquired in an extensively karstic area of southwestern Missouri. The interpretation of the electrical resistivity tomography data was constrained by multichannel analysis of surface wave data and limited boring control. The objective of the study was to determine if variations in the moisture content of the soil and shallow rock are related to ground surface topography. Analysis of the acquired electrical resistivity tomography data showed that resistivity values of soil and shallow rock beneath and in proximity to identified natural and man-made surface run-off pathways are typically low compared to the resistivity values of soil …

Leveraging Knowledge At Startups, Amruta Anil Ranade

Masters Theses

"Startups contribute to the economy and job creation in the United States. One of the primary assets of startups is tacit knowledge of the employees of the startup. Technical communicators can help startups capture, share, and leverage the tacit knowledge at startups. Technical communicators could benefit from learning how knowledge management initiatives at startups work. The current study is an ethnographic case-study that was conducted at a fast-growing startup in California.

The data for the study was collected through observations, informal and semi-structured formal interviews with participants, and feedback from customers of the startup. The collected data was analyzed based …

Analysis And Implementation Of Accident Tolerant Nuclear Fuels, Benjamin Joseph Prewitt

Masters Theses

"To improve the reliability and robustness of LWR, accident tolerant nuclear fuels and cladding materials are being developed to possibly replace the current UO₂/zirconium system. This research highlights UN and U₃Si₂, two of the most favorable accident tolerant fuels being developed. To evaluate the commercial feasiblilty of these fuels, two areas of research were conducted. Chemical fabrication routes for both fuels were investigated in detail, considering UO₂ and UF₆ as potential starting materials. Potential pathways for industrial scale fabrication using these methods were discussed.

Neutronic performance of 70%UN-30%U₃Si₂ composite …

Media Optimization, Scale-Up And Repeated Fed-Batch Operations For The Production Of 1,3-Propanediol From Glycerol By Halanaerobium Hydrogeniformans, Shivani Kalia

Masters Theses

"The development of renewable energy sources, such as biofuels, is of great interest in today's world due to depletion of fossil fuels and concerns about climate change. The production of the main by-product, crude glycerol, in biodiesel production presents an opportunity for the production of industrially relevant commodities. Crude glycerol in biodiesel waste is highly impure and possesses high salt concentrations and alkalinity, making it infeasible for direct industrial utilization. Moreover, current glycerol purification methods are highly cost-intensive, necessitating a search for cost-effective approaches that are feasible to employ. Genome data analysis of Halanaerobium hydrogeniformans, revealed the metabolic capability …

Overview Of Co₂ Leakage Problems And Sealants For Co₂ Leakage Remediation, Shudai Peng

Masters Theses

"Excessive Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) emission has become a serious issue and caused lots of environmental problems. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) program has been developed to reduce the CO₂ content in the atmosphere. CO₂ storage has been targeted mainly on depleted oil or gas reservoirs and deep saline aquifers. However, leakage could occur through wellbores, cap rocks, formation faults, and fractures during and after CO₂ injection. To minimize the risk, different types of sealants have been investigated to prevent CO₂ leaks. The aim of this thesis is to provide a comprehensive review of the materials which could be used as …

Deconstructing Theodicy: A Fresher Reading Of The Book Of Job, Anthony Maynard

Masters Theses

The Book of Job displays well the reality of the human predicament. However, does the Book of Job provide an answer to the problem it so vividly displays: the existence of God and the reality of suffering? This paper is a quest for an answer, which, if correct, is no. The purpose of the book has less to do with an answer for why good people suffer and more to do with exactly what God has done, and continues to do, to rectify suffering, culminating in the Christ event. Stated simply, the Book of Job exists as a harbinger, to …

Investigating The Sources And Dynamics Of Escherichia Coli In A Missouri Ozarks Watershed, Kaleb Bassett

Masters Theses

"Escherichia coli, an intestinal bacterium, can serve as an indication of the presence of pathogenic microorganisms in water systems used by humans for recreation, agriculture, or drinking water. Many aquatic systems in the United States exceed the E. coli standard, set by the Environmental Protection Agency, for safe drinking water and recreational use. During 2016, a water sampling program was established in the Mill Creek watershed, a rural watershed located near the city of Newburg in Phelps County, Missouri. Water samples were collected before, during, and after storms throughout the year to examine the relationship between E. coli …

Growth Performance Of Transition Countries After 25 Years, Alena Kalodzitsa

Masters Theses

The present study provides with the most recent summary of growth performance in transition countries after 25 years since the change of the regime. The empirical analysis estimates growth, applying Generalized Least Squares (GLS) estimation technique using a panel of 26 transition countries for the period of 25 transition years (1990-2014). Empirical findings of this study confirm that growth performance can be explained by the degree of structural reforms, stabilization, and initial conditions along with other factors (external growth, regional tensions, government expenditure, and oil balance). Even if initial conditions are important for growth, its influence consistently declines.

The transition …