Digital Commons Network^™

Open Mic: A Documentary Film Exploring Humorous Narratives, Ryan T. Cashman

Theses and Dissertations

This documentary investigates hardship and identity through humor. The film shadows the lives of three individuals who are all going through a watershed experience with their identities ranging from changes in their family dynamics, gender, or environment. Participants will be writing and performing a stand-up routine in front of a live audience that focuses on a story about their identity. The film underscores how, or if, the sender’s use of humor helps them cope or achieve closure. The film does not explore the audience’s reaction to humor. Using in-depth interviews with each comic, the film centers around the sender, highlighting …

The Impacts Of Climate Change And Anthropogenic Processes On Permafrost Soils And Usaf Infrastructure Within Northern Tier Bases, Alexander J. Graboski

Theses and Dissertations

The Department of Defense is planning over $552M in military construction on Eielson Air Force Base within the next three fiscal years. Although many studies have been conducted on permafrost and climate change, the future of our climate as well as any impacts on permafrost soils, remains unclear. This research focused on future climate predictions to determine likely scenarios for the United States Air Force’s Strategic Planners to consider. The most recent 2013 International Panel on Climate Change report predicts a 2.2ºC to 7.8ºC temperature rise in Arctic regions by the end of the 21st Century in the Representative Concentration …

A Cost Benefit Analysis Of Emerging Led Water Purification Systems In Expeditionary Environments, Alicia D. Binggeli

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force is a rapid mobile force responsible for national defense and reaction to calls for humanitarian aid across the globe. Rapid Global Mobility is a major tenant of the Air Force strategy. It provides the nation its global reach, underpins its role as a global power, and ensures that tomorrow, just as today, the United States can respond quickly and decisively to unexpected challenges to its interests. The ability to produce or acquire potable water is an essential piece of this tenant. Reverse Osmosis Water Purifications Units (ROWPUs), the workhorse for all military units, provide all the necessary …

Enhancing The Thermal Performance Of Temporary Fabric Shelters For The Advanced Energy Efficient Shelter System, Justin E. Eshleman

Theses and Dissertations

Investment in the commercial space industry has grown significantly over the past decade. This investment has led to a tremendous leap in capability for small satellite systems and a greater demand for small launch vehicles. At the same time, space system affordability is a point of emphasis within the Department of Defense (DoD) which raises the question: Can the DoD lower space access costs through the exploitation of the growing small satellite and small launch marketplace? We perform a financial analysis of newly developed small launch vehicles delivering a small satellite constellation to low earth orbit (LEO) to perform wideband …

Alternate Stimuli For The Elicitation Of Event-Related Potentials, Bryan V. Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) are systems that leverage user-brain activity to identify and perform specific functions. In applications requiring overt visual attention, focusing on visual stimuli with known temporal variation can elicit measurable changes in brain activity. However, elements of BCI applications can be intrusive. This research was designed to determine if Event-Related Potentials (ERPs), to include Steady-State Visually-Evoked Potentials (SSVEPs), could be elicited and interpreted from less obtrusive stimuli. Specifically, this research explores the use of variable frequency and long-wavelength (infrared) stimuli for SSVEP interpretation to explore the application of less obtrusive stimuli for application in BCIs. It was determined …

Environmental Applications Of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems In Multi-Service Tactics, Techniques, And Procedures For Chemical, Biological, Radiological, And Nuclear Reconnaissance And Surveillance, Brandon B. Barnes

Theses and Dissertations

Small unmanned aircraft systems can be used for a variety of environmental applications. SUAS under 50 kg have the most utility at the tactical level and benefit from the research and development of systems currently being manufactured. Integrating chemical sensors into these systems can enhance Multi-service Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Reconnaissance and Surveillance. Considering the advantages and disadvantages in the fundamental science of twelve detection technologies, four types of sensors emerged as candidates for SUAS integration. Using specifications from commercial-off-the-shelf sensors, these four detection technologies (Electrochemical, Metal Oxide Semiconductor, Photoionization, and Catalytic Bead) were …

Toxicological Differences Between Perfluoroalkyl Substances (Pfas) Isomers Using Developmental Biomarkers, Gabriel A. Cantu

Theses and Dissertations

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are metabolically stable synthetic chemicals that have been manufactured for commercial and industrial purposes since the 1950s. PFAS possess surfactant properties that make them ideal to fight hydrocarbon fires and are therefore present in aqueous film forming foams (AFFF). Furthermore, AFFF may contain blends of both linear and branched PFAS isomers. Research suggests that branched PFAS isomers have greater relative placental transfer efficiencies than their linear counterpart, but few studies have evaluated their toxicity. Therefore, the sustained use of AFFF in the U.S. Air Force presents a risk of branched PFAS exposures in pregnant females. This study …

Adsorption Of Perfluorinated Compounds From Post-Emergency Response Wastewater, Christopher T. Schmidt

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigated the efficacy of granular activated carbon (GAC) as a method to treat water impacted with aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) after a firefighting response. Bench-top experiments were conducted and compared to field scale adsorber performance removing mg/L concentrations of PFAS in water contaminated with Military Specification AFFF. Batch tests compared four adsorbents, and determined Calgon F600 GAC and Rembind Plus mixed carbon media had the greatest perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) capacities. Additional batch isotherm experiments using AFFF and higher PFOS concentrations (mg/L) indicated larger amounts of GAC are required (>30mg/L) for effective removal. Full-scale testing simulated an …

Predicting Solar Performance In A Contingency Environment To Meet Net-Zero Facility Power, Anthony D. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. government is involved in contingency operations all over the world and these operations require operational support and sustainment in these locations; this includes the reliable delivery of power to base infrastructure. The traditional means of delivering this support requirement in austere environments has been the use of diesel-power generation that has an extensive logistical and economic tail. The research sought out contingency solar applications that may be implemented and operated to offset the facility demand loads in the location to achieve net-zero power. This research explores the technical feasibility of a deployable photovoltaic microgrid to deliver power to …

Characterization Of Neutron And Proton Exposure On The Radiation Resistant Bacterium, Deinococcus Radiodurans, Ronald C. Lenker

Theses and Dissertations

Deinococcus radiodurans is a robust bacterium that is known for its extraordinary resistance to ionizing radiation. In general, many of the investigations of this bacterium's resistance have revolved around low linear energy transfer radiation, such as gamma and electron radiation. This study explored Deinococcus radiodurans's ability to survive high linear energy transfer radiation, specifically proton and neutron radiation. Deinococcus radiodurans was dehydrated to reduce the effects of low linear energy transfer radiation. The bacteria were exposed to both neutron and proton radiation of varying amounts and rehydrated. The resulting colonies were counted and compared to colonies of non-irradiated control samples …

A Sandbox In Which To Learn And Develop Soar Agents, Daniel Lugo

Theses and Dissertations

It is common for military personnel to leverage simulations (and simulators) as cost-effective tools to train and become proficient at various tasks (e.g., flying an aircraft and/or performing a mission, among others). These training simulations often need to represent humans within the simulated world in a realistic manner. Realistic implies creating simulated humans that exhibit behaviors that mimic real-world decision making and actions. Typically, to create the decision-making logic, techniques developed from the domain of artificial intelligence are used. Although there are several approaches to developing intelligent agents; we focus on leveraging and open source project called Soar, to define …

Increasing Cyber Resiliency Of Industrial Control Systems, Andrew J. Chaves

Theses and Dissertations

Industrial control systems (ICS) are designed to be resilient, capable of recovering from process faults and failures with limited impact to operations. Current ICS resiliency strategies use redundant PLCs. However, these redundant PLCs, being of similar make and model, can be exploited by the same cyber attack, defeating the ICS's resiliency strategy. This research proposes a resiliency strategy for ICS that employs an active defense technique to remove the cyber common cause failure. The resiliency of the active defense strategy is compared to traditional ICS resiliency by implementing both strategies in a semi-simulated wastewater treatment plant aeration basin that experiences …

Using Markov Decision Processes With Heterogeneous Queueing Systems To Examine Military Medevac Dispatching Policies, Phillip R. Jenkins

Theses and Dissertations

major focus of the Military Health System is to provide efficient and timely medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) to battlefield casualties. Medical planners are responsible for developing dispatching policies that dictate how aerial military MEDEVAC units are utilized during major combat operations. The objective of this research is to determine how to optimally dispatch MEDEVAC units in response to 9-line MEDEVAC requests to maximize MEDEVAC system performance. A discounted, infinite horizon Markov decision process (MDP) model is developed to examine the MEDEVAC dispatching problem. The MDP model allows the dispatching authority to accept, reject, or queue incoming requests based on the request's …

Combinatorial Efficacy Of Antimicrobial Peptides And Silver Ions, Christina Lynne Chrom

Theses and Dissertations

Antimicrobial peptides are produced by multicellular organisms as a defense against competing pathogenic microbes. The mechanism of action for positively charged antimicrobial peptides is widely believed to occur when the positively charged peptide interacts with the negatively charged outer lipid membrane followed by the insertion of the peptide into the membrane. This insertion into the outer or cytoplasmic membranes leads to disruption of membrane integrity. Alternatively, silver based antimicrobials, which have been well known for centuries, are thought to act by inhibiting the proton motive force, the respiratory electron transport chain, and by affecting membrane permeability resulting in cell death. …

Agronomic And Economic Implications Of Cover Crop Inclusion Within Varying Nitrogen Management Strategies In Central Illinois, Richard T. Roth

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis contains a comprehensive analysis of research investigating the impacts of nitrogen application timing and cover crops on the biomass production, nitrogen uptake, and cash crop grain yield in subsequent cash crops. Also contained within this thesis is a cost benefit analysis for the implementation of cover crops within varying nitrogen management systems, which assigns value to the environmental benefits of cover crops and determines their potential to recover the implementation costs associated with cover crops.

She Wanted It? : Examining Young Adult Literature And Its Portrayals Of Rape Culture, Katy Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

At a time when discussions about rape culture appear throughout social media and the news, our ability to consider how literature addresses these social issues is critical. The recent work of scholars discussing rape culture emphasizes the crucial need to consider what many understand (though many also continue to dismiss or diminish) as a serious social issue. While these cultural critiques are worthwhile, my focus shifts these critiques from general (American) culture or society to a particular expression of culture: the young adult novel. In this thesis, I examine how this cultural discourse surrounding rape culture and its related myths …

Cytotoxic And Antimicrobial Effects Of Silver-Containing Surfaces, Sarah Goderecci

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines applications of sputtered silver coatings as alternatives to traditional antibiotic treatments. Given the increase in reports of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, new treatments and coatings for in-dwelling medical devices such as catheters and orthopedic implants are necessary. Silver oxide films were deposited onto Ti surfaces to examine the efficacy of such coatings against a variety of bacterial species both in vitro and in vivo. Bacterial growth studies showed that coatings exhibited antimicrobial activity against a range of bacterial species acting either in a bacteriostatic or bactericidal mechanism, depending on the target. Limited toxicity to in vitro mammalian cells was …

The Impact Of Employment On Probationer Recidivism, Clayton T. Cottle

Theses and Dissertations

There is increasing need to understand and improve rates of recidivism in all fields associated with the Criminal Justice system. This research investigated the influence that employment status and job stability have on probationer recidivism. For this project, recidivism is defined as any arrest within four years after the termination of probation. Results from this study indicate that obtaining and sustaining employment can reduce the likelihood of recidivism in probationers. Additionally, the findings suggest that job stability is indicative of increased desistance. Findings from this study lend support to the notion that there is an employment-crime relationship. The findings of …

Dynamics Of Nitrate, Phosphorus, And Suspended Sediment Transport In Two Agricultural Streams In Central Illinois, Luke W. Lampo

Theses and Dissertations

Nutrients such as nitrate and phosphorus are necessary for life, but excessive amounts can be detrimental. Large amounts of nutrients entering bodies of water can lead to hypoxic zones such as the one in the Gulf of Mexico. Nutrients are also problematic in drinking water reservoirs, as high concentrations of nitrate in drinking water can cause health conditions such as blue baby syndrome and high phosphorus concentrations can lead to algal blooms. Suspended sediment leads to reservoir sedimentation, habitat degradation, and is able to transport particulate nutrients. High nutrient and sediment concentrations are a recurring problem in the drinking water …

Analysis Of Aggregate Mineralogy Using Libs, Bless Ann Varghese

Theses and Dissertations

The New Jersey Department of Transport (NJDOT) has a vested interest in the determination of the chemical composition and thereby the mineralogy of aggregates. Depending on the mineralogy of an aggregate sample, it may be inappropriate to use for construction and roadwork purposes. Current methods of determining the mineralogy of aggregates are costly in terms of time, money and convenience. As such, there is a desire for the development of an alternative and efficient method for aggregate mineralogical determination in the field.

The focus of this study is to develop a portable system for aggregate analysis in the field and …

Formation, Characterization, And Optimization Of Antibody-Gold Nanoparticle Conjugates, Seth L. Filbrun

Theses and Dissertations

Protein modified gold nanoparticle based immunoassays are the basis of many novel detection techniques. There are many groups working on novel immunoassays but there is still much to understand about how many proteins are attached onto each nanoparticle and much to improve on immobilization methods. This thesis work is devoted to improving techniques for the quantification of protein immobilized on the gold nanoparticle and development of a novel approach to immobilize protein independent of pH.

The ability to evaluate antibody immobilization onto gold nanoparticles is critical for assessing coupling chemistry and optimizing the sensitivity of nanoparticle-enabled biosensors. Herein, we developed …

Effect Of Wet Brewer's Grain Inclusion On The Growth Performance, Carcass Performance, And Meat Quality Of Finishing Cattle, Riley T. Parmenter

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of Wet Brewer’s Grains (WBG) on the growth performance, carcass performance, and meat quality of finishing cattle. Twenty-four (n=24; 12 heifers – 303kg, 12 steers – 346kg) calves of Simmental-Angus genetics were utilized. Calves were paired by sex, blocked by BW within sex in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement with three replications per treatment, and fed for 140d. Control diets were a conventional corn silage – shelled corn finishing-diet. Experimental diets modeled the control diet with the inclusion of WBG on a thirty-percent DM basis. Cattle were visually appraised …

Preserving Optical Confinement In Pecvd Sio2 Waveguides By Control Of Thin-Film Stress, Steven Jay Hammon

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers at Brigham Young University (BYU) have developed an optical biosensor that can quickly analyze a sample to detect any type of nucleic acid based organism, such as viruses or bacteria. The biosensor's reliability over time is compromised due to water absorbing into the SiO₂ waveguides of the chip. It was hypothesized that keeping the thin-film stress of the waveguides close to zero would slow or stop water absorption from occurring. Completion of this thin-film study relied upon a new plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) machine and a new 3-D optical profilometer, both of which were installed in …

Preparing Non-Native English Speakers For The Mathematical Vocabulary In The Gre And Gmat, Irina Mikhailovna Baskova

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop vocabulary materials to aid non-native English speakers, specifically Russian speaking test-takers, in their preparation for the mathematical sections of the General Record Examination (GRE) and the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) in terms of English mathematical vocabulary. GRE and GMAT preparation materials and practice tests published by the Educational Testing Service, Kaplan, and Barron's were analyzed with the help of computer software. This data was then used to determine which key words to include in the vocabulary tool, which is now available on Quizlet (www.quizlet.com). The developed materials were further proofread by …

Phylogenetic Relationships, Species Boundaries, And Studies Of Viviparity And Convergent Evolution In Liolaemus Lizards, Cesar Augusto Aguilar

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis I have connected different evolutionary studies of Lioalemus lizards. In Chapter 1, I followed an integrative approach to delimit species in the Liolaemus walkeri complex. Using mitochondrial markers, morphological data, bioclimatic information and methods appropriate for each data type, we found that the name L. walkeri was covering three new lineages. Three new species were described and one of them (L. chavin) is now categorized as Near Threatened in the IUCN red list. In Chapter 2, I change the subject from species boundaries to the study of viviparity and placentation. In this paper we employed …

Characterizing Current And Geologic Phosphorus In Utah Lake Sediment Using Field Samples, Laboratory Methods, And Statistical Analysis: Implications For Water Quality Issues, Hani Yousef Abu Hmeidan

Theses and Dissertations

Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for aquatic life forms and plays a major role in the algae blooms that occur in lakes and reservoirs. It is considered a primary limiting nutrient of phytoplankton growth in streams, lakes, and reservoirs. Excess amounts of phosphorous may cause excess growth and biomass of algae. If phosphorus is available in excess, often from sewage and industrial discharges, the high levels in a lake or reservoir can lead to eutrophication. Utah Lake is a shallow, basin-bottom lake in a semi-arid climate with sediments that are thousands of feet thick. Starting 165 years ago, humans have …

Alterations In Tight Junctional Proteins And Their Effects On Pulmonary Inflammation, Joshua B. Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

The lungs represent one of the earliest interfaces for pathogens and noxious stimuli to interact with the body. As such, careful maintenance of the permeability barrier is vital in providing homeostasis within the lung. Essential to maintaining this barrier is the tight junction, which primarily acts as a paracellular seal and regulator of ionic transport, but also contributes to establishing cell polarity, cell-to-cell integrity, and regulating cell proliferation and differentiation. The loss of these tight junctions has been documented to result in alterations in inflammation, and ultimately the development of many respiratory disorders such as COPD, Asthma, ARDS, and pulmonary …

Faculty And Eal Student Perceptions Of Writing Purposes And Challenges In The Business Major, Amy Mae Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Over the last 50 years, research has explored the writing assignment types and purposes found in undergraduate courses, including discipline-specific writing for the business major, which is one of the most popular fields of study for international students in the U.S. Many studies have explored faculty perceptions of writing challenges students exhibit when writing for business; however, few studies have compared both faculty and student perceptions of student writing challenges. The purpose of this study was to investigate business faculty perceptions of the writing challenges exhibited by students for whom English is a second or additional language (EAL) compared to …

Lkb1 Regulation Of High-Fat Diet-Induced Adaptation In Mouse Skeletal Muscle, Ting Chen

Theses and Dissertations

Ad libitum high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity leads to insulin resistance in skeletal muscle, altered gene expression, and altered growth signaling, all of which contributes to pathological changes in metabolism. Liver kinase B1 (LKB1) is an important metabolism regulator. The purpose of this dissertation was to understand how knocking out LKB1 influences HFD induced adaptations in mouse skeletal muscle. To do so, control and skeletal muscle LKB1 knock-out (LKB1-KO) mice were put on either standard diet (STD) or HFD for 1 week or 14 weeks, or put on the HFD for 14 weeks and then switched to STD for 1 week …

Assessing And Improving Student Understanding Of Tree-Thinking, Tyler A. Kummer

Theses and Dissertations

Evolution is the unifying theory of biology. The importance of understanding evolution by those who study the origins, diversification and diversity life cannot be overstated. Because of its importance, in addition to a scientific study of evolution, many researchers have spent time studying the acceptance and the teaching of evolution. Phylogenetic Systematics is the field of study developed to understand the evolutionary history of organisms, traits, and genes. Tree-thinking is the term by which we identify concepts related to the evolutionary history of organisms. It is vital that those who undertake a study of biology be able to understand and …