Digital Commons Network^™

Sex Influences Of Age Of Onset And Duration Of Illness On Patterns Of Cortical Thickness In Individuals With Schizophrenia, Rachael Olivia Slate

Theses and Dissertations

Given that the manifestation of schizophrenia varies by sex, it is hypothesized that the interaction between diagnosis and sex significantly influences brain structure and is believed to be a crucial factor in understanding the neurobiology of schizophrenia. While much is known about cortical thickness mapping of the condition, there is currently no work that has assessed how changes to the cortical mantle relate to important clinical features of schizophrenia that vary by sex, such as age of illness onset (AOO) or duration of illness (DOI). This study utilized a sex-wise approach to examining cortical thickness alterations in men and women …

Documentation Of Norm Negotiation In A Secondary Mathematics Classroom, Michelle R. Bagley

Theses and Dissertations

While previous mathematics education research has shown that norms can change in mathematics classrooms, little research has closely documented the struggles, concessions, and compromises involved in the negotiation process. Negotiating norms is a complex process entailing deliberate teacher moves intended to promote norms, often met with misunderstandings or resistance from students. This thesis documented the negotiation process that occurred when a teacher attempted to require conceptual explanations from students who had not previously been accustomed to doing so. I recorded six days of instruction in a 9th grade algebra unit, transcribed the class discussions, and inferred norms "at play" for …

Chilled Classrooms: Educator Identity And Responses To "Divisive Issues"-Related Challenges To Professionalism, Hannah Katherine Dixon Everett

Theses and Dissertations

Recently, the United States has seen a notable increase in controversy and legislation regarding "divisive" concepts and issues in education. These divisive issues include Critical Race Theory, Social Emotional Learning, book censorship, and other race and gender topics. Legislation and media coverage regarding these issues contributes to a larger trend of challenges to teacher professionalism. I build on recent literature exploring how educators experience divisive issues legislation, putting these experiences in conversation with educator identity formation and the development of a professional sense of self. I interviewed 18 secondary school teachers throughout Utah's Wasatch Front to explore (1) how teachers …

A Scalable Parallel Processing Design For The Data Washing Machine: An Unsupervised Entity Resolution System, Nicholas Kofi Akortia Hagan

Theses and Dissertations

Entity Resolution (ER) has been one of the bedrocks in the creation of information systems by ensuring ambiguous entities are identified and resolved by linking. One common design approach of traditional ER systems is to run in single-threaded mode, which makes the system prone to out-of-memory error when processing larger datasets. The Data Washing Machine (DWM) as a proof-of-concept of an unsupervised cluster ER system is indifferent from this common design bottleneck. The original prototype design of the DWM requires shared memory tables and dictionaries of tokens, and its single-threaded nature makes it not scalable, hence not viable for real-world …

Reducing Water Footprint In Portland Cement Concrete Manufacturing, Mohamed Nagy

Theses and Dissertations

Despite water covering roughly 71 percent of the Earth's surface in various forms, including oceans, seas, ice caps, glaciers, lakes, and atmospheric moisture, there is a looming crisis concerning freshwater availability. Wastage occurs across diverse sectors such as households, commercial establishments, industries, agriculture, and transportation hubs. For instance, an average household squanders around 70 gallons (265 liters) of water per day. Moreover, the concrete industry significantly contributes to water consumption, utilizing approximately 16.6 × 109 m³ annually, with each square meter of construction requiring about 410 liters of water. This wastage occurs throughout the concrete manufacturing process, prompting the …

Examining School Belonging And Academic Resilience Among Biliterate And Multilingual High School Students, Keila Moreno Navarrete

Theses and Dissertations

An increasing number of students in the United States identify as Hispanic or Latino/a. These students enter American classrooms from varying backgrounds with diverse talents. Many of these students are proficient in at least two languages. Unfortunately, Hispanic students are underrepresented in gifted and talented programs, nationwide. The present study contributes to the limited empirical research on talented, biliterate, Hispanic, first-generation, and second-generation immigrant students by investigating strength-based factors (i.e., academic resilience, biliteracy, and school belonging) using both quantitative and qualitative evidence. Quantitative data from 30 bilingual Hispanic high school students were collected through an online survey with items measuring …

Potential Value Of Brazzein-Yeast As A Broiler Chicken Feed Additive, Lauren Ruth Neuleib

Theses and Dissertations

A variety of flavors, including sweeteners, have been used in animal feeds to improve feed palatability and increase feed intake by livestock (Chen et al., 2020). While many of these sweeteners are found in the form of carbohydrates, brazzein is a sweet-tasting protein. This study was conducted to identify the potential of brazzein to influence feed intake by livestock, using poultry as a model. The preliminary study's purpose was to develop methods appropriate for the subsequent feeding study. In the preliminary study, eight pens of five birds were fed one of four treatment diets: Control or the Control plus one …

Optimization Of A Sers-Based Vertical Flow Immunoassay Utilizing A Plasmonic Syringe Filter For Rapid Biomarker Detection And Quantification, Anthony Abeiku Amissah

Theses and Dissertations

Many current diagnostic tools for accurate disease detection and quantification are often tedious and involve multiple complex steps. Consequently, there is a critical need for alternative point-of-care devices that are affordable and deliver rapid and reliable results. Recently, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has emerged as a highly effective analytical method, enhancing Raman scattering of molecules adsorbed onto nanoparticles and allowing for low-level detection and quantitative chemical analysis. In this study, we employ SERS to develop a rapid diagnostic test using human immunoglobulin G (hIgG) as a model biomarker because it is abundant in human serum, cheap, readily available, and well-understood. …

Noncontingent Reinforcement: A Functional Versus Nonfuctional Approach To Reducing Disruptive Behavior And Increasing Academic Engagement Across Socially Maintained Functions, Mariah Brooks

Theses and Dissertations

According to the School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS; 2022) three notable discipline problems reported by public schools including acts of disrespect toward teachers, verbal abuse towards teachers, and widespread disorder in classrooms has been consistently increasing over the last decade (U.S. Department of Education, 2022). Noncontingent reinforcement (NCR), a function-based treatment, is a key focus of this study. NCR involves the systematic delivery of reinforcers, such as attention and escape, independent of the student's behavior. It has a long history of demonstrating statistically significant reductions in problem behaviors within multiple settings, including schools (Carr et al., 2009). The …

The Role Of Furan Moieties On The Thermal Decomposition And Char Formation Of Intrinsically Fire-Resistant Epoxy Thermosets For Composites, Amy E. Honnig Bassett

Theses and Dissertations

Fire-retardant chemicals added to epoxy thermosets used as coatings, adhesives, and fiber-reinforced polymer composites (FRPCs) negatively impact performance and the environment. This dissertation takes a novel approach to mitigate the flammability of these systems by designing intrinsically fire-resistant epoxies via the incorporation of furan moieties. Glycidyl amines based on furfuryl amine and judiciously selected derivatives of furfuryl amine were synthesized to produce furan-based di-epoxies (FDEs) that were cured by anionic polymerization and with amine curing agents. The furan ring was found to impart additional reactivity for cross-linking and to induce char-forming reactions at higher temperatures. More importantly, the placement of …

Labor Music: An Intersectional Analysis, Rebekah Mangels

Theses and Dissertations

Music has long driven labor movements around the world. In instances such as the Gastonia strikes of the 1920s and the United Farm Workers of America’s fight for agricultural workers, labor protest songs have fueled workers to fight for their rights. In this thesis, I note the importance of BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Color), especially women and nonbinary (and other gender minority) People of Color, in the history of labor protest music. Drawing on intersectional theory, I then analyze eight modern texts, songs by gender minority BIPOC, which reference labor. My thematic analysis demonstrates that my texts converge the …

Experimental Investigation On Mechanical Properties Of Pla Reinforced By Bamboo Fiber/Montmorillonite Clay Hybrid Composites And Analysis Of Machining Characteristics, Nirmal Kumar K

Theses and Dissertations

The study presents a comprehensive investigation into the development, characterization, and machining analysis of novel bio-based polymer hybrid composites comprising Polylactic acid (PLA), bamboo powders (BP), and montmorillonite clay particles (MMT). Initially, the hybrid composites were fabricated using a solvent-free stir casting process, optimizing the weight percentages of BP and MMT to enhance mechanical and thermal properties.

Mechanical tests, including tensile, flexural, and impact tests, along with thermal analysis using thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry, were conducted to evaluate the performance of the composites. In the subsequent phases, advanced machining techniques were employed to analyze the machining characteristics of …

Membrane Hinges For Deployable Systems, C. Mitchel Skinner

Theses and Dissertations

Origami-inspired and deployable technology has become increasingly common in a variety of applications including satellite and antenna designs for space applications. The drive to utilize ultra-thin materials in the design of these deployable space structures has led to the development of membrane hinges. Membrane hinges show promise as an effective surrogate fold because of their potential advantages including requiring minimal volume and mass, allowing for small bending radii, and functioning without lubricant. Two challenges associated with membrane hinges include reliability after repeated cyclic loading and predictability of a large deployable with radially-unconstrained membrane hinges. The research presented includes the cyclic …

A Systematic Review Of Implementation Fidelity Interventions For School-Based Behavior Supports In Special Education Settings, Paige C. Mesui

Theses and Dissertations

Problem behavior has been increasing in classrooms and has significantly contributed to teacher burnout. Students in special education settings have been found to demonstrate problem behaviors more than their general education peers. Schools have a responsibility to implement evidence-based behavioral support to assist students with their behavioral needs, decrease problem behavior, and increase desired behavior in the classroom. There is a relationship between the level of implementation fidelity and the effectiveness of an intervention. If there are not high levels of fidelity, the results are not expected to mimic what has been found in the research. The purpose of this …

The Moderating Effect Of Organizational Identification And Supervisor’S Organizational Embodiment On Unethical Pro- Organizational Behavior, Taylor Morgan Flinn

Theses and Dissertations

Unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB) are behaviors that are illegal/immoral but are engaged in with the intention of benefiting their organization. The present study sought to investigate the moderating relationships of organizational identification (OI) and supervisor’s organizational embodiment (SOE), with work engagement as a predictor. The results revealed that there was a weak correlation between work engagement and UPB as well as SOE and UPB. Both OI and SOE did not moderate the relationship between work engagement and UPB. The current study contributed to the literature on predictors of UPB, as work engagement has rarely been used as a predictor of …

Underrepresented Genders In Music: They “Actually ” Rock, Emily Bollinger

Theses and Dissertations

“Underrepresented Genders in Music: They ‘Actually’ Rock” is a documentary that navigates the role women and non-binary femmes have in the world of music, the gender-specific barriers they have to overcome, where they are at in their music careers, and how they define their success. Each person’s story is unique, but they all want to see more acceptance and appreciation of women and femmes in the music industry. For the scope of this project, all musicians and people featured are from Illinois. There are several protagonists this documentary will follow: Emily Antonacci (she/they), Camryn Proctor (they/them), and Abbey Haste from …

The Role Of Language In Identity And Mediating Connection For Fijian College Students, Grace Taito Tora

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the role of language in constructing identity and promoting belonging for seventeen Fijian college students at one U.S. based university in the Pacific Rim. Focus group interviews were analyzed for how students described the role that language played in constructing student identity and mediating connection. Analysis was grounded in post-structural perspectives of identity alongside vā – the Oceanic notion that encompasses identity and belonging. Students described themes of native language proficiency in reinforcing kinship relationships and in participating in cultural traditions and practices. They also expressed other ways of maintaining vā without proficiency in their native languages. …

Parent-Child Interaction And Developing Resilience In Young Children, Seungok Yum

Theses and Dissertations

Early childhood is an especially important period to develop resilience due to social, academic, and emotional benefits for later development. Previous studies pointed out the importance of parent-child interactions, by showing that parental warmth and support can enhance resilience in children by increasing children’s self-esteem and self-regulation. In contrast, hostile parent-child interactions were revealed as risk factors to hinder developing resilience by increasing children’s internalizing symptoms and behavioral difficulties. This study included 85 young children aged 4 to 5 years and 85 parents recruited from the community. Parents completed the Parent Behavior Inventory (PBI) to provide details about two parent-child …

Student Stress In Animal Science, Jayden Lynn Lawrence

Theses and Dissertations

Anecdotally, college students have high levels of stress when compared to the rest of the population. There have been many studies that support this idea in programs outside of animal science, but with the shift in animal science from students that have prior livestock experience to those that do not, it is important to acknowledge how this shift impacts the student population. By evaluating courses in animal science, and how they impact student stress it is possible to determine if the present-day curriculum causes any additional stress on students that have less prior experience. In the United States, a majority …

Constructing The Other: Unveiling The Exotic, Barbaric And Parodied Archetypes In Western Discourse, Alexandra Goitia Goitia

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis builds upon Edward Said’s seminal work, "Orientalism," to explore the complex dynamics of "Otherness" in Western thought across various contexts. Said’s theory elucidates how the West has historically constructed a distorted image of the East to justify colonial dominance, framing the East as a mere extension of Western fantasies and fears. This study expands Said’s framework by applying it to a diverse range of texts beyond the Muslim world, examining how Western narratives perpetuate the Exotic, Barbaric, and Parodied Other. The first part of the thesis juxtaposes Hernán Cortés’s "Cartas de relación" with Netflix’s "Marco Polo," illustrating how …

The Planning Strategy For Electric Vehicle Charging Stations In The Road Transportation Network Synchronized With The Distribution Network, Muthukannan S

Theses and Dissertations

Electric vehicles (EVs) are recognized as a potentially effective solution to the environmental crisis and fuel deficit that modern metropolises are currently experiencing. Meanwhile, the expansion of EVs and their haphazard charging would negatively affect the road transportation network (RTN) as well as the electric distribution network (EDN). The proper infrastructure for the electric vehicle charging station (EVCS) will enhance the effective utilization of energy of both the networks.

This research work proposes a two-phase planning strategy for deploying Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (EVCS), considering both static and dynamic factors. The strategy uses a hybrid PSO-DS algorithm which is a …

Characterizing And Manipulating Intra-Die Performance Variation Of Fpgas And Its Application In Security, Hayden C. Cook

Theses and Dissertations

Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are reconfigurable, high-performing devices that are often used in critical applications. However, like all semiconductors, FPGAs experience transistor aging that can lower performance and lead to device failures. Additionally, device aging also has several security implications. Therefore, understanding the aging mechanisms behind transistor aging is necessary to ensure the reliability of FPGAs. However, current aging studies either rely on simulation alone or are unable to isolate aging effects on specific elements within the FPGA. This dissertation uses the reconfigurability of FPGAs to develop novel aging techniques that allow for the targeted aging of specific areas …

Facets Of Neuroticism As Predictors Of Heart Rate Variability And Psychological Distress, Mikel Cressman

Theses and Dissertations

Heart rate variability (HRV) and personality are related to both physical and mental health outcomes. Previous research has found a relationship between neuroticism and distress while the findings on the relationship between neuroticism and HRV are mixed. Studying the facets of neuroticism may provide a more nuanced view of the effects of personality on HRV and distress. Previous research has suggested that the vulnerability facet of neuroticism appears to be uniquely related to the cardiovascular response to stress. This study's first hypothesis is that individuals with higher scores on the vulnerability facet will have lower heart rate variability. The second …

Investigating The Fatigue Life Of Asymmetric And Novel Helical Gear Drives, Rajesh S

Theses and Dissertations

The present research work investigates the contact and bending fatigue life of asymmetric helical gear and novel helical gear based on the finite element analysis. In the first phase, the contact and bending fatigue life of the asymmetric helical gear drives is estimated based on the strain life approach.

Further, a parametric study is carried out to investigate the influence of important helical gear parameters such as module, pressure angle, helix angle, gear ratio, teeth number and face width on contact and bending fatigue life of asymmetric helical gear drives. It is noted that the asymmetric helical gear shows a …

Frequency & Severity Modeling Of Cyber Risk, Vilma Yayra Mensah Ofori

Theses and Dissertations

In an era where cyber risks are escalating at an unprecedented rate, understanding andmitigating data breach risks has become critical for organizations. This paper proposes a novel frequency-severity model to assess hacking data breach risks at the individual company level, focusing on the Finance, Healthcare, and Technology sectors. Our anal- ysis reveals significant heterogeneity in breach frequencies and severities across sectors and individual companies within those sectors. To model breach frequency, we employ a Zero-Inflated Poisson (ZI-Poisson) model with random effects, capturing unobserved heterogeneity and within-firm correlations over time. Breach severity is modeled using a log-normal regression, given the symmetrical …

Redefining The Scope Of The Curtius Reaction Via A Dehomologation Of Carboxylic Acids Bearing An Alpha Leaving Group. Determining The Stereoelectronic Limitations Of The Crimmins Anti-Selective Asymmetric Glycolate Aldol Addition Reaction., Joy Odeh

Theses and Dissertations

The Curtius rearrangement is an important synthetic transformation in organic chemistry and is named in honor of Theodore Curtius who developed this reaction in the late 19th century. The rearrangement involves the conversion of a carboxylic acid into a primary amine through an isocyanate intermediate. The isocyanate is formed by the thermal decomposition of an acyl azide intermediate formed from the carboxylic acid starting material. The thermal decomposition is accompanied by the migration of the substituent bound to the carboxyl group of the acyl azide. When exposed to different nucleophiles, these isocyanates can then be converted to the corresponding amines, …

From Viral Rumors To Fact-Checked Information: The Influence Of Social Media Platforms And Fact-Checking Organizations On Public Trust During The Covid-19 Crisis, Chinyere Linda Agbasiere

Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic not only disseminated a viral health threat worldwide but highlighted the rapid spread of misinformation, commonly called an "infodemic." This study investigates the influence of social media and fact-checking organizations in shaping public trust and information consumption during the pandemic. Utilizing a mixed-method approach of surveys and interviews, I analyzed 9 interviews. The interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) and Owen's (1984) principles of recurrence, repetition, and forcefulness, and three main themes were developed inductively. The findings reveal that while social media was a primary source of information, it also served as a …

Investigation Of Various Mimo Antenna For 5g Mobile Phone Applications, Rajesh Kumar D

Theses and Dissertations

The rapid progress of wireless communication systems has been driven by the persistent demand for higher data rates, improved connectivity, and seamless user experiences. The introduction of fifth-generation (5G) wireless technology introduces fresh challenges and possibilities within the domain of antenna design, particularly concerning Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) systems operating in the sub-6 GHz frequency range. This thesis conducts a comprehensive exploration and conceptualization of MIMO antennas expressly crafted for smooth integration into mobile phones, with a particular emphasis on addressing the distinctive requisites of sub-6 GHz 5G communication.

The proposed antenna designs effectively harnesses the advantages inherent in multiple-input multiple-output …

Drop Dynamics And Heat Transfer During Dropwise Condensation On Superhydrophobic Surfaces, Shaur Humayun

Theses and Dissertations

As we seek to address the escalating demand for energy and water, superhydrophobic surfaces have gained the attention of researchers due to their potential to boost condensation heat transfer rates and improve efficiency across various applications. One way to significantly improve dropwise condensation heat transfer rate is to improve drop mobility. Water-repelling properties of superhydrophobic surfaces can help in reducing the size of condensed drops as they depart the surface, thus increasing drop refresh rates by increasing drop mobility. Accurate models of retention forces between drops and superhydrophobic surfaces are needed for predicting drop dynamics including drop mobility. Once drop …

Sri Hayagriva Stotra An In Depth Analysis, Vasudevan V

Theses and Dissertations

ŚRĪ HAYAGRĪVA is a benevolent avatar of Śrī Mahāviṣnu. He is worshiped as the God of knowledge and wisdom. He is an eternal avatar of Śrī Mahāviṣnu and there have been many studies on him done in the past by eminent scholars all over the world. Swāmi Śrī Deśika is a Sri Vaiṣṇava Acharya who has written many philosophical as well as religious and poetical works in several languages including Sanskrit, Manipravālam, Tamil, and Prākṛt. Svāmi Vedānta Deśika received the grace of Śrī Hayagrīva and was blessed with knowledge and wisdom. He then composed ŚRĪ HAYAGRĪVA STOTRA with thirty-three stanzas …