Digital Commons Network^™

Not Just Blowin' Smoke: Marijuana Legalization Initiatives And The 2012 Presidential Election, Steven Anderson

Masters Theses

Since 1996, numerous states have passed laws to allow use of marijuana for medical purposes. In 2012, Colorado and Washington became the first states to legalize the drug for recreational use. The two recreational legalization movements, along with many medical laws, were passed via citizen's referendum (passed by the legislature and approved by voters) or initiative (placed on ballot by petition and approved by voters). This paper seeks to examine the link between support for the legalization movements in three states (Colorado, Washington and Oregon) and support for President Obama in the 2012 Presidential Election. Ten different variables are examined …

College Students Self-Presentation And Online Social Networks, Lauren J. Stehlik

Masters Theses

College students are active users of social networking sites, and they share a variety of information via their profiles. Employers and graduate schools are one population viewing potential candidate's social networking profiles. This study aimed to explore graduating college students' perception of appropriate or inappropriate content on their social networking sites as they went through the job searching process. College students are users of several social networking sites; however, this study focused on users of Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. The researcher conducted one-on-one interviews and an online analysis site called Reppler.com with seven graduating college seniors to learn about perceptions …

An Exploration Of College Student Experiences Regarding Healthy Eating At A Midsized Midwestern University: A Qualitative Approach, E. Jordan Stayer

Masters Theses

This study was an exploration of the experiences college students have while eating in on-campus dining centers at a midsized, Midwest, public university. The present study examined college students' (n = 7) experiences of eating in the dining centers with a campus meal plan. Participants were asked a series of questions regarding their individual beliefs, their surrounding environment, and their physical behaviors while dining.

The study concluded that dining habits are very personal to each and every human being in the world. At the higher education level, because each student brings with them a completely different taste, desire, and …

Antenna Performance Analysis Within Complex Enclosures In An Aircraft, Shayan Hafeez

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

With the technological advancements and increased daily use of cell phones, tablets and other transmitting portable electronic devices (T-PEDs), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has asked the Radio Technical Commission of Aeronautics (RTCA) to provide a means of certification to validate that the use of T-PEDs during a commercial flight shall not cause adverse effects to the aircraft control, navigation, safety and other critical systems onboard [1]. The RTCA committee has developed the document DO-307 to provide aircraft system susceptibility levels and test methods to determine an aircraft's tolerance to the potential electromagnetic signatures that are produced by T-PEDs. Also …

Application Of Time Domain Reflectometer For Measuring Liquid Level, Shreya Reddy Mamidi

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The present research is related to the Time Domain Reflectometer (TDR) level measurement device capable of generating and receiving electromagnetic waves. The primary objective is to measure the height of water in a tank and design an efficient measuring device. The TDR is based on the reflection mechanism, in which the time delay between the transmitted and reflected signals helps to determine the distance from the source to the surface of water, which is later used to deduce the height of water in the tank. The TDR is built using a 74AC14 IC, which is capable of producing pulse signals …

Assessment Of Urinary Methylmalonic Acid Levels In Older Adults On Proton Pump Inhibitors, Tashia Sue Warner

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Background: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) affect gastric acid secretion. The use of PPIs in the elderly population (>70 years old) may increase the risk of vitamin B12 deficiency because gastric acid is needed for vitamin B12 digestion and absorption. However, it's unclear whether adults ages 50--70 years old that use PPIs chronically are at risk of vitamin B12 deficiency. Objective: To determine whether chronic use of PPIs results in increased urinary methylmalonic acid (uMMA) levels in adults ages 50--70 years old, indicating vitamin B12 deficiency. Methods: Fifteen men and women who had been taking PPIs daily for a minimum …

Assessing Recharge Mechanisms Of The Pampa Del Tamarugal Aquifer In Northern Chile's Atacama Desert, Richard Scott Jayne

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Northern Chile's Atacama Desert is one of the driest inhabited regions on the planet. The Pampa del Tamarugal Basin is located within the Atacama Desert and is home to 300,000 people, yet this region receives little to no rain (<5 mm/yr). However, despite the lack of rain, there is a large source of fresh water in the Pampa del Tamarugal Aquifer (PTA). The PTA is heavily relied upon for municipal, agriculture, and industrial uses. The source of water for the PTA is widely accepted to originate in the high Andes to the east, but the magnitude and mechanism for this recharge remains poorly understood. This study utilizes a 2-D numerical model that takes into account the complex geology and geothermal gradient in this region to further understand regional scale fluid flow within the Pampa del Tamarugal Basin. The results indicate that shallow fluid flow only recharges Salar de Huasco on the eastern edge of the model domain while deep, hydrothermal fluid circulation recharges the PTA and is also responsible for salar formation in the western portion of the basin.

Autistic Texts And Textual Accounts Of Autism : The Interdependence Of 20th - And 21st - Century Science And Literature Through The Rhetorical Phenomenon Of Autism, John Joseph Marinan Iv

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

In this dissertation, I illustrated how throughout the 20th and 21st centuries the science community has officially identified and objectified autism: first, by connecting it with psychoanalysis through schizophrenia; second, by creating other categories such as infantile autism and Asperger syndrome that focused on psychological and medical factors; third, by pointing to Theory of Mind applications that emphasized brain chemistry; and finally, by tracing recent theories of morphology relating to mirror neurons and rapid early brain growth. Despite attempts to define autism as a diagnostic term imbued with empirical qualities, the process of writing about it also created autism as …

Big Data Analytics For Gas Turbines, Srikanth Kashyap Jandhyala

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Gas turbines have many important variables such as the load, turbine speed, fuel gas flow, and inlet and outlet pressures. The volume, velocity, variability and complexity of the data from various sensors are huge. Monitoring of gas turbines consequently needs big data analytics which is the process of collecting, organizing and analyzing large data sets. The need for big data analytics stems from the need to increase the efficiency, improve operations and predict various trends and comment on the performance. Big data implies that the data sets are too large to be analyzed or even viewed by conventional methods and …

"I'M Sorry For The Mistakes I'M About To Make" : Interaction, Social Status And Emotion In The Indonesian Efl Classroom, Francesca Pase

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This paper explores the relationship between language, culture, and emotion in the Indonesian English as a foreign language (EFL) classroom. It does this by focusing on the Indonesian concept of malu, an emotional response often translated as "shame." Malu is a complex emotional construct that determines appropriate behavior and is activated situationally, often as a way of indicating respect. By investigating how students and teachers navigate the application of the communicative approach of language acquisition in the presence of malu, we are able to gain insights into the world of the Indonesian English learner. This study was conducted in the …

(De) Constructing Students Of Concern : How Chief Student Affairs Officers Make Meaning Regarding Concerning Student Behavior, Melanie V. Tucker

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how Chief Student Affairs Officers make meaning of students demonstrating concerning behavior within large, residential university settings. The problem this study sought to address was the ambiguity of the construct student of concern. Two research questions guided the study, including: 1) how do Chief Student Affairs Officers describe their work with students of concern and; 2) how do Chief Student Affairs Officers describe factors which influence their perception of and responses to students of concern? A constructionist paradigm, student affairs models of practice, and components of organizational theory informed this …

Development Of Synthetic Strategies To Afford Products With Biorenewable Carbon And Synthesis Of Superelectrophilic Intermediates As Well As Various Preliminary Studies, Sean P. Mc Ilrath

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This thesis describes two main areas of research. The first is the development of synthetic strategies to afford products with biorenewable carbon. Biodiesel has been widely accepted as a plausible alternative to replace petroleum based products for transportation purposes. These bio-based diesel fuels are commonly referred to as fatty acid methyl esters (FAME's), because of the long fatty acid hydrocarbon chain that is attached to ester functionality. The ability to modify FAME's allows for an improvement in properties such as density, viscosity, volatility, and gelation points simply by incorporating increasing degrees of unsaturation, shortening carbon chains, and adding aromaticity which …

Empire Of The Scene : Film Adaptations Of The Novels Of J. G. Ballard, Scott R. Stalcup

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study examines primarily the adaptations of J. G. Ballard's novels Empire of the Sun and Crash, directed respectively by Steven Spielberg and David Cronenberg. An overview of the production histories, the contrasts between the films and their source texts, and the reception by audiences, as well as Ballard himself are addressed. In addition, the study examines lesser-known/less available adaptations of Ballard's writing, specifically Sam Scoggins' take on The Unlimited Dream Company, Solvieg Nordlund's adaptations of "The Low-Flying Aircraft" and "Thirteen to Centaurus," Jonathan Weiss' The Atrocity Exhibition, as well as looking ahead to the Ben Wheatley-helmed High-Rise currently in …

Effect Of Material On Acoustic And Structural Response Of A Frustum Subjected To Fluid Flow, Siddartha Reddy Gangula

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The objective of this study to decrease the sound at outside of a bowl shaped solid, Point source is being used for generate the sound. Poro-acoustics and Acoustic structure interaction modules have been used for simulation, the Frequency Domain study is used to compute the response of a linear or linearized model subjected to harmonic excitation for one or several frequencies. Three major scenarios have been considered to analyze the sound at inside and outside of a bowl.;1. Change in the design of a bowl 2. Change the parameters of inlet & outlet radius 3. Change the material of a …

Build Mytune : Children's Reflective Practice During Music Creativity Processes, Chia-Pao Hsu

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The current study examined how components of reflective practice interplay with children's music-making and sharing processes. This study employed a qualitative approach with 11 children who played classroom instruments and researcher-designed computer programs (Build MyTune I and Build MyTune II) while attending music classes. Information pertaining to the participants' music creativity processes and products, peer interactions, visual representations of their music/works (i.e., drawing artifacts), and interview responses about their thoughts and processes were collected and analyzed. The themes associated with the children's creativity and knowledge sharing processes were merged into four stages: Stage I: making sense of tools, Stage II: …

Can Mentoring Reduce Social Stressors Through Socialization? : A Longitudinal Study Of Mentoring As A Primary Intervention Strategy, Sarah Frances Bailey

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Low intensity social stressors (i.e., social undermining, incivility, and interpersonal conflict) have been shown to have a strong impact on employee health and behavior. Newer employees who are learning the organization may be especially affected by these social stressors, as they are still learning how to navigate their work environment. Although research has demonstrated mentoring as strategy for helping employees cope with stressors, there has been a lack of research on how mentoring may also reduce the occurrence of social stressors. Drawing from the Conservation of Resources theory of job stressors, mentoring can be conceptualized as a strategy for building …

Cfd Analysis Of Blood Flow Through Stenosed Arteries, Narmada Surigala

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The pathological complications of atherosclerosis, namely heart disease and stroke, remain the leading cause of mortality in the world. Cardiovascular illness is highly prevalent among the American population. One manifesto of cardiovascular disease is Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) which is caused by atherosclerosis in the arteries. Atherosclerosis is a vascular disease that reduces arterial lumen size through plaque deposition and arterial wall thickening. The flow patterns in the arteries are highly modulating along with the cardiac cycle and a strong function of the waveform created by the heartbeat. In this study, a computational simulation model is developed to analyze blood …

Children's Perceptions Of Cyberbullying And Traditional Bullying : An Analysis Of Attributions, Emotional Response, And Coping, Erin Mars

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Anywhere from 40 to 80% of students have been targets of harassment at school. Research on bullying and victimization has demonstrated gender differences in bullying involvement, as well as low scores on conscientiousness and high scores on neuroticism tests of personality among victims. The extensive set of findings regarding traditional bullying suggests that victims experience more social anxiety, loneliness, depression, and anger which may result in an increase in blame placed towards the self and others as well as a decrease in social skills and self-esteem. More recent research has turned its focus towards cyberbullying, but less is known about …

An Examination Of Teaching And Cognitive Presence In An Online Community Of Inquiry, Jennie J. Asher

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This comparative case study utilizes the lens of the Community of Inquiry framework to provide a holistic view of the dynamics of interactions in two class sections of a graduate-level online course. Relationships between teaching and cognitive presence are examined through content analysis of student and instructor contributions in both the discussion board and material outside of the discussion board, as well as through participant perceptions using the CoI survey and interviews. Content analysis data revealed that students in both groups had similar levels and types of teaching presence, while the instructors had very different levels and types of teaching …

An Examination Of Parental And Individual Factors In Predicting Ethnic Identity, Cara Allen

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The current thesis project investigated relationships among family ethnic cultural socialization, self-esteem, phenotype characteristics, and ethnic identity in an ethnic minority college student sample. Consistent with previous research, family ethnic cultural socialization was found to be associated with ethnic identity and self-esteem. Two of the three components of ethnic identity examined were associated with self-esteem. It was found that the relationship between family ethnic cultural socialization and self-esteem was mediated by ethnic identity. Analyses that examined phenotype characteristics as moderators in the relationship between family ethnic cultural socialization and ethnic identity did not reveal significant results.

Intent Through Event : The Promotion Of Identity And Interests At The Olympic Games, Joseph Scanlon

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Why do states accept the risks associated with hosting a sporting mega-event? This dissertation argues states pursue sporting mega-events for the purposes of promoting identity and interests. Specifically, this dissertation explores the hypothesis that emerging states use sporting mega-events as moments of public diplomacy to facilitate the promotion of identity and pursuit of national interests. This dissertation uses a qualitative case study methodology framed within the constructivist international relations literature. Cases include the 1936 Berlin Olympic Summer Games, 1964 Tokyo Olympic Summer Games, 1980 Moscow Olympic Summer Games, and the 1988 Seoul Olympic Summer Games. To date, the international relations …

Investigation Of Properties Of Agarose Gel Embedded With Gold Nanoparticles, Poojitha Griddhati

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The main objective of this thesis is to incorporate gold nanoparticles into agarose and measure the properties. Not much work is done in this field to incorporate nanoparticles into polymers for studying the optical and dielectric properties. The incorporation of gold nanoparticles is done using three methods. The first method includes the reduction of tetrachloroaurate trihydrate using agarose. The second method involves the addition of agarose to tetrachloroaurate trihydrate and reduces the composite with trisodium citrate. The third method involves the preparation of gold nanoparticles by citrate reduction method and then addition of agarose powder to make the colloidal gold …

Judicial Decision-Making And Criminal Sentencing : Partisanship And Sentencing Severity By State Trial Judges, Sean Daly

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

American trial judges exercise an enormous power when they sentence criminal offenders to a specific length of incarceration. Does the partisan affiliation of the trial judge affect the final determination in an offender's length of incarceration? Using a psychological framework, I examine the effects that partisanship, and ideology have on a judge's perception of the root causes of crime and the primary purpose that sentencing should serve in our criminal justice system. Using a unique proxy measure for judicial partisanship I analyze violent felony cases in Washington State from 2000 to 2006. I find that a Republican judge hands down …

Scientific Discovery And The Poetic Response, Joey Crundwell

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This thesis has two primary goals: the first is to explore the relationship between scientific discovery and poetry by surveying poetry from the last four hundred years and revealing instances where the two worlds have met. With the rise of modern science, profound scientific discovery has had a history of affecting how poets see themselves and the world in which they live, though an argument exists that claims that contemporary poets have ceased responding to scientific discovery on a personal level and are instead simply adopting the vocabulary and imagery of science. The second goal of this thesis is to …

Student Cyberspeech Targeting Faculty : What Can School Administrators Legally Do About It?, Bradley L. Shortridge

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This paper investigates how school officials can make sound decisions based on appropriate legal precedent when faced with incidents of student cyberspeech targeting staff members. In particular, this study examined court decisions, law review articles, state and federal legislation, online sources, and newspaper articles relating to student speech issues. Analyzing these decisions offers some insight for school administrators faced with these instances. Trends from various cases at different court levels are discussed, and some recommendations and tips for school administrators are provided.

Recombination Of Brome Mosaic Virus Genomic Rna3 Between Fescue Strain And Russian Strain In Barley Protoplasts, Parth R. Rao

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The study was performed to map the homologous recombination crossover regions between the genomic RNA3 of Fescue strain and Russian strain of Brome Mosaic Virus in barley protoplasts. Homologous recombination crossover regions between the genomic RNA 2 of both strains were analyzed previously in high selection pressure system using three different co-infected host plants. Thus, protoplast system was used to lower the selection pressure by eliminating the systemic infection phase. Both strains were introduced in different concentration to observe if the parental strain dominance can be lowered in the final clones. However, fescue strain showed dominance over Russian strain in …

Recruitment And The Decision-Making Process Of International Students : A Case Study Of International Students' Selection Of A Host Country And Academic Institution, Awni Alkarzon

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify the factors that influenced international students' decision to select the U.S. as their host country and Regional University (RU) as their host institution. The central research question of the study was: How did international students select the U.S. as their host country and RU as their host institution? The study used a snowball sampling technique to recruit 18 participants who were post graduate students at RU.;To understand the decision-making process of international students in selecting a host country and a host institution, this research study uses the push-pull factors as …

Examining Principal Self-Efficacy And Technology Behaviors, Kathleen A. Melton

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This quantitative, non-experimental study examined the relationship between Illinois public school principal's self-efficacy and technology behaviors. The Principal Sense of Efficacy Scale (PSES; Tschannen-Moran & Gareis, 2004) was used to measure self-efficacy, while the Principal Technology Leadership Assessment (PTLA; CASTLE, 2009) was used to measure principal technology behaviors. Demographic variables such principal experience, education employment in any role, and gender were also considered. Of the population of 3400 public school principals statewide, 328 voluntarily participated in this study.;This study found a positive, significant relationship between principal self-efficacy and technology. Such relationships were significant for both males and females. Additionally, when …

Radiation Simulations Of The Cms Detector, Graham J. Stoddard

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This thesis presents results of recent radiation simulations for the Compact Muon Solenoid detector at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN performed using the Monte Carlo simulation package FLUKA. High statistics simulations with a fine granularity in the detector were carried out using the Condor batch system at the Fermilab LHC Physics Center. In addition, an existing web tool for accessing and displaying simulation data was upgraded. The FLUKA data and previously generated MARS Monte Carlo data can be plotted using 1-D or 2-D plotting functionalities along R and Z, the transverse distance from the beamline and the distance along …

Tweeting To An Empty Room : A Case Study Of The Rhetorical Strategies Used During The Ebola Crisis, Mary S. Pritchard

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This thesis is a case study of the rhetorical strategies used on Twitter to communicate about the Ebola crisis. A review of the literature provides background information on the intersection of social media and crisis communication situations like Ebola. To analyze the rhetorical strategies in the Ebola crisis on Twitter, a corpus of Tweets tagged with the hashtag #Ebola was collected during a 24-hour time period from December 2, 2014 to December 3, 2014 using the web-based Twitter analytics tool Tweet Archivist. The data was sorted by structural features, and a content analysis of the tweets and URLs within the …