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Using Conventional And In Situ Transmission Electron Microscopy Techniques To Understand Nanoscale Crystallography, Bethany M. Hudak

Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is a powerful tool for studying solidstate crystalline systems. With the advances in aberration correction, monochromation, and in situ capabilities, these microscopes are now more useful for addressing fundamental materials chemistry problems than ever before. This dissertation will illustrate the ways in which I have been using high-resolution imaging and in situ heating in the TEM during my Ph.D. research to investigate unique solid state chemistry questions.

This dissertation will focus on four unique crystal systems: thermoelectric skutterudite crystals, vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) grown nanowires, and hafnium dioxide nanorods. Although these systems are very different from one another, …

A Framing Analysis Of The News Coverage Of Science, Sam Babin

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated how the field of science is framed by the United States news media. One full year's (i.e., 2014) worth of science news from four newspapers (i.e., two prestige newspapers, The New York Times and The Washington Post, and two high-circulation newspapers, The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Minneapolis Star Tribune) was gathered and content analyzed in an attempt to determine the distribution of positive, negative, and neutral/ambiguous science news and to compare these distributions in different types of newspapers. Results of a content analysis of 425 (N=425) science news articles indicated that there were no statistically significant differences …

A Matter Of Size : Examining Representation And Responsiveness In State Legislatures And City Councils, Benjamin Bingle

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Representation and legislative responsiveness are vital components of a functional democracy. In representative democracies legislators are elected to stand for, and act on behalf of, the citizenry. Although fundamental to the effectiveness of America's political system, both representation and responsiveness can be influenced by external factors such as legislature and constituency size. What follows is an exploration of representation and responsiveness in American states and cities through the lens of legislature and constituency size. All 50 states are included in the analyses as well as cities with populations of at least 100,000 people as of the 2010 decennial census. In …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Masculinity Among Community College Males, Marianne Fontes

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purposes of this grounded theory study were to explore how traditional-aged community college males experience masculinity and to examine how they engage with community college support systems. Eleven diverse participants engaged in three interviews each in which they were asked to reflect on their definitions of masculinity as well as their activities on and off campus. Open, axial, and selective coding methods were employed, and a new theory emerged. The new theory suggests that the participants' hesitation to make concrete educational decisions is related to their resistance to manhood. Findings implicate the need to engage faculty in the support …

Assessing The Compatibility Of Filth Fly Pesticides With Filth Fly Biological Control Parasitoids Through Toxicological And Behavioral Assays, Edwin R. Burgess Iv

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Filth flies are a significant pest at animal production facilities, leading to economic losses that include reductions in animal weight and milk production. Pesticides and biological control organisms are two important components of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs against filth flies. Biological control against filth flies frequently involves augmentative releases of pupal parasitoids. The compatibility of pesticides and the parasitoids Spalangia endius Walker and Urolepis rufipes Ashmead was examined using one of the most common filth flies, the house fly, Musca domestica L. The specific goals were to 1) assess the effects of the active ingredients of several house fly …

Behavioral And Chemical Ecology Of A Male-Produced Substrate-Borne Pheromone In Urolepis Rufipes, Tyler Wittman

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Use of chemical signals for sexual communication is found in a large proportion of insects. Pheromones may also act as honest signals of the sender's health and resources. Most research has focused on female-produced pheromones used for attracting mates over large distances or on the role pheromones play in species and mate recognition. Little work has been done exploring male produced pheromones, and how pheromones may be involved in mate assessment. Here I show that females of the parasitic wasp Urolepis rufipes discriminate for some aspects of male quality through the male's substrate-borne pheromones. In two-choice trials females spent more …

Benefits And Emotions Present In Offline And Online Communities : A Taxonomic Analysis, Maureen J. Wieland

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This interpretive qualitative study was established to explore the differences and similarities between the benefits gained through online and offline community membership as well as the emotions that are commonly present during conversations between community members. Through an online survey, responses were collected in order to create a typology of benefits as well as emotions discussed within each type of community (either offline of online). The researchers discovered a variety of differences as well as similarities that expand the current research on the field of communication community scholarship.

Beyond Adat : Transwomen Boldly And Innovatively Navigating Their Communities In Central Java, Indonesia, Laurence Anthonie Tumpag

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of the following thesis was to investigate how transwomen (otherwise known locally as waria) of Indonesia, navigate their gender identities within their specific locales in central Java. Particularly, I focus how my respondents do this within Yogyakarta, which I define as a cultural hub where local custom and law known as adat predominates and two other field sites located in the periphery of Yogyakarta. Due to the importance of local culture in the general central Javanese region, I hypothesized adat serves to help create space and belonging for my transwomen respondents within each locale. While previous research has …

"Anonymous" And Frame Construction In Social Media, Justin Yates

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Social movement organizations operate and communicate using new mediums, such as the use of social media. Anonymous is a non-hierarchical online activist group with unidentified members that engages in exploiting technology toward politically motivated goals. This study examined how a group without formal structure or identifiable members frames its activities as "righteous." Specifically, this study examined the rhetoric of a non-hierarchical online activist group with unidentified members and how it frames its activities as just. This study explored the challenges in maintaining and creating righteous rhetoric for a group with online, non-hierarchical, and unidentified members. Using social movement framing theory …

21st Century Assessment : An Examination Of The Relationship Among Computer-Adaptive Homework, Self-Regulation Strategies And Student Scores On Computer-Adaptive Assessment, Darla Bennett-Smailis

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between fifth grade students' computer-adaptive assessment performance (TAP) scores when a computer-adaptive eLearning platform was assigned for homework along with a self-regulated learning (SRL) treatment intervention. The adaptive learning theoretical model and the TAP conceptual framework supported the rationale for the utilization of the digital computer-adaptive systems of learning and assessing. In addition, the study examined the predictive ability of the Measures Strategy Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) a self-reporting survey on MAP assessment performance scores. The theory of SRL provided the foundation for the strategies implemented in this study. The participants consisted of three fifth-grade classes …

A Case Study Examining Perceptions Of Female Saudi University Students Regarding The Use Of Asynchronous Online Discussion Boards, Hanadi M. Bokhari

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This phenomenological case study explored undergraduate Saudi female students' perceptions of using asynchronous online discussion boards (AODB) as a learning tool. In addition, the current study explored factors that helped students learn skills, specifically their language learning. The current study sought to add to knowledge about how asynchronous online discussion forums can benefit undergraduate Saudi female students' development of learning. Data were collected during the Spring 2016 semester through focus group and individual interviews with ten undergraduate students in an online course as well as their narrative reflections and the researcher reflections and notes. Participants were undergraduate Saudi female students …

Analysis And Extension Of A Flexible Stochastic Differential Equation Model To Estimate The Amount Of Nanoconjugates Required To Initiate Remission Of Cancer, Nicholas Joseph Skradski

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines a definition of reliability that can be applied to targeted nanoconjugate chemotherapy in cancer and also simulates a stochastic differential equation model to attempt to predict the estimated time until remission when using targeted nanoconjugate chemotherapy utilizing a recursive algorithm to attempt to find the dose of nanoconjugates that will result in remission by an expected time T. Areas of research that can be used to obtain model parameter values are cited and values for the dose of nanoconjugates, given as number of nanoconjugates, are predicted for several different model parameters. The model is then extended to …

African American Males' Perceptions Of A Midwestern Community College, Marietta Turner

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The educational statistics continue to report dismal persistence and completion rates for male African American community college students. Many scholars have noted the fact that African American males remain further behind all other demographics in college enrollment and completion. In this study, I sought to advance the literature on student engagement and academic success by exploring these students' perceptions of their college-going experience. The purpose of the study was to better understand African American male community college students' perceptions of their academic and social experiences at one midwestern community college. The theoretical framework for this study was achieved by combining …

An Activity Theoretical Perspective On Inter-Organizational Collaboration In Instructional Technology Development And Implementation, Robin Angela Medley

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study examined the collaborative aspects of instructional technology development and implementation on the P.R.I.D.E. Digital Curriculum (PDC). The multimedia PDC training product was developed through an inter-organizational collaboration amongst several agencies and organizations. An increase in globalization and decentralization of organizations is changing how instructional designers communicate with the design and development teams. Cultural differences between institutions is significant when designing and developing collaborative material. This study utilized activity theory and activity systems analysis to examine communication practices, cultural influences, and synergy of the partners with a developer's perspective on instructional design and development. The findings revealed cultural differences …

An Analysis Of The Great Melting Pot In American World War Ii Propaganda : Germans, Japanese, And Italians Need Not Apply, Crystal Sturgeon

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This research studied the implications of the metaphor of the American melting pot and how those implications can be seen even today. The main artifacts are propaganda from World War II, specifically The Ducktators, Der Fuehrer's Face, and a propaganda poster. I also consider the modern day image of the salad bowl and examine how a great deal of the xenophobia and ethnic prejudice in World War II is still alive and well, although perhaps in a slightly different form and focused on different groups. I also examine the rhetorical devices used in World War II propaganda and how they …

Dreamkeepers At The Gate : Culturally Relevant And Responsive Pedagogy In The Community College Classroom, Stephanie A. Whalen

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study was inspired by Gloria Ladson-Billings's work on culturally relevant pedagogy, which examined the common conceptions and shared aims of "Dreamkeepers" who were identified as particularly effective instructors of African American students. In addition to exploring the dispositions of Dreamkeeper faculty at the community college, the instructional practices of these faculty members were analyzed using the descriptive characteristics of culturally responsive pedagogy according to Geneva Gay. The implications of the study include deeper understanding of a culturally relevant pedagogy and cultural integrity as foundations for cultural responsiveness in the community college classroom. These concepts are clarified through qualitative analyses …

Elephant On A Stepladder : An Exploration Of Pre-Service English Teacher Assessment Literacy, Amy M. Howerton

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this exploratory qualitative study was to examine pre-service high school English teachers' instructional experiences with formative assessment while student teaching. Participants were gathered using a web-based questionnaire, the Pre-Service Teacher Assessment Literacy Questionnaire, regarding assessment literacy skills. The study focused on five pre-service teachers enrolled in Midwestern universities who participated in five one-hour interviews and two 45-minute non-evaluative observations during the student teaching experience. Data from the questionnaire, interview, and observation data collection tools were analyzed using qualitative methods and through the theoretical lens of adult learning theory, theories of human development, and hermeneutic theory. Three key …

Engineering And Chromosomal Integration Of A Functional Butanol Pathway In Escherichia Coli For Butanol Fermentation, Erin Garza

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

A butanol fermentation pathway was engineered in Escherichia coli through cloning and chromosomal integration of the butanol genes (thiL, CA_C2873, hbd, crt, bcd, etfA, etfB, adhe1, adhe2, bdhAB) from Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC824. Initially, a minimal set of butanol pathway genes (thiL, hbd, crt, bcd, etfAB, adhe2) was transcriptionally fused with a pflBp6 promoter and were integrated into the chromosome of E. coli EG10, a strain lacking endogenous competing fermentation pathways, resulting in strain EG60. Anaerobic fermentations showed that EG60 was able to produce 100 muM butanol, suggesting that the butanol pathway genes were effectively expressed for butanol production. Although the …

Educational Videogame Design Strategies Used To Improve Motivation In Engineering Students, Thomas Abdul Rasheed

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The use of traditional textbooks in engineering education is uninspiring and unrewarding for engineering students, resulting in many such students' low motivation and lack of interest in their schoolwork. In contrast, the American culture's ubiquitous factor of computer technology devices contributes to effective communication and entertainment. Today, computer videogames are owned and played by 80% of American children between the ages of 8 and 18. Plus, research studies have proven that computer videogame technology can motivate students in learning environments. The use of videogames in education is therefore a user-centered strategy because most youth today are familiar with the technology …

Experiencing Recovery At Work : Energetic Benefits Of Social Media Micro-Breaks, Pamela R. Waltz

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examined the impact of social media micro-breaks during the workday on worker energy. Social media micro-breaks (SMMBs) are discretionary, nonwork breaks that employees insert throughout the workday to engage with social media. Although it is well documented that employees use social media for personal purposes during the workday, little is known about the impact of SMMBs on employee well-being. Drawing on the frameworks proposed by the Job Demands-Resources model of job stress and the Stressor-Detachment model, two studies were conducted to examine 1) whether the frequency and duration of SMMBs positively impacted worker energy by reducing workday fatigue …

Changes In The U.S. Tornado Disaster Landscape, Stephen M. Strader

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Weather disaster severity and frequency are a function of both hazard risk as well as the underlying socioeconomic settings exposed to the hazard. In general, previous studies have concentrated on how risk or vulnerability influence disaster potential, but not on the important interaction of these two disaster constituents. This dissertation examines a single hazard---the tornado---and evaluates how this hazard's evolving risk interrelates with the important human vulnerability component of residential built-environment exposure. The research assesses these interactions across the high tornado risk areas of the central and eastern U.S. from 1940 to 2100 using fine-scale demographic data and a Monte …

Enhancing The Ethanol Pathway In Escherichia Coli Rm10 For Improved Ethanol Production From Xylose, Ryan Allan Manow

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Due to its capability to ferment biomass-derived pentose and hexose, Escherichia coli is considered a potential biocatalyst for production of bioethanol. Gene deletions and promoter replacements were previously employed to engineer a non-transgenic homoethanol pathway in E. coli [glucose (or 1.2 xylose) => (glycolysis) => 2 pyruvate + 2 NADH => (pyruvate dehydrogenase, aceEF-lpd operon) => 2 acetyl-CoA + 4 NADH => (alcohol dehydrogenase, adhE) => 2 acetaldehyde + 2 NADH => (alcohol dehydrogenase) => 2 ethanol]. The resulting strain, RM10, is able to produce ethanol from xylose and glucose, with a yield greater than 90% theoretical (one mole of …

Erosion Boundary Effects Due To Fill Fraction Variation : A Study Of Quasi 2d Tumblers Of Granular Systems, Adam N. Spitulnik

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Simulations of granular flow assume a consistent flowing layer profile observed in circular tumblers that were half full. While the constant shear rate model predicts mixing kinematics adequately, the model has not been empirically tested in systems where the erosion from the solid body has velocity components along the dynamic angle of repose. This thesis explores experiments that analyze the relationship be- tween tumbler fill fraction and the kinematics of the erosion boundary transition into the flowing layer. Tumblers greater than 50% full have inertial velocity along the angle of repose; fill conditions less than 50% enter with velocity opposite …

Enhanced Convective Air Cooling Of Electronics With Multiple Printed Circuit Boards (Pcbs) Using Turbulance Generators, Kyle Jackson

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The focus of this research is to perform experimental and computational simulation analysis of a turbulence generator method of increasing convective heat transfer of electronic chips in an electronic device with multiple Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs). With this achieved, higher power levels can be used and/or the air flow needed to maintain a given operating temperature can be reduced. The air flow is deflected or disturbed by deflectors or vortex generator elements placed in strategic locations in the air stream. The models are simulated in Star CCM+ CFD software, and experimentally validated using a customized test facility with computer data …

Collaboration And Critical Thinking In An Online Chemistry Environment, Elizabeth Irene Kershisnik

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine collaboration and student's critical thinking and cognitive achievement within online chemistry courses. This quantitative study focused on the apparent lack of research relating collaboration and critical thinking in online science courses. Collaboration was determined using the small group collaboration model coding scheme, which examined student postings in asynchronous discussion forums for quantity, equality, and shareness. Critical thinking was measured using the chemistry concept reasoning test, the online self-diagnostic test, and also asynchronous student homework discussion postings that were coded using the community of inquiry cognitive presence indicators. Finally cognitive achievement was determined …

Conditions Affecting Biomass Productivity, Lipid Production, And Harvesting Of The Microalga Monoraphidium Sp. Dek19 Grown In Wastewater, Adam Ralph Hage

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The objective of this thesis was to investigate the culture conditions necessary to promote high cell densities, lipid productivities, and harvesting yields from the locally endemic microalgae Monoraphidium sp. Dek19 in a wastewater environment. The alga was inoculated in final effluent acquired from a local wastewater treatment facility in DeKalb, Illinois. The alga was cultivated in 1L Erlenmeyer flasks at 10°C, 70 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ light, 14:10 light:dark cycle. Culture agitation was found to be an important condition for algal growth and nutrient removal. Increased culture turbulence through aeration correlated with improved phycoremediation and biomass production. Cultures in stagnant conditions …

Connecting Philosophy And Practice In The Fabric Of Public Education : An Analysis Of K-12 Instructional Technology Discourse Inspired By Foucault's Technologies Of The Self, Alan Clemens

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study was undertaken to better understand the discourse surrounding K-12 instructional technologies as represented in published articles of three trade publications whose target audience is educational practitioners. The study additionally sought to test the viability of an analytical framework inspired by Michel Foucault's technologies of the self. Two hundred and thirty-seven articles published in three trade periodicals (Education Week, Learning & Leading with Technology, and The School Administrator) over a two-year sample period were analyzed using NVIVO, a qualitative data analysis software product from QSR, International.

An Examination Of The Athletic Identity, Identity Foreclosure, And Career Maturity Of Division I Collegiate Student-Athletes In Nonrevenue-Producing Sports, Stacia A. Klasen

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Very few student-athletes will go on to become a professional in their sport; therefore, the vast majority will need to pursue a non-sport career once their collegiate athletic eligibility has ended. Research indicates that a strong athletic identity and identity foreclosure coincide with lower levels of career maturity, which contributes to the struggle that student-athletes often face with their post-sport transition. The majority of student-athletes compete in nonrevenue-producing collegiate sports (e.g., cross country and soccer), but this subgroup has not been adequately examined. This is problematic because research suggests that lower career maturity levels exist among student-athletes in both revenue- …

An Exploration Of Counselor Educators' And Supervisors' Views Of The Development Of Multicultural Competency In Master's-Level Students During Practicum, Chunnan Hu

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Counselors must improve multicultural counseling competency to meet clients' needs in this pluralistic society. This study used grounded theory methodology to describe counselor educators' and supervisors' experiences and perspectives of master's-level practicum students' multicultural competency development. Nine counselor supervisors from eight counseling programs participated in this study. Findings indicate that students' openness to and humility regarding cultural differences, direct exposure to diversity, having faculty who value multicultural competency and are culturally competent, and having effective multicultural training and supervision are key contributing factors in students' multicultural competency development. This study shares counselor educator and supervisors' current practices in promoting and …

The Gendered Superhero : An Examination Of Masculinities And Femininities In Modern Age Dc And Marvel Comic Books, Jennifer Volintine

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines American gender concepts of masculinity and femininity depicted in six Modern Age superhero comic books. Specifically, it examines how the American gender concepts of hegemonic masculinity, hypersexualized masculinity, emphasized femininity, and hypersexualized femininity are depicted in three Marvel and three DC comic books. This examination found that despite gender differences defined by biological essentialism that legitimates gender inequality, female and male superheroes are much more alike than different through what I term "visionary gender". Also, it examines indicators of gender not previously examined in American superhero comic books. In particular, it examines the text of superhero comic …