Digital Commons Network^™

With A Body Like Mine: Relationship Between Body Esteem, Perceived Rivals, And Jealousy, Cheyenne Bourland

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The current study sought to examine the relation of body dissatisfaction to jealousy and the role of perceived rivals in that relationship. Specifically, it examined whether, in women, the perceived number of rivals to a romantic relationship mediated the relationship between body dissatisfaction and jealousy in a romantic relationship. Results indicated that there was a significant relation of body dissatisfaction to jealousy in a romantic relationship through perceived rivals to that romantic relationship. Subsequent regression analyses indicated that when all variables are placed in the model, only the variables of self-esteem and narcissism were predictors of overall jealousy in the …

A Numerical Study Of Construction Of Honey Bee Comb, Pamela Guerrero, Pamela C. Guerrero

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

We use finite difference methods in the treatment of an existing system of partial differential equations that captures the dynamics of parallel honeycomb construction in a bee hive. We conduct an uncertainty analysis by calculating the partial rank correlation coefficient for the parameters to find which are most important to the outcomes of the model. We then use an eFAST method to determine both the individual and total sensitivity index for the parameters. Afterwards we examine our numerical model under varying initial conditions and parameter values, and compare ratios found from local data with the golden mean by fitting images …

To Stand Against The Company: A Study Of The British Honourable East India Company And Piracy In The Indian Ocean World, Circa 1680-1760, John Ridge

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This study attempts to explore the multi-faceted challenges and hindrances brought upon the British East India Company by piracy in the Indian Ocean World. European and American pirates in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries influenced economic, political, and social factors in the Indian Ocean. The Angrians in the eighteenth century did the same, constituting an indigenous piratical threat. These forms of piracy encouraged the British East India Company to gradually bolster military strength to mobilize against them. With their own built up strength, Royal navy support, local Mahratta allies, and internal-conflict within the Angres, the British East India …

I Love Your Face: Attraction And Facial Expressions Of Emotion, Kendall Swinney

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of two individual differences on ratings of attraction toward male facial expressions of emotion. Specifically, the influence of participants’ empathy and romantic attachment style on their attraction ratings of a target that displayed one of four emotions (i.e., sad, angry, happy, or neutral expression) was analyzed. This study found no relationship between empathy and participants’ attraction ratings; however, participant romantic attachment style did predict her attraction toward male emotional expressions. Specifically, individuals categorized as having an avoidant attachment style were less attracted to the happy expression than were those categorized …

Habitat Useage Of Tri-Colored Bats (Perimyotis Subflavus) In Western Kentucky And Tennessee Post-White Nose Syndrome, Katherine Schaefer

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The tri-colored bat (Perimyotis subflavus) has declined severely across its range since 2006 due to white nose syndrome, a fungal disease causing massive bat mortality in North America. My objective was to determine distinguishing characteristics of roost trees and habitat used by tri-colored bats so that the species’ needs can be considered in management plans. I mist-netted for tri-colored bats in western Kentucky and Tennessee during the summers of 2015 and 2016, and attached a radio transmitter to each captured adult bat. I tracked 15 bats to their day roosts and collected habitat data at 38 roost areas …

Examining The Relationship Between Inattention, Impulsivity, And Externalizing Behaviors In Children: Does Intelligence Play A Role?, Carrie Blackeye-Hall

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This study gathered data using archival clinical files from the Murray State University Psychological Center, which provides psychological services to students, faculty, staff, and community members. The majority of the participants for the sample consisted of Caucasian (93%) males (60%) seeking an assessment (N = 76). Measures of externalizing behaviors and attentional problems were gathered from the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and a measure of general cognitive ability (GAI) was gathered from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV). It was hypothesized that the relationship between impulsivity and externalizing behaviors would be more pronounced when intelligence is lower. …

Impacts Of Mentoring Program On At-Risk Students, Melissa Marie Judd

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Many middle school students are considered at-risk due to attendance, lower levels of academic achievement, and behavior referrals. Mentoring programs have been in effect for decades and continue to yield positive results. The purpose of the study is to determine if fourth and fifth grade at-risk students are impacted by mentoring. The researcher seeks to determine if mentoring increases students’ attendance, increases math and reading test scores, and decreases the amount of behavior referrals. Participants were compared to their own data using a pre-tests and post-tests. Attendance comparisons were made between Spring 2016 and Spring 2017 semesters. Math and reading …

Habitat Modeling And Vegetation Mapping Of Mammoth Cave National Park Using Lidar Data And Multispectral Imagery, Hongli Yang

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

An up-to-date and detailed vegetation map provides critical information for habitat management. In addition, a habitat model is necessary for Park’s Fire Management, for classification of fuel types, and for delineation of fire management units. Several attempts to map the vegetation at the Mammoth Cave National Park were conducted in 1934, 1975, 1997 and 2011. This essential goal of this study was to produce a new vegetation habitat model and update the vegetation map for the Park. Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) imagery, LiDAR and bedrock dataset were used for habitat model configuration and vegetation mapping at Mammoth Cave National …

Habitat Usage Of Tri-Colored Bats (Perimyotis Subflavus) In Western Kentucky And Tennessee Post-White Nose Syndrome, Katherine Schaefer

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The tri-colored bat (Perimyotis subflavus) has declined severely across its range since 2006 due to white nose syndrome, a fungal disease causing massive bat mortality in North America. My objective was to determine distinguishing characteristics of roost trees and habitat used by tri-colored bats so that the species’ needs can be considered in management plans. I mist-netted for tri-colored bats in western Kentucky and Tennessee during the summers of 2015 and 2016, and attached a radio transmitter to each captured adult bat. I tracked 15 bats to their day roosts and collected habitat data at 38 roost areas …

A Mediated Model Of Relationships Among Belonging, Identification, And Cohesion In College Athletes, Michelle R. Sherman

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

In an attempt to add to the limit literature measuring team identification and sense of belonging, a sample of 147 current student athletes completed measures of team identification with his or her current sport team, sense of belonging, and levels of cohesion. Four mediation analyses were computed to investigate that sense of belonging mediated the relationship between team identification and a) social integration cohesiveness, b) social attraction cohesion, c) task integration cohesion, and d) task attraction cohesion. Despite what was expected, only one hypothesis was significant: sense of belonging mediated the relationship between team identification and social attraction cohesion. Implications …

Eating Attitudes And Perception Of Peer Social Media, Sharon Smith

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

There is evidence that social factors influence eating-disordered behaviors through social modeling and social comparison. One way that researchers examine social comparison and perceptions of individuals with disordered eating behaviors is through vignette studies, but these studies may lack the nuance of how these behaviors are displayed outside of the lab, and therefore lack external validity. The current study examined how individuals who score high and low on the EAT-26 (a measure of eating behavior) perceive the eating behaviors of a fictional peer and possible social comparison target, presented in the form of a social media profile. Participants with higher …

Too Tired To Care: Religious Orientations’ Relationship With Ego-Depleted Empathy, Mark Handley

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Psychological research into various aspects of religiosity, empathy, and self-regulation has grown throughout the years. Using Wulff’s (1997) literal verses symbolic bipolar dimension of religiosity, Duriez (2004) found that participants who identified as tending to possess symbolic beliefs regarding religious symbols reported the ability to emphasize with others more than those adhering to increasingly literal interpretations of religious themes. Watterson and Giesler (2012) found that individuals who tended to have higher levels of religiosity appeared to engage longer in a self-regulatory task than those who showed lower levels of religiosity. Researchers interested in self-regulation have found individuals who had undergone …

Foot Obsessed But Not Necessarily Depressed: The Relationship Between Paraphilias And Mental Health Outcomes, Amber Eagan

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The present study aimed to examine the prevalence rates of paraphilic arousal, behavior, desire, and distress as well as to explore the relationship between paraphilic engagement and psychological distress in a college and online sample. Participants completed a number of online self-report measures that asked about their experience with seven paraphilic behaviors, their desire to experience each paraphilic behavior, distress associated with engaging in each paraphilic behavior, in addition to their current symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. The majority of the participants (69%) reported engaging in at least one paraphilic behavior at least once in their lifetime, and the …

Evaluating The Long Term Effects Of Continuous Broiler Litter Applications On Residual Soil Fertility And Yields Of Corn And Soybean Crops, And A Side Experiment Studying The Residual Copper Fertilization Effects On These Crops, Jesse Lee Gray Mr.

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The increasing cost of commercial fertilizers and the availability of animal waste that has high nutrient content have led to producers utilizing animal waste such as poultry litter in their fertility programs. This increased use has raised concerns as to what are the optimum rates to apply to meet crop needs and how will long term use at high rates of litter effect soil test levels of nutrients such as phosphorus and potassium. The objective of this study was to address these concerns. This study has been ongoing since 1997 with treatments of zero to seven tons of litter …

Educating Collegiate Journalists To Cover And Cope With Traumatic Events, Stephanie Elder Anderson

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

STEPHANIE LYNN ELDER ANDERSON. How to Educate Collegiate Journalists to Cover and Cope with Traumatic Events (under the direction of DR. TERESA CLARK.)

This research study applied the qualitative method of open coding of data from professional journalists and journalism faculty members to determine whether trauma journalism should be incorporated into existing journalism curriculum. Trauma journalism emerged in the early 1990s but has not been integrated in most journalism programs. Prior research indicated the reasons trauma journalism is not included in most curriculum is because it is not an ACEJMC accreditation standard, there’s limited qualified faculty members to teach such …

A Presence-Only Species Distribution Model Comparison Predicting The Distribution Of The Amphibian Chytrid Fungus (Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis), Melanie L. Torres

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Global anthropogenic impacts have incited devastating effects on both human and wildlife populations. Emerging infectious diseases (EID) are one consequence of these impacts. One particular EID, chytridiomycosis, is a threat to global amphibian populations, causing massive die-offs and several species extinctions. While predictive modeling has helped the general understanding of where the aquatic pathogen causing chytridiomycosis, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), could spread to, most models are on continental or countrywide scales. This coarse-scale modeling makes local management and conservation planning for imperiled amphibians difficult. In addition, modeling efforts can vary depending on location and species, making it necessary to test the …

Making The Gilded Age: Myth, Money, And Misery In A Market Society, Austbrook D. Hudson

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This project argues myths are central to society. For the Gilded Age, this was especially true. Myths helped to explain the world, individually and nationally. Stories structure life. Stories structure nations. They are consequential in times of change when the world is incomprehensible. At an individual level, the self-made ideal explained success and failure. It came with an implicit promise: every individual had an equal opportunity to succeed in the new economy, and the system was fair. Myths of the Western experience explained national identity. It revealed traits including rugged individualism, independence, and perseverance came from taming the frontier. These …

Implementation Of A Flipped Classroom In A Non-Majors’ Biology Course, Leah Good

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Changes to teaching practices have been requested in almost every field of science and mathematics but their implementation can be daunting. The flipped classroom has become a popular method in K-16 education for integrating active learning in the classroom. Research on the implementation of flipped classrooms has been met with mixed results, however. I sought to determine the effectiveness of the flipped classroom while addressing methodology needs cited by past studies including: using both faculty and student demographic variables, addressing assessment performance using concept inventories, and studying faculty who are not experts in education. I found that flipped and non-flipped …

A Qualitative Investigation Of Fixed Versus Growth Mindsets Of Third And Fourth Grade Students, Stacey Keown, Stacey Keown

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore individual mindsets of elementary students and determine the extent to which mindsets reflect fixed or growth perspectives. During this qualitative study, individual interviews were conducted with third and fourth grade students, including ESL (English Second Language) students, middle class students as well poverty stricken students, special education students, and gifted students that attend South Heights Elementary. The findings report the mindsets of fixed or growth perspectives on perseverance through failures and personal grit. Conclusions were drawn based on the findings gathered to determine a correlation between students’ mindsets and their involvement with …

Cry Havoc: The Rise And Collapse Of America's Contractors In Iraq, Samuel Brown

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This work aims at examining the development of Private Security Contracting, specifically Blackwater, and their role in destabilizing the United States’ mission in Iraq. In that examination, it looks at existing literature on the subject and the efforts that people involved in the Bush Administration made regarding the War on Terror that allowed these companies and Blackwater to develop. Choices made by Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, and CPA leader Paul Bremer all added to the chaos and the shortage of manpower that would see these companies fill in the gaps in American planning. This work …

Breed Quality Scores For Post-Cervical Artificial Insemination And The Effects On Farrowing Rate And Total Born At A Commercial Swine Facility In The Southern United States, Kathryn R. Prus

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this experiment was to determine the possible relationship between a sow’s ease of breeding on the first service and the farrowing rate and total born. This study was conducted in a commercial farrowing unit in the Southern United States utilizing pen gestation with stock of 6,000 head. Five hundred ninety-seven sows were bred between the months of April and May 2017 were selected for this study. All animals were inseminated using a post-cervical artificial insemination catheter unless insertion of the inner catheter was impossible. The semen dose fell within the following parameters: concentration of 1.5 x 10 …

Development Of Scenarios For Land Cover, Population Density, Impervious Cover, And Conservation In New Hampshire, 2010–2100, Alexandra M. Thorn, Cameron P. Wake, Curt D. Grimm, Clayton R. Mitchell, Madeleine M. Mineau, Scott V. Ollinger

Faculty Publications

Future changes in ecosystem services will depend heavily on changes in land cover and land use, which, in turn, are shaped by human activities. Given the challenges of predicting long-term changes in human behaviors and activities, scenarios provide a framework for simulating the long-term consequences of land-cover change on ecosystem function. As input for process-based models of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem function, we developed scenarios for land cover, population density, and impervious cover for the state of New Hampshire for 2020–2100. Key drivers of change were identified through information gathered from six sources: historical trends, existing plans relating to New …

Guiding The Members Of Polkville Baptist Church In Polkville, North Carolina Toward A Greater Awareness Of Their Place In The Body Of Christ, Richard Lee Hamrick

Doctor of Ministry Projects

A church-wide emphasis, with preaching and teaching, provided the platform for instilling in members of Polkville Baptist Church a better understanding of the individual's role in the community of faith, the goal being that a greater percentage of members take an active role in the church. The twelve-member research group was tracked individually, and the control group was tracked as a unit. Following the emphasis, care was taken to discover if there were more members involved in the life of the church than before the emphasis. There was a clear growth in understanding and in the number of active members.

The Little Big Genome: The Organization Of Mitochondrial Dna, Iraselia Garcia, Edith Jones, Manuel Ramos, Wendy Innis-Whitehouse, Robert Gilkerson

School of Medicine Publications

The small (16,569 base pair) human mitochondrial genome plays a significant role in cell metabolism and homeostasis. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) contributes to the generation of complexes which are essential to oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). As such, mtDNA is directly integrated into mitochondrial biogenesis and signaling and regulates mitochondrial metabolism in concert with nuclear-encoded mitochondrial factors. Mitochondria are a highly dynamic, pleiomorphic network that undergoes fission and fusion events. Within this network, mtDNAs are packaged into structures called nucleoids which are actively distributed in discrete foci within the network. This sensitive organelle is frequently disrupted by insults such as oxidants and inflammatory …

Autocrine And Paracrine Secretion Of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor In The Pre-Hypoxic Diabetic Retina, Jeffery G. Grigsby, Donald M. Allen, Ana S. Ferrigno, Sandeep Vellanki, Cindy E. Pouw, Whitney A. Hejny, Andrew Tsin

School of Medicine Publications

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is well established as the main agent responsible for vascular leakage and angiogenesis in the diabetic retina. While VEGF can have positive effects on hyperglycemia stressed retinal tissues, it also plays a role in events progressing to the oxygen- stressed, i.e. hypoxic, diabetic retina. Some VEGF makes its way to the retina from systemic sources and some is produced locally within the eye. Hyperglycemia, oxidants, inflammation, and advanced glycation end-products are all stimulants to VEGF production, both in the hypoxic and the pre-hypoxic retina. Endothelial cells, pericytes, Müller cells, microglia, astrocytes, retinal pigment epithelium and …

Holiness Teachings, Benjamin Titus Roberts, Benson Howard Roberts

Heritage Material

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Fatigue And Recovery On Contractile Properties Of Frog Muscle, Robert H. Fitts, J. O. Holloszy

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The contractile properties of frog sartorius muscles were evaluated during development of fatigue and recovery. Muscles were stimulated under anaerobic conditions at a rate of 30 stimuli/min. Twitch tension (P_t) decreased 59% and tetanic tension (P_o) decreased 52% during 15 min of stimulation. Contraction time and one-half relaxation time increased markedly during the first 6 min and then leveled off. The peak rate of twitch tension development (dP/dt) progressively declined to 33% of its initial value. Maximum shortening velocity did not change significantly. Large increases in P_t and twitch dP/dt occurred during …

An Analysis Of 2013 Program Evaluation Proposals For The School Leadership Preparation Program, Karen Sanzo

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

This article presents a content analysis of the 2013 School Leadership Program (SLP) grants. SLP projects provide a unique opportunity for participants in the field to explore innovative leadership preparation and development and their impact on program participants, schools, school districts, and students. The article begins with an overview of the SLP, the changing field of leadership preparation, and current research in the field. Findings then reveal a range of evaluation tools, methods, and data, the presence of myriad evaluators participating in the projects, and little focus on external dissemination of program evaluation methods beyond the scope of the projects. …

A Comparison Of Screening Tools For The Early Detection Of Peripheral Neuropathy In Adults With And Without Type 2 Diabetes, Jennifer J. Brown, Shana Pribesh, Kimberly G. Baskette, Aaron I. Vinik, Sheri R. Colberg

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Objective. Examine the effectiveness of the 128 Hz tuning fork, two monofilaments, and Norfolk Quality of Life Diabetic Neuropathy (QOL-DN) questionnaire as tools for the early detection of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) in overweight, obese, and inactive (OOI) adults or those who have prediabetes (PD) or type 2 diabetes (T2D). Research Design and Methods. Thirty-four adults (mean age 58.4 years +/- 12.1) were divided by glycemia (10 OOI normoglycemic, 13 PD, and 11 T2D). Sural nerves were tested bilaterally with the NC-stat DPNCheck to determine sural nerve amplitude potential (SNAP) and sural nerve conduction velocity (SNCV). All other testing …

Resilience For A World In Flux, Chris R. Glass

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

There is no question that global student mobility faces significant headwinds in the current geopolitical context. The rise of nationalism worldwide has led many international researchers to reflect on their role as educators and leaders. Resilience is vital during such tumultuous times. The popular definition of resilience is the capacity to quickly recover from difficulties and setbacks. The term is often misunderstood for a type of sturdy individualism that some people possess more than others or the immunity from stress and negative emotions. There is another, more empirically-based, understanding of resilience. Diane Coutu (2002) outlines three dimensions of resilience: (a) …