Digital Commons Network^™

Intonation Production And Perception In Children With Developmental Language Impairment, Afua Blay

Theses and Dissertations

Studies on intonation production and perception in children with developmental language impairment (LI) have reported mixed outcomes. Some suggest that intonation processing is impaired in this population but others fail to find any evidence of such a deficit. The issue is further complicated by findings that indicate that these children perform poorly on some intonation tasks but not on others. The source of the discrepant findings is unclear. However, one shortcoming is that most previous studies do not report information on severity of LI of participants. Thus, it may be that the mixed findings on intonation processing in children with …

Health Aspects Of Community-Engaged Natural Play Space Planning, Design, And Implementation, Eric Castle

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity, loss of social capital, and fewer connections to nature are three community health issues faced by many. A team of concerned individuals attempted to address the spectrum of these health issues by collaboratively engaging communities to plan, design, build and program natural play spaces located in public parks. This exploratory study, utilizing a grounded theory approach, conducted focus groups with community members who engaged in this process. The specific objectives of the study were twofold; 1) to generate theory regarding the perceived impact on social capital from the community-driven planning and construction process of the Connecting Children in Nature …

Characteristics Of Individuals Who Participate In Autoerotic Asphyxiation Practices: An Exploratory Study, Lauren Chapple

Theses and Dissertations

The set of behaviors known as Autoerotic Asphyxiation (AeA) have been studied, by contemporary scientific standards, for the better part of sixty years. Within that time, an inadequate amount of research has been completed on a far too narrow sample of the population, namely those who have died from the practice. AeA as a practice has been understudied to this point despite statistics that would note the potential for an unknown number of individuals to currently be practicing these behaviors. There is a paucity of both quantitative and qualitative data about living AeA practitioners. The present study uses Sex Positivity …

Interfacing The Cfd Code Mfix With The Petsc Linear Solver Library To Achieve Reduced Computation Times, Lauren Clarke

Theses and Dissertations

A computational bottleneck during the solution to multiphase formulations of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations is often during the implicit solution of the pressure-correction equation that results from operator-splitting methods. Since density is a coefficient in the pressure-correction equation, large variations or discontinuities among the phase densities greatly increase the condition number of the pressure-correction matrix and impede the convergence of iterative methods employed in its solution. To alleviate this shortcoming, the open-source multiphase code MFiX is interfaced with the linear solver library PETSc. Through an appropriate mapping of matrix and vector data structures between the two software, the access to …

Dieter's Deficit: Preoccupation And Working Memory, Kelly Cuccolo

Theses and Dissertations

Preoccupying thoughts can cause disruptions of ones’ attentional system and may arise as the result of a clinical disorder, societal pressures, or individual predispositions. Goal acquisition requires one to be preoccupied with one’s behaviors in order for success to be achieved, for example dieters must monitor their weight and caloric intake. As dieting is a widespread phenomenon in American culture it is important to understand the cognitive effect of preoccupation. This study examines the relationship between obsessional thoughts about food, weight, and shape, and cognitive task performance. The performance of Dieters and Non-Dieters on a battery of specific working memory …

Bystander Self-Efficacy To Prevent Sexual Assault: An Evaluation Of The Impacts Of Online And In-Person Bystander Intervention Training, Morgan Paige Devine

Theses and Dissertations

To address the alarming rates of sexual assaults on college campuses, the 2013 Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act required publicly funded colleges to provide some form of sexual assault intervention training to college students. While bystander intervention training is the most common form of primary prevention, there is little research indicating whether online or in-person bystander training is more effective at producing strong bystander self-efficacy and whether bystander intervention is actually occurring. Utilizing data from the 2017 Multi College Bystander Education Efficacy survey taken online by undergraduate students (N = 387) at a Midwestern university, an analysis of self-reported bystander …

The War After Battle: Morale, Post-Traumatic Stress And Long-Term Welfare Of Combat Soldiers, Corey Doan

Theses and Dissertations

There is a historical, literary, and philosophical record of the effects of combat on mental health. Modern psychological research has focused on the relationship between combat deployment and a litany of mental health issues which include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), various forms and manifestations of depression, substance abuse with a specific focus on alcohol, as well as social, family, and work-life functional impairment. This study introduces a customized 18-item Integrated Military Morale Questionnaire (IMMQ) which was designed to measure the proposed basic components of military morale: personal morale, cohesion, and esprit de corps. Data from 185 United States military members …

Evaluation Of Streambank Stabilization Options On The Tongue River In Cavalier, Nd Utilizing Hec-Ras Hydraulic And Sediment Transport Simulations, Alexa Rene Ducioame

Theses and Dissertations

The Tongue River in Cavalier has experienced severe erosion and bank failures in recent years. Two homes have been evacuated and demolished, and another lost ten ft of their yard overnight when a tree slumped into the river. The city lies downstream of Renwick Dam and nine other dams upstream of it which have greatly reduced the average flows through town. The resulting lowered water surface is a probable source of the streambank instability. A series of rock weirs was proposed to be installed in town to raise the minimum water surface elevation and potentially provide benefit to all problem …

Scanning Tunneling Microscopy/Spectroscopy Measurements And Density Functional Theory Calculations On Iridium-Modified Silicon Surfaces And Self-Assembled Monolayer Of Organic Molecules On Graphite, Fnu Fatima

Theses and Dissertations

Research was carried out on two different topics, metal induced modifications in various cuts of silicon (Si) surfaces and molecular thin films. But both projects reveal the underlying theme of self-assembly. It is needed to discover functional means to create components for integrated circuits as well as electronic and photonic devices since nature can rely upon self-assembly at the nano-scale.

Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Spectroscopy (STM/STS) studies were performed to characterize the morphology of thin octanoic acid film on graphite and the outcome of 1-deecanethiol adsorption on the electronic properties of iridium (Ir) modified Si (110) surface. It was established …

The Long-Term Significance Of Working As An Undergraduate Teaching Assistant, Christopher J. Felege

Theses and Dissertations

The use of undergraduate teaching assistants (UTAs) has increased in recent years at a number of institutions, especially in active-learning and high-enrollment introductory courses. Currently, there is research demonstrating their benefit to students, and the short-term impacts of the experience on the UTAs. However, no study to date has investigated the long-term impacts of the UTA experience on the participants themselves, and a number of studies call for such an investigation. This dissertation sought to fill that gap in understanding by utilizing a Grounded Theory approach to investigate the perceptions of participants who had served as an UTA in the …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Novel Ternary Borides (Moalb) And Their Composites, Matt Fuka

Theses and Dissertations

This work details the synthesis and characterization of novel ternary boride (MoAlB) and MAX phase particulates via pressureless reaction. Furthermore, porous MoAlB particulates were synthesized for the first time by selective deintercalation of Al from MoAlB. Finally, novel Ni-MoAlB composites were fabricated, and their mechanical and tribological properties were tested and analyzed. Chapter II describes the synthesis of Cr2AlC, Cr2GaC, and V2AlC powders, and demonstrates the ability to engineer particle size of Ti3SiC2 by ball milling. Chapter III details the synthesis and characterization of a novel ternary boride, MoAlB, and their porous derivatives. These particulates showed a uniquely stacked 2D-like …

Electroencephalogram Signal Processing For Hybrid Brain Computer Interface Systems, Md. Ali Haider

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research was to evaluate and compare three types of brain computer interface (BCI) systems, P300, steady state visually evoked potentials (SSVEP) and Hybrid as virtual spelling paradigms. Hybrid BCI is an innovative approach to combine the P300 and SSVEP. However, it is challenging to process the resulting hybrid signals to extract both information simultaneously and effectively. The major step executed toward the advancement to modern BCI system was to move the BCI techniques from traditional LED system to electronic LCD monitor. Such a transition allows not only to develop the graphics of interest but also to …

Staphylococcal Enterotoxins G And I Elicit Long-Term Anti-Tumor Responses In Humanized Hla-Dq8Αβ Transgenic Mice, Peter Knopick

Theses and Dissertations

Immunotherapies have evolved into a collection of tools used clinically in the treatment of several pathologies. Staphylococcal enterotoxin G and I are potent T cell activators that drive multifaceted immune responses and have been implicated in antitumor responses. The addition of SEG and SEI as useful immunotherapies could be underappreciated as mice do not respond as humans would to superantigen stimulation. HLA-DQ8 mice with established B16-F10 tumors receiving 50μg each SEG and SEI 6 and 9 days post tumor implant resulted in 80% progression free survival >300 days. In comparison, allogeneic C57BL/6 mice did not benefit from SEG/SEI therapy. Remarkably, …

The Case Of The Missing Girl: Exploring Sex-Selective Abortion Through Ethnodrama, Hamzat Amoussa Koriko

Theses and Dissertations

The study uses Ethnodrama to address sex-selective abortion in Armenia. Ethnodrama uses an ethnographic method of data collection, then presents the findings as a dramatic script or performance. The urgency and the sensitivity of the topic informed the choice of using Ethnodrama over conventional research methodologies. The study gathered data from three primary sources: government databases, international organizations working with non-governmental organizations, and ethnographic fieldwork. The fieldwork consisted of taking notes on daily observations during classroom activities, a personal journal on conversations and interaction with community members, stories from community members, informal questions and answers sessions, and a small ethnographic …

Yoga As An Intervention Among College Students: Measuring Changes In Body Dissatisfaction, Disordered Eating, Self-Compassion, Mindfulness, And Experiential Avoidance, Rachel A. Kramer

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to elaborate and expand research examining the incorporation of yoga in the prevention and treatment of eating disorders in addition to the amelioration of body image and related factors through a two-study design. Study One recruited participants from a Midwestern psychology subject pool. One-hundred fifty women completed Study One. Results indicated that self-compassion, mindfulness, and body appreciation were negatively related to eating disorder pathology, body mass index (BMI), and experiential avoidance. BMI, eating disorder pathology, and experiential avoidance were all positively correlated with one another. Mediational analyses indicated the self-compassion was a significant mediator …

Amyloid Precursor Protein And Insulin Homeostasis, Joshua Kulas

Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease in which the brain progressively deteriorates resulting in cognitive decline, language impairment, diminished spatial awareness, memory loss and ultimately, death. AD is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disease and the number of people afflicted by AD is expected to more than double in the next 30 years. AD is characterized in part by the formation of amyloid plaque deposits in the brain. It is known that these plaques are composed of the peptide Aβ, which aggregates as a function of age and is produced locally within the brain by cleavage of the Amyloid precursor …

Temporal Trends In The Cardiorespiratory Fitness Of 2,525,827 Adults Representing Eight High- And Upper-Middle-Income Countries Between 1967 And 2016, Nicholas Rye Lamoureux

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To estimate international and national temporal trends in the cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) of adults, and examine relationships between CRF trends and trends in socioeconomic and health-related indicators.

Methods: Data were obtained from a systematic search of studies that explicitly reported temporal trends in the CRF of apparently healthy adults aged 18–59. Sample-weighted temporal trends were estimated using best-fitting regression models relating the year of testing to mean CRF. Post-stratified population-weighted mean changes in percent and standardized CRF were estimated. Pearson’s correlations were used to describe associations between linear trends in CRF and linear trends in socioeconomic and …

A Comparison Of Direct And Indirect Assessments Of Standing Lumbar Lordosis In Asymptomatic Adults, Nolan Adam Larson

Theses and Dissertations

Background: While lumbar lordosis is often indirectly (visually) assessed by practitioners to guide treatment, it is not clear how well direct and indirect assessments agree. The aims of this study were to (a) determine the intra- and inter-rater reliability of two indirect assessments (visual assessments of real and 3D body scanned people), and (b) determine the agreement between direct and indirect assessments (3D scan-extracted vs. visual assessments).

Methods: Fifty asymptomatic participants were physically landmarked and scanned with and without landmarks using the Vitus Smart 3D whole body scanner, after which 10 practitioners visually assessed the lumbar lordosis of each participant. …

The Impact Of Pre-Entry Attributes And College Experiences On Degree Attainment For Students In A Collegiate Flight Program, Andrew Leonard

Theses and Dissertations

The aviation industry is currently experiencing significant growth. While several challenges exist due to this increase in demand, a major issue facing the airlines is a lack of pilots. Today, collegiate aviation programs are one of the primary pipelines to train individuals seeking careers as commercial pilots. This study explored different variables that impact students' success or lack of success in graduating from a collegiate program. Furthermore, it looked at what collegiate flight programs can do to more effectively and efficiently train individuals seeking careers as commercial pilots.

It was determined that there is a significant relationship between certain attributes …

Racial Identity Development Of Somali Refugees In The Midwest, Nnenna Lindsay

Theses and Dissertations

The number of Somali refugees in the United States continue s to increase, yet research on their racial identity development, racialization experiences, and strategies used to cope with racism and discrimination is lacking. This qualitative study was conducted to explore the unique racial narratives of Somali refugees. In order to better understand how Somalis make meaning of their racial identity and adjust to the contemporary racial climate of the Midwest, in-depth interviews were conducted with seven Somali refugees and a narrative methodology was used to analyze the results. The overarching narrative highlighted the journey to becoming Black for Somali refugees …

Enhancement Of Phoshorus Removal Via Bioretention Cells Amended With Low Cost Materials, Nick Lindstrom

Theses and Dissertations

As bioretention systems are becoming an increasingly popular low impact development (LID) application for stormwater mitigation, they lack mechanisms that demobilize phosphorus (P) especially dissolved phosphorus (DP). In many cases, these LIDs release more P than is input due to a high P index derived from the plant material inherent within bioretention systems. The objectives of this project are to utilize low-cost water treatment residuals (WTR) as bioretention amendments to capture P. The adsorption characteristics are observed by means of batch level experiments to observe the P adsorption potential without the influence of hydraulic parameters, and column experiments to observe …

The Effects Of Overnight Work Travel On Working Mothers And Fathers, Natalie Martinson

Theses and Dissertations

Work-related travel has become more prevalent since the early 2000s due to the changing global economy (Jeong et al. 2013), and growth in job-related demands, such as traveling to meet customers, attend meetings, and participate in conferences (Gustafson 2006). Despite the benefits of overnight travel, there are drawbacks associated with traveling for work. Guided by role conflict theory and using secondary data from the 2008 National Study of the Changing Workforce, a subset of data was studied consisting of professional, managerial, and executive working mothers (N = 241) and working fathers (N = 257). This thesis considers how overnight work-related …

Determining The Correlation Significance Between S-Type Asteroid Orbital Inclination And Albedo Attributable To Space Weathering, Benjamin Wright Mcgee

Theses and Dissertations

Recent research suggests that ion bombardment is more effective than micrometeoroid bombardment in albedo darkening of mature lunar soils, whereas micrometeoroid bombardment may act on longer timescales and is more effective in modifying the spectral features of a surface. This, in turn, may be extrapolated to suggest the following: 1) Increased intensities of ion bombardment would correlate negatively with the surface reflectivity of airless, silicate-bearing bodies known to express lunar-style space weathering, such as S-type asteroids, and 2) beyond that of sputtering and ion implantation, there is a gradient of potential interactions between the two weathering processes that may be …

A 3d Geomechanical Model Of Blue Buttes Field In Williston Basin, North Dakota, Rehan Ali Mohammed

Theses and Dissertations

Minimizing the costs and risks of drilling and achieving a maximum production rate are

technically and economically challenging, this becomes more crucial when drilling in tight

shale formations, an in-depth investigation of geomechanical behavior of the reservoir,

including elastic properties, and the in-situ stresses also known as Mechanical Earth Model

(MEM) is inevitable, which is studied by concept of Mechanical Earth Model (MEM). In this

thesis, the concept of the MEM is used to determine rock strength and elastic properties of the

wells in the Blue Buttes Field, Williston Basin, North Dakota. Blue Buttes is one of the major

oil …

Depending On The Weather And Other Stories, Benjamin Morris

Theses and Dissertations

Depending on the Weather and Other Stories is a collection of short stories set in the rural and small town communities of contemporary America. The problem my characters address is their changing relationship with the American Dream. While my baby boomer characters tend to believe the Dream is alive and achievable, their children are growing more disenchanted and skeptical of the Dream. The disconnections between these generations are largely due to a credibility gap and a shifting set of generational values. These values have shifted for the younger generation because of an evolving (or devolving) American culture.

My stories are …

Claims Of Sexual Assault On College Campuses: Impact Of Educational Evidence & Victim Prototypicality On Attributions Of Blame, Heather J. O'Brien

Theses and Dissertations

Sexual assault is one of the most prevalent but under-reported crimes in the United States and sexual assaults are even more common on college campuses (RAINN, 2016). Although both laws and campus student policies may be violated, very few perpetrators are ultimately punished (Lonsway & Archambault, 2012). Lack of investigation and prosecution of these cases may in part arise out of myths surrounding sexual assault. These myths may be challenged when scientific evidence is presented. Whether such evidence can undermine myths and prototypical notions of a sexual assault victim remains equivocal. To this end, the current study employed a 2 …

The Long-Term Effects Of Parental Military Deployment On Perceived Parent/Child Relationship Quality, Timothy Patrick Pagano

Theses and Dissertations

The lived experiences of children who go through parental military deployment remain largely unexamined. Although the literature surrounding this population continues to expand, there remains a paucity of research surrounding the potential long-term effects of a parent's military deployment. The following study aimed to develop a deeper understanding of the possible long-term effects of parental deployment on the parent/child relationship. The study makes several noteworthy contributions to the knowledge base. Utilizing Bronfenbrenner's (1979) Ecological Systems Theory, this study provides insight regarding how this population views their past and current parental relationships, the factors impacting the relationship with their formerly deployed …

The Relationship Between Perceived Competence Levels Of Student Affairs Professionals And Their Job Satisfaction, Alexander Pokornowski

Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between perceived competence levels of student affairs professionals and their level of job satisfaction is the central question in this study. The study explores this question through utilizing a non-experimental survey design. Participants in the study include student affairs professionals from participating institutions. The study utilizes an instrument combining the Job Satisfaction Survey developed by Spector (1985) and an adjusted version of National Survey of Student Affairs Professionals developed by Sriram (2014). The study examines the relationship between perceived assessment, evaluation, and research; leadership; and organizational and human resources competence and overall job satisfaction. The study found a …

Examining Rural To Urban Migration, Crime And Characteristics Of Rural Migrants Offenders -- An Exploratory Study On The Relationship Between Rural Migration And Criminal Offenses Utilizing The Online Judicial Dataset In Guangdong Province, Ziwei Qi

Theses and Dissertations

China has experienced massive internal migration in the past three decades. The rapidly growing urban population, especially the rural to urban migrant population, is the primary social concern with respect to public health and social stability that China is facing in recent decades. Both the public and private sectors have hastened to respond to the emerging needs of this socially, economically and politically marginalized group. In the current dissertation, the author utilizes judicial decisions from the Intermediate Level Courts in the Guangdong province, China, in order to examine the characteristics of rural migrant offenders, and to explore the relationship between …

Effects Of Friction Stir Welding Parameters On The Mechanical Properties Of Am60 And Al-Si Cast Alloys, Sara Richmire-Kint

Theses and Dissertations

Friction stir welding, as a solid-state joining method, seems a viable joining/assembly method for difficult-to-weld cast magnesium and cast aluminum alloys. Due to the high flammability of Mg alloys, and the brittle joints of welded Al alloys, fusion based welding techniques may not be successful to join Mg or Al made component. Therefore, a solid-state operation, in which applied heat input and induced temperature within the work piece are below the melting temperature of the base alloys, can be considered as a viable method to join so-called unweldable Mg and Al alloys. To this end, friction stir welding, as one …