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Youtube’S Terms Of Service: Posthumanism, Algorithms, And Professional Writing, Sarah Bresnahan

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This thesis aims to examine YouTube’s Terms of Service as it applies to content creators (known as YouTubers) who use the platform as a means of financial gain and how YouTube’s demonetization policy via an algorithm is negatively affecting them. I conducted a case study featuring one creator, Michelle Guido, and attempted to determine why some of her content is demonetized when it fulfills YouTube’s content standards for monetization. This study is meant as an examination through the lens of Dr. N. Katherine Hayles’s theory of posthumanism as stated in her book, How We Became Posthuman, and will offer insight …

Development Of Chromatography And Mass Spectrometry Methods For Enzyme Kinetics And Inhibition In Glycolysis And The Methylerythritol Phosphate (Mep) Pathways, Allison Fabino Carr

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on method development for enzymatic activity and inhibition assays for use in screening potential antibacterial compounds. Infection by antibiotic-resistant pathogens in on the rise globally and several enzymes, including the those in the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway and fructose bisphosphate aldolase, as strong targets for novel pharmaceuticals because they are not present in humans. Several assays exist for the MEP pathway and aldolase, but there is always work to be done to improve sensitivity, increase throughput, and lower cost. This dissertation describes the development of several methods – hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC), liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), and …

Validation Of A Low-Cost Sensor For Development Of Wearable And Handheld Spectrometers, Justin Leslie Cathey

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study examined the possibility of creating a quantitative radiometric spectrometer from a low-cost relative radiometric spectrometer sensor through the use of statistical analysis and development of a correction factor (p > 0.05). Radiometric spectrometers are able to measure and fully characterize the radiometric and photometric characteristics of light, while relative spectrometers are not able to fully, quantitatively characterize the radiometric response from a light source, thus they are less expensive. The spectrometer created in this research is able to measure and produce comparative lighting parameters as well as an actual radiometer spectrometer.

The photoreceptors cells within the human eye allow …

Conservation Agriculture In The Heartland: Farmer Perceptions Of Soil Health And The Adoption Of Cover Crops, Lillian Clarissa Cobo

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The benefits of cover crops are widely recognized by those interested in conservation agriculture and soil health. These benefits include soil erosion control, nutrient loss reduction, and overall improvement of soil health. However, while these benefits are well-documented, the adoption rate of cover crops in the American Heartland remains astoundingly low. While some studies have attempted to determine the reasons for this low adoption rate, the information relating to how farmer perceptions of soil health impact cover crop adoption is almost nonexistent. Furthermore, there is a clear absence of mixed method studies in the literature relating to this subject. This …

The Role Of Rmta In The Opportunistic Pathaogen Aspergillus Fumigatus, Roshan Dahal

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The fungus Aspergillus fumigatus is an opportunistic human pathogen capable of causing

a life-threatening systemic lung infection known as invasive aspergillosis among immune compromised

patients. This group includes individuals infected with HIV, people with hematological

malignancies, solid organ transplant patients, persons with genetic immunodeficiency and cancer

patient undergoing chemotherapy. Due to the medical relevance of this organism, it is imperative

to discover novel genetic elements to design antifungal drugs against A. fumigatus dissemination,

virulence and survival during human infection. Previously, the putative arginine methyltransferase

gene rmtA was characterized in the model organism Aspergillus nidulans and the opportunistic

plant pathogen Aspergillus …

Practical Bioinformatics Applications In Microbes, Sarah Anne Entwistle

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines three methodologies for applying bioinformatics techniques to microbial data. A computational analysis of RNA sequencing data showed that hbx1 is a global regulator in Aspergillus flavus. A particular focus of this analysis is the characterization of hbx1 in regard to regulation of secondary metabolite gene clusters and their production of aflatoxins. An analysis of bacterial genomes identified ORFans in both pathogenic and non-pathogenic genomes, along with their presence in sequence features. This investigation demonstrated that ORFan genes shared by pathogenic genomes were more related to bacterial pathogenicity. Evaluation of multiple types of recombination events in RNA sequencing …

Minimum Dropout Age And Juvenile Crime In The United States, Md. Abdur Rahman Forhad

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

My dissertation examines how an increased minimum dropout age (MDA) affects juvenile crime not only in the community, but also in school. I first empirically estimate the magnitude of the impact of a higher MDA on high school enrollment. I then develop an economic model of crime that explains the relationship between an MDA and contemporaneous juvenile crime and empirically examine how a higher MDA affects juvenile crime both in the community and in school. I find that raising the MDA from 16 to 18 significantly increases school enrollment by 2.57%. Next, I find that raising the MDA to an …

Textile Dyes As A Source Of Groundwater Contamination In Mandalay, Myanmar, Surya Freeman

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Textile dyeing and weaving of traditional longyi garments has traditionally occurred in the Amarapura Township of Mandalay, Myanmar, since 1822, transitioning from natural to chemical dyes in the early 1900’s. With no current wastewater treatment facilities in Mandalay, dye effluents mix with other wastewaters in unlined canals dug near peoples’ homes and discharge into local canals and groundwater. As locals rely heavily on dug and tube wells for drinking, bathing, and cooking, this industry poses a major health hazard to the people in this region. The objective of this study is to identify the previously unknown composition of the textile …

A Study Of Progression In Science Process Skills During A Midwestern Public Research University’S Stem Summer Camps, Anila Fiaz Gill

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study explored the impact of STEM summer camps (held at a Midwestern university) on campers’ science process skills (SPS). Upon analysis statistically significant positive growth in SPS was observed, evidenced by the increase from presurvey to postsurvey SPS scores, over the period of these short duration camps. There were no statistically significant differences in growth (presurvey to postsurvey) by gender, grade level, or ethnicity. While there were no significant main effects for gender (male vs. female) and grade level (middle vs. high school) on science process skill scores, there was a significant main effect of ethnicity (white vs. nonwhite) …

Examining The Utility Of A Brief Self-Compassion Intervention For Emotion Regulation In Individuals With Exposure To Trauma, Sara Jean Himmerich

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Research suggests that abilities to moderate and process trauma-related emotions may predict symptoms of posttraumatic stress, with the overuse of maladaptive emotion regulation strategies presenting a potential vulnerability to experiencing difficulties following trauma exposure. Self-compassion has been associated with the acceptance of negative emotions, with research finding evidence for positive associations between self-compassion and adaptive emotion regulation. Additionally, research suggests an inverse relationship between self-compassion and symptoms of posttraumatic stress. Self-compassion has been conceptualized and studied as a skill that can be learned, with studies finding support for improved abilities following targeted interventions. However, more research is needed to establish …

Effects Of Habitat Disturbance On The Teeth Of Propithecus Diadema In The Forests Of Tsinjoarivo, Madagascar: Implications For Species Viability And Conservation, Katie Susann Heffernan

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The accelerated transformation of Madagascar’s ecosystems is a direct result of habitat destruction which has devastating consequences for the viability of the island’s animals. This dissertation focuses on the critically endangered diademed sifaka, Propithecus diadema, living in the rainforests of Tsinjoarivo, Madagascar. Tsinjoarivo has been heavily impacted by slash and burn agriculture and transformed into isolated forest fragments. Previous research by Irwin and colleagues has demonstrated that the diet and group dynamics of Propithecus diadema differ between continuous and degraded forests, but whether fragmented landscapes provide tougher foods and lead to behavioral changes through increased tooth wear has not been …

Eastern Tallgrass Prairie Management And Its Impact On Grassland Birds, Heather Herakovich

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The majority of tallgrass prairie has been converted to agriculture over the past two centuries, making it one of the most threatened ecosystems globally. Agricultural conversion of prairie fragmented the landscape, causing declines and local extirpation of many grassland birds. Restoration projects have sought to increase the quality and size of prairie fragments by converting cultivated land back to prairie through revegetation and management with prescribed fire, hypothetically increasing breeding habitat for grassland birds. Bison and other grazers are now being reintroduced to prairie restorations as a final step in the restoration process to increase habitat heterogeneity.

The goal of …

Cultural Models Of Democracy Among Burmese Residents In Chicago, Illinois, And Fort Wayne, Indiana, John Hillory Hood

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines implicit assumptions about democracy among Burmese residents in Chicago, Illinois and Fort Wayne, Indiana. A major focus of the research is the durability of foundational cultural models – basic, simple, widely-shared modes of thought – that may or may not change over time, measured in this study through length-of-residency. As such, I examined three distinct sample groups: temporary residents, immigrants, and adult offspring of immigrants. This research comprised methods of ethnography, semi-structured interviews, as well as a free-listing memory task. A key point of inquiry is intracultural variation occurring between sample groups. Particular attention was paid to …

Bivariate Cure Rate Model Using Copula Functions In Presence Of Censored Data And Covariates, Jie Huang

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Bivariate survival cure rate models extend the understanding of time-to-event data by allowing for the formulation of more accurate and informative conclusion. These conclusions are obtainable from an analysis that accounts for a cured fraction of the population and dependence between paired units. We propose a mixture cure rate model where a correlation coefficient is used for the association between bivariate cure rate fractions and a new generalized Farlie Gumbel Morgenstern (FGM) copula function is applied to model the de-

pendence structure of bivariate survival times. Covariate effects are incorporated into two components of our model, cure rate fractions and …

A Survey Of Big Data Tools And Technologies, Mrinal Kanti Roy

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Big data analytics require the use of different sets of tools and technologies. This thesis categorizes big data analytics in three areas: storage, processing, and visualization and provides discussions of available tools and technologies for each area. It also provides a hands-on review of available tools and review of relevant research papers for such tools and technologies. The goal of this thesis is to summarize and organize current big data tools and technologies by surveying recent research papers, provide a synthesis and discuss observation current issues and future trends.

New Synthetic Methods Using Superelectrophiles, Sean Kennedy

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The work outlined in this dissertation describes new synthetic methods in the synthesis of heterocyclic compounds mediated by superacid catalysis. Superacids are powerful reagents that enhance the reactivity of electrophiles, thereby opening the door to new reactive pathways with very weak nucleophiles. In this work, trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (triflic acid, CF3SO3H) is employed as a superacid catalyst to effect new transformations. These concepts are summarized in chapter 1. Chapter 2 describes a new acid-catalyzed cascade leading to the indolizidine ring system, which is present in a number of natural products. Experiments support a proposed mechanism involving vinylogous keto-enol tautomerization. The synthesis …

The Association Of Victimization And Depression: An Investigation Of The Implicated Factors Of Social Anxiety, Body Esteem, And Social Support, Jacqueline Jo Klossing

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Victimization is an experience that affects a substantial portion of the adolescent population, and it is well established that it is associated with a host of negative outcomes, including depression. While the relations between victimization and depression have been researched extensively, there are a number of factors that may contribute to this association. Furthermore, both internal and external factors can play a role. Internally, the unique attribute of being socially anxious as well as the perceptions one carries regarding their appearance (i.e., body esteem) are implicated as potential mediators between victimization and depression. Externally, the social support an adolescent perceives …

The Treatment Of Contaminated Water Using Electrocoagulation, Adebayo Edward Adejinle

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Wastewater treatment is a process that is used to remove significant amount of contaminant concentration from wastewater, which prevents harm to the environment. Chemical coagulation (CC) is one of the most influential processes used to remove contaminants, and it is the addition of chemicals called coagulants, which causes particles to stick together forming bigger flocs. However, as effective as CC is, it requires bench scale testing for determining the appropriate dosing rate for specific raw water properties, which makes the process time consuming. To eliminate these issues, the introduction of the Electrocoagulation (EC) process is considered. The EC process is …

The Link Between Antibiotic Resistance Used For Recombinant Dna Selection And Cellular Phenotype In Rat Liver Epithelial Cells, Doaa Alshammari

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Recombinant DNA plasmids are often used to mediate forced gene overexpression or suppression in mammalian cells, to address questions regarding the role of specific proteins in cell behavior and function. To select for cells harboring such recombinant plasmids, lethal antibiotics such as Puromycin, Geneticin (Neomycin) and Zeocin are frequently used, as plasmids contain selective antibiotic resistance genes that biochemically disarm them. Antibiotic resistance, induced by plasmid-borne genes and chronic exposure to lethal antibiotics can likewise potentially change the phenotype of cells, confounding the conclusions drawn from experiments on gene overexpression or suppression. Yet, little is known about the effects of …

Lewis Base Promoted Annulations Of Allenoates With 1,4-Naphthoquinones, Nicole Marie Shoup

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lewis base promoted cyclization of allenoates with electron deficient olefins open up the possibility to generate more complex organic structures. By generating more complex molecules, we are able to produce new compounds for biomedical and material applications. Both phosphine and amine Lewis bases offer interesting annulations with allenoates resulting in Lu or Morita–Baylis–Hillman type reactions. Once the Lewis base engages with the allenoate there can be several modes of nucleophilic reactivity that allows for the allenic ester to act as a two or three carbon synthon. The allenoate can then react with varying electron deficient olefins generating more complex molecules …

Utilization Of Superelectrophiles In Organic Synthesis, Hien Quoc Vuong

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation describes the use of triflic acid as a catalyst in organic synthesis. The first chapter is an introduction of reaction classes, reactive intermediate, and superacids.

Chapter 2 discusses a series of compounds have been prepared by the Fischer indole synthesis and Friedel–Crafts reactions, using a single acid catalyst in a one-pot conversion. The reactions have worked best with pyridyl-substituted hydrazones/indoles. Chlorination and bromination products are formed in good yields and high regioselectivities. Acylation products have also been prepared by the two-stage reaction. In the case of alkylation, the expected alkyl-substituted indoles are obtained however they are accompanied by …

Wellness In Asexual-Identified Individuals: The Impact Of Social Support And Microaggressions, Elisa Marie Woodruff

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

One hundred sixty asexual identified individuals living in the United States were recruited from asexual online communities. The participants completed a comprehensive survey consisting of Zimet et al.’s 1988 Multidimensional Scale of Social Support, Foster’s 2017 Asexual Microaggression Scale, and the Five Factor Wellness Inventory Adult Version Revised (FFWEL-A2) developed by Myers and Sweeney in 2014, as well as 15-item demographic items. Regression models were used to assess relationships among the factors.

Social support was found to have a significant positive impact on participant wellness, supporting previous social science research. Microaggressions were not found to have a negative impact on …

Coupling Reactions Of Triaryl Carbocations Via Cationic Charge Delocalization, Hongfang Xue

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This thesis describes a coupling reaction involving cationic charge delocalization. This work began as a study of the Piancatelli rearrangement, a reaction involving furan-based triaryl methyl cations. A new synthetic reaction has been discovered using these furan-based triaryl methyl cations as electrophilic intermediates. Zinc chloride has been found to be an effective Lewis acid catalyst for the ionization of the triaryl methanols to the carbocations. It has been found that furan-based triaryl methyl cations react with nucleophiles such as enol silyl ethers and silyl ketene acetals. Similar to the Piancatelli reaction, nucleophilic reactions are found to occur at the 5-position …

Holistic Analysis Of The Social, Emotional, And Academic Development Of At-Risk Students In A Self-Regulated Learning Instructional Environment, Jennifer K. Macek

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The testing an accountability system that plagues the current educational atmosphere has done little to improve outcomes for the general population, rather, it has increased harm to our nation’s most vulnerable populations. As districts grapple with accountability mandates and pressures to improve test scores the number of students excluded from traditional schools and sent to alternative programs continues to grow. Research shows that the majority of programs for at-risk youth are little more than graduation factories that do not adequately prepare students for active participation in democratic society.

This study used a mixed methods design to explore an alternative program …

Water Quality And Small Unmanned Aerial System Photogrammetry Of Boeng Cheung Ek Wastewater Treatment Wetland, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Samuel Vesal Mallow

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Boeng Cheung Ek wetland is a large, peri-urban, free water surface, natural wastewater treatment wetland that services approximately 90% of combined storm water and untreated sewage from the city of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, population over 1.5 million. Due to monsoon rainfall and connectivity to the Mekong River, the wetted area cycles between 13 km2 and 20 km2 annually. The objective of this study is to characterize the spatiotemporal variability of contaminants in wetland surface water and groundwater. Dissolved ions including ammonium, nitrate-N (as NO3), phosphate, and chloride, along with E. coli, trace metals, δH, δ18O, and physicochemical parameters were determined …

An Experimental Examination Of Intolerance Of Uncertainty In Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Hannah Faleer Martyn

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Anxiety is considered a fear response to threat, driven by the absence of certainty and elevated perceptions of the cost of harm. It has been suggested that exaggerated responding to uncertainty underlies all anxiety disorders. Although no longer classified under the anxiety disorders section of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM), anxiety still is considered a primary component of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). OCD is a chronic, debilitating condition that affects multiple domains of functioning. The current gold standard of treatment for OCD is exposure and response prevention (ERP), a form of cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy. However, ERP is not effective for all …

Hydrogeochemical Characterization Of Yalahau Region, Mexico, Jessica Leann Mckay

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The Yalahau Region, located in the northeastern portion of the Yucatán Peninsula, hosts a series of elongated depressions trending north/south in the direction of Isla Holbox, identified as the Holbox Fracture Zone. Previous studies have explored the geomorphology and various hydrologic characteristics of the Yucatán Peninsula; however, there is a paucity of data concerning the interior region where the fractures are located. Strontium isotope and major ion geochemistry data of the surface water and groundwater of this region serves as a hydrogeochemical fingerprint, aiding to constrain the hydrological boundaries, determining flow paths, and characterizing hydrogeochemical processes that impact the composition …

Contesting Consent: Consent, Sexual Scripts, And Gendered Power, Julia Kristine Metz

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Within the past decade, the United States has seen an upsurge of affirmative consent policies being introduced or passed within the legislation of state governments and universities (Laker and Boas 2015). However, in a moment when the President of the US has been recorded saying “Grab ‘em by the pussy,” two Supreme Court justices have been accused of sexual misconduct, and a Secretary of Education has rolled back Title IX policies that had made progress in curbing sexual violence in schools, the meaning of sexual consent is now being contested more than ever. However, there have only been a handful …

Hif-2 Regulation Of Amino Acid Transporter Expression In Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells, Jason A. Misurelli

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Hypoxia represents a major driver of the cancer phenotype in solid tumors, especially those of hepatic origin. Low oxygen availability triggers a complex cellular response which alters metabolism and promotes cellular invasion. Growing evidence suggests the amino acid glutamine, an important molecular currency for both energy producing reactions and biosynthetic pathways, plays an enhanced role in cancer cells under hypoxia. Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) are transcription factors crucial for regulating the cellular response to low oxygen. Family member HIF-1 has been well studied, however, recent evidence suggests HIF-2 may have a regulatory role in amino acid transport and metabolism under hypoxia. …

Unsc Legitimacy As A Tool For Misdirection, Medha Monjaury

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

In the months leading up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the Bush administration made clear to the American people that the United States was prepared to go to war if Iraq failed to comply with Resolution 1441 and disarm. However, during the process of drafting and passing Resolution 1441, the U.S. expended considerable time and energy maintaining to the United Nations Security Council that it would not use the resolution as a pretext to strike Iraq. Moreover, it appears that the Security Council was convinced of the U.S.’ stated intentions when it passed Resolution 1441 unanimously in November 2002, …