Digital Commons Network^™

Svat4: A Computer Program For Visualization And Analysis Of Crystal Structures, Xingzhong Li

Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience: Faculty Publications

SVAT4 is a computer program for interactive visualization of three-dimensional crystal structures, including chemical bonds and magnetic moments. A wide range of functions, e.g. revealing atomic layers and polyhedral clusters, are available for further structural analysis. Atomic sizes, colors, appearance, view directions and view modes (orthographic or perspective views) are adjustable. Customized work for the visualization and analysis can be saved and then reloaded. SVAT4 provides a template to simplify the process of preparation of a new data file. SVAT4 can generate high-quality images for publication and animations for presentations. The usability of SVAT4 is broadened by a software suite …

Bsa Agri Business, Marketing And Management 2020-21, Arkansas State University - Jonesboro

Bachelor of Science and Education

No abstract provided.

Bsa Agricultural Communications, 2020-21, Arkansas State University - Jonesboro

Bachelor of Science and Education

No abstract provided.

Bsa Agricultural Science, 2020-21, Arkansas State University - Jonesboro

Bachelor of Science and Education

No abstract provided.

Bsa Animal Science, Production And Management 2020-21, Arkansas State University - Jonesboro

Bachelor of Science and Education

No abstract provided.

Bsa Animal Science, Equine Management 2020-21, Arkansas State University - Jonesboro

Bachelor of Science and Education

No abstract provided.

Bsa Animal Science, Pre-Vet 2020-21, Arkansas State University - Jonesboro

Bachelor of Science and Education

No abstract provided.

Bsa Plant And Soil Science, Agronomy 2020-21, Arkansas State University - Jonesboro

Bachelor of Science and Education

No abstract provided.

The Bible And The Curriculum Of American Public Schools (K-12) In The Twenty-First Century, Mark Chancey

Religious Studies Research

This article describes the various ways in which the Bible appears in the curricula of American public schools from kindergarten through twelfth grade.

A Comparison Of Sweat Rate And Sweat Electrolyte Concentrations Between Two Modes Of Exercise In Trained Triathletes, Daniel Webb

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Context: Sweat rate and sweat electrolyte concentration are traditionally collected for one exercise bout. The purpose of this study determined whether sweat electrolyte concentration and sweat rate varies between two modes of exercise. Methods: Twenty subjects (10 male/ 10 female) completed 2 training sessions, one hour of biking and one hour of running in a thermal neutral environment. Sweat samples by absorbent patches were used and collected at the end of exercise or when the sweat patches became full. Results: No differences in sweat rate (Bike = 1.12L/hr ± 0.58, Run 1.12L/hr ± .55, r(38)=.80, p = 1.00) but …

Selling Students Short: How Market Driven School Reforms Undermine Student Learning And Our Shared Democratic Ideals., Andrew Malkasian

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Outside influence in education is nothing new, but over the last half-century, these influences have coalesced around a single point of interest: infusing American education with principles of free-market economics. As a result, teachers are now instructing students in a fast-paced, hyper-competitive, data-driven environment where performance and quantitative outcomes are paramount. Consequently, students are no longer taught, nor encouraged, to be active participants in a democratic society but rather workers in an ever- expanding capitalist market that mandates winners and losers - a notion wholly contradictory to the spirit of education.

The purpose of this research is to indicate how …

Oh, Mr. Sandman, Connor Keane

West Chester University Master’s Theses

This thesis consists of the first fifty-four pages of a full-length novel. It is intended to function as the first act of a four-act story, and therefore its primary goal is to set up and facilitate conflict and character development in later acts. I have chosen four acts over the traditional three act structure in order to further develop the central mystery and allow for slower, more nuanced character development. This thesis aspires to act as the foundation upon which a multifaceted narrative, containing both a compelling story and a meaningful message, can be told.

The premise of the novel …

Novel Mechanism For Turning Performance In Bluefin Tuna, Abigail Downs

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Scombrid fishes can attain exceptional swimming speeds due to their thunniform, lift-based propulsion, large muscle mass, and fusiform body shape. A rigid body restricts maneuverability for aquatic organisms. To test if turning maneuvers by the rigid-bodied Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) are constrained, captive animals were video recorded from above as the animals routinely swam around a large circular tank or during feeding bouts. The turning performance was classified into three different types of turns: 1) glide turn, where the tuna uses the caudal fin as a rudder to passively move through the turn, 2) powered turn, where …

Microbial Energy Storage And Antimicrobial Effects Of Metal Nanoparticles, Octavia Allen

West Chester University Master’s Theses

With the use of Microbial Electrolysis Cells (MECs) and anaerobic digester (AD) designs, wastewater treatment could be more effectively processed. Inoculation of anaerobic microorganisms, methanogens specifically, can help convert organic matter in wastewater metabolizing it to produce CH₄. Most MECs are stationary and are not actively mixed to promote expedited CH₄ production. The objective of this work was to design Wind-Actuated Vibrating Electrochemical (WAVE) digesters and utilize electrical current to increase CH₄ production rates generated by anaerobic microorganisms in MECs, optimizing efficiency of wastewater treatment. It was hypothesized WAVE mixed digesters will enhance conversion of wastewater …

Form And Function Of The California Sea Lion (Zalophus Californianus) Hindflippers: Control Surfaces For Subaqueous Maneuvers, Ariel Leahy

West Chester University Master’s Theses

The hindflippers of California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) have previously been overlooked as aquatic control surfaces. Although passively trailed in rectilinear swimming, the hindflippers are abducted into a delta-wing shape during aquatic maneuvers. As the anatomy of sea lion hindflippers had not previously been described, anatomical/morphological examinations were completed via scaled measurements and dissections. It was found that the tendons of Flexor Hallucis Longus and Flexor Digitorum Longus insert into the collagen matrix of the crenellations instead of onto bone and the tendons of Flexor Digitorum Brevis contain foramen through which the tendons of Flexor Digitorum Longus pass. …

A Machine Learning System For Glaucoma Detection Using Inexpensive Machine Learning, Jon Kilgannon

West Chester University Master’s Theses

This thesis presents a neural network system which segments images of the retina to calculate the cup-to-disc ratio, one of the diagnostic indicators of the presence or continuing development of glaucoma, a disease of the eye which causes blindness. The neural network is designed to run on commodity hardware and to be run with minimal skill required from the user by packaging the software required to run the network into a Singularity image. The RIGA dataset used to train the network provides images of the retina which have been annotated with the location of the optic cup and disc by …

Ecto- And Endoparasites Of The Texas Deermouse, Peromyscus Attwateri And Eastern Woodrat, Neotoma Floridana (Rodentia: Cricetidae) From Polk County, Arkansas, Chris T. Mcallister, Lance A, Durden, John A. Hnida, Henry W. Robison

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

In Arkansas, the Texas deermouse (Peromyscus attwateri) occurs in the western part of the state where it is restricted to the uplands of the Interior Highlands. The eastern woodrat (Neotoma floridana) is found statewide but is less common in the Gulf Coastal Plain. Very little is known about the parasites of either rodent in Arkansas, especially helminths from P. attwateri at any locality within its range. Found in/on P. attwateri were a coccidian (Eimeria langbarteli), a tapeworm (Catenotaenia peromysci), a nematode (Syphacia peromysci), 2 ticks (Dermacenter variabilis and Ixodes …

Fictive Kin Relationships And Advising: The Roles Of Chosen Family As An Advisory Framework For Higher Education, Zachary Burden

West Chester University Master’s Theses

The structure of a chosen family centers love, commitment, empathy, and accountability into relationships outside of a person's biolegal family. This project asks, if student affairs professionals framed their advising and mentoring work with a platonic and familial sense of love and commitment, would it offer their students a new sense of openness, trust, and community? Using theories of love in education and building a teaching community by bell hooks (2003; 2018), Paulo Freire's (1970) banking model of education, and experiential learning by John Dewey (1997), I examine these chosen family relationships and their application into higher education advising. In …

Building Bridges: Overcoming Barriers To College Access For Low-Income And Working-Class Students, Sarah Mcguckin

West Chester University Master’s Theses

This thesis will explore the barriers that cause a lack of access to higher education for low-income and working-class students. My own experience as a working-class, firstgeneration college student has had a direct influence on my interest and exploration of this concern. There are four specific barriers highlighted within this thesis: discrepancies in education at the primary and secondary level, lack of familial knowledge, economic disparities, and a phenomenon known as summer melt. I believe that higher education should be a given right so that one can develop one’s ontological vocation. I utilize philosophers and theorists such as Paulo Friere …

The Effects Of Acute Bouts Of Aerobic And Resistance Exercise On Neuroplasticity, Michael Shafer

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Neuroplasticity takes place when acquiring new skills, after damage to the nervous system, and as a result of sensory deprivation (5). It can also take place due to exercise (11)(22). Few studies exist that look at the effects of anaerobic/resistance training and its effects on Neuroplasticity in humans, as the majority of research found delves into how resistance training can help at the subcortical and spinal level of the body, not in the brain (1). The aim of this study was to determine whether resistance training is as effective as aerobic training at improving neuroplasticity. Five competitive Weightlifters (3 females, …

Out Of The Froth Of The Sea, Rebekah Henry

West Chester University Master’s Theses

From our earliest stories and songs, we have acknowledged water as the nourishment of life. It surrounds us in our oceans and atmosphere, and carries us to new adventures. This piece bookends physical descriptions of water and how we use it in our daily lives with the spiritual: water’s role in our myths and religions as a reflection of our humanity, our relationship to the divine, and our salvation. The libretto draws on a wide variety of sources, ranging from the ancient to the modern and crossing boundaries of religion and culture. Similarly, the music is inspired by a diverse …

An Examination Of Reward Probability As A Mediator Of The Relationship Between Trauma-Exposed Individuals And Cannabis And Alcohol Use, Daniel Loomis

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Trauma-exposure and Posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms are frequently comorbid with problematic cannabis and alcohol use which is high among college students. Emerging research suggests the relationship between trauma and drug and alcohol use is due to the reinforcing effects of substances like alcohol and cannabis. Researchers have looked at behavioral economic theories of reward/reinforcement to see how reward deprivation plays a role in trauma and substance use. Reward deprivation associates with a person’s ability to experience reward and availability of reward in the environment, as measured by the Reward Probability Index scales: Reward Probability and Environmental suppression(RPI; Carvalho et …

"You Tell Me How They Work": First-Year College Composition Instructors' Purposes And Practices For Choosing And Using Worked Examples, Rena Perez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This thesis describes and analyzes the how and why behind first-year college composition (FYC) instructors' practices for choosing and using examples for teaching writing at UCF. In educational research, developments related to cognitive load theory, analogical transfer, and worked examples reject discovery learning pedagogy, instead advocating for providing examples to aid in problem-solving. Scholars in ill-structured disciplines have studied the use of worked examples (Kyun et al.; Ondrusek et al; Rourke and Sweller), paving the way for fields such as composition studies to apply this concept in new contexts. Although composition scholarship recommends the use of models or sample texts …

Novel Computational Approaches For Multidimensional Brain Image Analysis, Harish Raviprakash

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The overall goal of this dissertation is focused on addressing challenging problems in 1D, 2D/3D and 4D neuroimaging by developing novel algorithms that combine signal processing and machine learning techniques. One of these challenging tasks is the accurate localization of the eloquent language cortex in brain resection pre-surgery patients. This is especially important since inaccurate localization can lead to diminshed functionalities and thus, a poor quality of life for the patient. The first part of this dissertation addresses this problem in the case of drug-resistant epileptic patients. We propose a novel machine learning based algorithm to establish an alternate electrical …

The Troupes Coloniales: A Comparative Analysis Of African American And French Colonial Soldiers In The First World War, Matthew Patsis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This thesis examines the service of African American soldiers during World War I in comparison with the service of French Colonial soldiers from Africa. This thesis argues that African Americans existed as colonial subjects of the American Empire and served as the colonial army of the United States just as soldiers from Africa did for France. The scope of this thesis covers ideologies of race in the United States and France, as well as racial policy and the implementation of racial hierarchy within the French and American armies during World War I. Through comparative analysis, this research reveals the relationship …

Deeper Impressions Of Thomas Nast And Joseph Keppler: Analyzing The Role Of Political Cartoons In The Development And Perceptions Of Late Nineteenth Century Group Images, Timothy Dorsch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This paper analyzes political cartoons from Thomas Nast and Joseph Keppler from the late 1860s through the mid-1880s. It argues that through use of effective symbolism and memorable illustrations, these cartoonists created and popularized caricatures of politicians, laborers, Irish Catholics, African Americans, and women that validated stereotypical views of the late nineteenth century and influenced later historical interpretations of the era. Analyzing the Nast and Keppler cartoons as significant historical resources rather than as interesting illustrations for historical monographs reveals the layers of literacy, social and political thought present in the drawings that the readers of the day would have …

Masters Of The Manipulator? A Species Description And Comparative Genomics Study Of Two New Hyperparasites Of The Zombie Ant Fungus, Brittany Lebert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Fungal hyperparasites have been known to indirectly impact ecosystem composition and disease dynamics by modulating the population size and transmission of their parasite host. In the present study we formally describe two new hyperparasite species that infect the fungus Ophiocordyceps camponoti-floridani, which manipulates the behavior of the Florida carpenter ant. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrate that both fungal hyperparasites are new, distinct species. The unique morphology and phylogenetic placement of one of the species even supports its placement in a new genus, which we have named Niveomyces. Our field data suggests that both new species, Polycephalomyces oviedoensis and Niveomyces ophiocordycipitis, negatively impact …

Naming More Of What We Know: Critical Memoirs & The Ecological Metaphor As A Threshold Concept In Writing, Loren Cooper

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

"Naming More of What We Know: Critical Memoirs & the Ecological Metaphor as a Threshold Concept in Writing" contributes to the work begun by Adler-Kassner and Wardle to gather and name Writing Studies' body of disciplinary knowledge as "threshold concepts." This thesis answers their call to engage in the ongoing development of threshold concepts by offering an additional critical construct: Writing as ecological. To explicitly acknowledge that writing is ecological is an essential addition to the content of our knowledge because it (1) meets the threshold-concept criteria adapted from Meyer and Land (2003), (2) establishes a codified, embodied, 3-dimensional system …

The Urban Environmental Renaissance, Katrina M. Wyman, Danielle Spiegel-Feld

Faculty Articles

City governments were an important source of environmental protection in the United States from the 1800s until well into the 1900s. However, since Congress passed a series of landmark environmental statutes in the 1970s, scholars have primarily equated environmental law with federal law. To the extent that scholars consider subnational sources of environmental law, they typically focus on states, rather than cities. This article shines a light on the role of cities in contemporary environmental law. It argues that major U.S. cities are currently reviving cities’ historical role as leaders in environmental lawmaking and proposes mechanisms for expanding their scope …

"Fighting Faiths," Error Deflection, And Free Speech, Burt Neuborne

Faculty Articles

Judicial promulgation and enforcement of enhanced error deflection rules in the context of speech regulation, dating from Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.’s celebrated dissent in Abrams v. United States, is the subject of this essay. Unlike many celebrated students of the power of judges to set aside the actions of democratically legitimate institutions, I do not believe that judicial invalidation of (1) statutes enacted by duly elected legislatures, (2) administrative actions taken by duly serving executives, and/or (3) verdicts issued by randomly selected juries are necessarily rooted in a judge’s allegedly superior ability to identify and define substantive rights codified …