Digital Commons Network^™

Overall Tropospheric Noise Over The St. Louis Using Isce And Fringe Processing, Maryann Lee

Masters Theses

Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) is a satellite-based technique that is used to measure various aspects such as ground deformation, earthquakes, volcanic activity, and motions of glaciers. Although the technique has proved very useful, measurements errors such as ionospheric and tropospheric noise, and deformation often cause problems with making precise measurements. InSAR is a tool used in geodesy that is used to measure the change of surface deformation over time through a series of repeated SAR acquisitions. These errors in the acquisitions occur from factors of signal decorrelation, atmospheric delays, and phase unwrapping errors that affect the accuracy and precision …

Enabling Drone-Integrated Active Microwave Thermography Via A Slot Antenna Design, Alec P. Fitzmaurice

Masters Theses

Civil infrastructure inspection quality and inspector safety may be enhanced from the advancement in the capabilities of nondestructive testing and evaluation of remote or otherwise hard-to-reach areas such as nuclear power plants, wind turbines, bridges, or other civil infrastructure using drone-based Active Microwave Thermography (AMT). AMT is a nondestructive testing technique that utilizes high frequency energy (often radiated from an antenna) to induce heating in a specimen. Following this thermal excitation, an infrared camera is used to measure the resulting surface thermal profile. From this, defect indications may be detected. To enable drone-based deployment of AMT, where the antenna size …

Performance Of Standard Medical Mllms On Ecg Image Data, Prisha Anil

Masters Theses

This work presents a structured benchmarking study of multimodal large language models (MLLMs) applied to electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation tasks. We evaluate three representative architectures: MedGemma, HuatuoGPT-Vision, and LLaVA-Med, across progressive experimental stages involving text-only structured prompt normalization, text–image fusion with ECG plots, and full multimodal fusion incorporating time-series signals. A standardized five-section cardiology prompt was designed to enforce consistent output structure and SCP-code alignment, enabling reproducible metric computation across models. Quantitative evaluation using BERTScore, token-level F1, and diagnostic accuracy demonstrates that HuatuoGPT-Vision achieves the highest semantic and diagnostic alignment, while MedGemma exhibits superior formatting stability and reproducibility. In contrast, LLaVA-Med …

Multimodal Spatio-Temporal Pest Prediction In Precision Agriculture, V N S Kameswari Sri Sindhu Manchikanti

Masters Theses

Accurate and timely prediction of pest outbreaks is a cornerstone of Agriculture 5.0, which emphasizes intelligent, data-driven, and sustainable decision-making in crop production. This research presents a multimodal deep learning framework that integrates heterogeneous data sources, including weather parameters, satellite-derived vegetation indices, and static and dynamic soil attributes, to forecast pest population dynamics under varying management and ecological conditions. The proposed framework employs modality-specific deep encoders to capture distinct temporal and spatial representations from each data stream and merges them through a late-fusion architecture that learns cross-modal dependencies critical to pest emergence. The design further incorporates treatment-aware and multiclass extensions, …

Extraction And Separation Of Metal Cations From Synthetic Acidic Solutions Using Emulsion Liquid Membrane, Nouhaila Filali

Masters Theses

The work is organized into two main papers supported by experimental and comparative studies using Emulsion Liquid Membrane (ELM) systems. The first paper explores the individual extraction of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, As, Ni) from synthetic phosphoric acid using Alamine 336 and D2EHPA as carriers. Alamine 336 achieved the highest extraction efficiency (>90%) and stability, offering a promising route to reduce toxic impurities in fertilizer-grade acid. The second paper examines the selective separation of Ni2+ and Co2+ from various acidic solutions using the ELM configuration. Systematic variation of carriers, stripping agent and feed acidity, clarified transport mechanisms and stability, …

Testing The Life-History Dependence Of Dietary Restriction Effects On Oxidative Molecular Damage In Hornworms, Fahime Taheri

Masters Theses

DR and ambient temperature are two environmental factors widely implicated in shaping organismal maintenance and longevity through effects on metabolic rate and oxidative damage. This study tests whether DR and reduced body temperature independently or interactively reduce oxidative protein damage in the gut of tobacco hornworm larvae, a short-lived ectotherm whose life history may constrain typical DR responses. Larvae hatched from eggs were allocated to two feeding regimes (AL and DR) and to 20 °C and 30 °C. At a defined endpoint, guts dissected and homogenized, and analyzed for protein carbonyl content and total protein. Protein damage was expressed as …

Application Of Edge-Enhanced Phase Analysis To Active Microwave Thermographic Measurements, Douglas Blaine Fleetwood

Masters Theses

Nondestructive testing and evaluation (NDT&E) encompasses a range of inspection techniques that assess materials, components, and structures while maintaining their integrity and performance. Among these techniques, thermography is particularly attractive due to its non-contact imaging approach with easy-to-interpret results. Active Microwave Thermography (AMT) has emerged as a promising NDT&E inspection technique that utilizes electromagnetic energy to heat materials through dielectric and magnetic absorption, with subsequent infrared imaging used to detect subsurface defects. While AMT offers significant advantages including material-specific heating optimization and lower power requirements compared to conventional thermographic methods, the technique faces a persistent challenge related to the thermal …

Biological Computing From Microscopic To Macroscopic Evolution, Xiaofeng Ding

Masters Theses

A unified theory from microscopic to macroscopic DNA-based biological systems is explained in terms of the rule components used when the system size is increased. Even though the eight female rules in each ruleset are provided with an equal probability of the computation-state outcomes, the initial ensemble of the computation states will exponentially settle into one dominant rule that supports the nutrition needed for growth. The remaining seven rules form into two minority groups to provide the biological characteristics of the system's growth from a micro to macroscopic evolution. The object of this study is to prove that such a …

[Review Of The Book The Two Faces Of Fear: Violence And Fear In The Mexican Metropolis, By A. Villarreal], Francis Adams

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

[First paragraph] Mexico has long been a transhipment point for illegal narcotics between South America and the United States. Clashes among drug cartels over territory and trafficking routes have caused insecurity and violence in parts of Mexico for decades, especially along the U.S. border. When Filipe Calderón became president in 2006, he declared a "war on drug traffickers" and deployed thousands of federal troops to combat the cartels. Over the next decade, violence in Mexico dramatically escalated, with tens of thousands of people killed or disappeared. Violence also became more generalised throughout the country, impacting areas that had previously been …

"Shocking The System" In The 21st Century: Conservative Policy Entrepreneurs And The Plan For Authoritarianism In The U.S., Athena M. King

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

The first few days of the second Trump presidency saw a flurry of executive orders targeting immigrants, the transgender community, blacks, and federal government employees. The resulting “shocks” to the system are unprecedented, causing many to question the continuation of American democracy. These actions are a few of many policy preferences developed by conservatives and captured in “Project 2025”, spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation and with the overall intent of restructuring the federal government to suit authoritarian aims. Using a theoretical framework regarding policy entrepreneurs (PEs), I argue that conservative PEs (CPEs), under the aegis of the Republican Party and …

Securitization Of African Migrants In Europe And North America, Chick Edmond

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

The securitization of African migrants in Europe and North America refers to the framing of immigrants as an existential security threat rather than a socioeconomic or humanitarian concerns. This discourse driven by political rhetoric, media narratives, and policy measures, often depict African migrants as risks to national security, cultural identity, and economic stability. Governments in host countries employ stringent border controls, detention and deportation policies often justified by counterterrorism and crime prevention frameworks. However, critics argue that securitization exacerbates xenophobia, violates human rights, and fails to address root causes of migration, such as conflict, poverty, and climate change. This paper …

Nuclear Disarmament And The Erosion Of Deterrence Effectiveness Case Study: Ukraine, Chick Edmond

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

The invasion of Ukraine demonstrates an interesting security paradox between nuclear disarmament norms, territorial integrity and deterrence in a self-help unpredictable international environment. Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons under the Budapest Memorandum in order to receive security guarantees resulting in brutal betrayal by nuclear armed Russia. The research investigates how Russia maintains an effective nuclear deterrence capability against other nuclear powers in the region through threats despite challenges on the battlefield. Through the combination of military resistance, strategic partnerships and robust combat methods, Ukraine has established an unmatched ability to deter a nuclear-armed enemy - Russia. This research ponders …

Nuclear Deterrence Strategies And The Balance Of Power In Europe, Chick Edmond

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

The beginning of the Cold War era indubitably defines nuclear deterrence strategies in Europe by reinforcing and re-strategizing security dynamics amongst European States. The balance of power in Europe has been geopolitically influenced by NATO and Russia in a quest to avoid any kind of security dilemmas from either side. In order to maintain a strategic deterrence balance posture, this complex security navigation scenario therefore act as stabilizing factor in the region as well as preventing any future conflict on the Europe continent resulting from security imbalances. NATO eastward enlargement has maintained a significant strategic balance of power in the …

The Role Of Economic Sanctions In Shaping International Trade Relationships Case Study: Russia, Chick Edmond

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

Economic sanctions play an influential role in international relations by shaping the behavior of states. To address security threats and uphold international norms, countries seek to punish those responsible in violating these principles through the use of economic sanctions. The paper examines the impact of economic sanctions on trade relationships and its consequences on the Russian Economy. It also seeks to analyze the evolution of trade embargo during the post-cold war era to a more resilient and sophisticated measures in the age of globalization. Through this historical perspective, this analysis examines an important case study such as Russia by evaluating …

Manifesting A Shift In The "Overton Window": The Threat Of Project 2025 On The Lgbtq+ Community In Higher Education, Athena M. King, Sara Sanatkar

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

Since the first Trump administration, historically marginalized groups in the United States have been subjected to greater instances of bigotry and discrimination due to conservative influence on sociopolitical institutions. These actions suggest a shift in the "Overton Window," whereby policy preferences previously deemed "unacceptable" are given consideration in the mainstream, especially by conservative policy actors. "Project 2025" is a comprehensive plan to restructure the federal government according to conservative dictates in the second Trump administration. This article is an examination of how higher education may be impacted by this plan, especially as it relates to LGBTQ+ faculty, administration, staff, and …

[Review Of The Book Alternative Politics In Contemporary Japan: New Directions In Social Movements, By D. H. Slater And P. G. Steinhoff (Eds.)], Charmaine N. Willis

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

[Introduction] Scholars have characterized Japan’s civil society as having been in an “ice age” for several decades, especially when focusing on non-governmental organizations (NGOs) (Robert Pekkanen, Japan’s Dual Civil Society: Members Without Advocates, Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2006). This is in stark contrast not only with the vibrant civil societies in most Western democracies but with prominent social movements in Japanese history, such as the anti-Anpo protest movement that began in the late 1950s. This movement opposed the renewal of the US-Japan security treaty (Anpo), which permitted the US its massive military base presence in Japan. There were strikes, mass …

Do Adhd Symptoms Enhance College Students’ Creativity And Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy?, Jorge Sebastian Montesinos

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Despite years of research focused on impairment, it is possible that attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be beneficial in some ways. Past studies have analyzed ADHD’s potential benefits to creativity and entrepreneurship, but the majority have either been underpowered or have had mixed results. In an attempt to add clarity to these potential ADHD-related strengths, the present study explored the relation between symptoms of ADHD, creative achievement, and entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE). The current study was a survey of emerging adult college students from multiple U.S. universities. The purpose of this study was to explore relations between symptoms of ADHD and …

Parting The Corn Rows: Nikita Khrushchev’S Visit To Iowa, 1959, Jordan Stiles

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

On September 23, 1959, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev visited Roswell Garst to inspect US hybrid corn and agricultural methods. Khrushchev’s initial reforms are discussed to show why Khrushchev sought agricultural knowledge abroad. The details of Khrushchev’s and Garst’s life regarding their work in agriculture are explored up to the visit. The visit would leave an indelible mark on the USSR and Iowa. Khrushchev and his successors would use Garst’s model for hybrid corn farming as the template for Soviet farming. Garst would use his limelight to catapult his corn diplomacy into action around the world. Lastly, the legacy of Khrushchev’s …

Competitive School Culture And The Gifted Adolescent, Kailyn Bettle-Nilles

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Academic stress is changing the dynamics of school and the culture of learning for students (Challenge Success, n.d.). This is especially apparent in gifted students who indicate higher instances of feeling it is important to do well in school, being competitive in school, and a desire to be the best at everything (Baker, 1996). Gifted high school students today experience a competitive school culture, defined in this study as the drive for students to take as many honors courses, Advanced Placement (AP), and course accelerations as possible. Previous studies indicate that students in academically rigorous courses like AP experience more …

From Grades To Growth: Exploring Student Perceptions Of Standards-Based Grading, Feedback Utilization, And Teacher–Student Relationships, Meghan Koellner

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Many schools have transitioned from traditional grading practices to standards-based grading practices. A central feature of standards-based grading is the use of feedback to move learning forward. When students feel connected to their teachers, they are more likely to engage with feedback and improve their performance. The purpose of this study was to explore how midwestern high school students characterize their experience with standards-based grading, utilize teacher feedback, and perceive the impact of these practices on teacher-student relationships. Three research questions guided this study: (1) How do midwestern high school students characterize their experience with standards-based grading? (2) How do …

Educational Leadership In Model Plc Schools: Actions That Lead To Sustained Success, Nathan L. Wear

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of the current study was to identify leadership characteristics and actions by administrators in Model Professional Learning Community (PLC) status schools and identify what actions led to achieving Model PLC School status. The current study explored how effective PLC implementation impacts student achievement. Guided by DuFour et al.’s (2006) framework for PLCs (i.e., focus on learning, collaboration, and results), the current study investigated specific leadership behaviors that school leaders in Model PLC schools use to leverage results. The study sought to answer two research questions. First, what are the key characteristics and actions of the administrators in Model …

True Inclusion: A Qualitative Study In Autoethnography; Examining The Educational Journey And Divine Calling Of An Administrator To Champion The Inclusivity Of Students With Special Needs, Andrea Loutsch

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to dive deeper into the real-life experience of a public school teacher/administrator that ventured into the role of a Catholic school administrator and their role as an advocate for students with special needs. A great deal of the research for the inclusion of students with special needs has been in the realm of public K-12 institutions and their rights as individuals with disabilities, since the introduction of The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1975. However, many private, Catholic K-12 schools have recognized not only a stronger demand for services for students with …

Every Teacher A Reading Teacher: An Exploration Of Teacher Preparation And Literacy Instruction, Jossette N. Finney

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The number of students lacking literacy proficiency is on the rise, with only 33% of students assessed in Grades 4 and 31% of students assessed in Grade 8 scoring at or above NAEP proficiency in reading (National Center for Education Statistics, 2022). The purpose of this study was to understand more about the attitudes and beliefs of classroom teachers, preservice teachers, and content area literacy instructors surrounding content area literacy instruction, and how those beliefs affected their likelihood to incorporate literacy across the curriculum. The theoretical framework for this study included the critical literacy theory along with Paolo Freire’s pedagogy …

Opportunities And Barriers In Iowa’S Teacher Apprenticeship Program, Patricia Ryan

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this qualitative study is to better understand opportunities and barriers in Iowa’s Teacher and Paraeducator Registered Apprenticeship Program (TPRA), framed through the lens of social capital and wellbeing. By examining the lived experiences of apprentices and journeyman/mentor teachers, this study aims to provide deeper insights into the dynamics of teaching apprenticeships, highlighting the challenges and successes faced by teachers in this alternative route to teacher certification. Through in-depth interviews with both apprentices and journeyman/mentor teachers, this research explores how participants build social capital through mentoring relationships, as well as how these connections impact career wellbeing for both …

Design And Integration Of A Multisensory Board For Real-Time Monitoring Of Metal Casting Foundry Sand Molds, Nathaniel Addo

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Honor Culture Ideology On Juror Decision Making, Aubrey K. Paschal

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Culture of honor is a system of cultural beliefs in which one’s honor is seen to be of the utmost importance (Nisbett & Cohen, 1996). Due to the importance of personal honor, defending one's honor could be seen as an adequate defense for crimes committed in the name of personal honor. This study examined the influence that honor culture ideology has on juror decision making. A total of 190 participants read a brief trial summary of either a crime in which the participants’ honor was threatened, or a crime that did not involve a threat to the defendant’s honor. The …

Decreasing Food Waste In Home Kitchens By Increasing Food Literacy, Thao Rich

Student Publications

In a world that produces enough food for all of its occupants, a staggering amount of it bypasses empty stomachs and goes into landfills every day. There it sits in a plastic bag, which delays decomposition and increases the harmful greenhouse gas emissions. There are numerous reasons for the inequitable distribution of food ranging from politics to logistics, but the fact is that each person can make a dent in reducing their carbon footprint by simply reducing the amount of food they place in the trash each week. Food waste reduction is a small goal that requires no additional spending, …

Sexual Racism And Queer Asian American Men’S Depression And Hazardous Drinking, Phúc Q. Phan, Thomas P. Le

Psychology Faculty Research and Scholarship

While research suggests that sexual racism is prevalent within the gay community, studies have neglected to examine how this specific manifestation of racism influences queer Asian American men’s mental health. Queer Asian American men’s health outcomes are often overlooked as racism-related studies tend to homogenize queer Asian American men with queer men of color broadly. Thus, the present study examined the association between sexual racism and queer Asian American men’s depressive symptomatology and hazardous drinking, as well as the moderating role of collective racial self-esteem. The final sample consisted of 151 queer Asian American men who completed a 30-minute cross-sectional …

Drivers Of Job Loss Among Chinese Breast Cancer Survivors: A Qualitative Analysis, Susan Chimonas, Yashasvini Sampathkumar, Xiaoxiao Huang, Christina Tran, Zhenlan Wang, Kuo Ting-Ting, Shoshana M. Rosenberg, Javier González, Francesca Gany, Victoria Blinder

Psychology Faculty Research and Scholarship

Purpose: This study aimed to understand the reasons for the high risk of job loss previously identified among foreign-born Chinese breast cancer survivors in the US. Qualitative interviews were conducted to explore challenges leading to job loss during/after treatment and to help identify potential interventions to promote job retention and re-employment.

Patients and Methods: The research team conducted semi-structured interviews with foreign-born Chinese breast cancer survivors in New York City. A total of twelve participants, previously enrolled in the Breast Cancer and the Workforce study, were interviewed between February and November 2018. Purposive sampling was used to identify …

Resistance And Empowerment Against Racism’S Association With Latinx Adults’ Body Appreciation., Julianne Powers, Thomas Le

Psychology Faculty Research and Scholarship

Research on body image and racism has largely focused on how Latinx adults’ experiences of racism are associated with negative body image outcomes. However, research has not yet examined how resistance and empowerment against racism shapes body appreciation among Latinx adults. To address these gaps, the present study examined how resistance and empowerment against racism is associated with body appreciation among Latinx adults, as well as the mediating role of ethnic identity search and commitment. An online cross-sectional survey containing the study’s measures of interest were administered to participants. The final sample consisted of 223 Latinx adults. A regression analysis …