Evaluating The Role Of Magnetic Materials In Mediating The Abiotic Degradation Of Chlorinated Ethenes At Tcaap-A Using A C14-Assay, Olivia Dunn

All Theses

Among the most challenging sites to remediate are those where the groundwater is contaminated with large, dilute plumes of tetrachloroethene (PCE), trichloroethene (TCE), dichloroethene isomers (cDCE, tDCE, 1,1-DCE) and vinyl chloride (VC). Monitored Natural Attenuation (MNA) by abiotic processes may be a viable strategy, but it can be difficult to document. The overall objective of this project is to develop a deeper understanding of the role of magnetic materials in mediating abiotic degradation of low concentrations of chlorinated ethenes in aquifers. Authentic core aquifer sediment has been collected from Site A at the former Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant (TCAAP) …

Trust Is Not Enough: Examining The Role Of Distrust In Human-Autonomy Teams, Sydney Begerowski

All Theses

As automation solutions in manufacturing grow more accessible, there are consistent calls to augment capabilities of humans through the use of autonomous agents, leading to human-autonomy teams (HATs). Many constructs from the human-human teaming literatures are being studied in the context of HATs, such as affective emergent states. Among these, trust has been demonstrated to play a critical role in both human teams and HATs, particularly when considering the reliability of the agent performance. However, the HAT literature fails to account for the distinction between trust and distrust. Consequently, this study investigates the effects of both trust and distrust in …

A Predictive Analysis Of The Influence Of Thickness And Length On The Curvature Of Square Bistable Carbon Fiber Reinforced Composite Laminates, Stephan Terry

All Theses

This thesis presents a predictive analysis of the stability of square bistable carbon fiber reinforced composite laminates under various loading conditions. The stability of these laminates is essential to their performance and longevity and is influenced by factors such as thickness and length. Analytical and numerical techniques are used to model the behavior of these laminates, and experimental tests are conducted to validate the models. The findings of this research have implications for the design and optimization of square bistable carbon fiber reinforced composites.

The study investigates the relationships between the side length and thickness of square laminates for bistability. …

Analyzing The Influence Of Stale Data On Autonomous Intelligent Transportation Systems, August St. Louis

All Theses

Intelligent transportation has been at the forefront of recent technological advancement. Individuals have developed a number of algorithms intended to automate and improve essential intelligent transportation functions. New developments include the incorporation of vehicle platooning and path planning algorithms within a number of use cases. Data perturbation can affect both algorithms significantly. We define data perturbation as any natural or unnatural phenomenon that causes the data to be skewed in any way. Perturbations within either system can cause its respective algorithm to operate with stale or incorrect data. This can significantly affect performance. This paper conducts a fault injection campaign …

An Investigation Of How Lighting And Rendering Technology Affects Filmmaking Relative To Arnold’S Transition To A Gpu-Based Path-Tracer, Mohammad Saffar

All Theses

Computer Graphic (CGI) technology enables artists to explore a broad spectrum of

approaches and styles, from photorealistic to abstract, expanding the boundaries of traditional aesthetic choices.

Recent years have witnessed of 3D-CGI production shift towards greater physical fidelity driven by technological developments as well as consumer demand for realistic visuals; this trend can be found across various creative fields like film, video games, and virtual reality experiences with high-quality textures, lighting, rendering, and physics simulations providing enhanced levels of immersion for users.

Arnold is one of the famous rendering engines assisting artists to be more creative while producing photorealistic images. …

Nutrient Dynamics In Restored And Unrestored Urban Streams: A Study In The Southern Piedmont Ecoregion Of South Carolina, Emily Jordan

All Theses

The United States invests billions of dollars annually to perform stream restoration projects, yet few studies have investigated the effects ecological manipulation has on nutrient cycling and associated water quality. Water quality improvement remains a substantial motivation for mitigating catchment scale disturbances, especially in urban streams. Various land use practices impact the transfer and transport of nutrients such as ammonium (NH₄-N), nitrate plus nitrite (NO₃-N + NO₂-N) and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) from land into the flowing waters of a watershed. The uptake length (S_w), or the distance (m) a dissolved nutrient …

Using Visual Effects As A Means Of Establishing Or Reinforcing Scale In 3d Visual Works, Eric Dinicolantonio

All Theses

In 3D animation, visual effects help to establish and reinforce the scale of different characters and objects that are otherwise unclear. In the Fall of 2022, I taught a class about visual effects to several students. At the time, I had difficulty explaining the importance of properly scaling your 3D effects in order to add realism. With physically based effects, we must respect the laws of physics to create a visually realistic and understandable visual effect. Going through several of my previous projects, I found that I had made mistakes with scaling several of my effects. With this paper, I …

Fatigue Performance Of Flexural Retrofits For Precast Slab Bridges, Ian Stewart

All Theses

This thesis discusses flexural and cyclic load testing of two potential retrofits for pre-cast slab bridges. These slabs came from South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) decommissioned bridges as a part of an ongoing project with SCDOT. The first is a Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plate (CFRP) retrofit where four CFRP plates were adhesively bonded to the bottom of a slab. The second is a steel plate that was mechanically attached to the bottom of a slab using bolted connections. The bolts were cast into grouted holes in the slab. To better understand the failure mode of these retrofits and their …

The Impact Of The Csr Messages Type On Corporate Image: A Cross-Cultural Investigation, Hansen Lee

All Theses

This study investigates the impact of internal and external CSR messages on corporate image within a cross-cultural context. A 3 x 2 between-subjects experiment was conducted to examine the effects of CSR message types on general corporate image, trust, and credibility among U.S. and Chinese participants. The results revealed that U.S. and Chinese participants displayed varying levels of perceived corporate image and credibility. Chinese participants exhibited higher levels of trust, corporate image, and credibility after receiving CSR messages, regardless of type. Significant interaction effects were noted between CSR message type and culture on corporate image and credibility. Chinese participants had …

Japan’S Minorities: Nations Within A Nation, Christopher Shumard

All Theses

This thesis concerns the modern history of Japan’s ethnic minorities. These are the Zainichi Koreans, the Okinawans or Ryukyuan People, and the Ainu. Analyzing the feelings expressed in their literature, the constitution of and shifting nature of each group’s identity is tracked. The central argument of this thesis is that there is something innate to the human adherence towards group identity. It is the goal of this work to prove this claim through Japan’s three ethnic minorities which demonstrated this shared tendency and desire for a solid group identity around which individuals clustered under dire circumstances. These circumstances originated with …

An Emergentist Critique Of The Contract Theory Of The State Of Nature, With A Consideration On Two Types Of Polity And Their Origins., Ryan A. Apperson

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

The theories of the state of nature provided by the political philosophers Thomas Hobbes and John Locke have made a significant impact in the general conceptions of the origin of states. Though there are many critical differences in the conceptions of the state of nature between each in their seminal works, they both possess of a view of states that is rational and constructivist.

In this paper, I use the game theory concepts of the coordination game, collective action problem, and focal point to illustrate a lacuna in this rational and constructivist conception of the origin of states, as their …

Transferred Emissions Are Still Emissions: Why Fossil Fuel Asset Sales Need Enhanced Transparency And Carbon Accounting, Jack Arnold, Martin Lockman, Perrine Toledano, Martin Dietrich Brauch, Shraman Sen, Michael Burger

Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment

In a widely reported trend, the “Oil Supermajors” — BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Eni, ExxonMobil, Shell, and TotalEnergies — are selling off many upstream fossil fuel assets.

Selling these assets to entities that will continue producing and selling the fossil fuel resources does not necessarily reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but the supermajors have used these asset sales to support claims that they are making progress toward reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Emissions reporting frameworks allow companies to conflate the apparent emissions reductions from asset sales with direct reductions from efficiency improvements and asset retirements. In doing so, they hinder the ability …

The Gendered Shackles Of Clarissa Dalloway And Septimus Warren Smith, Abigail Coburn

The Criterion

No abstract provided.

Echoes Of Eternity: The (Meta)Physics Of Time And Space In Eugene Vodolazkin's Laurus, Samuel Jayasi

World Languages, Literatures and Cultures Honors Theses

This study will consider ways in which Eugene Vodolazkin demonstrates his aesthetic and cultural understanding of what he calls “Christian reenchantment” in his novel Laurus. While “national medievalism” and “Christian reenchantment” share concerns about postmodernism, Vodolazkin’s novel investigates not so much issues of Russian national identity, but the consciousness of the age itself. Leaving aside any possibility of representing some kind of new utopia to counter the problems of postmodernism as too historically traumatic, Vodolazkin recreates the “medieval mindset” as a way to introduce “Christian reenchantment” of the (fictional) world. In the novel, the return to the medieval way …

Seasonal Variation In Condition, Body Lipid, Reproductive Investment, And Diet In Brook Stickleback (Culaea Inconstans), Matthew P. Basista, Randal Snyder, Christopher Pennuto, Alicia Perez-Fuentetaja

Great Lakes Center Masters Theses

North-temperate fishes are subject to significant changes in abiotic and biotic conditions across seasons, which are likely reflected in temporal differences in energy dynamics, reproductive investment, and diet. This study explores seasonal changes in body lipid content, female reproductive investment (GSI), body condition (Fulton’s K), and diet in brook sticklebacks (Culaea inconstans) in Western New York. I expected body lipid content and body condition would decline during the breeding season reflecting energy expenditure for reproduction, and these parameters would increase in the summer and fall prior to the onset of winter. Based on previous studies, I also expected …

Lars Gustaf Sellstedt: Art In Buffalo And The Buffalo Fine Art Academy, Shannon N. Gilmartin

History Theses

This Master’s Thesis Project researches the life of a forgotten Buffalo artist, Lars Gustaf Sellstedt. He was born in Sundsvall, Sweden and started his life as a sailor when he became a cabin boy as an early teenager. For most of his young life until his mid-twenties, Sellstedt was a sailor traveling to all corners of the world. He started his journey as an artist while in between sailing jobs. Over many decades he portraits locally and abroad mainly in the Caribbean Islands. Sellstedt was one of the few artists in 19th century Buffalo, sharing the profession with William J. …

Passive Education, Passive Users: A Research-Informed Elementary Curriculum For Media Literacy, Surveillance, And Technology Engagement, Jocelyn Elizabeth Brooks

Communication Honors Theses

While media scholars have established that media literacy is imperative to strengthen media’s positive effects and limit its negative effects, elementary-aged children continue to be underserved in current and relevant media literacy education. To address this disparity, this thesis created an age-appropriate media literacy curriculum for children aged seven to nine, bolstered by a comprehensive review of the current literature, which was then taught to a second-grade class at a San Antonio charter school. Results found that students’ current knowledge of contemporary media literacy concepts is minimal, but students made significant improvements through implementation of the proposed curriculum. This project …

Psychopathy In Society: Understanding The Neural Mechanisms That Give Rise To Psychopathic Traits, Phoebe Zalenski

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Psychopathy is characterized as an individual exhibiting callousness, grandiosity, lack of empathy, and manipulative behavior towards others over a long period of time. Given these symptoms, psychopathy is associated with a markedly increased risk of arrest and imprisonment. Together, these findings highlight the importance of understanding the cause(s) of psychopathy, as doing so may help to develop treatments or preventative interventions. Prior work has suggested that structural abnormalities in the amygdala may play a role in clinical psychopathy; however, it is less clear whether amygdala abnormalities exist on a continuum of psychopathic traits. In this study, I aimed to determine …

Lonergan’S Concept Of Conversion: A Path To Antiracism, Laura Boysen-Aragon

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

Racism is Christian America’s original sin. Our country’s foundation was built with the hands of more than ten million kidnapped and enslaved persons. The Catholic Church was complicit as enslavers and beneficiaries of enslaved labor as well as the marginalizing of Black Catholics. Given the limited attention that has been given to these origin stories in our country and our church, it is unsurprising that systems of racism perpetuate today. Catholic theologian and ethicist Bryan Massingale provides a definition of racism as an ethos that lives on in U.S. society. Since the murder of George Floyd, a heightened awareness of …

Karl Rahner And Vatican Ii: A Sacramental Vision Of The Church, Geoffrey Watson

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

This paper is an exploration of Karl Rahner’s theology, his relationship to Vatican II, and the legacy of the council. In it, I examine not only Rahner’s role in the council but also the way in which his thinking has helped move the church from a Eurocentric, hierarchical institution, concerned mainly with its own sense of authority and holiness, to a more collegial, global church that embraced its identity as a community of sinners. First, I examine the sources behind the council texts, specifically Rahner’s transcendental Thomist background, as well as his specific understanding of grace and the role of …

Kenneth Tanaka And American Buddhism, Grace Laubach

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

In fairly recent history Buddhism has spread west to the United States. In doing so, it has faced many changes and transformations as people from different backgrounds have begun practicing and spreading its practices. In this process, many of the traditional aspects of Buddhism have been lost or traded for more modern ones, which has in turn led to the exclusion of many Buddhists of color from many primarily white, American Buddhist spaces. In analyzing the works of Kenneth Tanaka, the importance of utilizing both modern and traditional aspects of Buddhism within American Buddhism become clear as he discusses how …

Effects Of Cyclic Heat Stress On The Acute Inflammatory Response In Broilers, Alessandro J. Rocchi

Poultry Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Heat stress (HS) is a growing concern in broiler production due to increasing environmental temperatures. Little is known of the overall effect of HS on innate immunity. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an outer membrane component of Gram-negative bacteria, is commonly used to study the inflammatory response. In avian species, the local tissue and systemic inflammatory activities in response to LPS may be determined concurrently, over time, in an individual, using the growing feather (GF) pulp dermal test along with blood measurements (dual-window approach). To examine the effect of cyclic HS on the local and systemic acute inflammatory responses, Cobb 500 male broiler …

Studies In The Ancient Israelite Cult Of Dead Kin, Joshua Jacobs

World Languages, Literatures and Cultures Undergraduate Honors Theses

In 1986, Klaas Spronk published a monograph titled, Beatific Afterlife in Ancient Israel and in the Ancient Near East. Although many have criticized Spronk’s central thesis, his study began a new era in biblical scholarship on death and the afterlife in ancient Israel. More specifically, it sparked renewed interest in the study of the relationship between the living and the dead. Just three years after Spronk’s work, Theodore J. Lewis published his own study, Cults of the Dead in Ancient Israel and Ugarit (1989). Lewis affirmed and developed evidence for one of the foundational aspects of Spronk’s book: in …

Nuclear And Cytoplasmic Spatial Protein Quality Control Is Coordinated By Nuclear–Vacuolar Junctions And Perinuclear Escrt, Emily M. Sontag, Fabián Morales-Polanco, Jian-Hua Chen, Gerry Mcdermott, Patrick T. Dolan, Dan Gestaut, Mark A. Le Gros, Carolyn Larabell, Judith Frydman

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Effective protein quality control (PQC), essential for cellular health, relies on spatial sequestration of misfolded proteins into defined inclusions. Here we reveal the coordination of nuclear and cytoplasmic spatial PQC. Cytoplasmic misfolded proteins concentrate in a cytoplasmic juxtanuclear quality control compartment, while nuclear misfolded proteins sequester into an intranuclear quality control compartment (INQ). Particle tracking reveals that INQ and the juxtanuclear quality control compartment converge to face each other across the nuclear envelope at a site proximal to the nuclear–vacuolar junction marked by perinuclear ESCRT-II/III protein Chm7. Strikingly, convergence at nuclear–vacuolar junction contacts facilitates VPS4-dependent vacuolar clearance of misfolded cytoplasmic …

Advanced Cmos Process For Submicron Silicon Carbide (Sic) Device, Niloy Saha

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Silicon carbide (SiC) is a wide semiconductor material with superior material properties compared to other rival materials. Due to its fewer dislocation defects than gallium nitride and its ability to form native oxides, this material possesses an advantage among wide band gap materials. Despite having several superior properties its low voltage application is less explored. CMOS is extremely important in low voltage areas and silicon is the dominant player in it for the last 50 years where scaling has contributed a major role in this flourishment. The channel length of silicon devices has reached 3 nm whereas SiC is still …

An Experimental Study Into Tholin's Solubility With Liquid Hydrocarbons On Titan, Katherine Dzurilla

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Titan’s production of organics in its atmosphere and the liquid hydrocarbon lakes present on its surface make it a prime target for astrobiologists. Many previous studies on laboratory analogs of these organics, called "tholins", have found amino acids, nitriles, and other building blocks necessary for life. The potential solubility of tholins in the lakes of Titan presents an opportunity to create physical and chemical changes within the organics. While the lakes of Titan are primarily comprised of nonpolar compounds (methane and ethane), many predict that very small amounts of polar hydrocarbons are also present. To better understand these processes, researchers …

Development Of An Intervention For Improving Food Acceptance Of People With Hearing Loss, Sara Esther Jarma Arroyo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hearing loss, defined as the partial or total inability to hear sound in one or both ears, is the most common sensory deficit in adults to date. Approximately 15% of American adults aged 18 and over report some trouble hearing. The impact of hearing loss may be profound, with consequences for the social, functional, and psychological well-being of the person. Surprisingly, very little attention has been paid on whether auditory loss can significantly impact consumers’ sensory perception and overall enjoyment of food. There were four objectives of this dissertation study. Chapter 1 aimed to determine the impacts of hearing loss …

Green Infrastructure In The Ozarks: Northwest Arkansas Development Policy And The Open Space Plan, Daniel Holtmeyer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Northwest Arkansas regional planning authorities in 2016 released the Northwest Arkansas Open Space Plan, a voluntary document outlining ways to protect and preserve important open spaces even as the region’s population balloons and urban development spreads outward. No one appears to have made a systematic attempt to gauge the Plan’s impact on development decisions, however. In this thesis, I conduct a qualitative survey of several cities and counties’ planning codes and comprehensive plans to determine how much these policies have in common with the Open Space Plan’s essential principles. From that survey, I also conduct two case studies of recent …

Effect Of Human Decellularized Skeletal Muscle On Recovery From Volumetric Muscle Loss Injury, Jacob Schluns

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Volumetric muscle loss (VML) overwhelms muscle’s robust capacity for regeneration. A key event in the etiology of VML injury is the bulk loss of structural cues provided by the underlying extracellular matrix (ECM). While muscle is a highly structured tissue, with cell and ECM alignment in the direction of contractile force production, the impact of scaffold alignment on recovery remains unclear. Bulk human decellularized skeletal muscle (DSM) tissues were sectioned into 10 x 1-2 mm fibers. VML defects were repaired using multi-fiber implants consisting of approximately 8 fibers per defect arranged into two layers. Fibers were oriented 1) to the …

Misapplication Of Inverse Condemnation Liability: A Legal Analysis Of The Application Of Inverse Condemnation Liability On Electrical Utilities, Nadra Mamou

UC Law Constitutional Quarterly

No abstract provided.