Digital Commons Network^™

Fragility Encased, Ashley Carrasquillo

A Midwestern Review: A Magazine of the Arts and Issues at DePauw University

No abstract provided.

How To Burn The American Flag: Subversions Of The Flag Code Amid The Black Arts Movement, Abigail (Claire) Porfilio '23

Honor Scholar Theses

No abstract provided.

Which Line Shall I Stand, Chi Quế Phạm

A Midwestern Review: A Magazine of the Arts and Issues at DePauw University

No abstract provided.

Globalizing Sikhism: Modern-Day Representation Of Sikhs, Rubina Cheema '23

Honor Scholar Theses

With a following of more than thirty million individuals, Sikhism is the world’s fifth-largest religion. Despite this fact, the lack of awareness, understanding, and knowledge of what and who constructs Sikhism is globally provident through negative stereotypes perpetuated through a variety of media representations. This lack of understanding is further perpetuated by the lack of modern-day representation of Sikhs, especially within the Western world. This research will identify the modern-day representation of Sikhs through an analytical lens, with a focus on their status as a model minority within and outside India, and their representation in Western media and society. While …

Mission Concept User Guide: University Nanosatellite Program (Unp), Space Dynamics Laboratory

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

This guide is specific to the University Nanosatellite Program (UNP) Mission Concept Program and focuses heavily on mission design and initial systems engineering processes. Additional information covering mission design, systems engineering processes, detailed design, assembly, integration, and testing is available in the UNP Nanosatellite User Guide and other associated UNP resources. This guide assumes the reader has entry-level familiarity with engineering, space, and satellite concepts such as mechanical and electrical calculations and terms, orbits, and CubeSats. UNP provides much of this information during the Kickoff and Mission Design presentations.

Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase Inhibition: A Novel Therapeutic Strategy For Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease., Jeffrey Warner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) is a common chronic liver disease and healthcare burden, and a spectrum of pathologies ranging from steatosis to steatohepatitis, fibrosis, and alcohol-associated hepatitis (AH). Despite its prevalence, there are limited effective therapeutic options for the treatment of ALD/AH. Previous evidence suggested that inhibition of soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH), a lipid metabolism enzyme which degrades beneficial metabolites of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids, may be a beneficial strategy. The central hypothesis of the current dissertation is that sEH inhibition will ameliorate alcohol-associated liver injury and inflammation in mouse models of ALD. Methods To determine the efficacy of …

Toward A Comprehensive Account Of Orientation Selectivity In The Retina., Megan Zipperer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Retinal Ganglion Cells (RGCs) form functionally distinct signaling channels that selectively encode features of the visual input including direction of motion, contrast polarity, size, and color. A highly conserved visual channel amongst vertebrates conveys orientation selectivity, i.e., the selective firing of neuronal cells in response to elongated stimuli along a preferred orientation. Orientation selectivity is an apparent critical computation and several studies have reported aspects of it, including cell type identity in anatomical reconstructions, and functional characterization of at least four different identified RGC types. But how cell types in the different studies relate is not well resolved; the mechanisms …

Fear Of Becoming A Victim Of Crime On A College Campus: A Visual And Factorial Experimental Design Survey Analysis Of Location And Demographic Factors., Nancy Steinmetz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Vanessa LoBue (2013) states that the emotion of fear, “a signal of impending threat” (p. 38) is common among mammals. For over five decades, there has been substantial research into what in society, or our communities, makes us fearful. It is this author’s intention to examine how college students’ fear of crime or fear of victimization may be heightened or intensified by specific factors that are commonplace on college campuses and areas adjacent to those campuses. Nicole Rader (2004) argues that the fear of crime discourse needs to be expanded to a larger “construct” called “the threat of victimization” (p. …

Energy Cost And Performance Analysis Of Residential Microgrid, Ankon B. Sushil

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

A residential power consumption increases exponentially during peak time, which results higher energy cost compared to the non-peak time. Recently, power companies introduced a dynamic pricing scale to encourage consumers to shift loads to the non-peak time. By exploiting this dynamic pricing, a consumer significantly lowers electric bill. However, the management of microgrid with PV and ESS integrated with the grid from power companies requires sophisticated algorithms that can monitor the power generated by the PV, the power available at the ESS, and the power required by the consumer. An Energy Management System (EMS) can monitor all those variables and …

Evaluation Of The Sensitivity Of The Mepdg To Bottom‑Up Fatigue Cracking In South Carolina, Shilpa Girish, Bradley J. Putman, Ashish Kumar, Srinivasan Srinivasan

Faculty Journal Articles

The objective of the study was to evaluate the sensitivity of different input variables on the flexible pavement design thickness of high-speed, high-traffic routes in South Carolina using the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) by means of the AASHTOware Pavement ME design software. A combination of MEPDG input levels (Levels 1, 2, and 3) were used for pavement analysis based on the availability of data. The variables considered in this investigation included two-way average annual daily truck traffic (AADTT), asphalt mix type, climate station, subgrade type and resilient modulus, and aggregate base thickness. This study mainly focused on the bottom-up …

Author(Iz)Ing Literacy: A Rhetorical/Historical Analysis Of Literacy For College Readiness In Kentucky From Kera To The Common Core (And Beyond)., Susannah Kilbourne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation traces the economy of documents representing literacy for college readiness through an analysis of the interplay of literacy theory, literacy policy, and policy documentation. Specifically, this dissertation examines how college-level literacy is defined in Kentucky through a network of related documents. With Latour’s Actor-Network Theory serving as a theoretical frame, this dissertation tracks not only the vast and interconnected system of compositions operating as articulations of college-level literacy but also the presence (or absence) of rhetoric and composition’s compositions within the network of relations defining literacy for college readiness. This dissertation is divided into five chapters. Chapter One …

The Impact Of Kentucky’S Medicaid Expansion On Adult Coverage And Diagnosis Of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus And Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy, The Use Of Antihyperglycemics And The Role Of Social Determinants Of Health 2011-2018., Brian Mcroberts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: This study analyzed the impact of Medicaid expansion in Kentucky on coverage of adults aged 19-64 and the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) and the use of antidiabetic medications or insulin (antihyperglycemics) for T2DM, controlling for Social Determinants of Health (SDOH). Method: This study assembled ICD-based claims and prescription drug NDC claims from all adult residents of Kentucky enrolled in Medicaid from 2011 to 2018. Three-digit zip code (Zip-3) data was appended to each case from the American Community Survey to provide SDOH variables. Tests performed included ANOVA, decision trees, varimax rotated …

Effects Of Pyramidal Behavior Skills Training On The Procedural Integrity Of School Staff When Delivering Functional Communication Training To Students., Erica Mcclure

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Behavioral skills training (BST) is a commonly used, well-researched method for delivering training that has been shown to generate mastery and fidelity across multiple populations and skills. Despite the evidence supporting its use across multiple settings with a variety of populations, few studies have examined the use of pyramidal BST to train educators in a public school setting in the implementation of functional communication training (FCT). This study utilized a concurrent multiple probe across participants design to examine the effects of pyramidal BST on the procedural integrity of general education teachers providing FCT as part of an intervention plan. BST …

To Hell With 'That' Religion: Malcolm X And An Africana Critical Theory Of Religion., Jimmy Butts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Using Malcolm X as a fulcrum, this dissertation explores the possibility of resolving the apparent tension between religion and revolution in a Pan-African context. While the first chapter defines the terms “revolution” and “religion,” it also introduces readers to the conceptualization of religion as incompatible with revolution, and it presents Africana Critical Theory as the methodological tool used to guide how the author analyzed the possibility of rectifying that problem. The second chapter delineates the literature that has sought to address the potentially problematic relationship between religion and revolution. The author concludes that the Marxist tradition was too Eurocentric and …

Still Got The Blues - No Time But Here, No Place But Now: Geographies Of Art & Activism In The Work Of Clyde Woods., Jake Mace

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The fight against displacement and dispossession in the increasingly inequitable process of reterritorialization is arguably the most pressing struggle of the modern city – and it is articulated through cultural production as much as through political debate and economic development. Yet research that is at the nexus of critical, urban, and cultural studies and which explores the resistant potential of countercultural production rather than the hegemonic impact of mainstream cultural production is underdeveloped. Clyde Woods’s blues epistemology offers a guide to reading cultural production of marginalized groups as maps of meaning that offer alternative visions of the past, the present, …

The Association Of Long Working Hours And The Use Of Prescription Sedatives Among U.S. Workers., Emmanuel Ezekekwu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Meeting the needs of a round-the-clock and globalized society has led to an increase in long working hours. This trend has been accompanied by a corresponding rise in sleep disorders and subsequent use of sedating medications. Overtime hours have been associated with adverse health outcomes such as cardiovascular diseases, symptoms of psychological distress, and health behaviors, including risky intake of alcohol and smoking. Hence, the main objectives of this three-paper dissertation were to examine the multi-faceted relationship between working hours, the use of prescription sleep aids, the onset of psychological distress, and the use of health care services. METHODS: …

Hsp90 And Triglyceride Levels In Partially Migratory Canada Geese (Branta Canadensis) Populations, Audra Cote

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

The Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) is a partial migrant species, which means that some individuals migrate between breeding and nonbreeding grounds, while others remain in one location throughout the year. Eastern Virginia contains both permanent residents and overwintering migrants which breed in Canada's James Bay region. The metabolic demands of migration predict physiological differences between migrants and more sedentary residents, but they have been little studied in Canada Goose. Understanding such differences may help predict the resiliency of migratory birds to rapid climate change. We compared triglyceride and HSP90 (heat shock protein) in liver tissue extracted from resident and migrant …

Investigation Of Micp Based 3d Printed Soils, Kathleen Weston

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The advent of additive manufacturing, often called 3D printing, offers potential for new and more sustainable soil improvement techniques. Previous research at the University of Arkansas has examined Microbially Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP) as a possible binder option that is a more sustainable alternative to Portland cement and can be used in remote areas where Portland cement may not be available. The objective of this research is to develop an increased understanding of the potential of utilizing MICP as a spray binding technique for applications in 3D printed soils. The specific goals of this research include: examining the effectiveness of …

Impacts Of Diagonal Crosswalk Misuse, Elizabeth Francis

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

A diagonal crosswalk paired with an all-red phase traffic signal is an effective approach to manage intersections with high pedestrian volume. This allows pedestrians to cross both north-south and east-west bound roads at the same time. However, ineffective diagonal crosswalk marking, and lack of signs reduces the use of diagonal crosswalks which in turn results in jaywalking, often in unsafe capacities. The objective of this study is to determine the impacts of pedestrian-caused delay and safety impacts due to the misuse of a diagonal crosswalk. To better understand the impacts, a camera-based data collection was conducted during a four-hour period …

Paradigms Of The Post-Natural: Depicting Alternative Futures, Andrea De Haro, Charlotte Bascombe

Architecture Senior Theses

Paradigms of the Post Natural is a thesis that utilizes imagery and storytelling to critique present practices of design which disregard the protection of our environment. We are interested in current environmental degradation characteristics of the era of the anthropocene where human-centric design methods have manipulated and exploited the ecosystem in which we coexist with other organisms as destructive pursuits of human development. Our inspiration developed from a shared interest in the conservation of non-human organisms. Specifically, we are interested in ecocides, areas in which animals are forced to adapt as they experience the human destruction of their habitat. Examining …

Threshold Tectonics: Reclaiming Space Through Geomorphological Design, Amreeta Verma

Architecture Senior Theses

This research posits that a revitalization of indigenous earth architecture practices in a contemporary context can mitigate the immense waste and embodied carbon in the construction industry while engaging practices of land return and reclamation. Locally sourced earth materials are the focus of this research because when utilized in a circular consumption cycle, they can be reused or returned to the natural environment. Designing with a temporal understanding of material decay, changing site conditions, and project life cycle reduces the impact of construction waste on the burgeoning issue of environmental degradation and resource depletion. Material experimentation is used to develop …

Toxic Glacier: Confronting Our Society's Consumerism Culture, Valeria Otero Lopez

Architecture Senior Theses

This thesis is situated in the scenario of a dysfunctional society in which States refuse to cooperate with one another, and every State refuses to import NYC’s waste.

I’m proposing the implementation of a waste treatment plant that processes waste into a “Toxic Glacier” in Central Park, which was originally developed as a place to escape from the overcrowding and polluting streets. Because of the tremendous size this would conquer, there is nowhere in NYC to execute the project but the park.

This project uncovers the City’s hidden motives for concealing waste from its inhabitants. It questions the City’s intentions …

Mela: Vessels Of Ephemeral Architecture, Neha Tummalapalli

Architecture Senior Theses

In states of temporality, conventions can be challenged and reimagined. Ephemeral architecture responds to fluctuating conditions and are often built with lightweight, recycled materials that allow for reconfiguration and reinvention. Melas, Sanskrit for "gathering," become a lens through which ad hoc urbanism can be further explored in its most idealized form. Melas include gatherings of all scales that are commercial, celebratory, or religious. The large crowds and temporary nature of these events allow for thoughtful ephemeral configurations to be tried and tested.

The largest gathering of humans in the world is the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, India. This religious pilgrimages …

Investigation Of Microplastics In River Bottom Sediment Along The Musconetcong River, Nicole Perkins

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The knowledge of microplastics remains limited since there are scientific challenges in understanding long-term effects and health risks associated with microplastics in all environments. Challenges associated with microplastics investigations include limited approaches to microplastics sampling and analyses, understanding long‐term behavior of microplastics, the organismal and ecosystem health risks, and finding alternatives to using plastic. The research on microplastics has focused mainly on microplastics abundance and distribution in the environment, while their transport and pathways have remained rather understudied. The goal of this study was to expand our knowledge of microplastics in river sediment.

This microplastics investigation consisted of sampling the …

The Association Of Mindfulness, Passive Social Media Use, Social Comparisons, Fomo And Depression In College Students, Cody Weeks

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

There is mounting concern that social media use among young adults has contributed to the increase in depression in this population, particularly college students. Passive social media use (i.e., browsing or following behavior) has been linked to higher rates of depression and other mental health symptoms among college students. However, scant research has focused on factors that may be used to alter passive social media use and decrease depression, such as mindfulness. Thus, the current study aimed to examine 1) the association between passive social media use and mindfulness, 2) to assess the mechanisms by which mindfulness may influence passive …

Healing That Leads To Action : Restorative Justice, School Leadership, And Institutional Change, Jose B. Celis

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

When immigrant youth are harmed by institutional policies and practices that reinforce idealized notions of nationalism and assimilation through subtractive and coercive strategies, school leaders can turn to restorative justice as a technology of resistance. This participatory action research study, with the author as a participant, captures four school leaders from Colorado, New York, and New Jersey, who interrogated institutional policies and practices and promoted authentic inclusion and equity for immigrant youth through restorative justice. As we participated in a process of collective restorative contemplation, we engaged in a form of personal healing that guided intentional and thoughtful action to …

Table Of Contents, Colorado Environmental Law Journal

Colorado Environmental Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Enemy Of My Enemy Is My Friend. The Return Of Wolves Through Federal Authority And Tribal Treaty Rights, Cameron Abatti

Colorado Environmental Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Front Matter, Colorado Environmental Law Journal

Colorado Environmental Law Journal

No abstract provided.

April 2022 Un Permanent Forum On Indigenous Issues: Comments, Ofelia Zepeda

Colorado Environmental Law Journal

No abstract provided.