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Characterization Of Iron Phthalocyanine As The Cathode Active Material For Lithium-Ion Batteries Apr 2015

Characterization Of Iron Phthalocyanine As The Cathode Active Material For Lithium-Ion Batteries

Stander Symposium Projects

This project presents the characterization of iron phthalocyanine (FePc) as the cathode active material to be used in higher specific lithium storage and energy density lithium-ion cells/batteries. Theoretical work suggested the control of the active material particle size for its optimum utilization during the discharge of lithium-ion cells. Also, the experimental work reported the lithium storage in FePc is equivalent to 2050 mAh/g FePc that was encouraging to characterize FePc as a potential cathode material. In experimental work, two types of cells were tested: 1) high temperature polyethylene oxide electrolyte-based lithium/FePc cells and 2) room temperature organic liquid electrolyte-based lithium/FePc …


Muslim Saudi Female Student Development, Successes, And Learning Experience At A Catholic Institution Apr 2015

Muslim Saudi Female Student Development, Successes, And Learning Experience At A Catholic Institution

Stander Symposium Projects

The number of Muslim Saudi female students is increasing at American institutions. This qualitative research explored the Muslim Saudi female student’s development, successes, and learning experiences at a Catholic institution. The main purpose of the research is to assist Privet Catholic institution in the United States to support the essential needs of Muslim Saudi female students. This research is going to provide valuable information which will help administrators, professors and students to understand the Muslim Saudi female student. Themes included: respect of other religions, meaning in catholic universities engaging Muslim Saudi female students, and the influence of the Intensive English …


Research Exercise: Drosophila Eye Model To Demonstrate The Role Of Microrna-277 In Alzheimer's Disease Apr 2015

Research Exercise: Drosophila Eye Model To Demonstrate The Role Of Microrna-277 In Alzheimer's Disease

Stander Symposium Projects

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder associated with gradual cognitive impairment and memory decline. As the most common form of dementia, AD currently affects more than 5 million Americans and is expected to affect over 16 million Americans by 2050, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. This disease is characterized by the accumulation of Amyloid-beta 42 (Aβ-42) polypeptides, resulting from the hydrophobic nature of an improperly cleaved transmembrane protein called the amyloid precursor protein (APP). When the APP is cleaved to be 42 amino acids long instead of 40, plaques are formed that alter cellular pathways, inhibit synaptic activity, …


Ops 495 Senior Capstone Consulting Projects Session 2 Of 2 Apr 2015

Ops 495 Senior Capstone Consulting Projects Session 2 Of 2

Stander Symposium Projects

Senior OPS majors provide presentations of their capstone consulting projects.


Statistics Content Of Elementary Mathematics Textbooks Apr 2015

Statistics Content Of Elementary Mathematics Textbooks

Stander Symposium Projects

This summer at Sam Houston State University, I, along with four coresearchers, investigated the nature and extent of the statistical content in U.S. textbooks for students in grades 1-5 by examining five textbook series. Using the Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE) Report, we systematically coded statistics tasks into four phases: Formulate a Question, Collect Data, Analyze Data, and Interpret Results. The Analyze Data phase was divided into four categories: Read a Display, Perform a Mathematical Calculation, Construct a Display, and Use Other Statistical Reasoning. We analyzed our results by looking at the location of the statistics …


The Effect Of Race In Juvenile Sentencing Apr 2015

The Effect Of Race In Juvenile Sentencing

Stander Symposium Projects

This study seeks to explore the effects a juvenile's race will have on adjudication and dispositional sentencing. This study will be comprised of content analyses looking at case level data from southwestern Ohio. I will be comparing juvenile court cases across race by both gender and offense committed. This study will analyze how white juveniles and African American juveniles are sentenced when they come into contact with the juvenile justice system. I will account for previous offenses and compare juveniles with priors only to other juveniles with prior records. I plan to reach out to the justice systems in the …


The Relationship Between Executive Functioning Skills (Ef) And Spontaneous Focusing On Numerosity (Sfon) In Preschoolers Apr 2015

The Relationship Between Executive Functioning Skills (Ef) And Spontaneous Focusing On Numerosity (Sfon) In Preschoolers

Stander Symposium Projects

Longitudinal data is currently being collected in order to examine the relationship between children’s Spontaneous Focusing on Numerosity (SFON) and children’s cognitive control skills, or executive functioning (EF). SFON refers to a child’s tendency to focus on the characteristic of number in his/her environment without being explicitly instructed to do so. Previous research has shown that both SFON and EF are important predictors of children’s mathematical ability. However, literature has not yet examined what influences SFON or how it develops. This data, collected in fall of 2014 and currently in spring of 2015, includes a battery of assessments of children’s …


Research Exercise: Utilization Of The Gordon Music Learning Theory In Elementary Classroom Music Apr 2015

Research Exercise: Utilization Of The Gordon Music Learning Theory In Elementary Classroom Music

Stander Symposium Projects

The Gordon Music Learning Theory is an example of a sight-before-sound method. It focuses on audiation, which is not just hearing the music, but comprehending it as well. There are other methods of instruction such as Kodály, Orff-Schulwerk, and Dalcroze that also use the idea of hearing first, but which do not follow the same sequential order of learning. A survey was conducted to determine which method(s) were most familiar to elementary educators in Southwest Ohio. Results demonstrated that Kodály was the most familiar method, and the Gordon Music Learning Theory was the least familiar. Additionally, the survey asserted that …


Differential Effects Of Commercially Available Probiotics On Listeria Monocytogenes Virulence Apr 2015

Differential Effects Of Commercially Available Probiotics On Listeria Monocytogenes Virulence

Stander Symposium Projects

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen which can cause lethal infections in immunocompromised individuals. These infections involve meningitis in the elderly or spontaneous abortions of neonates--both scenarios result from Listeria crossing the intestinal barrier. The conditions that promote Listeria invasion during the intestinal phase of infection are not clearly defined. We have evidence that suggests intestinal fermentation acids as potential signals for Listeria virulence regulation. Therefore, we hypothesized that probiotic bacteria, which generate different fermentation acids, will exhibit different levels of inhibition against Listeria virulence. To test how different probiotic bacteria affect Listeria virulence, we used two commercially available probiotics …


Coding Dna Into Music: An Alternate Way Of Analysis Apr 2015

Coding Dna Into Music: An Alternate Way Of Analysis

Stander Symposium Projects

Our study’s purpose is take a completely different approach to understanding DNA, specifically non-coding segments. How we will do this is through coding DNA into music. By applying a system that codes known information of DNA into sound, music could prove to be a powerful means of finding patterns in DNA. It is possible that hearing the segments could allow our brains to pinpoint patterns that are not found through computational or experimental analysis. Music may also open up the expression of complex patterns that are visually hidden. The application of DNA to music will also allow for very long …


Research Exercise: Pathway Toward The End-Of-Life Options For Medical Devices And Equipment Apr 2015

Research Exercise: Pathway Toward The End-Of-Life Options For Medical Devices And Equipment

Stander Symposium Projects

At the end of life, medical equipment can follow three major paths. The first being destruction, medical equipment which cannot be sterilized and is contaminated, then are incinerated; an example of this would be surgical waste that is soaked in bodily fluids and cannot possible be re-used. Some equipment contains toxic elements such as mercury and are dealt with according to the proper regulations and standards. The second path is recycling option. For example, in the case of MRI machines and many medical devices, more than 90% by weight can be recycled for material content. The final major path medical …


Relative Performance Evaluation Incentives In Ceo Compensation Contracts Apr 2015

Relative Performance Evaluation Incentives In Ceo Compensation Contracts

Stander Symposium Projects

Executive compensation is frequently discussed and criticized by the media, lawmakers, regulators, experts, and the public. The primary issue that companies face when compensating executives is how to align the goals of executives with the goals of various stakeholders in order to motivate executive decisions that increase the value of the company to shareholders, employees, the public, regulators, and others. Academics find that executives’ interests are often best aligned by making compensation contingent on company performance. One method of compensating executives that is frequently discussed is comparing a company’s performance to that of a peer group of companies. This type …


Behavioral Activation In A Homeless Shelter: Development And Validation Of The Behavioral Activation Treatment Efficacy Measure Apr 2015

Behavioral Activation In A Homeless Shelter: Development And Validation Of The Behavioral Activation Treatment Efficacy Measure

Stander Symposium Projects

Beginning in the summer of 2013, Reeb and colleagues implemented a Behavioral Activation (BA) Program in a homeless shelter for men. Based on operant conditioning, BA is a “therapeutic process that emphasizes structured attempts at engendering increases in overt behaviors that are likely to bring [the person] into contact with reinforcing environmental contingencies and produce corresponding improvements in thoughts, mood, and overall quality of life” (Hopko et al., 2003, p. 700). Quantitative and qualitative results show that BA has efficacy in increasing homeless men’s participation in various shelter activities (Reeb et al., 2014). With funding from the Graduate Student Summer …


Does That "Ring A Bell?" The Effects Of Music-Induced Emotions On Recall Of A Story Apr 2015

Does That "Ring A Bell?" The Effects Of Music-Induced Emotions On Recall Of A Story

Stander Symposium Projects

This research examined the effects of music-induced emotions on memory for information from a story. Previous research has revealed that music is a reliable tool for mood manipulation (Vuoskoski & Eerola, 2012), and emotion has been shown to be a memory enhancer (Janke, 2008). Tesoriero and Rickard (2012) provide two major theories for how music and memory interact, emotional arousal theory and mood congruence theory. The emotional arousal theory predicts that when emotions are aroused there will be an overall enhanced memory for attended information. Further, the mood congruence theory predicts enhanced memory for information that is congruent with reported …


Does Study Abroad Impact Students’ Personality? Apr 2015

Does Study Abroad Impact Students’ Personality?

Stander Symposium Projects

International education is universally valued both in academics and the job market because of the perception that those who study abroad have increased intercultural awareness, experience with diversity, and opportunity for personal growth. Given that students who are studying abroad are experiencing increased independence and experience with a new culture, this is a potential time for the development of perspective-taking, empathic concern, non-prejudice, and other forms of personal growth. The present, longitudinal study collected narrative and non-narrative data on these qualities of personality development before, during, and after the participants’ studies. For comparison, we gathered the same measures with a …


Effects Of Single-Dose Dietary Nitrate On Oxygen Consumption During And After Prolonged Submaximal Exercise In Healthy Humans Apr 2015

Effects Of Single-Dose Dietary Nitrate On Oxygen Consumption During And After Prolonged Submaximal Exercise In Healthy Humans

Stander Symposium Projects

Dietary nitrate (NO3-) has been shown to impact oxygen consumption (VO2) as well as exercise performance in a number of prior studies. To date, previous investigations have observed NO3- effects at moderate to high-intensity (e.g. time to fatigue, time trials) exercise and often in trained athletes. However, less is known in regards to prolonged exercise and the potential impact of NO3- on post-exercise excess oxygen consumption (EPOC), particularly in untrained individuals. Here, we tested the hypothesis that acute dietary nitrate supplementation would attenuate VO2 during and following prolonged cycle ergometry. Six young, moderately active, healthy males (age: 26±2 years, body …


Retained Earnings As A Determinant Of The Cross Section Of Returns Apr 2015

Retained Earnings As A Determinant Of The Cross Section Of Returns

Stander Symposium Projects

The objective of this study is to find out if retained earnings is a determinant of portfolio returns in the cross section. Two hypotheses are tested. First, that value stocks with higher levels of retained earnings will out perform value stocks with lower levels of retained earnings. Second, that growth stocks operate differently in that stocks with low levels of retained earnings will outperform stocks with high levels of retained earnings. For the cross section analysis, the S&P 500 is divided into 10 groupings of 50 stocks each by firm size. using price to book, the top 50 and bottom …


Relative Value And Momentum Weighting For A Concentrated Portfolio Of Health Care Stocks Apr 2015

Relative Value And Momentum Weighting For A Concentrated Portfolio Of Health Care Stocks

Stander Symposium Projects

A key factor in portfolio returns is the weights given to stocks in a portfolio of stocks. Capital Asset Pricing Models indicate that the weight assigned to a stock should be based on its risk premium to the market. In recent years, attention has focused on firm size, relative valuation, and earnings momentum as the appropriate weighting strategies. In this study I focus my attention on large size firms in the health care sector using a concentrated portfolio of the 10 largest holdings in the SPDR Health Care ETF. I use a combination of relative value and momentum weighting strategies …


Are Intermediate Stage Product Prices Early Warning Indicators Of U.S. Final Goods Prices? A Covariance Analysis For The Period 2004-2014. Apr 2015

Are Intermediate Stage Product Prices Early Warning Indicators Of U.S. Final Goods Prices? A Covariance Analysis For The Period 2004-2014.

Stander Symposium Projects

In this study I examine the correlation patterns between the price movements for the four intermediate stages of production and final demand prices. Since changes in final demand prices reflect both the levels of demand for goods and services and the rate of inflation, they are particularly important to investors in the financial markets.Using step-wise regression analysis, I develop predictor equations that show final demand prices as a function of the prices for the four intermediate stages of production. Monthly times series for the above price variables over the period 2004-2014 are used in the analysis. I expect all of …


Assessing Shape Repeatability In Variable Geometry, Polymer Extrusion Dies Apr 2015

Assessing Shape Repeatability In Variable Geometry, Polymer Extrusion Dies

Stander Symposium Projects

Polymer extrusion is a manufacturing process of forcing a melted plastic through a die to create a continuous part with a constant cross-section dictated by the die’s geometry. The typical process uses a fixed die that creates high output at low cost when compared to injection molding. The overarching goal of this project is to develop dies capable of changing cross sectional area during the extrusion process. Preliminary dies have been designed, created and operated in a production process. In order to test the shape repeatability of these dies, a laser scanner was used to capture cross sections at numerous …


Nano-Scale Patterns Of Molybdenum On Glass Substrate For Use In Super-Resolution Imaging With Metamaterials. Apr 2015

Nano-Scale Patterns Of Molybdenum On Glass Substrate For Use In Super-Resolution Imaging With Metamaterials.

Stander Symposium Projects

Photolithography is widely used to transfer a geometric pattern from a mask to a photoresist film, but the minimum feature sizes are limited by diffraction through the mask. Focused ion beam and electron beam lithography can be used when higher resolution is desired, but the write times are long and costly. Deep ultraviolet interference lithography, which is a maskless technique, can be used as an alternative to produce high resolution patterns with feature sizes as small as 100 nm. Since double negative metamaterial superlenses can be used for super-resolving and imaging sub-wavelength objects, there is a need for fabricating such …


Determining Volume Changes From Overhead Video Surveillance Apr 2015

Determining Volume Changes From Overhead Video Surveillance

Stander Symposium Projects

Cost effective persistent wide area surveillance is a challenging real-world problem that research has not sufficiently tackled yet. At present, surveillance corporations spend millions on human analysts to monitor live or recorded video feeds. Depending on the application, the analysts may be looking for unauthorized activities, suspicious behavior, or a more specific sequence of events. Human performance is costly and is often affected by ambiguous definitions of anomalies as well as natural factors such as fatigue. We present a fully automatic 3D change detection technique designed to support persistent overhead surveillance in changing environmental conditions. The novelty of the work …


Design And Mimo Control Of A Hyper-Redundant Robotic Arm Apr 2015

Design And Mimo Control Of A Hyper-Redundant Robotic Arm

Stander Symposium Projects

An application robotic platform has been constructed based on the kinematic model of a 9-DOF hyper-redundant manipulator. The efficacy of our kinematic algorithm affects the accuracy and stability of both motion control and path tracking. An objective of this work is to achieve multi-input multi output (MIMO) control, where the inputs are the torques at each joint, and they are used to control joint dynamic variables such as position, orientation, velocity and acceleration in a hyper-redundant robotic system. This control approach can highly improve the robotic performance considering both its kinematics and dynamics while executing motion control or tracking a …


Research Exercise: The Implications For Instruction Under The Common Core State Standards In Mathematics And The Effect On Students With Dyscalculia Apr 2015

Research Exercise: The Implications For Instruction Under The Common Core State Standards In Mathematics And The Effect On Students With Dyscalculia

Stander Symposium Projects

Dyscalculia and the new CCSS for mathematics are interconnected in regards to the second question asked about the standards. The CCSS-M have implications for instruction that correspond with instructional strategies that are suggested as modifications for students with dyscalculia. Real world applications can move the lesson from a lecture to visual, auditory and kinesthetic aspects to the lessons, depending on the topic. These aspects have shown to help these students. The conceptual focus with the CCSS-M implies a teaching strategy that moves from teaching the procedure to teaching the mathematical concepts, and the reasoning for the procedure, rather than just …


Understanding The Role Of The Common Core State Standards In Catholic Education Apr 2015

Understanding The Role Of The Common Core State Standards In Catholic Education

Stander Symposium Projects

In 2009, the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) revolutionized academic standards, providing a format adopted by states across America that focused on raising Math and English Language Arts standards as preparation for colleges and careers. In conjunction with the adoption and implementation of the CCSS across the United States, Catholic schools have worked towards the strengthening and advancement of their own educational systems. This thesis first examines the background of the CCSS, including implementation and professional development, as well as the opposition regarding the standards. The paper presents an overview of the history of academic standards in Catholic education and …


Multistage Flash Desalination With An Integrated Solar System Apr 2015

Multistage Flash Desalination With An Integrated Solar System

Stander Symposium Projects

Desalination is considered to be a promising solution to overcome the problems of water shortage especially for countries that have dry weather conditions with less rainfall around the year. Thermal processes have the highest capacity among all other desalination processes but it consumes significant amount of fossil fuel which severely affects the environment in diverse aspects. On that end, the importance of using renewable energy source such as solar desalination has increased in the present time. In solar desalination, the energy can be transferred in the form of either thermal energy as used in thermal storage technologies or electrical energy …


Variable Extrusion Dies That Exhibit Significant Change In Exit Area Apr 2015

Variable Extrusion Dies That Exhibit Significant Change In Exit Area

Stander Symposium Projects

Conventional polymer extrusion is a common manufacturing process in which plastic resin is melted and pulled through a fixed-geometry die plate to produce a shape. This process creates long parts with a uniform cross-sectional area, including pipes, molding, and window frames. Shape-changing dies would expand the capabilities of extrusion by allowing the cross-sectional area to change over the length of the extruded part. This would allow for parts manufactured more quickly and at a lower tooling cost, as compared to other processes such as injection molding. A constant extruder screw speed is desired throughout the process due to the pellets …


Someone Call The Interpreter: Experiences Of At-Risk International Students At A Mid-Western Catholic Institution Apr 2015

Someone Call The Interpreter: Experiences Of At-Risk International Students At A Mid-Western Catholic Institution

Stander Symposium Projects

This study offers insight into the benefits of academic and career coaching courses for academically at-risk international students at a Mid-Western religious affiliated four-year private institution. It also explored how they relate to the perceived future academic success of international students. This study informs how academic coaching services can be designed to meet their unique needs so that future international students can thrive and succeed in U.S. higher education systems. Data was collected through qualitative in person interviews with current or former international students who were asked to participate in an academic and career-coaching course. This study revealed that despite …


Study Hard Not Party Hard: Influence Of High-Risk Drinking On Academic Attendance And Participation Apr 2015

Study Hard Not Party Hard: Influence Of High-Risk Drinking On Academic Attendance And Participation

Stander Symposium Projects

This study examines the influence high-risk alcohol consumption has on academic, co/extracurricular student engagement. The effects of alcohol in relation to college students has been examined by researchers and leading academics. However, studies have not extensively examined the effects of high-risk alcohol consumption beyond its influence on student behavior or students’ interpretive “success” in college. This study focuses on attendance and participation as an essential attribute to academic success and completion. Ten student participants were selected based on initial survey responses from areas of Housing & Residence Life, Office of Multicultural Affairs, Office of Learning Resources, and Greek Life. The …


Did That Just Happen? Acts Of Bias And Perception Of Campus Racial Climate Of Racially Minority Students At A Predominantly White Institution Apr 2015

Did That Just Happen? Acts Of Bias And Perception Of Campus Racial Climate Of Racially Minority Students At A Predominantly White Institution

Stander Symposium Projects

Whether covert or overt, racism, racial prejudice, stereotyping, discrimination, and microaggressions are acts in which many marginalized students’ experience, particularly on predominantly white colleges. The study was designed to examine the perception of the campus racial climate among racial minority students after a bias incident has occurred and identify coping strategies and support structures that promote the students ability to matriculate and persist. This examination is critical in properly addressing issues on campus and ultimately supporting students who experience daily challenges as it relates to their perceived racial identification. Findings provided an overview of student experiences on campus as it …