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Bismuth oxide nanocomposites for photocatalytic degradation of halogenated pollutants
No full textHalogenated compounds pose significant challenges to environmental remediation due to
their stable carbon-halogen (C-X) bonds. Most photocatalysts employed are wide bandgap
semiconductors (>3.2 eV) activated under UV irradiation. Current semiconductor photocatalysts
also often utilize expensive noble metal cocatalysts to assist in charge carrier transportation to
prevent recombination. This project aims to develop a heterostructured material with a broad
range of solar light activation, with a sustainable alternative to noble metal cocatalysts to degrade
halogenated pollutants. To improve on both component materials a direct Z-scheme
heterostructure of the two has been devised (BiVO4/BiOF) to increase the charge carrier transfer
rate of BiVO4 and to minimize the energetic requirement to activate the BiOF material. Carbon
dots (CDs) will also be decorated onto the base heterojunction to act as cocatalysts to increase
surface area and further improve charge separation by forming conductive nanodomains. Upon
photoexcitation, both components will begin to form electron-hole pairs but the electrons from
the more positive BiOF material’s conduction band will migrate to the hole rich valence band of
the BiVO4. These electrons become excited to the conduction band of the BiVO4 which
accumulates the majority of excited electrons due to its higher reduction potential. This
maximizes charge separation by aggregating electrons at the higher reduction potential of the
BiVO4 while leaving the holes at the higher oxidation potential of the BiOF. CDs will act as a sustainable alternative to noble metals cocatalysts that also have the unique property to
upconvert longer wavelengths of light into shorter energetic wavelengths that will assist in the
activation of the wide bandgap BiOF. BiVO4/BiOF and CD@BiVO4/BiOF heterostructures were synthesized using a surfactant-mediated hydrothermal method at a mild temperature. A
synthesized surfactant precursor, cetyltrimethylammonium fluoride (CTAF), was used to act as a
soft template and halide source for controlled nanoplate formation of the BiOF.M. S
emBODYed
No full textemBODYed explores the physical and mental impressions of how emotions are stored within the body. Drawing from influences such as Mark Rothko, Henri Matisse, and the Expressionist movement, this body of work is informed equally by personal experience and academic research. Color, texture, and form are used to show how complex feelings can be seen and felt. My approach is grounded in somatic research, specifically Nummenmaa’s “Bodily Maps of Emotions,” which shows how different emotions are associated with different parts of the body. Each piece in the collection aims to nurture a greater awareness of the ways we carry, suppress, or express our emotions, challenging black and white thinking about how feelings work, and encouraging deeper reflection. emBODYed is a way of intersecting art and psychology to express what words sometimes fail to do.B. A.School of Ar
Burnout in graduate assistants
No full textGraduate assistants occupy a unique position in higher education, balancing academic responsibilities with employment obligations in exchange for tuition remission and modest stipends. This population is known for high levels of stress without access to proper resources to cope with the high demands of graduate school. Limited research has shown high levels of burnout in graduate assistants. Burnout is a psychological syndrome resulting from sustained stress from one’s work. Burnout is measured using three dimensions: exhaustion, inefficacy, and cynicism. Burnout, stress, and other mental health concerns are associated with negative health consequences, stifled academic success, and can even prevent degree completion. Graduate students are already inherently less likely to finish their degrees. In this novel and exploratory study, I apply quantitative survey methodology to measure burnout in graduate assistants. I employ the Maslach Burnout Inventory Student Survey and General Survey to measure academic and occupational burnout, respectively. In addition, I asked participants to report on demographic factors, academic factors, and occupational factors to determine relationships between these independent variables and both academic and occupational exhaustion, inefficacy, and cynicism. Through bivariate and multivariate linear regression modeling, I found significant relationships between independent and dependent variables. A common theme was the resilience of international students to burnout. Additionally, I found positive associations between the number of credits a student takes and both occupational and academic exhaustion. Non-cisgender participants were significantly associated with higher levels of both occupational and academic exhaustion. Additionally, I provide suggestions for future research and implementation of anti-burnout initiatives.D.Ed
Predictors of willingness to ask for help in the elderly population
No full textDepression can be quite prevalent in the elderly population, and what’s worse is the varying abilities and willingness in the elderly populations to ask for help. In this study, I am attempting to see if there are ways to be able to predict if elderly people are willing to ask for help. This will help society understand where to focus our attention on supporting this community. We found that there are predictors using Classification and Regression Trees, Random Forest, Generalized Boosted Regression Models. We are able to predict varying levels of elderly participants’ willingness to ask for help based on their social grasp, how many close people they have to them, and the amount of concern they show for others. Marital status, social and religious activity, health conditions, cognitive impairment, and history of depression were not good predictors of if an elderly person would ask for help.M.S
Self-directed learning to promote healthy lifestyles for adults with chronic illness
No full textFor adults living with type 2 diabetes, accessing self-directed learning opportunities to help manage and reduce their illness can be challenging due to many perceived barriers. Often, these struggles can limit access to medications, quality healthcare, and the resources needed for self-directed learning to decrease symptoms. Access to obtaining information within the healthcare system about their condition or lifestyle changes they might want to make can be difficult. The purpose of this qualitative narrative study was to explore the challenges and barriers to self-directed learning opportunities for adults with type 2 diabetes in central Indiana as they seek education to manage their condition and adopt healthy lifestyle habits. Five participants with type 2 diabetes shared their experiences, challenges, and their self-directed learning process related to their chronic illness. The study analyzed and identified the lack of knowledge and access to self-directed learning that hinders the promotion of healthy behaviors among adults with type 2 diabetes. The results of this study broaden the understanding of perceived barriers related to self-directed learning opportunities for adults with type 2 diabetes who want to learn how to adopt healthier lifestyle habits. The implications for future research included identifying perceived barriers, innovative ideas, methodologies, and opportunities that can be introduced to help adults with type 2 diabetes manage their chronic illness. Recommendations for future research could examine multiple diagnoses, broader demographics, and a different age range within chronic illness, which might offer additional perspectives to broaden the scope of the research questionsD.Ed
"Indiana knows no north, no south, nothing but the Union:" Indiana's congressional delegation and the Compromise of 1850
No full textThis study utilizes newspapers and congressional speeches to determine how Indiana’s congressmen viewed the idea of union in the face of growing political tensions concerning sectionalism and disunion during the winter of 1849-1850. While some Hoosier politicians argued Indiana believed in only the Union, and not sectionalism, the speeches of four Indiana representatives, and the votes of the entire delegation, shows that they acknowledged and operated within the sectional politics of the time. While they all supported the Union, their votes on the Compromise of 1850, especially the Fugitive Slave Act, indicates that their unionism had a limit and they did show a preference to one section or the other.M.A
Effects of altered hydrology and changes in plant communities on aquatic biofilm composition in a northern peatland
No full textAccess to thesis permanently restricted.Access to abstract permanently restricted.M. S
Developing a model for biophilic public schools through natural light
No full textSchools everywhere are not suited to nourish student or adult minds, as well as their health and
well-being. This study will go into Biophilic Patterns – specializing in the effects of daylight –
within design and explain the importance of these patterns in relation to human evolution, and
ways these patterns can be implemented into public school classrooms. This study will first go
into the background of students and their current situation of wellbeing in the world today. After
this, the study will go into the research previously conducted in five case studies. These case
studies will be analyzed on several factors that will relate to the lighting and how students and
teachers feel in these particular instances. Then this project will analyze how these patterns can
be used to better the everyday lives of students; from this information there will be models as to
how to incorporate these items into schools.M. A
Determining the effect of DHX36/G4R1 knockout of C9orf72-linked FTD
No full textFrontotemporal dementia (FTD) is an early-onset, progressive, and deadly neurodegenerative disease lacking effective treatments. FTD is characterized by changes in mood, behavior, and executive control, and is often accompanied by losses in motor control. A hexanucleotide repeat expansion (HRE) of the sequence GGGGCC (G4C2) in intron 1 of C9orf72 has been identified as the most common genetic cause of FTD (C9 FTD). Healthy individuals typically have 2-30 repeats whereas C9 FTD patients can have 100’s to 1000’s of repeats. This HRE contributes to FTD by at least two general mechanisms: gain of toxicity and haploinsufficiency. Haploinsufficiency is a result of the 50% loss of the C9ORF72 protein. Gain of toxicity manifests in two forms, RNA foci and dipeptide repeats (DPRs). RNA foci sequester RNA binding proteins important to many cellular processes including splicing and translation. DPRs arise from the non-canonical repeat associated non-AUG (RAN) translation, forming DPRs aggregates in cells that disrupt protein homeostasis, nuclear transport, and induce cellular stress. As a G-rich sequence, the G4C2 HRE can form stable DNA and RNA structures known as G-quadruplexes that modulate transcription and translation respectively. DHX36, aliases RHAU and G4R1, is the major G-quadruplex helicase in human cells, able to tightly bind and resolve G-quadruplexes. We and others have shown that knock down of DHX36 in human cell lines significantly reduces DPR abundance, suggesting a role in C9 FTD. However, the use of in vivo models to determine the role of DHX36 in C9 FTD had not been pursued prior to this work. Utilizing a novel transgenic mouse model, I show that DHX36 KO in the forebrain of mice reduces toxic C9 FTD hallmarks, while not negatively impacting tissue morphology or behavior. These data further support previous biochemical and cell culture data suggesting that DHX36 is a suitable therapeutic target to treat C9 ALS/FTD.M. S
Cultural orientation, self-construal, trait mindfulness, and social support moderate the relationship between ACEs and depression, anxiety, and stress
No full textThis research aims to help elucidate the positive association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and depression, anxiety, and stress symptom levels by examining four moderators- trait mindfulness, cultural orientation, social support, and self-construal. It was predicted that the relationship between ACEs and depression, anxiety, and stress symptom levels would be weaker for individuals with higher levels of mindfulness, collectivism, interdependent self-construal, and social support. Data was collected from a diverse sample and participants’ cultural orientation and self-construal were collected instead of using race/ethnicity as a proxy for inferring cultural background. A limitation found in most studies examining cultural orientation is that they use participants’ race or ethnicity as a proxy for inferring their cultural orientation and there is a dearth of research on ACEs in relation to cultural context. Mindfulness, collectivism, interdependent self-construal, and social support did not moderate the relation between ACEs and depression, anxiety, and stress symptom levels. Contrary to the study’s predictions, interactions between individualism and depression, anxiety and stress symptoms as well as the interaction between independent self-construal and depression, anxiety and stress symptom levels approached significance. Implications and future directions are discussed.M. A