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Generalized covering projections and fibrations with unique path lifting
No full textCovering space theory is an important tool of algebraic topology, as it gives rise to a rich interplay
between self-homeomorphisms of spaces and the group theory of homotopy classes of loops.
However, for spaces that are locally not well behaved, this theory is somewhat limited. To illustrate
this, we first revisit a classical example, the Infinite Earring, which is known to not have a universal
covering space. For the latter fact, we present a version of a proof from the literature, but with a
somewhat more geometric flavor. We then explain why there is a simply connected fibration with
unique path lifting over the Infinite Earring and how any fibration with unique path lifting can be
turned into a generalized covering projection, via local-path-connectification of its domain, without
altering the fundamental group. This leads to a natural question: Can every generalized covering
projection be obtained in this way? We answer this question in the negative, using a known example
from the literature for which there is a simply connected generalized covering projection and for
which the trivial subgroup of the fundamental group is not closed in the quotient topology of the
compact-open-topology.M. A
Perception of the neurological impact of texture within the built environment and evidence of tactile defensiveness in adults with sensory sensitivities
No full textThis research studies the impact that characteristics of textiles within the built
environment have on tactile defensive behaviors for individuals with sensory sensitivities, and
the effect of perceived temperature on these behaviors. This study investigates the tactile sensory
response to six different textiles. Each textile contains various fibrous components, textures, and
construction mechanisms to identify characteristics that are likely to trigger behaviors of tactile
defensiveness. This data was collected through a three-part survey, concluding that textiles
containing natural fibers such as cotton and silk yielded the best results overall. Textiles
containing synthetic fibers such as polyester, acrylic, and rayon were perceived as least pleasant,
particularly in warm temperatures. There was no significance found in perceived tactile
defensiveness frequency between individuals with sensory sensitivities and individuals without.
Significance in the change of tactile defensiveness frequency under “warm” and “cold”
temperatures revealed that small fibers or woven components were favorable characteristics of
textiles in cold temperatures, providing stimulating textured components to compensate for
reduced hand-feel receptor function in this condition. Individuals without sensory sensitivities
showed more variability in perceived frequency of tactile defensiveness behavior, while
individuals with sensory sensitivities had more regular responses, even within variations of
temperature perception. Comfortable temperature conditions yielded the lowest frequency of
perceived tactile defensiveness, while warm temperature conditions resulted in the highest levels
of perceived tactile defensiveness, and cold temperatures following close behind. These results
conclude that small synthetic fibers are more prone to eliciting negative tactile defensive
responses in warm, humid climates, while natural fibers and non-distinct fibers are least likely to
produce a tactile defensiveness response for cold temperature conditions. This research defines physical characteristics of textiles that are associated with tactile defensiveness behavior,
furthering the knowledge of the neurological impact that textiles within the built environment
have on individuals with sensory sensitivities.M. S
Single muscle fiber size and myosin heavy chain distribution following six months in space with NASA SPRINT countermeasures
No full textThe effectiveness of the NASA SPRINT exercise countermeasures program in preserving myocellular health in the vastus lateralis during long duration spaceflight was investigated. Single muscle fiber size and MHC distribution were assessed in six astronauts before and after 166±18 days in space. The SPRINT exercise protocol consisting of sprint interval training with concurrent, high intensity aerobic and resistance exercise offered complete protection of group mean MHC I and MHC IIa fiber CSA (P>0.05). However, heterogeneous responses were present within individuals for both MHC I (-15% to +27%) and MHC IIa (-19% to +33%) fiber CSA change. Additionally, the SPRINT countermeasure protected the muscle from the fiber type shift consistently seen with spaceflight. Surprisingly, the percentage of hybrid muscle fibers decreased (-5%, P<0.05) suggesting improved skeletal muscle health following spaceflight. The SPRINT exercise program is the first countermeasure to provide full protection of single muscle fiber size and MHC distribution during spaceflight.M. S
Living invisibility: literature's role in everyday Palestinian resistance
No full textThe power of literature about and from Palestine is located in its ability to render
Palestinian suffering visible, allowing readers to bear witness to the unfiltered violence of war
and occupation. Living Invisibility explores the numerous ways that Palestinian resistance
literature delineates the violent subjugation of life while reclaiming Palestinian histories,
agencies, and testimonies. These texts simultaneously expose and challenge violence which has
been made ordinary by the Western Empire and Israel’s military occupation. The first chapter
highlights the impacts of bearing witness in Joe Sacco’s Palestine (1993) and Footnotes in Gaza
(2009). I analyze the politics of (in)visiblity and graphic narratives as a medium for bearing
witness and double witnessing for Western readers. The second chapter situates the Palestinian
body in contrast to the natural environment, emphasizing how the occupation creates war in the
everyday lives of Palestinian people and ecology. ʿAdanīyah Shiblī’s Minor Detail (2020) and
Ghassān Kanafānī’s Men in the Sun (1962) explore invisibility in their depictions of Palestine’s
natural environment being transformed by the interests of Western powers. Finally, the ordinary
takes physical manifestation in Saḥar Khalīfah’s Passage to the Plaza (1990) in her
representation of women’s lives during the First Intifāḍa. I aim to illuminate the impacts of
colonial power’s penetration into Palestinian homes, situating the damage of Israel’s occupation
as more drastic through its concealed consequences on an invisibilized, internal level.M. A
High Spirits pilot
No full textIn this speculative script for a television pilot, I focus on the riches to rags fall from grace of an affluent young woman forced to take her first real job. Major themes for this work include realistic depictions of service industry workers and grounded depictions of LGBTQIA+ people. The chosen genre for this work is dramedy, which focuses on a slice of life narrative that combines elements of humor and consequence in equal measure, or there about, where the consequences of character choices transcend the end of the episode. My hope is that the audience will come away with a sense of empathy, catharsis, and feel that they relate to the struggles of the characters, if not the characters themselves. Major influences for this script are Dan and Eugene Levy’s Schitt’s Creek for its positive representation of LGBTQIA+ people and Michael Hurwitz’s Arrested Development for its wit and cleverness. In subsequent revisions I intend to expand on the humor to better reflect the tone of these shows. My intention with this work is to continue revising, and also to supplement it with a speculative cast list, series overview, season overview, and other materials used in pitching for a television production company. My overall goal is to be a professional writer for film and television and to that end this work will be included in my portfolio, among others I have started here at Ball State University.M. A
The effect of prolonged sitting and intermittent exercise on fibrinolytic potential
No full textPURPOSE: Prolonged sitting has been shown to negatively impact various cardiometabolic and hemostatic variables, and intermittent exercise breaking up prolonged sitting appears to mitigate those changes. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine changes in fibrinolytic capacity in prolonged sitting broken up by low intensity exercise compared to uninterrupted sitting. METHODS: Nine apparently healthy adults (5 men, 4 women: 23.4±0.9 years) reported to the laboratory for two separate visits. They underwent two hours of uninterrupted sitting or two-hours of accumulated sitting broken up by low intensity exercise every 30 minutes. Blood was drawn to assess fibrinolytic responses via tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1). RESULTS: There was a significant time-by-trial interaction (p=0.047, η2 =0.41) for PAI-1 activity. Additionally, a trend of time-by-trial interaction (p=0.06, η2 =0.37) was observed for t-PA antigen. CONCLUSION: Following two hours of sitting, fibrinolytic potential was diminished, however those changes were mitigated by interrupting the bout of sitting with brief periods of walking.M. S
Seasons in a cycle: a musical theatre song cycle an analysis of the compositional process
No full textMy Creative Project, partially fulfilling the requirements for a Master of Music degree in
Composition, is Seasons in a Cycle, which is a musical theatre song cycle consisting of four
songs about depression through the four seasons. I wrote the lyrics in addition to the music. The
music is for one unnamed tenor and piano. In order, the titles are the following: “Spring in the
Dark,” “Summer Contemplations,” “Moments in Fall,” and “Winter Introspection.” The subject
material follows my experience with seasonal depression. In “Spring in the Dark,” the character
reflects on memories while on a walk in the park that progresses into a dark mental spiral.
“Summer Contemplations” is the aftermath of the Spring, and he sings about his negative
reflection of his life leading into thoughts of suicide. After surviving the past two seasons, he
reflects on the nature of life in “Moments in Fall” and realizes how there can be hope and life
amid decay. He ends his revelations in “Winter Introspection” when he realizes he has a lot to be
thankful for and can sit in peace. The music supports the lyrical matter through key changes,
dissonant harmonies, and tonal clusters, musically suggesting ambiguity of the tenor’s thoughts.
The piano sets the mood of the tenor and carries suggestive themes seen in each of the pieces as
references to previous thoughts. The vocals are text-driven and have loose rhyming schemes.M. M
Neural networks in predictive modeling of job satisfaction
No full textJob satisfaction has been a focal point for organizational researchers for decades and has a historic correlation with organizational success, retention, and employee well-being. The purpose of this project was to develop a predictive neural network model using a data mining approach. Using a dataset from Kaggle, the study aims to predict levels of employee job satisfaction from the following factors: employees' last performance evaluation score, number of projects currently being worked on, average monthly hours worked, years spent with the company, history of work accidents, promotions in the last 5 years, department of employment, and salary level. A grid search was employed using cross-validation on the training set with the aim of identifying the optimal combination of hidden layers, nodes, and decay parameters, thereby minimizing the risk of overfitting. It was then determined that the optimal structure of the neural network model should be comprised of a single hidden layer with 10 nodes and a decay parameter of 0.1. Finally, the model was evaluated based on mean squared error (MSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and root mean squared error (RMSE). While results indicate the model can generalize new data, high MSE, MAE, and RMSE values suggest the model is limited in its ability to predict job satisfaction. Despite the rigorous training and validation against a robust dataset, this neural network model fell short in providing a satisfactory fit. These findings suggest that future
studies should explore a broader range of factors and potentially consider incorporating qualitative insights for a more nuanced understanding of the factors impacting job satisfaction.M. S
Finding your college fit in Indiana
No full text“Finding Your College Fit in Indiana” is a creative project that takes the form of a website. The
purpose of this website is to help Indiana high school and college students make more informed
decisions regarding various college-related choices. The project explores reasons to attend or not
attend college, weighing different costs with the financial, social, spiritual, and cultural benefits.
The project also details a multitude of factors that prospective students should consider when
finding the right school for them, including their best-fit area of study, type of institution to
attend, what different institutions have to offer, financing options available to cover the costs of
education, an analysis of the financial implications of attending various Indiana institutions and
how this compares with future earnings for the desired career outcome, the location and distance
of Indiana institutions, and an overview of 44 four-year institutions and eight community
colleges in Indiana. Finally, the website provides five alternatives to attending college for
viewers who choose not to go to college. The creative project compiles many sources and tools
to create a website that assists in various college decisions that high school and early college
students may face.B. ?Honors Colleg