Master's Theses
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This collection includes master's theses submitted to the Graduate School by Ball State University master's degree candidates in partial fulfillment of degree requirements.
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Item Perception of the neurological impact of texture within the built environment and evidence of tactile defensiveness in adults with sensory senitivities(2024-05) Hess, Meleah; Son, Juntae JakeThis 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.Item Trends of change in tree species compositional structure and measuring of coarse woody debris in Donaldson's woods, an old growth forest in Souther Indiana(2024-05) Golub, Nathan M.; Badger, KemuelOld growth forests, characterized by their large trees and complex structure, are particularly valuable for their ecological, social, and economic benefits. These mature forests grant us insight into tree species composition and community structures of the past (Butler, et al. 2018). The study site is within Donaldson’s Woods Nature Preserve; located in Spring Mill State Park, near Mitchell, Indiana. Our site was an old-growth forest permanent 1300x700m plot. The corners of the plot are marked with metal fence posts 76.2 cm tall. A grid was established on the plot with 12 transect lines, running west to east, and 7 lines running north to south resulting in 84-30x30m subplots and 12 transect corridors. A systematic sampling method was used for the collection of coarse woody debris (CWD) volume data. Ten total subplots, arranged in a checkerboard pattern, starting at the southwest most subplot. Subplots were all sampled for all CWD of at least 10cm in diameter. Each log was classified into one of five decay classes based on state of decay (adapted from Spetich et al. 1999, Idol et al. 2001). Diameter breast height (Dbh) and azimuth of any standing dead trees was also calculated for each plot. Species composition was dominated by Acer saccharum (Sugar Maple), Fagus grandifolia (American Beech), and Quercus alba (White Oak). Trees of the lower size-classes had the greatest number of stems across all sampled species. Species density was greatest in the species A. saccharum, F. grandifolia, and Q. alba. Acer saccharum had the highest value at 90.14 density/ha.Item Reviving a revival: modernizing colonial revival homes in Williamsburg, Virginia(2024-05) Ghio, Bryn; Alfaro, Sarah AngneColonial inspired architecture and design have become one of the most popular residential styles in American history. Historic styles are well documented and well researched, however, the modern Colonial Revival interpretations of the last 75 years are not discussed or researched. Gaps in the literature on studies of vernacular Colonial Revival houses, include both the lack of research on modern Colonial Revival houses and the fact that the Colonial Revival style is constantly evolving. This qualitative study aims to explore the lived experience of residents and the evolution of Colonial Revival architecture and design in the Kingspoint Neighborhood in Williamsburg, Virginia. This qualitative study explores 17 Colonial Revival houses in the Kingspoint Neighborhood utilizing a synergistic combination of qualitative research methods. The findings reveal the lived experience of residents and their vernacular homes that is guided by questions of how and why residents design and renovate their homes. The Colonial Revival homes are a Colonial palimpsest, which is the layers of history and influences present in Colonial Revival homes. The Colonial Palimpsest is continually created through the layers of styles, architectural and design details, colors, and layout. These layers are being updated through a modern interpretation to fit the function of our modern lives of family, modern conveniences, lifestyle, and pets. The function changes over time as layout and room usages change to better fit the current season of life. Historical vertigo, the sensation of experiencing multiple historical influences simultaneously, is experienced when interacting with the Colonial Palimpsest. The historical vertigo is the experience of witnessing the influence of Colonial and Colonial Revival design, Colonial Williamsburg, the evolution of the neighborhood, and decolonizing Colonial architecture and design, which feeds the modern interpretation of Colonial design and creates a feedback loop of continuous iterations. This process is reviving the revival.Item The acute effects of mitochondrial targeted antioxidant on maximal oxygen uptake mechanics(2024-05) Dieter, Hunter; Harber, MatthewPurpose: To determine the acute effects of a mitochondrial targeting antioxidant (MitoQ) on cardiac output and maximal oxygen uptake during maximal exercise. We hypothesized that MitoQ would blunt maximal oxygen uptake independent of changes in cardiac output. Methods: Eight (N=8) apparently healthy adults (age 25±2.8 years and BMI 25.0±3.8 kg/m2) performed two trials (Placebo and MitoQ) in a double-blind randomized cross-over design. In both trials, participants performed 2 submaximal workloads on a cycle ergometer consisting of 3-minute stages immediately followed by an incremental exercise protocol until volitional exhaustion. Participants received either a Placebo or MitoQ (80mg) one hour prior to beginning the exercise protocol. Indirect calorimetry, blood pressure, heart rate, stroke volume, cardiac output, RPE, and oxygen saturation were collected throughout the duration of the exercise bout. Results: Maximal absolute, relative, and relative to lean mass VO2 was higher (p<0.05) during Placebo (2.85±0.56 L/min, 36.4±6.2 mL/kg/min, 49.7±5.6 mL/kg/min) compared to MitoQ (2.68±0.63 L/min, 34.7±5.7 mL/kg/min, 46.5±6.3 mL/kg/min). Cycling work efficiency was higher (p<0.01) during MitoQ demonstrated by a lower peak VO2 per watt during MitoQ (10.5±0.7 mL/min/watt) compared to Placebo (11.4±0.6 mL/min/watt). The acute MitoQ had no effect on submaximal or maximal VCO2, ventilation, tidal volume, respiratory frequency, VE/VCO2, RER, workload, heart rate, stroke volume, or cardiac output (p>0.05). Conclusion: Consistent with our previous work, an acute dose of a mitochondrial targeted antioxidant blunted maximal absolute, relative, and relative to lean mass VO2. The reduction in VO2max does not appear to be related to blunted cardiac output, suggesting peripheral mechanisms underlie the lower oxygen utilization. Further, MitoQ improved work efficiency (VO2 per watt) at maximal exercise levels regardless of blunted oxygen uptake. Further research is warranted to examine the peripheral mechanism by which VO2 is blunted, and oxygen uptake efficiency is improved during maximal exercise.Item Machine learning algorithms for risk stratification: addressing the challenges of imbalanced response in predictive analytics(2024-05) Cobbbinah, John; Begum, MunniIn the fields of healthcare, finance, and insurance, the process of risk stratification plays a pivotal role in decision-making and resource allocation. Traditional models for risk assessment, however, are often limited by their simplistic approaches, failing to adequately account for the complexity and dynamism inherent in risk factors. This shortfall leads to sub-optimal outcomes, including inefficient use of resources and compromised patient safety. Particularly in healthcare, hospital readmission serves as an indicator of these challenges, not only endangering patient health but also imposing additional costs and tarnishing the reputation of medical institutions. In this thesis project, we aim to bridge the existing gap in predictive analytics by using machine learning (ML) techniques to enhance the accuracy and effectiveness of risk stratification models. Our objective is to predict hospital readmission within 30 days. Accurate prediction of hospital readmission helps identify the high-risk patient group. Through a comparative analysis of various machine learning algorithms—including classification tree, bagging, random forest, gradient boosting, Adaptive Boosting (AdaBoost), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) and neural network— this study evaluates their efficacy in predicting hospital readmission risks. We addressed the issue of imbalanced response variable using random under-sampling, and random over-sampling techniques. The findings of our research demonstrate that, in terms of Recall, Precision, F1-score, Roc AUC , the XGBoost performed better than all the other methods.