2025 UMKC Theses - Freely Available Online
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Item Implementation of a ZNA-based ISAR imaging system for the identification of electromagnetic scattering centers(2025) Butler, Kaitlyn Isabelle; Fields, TravisAn Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR) simulation and benchtop experimental setup was developed to enable the imaging and characterization of electromagnetic scattering centers from rotating targets. The two-dimensional, small-angle, small-bandwidth ISAR algorithm was implemented in Matlab and Python environments for the processing of simulated and experimental data. CST Studio's monostatic radar solver was then used to verify the accuracy and interpretability of the ISAR imaging system and to guide the collection of backscattered electric field measurements. Experimental measurements were collected utilizing a ZNA vector network analyzer in a quasi-monostatic scattering configuration, with tests performed in compact, indoor environments. The finalized ISAR benchtop system and post-processing workflow produced multiple exterior profile views of test targets. The dominant scattering centers were also identified for a representative test target, with its effective reflective area estimated for select look angles. For more information regarding Kaitlyn Butler's thesis, please contact the Director for Missouri Institute for Defense and Energy, Dr. Travis Fields, at fieldstd@umkc.edu.Item Hope's resilience: moderating climate threat and future outlooks(2025) Siems, Melànie Brianne; Nilsson, Johanna E.Literature on climate change reveals its existing power as a health threat to all of humanity. Research on the psychological impacts of climate change details the mental health toll that is exacted (e.g., distress and anxiety about what is to come with continued climate change). Many of these mental health concerns are future-oriented and indicate limited, negative, and uncertain views of the future. On the other hand, having open expectations and a positive outlook about the future has been shown to be important for a number of outcomes (e.g., well-being, protection against maladaptive behaviors, and lower anxiety and rumination). Thus, there is an important relation between perceptions of climate change and perceptions of the future, which both have implications for mental health. It is crucial to now consider what factors may protect from or provide resilience to these negative impacts. Hope is a well-known construct that indicates the belief that goals will be met in the future, or that desired outcomes may occur, which has been shown in many studies to be a protective factor. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the role of hope in relation to perceived climate threat and expectations about the future. A cross-sectional design was used with a sample of 231 undergraduate students (ages 18-29; M = 20.46; SD = 2.12) at a Midwestern university in the United States to investigate this research question. The results showed that having a higher perception of climate threat is related to a more limited view of the future. Additionally, this positive relation was strengthened by increasing levels of hope. The results also showed that, at low levels of hope, there is a positive relation between perceived climate threat and open future time perspectives; however, at high levels of hope, this relation becomes non-significant. Hope was found to have a null relation with pro-environmental behaviors, a positive relation with climate threat and limited and ambiguous views of the future, and a negative relation with open views of the future. Study limitations, implications, and future directions are discussed. Keywords: climate threat, future time perspectives, hopeItem The impact of supplemental nutrition assistance participation, and food security on diabetes-related mortality(2025) Basurto-Reyes, Jessica; Allsworth, Jenifer E.Food insecurity has been a rising issue for many people in the United States and is an ongoing public health concern. Every day, food insecurity not only affects diets, it is also associated with increased risk of chronic disease and death. Households facing food insecurity may also experience elevated rates of type 2 diabetes and its health complications. National food assistance initiatives, such as Supplemental Nutrition Program (SNAP) and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), are programs that help reduce food insecurity. Although these programs exist to help individuals facing food insecurity, it has not been thoroughly studied whether these programs slow diabetes-related mortality. The purpose of this study is to explore the association between food insecurity and food assistance participation with diabetes-related mortality among adults in the United States. This study uses a retrospective design incorporating National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cycles from 1999 to 2018 with mortality follow-up through linkage to the National Death Index through the end of 2019. Participants aged 18 years and older in NHANES were included in this study. Key variables include household food security status, participation in WIC, and diabetes-related mortality outcomes. Covariates include sex, race/ethnicity, education, income-to-poverty ratio, family size, and health indicators such as body mass index (BMI), hypertension, and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Analyses adjusted for complex survey design were performed using the survey and srvyr packages in R. Descriptive statistics were generated to compare participant characteristics between levels of food security and receipt of WIC. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to illustrate survival across levels of WIC participation and household food security, and Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate associations with diabetes-related mortality. Preliminary descriptive analyses suggest that food-insecure adults who participate in food assistance programs differ in demographic and health characteristics compared to non-participants. Ongoing analyses will determine whether participation in food assistance is associated with a decrease in diabetes-related mortality, after adjusting for socioeconomic and health factors. The findings will contribute to understanding how public nutrition programs influence chronic disease outcomes and serve as a guide for future strategies to reduce health disparities for vulnerable populations.Item Hope or hurt? Unpacking the complex effects of hope and ethnic identity on ethnic discrimination(2025) Jung, Joanne; Ternes, MichaelRacial discrimination remains a pervasive challenge for many racially minoritized college students, contributing to adverse mental health outcomes such as depression, anxiety, and trauma-related stress. Though hope and ethnic identity are often viewed as protective factors, recent evidence suggests their effects may vary or even be paradoxical depending on context and racial group. This study examined whether hope and ethnic identity moderate the impact of discrimination on well-being, general stress, and race-based traumatic stress (RBTS) among 286 college and graduate students (ages 18-60; M = 24.7, SD = 6.0). Participants were grouped into Participant Group 1 (Black/African American) and Participant Group 2 (American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Hispanic/Latinx, Multiracial/Other) based on self-reported skin tone differences. Results confirmed that discrimination was consistently associated with lower well-being, higher general stress, and greater RBTS. Hope was positively linked to well-being overall, but exhibited a paradoxical effect for Participant Group 2, where higher hope was linked to lower well-being under conditions of high discrimination. Similarly, individuals with high hope reported increased stress as discrimination rose, whereas those with low hope maintained stable stress levels, regardless of discrimination levels. Hope’s moderating effect on general stress did not differ between racial groups. For RBTS, hope was protective for Participant Group 1 under low discrimination but became a potential risk factor at higher discrimination levels. In contrast, hope did not significantly moderate RBTS in Participant Group 2. Contrary to expectations, ethnic identity moderated the association between discrimination and well-being but not general stress or RBTS, with its protective effects evident across both groups. Taken together, these findings suggest that protective factors like hope and ethnic identity may function differently across racial groups and contexts, highlighting the importance of considering sociodemographic and cultural factors when implementing interventions and conducting resilience research.Item Investigation of HPV16-related genomic alterations in cervical squamous cell carcinoma(2025) Richards, Christopher Thomas; Zeeshan, SamanThis study examined the effects of human papillomavirus genomic integration into the host genome on host gene expression in cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) tumors. The genomic analysis involved clinical and genomics data analysis using bioinformatics and statistical methods. The Cancer Genome Atlas Program (TCGA) resource was used to download Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Endocervical Adenocarcinoma data. Molecular differentiation was performed through differential gene expression (DGE) analysis conducted using R 4.5.1, R Studio, and packages from Bioconductor. Experimental design was created to compare samples with HPV 16 integrated genome with the non-integrated genome. Gene expression involved filtration criteria setting a minimum threshold of 10 counts per gene and 10 samples in each group. The median of ratios method was used to normalize the raw count data, accounting for differences in sequencing depth and RNA composition between samples. A negative binomial distribution model was fitted to the normalized count data for each gene. Statistically significant genes were filtered to an adjusted p-value <= 0.05 and log2 fold change >= 2 yielding upregulated and downregulated genes. Pathway analysis and prognosis assessment identified mechanisms that may have a role in the development of CSCC. Improved insights into the causes and consequences of HPV genomic integration could significantly improve strategies and lead to advancements in the prevention, detection, and treatment of HPV associated cancers.