Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Multicultural Literature In The Classroom, Maria Boles

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Gambling By College Students: Personality Characteristics And Acceptability Of Internet-Based Treatment, Andrew E. Cameron

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Personality disorders are associated with Pathological Gambling (PG) among adults. Little is known, however, about these symptoms in college-student gamblers. In addition, little is known about the current prevalence or treatment preferences of college gamblers. An online survey of gambling practices and personality characteristics was conducted, as well as a series of focus groups evaluating a web-based gambling treatment program. A higher prevalence of PG was observed among college students than previously reported. College students with PG displayed similar personality disorder symptoms to those observed among adults with PG. Students preferred free or reduced cost treatment. Focus group participants provided …

The Influence Of Woodlot Size And Location In Suburban And Rural Matrices On Bird Species Richness And Individual Abundance, Neil Allen Chartier

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study assessed the influence of woodlot area and matrix composition on bird species richness and individual abundance. Bird surveys were conducted in winter 2004 and 2005 and spring 2005. Woodlot area and landscape composition were analyzed using GIS software. In winter, resident species richness and abundance increased as landscape diversity increased, whereas in spring, resident species richness decreased with increased landscape openness and abundance increased as woodlot area increased. Spring migrant species richness increased with increased landscape openness, and abundance decreased as woodlot area increased. In winter, Tufted Titmice were more likely to be present in smaller woodlots, whereas …

Learning And Cemory In The Cav1.2 Knockout Mouse, Jessica Ann White

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Of the many signaling pathways found within neurons, calcium signaling is perhaps the most ubiquitous and versatile. Calcium influx through L-type voltage-gated calcium channels (L-VGCCs) is involved in numerous aspects of neuronal function: activation and regulation of gene transcription, synaptic plasticity, and regulation of neuronal excitability are all modulated by calcium. Because many calcium-related subcellular functions are implicated in the formation and storage of long-term memory, this writer investigated the role of an L-VGCC, CaV1.2, in hippocampus-dependent learning and memory. Utilizing the Cre/loxP gene-targeting system, the CaV1.2 L-VGCC isoform was conditionally deleted in the forebrain of mice. This extensive deletion …

Causal Attributions And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: The Relationships Among Dispositional Attributional Style, Trauma-Specific Attributions, And Ptsd, Sarah Reiland

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The learned helplessness model (Seligman, 1975) and its various revisions suggest that both dispositional attributional style and event-specific attributions may influence people’s responses to events. Attribution theory has been applied to the search for risk and resiliency factors in trauma survivors, but few studies have compared dispositional attributional style with traumaspecific attributions in relation to posttraumatic stress symptoms. In addition, studies of attributions and PTSD fail to take into account the importance to the individual of the events about which attributions are made. The importance of the situation is a key component of the hopelessness model. Attributions for causes of …

A Grammatical Sketch Of Isaalo (Western Sisaala), Steven Paul Moran

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Increased Expression Of Nadp Malic Enzyme In The Guard Cells Of Arabidopsis Plants, Pooja Thakur

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Plants lose their water as transpiration by stomatal opening, which is governed by guard cells surrounding the stomata. Influx of ions such as K⁺, Cl-, from neighboring cells into guard cells, and malate synthesis within guard cells increases turgor pressure opening the stomata. Stomata close when K⁺ and Cl- efflux out, and the cytosolic isoform of NADP ME convert malate to pyruvate. We hypothesize that stomatal closure can be controlled by increased NADP ME activity in guard cells. More than one of the homozygous transgenic Arabidopsis plants that are transformed with a guard cell promoter driving expression …

Construction Of National Identity And National Pride Of Germans In The Intercultural Context, Nadja Koening

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

National identity and patriotism are very problematic and highly sensitive concepts in contemporary Germany. Many scholars agree that a positive national identity is crucial for a nation’s well-being. This research attempts to investigate the process of forming a national identity and the display of national pride in the intercultural communication context. One focus group was conducted to analyze how Germans construct and/or reinvent their national identity when communicating with individuals from other nations.

The results show that German national identity and national pride are strongly intertwined and poise a unique problem for every German. Germans have major difficulties in developing …

Implementation Of Labcreator And The Integration Of Cyberlab, Kang Zhao

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

With the development of the World Wide Web, online courses are becoming more and more popular in modern science education. CyberLab aims to solve an important issue in distance science education -- laboratory experiments in online courses. It is a toolkit that handles creation, exportation, and execution of virtual experiments (within web browsers). It consists of LabCreator and LabExecutor. With LabCreator, instructors can create virtual experiments and export them into intermediate files. Students can download those files from online course websites and execute them in LabExecutor on their own computers.

The paper reports on the completion of two important tasks …

The Effect Of Prey Availability On Metabolism And Activity In The Tarantula Phormictopus Cancerides (Araneae: Theraphosidae), Benjamin Nathan Philip

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined the effect of different periods of food deprivation on resting metabolic rates (RMR) and foraging activities in tarantulas (Phormictopus cancerides). Juvenile tarantulas were separated into two feeding groups and fed once either every 5 or 30 days. Monthly feeding trials were preceded by RMR measurements. During feeding trials I compared differences between the two groups in (1) prey capture rates, (2) time to prey capture, (3) locomotory activity, and (4) the predator’s prey detection distance. RMRs increased for the well-fed group but remained consistent for individuals, fed only once a month. Time to prey capture …

College Integrated Care: Effectiveness Of The Use Of A Modified Version Of The Patient Health Questionnaire For Patients In A University Health Clinic, Kevin Alschuler

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

In primary medical care settings, problems with providing appropriate behavioral care led to development of the integrated care model providing behavioral services alongside medical services. The present study explored the potential need for this model at a Midwest university health center, by investigating how two behavioral questionnaires influenced providers’ prescription of psychotropic medications and referrals for behavioral intervention. After random assignment to condition, 109 participants in the experimental condition completed the mentalhealth- oriented Patient Health Questionnaire and the college-adjustment-oriented College Health Questionnaire, and 91 control participants received treatment as usual. Results indicated significantly higher rates of discussion of behavioral problems …

The Effects Of The Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing Program On Reading Fluency And Comprehension Of At-Risk First-Graders, Andrea R. Van Der Laan

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this research study was to determine the impact of the Lindamood-Bell Phoneme Sequencing Program on phonemic awareness, reading fluency, and comprehension of at-risk first graders in one southwestern Michigan school district.

In the first phase of this research, baseline data in phonemic awareness and fluency scores were collected from two different first-grade classrooms to determine which students would be chosen for the study. The final study included 32 students, 16 from the experimental school and 16 from the control school. Both schools had similar demographic populations. In the second phase of the study, data were collected …

Socialization Of Undergraduate Engineering Students Into Work-Experienced Organizations And Occupational Roles Through A Cooperative Education Program, Chris Plouff

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study investigated cooperative education as an organizational phenomenon using a qualitative approach. The objectives of this study were to 1) describe the experiences of students entering an organization through a cooperative education program; 2) describe the organizational processes used to introduce students into an organization and occupational roles through a work experience; 3) understand any common patterns or themes associated with these experiences; 4) develop a model or framework that describes the processes used in these settings; and 5) determine activities and processes that will better facilitate the student’s movement from the education to the work environment through a …

Senior Women Leaders In Higher Education Overcoming Barriers To Success, Nan-Chi Tiao

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to obtain a deeper understanding of what it takes for women to succeed as cabinet-level higher education administrators. The findings not only offer a wealth of strategies for career success and for overcoming professional and personal challenges, but also shed new light on critical factors that affect women’ experiences at work.

This qualitative, phenomenological study was based primarily on confidential interviews with nine senior women leaders. Two informants are presidents, six are vice presidents, and one serves as a senior executive officer of their universities. Before assuming their current posts, they worked in a …

Analysis Of The Transcriptional Levels Of Guinea Pig Sines And Lines, Nicole D. Jamison

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Short and long interspersed DNA elements (SINEs and LINEs, respectively) can “jump” in germ-line cells generating new copies in other chromosomal regions. There is a sharp contrast in the number of SINEs within various rodent genomes. The purpose of this investigation is to assess the relative paucity of SINEs in the guinea pig genome in relation to other rodents. RNA was isolated from brain and kidney tissues of guinea pigs, and from the brain tissue of mice, in order to develop a method to assess the transcriptional regulation of SINEs and the loci that serve as source genes. This involved …

Retrotransposition Efficiency Of Non-Autonomous Mobile Dna, Erin Radloff

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Nearly half of the human genome consists of transposable element (TE) DNA sequences. Most of these sequences were derived from the process of retrotransposition. This term refers to a gene being transcribed into RNA, converted back to DNA and the copy integrated elsewhere in the genome. Short interspersed DNA elements (SINEs) from various rodent species were isolated, using PCR, with the intent of being incorporated into a plasmid construct and analyzed for retrotransposition efficiency. SINE copy numbers vary among rodents; therefore, efficiency can be determined by contrasting copy numbers in respective genomes in different rodents. In future studies, a novel …

Perceptions Of Public Relations Professionals Among Radio, Television And Print Reporters In The State Of Michigan, Lindsay Buhagiar

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

This study examines the perceptions of public relations professions among news writers/journalists/reporters holding careers in the media outlets of television, radio and print media. Journalists were interviewed and asked a series of questions regarding their thoughts about the public relations profession, how useful public relations efforts are to their job, past experiences with public relations professionals and the topic of ethics in public relations. By analyzing trends in the interviews, suggestions are made to assist public relations and media relations professionals build more successful relationships with television, radio and print media professionals.

Naels Campus Climate Neutral Marketing Project, Amelia Bateman

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

How Children's Programs At Churches Promote Resilience And How They Can Be Enhanced, Dawn Blanton

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Sunday School teachers, their students, administrators and clergy in three Protestant churches were interviewed to discover the degree to which the cognitive, emotional, and material aspects which promote resilience in youths (Laursen & Birmingham, 2003) were incorporated into their programs. The results suggested that churches do possess attributes that promote healthy cognitive and emotional development in children. In addition, every church provided for the material needs of the children in their church and community. Thus, churches are important community resources for at-risk children that can help promote resiliency. Recommendations are made for improvement of the programs. More generally, a model …

Bilingual Students And Family Literacy, Laura Green

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

The Nature Of Collaboration And The Impact It Has On Workspace Design, Jessica Lacey

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Assessing Self-Injurious Behaviors On A College Campus, Chelsea R. Dean

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence, as well as perceived positive and negative consequences, of a wide range of risky and self-injurious behaviors (SIB). Participants were 215 undergraduate students (56.3% female), who were administered the Self-Injurious Behavior Risk Assessment (SIBRA), which was designed for this study; and the Eysenck Impulsiveness Scale (EIS; Eysenck, 1985). To compare behaviors viewed as having benefits which outweigh risks, a reward/risk ratio was rank ordered. Correlations were computed between item-total frequency, perceived consequences, the reward/risk ratio, and the EIS. Results found a variety of behaviors being endorsed by students, as well …

Girl Power: Feminine Motifs In Japanese Popular Culture, David Endresak

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Need For Dual Diagnosis Training For Mental Health Workers Serving Youth In Michigan, Kathleen "Lucy" Mcgoron

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Dual diagnosis is the co-occurrence of substance use and another psychiatric disorder. Research has shown that people with dual diagnosis have worse outcomes than those with only substance use or another psychiatric disorder. A considerable amount of research has been conducted on training programs which help better serve adults with dual diagnosis, but there have been minimal efforts for training mental health workers who serve youths. This project examines the need for training in community mental health workers in Michigan who work with youths. Results indicate that a quarter of youths being seen for treatment need substance use services, however …

Creative Writing: An Elective Course For High School Students, Megan Theresa Myers

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

This thesis project outlines a course in creative writing designed for students in grades 9-12. The course is an elective and is expected to be taken in addition to general English classes taken as a graduation requirement.

The course is designed as a genre study on an immersion principle, which requires that students focus their attention on the characteristics that make up various genres through both reading and writing in those genres. Students are introduced to the overall workshop format of the class and to the procedure of conferencing on and revising drafts through the basic study of the genres …

Integrating Reading Strategies Into The Science Curriculum, Sarah Gilson

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Working With Movies And Plays: A Hands-On Study Of Film, Theatre, And Adaptations, Matt Balke

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

To gain increased ability in working with movies, two films were made, one of which was an adaptation of a novel. An adaptation of that adaptation was also made in the form of a play, in an effort to gain greater theatrical skill. Using the experience of working on a similar story in the form of both a movie and a play, the similarities and differences of the two mediums were compared and contrasted. These projects were also used, along with some research, to gain increased theoretical and practical knowledge of what goes into making a good adaptation. It was …

Synthesis Of An Aza-Cope Rearrangement - Mannich Cyclization Precursor From L-Proline, Patricia T. Sinawe

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Squiggles, Dots And Lines, Crystal Renee Woolard

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Lipid Metabolism In A549 And 9hte Cells Quantitation Of Lipid Peroxidation, Elizabeth Quintus

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.