Digital Commons Network^™

A Desire Fulfillment Theory Of Digital Game Enjoyment, Owen M. Schaffer

College of Computing and Digital Media Dissertations

Empirical research on what makes digital games enjoyable is critical for practitioners who want to design for enjoyment, including for Game Design, Gamification, and Serious Games. But existing theories of what leads to digital game enjoyment have been incomplete or lacking in empirical support showing their impact on enjoyment.

Desire Fulfillment Theory is proposed as a new theory of what leads to digital game enjoyment and tested through research with people who have recently played a digital game. This theory builds on three established theories: Expectancy Disconfirmation Theory, Theory of Basic Human Desires, and Flow Theory. These three theories are …

The Impact Of Temperature On The Early Stages Of The Development Of The Body Axis In The Model Species Astyanax Mexicanus (Teleostei: Characidae), Sara Mohammad Alharbi

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Environmental fluctuations can change the phenotypic traits of ectotherms. Ectotherms such as fishes are very susceptible to changes in temperature. Recent studies on adults of the Mexican tetra, Astyanax mexicanus, indicate that variation in temperature during development significantly impacts vertebral number and body shape. Since vertebral number and somite number are related, I examined whether temperature significantly impacts somitogenesis and the early development of the body axis in this species. Fertilized eggs of the surface form of lab-reared Astyanax mexicanus were subjected to temperature treatments of 20°C, 24°C, and 28°C, and fixed hourly as they developed until they hatched. Embryos …

Songbird Use Of Problem-Solving Feeders In Urban And Rural Areas, Kayce Miller

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Behavioral flexibility is important for animals to adapt to novel situations in their environment. It has been suggested that birds living in complex environments (e.g., urban areas) should be more flexible than conspecifics in less complex environments. Birds are a particularly well studied group, where novel foraging problems are used to assess flexibility and problem-solving performance of urban and rural animals of the same species; however, this is most frequently done in a lab setting with wild-caught birds originating from different habitats. Using a field-based method to test problem-solving performance should give additional insight into other factors influencing birds’ flexibility. …

Peer Mentorship: Reported Outcomes Among Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists, Aja Rivera, Champagna Conner

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Background: Student Registered Nurse Anesthetist (SRNAs) experience high levels of stress and anxiety while enrolled a demanding nurse anesthesia program; a peer mentorship program fosters an encouraging support system for SRNAs. Purpose: The purpose of this project was to evaluate if a peer mentorship program was effective at diminishing stress & anxiety, social isolation, enhancing preparedness amongst the first and second-year SRNAs, and to evaluate the perceived effectiveness of mentorship amongst students enrolled in the NorthShore University HealthSystem School of Nurse Anesthesia (NSUHS SONA). Methods: This quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional study design involved three cohorts of SRNAs. Participants communicated through personal …

Developing A Transfection Method For Didymium Iridis, Uriel Adolfo Baray

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

The plasmodial slime mold and member of Mycetozoa, Didymium iridis, has been studied in a variety of contexts such as RNA editing (Traphagen et al., 2010; Hendrickson and Silliker, 2010a; Hendrickson and Silliker, 2010b), mitochondrial inheritance (Silliker et al., 2002), biological speciation (Betterley and Collins, 1983; Clark et al., 1991) and mating competency (Shipley and Holt, 1982). Further studies are hindered by the lack of a transfection protocol, which would allow for gene manipulation in D. iridis (hereafter Didymium). Transfection methods developed in the related slime molds, Physarum polycephalum (Burland et al., 1993) and Dictyostelium discoideum (Fey et al., 1995; …

Moderate Likability And Popularity: Understand Peer Status Through Casual Relationships, Ziyue Cui

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Peer status has been extensively studied in the past few decades. Popularity and likability are recognized as two distinct dimensions of peer status. However, the operationalization of likability has overlooked moderate liking resulting from casual and friendly relationships. The present study assessed moderate liking through peer ratings and examined its relation with popularity. In Study 1, the correlation between popularity and moderate liking and the correlation between popularity and likability derived from the traditional sociometric method were compared. Two Greek chapters were recruited. Thirty one participants nominated chapter members whom they liked the most and least and whom they thought …

Information Extraction From Primary Care Visits To Support Patient-Provider Interactions, Daniel Baruch Gutstein

College of Computing and Digital Media Dissertations

The extent of electronic health record systems usage in clinical settings has affected the dynamic between clinicians and patients and has thus been connected to physician morale and the quality of care patients receive. Recent research has also uncovered a correlation between physician burnout and negative physician attitudes electronic health record systems. In order to begin exploring the nature of the relationship between electronic health record usage, physician burnout, and patient care, it is necessary to first analyze patient-provider interactions within the context of verbal features such as turn-taking and non-verbal features such as eye-contact. While previous works have sought …

Envisioning Utopia: The Aesthetics Of Black Futurity, Sydney Haliburton

College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines the ways in which black women are addressing and healing from trauma through acts of envisioning the future. The ways in which space, connectivity, and gesture function throughout Solange Knowles' "Cranes in the Sky" music video exemplifies the ways in which "performance of futurity [is] embedded in the aesthetic" (Muñoz 87), Kelela Mizanekristos' "Take me Apart" evokes a queer black vulnerability through a conceptual "hauntology," and Tierra Whack's "Whack World" utilizes black camp as a creative and expansive tool to create worlds that act as a vessel for meaning making. These contribute to an analysis of how …

Religious Identities And Allegiances In The Transformation Of Ukrainian National Consciousness 2013-2018, Julian Hayda

College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Although the 2013-2014 Euromaidan revolution in Ukraine was an expression of Ukrainian sovereignty and agency, a number of issues like the war in Donbas, dispute over Crimea, debilitating corruption, and the worst economic crisis since independence have left Ukrainians disenfranchised and seeking change elsewhere. The most visible vehicle for this was Ukrainians' turn to particular religious institutions, revisiting religious identity as an expression of agency. While Ukrainian state democracy has struggled, Ukrainians are democratizing vis-à-vis religious allegiance. This culminated, in part, in the 2018 decision to combine two of Ukraine's Orthodox Churches into a united Church recognized for the first …

Climate Change, Environmentally Displaced Persons And Post-Sovereignty: An Assessment Of Normative Gaps And Potential Solutions In International Law, Thais Pinheiro Birriel

College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyses the impact of natural and anthropogenic environmental disruptions in the dynamics of migration as well as its social, legal and political implications in the context of disasters and climate change. The complex case of environmentally displaced persons is examined and the capacity of existing international legal frameworks to address the needs of these group is reviewed. In this scenario, the study explores gaps and limitations of contemporary international law that directly relates to environmentally-induced displacement and concludes that the current international law regime is insufficient to protect environmentally displaced persons. Additionally, the thesis critically evaluates to what …

Towards A Classification Of Continuity And On The Emergence Of Generality, Daniel Rosiak

College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation has for its primary task the investigation, articulation, and comparison of a variety of concepts of continuity, as developed throughout the history of philosophy and a part of mathematics. It also motivates and aims to better understand some of the conceptual and historical connections between characterizations of the continuous, on the one hand, and ideas and commitments about what makes for generality (and universality), on the other. Many thinkers of the past have acknowledged the need for advanced science and philosophy to pass through the “labyrinth of the continuum” and to develop a sufficiently rich and precise model …

Investigating The Impact Of Video Gaming On Children’S Magical Thinking In Early Childhood, Rafi Antar

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

In our present time, young children are exposed to various forms of electronic media, in particular video games. Several studies have discussed the impact of video games on children’s behavior, and brain development; however, almost none have framed this impact in the context of magical thinking. By using a qualitative narrative inquiry approach and a grounded theory approach, this dissertation aimed at discussing the meaning three children (ages 4 and 5) made after playing a video game called Super Mario bros. This study answered two questions: (1) how is children’s thought processes related to the notion of reality (i.e., understanding …

The Case For Joy In Learning: Teacher And Students' Perceptions Of Flow Experiences In Upper Elementary Classrooms, Rhonda Stern

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focused on intrinsic motivation in elementary schooling, with Csikszentmihalyi’s flow theory and the conditions and dimensions leading to optimal learning, serving as the theoretical framework. This qualitative case study investigated: 1.) How do teachers create flow-producing learning experiences for upper elementary students and 2.) How do upper elementary students experience flow in their daily school lives. Fieldwork included observation, collection of work product, and interviews of thirteen students and two exemplary teachers. Students were also asked to take digital photos of artifacts or spaces that related to their learning, and that they were proud of or found exciting. …

Trans Sports Illustrated: Identities And Experiences Of Transgender Athletes Assigned Female At Birth, Sophia Neely

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

This empirical study explores how transgender athletic adults assigned female at birth narrate their identities and experiences related to gender and sports participation. Using the methodology of social science portraiture filtered through a lens of queer feminist theory, semi-structured interviews were conducted with two trans men and three nonbinary participants. The participants are diverse in terms of age (21 to 54), race (white, Asian American, and African American), current primary sports interest (squash, CrossFit, powerlifting, baseball, and rock climbing), and pronouns (he/him/his, ze/zir/zirs, and they/them/theirs). Media reports and extant research on transgender athletes tend to recount bleak histories of exclusion, …

Exclusion Of African-American High School Students From Selective Enrollment Schools: Their Views On Academic And Social Success In The School Environment And After High School Graduation, Deidre R. Walker-Berry

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

African-American graduation rates fall behind all other ethnic groups in the United States. Due to intensifying racial inequalities in Chicago, schools in low-income minority communities have confronted augmented segregation in educational opportunities. The closing of numerous schools, high-stakes, and standardized testing mandates, along with new educative options such as charters and military academies, have resulted in a dual-tiered educational system. These new educative options are entrenched in the neo-liberal ideology of free marketization and privatization of education and encourages the expansion of elite selective enrollment high schools. This expansion has marginalized and alienated many African-American students in addition to fostering …

Building The Nest: How Native English Speaking Teachers (Nests) In The Tefl Field Develop Intercultural Competence, Emily S. Kraus

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

The role of an English foreign language teacher requires expertise in the English language and pedagogical skills to make the learning process approachable for a variety of students. There are certain characteristics that make a person ostensibly suitable for the role such as patience, intelligence, trustworthiness and creativity. However, the development of teachers is often shaped by their certification preparation, experiences in the field of education and the lessons they learn from their students. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to examine how native English speaking teachers (NESTs) in Costa Rica teaching English as a foreign language develop …

The Invisible Struggle: Understanding The Plights And Success Strategies Of Low-Income Single Mothers In Undergraduate Programs, Christina Matuschka

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative life history illuminates the experiences of four low-income single mother students in their undergraduate degree pursuit. The lenses of radical feminism, Schlossberg’s Transition Theory, Intersectionality, and the concept of Stigma were used to understand the experiences. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and document analysis and captured the interwoven nature of the women’s on and off campus lives by exploring the participant’s perception of the enabling or hindering experiences attributed to their undergraduate degree completion. Using Schlossberg’s Transition Theory, the study findings demonstrate how best to support low-income single mother students. While emotional and financial supports were found …

Automatic Inference Of Causal Reasoning Chains From Student Essays, Simon Mark Hughes

College of Computing and Digital Media Dissertations

While there has been an increasing focus on higher-level thinking skills arising from the Common Core Standards, many high-school and middle-school students struggle to combine and integrate information from multiple sources when writing essays. Writing is an important learning skill, and there is increasing evidence that writing about a topic develops a deeper understanding in the student. However, grading essays is time consuming for teachers, resulting in an increasing focus on shallower forms of assessment that are easier to automate, such as multiple-choice tests. Existing essay grading software has attempted to ease this burden but relies on shallow lexico-syntactic features …

Muslim-American Democratic Citizens: Dismantling Rituals With Tarbiyah, Nida Iftekaruddin

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

This paper argues that Islamic schools in the United States should return to the traditional Islamic practices of tarbiyah and tasawwuf to cultivate a critically engaged cosmopolitan Muslim-American identity in order to contribute to an ideal democratic society. Tarbiyah is the practice of nurturing the innate characteristics in people. Taswwuf is constant self-reflection to understand oneself. Tasawwuf is a personal practice, whereas tarbiyah is dealing with others. Tasawwuf can lead students to recognizing their capacities and tarbiyah can lead educators to nurturing those capacities to their fruition. I explore the role immigrant populations have played in some Islamic schools in …

Exploration Of The Interaction Of Maternal Experience Of Trauma And Infant Temperament On Maternal Parenting, Julie Christine Van Weelden

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Among women over age 18, 1 in 3 have experienced intimate partner violence, including physical aggression and stalking, and nearly 1 in 5 have experienced some type of sexual violence during childhood, adolescence, or adulthood (Black et al., 2011). Given the high rates of trauma experiences in women of childbearing age, especially in low-income populations (Gillepsie et al, 2009), it is critical to examine the effect these experiences have on women´s parenting, especially during infancy, a sensitive period for many important domains of child development (Bornstein, 2002). Previous research has demonstrated experiencing victimization can affect maternal caregiving (Trickett, Noll, Putnam, …

Must-Stream Tv: The Reemergence Of Nbc's Must-See Tv In The Streaming Era, Bri Mattia

College of Communication Master of Arts Theses

This thesis argues that two current and prevalent television industry shifts—the plethora of reboots and revivals on network television, and forthcoming studio-owned streaming services—are the result of the popularity of past series with audiences on streaming services. I first argue for a focus on the specifics of the series themselves, over the greater trend as a whole in order to determine the validity of these shifts. Approaching each series with the questions “Why then?” and “Why now?” this thesis examines two series from NBC’s famous Must-See TV programming block, Friends (1994-2004) and ER (1994-2009), that have reemerged in popularity with …

Cultural Competence In Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists In Illinois, Lisa Brown, Saad Iqbal

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To determine the level of perceived cultural competence in student registered nurse anesthetists (SRNAs) in Illinois and make educational recommendations. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was completed using the Clinical Cultural Competency Questionnaire (CCCQ) to evaluate the perceived level of cultural competence among SRNAs in Illinois. Four domains of clinical cultural competency [knowledge, skills, attitudes (awareness), and encounters] were evaluated and reported. Results: The survey response rate was 16.7% (N=57). A statistically significant positive correlation was observed between cultural knowledge and age (p=0.03). There is a statistically significant difference in cultural knowledge between students attending a nurse anesthesia program …

Improving Knowledge And Self-Efficacy In Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists Through Simulation Based Learning On Pulmonary Artery Catheter Insertions, Neal Allen Johnson, Amanda Lipa

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Simulation is increasingly being used within the educational setting for invasive procedures, such as pulmonary artery (PA) catheter insertion. The purpose of this study was to assess how student registered nurse anesthetists (SRNAs) knowledge and confidence is effected by viewing an educational video and participating in a low-fidelity simulation. Dual coding theory was used to develop a single group pre-test and post-test study. A convenience sample of second year SRNAs was used. Participants completed a knowledge assessment tool and a confidence survey. Each participant then viewed the video and completed a hands on low-fidelity simulation. Following both these, each participant …

Zygote Gene Expression And Plasmodial Development In Didymium Iridis, Sean Schaefer

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Didymium iridis is a cosmopolitan species of plasmodial slime mold consisting of two distinct life stages. Haploid amoebae and diploid plasmodia feed on microscopic organisms such as bacteria and fungi through phagocytosis. Sexually compatible haploid amoebae act as gametes which when fused embark on an irreversible developmental change resulting in a diploid zygote. The zygote can undergo closed mitosis resulting in a multinucleated plasmodium. Little is known about changes in gene expression during this developmental transition. Our principal goal in this study was to provide a comprehensive list of genes likely to be involved in plasmodial development. We performed suppressive …

Comparative Brain Anatomy Of Lamniform Sharks (Elasmobranchii: Lamniformes) And Its Implications To Function, Behavioral Ecology, And Evolution, Francesco Guzzo

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the diversity of brain morphology is important to understand the evolution of cognitive ability and how ecology and phylogeny have influenced the variation in brain complexity. I examined the morphological variation of the brain in the shark order Lamniformes based on museum specimens and literature. Where I illustrate a wide range of morphological diversity in lamniform brains, my study shows that there is a strong positive correlation between brain size and body size that sharks with a larger brain tend to have a more foliated cerebellum, but that the body weight over brain weight did not correlate with cerebellar …

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist’S Awareness And Knowledge Of Herbal Supplements And Perioperative Interactions, Catherine Carman, Victoria N. Rosinski

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Previous studies have asserted that anesthesia providers are deficient in their knowledge of herbal supplements and their perioperative interactions. The purpose of this project was to examine the impact of an educational handout on Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists’ (CRNAs) knowledge and attitudes of herbal supplements and their perioperative interactions utilizing a pre-posttest project design. The survey components were sent to approximately 1,600 members of the Illinois Association of Nurse Anesthetists (IANA) with a response of 140 surveys. Data was analyzed using descriptive Cohen’s d and nonparametric statistical tests. Reliability of the instruments used were assessed using Cronbach’s ɑ coefficients. The …

What We Say Matters: A Survey Of Anesthesia Providers’ Knowledge And Beliefs, Stefanie Glasgow, Lindsey Harris

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Pain is a serious concern and fear of patients. Due to the Joint Commission’s introduction of standards to address undertreatment of pain, it is now a focus of healthcare providers. Emerging research is focused on language in assessing pain. This study investigated the knowledge gap among anesthesia providers on positive language and pain assessment. The study objectives were to conduct a survey of Illinois Association of Nurse Anesthetists (IANA) members’ current knowledge and beliefs on Positive Language and the Nocebo Effect related to patient outcomes, and to educate anesthesia providers with an evidence-based fact sheet. The fact sheet and Qualtrics …

Identifying Pediatric Obesity In The Retail Health Setting And Implications For Quality, Jodie Nicole Guardi

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Pediatric obesity has reached an epidemic status. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of overweight and obese patients, as well as how often and how accurately a diagnosis was coded. The population for this study included children ages 3-18. This cohort presented to retail health clinics in a large urban health system for school or sports physicals from June 1, 2017 to November 30, 2017. Method. A retrospective chart review was conducted. Statistical analysis was performed to determine if there was a relationship between obesity and age, ethnicity, race, and gender. Results. The study identified 15.9% …

Cost Differences Between Sugammadex And Neostigmine Use In Non-Operating Room Anesthesia Care, Lindsey Marie Kilsdonk, Mindy Ruan

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

rior to the introduction of sugammadex, the only option to reverse rocuronium-induced neuromuscular blockade (NMB) were cholinesterase inhibitors (i.e. neostigmine) and anticholinergics (i.e. glycopyrrolate). Sugammadex administration has been shown to provide a more effective and complete reversal of rocuronium. However, the higher cost of sugammadex has been cited as a limiting factor to its use. The medication costs of sugammadex and neostigmine with glycopyrrolate have been studied in the operating room setting. There is a lack of information regarding the usage and medication costs of sugammadex and neostigmine with glycopyrrolate for non-operating room anesthesia care (NORA). A retrospective chart review …

Pre-Anesthetic Evaluation: A Needs Assessment Of Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists Transitioning To Clinical Practice, Amanda B. Munnich, Cara A. Murphy

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

The pre-anesthetic evaluation (PAE) is a critical part of providing anesthesia, and an important component of patient safety. Student registered nurse anesthetists (SRNAs) are often required to independently perform the PAE upon entering their clinical training. Stress, anxiety, doubt, a novel environment and time constraints can lead to a lack of confidence and competence at this time. These barriers can result in an inefficient and inadequate assessment. The purpose of this qualitative study was to conduct a needs assessment to determine the overall readiness of SRNAs to independently perform a thorough PAE upon entering clinical residency. A focus group was …