Digital Commons Network^™

Maternal Predictors Of School Readiness Among At-Risk Head Start Preschool Children, Rachel Chase

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Preschool has been identified as a critical period during which children who are at-risk for school difficulties are most responsive to intervention (National Institute of Mental Health, 2002; National Research Council & Institute of Medicine, 2001). Because of this, school readiness has recently become a prioritized area of interest for the educational system, the health care industry, and the federal government. However, many efforts to comprehensively prepare a child to begin school have not been successful because factors beyond the educational system (e.g., parenting/parent attributes, environmental stressors, and other demographic characteristics) have not been closely considered nor adequately researched. Therefore, …

Hodgkin's Lymphoma Survivors' Intentions To Follow Survivorship Care Plans, Kortni Evans

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the attitudes, perceived subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control that Hodgkin's Lymphoma (HL) survivors had towards survivorship care plans (SCPs) and how those factors impact their intentions to follow a care plan. Participants were HL survivors who had completed treatment. An online self-reporting questionnaire was used to assess demographics and questions related to HL survivor's attitudes, behavioral intention, perceived subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Frequency analysis and correlations were used to describe the participants and their attitudes, perceived subjective norms, and behavioral control in relation to participants' intentions to follow a …

Barriers For Immunization Against Hpv In Developing Countries (India), Sandhya Ghanta

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers in women. Incidence and mortality rates of cervical cancer are high in less developed and developing countries. In some countries, the acceptance of the HPV vaccine to prevent cervical cancer is low. Previous studies revealed that lack of awareness, income, and education were major barriers for accepting the HPV vaccine. Apart from the above-mentioned barriers, some socio-cultural barriers for accepting the HPV vaccine exist in less developed and developing countries. This study surveyed 250 women in India of age groups 18 years and above. The sample population for the study was …

Reflections On The Way We Were Raised: Socialization Within A Same-Sex Family, Allison Jendry

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Previous research on same-sex couples with children acknowledges that their parenting issues are similar to and yet different from their heterosexual counterparts. The literature does not examine, in an in-depth fashion, the challenges that same-sex parents face and how such challenges affect the lives of their families and relationships. This research examines the extent that same-sex parents reflect "traditional" family norms and behaviors, and how they socialize their children within the debate surrounding same-sex relationships. The author conducted and analyzed in-depth qualitative interviews from seven same-sex couples with children under the age of eighteen in the Southeastern Michigan area. It …

The Concept Of Mattering As Critical To Nursing-Student Recovery, Ronald Steven Hutchins

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This qualitative study using a phenomenological case study and grounded-theory design was conducted to examine the phenomena of nursing-student recovery following a failure in a clinical nursing course. For the purpose of this study nursing-student recovery was defined as: The academic progression of a student who failed a core clinical nursing course, and subsequently successfully completed the course, the nursing program, and passed the NCLEX-RN exam. A literature review was conducted focusing on student academic recovery, and three conceptual theories that support transitional change, growth and stability: Neuman System Model (NSM), Self Determination Theory (SDT), and Schlossberg's Transitional Theory (STT). …

Users' Perspective On The Relationship Between Internal Controls And Key Constructs, Santosh Mutnuru

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study sought to understand a user's perspective on the level of influence that internal controls had on the levels of trust, employee engagement, employee performance, and organization performance. The relationship between the level of implementation of internal controls with the level of trust that employees have for their employer, employee engagement, employee performance, and organization performance has not been adequately explored. The study was conducted on users who worked in organizations that implemented Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) internal controls, and these organizations strictly maintain all of their information in digital format. About nine hundred …

Understanding How Organizations Operate Their It Capacity-Management Processes, Joseph Frederick Bauer

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

There is a lack of understanding of how organizations operate their IT capacity-management processes. Within the body of literature on IT capacity-management there is an abundance of advice for organizations on how to set up or run the processes for IT capacity-management, but very little in the way of describing the processes as performed and operated in organizations out in the field. Using qualitative methods this research sought to gain an understanding of how organizations are operating their IT capacity-management processes in the field. A dozen subjects from 10 organizations were interviewed and the data were analyzed with a grounded …

Insights Into The Processes And Practices Novice Professors Use To Continually Develop Their Pedagogical Skills, Kerri Pilling Burchill

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This qualitative case study explored the processes and practices three novice professors used to develop their pedagogical skills after attending formal professional development activities or programs. Data for the study included transcriptions of two interviews, pedagogical artifacts, and field notes of classroom observations. The data set was analyzed using a combination of systematic coding, thematic analysis, and the development of grounded theory. The study found that participants instinctively developed their pedagogical skills by engaging in a learning cycle that involved preparing to teach, teaching, reflecting on their teaching experiences, developing new pedagogical strategies that enhanced their instructional practice, and implementing …

Joan, Sarah Bauerle

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Joan is an original, programmatic piece for orchestra, with an approximate running time of eight minutes. It is inspired by the life of Joan of Arc, the French heroine at the end of the Hundred Years' War. Themes evoking major characters are presented as the piece unfolds. Along with original material, melodies from several folksongs are used in the themes representing Joan and the English. The English "Agincourt Carol" dates to the Hundred Years' War. Joan's themes, "Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella" and "He is Born," are both familiar French carols. In addition to these two themes, the piece begins …

Effectiveness Of A Single Individual Diabetes Education Session Versus Completion Of A Program Of Group Classes On Hemoglobin A1c (Hba1c) And Lipids In Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Devon Marie Hoster

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Background: Diabetes self-management education/training (DSME/DSMT) is a tool for managing diabetes mellitus; however, a research gap exists regarding the clinical effectiveness of completing versus failing to complete a DSME/DSMT program.

Objective: This study determined the difference in effectiveness between a single initial individual DSMT session and completion of the full DSMT program via group classes by people with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: A retrospective study compared HbA1c and lipid values between the “individual education” and “group education” groups from pre- to post-program from the Presence St. Joseph Medical Center’s DSMT program.

Results: Statistically significant differences were not found between …

Fitting In: A Study Of Lesbian Mothers In Rural Southeastern Michigan, Allison Amadea Ranusch

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Lesbian parents residing in rural and small communities have received little scholarly attention. The primary focus of the existing research has highlighted the isolation experienced by lesbian parents within such locations, but little examination has been made of other issues or their coping mechanisms. This study was designed to address these deficits in knowledge and understanding through a series of eleven in-depth, qualitative interviews. Several stigma management strategies were discovered. For example, it was reported that engaging in farming and trade helped lesbian mothers "fit in" enough to gain some level of acceptance from their immediate neighbors. Stigma was also …

Progress Toward A Structure-Function Relationship For Novel, Small-Molecule Inhibitors Of Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1, Sarah Burke

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is a serpin protein whose function is to inhibit tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), and hence, fibrinolysis. This inhibition leads to decreased plasminogen to plasmin conversion, which results in deleterious effects on the organism, such as blood clots. Elevated levels of PAI-1 are implicated in a variety of diseases and conditions. We have synthesized a variety of novel, small-molecule PAI-1 inhibitors in order to establish a structure-function relationship throughout the compounds. This goal was accomplished through an iterative process in which only one aspect of the molecule was altered at a time. …

Voices Of Persistence: Stories Of Success From One Urban Public Charter High School, Diane Joy Maodush-Pitzer

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Analysis of the data revealed the importance of relationships at the heart of each of the interviewee's responses with a family member or neighbor who encouraged and supported at home; a principal who encouraged them to consider a specific high school and then continued to follow them through their high school experience; an advisor who guided them during all four of their high school years; teachers, who not only challenged, supported, and encouraged during classroom hours, but also opened the door of their classrooms before and after school to be in deeper relationship with their students; or a community program …

Characteristics Of Effective Communicative Partners For Veterans With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Ptsd), Mardee Anne Kohlmann

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study identifies communicative and non-communicative characteristics of spouses of veterans with PTSD as discussed by the participants. Due to the exposure to traumatic events, language abilities of soldiers are often affected, commonly delaying the retrieval of memories, as well as analysis and production of everyday speech. These symptoms make it difficult to perform the communication behaviors that are conducive for healthy relationships. Improved acceptance and acknowledgment of PTSD in veterans by the armed services has increased the demand for preventative and therapeutic methods being used to treat returning veterans assimilating back into society. Qualitative methodology was used in this …

Influence Of Sports Drink Taste Preference On Consumption In Adult Recreational Soccer Players, Kiarash Molavi

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Sports drinks provide nutrients that improve athletic performance. This study investigated whether a preference in taste leads to an increased consumption of a sports drink prior to and after an endurance event in athletes. Male amateur soccer players (n=16) first participated in a blind sensory evaluation to determine their taste preference for two (designated as Drink A and Drink B) similarly flavored sports drinks. Subjects were divided into two groups based on their taste preference for either drink. They then participated in 9 soccer matches and were presented with either Drink A, Drink B, or water (3 trials each) before …

Progressive Place Assimilation In Optimality Theory, Andrew Lamont

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis presents an investigation into progressive place agreement in clusters through the lens of Optimality Theory (Prince & Smolensky, 1993/2004; McCarthy & Prince, 1995, 1999). A large typology of such languages is presented and examined to detail a broad swath of phenomena. The main line of inquiry over this typology is how direction of assimilation is formally represented. This work argues that simple phonological mechanisms explain the cross-linguistic effects including an agreement constraint and conflicting faithfulness constraints.

Identification Of Novel Gastric Stem Cell Markers And Investigation Of Intestinal Stem Cell Cre-Mediated Recombination, Theresa M. Keeley

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Very few genetic markers for gastric stem cells are currently described. Identifying new markers is important for increasing our basic understanding of gastric tissues and studying mechanisms of cancer development. Gastric and intestinal tissues share a common developmental program. Thus, intestinal stem cell genetic drivers were investigated for putative expression in gastric stem cells, utilizing Cre/Lox technology for lineage tracing. The recombination efficiencies of reporters with intestinal drivers and the effect of tamoxifen-induced tissue damage were also investigated.

It was discovered that higher doses of tamoxifen do not increase reporter activation in the intestine but induce gastric tissue damage. It …

Understanding The Relationship Between Technical And Managerial Factors And Product Innovation At A Tier 1 Engine Component Supplier, Carmo Ribeiro

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study provided an assessment of the technical and managerial factors on the development of successful innovative internal combustion engine (ICE) components at a XYZ Tier 1 supplier firm. Further, factors related to regulations, component application, and customer integration were identified and complement the study.

A deficiency has been identified in the literature in that most studies concentrate on inter-firm innovation from the customer’s perspective within the supply-chain relationship. While suppliers have increasingly become a source of innovation, very little is known about specific ways in which innovation occurs at Tier 1 suppliers. The mechanisms by which innovative ideas are …

An Examination Of Student-Support Team Practices In One Urban Elementary Public-School Academy: A Model Of Intervention, Sherall Elaine Wade

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Under the federal laws, No Child Left Behind (NCLB, 2001) and Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA, 2004), school districts throughout the United States must provide struggling students with intervention strategies prior to diagnosis and placement into special-education programs (National Center on Educational Outcomes 2006). In 2004 Congress made many changes to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and from it Response to Intervention (RTI) became one of the most notable terms (Hale 2008). RTI is conceptualized as a multi-tiered service delivery model, which includes primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of support. The focus of the first tier is intervention at …

Study Of The Effectiveness Of Instant Activities On Student Behavior In Elementary Physical Education, Jerry Ray Leonard

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to assess how the use of instant activities as a physical education classroom warm-up impacts student behavior during the elementary physical education class period. The study examined whether or not the use of instant activities reduces the number of off-task student behaviors during a physical education class period. The research study focused on two fourth grade elementary classes that came to the physical education classroom twice a week for two months as part of this study. One class performed an instant activity every day before the start of the instructional period. The other …

Designing A State-Of-The-Science, Accredited, Commercially-Successful Biorepository Utilizing Iso:9001(2008) Quality Management System Requirements To Construct The Framework, Kimberly S. Gonzalez

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The research community relies upon biorepositories’ ability to prepare for the scientific advancement that can precipitate the discoveries of the future. Furthermore, as the complexities, financial pressure, and quality issues biorepositories face continue to unfold, it is imperative to explore unmet needs researchers may have for biorepository services as well as evaluate the commercial potential, funding, and competitiveness of a new biorepository. With the goal of contributing to medical and scientific research and the biorepository field, this paper utilizes principles from ISO 9001:2008 “Quality management systems- Requirements” to outline and explore the challenges in establishing a state-of-the-science, accredited, commercial BSL-2 …

Modeling Volatile Organic Compound Emission From Materials Used In Passenger Vehicle Interiors, Shane Canaday

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Travel is an everyday necessity for many people, making the environment of a passenger vehicle a place where they spend a significant amount of time. Previous studies have indicated that more than 100 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are present in ambient air within the cabins of new cars, some of which have been found to have adverse health effects. While previous VOC models have been produced, there is still uncertainty in these models with respect to changing variables such as temperature, sunlight, and the presence of multiple VOCs. An accurate and reliable model, capable of determining the concentration of different …

A Comparative Study Of Carnivorous Leaves In The Genus Sarracenia, Katie Nolan

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The carnivorous pitcher plant genus, Sarracenia, has modified leaves adapted to lure, trap, and digest insect prey. Little is known about surface microstructural ornamentation and variation throughout the genus. Four zones of the leaf were examined in four species throughout the range of the genus using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Nine unique microstructures were identified in the carnivorous leaf. For the first time, microstructures (N=880) were systematically measured and zonal averages were compared among zones (with MANOVA) and species (with PCA). Microstructures are significantly different among zones of the same leaf and vary among different species. These data suggest …

"Trifles Of Value": Craft As Communication In Victorian Literature, Amanda C. Larson

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis argues that craft functions in the nineteenth century as a form of communication that expresses female identity in Elizabeth Gaskell's Cranford and Margaret Oliphant's Miss Marjoribanks. By looking at the novels through the lens of Talia Schaffer's craft paradigm in connection with Thing theory, it is possible to make connections between the role of craft and identity, which in turn raises questions about craft and female agency. These connections to female agency illuminate tensions between craft and the economy, gender disparity in the arts, and the limitations of class. In order to explore these notions it is …

School Attrition And Dropout Recovery Ameliorated By Literacy, Engagement, And Resilience, Janice Carol Mccarthy Voss

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate factors and feelings that contribute to students leaving school and later returning to adult education programs to attain a General Educational Development (GED) credential. This process was found to be ameliorated by the positive factors of literacy, engagement, and resilience. These factors were selected because of their importance to the success of the schooling process and their interrelatedness. When these factors were self-reported at low levels combined with negative social circumstances, it was much more difficult for students to avoid school attrition or to reengage in dropout recovery. An explanatory sequential mixed …

Biomechanical Comparisons Of The Power Clean And Power Hang Clean Exercises At Different Relative Intensities, Jacob Troy Caldwell

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare normalized peak power (PP) and peak barbell acceleration (BA) between the power clean (PC) and power hang clean (PHC) exercises among eight male weightlifters (25.5 ℗ł 2.86 yr; 85.25 ℗ł 11 kg). Biomechanical comparisons were made between both exercises at 60%, 70%, and 80% of each subject⁰́₉s one repetition maximum (1RM). When comparing both exercises for normalized PP, there was no significant difference at 60% and 70% of 1RM. At 80% 1RM, the PHC demonstrated significance (p = 0.016) with higher normalized PP when compared to the PC. When comparing both exercises …

Reel Women: Gender Stereotypes In Film, Kayla Marie Krahn

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Horror films portray female characters as sexual, helpless victims. When horror films attempt to portray female characters as the hero, this sends a message to audiences that women can be strong and independent. An experiment was conducted to test an audience's perceptions gender stereotypes of women in the horror film, Scream. Results indicate that stereotypes present in the horror film effected the participants' perception of women as competent heroes. Female participants were also more likely to perceive women as more competent than male participants. Then, from a qualitative standpoint, five individuals were interviewed about their perceptions of characters in their …

Characterizing The Properties Of Specific Binomial Coefficients In Congruence Relations, Tyler Robert Russ

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The number theoretic conjecture we examine in this paper originates when trying to construct a characterizable generating set for the complex cobordism polynomial ring. To date there is no efficient, universal method for characterizing such a generating set. Wilfong conjectures that smooth projective toric varieties can act as these generators [7]. Toric varieties are related to polytopes by a bijective correspondence. Studying the combinatorial structure of these polytopes is much more manageable than studying properties of toric varieties directly. This gives rise to the number theoretic conjecture considered here. A proof of this number theoretic conjecture would in turn prove …

College Student Understanding Of Informed Consent Terminology, Kishore Garapati

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

A good, understandable informed consent form (ICF) is key to ethical medical research, and the ICF is necessary according to United States federal regulation. Since they may be written in complex technical language, ICFs are often difficult for subjects to understand. The purpose of this research was to evaluate students' understanding of terminology commonly used in the ICF. An online research survey was sent to active students of Eastern Michigan University (EMU) during the winter 2015 semester. Questions were asked to evaluate the students' understanding of the correct meaning of the terms used in medical research. The majority of students …

Using Peptides To Examine The Interaction Interface Between Aspartate Transcarbamoylase And Dihydroorotase In Pyrimidine Biosynthesis In Aquifex Aeolicus, Nouf Alyami

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Aspartate transcarbamoylase (ATCase) and Dihydroorotase (DHOase) catalyze the second and third steps, respectively, in de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis. Both enzymes form an active complex (DAC) in Aquifex aeolicus, where loop A of DHOase interacts with a domain of ATCase. The main objective of this work is to determine the function of specific residues of loop A in DAC interactions and to alter the catalytic activities through disruption of the interface between the two enzymes from A. aeolicus. The ATCase and DHOase domains have been expressed in Escherichia coli and purified using affinity chromatography. The interface of the published …