Digital Commons Network^™

Testing The Efficiency Of The Nfl Betting Market, Ryan Earl Oswald

Honors Program Theses

This paper seeks to investigate the NFL betting market, using statistical and economic tests to challenge the Efficient Market Hypothesis’ claim that it is efficient and no strategy can be expected to make a profit. Specifically, this paper studies the spread, over-under, and money line markets to see if each is efficient on their own and as a collective. In looking to see how these lines can influence the outcomes of each other, this paper finds a number of strategies that were profitable over the timeframe of the data. This shows that the NFL betting market was not completely efficient …

Changes In Brain Oxygenation Of Rugby Players Before And After Head Trauma, Megan Benmore

Honors Program Theses

Clinicians often rely on simple neuropsychological and balance tests to diagnose concussion and determine return to sport. These tests are not fully comprehensive and lack a measure of brain physiology, warranting the need for an objective biomarker, especially in sports with frequent head trauma (e.g., rugby). The high number of concussions occurring in recreational sport necessitates an affordable and accurate biomarker to easily assess the severity of trauma. The purpose of the present study was to address this issue, using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to assess relative changes in oxyhemoglobin (O₂Hb), deoxyhemoglobin (HHb), total hemoglobin (tHb) and hemoglobin …

College-Age Students' Attitudes Toward Essential Oils, Alternative Medicines, And Modern Medicine, Taylor Nicole Brown

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the attitudes of college-age students on the use of essential oils, alternative medicines, and modern medicine. Essential oils are natural oils that contain the essence/fragrance of a plant and are often used for cleaning purposes (e.g., in soaps, detergents, disinfectant sprays) and therapeutic purposes (e.g., relieving aches and pains, calming a person, healing illnesses and injuries, improving mood). Although essential oils are primarily used in alternative medicine, some oils have also been used on an experimental basis in modern medical settings (Corner et al., 1995).

College-age students took part in an …

Best Practice For Treatment And Prevention Of Ankle Sprains In Ballet Dancers, Sara Bergin

Honors Program Theses

No abstract provided.

The Development Of A Photographic Atlas Of Plant Adaptations For Pollination, Bethany Van Dusseldorp

Honors Program Theses

Plants have biotic, abiotic, or both biotic and abiotic adaptations for pollination, depending on how they are structured and the attraction between the plant and pollinator. The main focus for this project was biotic adaptations for pollination, and how various plants are specifically structured for the insect, bird, or mammal to pick up the pollen and carry it to the next plant. Documentation, using image/focus stacking and macro photography, was done of the structures of various plants from the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) Botanical Center to support the reason for why plants are structured the way they are. While …

The Effects Of Acute Aerobic Exercise On Motor Cortex Activation And Piano Performance, Maya Deuso

Honors Program Theses

Previous research has shown that an acute (single) bout of aerobic exercise performed immediately before a fine motor task can improve the performance of that particular task as well as alter motor cortex (M1) activation. However, the intensity of exercise may influence the extent of motor skill acquisition and M1 activation. The primary aim of the current investigation was to compare the impact of moderate-intensity training (MIT) and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on whole-body motor skill acquisition via a piano task. We also aimed to determine if M1 activation was a potential mechanism for any changes in piano performance. Nine …

Selective Mutism In Immigrant Children, Lauren Cummings

Honors Program Theses

Selective mutism is a highly debilitating anxiety disorder that is characterized by a child’s lack of verbal speech in certain situations, despite having the ability to speak (Elizur & Perednik, 2003). Children with selective mutism may present with a variety of symptoms, including high levels of anxiety and isolation, which significantly impacts their social and
language development, educational and occupational achievement, and mental health (Elizur & Perednik, 2003). Children who are diagnosed with selective mutism in early childhood often have communication or cognitive difficulties and may display higher rates of psychiatric disorders later in life compared to children without selective …

Alexander The Great And Achilles: The Origin Of The Connection Between The Homeric Hero And The King Of Macedon, Katie Thessen

Honors Program Theses

No abstract provided.

Developing Methods To Assess The Role Of Lumbricus Terrestris On Seed Predation In Prairie Restoration, Jacey R. Meier

Honors Program Theses

Tallgrass prairie used to cover Iowa and much of the midwest, but now only a small percentage of it remains. Many prairie restoration efforts are in place to revitalize Iowa’s former prairie landscape. Native prairie seed that is genetically diverse and regionally appropriate is expensive, and only 5-10% of the seeds planted germinate into seedlings. Ungerminated seed loss can occur many ways, one being due to seed predation. The common earthworm, Lumbricus terrestris, is a seed predator that has been observed to be present at prairie restoration sites by its numerous middens. The goal was to develop methods that would …

Preservice Teachers, Antiracism, And Racial Literacy: Exploring Current Preservice Teachers' Definitions And Perceptions Of Racism And Antiracism Within Teacher Education, Olivia Gabrielle Terrones

Honors Program Theses

In teacher preparation programs across the country, racial discourse has grown in relevance and become an increasingly common aspect of teacher preparation programs. This study will explore the perceptions of preservice teachers on topics of race. Through a research survey of 120 current University of Northern Iowa preservice teachers, this study will explore and analyze how current UNI preservice teachers view and define racism and antiracism, where the participants place themselves on a racial literacy continuum, and how they value antiracist racial literacy in their future careers as teachers. Antiracist education is necessary for teacher education programs because the grade …

Annual Report Of The Registrar 2021/2022, University Of Northern Iowa

Institutional Effectiveness & Planning Documents

Contents:

--Definitions
--Some Comparisons
--Annual Report Data
--Summary of Attendance
--Attendance by Session
--Degrees Granted 2021/22
--Degree Summary 2021/22
--Program Certificates 2021/22
--Miscellaneous Enrollment Information
--Degrees Granted by College, Degree and Racial/Ethnic Classification

Book Review: Communicating With Our Families: Technology As Continuity, Interruption, And Transformation, Joy L. Daggs

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

Iowa Conference On Communicative Disorders [Program, 2022], Iowa Conference On Communicative Disorders

Iowa Conference on Communicative Disorders Programs

The Iowa Conference on Communicative Disorders provides continuing education activities in speech- language pathology that are acceptable to the State of Iowa and the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association. Areas of emphasis include adults and pediatrics.

Gender Performance And Political Identity At The January 6 Capitol Insurrection, Emma Elise Newton

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The January 6 Capitol insurrection was heavily documented with recorded videos and photos, across legacy and social media. Despite engaging in criminal acts, many participants recorded themselves participating in the attack and posted their videos to Parler, a right-wing alternative to Facebook and Twitter that gained traction among the far-right, QAnon conspiracy theorists, and white supremacy groups. These social media videos detail an interesting rhetorical dynamic at play, one that is not so recognizable in legacy media: performances of sex/gender. Analyzing videos uploaded to a conservative social media landscape provides a lens into performances of gender as it intersects with …

Understanding Morphological Responses Of Typha (Cattail) Species To Nutrient Pollution, Anna Marie Shapiro

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In the Midwestern United States, Typha x glauca is a hybrid of the native Typha latifolia and the non-native Typha angustifolia. Typha x glauca is considered invasive, and it is dominating Typha latifolia when they co-occur. Wetlands in the Midwest face nutrient pollution, due to fertilization used within the agricultural industry. Wetlands are nutrient sinks, which store the increased levels of nitrogen and phosphorus. These nutrients are known to increase Typha growth. Within this thesis, it was hypothesized that an increase of nitrogen in the wetland may increase the width of Typha leaves, making it difficult to distinguish the …

Triton Haze Analogs: The Role Of Carbon Monoxide In Haze Formation, Sarah E. Moran, Sarah M. Hörst, Chao He, Michael J. Radke, Joshua A. Sebree, Noam R. Izenberg, Véronique Vuitton, Laurène Flandinet, François Régis Orthous-Daunay, Cédric Wolters

Faculty Publications

Triton is the largest moon of the Neptune system and possesses a thin nitrogen atmosphere with trace amounts of carbon monoxide and methane, making it of similar composition to that of the dwarf planet Pluto. Like Pluto and Saturn's moon Titan, Triton has a haze layer thought to be composed of organics formed through photochemistry. Here, we perform atmospheric chamber experiments of 0.5% CO and 0.2% CH4 in N2 at 90 K and 1 mbar to generate Triton haze analogs. We then characterize the physical and chemical properties of these particles. We measure their production rate, their bulk composition with …

A Cross-Laboratory Comparison Study Of Titan Haze Analogs: Surface Energy, Jialin Li, Xinting Yu, Ella Sciamma-O’Brien, Chao He, Joshua A. Sebree, Farid Salama, Sarah M. Hörst, Xi Zhang

Faculty Publications

In Titan’s nitrogen-methane atmosphere, photochemistry leads to the production of complex organic particles, forming Titan’s thick haze layers. Laboratory-produced aerosol analogs, or “tholins,” are produced in a number of laboratories; however, most previous studies have investigated analogs produced by only one laboratory rather than a systematic, comparative analysis. In this study, we performed a comparative study of an important material property, the surface energy, of seven tholin samples produced in three independent laboratories under a broad range of experimental conditions, and we explored their commonalities and differences. All seven tholin samples are found to have high surface energies and are …

Shifting Preservice Teachers’ Sources Of Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Through Scaffolded Reflection: Fostering Commitment To Reform-Based Mathematics, Brooke Krejci, Elana Joram, Anthony J. Gabriele

Faculty Publications

Efforts to promote reform-based mathematics instruction in schools are pervasive, yet many teachers continue to use more traditional, procedural methods (Paolucci, 2015). In this chapter, the authors suggest that to achieve sustained adoption of reform-based instruction in mathematics, it is essential for professional development programs to draw teachers’ attention to sources of mathematics teaching efficacy afforded by reform-based teaching, such as enhanced student thinking. Educator preparation programs are ideal settings in which to begin this process, and the authors describe how scaffolded reflection activities within a mathematics methods course were used to focus preservice teachers’ attention on sources of mathematics …

Maximizing Learning Of L2 Adult Learners In Higher Education, Gabriela Olivares-Cuhat

Faculty Publications

In the fall of 2019, the age of 33.5% of students enrolled in US institutions of higher education was 25 and above. However, research in the fields of adult learning, developmental, cognitive, and socio-cognitive theories suggests that this group of students presents L2 instructors with a set of strengths and challenges. One specific concern is that empirical studies have indicated a steady decline in L2 success along with the age of the adult learners (Hakuta et al., 2003). The aim of this article is to examine how teaching practices may be derived from research findings, with a view to better …

Exploring State Department Of Education Grading Guidance During Covid-19: A Model For Future Emergency Remote Learning, Matt Townsley, Joshua Kunnath

Faculty Publications

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many United States brick-and-mortar schools in Spring 2020 rapidly transitioned to emergency remote learning. School leaders grappled with how grades ought to fit within the many unknowns of K-12 remote education. In some cases, schools modified their grading scales to give students greater flexibility to pass courses, and in other situations, schools offered incomplete grades in lieu of failures. During this time, state departments of education (DOEs) provided a variety of guidance documents to their school districts. The purpose of this study was to explore the components of state DOE grading guidance during the Spring …

Discerning Users Of Information: A Qualitative Analysis Of Student Inquiry, Karla Steege Krueger, Joan Bessman Taylor

Faculty Publications

A shift is needed in information and digital literacy instruction and assessment led by elementary and secondary school librarians with an emphasis on the evaluation of information sources. The need is in response to widespread societal sharing of mis- and disinformation related to political news including the politicizing of scientific understandings of a disease and the ensuing distrust of the messages of public health officials during the COVID-19 global pandemic. In this article, I create an instructional framework for information evaluation that is grounded in data derived from a qualitative content analysis of published research, standards, and theoretical perspectives and …

Media Framing Of Marriage Practices In Afghanistan, Hakima Afzaly

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Culturally, in Afghanistan, marriage is given much importance and seen as something that completes life. Through this study, I analyze how marriage practices, such as dowry (Mahr), bride price, and the “virginity ritual,” are described in newspapers and magazines of Afghanistan. In particular, I explore how the popular press, such as 8 Sobh and Khama Press in Afghanistan frame their discussion of marriage practices. The findings from this analysis reveal that newspapers and magazines of Afghanistan frame marriage as an economic issue and a major focus of the articles is on the financial pressure on poor families due to the …

Use Of Technology And Its Impact On Higher Order Thinking In The Science Classroom, Mauree Angelina Haage

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study focuses on examining the impact of technology on higher order thinking in the science classroom by first examining the impact of a teacher’s knowledge of Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy on the integration of higher order thinking activities and then by examining what levels of higher order thinking exist when technology was utilized. Previous research has found correlations between the levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy exhibited when using technology, particularly probeware, simulations/virtual labs, and special software like LoggerPro. In addition, previous research has shown a trend of teachers inaccurately categorizing their lessons and activities as having a higher order thinking level …

Master's Recital: Kyle Punt, Kyle Punt

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this recital is to partially fulfill the requirements for the Master of Music degree in Jazz Pedagogy, and to display musical proficiency on piano, bass guitar, and drum set. Kyle Punt scheduled his graduate recital for March 22, 2022 at 7:30 PM.

How Do We Use Creative And Personal Memories For Creative Communication?, Tyler Robert Montgomery

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Inspired by the author’s memories, KeyBoard Memories and You have the Right to Forget are two short stage plays exploring topics of identity, time, and justice. This thesis uses personal and creative memories to develop stories in the form of scripts. The thesis begins with an example of creative writing inspired by the author’s personal and creative memories and describes the purpose of the project before moving into a review of literature that explains what memories are, how they work, and the different types of memories. Then the method section describes the methods of journaling and scripting writing, and then …

The Medieval Ideal: Utopian Medievalism In The Life, Thought, And Works Of William Morris, Benjamin Michael Kimball

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Interpreting the past often reveals as much about the interpreter as it does about the subject they interpret. This was the case with William Morris and his utopian mythologization of the Middle Ages. His art, writings, politics, and philosophy are suffused with a utopian vision of the medieval past. It runs through the whole body of his work and even in affected his personal life. It became a lens through which he could understand the world around him, a source on which he could draw for his political, social, and artistic critiques of Victorian Society. Through three different vantage points, …

Effects Of Perceived Reach On Ratings Of Media Bias, Quality, And Agreement, Matthew Sedlacek

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The hostile media effect refers to individuals’ tendencies to perceive seemingly neutral news coverage as biased against their stance (Vallone et al., 1985). Research has shown this effect in partisan politics, with liberals and conservatives perceiving bias in information presented from the opposing side. The current study examined the effects of liberal or conservative and small or large audience news source manipulations on liberals’ and conservatives’ perceptions of media bias and the relationship between partisan identity and perceptions of bias. Three hundred and sixty participants read a news article presented with either a Fox News, CNN, PatriotNewsDaily, or The Progressive …

Frank Capra's America: The Fall Of Political Ambiguity, 1930-1950, Lydia Lennice Pakala

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

As the United States sank lower into an economic depression, Hollywood sought to turn bread lines into lines for the box office. While other entertainment outlets faltered, film, with its low cost tickets and ability to help patrons escape, remained prominent. Hollywood started to produce films with profit in mind and in the thick of this environment was Frank Capra, a man destined to become one of the most popular film directors of the 1930s and 1940s. Capra made a conscious effort to choose contemporary stories and as a result they are a glimpse not only into the history of …

The New Independents: A Historical Analysis Of Webcomics And Webtoon, Leonal A. Sepúlveda S.

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Webcomics have now existed as a form of graphic literature for slightly over thirty years, evolving along with computer technology and in turn reflecting the changes in culture, style and preferences for both independent artists on the Internet and their audiences. The evolution of the webcomic illustrates how the changing trends in technology and profit interests shape stylistic and narrative sensibilities. In turn, the offshoot medium of webtoons, whose history parallels the webcomic directly, illustrates the way the presentday independent webcomic sphere is shaped by the demands of contents platforms that demand its creatives constantly produce content to maintain active …

Pandemic Images And Gestalt Theory: Introspective Musings About A Series Of Digital Art-Works, Roy R. Behrens

Faculty Publications

In this paper, the author shares his thoughts about the precedents, process, and significance of a series of “digital montage” artworks that he originated during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, he talks about the indebtedness of these works to Gestalt theory, and particularly their use of what is sometimes known as “laws of seeing,” “unit-forming factors,” or inherent “grouping tendencies.”