Digital Commons Network^™

An Exploration Of Teacher Dispositions: Expectation Of Potential, Kathleen Louise Saleh

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This qualitative investigation of three, K-12, in-service special education teachers’ dispositions employs the pillars of Disability Studies in Education (Connor, Gabel, Gallagher, & Morton, 2008) and Villegas’ (2007) definition of disposition to interpret the observational and interview data. Central to the study are the teachers’ beliefs about their students’ learning potential and the impact of those beliefs on their instructional behaviors—dispositions—that support or hinder social justice. Consideration is also given to the educational and life experiences that the educators identify as contributing to their professional disposition. Analysis of the data demonstrated five primary themes. (1) Disposition, although influential in the …

A Master's Recital In Conducting, Logan Scott Vander Wiel

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Logan Scott Vander Wiel conducted on three recitals which took place on the evenings of Thursday, November 9, 2017; Wednesday, February 21, 2018; and Wednesday, April 18, 2018, in the Great Hall at the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center. The recitals were presented in partial fulfillment of a Master of Music in conducting. The full program consisted of five contrasting pieces from the standard repertoire: Alfred Reed’s Russian Christmas Music for wind band, Gordon Jacob’s An Original Suite for wind band and his Old Wine in New Bottles for thirteen winds, Michael Daugherty’s Alligator Alley for wind band, and Guy …

Analysis Of The Relationship Between Religion And Forgiveness, Desislava S. Stoycheva

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Forgiveness has been found important for human social functioning within and across cultures. Empirical findings from the last four decades pointed to the role of forgiveness in improving physical, mental, and spiritual health. As a result, forgiveness practices have been extended into the fields of counseling psychology, education, and peace-making. Other studies suggest that religious commitment increases a person’s likelihood to forgive and that practicing forgiveness mediates the effect of religion on health. Schema Theory was used to interpret religious background or lack of religion as factors shaping specific mental structures. These mental structures could lead to different forgiveness schemata, …

The Effects Of Massage Therapy On Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, Carli Mueller

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Context: Cupping massage and petrissage may be beneficial in the treatment of DOMS, however, there is limited research on the application and use of cupping massage on DOMS. This study examines the effectiveness of petrissage versus cupping massage on the pain associated with DOMS among a healthy population. Objective: To determine the efficacy of cupping massage in comparison to petrissage on the treatment of pain associated with acute muscle injury. Design: Experimental, single blinded study with stratification of participants. Participants: Thirty-two healthy individuals between the ages of 18 and 22. Methods: Participants underwent a protocol to induce DOMS on the …

The Role Of Virtual Environment And Virtual Reality For Knowledge Transfer, Michelle Rice

Graduate Research Papers

Virtual Reality (VR) is a technology tool for workplace training that can lessen the total training time needed to learn complex cognitive tasks and aids a learner in converting abstract ideas into practical understanding. This review explores the use of VR training and its role in assisting a learner with knowledge transfer. A comprehensive literature search was conducted of peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2003-2018 and then 44 sources were selected for analysis. The reviewed research studies indicated that immersive VR training can provide a learner with a highly engaging virtual learning environment VE and stimulating experience that accommodates self-paced …

Landscape And Climate Drivers Of Harmful Algal Blooms In Iowa, Aaron Padilla

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Insuring the safety of our water for consumption and recreation is a crucial but extremely difficult and resource intensive activity of environmental protection agencies. One of the ways our water is at risk is through the increased frequency, and intensity of harmful algal blooms (HABs). When CyanoHABs occur, they can produce a toxic byproduct, most notably microcystin in freshwater, which can be harmful to humans and animals. Previous research has indicated these blooms are driven by increased eutrophication of water bodies, the excess loading of nutrients. In Iowa, the main driver of CyanoHABs in most watersheds is agricultural runoff, which …

Science Research And Engineering & Design Into Education, Amanda R. Schiller

Graduate Research Papers

The project I have chosen for my creative component is researching how to develop a curriculum integrating an Engineering and Design unit within a 7th Grade Science course that could focus on engaging students in Science research projects. The emphasis of this unit is on Engineering and Design or Engineering practices, which is addressed in the Iowa Core and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) (Iowa Core Curriculum, 2008) and (Lead States, 2013). Science research and/or projects are based along the same idea as what science teachers distinguish as the scientific method. When conducting research, scientists use the scientific method …

The Effects Of Nutrient Resorption, Photosynthetic Rate, And Leaf Longevity On The Success Of Typha × Glauca, Clarissa Marie Ruiz

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The hybrid cattail Typha × glauca is invasive in the Midwestern United States, and outcompetes wetland natives and its parent species, Typha angustifolia and Typha latifolia under high nutrient conditions. Typha × glauca’s large size and copious litter production are the main factors known to contribute to its success, although research is lacking on physiological processes that contribute to its nitrogen use efficiency.

Nitrogen resorption was investigated as a mechanism of dominance in Typha × glauca. Due to nitrogen resorption being a nutrient conservation strategy, nitrogen resorption should be high in areas of low nitrogen availability. Since nitrogen …

Graduate Recital In Violin, Naima Burrs

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Naima Burrs performed her Master of Music Recital in violin on April 2, 2018, at 8:00 pm in the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Art Center’s Davis Hall. She was assisted by pianist Mariya Akhadjanova. The program selected included César Franck’s Sonata in A Major for piano and violin (1886), Keith Jarrett’s Elegy for violin and string orchestra (2000), Three Pieces for Violin and Piano (1967) by Dorothy Rudd Moore, and Song (2002) from Tango, Song and Dance by Andre Previn.

Depression And Anxiety In Current Middle Grade Fiction: Finding Quality, Authentic Portrayals For Use In Bibliotherapy, Tonia Sandersfeld-Miller

Graduate Research Papers

Young adults need a safe environment to learn about mental illness, and librarians must ensure that books being recommended authentically and realistically portray mental illness. The purpose of this study is to analyze the authenticity of fiction titles for middle school students that include content related to depression and anxiety to support recommendations to school counselors for bibliotherapy. The research questions this study sought to address included the following: Do the plots and characters of young adult novels written for middle school students realistically and authentically portray mental illness, and what criteria can be used to determine a novel's quality …

Sown Forb Performance In Cp42 Fields, Nathan Theel, Mark Sherrard

Undergraduate Student Work

CP42 is a general conservation practice that attempts to establish pollinator-friendly habitat

In total, >500,000 acres have been converted to CP42 (>40% of which is in Iowa) [1]

To date, there has been no formal assessment of practice success (i.e., post-seeding forb establishment)

In this study, we assess forb establishment in randomly selected CP42 fields near Cedar Falls, Iowa

We identify forbs with high/low establishment and relate this to seed cost in an effort to improve seed mix design

Floral Resource Availability And Butterfly Community Characteristics In Cp-42 Pollinator Habitat Plantings, Ethan Marburger, Corinne Myers, Mark Myers

Undergraduate Student Work

Prairies once covered approximately 85% of Iowa, but due to extensive habitat loss less than 0.1% of native prairies remain (Smith 1998). Habitat loss in Iowa has been driven by agricultural expansion and intensification, and has resulted in the decline of many native insect pollinators. To curb habitat loss and restore habitat for pollinators, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) provides private landowners incentives to enroll agricultural land into the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Pollinator Habitat (CP-42) practice. The CP-42 conservation practice requires landowners to seed at least 9 species of pollinator friendly wildflowers, legumes, or shrubs on enrolled lands. CP-42 …

Chiropractic Usage Among College Students: An Extended Literature Review, Elizabeth A. Schwenker

Honors Program Theses

Chiropractic medicine is a complementary health approach that focuses on the use of adjustments, mainly to the spine, and is typically sought to reduce pain (Chiropractic: In Depth, 2016). The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, a part of the National Institute of Health, found in 2007 that more than 18 million American adults had received a chiropractic adjustment or osteopathic manipulation in the previous year. The NIH recognizes that chiropractic adjustments appear beneficial in reducing low back pain and may be beneficial in treating headaches, neck pain, and a number of other conditions with temporary minor adverse effects …

Avoiding Heteronormativity: Breaking Barriers In The English Classroom: A Potential Model For A Teaching Workshop, Jessica Morris

Honors Program Theses

English Language Arts has typically been characterized by the texts taught in the classroom. The traditional English classroom is filled with a combination of texts from the British canon and classic American works. I recognize that English teachers now are striving to include current texts, but the traditional curriculum still thrives today. Students still read Shakespeare and To Kill a Mockingbird and Frankenstein. Given that fact, we should also teach students how to find themselves within those texts.

Within English education, we tend to interpret literature in a very “standard” way. We stick with what we know and what …

Native Grass Cover Influences Forb Density In Cp-42 Pollinator Plantings, Alyssa Burgert, Laura Jackson

Undergraduate Student Work

In recent years, pollinator populations have greatly declined due to a large decrease in habitat. In order to combat this decline, government programs have provided farmers with incentives to convert cropland to pollinator habitat.¹ Farmers are required to plant at least 9 insect-pollinated species, with 3 species each blooming in early, middle and late summer. Any grasses must be native and comprise no more than 25% of the seed mix.² Because of the high cost of forb seed and relatively low cost of grasses, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of this seed mix strategy. We predicted that …

The Intercultural Communication Of The Business World: A Review Of The Literature And Application To Colombian And English-Speaking Professionals, Anna Colleen Kelly

Honors Program Theses

This paper studies major works that contribute to the knowledge of the formation of cultural values and how those values are influential in the context of business, especially when it comes to international management. As the world becomes more globalized, business organizations face new challenges as members encounter cross-cultural situations. Experts on international management and leading scholars on culture and business Alfons Trompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner (2012) explained that the “internationalization of business life requires more knowledge of cultural patterns” (p.6). It is no longer sufficient for business people to ignore their own culture, and to understand and accept the …

Exploration Of Counter Examples Of Balanced Sets, Jake Allen Weber

Honors Program Theses

Mathematicians are often intrigued with patterns, many times finding themselves looking for pieces of structure within a data set. This research project is no different in that we have explored our vast data set for substructure.

Our goal is to identify the following: how many data points are necessary to guarantee our set has a balanced set/substructure? Naturally rephrasing the previous question, we also ask ourselves what is the largest set that does not have a balanced subset/substructure? This alternate phrasing set us down our current path. We focused on the largest sets with no balanced substructure and what they …

Rates And Patterns Of Evolution In A Duplicated Genome In The Family Catostomidae, Megann Michelle Schmidt

Honors Program Theses

Whole genome duplication (WGD) is a process in which the entire genome of an organism is duplicated, making redundant genes which are subject to unique evolutionary forces. Various modes of selection create different genetic fates such as retention of ancestral function, development of new function, or loss of function. Because of these differing fates, WGD is hypothesized to be a major driving force behind diversification. In this project, DNA sequences from fish species in the family Catostomidae were examined to observe patterns of evolution following a known WGD. Gene trees were generated for 179 loci to determine the amount of …

Effect Of Extracellular Atp On Cellular Actin Fibrils' Location And Characteristics, Dianna Huisman

Honors Program Theses

Epithelial cells lining secretory units and ducts of bovine mammary glands perform an important role in regulating movement of various macromolecules and whole cells during normal lactation and mastitis. During mastitis, host-and bacteria-produced substances can affect the “barrier” function of epithelial monolayers. One potential component is adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP likely interacts with P2X7, a purinergic receptor, in mediating some effects associated with mastitis including changes in cell permeability. The bovine mammary gland epithelial cell line, Mac-T cells, were examined for cytoskeletal changes as result of P2X7 interactions. Actin cytoskeletons were stained with phalloidin and effects were examined by fluorescent …

Correlation Between Wild Bee Populations And Vegetative Resources In The Conservation Reserve Program’S Pollinator Enhancement Plantings, Olivia Willoughby, Alyssa Burgert, Nathan Theel, Ai Wen

Undergraduate Student Work

Wild bee populations are in decline; and one of the main factors that caused this is habitat loss, which diminishes floral resources that bees utilize for nectar and pollen (Watanabe 2013)

The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) aims to combat habitat loss by implementing ecological restorations that provide resources for a variety of different wildlife

In 2011, the CRP established a Pollinator Habitat Initiative called CP-42, which encompasses forbs and grasses to create adequate habitat for pollinators

A primary goal of this program is to enhance pollinator abundance and diversity

Comparison Of Two Levels Of Inpatient Dysphagia Treatment Dosages On Swallowing Outcomes, Paige Licht

Honors Program Theses

Current research reveals great variability in many aspects of service delivery for swallowing rehabilitation, including dosage or intensity of treatment. Therefore, there is a need to investigate the effects of treatment intensity on swallowing rehabilitation outcomes. The purpose of this study is to determine whether two levels of treatment intensity produce different patterns of swallowing recovery for inpatients with neurogenic dysphagia. Blinded analysis of pre- and post-treatment videofluoroscopic measures of swallowing were completed for six inpatients at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago who were previously randomized to one of two dysphagia exercise programs. One arm consisted of traditional 30-minute treatment …

A Graphical File System Visualization Tool For Operating Systems, Jacob Bundt

Honors Program Theses

Fileshark was developed for the primary purpose of aiding in the teaching of students in file system related courses, particularly at the undergraduate level, by providing a visual representation of often abstract file system ideas. Many teachers find it difficult to teach the file system in detail in a typical operating systems classroom environment due to its abstract nature and the inability to truly observe what is occurring within the file system. Fileshark provides an easy to use interface that can be used by both students and professors to visualize the internal workings of the file system and the processes …

Van Der Waals Interactions In Ultrafine Nanocellulose Aerogels, Byron John Fritch

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this study was to establish methods of synthesizing various compositions of nanocellulose aerogels using a top-down ultrasonication synthesis approach. Quantifying the effect composition has on physical properties was also be of interest due to the lack of scientific literature over this material. Microscopic techniques and physical experiments were used to determine how the internal structure of the aerogel material varies with composition and how the internal structure effects the physical properties. The main driving factor behind this study was that not much current scientific literature can be found about how the ultrasonic process effects the nanocellulose aerogels. …

Adapting Curriculum For Autism In Art Education, Melanie Jo Lambert

Honors Program Theses

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) describes a complex group of brain development disorders characterized by difficulties in social interaction, communication and behavior. ASD is one of the nation's leading disorders, affecting nearly one in every 68 children (Centers for Disease Control Prevention, 2017). Currently there is limited understanding and research in ways ASD is being promoted and integrated within art education. This limitation has led to blurred understandings in how art educators can adapt materials, projects, and roles of paraprofessionals within the classroom. Societal views on ASD often deny the giftedness of these children and fail to see the effects that …

Can God Know Tomorrow?, Jacob Kristian Bergman

Honors Program Theses

This paper examines the compatibility of God's foreknowledge and human free will. To narrow the focus of this question, this paper will focus on a branch of this debate by analyzing the arguments of Open Theism. By analyzing the claims made within Open Theism, with respect to its proposal that God can be omniscient while granting free will, it will be possible to determine if this claim is a valid argument as to how humanity can have free will without limiting the scope of God. This paper will focus on an Open Theist critique of the traditional understanding of God’s …

Prebiotic Potential Of Aerosols, Emma Rae Shipley

Honors Program Theses

A triple quadrupole gas chromatograpy mass spectrometer (GC/MS/QQQ) was used to determine prebiotic molecules of interest in plasma and photochemical aerosols. Glycolic acid was further studied using isotopically doped gases. Plasma and photochemical aerosol analogs were shown to have nucleobases and a few amino acids. Each type of aerosol was also the source of glycolic acid, a precursor to glycine. Using ¹⁸O doped CO, it was determined that contamination was not a source of oxygen in the samples. Using different combinations of ¹³C doped gases in 1:1 combinations of CO and CH₄, it was determined that …

Resale Value Of Individual Sets Of Magic The Gathering, Nichole Bolas Mlodzik

Honors Program Theses

Magic: the Gathering is a strategy-based fantasy card game developed by Richard Garfield in 1993. The appeal of playing the game is found in using cardboard printed cards to cast spells to achieve a victory over one or more opponents. This thesis will provide an analysis of six MTG sets, calculating the average value of one pack of fourteen cards. The relationships between the average resale value for each set will be evaluated using statistical graphical analysis. Conclusions will be drawn regarding the average resale value of a pack of fourteen cards in each of six sets

Soil Characteristics Affecting Weed Invasion On Conservation Reserve Program Pollinator Habitats, Jennifer Pauley

Undergraduate Student Work

The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is a land conservation program administered by the US Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency (FSA) to improve water quality, prevent soil erosion, and create wildlife habitat.

• The CP-42 program provides cost share and an annual rental payment to farmers in order to establish native prairie species for pollinator habitat.

County NRCS technical staff make recommendations for seed mix to match the dominant soil moisture class in a parcel (e.g. dry, mesic, wet) with the appropriate plant species.

• There has been little to no research prior to the Biology SURP initiative to monitor …

Literature Review: Analyzing The Reasons Behind The Long-Standing Debate Of Evolution And Religion In America, Michelle Kathryn Matchell

Honors Program Theses

Evolution has been a widely studied and debated topic for centuries. Since the days of Greek philosophy, humans have been curious about the diversity of life and how it arose to what we see today. Interest in evolution flourished during the days of Charles Darwin when he and Alfred Russel Wallace developed the concept of natural selection. Now, evolution is an integral part of many scientific studies, especially genetics, developmental biology, geology, behavior studies and social sciences. According to Muhammad Ashraf, evolution can be considered ‘the cornerstone of modern science’ (Ashraf, 2016). On what would have been Darwin’s 201st birthday, …

Detection And Determination Of Food Residues In Native American Pottery, Katherine A. Plotzke

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this research was to develop a new method of analyzing organic residues left on Native American pottery using linear Raman spectroscopy. Native American pottery was replicated using terra cotta and maple syrup was boiled in each of the pots using boiling stones. The pottery shards were then analyzed using Raman spectroscopy. Shards of pottery with maple syrup residue were compared to the standards and the syrup residue was not only detected, but also matched to compounds in the instrument library. Typically, the study of Native American pottery has been done in a variety of different ways, many …