Digital Commons Network^™

Book Selection Approaches And The Middle School Student, Sara Fischer

Graduate Research Papers

"Reading is a foundational skill for learning, personal growth, and enjoyment. The degree to which students can read and understand text in all formats and all contexts is a key indicator of success in school and in life" (AASL, 2007, p. 1). As indicated in this AASL statement, it is the job of the teacher and teacher librarian to encourage independent reading among their students. However, there is often a lack of knowledge surrounding the level of success in the approaches middle school students take when selecting independent reading books of interest to them. This inhibits teachers and teacher librarians …

The Effects Of Metolachlor Exposure On The Thp-1 Alveolar Monocyte And Macrophage Function, Jared S. Parmater

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The use of additive chemicals such as pesticides has become commonplace in agricultural practices in the Midwestern United States. Metolachlor, an herbicide used to regulate broadleaf weeds in corn and soybeans, is a widely utilized pesticide in the United States. This herbicide is effective in killing broadleaf weeds but has detrimental effects and consequences in non-target organisms. It is a frequent contaminant of ground water due to post application run-off and the air.

Inhalation constitutes one route of exposure, in addition to ingestion, adding to the list of unintended targets and consequences. This route of exposure creates an argument for …

Formation Of Titan Aerosol From Co And Ch4, Tate Christensen

Honors Program Theses

In 1952 Stanley Miller and Harold Urey conducted an experiment that would simulate the conditions of early earth (Miller, 1953). The purpose was to observe the chemical origins of life, and the conclusion supported an earlier theory that such conditions favor the synthesis of more complex organic compounds from simpler inorganic molecules. The research conducted in Dr. Sebree’s lab is an extension of these early findings. It is believed that early Earth was composed mostly of nitrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and methane as opposed to our atmosphere of nitrogen and oxygen today.

Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, has qualities relatively …

Homo Humanus: An Installation Investigating The Omnipresence Of Self-Documentation, Ashley Elizabeth Jones

Honors Program Theses

Historically, human beings have always been interested in documenting themselves and the world around them. Early humans left hand prints on cave walls, marking their presence for the future; royalty throughout history have commissioned portraits of themselves to leave their immortal mark on the world; Polaroid pictures and letters kept in parents’ closets record the earlier days of their lives. Today, humans document their daily lives digitally through social media platforms like Snapchat and Facebook. Images posted to these sites pervade our lives: they are constant, everywhere, and range from photographs of meals to quick snapshot self-portraits – “selfies” – …

Developmental Immunity Of The Skeletal Elements Of The Weberian Apparatus To The Effects Of Exogenous Estrogen (17-Β Estradiol), A Known Disruptor Of Cartliage Development, Bailey Jordan Wetherell

Honors Program Theses

Proper vertebrate development is controlled by a tightly regulated sequence of gene activation and repression. Exposure to both endogenous (hormones, gene products) and exogenous (environmental chemicals, toxins, etc.) substances during development can have profound effects on morphology by altering growth, cell fate, cell differentiation, and cell migration. Waterways have long been hot-spots for chemical and toxin accumulation, due to runoff and waste dumping. Growing concern is being paid to endocrine disruptors, like estrogen (17β-estradiol), which are found in increasing levels in rivers and streams. Endocrine disruptors are known to cause a varied number of defects in fish species, but the …

Magnetic Behavior Of Bulk And Nanostructured Mnxtas2, Lucas Paul Beving

Honors Program Theses

At its base, material science research aims to categorize specific materials by their various attributes, such as structure, integrity, electronic properties, magnetic properties, and others. By categorizing materials in this way, it becomes easier to generalize the application of a specific material to those within a broader category. The interest in materials that exhibit useful characteristics at small scales derives directly from the technology industry’s need for smaller and smaller devices. Two-dimensional materials are of great interest for this reason.

Two-dimensional materials are comprised of many single layers, or planes, stacked together to create a crystal. Each layer may be …

Developmental Analysis Of Leea Guineensis (Leeaceae), Sally Gray

Honors Program Theses

Vitaceae is the grape family of flowering plants that is composed of twelve genera of woody plants (Jones et al., 2013). Vitis has been studied extensively for the commercial value of the fruit in the wine and grape production. However, not a lot of research has been done specifically on its basic biology such as leaf development within the family.

Understanding the basic biology of the plant can help with understanding its growth habit and help with improving the overall health of the plant. For example, analyzing flowers and leaves is a good way to draw inferences about developmental similarities …

Secondary Mathematics Educators And Coaches' Role In Providing Motivation, Reggie Schulte

Honors Program Theses

The compatibility between learning goals for students and mastery-oriented athletes makes sense based on my experience in both fields. I have often heard from coaches that it is important to “embrace the process” or “trust the process.” This same idea can be applied to a mathematics secondary classroom by praising effort and embracing the struggle that comes along with having a conceptual understanding of mathematics. As a future educator and coach, it is exciting, and to be honest somewhat scary, to know that I can a great effect on what my students believe they are able to achieve. After conducting …

Gender And Music: Can We Hear A Difference Between Female And Male Composers And Performers?, Arianna Edvenson

Honors Program Theses

This research investigates whether or not gender is perceptible in classical music. In order to test this hypothesis, different ideas such as the history of women in music, the various roles they have or have not played, and different characteristics of music that are considered “masculine” or “feminine” were examined. A survey was used to determine if these characteristics were audible. Specifically, participants were asked to try to identify the gender of the composer and performer of five different audio clips. This data was then broken down into categories that include the participant’s gender, age, and amount of musical experience. …

"Contrasts": Differences And Similarities In Choral Settings Of Christina Rossetti's Poems, Coren Hucke

Honors Program Theses

Choral music is a unique art form because it combines text with music. This juxtaposition allows the two elements to enhance each other, working together to create a clearer product. Composers of choral music must make carefully informed decisions when selecting a text and deciding how to set it to music. The characteristics of the text can have observable effects on the choices a composer makes in their setting. These effects are the subject of this thesis. I wanted to study musical settings of one poet to determine whether certain characteristics of the poetry had noticeable effects when set by …

A Reflective Analysis Of The Practice And Performance Of A Degree Tuba Recital, Taylor Hicks

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this thesis document is to review and assess using research the practice and performance techniques that were utilized and developed in preparing and presenting a full length degree recital. This thesis will also provide historical, cultural, and etymological context and examine the stylistic characteristics and playing techniques necessary in order to successfully prepare and perform the chosen repertoire in recital. Material from this thesis will act as the program notes for the recital itself on April 4 2017, while portions of the discussion on practice techniques and the challenges that each of the pieces presented will be …

Realizing Edgar: Eliminating Information Asymmetries Through Artificial Intelligence Analysis Of Sec Filings, Ryan H. Giarusso

Honors Program Theses

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) maintains a publicly-accessible database of all required filings of all publicly traded companies. Known as EDGAR (Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval), this database contains documents ranging from annual reports of major companies to personal disclosures of senior managers. However, the common user and particularly the retail investor are overwhelmed by the deluge of information, not empowered. EDGAR as it currently functions entrenches the information asymmetry between these retail investors and the large financial institutions with which they often trade. With substantial research staffs and budgets coupled to an industry standard of “playing …

Investigating The Role Of The Written Curriculum On Lesson Planning For First-Year Elementary Mathematics Teachers, Anna Kron

Honors Program Theses

While studies have previously explored aspects of lesson planning from the perspective of experienced teachers, there is a lack of research investigating how this process is different for brand new educators. The researcher, a preservice elementary teacher studying at the University of Northern Iowa, wanted to learn more about the available resources and how she would utilize them when planning for mathematics instruction in her first elementary classroom. At the completion of this project, the researcher hoped to have a better understanding of the process first-year elementary teachers experience when transforming written textbook materials into a mathematics lesson plan. The …

The Effects Of Hibernation On The Time Of Coagulation Of The American Bullfrog, Rana Catesbeiana, Joshua Samec

Honors Program Theses

Cold conditions during winter months greatly reduce heart rate in ectothermic animals, such as bullfrogs, resulting in slow, intermittent blood flow. Slow or intermittent flow of blood often results in coagulation, yet the blood of these ectotherms fails to coagulate. In this study, the effects of the stages of hibernation from the onset of temperature decline, through the duration of constant low temperature exposure, was studied by observing the time of blood coagulation of American bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) using activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT). It was found that the time of coagulation increased incrementally along with the decreasing …

A Comparison Of Technologies For Recording Speech And The Effects Of Speaker Age, Jacquelyn Marie Knustrom

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this study was to compare recordings of speech samples obtained with a dedicated recording device to those from more readily available devices. Speech recordings are used by professionals in the field of communication sciences and disorders to identify and transcribe features of an individual’s speech, regardless of his or her age. This process requires high-quality recordings, but devices intended to produce such recordings are often expensive, not easily accessible, and have few uses. This research addressed the following questions: (A) What combination of microphones and recording devices provides the clearest speech sample based on a signal-to- noise …

A Comparison Of Model-Based Design And Traditional 2d Engineering Drawings In Manufacturing Using Flowchart Analysis, Josh Gerbig

Graduate Research Papers

Model-based definition is an emerging evolution of the process for creating technical documents for use in manufacturing. Having all of the information needed to produce a part contained in a 3D model is the basic concept of model-based definition. Model-based definition removes the need to create a 2D drawing for the use of dimensioning, tolerances, and additional notes. In this paper, the concept of model-based definition was examined in order to understand if it truly increases efficiency and productivity. Through literature review, case study review, and flow chart analysis the advantages and disadvantages of model-based definition were investigated. This paper …

What Rhyme Tells Us About The Status Of Homogeneous Diphthongs In Spanish, Juan Carlos Castillo

Faculty Work

This article addresses the status of homogeneous diphthongs in Spanish (those formed of two high vocoids, usually spelled iu or ui) to try to determine which vocoid acts as the syllable nucleus and which is the glide. It has generally been assumed that the order is glide-vowel (rising-like diphthong) but with little factual substantiation. A study of examples of rhyme from different ages in Spanish poetry and theatre in verse confirms the strong tendency for these diphthongs to act as rising-like.

The Role Of Working Memory Among Non-Traditional Foreign Language Students, Gabriela Olivares-Cuhat, Michelle H. Ploof

Faculty Work

Over the last 40 years, a growing number of nontraditional students have joined the ranks of higher education. However, due to a number of internal and external factors, these students face multiple social, economic, and academic challenges that may limit their success in postsecondary education. The focus of this article is to examine the implications of these challenges on the learning of a foreign language (FL), and more specifically on the role played by working memory (WM) with nontraditional FL learners. To this end, research studies in the fields of psycholinguistics, cognitive psychology and neuroscience are reviewed and their findings …

The Update, January-April 2017, University Of Northern Iowa. College Of Humanities, Arts And Sciences.

Update

In this issue

-- CHAS Briefs
-- Alumni Spotlight - Mason Greer
-- Student Spotlight - Lucas Beving
-- Alumni Spotlight - Caleb Vander Wiel
-- Student Spotlight - Micayla Dawson
-- Department of Art Hearst Lecture Series
-- Communication Studies Digital Media Program
-- Computer Science National Cyber Defense Competition
-- Earth and Environmental Sciences Geo-Service Project
-- Faculty Spotlight Kyle Gray
-- Faculty Spotlight Suzanne Dripps Communication Sciences
-- Calendar of Events April - May

Biology News, Winter 2017, University Of Northern Iowa. Department Of Biology.

Biology News

Contents:

--Greetings From the Department of Biology
--Department of Biology Alumni
--Kelly Bahl Interns at Epcot in Disney World
--Former Student, Susann Ahrabi-Fard, Working With the Zika Virus
--Department News
--Study Abroad Course to the Galapagos
--UNI Maintains Strength in Undergraduate Research
--Biology Faculty Incorporate Their Artistic Skills Into the Classroom and Publications
--Faculty Retirement
--Alumni In Residence
--University of Northern Iowa Awarded Grant Through the Roy J. Carver Foundation
--Reconnect With the Department of Biology
--You Can Make a Difference
--Scholarships and Funding

[Social Work] Newsletter, 2017, University Of Northern Iowa. Department Of Social Work.

Social Work Newsletter

Inside This Issue:
--2017 Year In Review
--Professor Spotlights
--Professor Highlights
--Alumni Highlights
--Student Highlights
--Student Services
--Awards Ceremony
--In the Field
--Agency Highlights

An Analysis Of Youth Participation In Athletics, Jonathan Wayne Klein

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

School athletics has a significant impact on the development of youth. This study is an exploration of the differences between youth who participate in school athletics and those who do not. Specifically, the study examined youth academic performance and behavior referrals, and variables such as grade level, age, gender, and ethnicity. In addition, the study examined whether or not there was a relationship between participation in the school’s free or reduced lunch program and athletic participation.

To determine the differences and relationships of youth that participate in school athletics and those who do not participate, an existing dataset of 4,078 …

Certified Nonprofit Professionals Early Career Decisions And College Student Loan Debt, Kristina Elizabeth-Ann Kofoot

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In the United States today college students graduate with more than $35,000 in student loan debt (Berman, 2015). There is little research as to what the impact of this debt has had on the career choices and trajectories of these graduates particularly those considering entering the nonprofit sector. The nonprofit sector serves millions of people across the United States every year (National Center for Charitable Statistics, 2016). In order to stay current, these organizations need to hire highly qualified professionals. The Nonprofit Leadership Alliance (NLA) offers a professional credential to students that enter their program. This credential titled Certified Nonprofit …

Effects Of Lumbopelvic Stabilization Program In Young, Non-Elite, Community-Based Gymnasts, Miranda Katherine Pomije

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Context: Gymnasts are seen practicing and competing even though they are reporting high levels of low back pain that can hinder their career if not resolved. Therefore, it may be beneficial for gymnasts to train key muscles in the lumbopelvic region to decrease those symptoms and prevent future injury. This study assesses the effects of lumbopelvic stabilization training in young, non-elite, community-based gymnasts. Objective: Measure the effectiveness of core stability training on lumbar muscle endurance, lumbo-pelvic stabilization, abdominal strength and balance in adolescent female gymnasts and examine the effect of these interventions on the occurrence of low back pain. Design: …

A Survey Of Butterfly Diagrams For Knots And Links, Mark Ronnenberg

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

A “butterfly diagram” is a representation of a knot as a kind of graph on the sphere. This generalization of Thurston’s construction of the Borromean rings was introduced by Hilden, Montesinos, Tejada, and Toro to study the bridge number of knots. In this paper, we study various properties of butterfly diagrams for knots and links. We prove basic some combinatorial results about butterflies and explore properties of butterflies for classes of links, especially torus links. The Wirtinger presentation for the knot group will be adapted to butterfly diagrams, and we translate the Reidemeister moves for knot diagrams into so-called “butterfly …

An Experimental Study Of Non-Metallic Inclusions Precipitation And Its Effect On Impact Toughness Variations In Low Alloy Steel Subjected To Complex Deoxidation, Pavel Bizyukov

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

A low level of non-metallic inclusions in steel is the key requirement in the concept of clean steel. Although the concept has received its name quite recently, it has been implemented at the large-scale steel mills for more than 40 years. Production of clean steel became possible due active development and adoption of the post-melting treatment of molten metal in the teeming ladle. Ladle metallurgy, an umbrella term for various methods of treatment, includes operations that cannot be performed during primary metallurgical processes such as melting in an electric arc, basic oxygen, or air induction furnace. Initially, the most common …

Improving Learning Center Usage Verification Processes Using Six Sigma, Latricia C. Hylton

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The Academic Learning Center at the University of Northern Iowa provides tutoring and advising services to enrolled students at the university. As Iowa legislatures consider performance based funding, having accurate and timely student usage data is imperative for the Academic Learning Center as the data is used in making funding decisions. The purpose of this research is to improve the student usage verification process and increase the accuracy of data collected by a math and science tutoring center located in the Academic Learning Center. An Access database was designed to record and track the math and science tutoring services provided …

A Master's Recital In Conducting, Lucas Harry Petersen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Lucas Harry Petersen conducted in two recitals which took place on the evenings of Tuesday, April 4, 2017 and Wednesday, April 26, 2017 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 three contrasting pieces: Dana Wilson’s Shortcut Home for wind band, Charles Gounod’s Petite Symphony for wind octet and flute, and Gordon Jacob’s Symphony AD 78 for wind band. The performing ensembles were the University of Northern Iowa Symphonic Band, and a chamber group comprised of undergraduate and …

Graduate Voice Recital Abstract, Makayla Mcdonald

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

MaKayla McDonald, soprano, presented her graduate voice recital at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday March 28, 2017. This performance took place in Davis Hall of the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center at the University of Northern Iowa. Given in partial fulfillment of the Master of Music degree, the recital was performed in collaboration with pianist James Jenkins. The program consisted of music by Johann Sebastian Bach, Gabriel Fauré, Lori Laitman, and Gaetano Donizetti. This abstract provides a brief analysis of the music, text, and salient musical characteristics for each piece as it appeared in the recital.

Seth Nordin In Recital, Matthew Seth Nordin

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This recital was prepared in collaboration with Dr. Polina Khatsko, Brent Mead, Nathaniel Welshons, and Tom Rauch. It was presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the University of Northern Iowa's Master of Music degree. The works presented were carefully chosen to showcase the performer's instrumental proficiency and understanding of a variety of solo tenor and alto trombone literature and chamber music. They are, in order, Concerto for Alto Trombone and Piano by Georg Christoph Wagenseil, selections from Dichterliebe by Robert Schumann, Improvisation No. 1 by Enrique Crespo, Fantasy for Trombone by Sigismond Stojowski, Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra …