Digital Commons Network^™

An Exploration Of Postural Control In Young Adults, Paul Franzese

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to identify any differences in time to boundary (TTB) among collegiate baseball players and a control group during quiet standing. Participants were 64 apparently healthy men, including 23 position players, 22 pitchers, and 19 control subjects. Testing consisted of two, individually randomized 3-minute quiet standing trials on a force plate, one with eyes open, and one with eyes closed. Average time to boundary values in anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) directions were calculated and a series of 2x3 (vision, group) repeated measures ANOVA were performed. Results include a difference in TTB in all groups …

Impact Of Movement Breaks On Student Focus, Marissa Malyszek

Master's Theses

This action research study focused on the impacts that movement breaks had on student focus during math lessons. This was a mixed-methods study with data collection occurring over a time period of three weeks while in a third grade classroom. Students were given 60-180 second movement breaks during math lessons over the course of the study. Movement breaks were classified in this study as any activity that required movement of one or more parts of the body. Data was collected in the form of observational analysis as well as through the use of student surveys. The findings of this study …

Quality Of Life In Persons With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Who Also Have Depression As Defined By The Beck Depression Inventory, Lauren Rosenston

Master's Theses

Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDN) are an essential part of type 2 diabetes disease management. This study assessed whether self-reported symptoms of depression, glycemic control, and reported intervention by a RDN had an impact on the quality-of-life in person diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus. An online survey was created using Qualtics software which was distributed to a convenience sample of online support groups for people diagnosed with diabetes as well as the personal pages of the researchers. The survey was available for 10 weeks and collected demographic data, information regarding the RDN intervention and assessed participant diabetes related quality-of-life using …

Body Dissatisfaction In Division Iii Collegiate Male Athletes: An Exploratory Study, Andria Merrill

Master's Theses

Given the paucity of literature investigating body dissatisfaction in collegiate male athletes, more work is necessary to establish the extent and consequences of that phenomenon in this population. The purpose of this study was to explore body dissatisfaction in collegiate male athletes participating in varsity sports at SUNY Cortland. The specific aim was to determine the prevalence of body dissatisfaction in collegiate male athletes and other intra-individual factors that may exist within varsity men's sports. Thirteen participants completed electronic surveys for the Weight Pressures Scale for Male athletes (WPS-M), the Drive for Muscularity Scale (DMS), and the Body Esteem Scale …

Morning Meeting And Closing Circles: A Sense Of Community, Positive Learning Environment, And Increased Social Interactions In An Elementary Classroom, Samantha Ryan

Master's Theses

This action research study was implemented over a three-week period in a first-grade classroom, collecting qualitative and quantitative data. The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of Morning Meetings and Closing Circles on a sense of community in an elementary classroom. Preliminary findings show an increase in student social interactions, positive learning environment, and a climate of belonging. This presentation will also provide information on Morning Meetings and Closing Circles as an intervention to combat social and emotional competencies lost during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Mythos Of Lilith: A Collection Of Madwomen, Megan Mau

Master's Theses

For too long, women’s stories have been mitigated, translated, truncated, and censored, if they were even recorded at all before the world could hear them. What could women be writing that would be so threatening to incite such censorship? To a male-dominated world, anything that could disrupt their illusions of power is a threat. If a woman penned a narrative of her experiences in this world, or if she were to begin speaking on a new way of thinking that called for change, that must be stopped. The ultimate goal is to prevent women from writing or stepping out of …

Fate Of Listeria Monocytogenes On Two Salad Blends At Ideal And Abusive Temperatures, Taran Virdi

Master's Theses

The consumption of ready-to-eat (RTE) foods has increased with popular RTE salad blends including non-traditional ingredients such as shredded Brussels sprouts, kale, red and green cabbage, chicory, and broccoli stalk. Concurrently, there has been an increase in the number of foodborne illnesses and outbreaks associated with leafy greens. The potential risk associated with these ingredients must be addressed as they have not typically been consumed raw, especially since L. monocytogenes continues to be a leading cause of foodborne illnesses and outbreaks. This study evaluated the survival of L. monocytogenes on two RTE salad blends at refrigeration, mildly abusive, and abusive …

Developing Continuous Measures Of Trust For Human-Automation Systems, Jack Marzullo

Master's Theses

Decision aids are developed to ease cognitive load on operators interacting with complex automation systems; however, critical human components are often ignored during design. Finding an appropriate balance of automated assistance and operator trust is paramount in achieving optimal output from the human-automation interaction. Establishing a consistent metric of trust measurement will enhance the functional design of automated decision aids, especially as the use of eye tracking opens the field to the use of real-time measurements. This study will task participants to make measurements, assisted by a decision aid system, within a bone defect model image. The study will test …

The Effects Of Incorporating Kinesthetic Learning On Learning Outcomes And On-Task Behavior, Katherine Sauro

Master's Theses

This action research study used a mixed methods design to examine the effects of kinesthetic learning on student learning outcomes, and on task behavior in a sixth-grade social studies classroom. Data was collected during a three-week period. The treatment group was presented with kinesthetic lessons, purposeful movement, and brain breaks. The control group remained stationary during their lessons. Findings suggested an increase in both on-task behavior, and learning outcomes. In addition to examining learning outcomes and on task behavior, student's perceptions were also considered through the students’ completion of weekly surveys. These surveys suggested that providing movement to students positively …

Exploring The Benefits Of Peer Tutoring On Elementary Students' Academic Outcomes, Jacqueline Gardner

Master's Theses

This action research study was created to determine if students’ motivation plays an important role in their academic outcomes in a sixth-grade classroom. Peer tutoring was implemented as an intervention throughout a six-week duration to promote students’ intrinsic motivation and to identify any associated student academic outcomes. Preliminary findings showed that students liked to connect with academic content, and they liked to work with their peers. This presentation will provide information about the positive effects of students having or gaining intrinsic motivation, and it will have recommendations about different classroom tools that can have a positive impact on elementary students’ …

A Pandemic Of Greed And A Disease Of Poverty In Edgar Allan Poe's "The Masque Of The Red Death", Benjamin Herrick

Master's Theses

The breakers tripped. Again. The breakers, a mandatory halt to trading on the floor of the stock exchange in response to the S&P falling more than 7% from the previous close. This was instituted after the Crash of 1987 to calm the markets before trading is allowed to resume. They are supposed to mitigate a drastic crash. They have only ever triggered once before, in 1997. Not for the tech bubble. Not even in the crash of 2008. All trading stops for fifteen minutes when the Level One breaker trips. If it drops further in the same day, the Level …

F. Scott Fitzgerald’S Homme Épuisé: Usurping The “Madwoman” In Tender Is The Night (1934) [2022], Emma Hill

Master's Theses

Nineteenth-century women writers commonly use themes of entrapment and madness in what are now classified as gothic novels. In texts such as Jane Eyre, Frankenstein, and The Yellow Wallpaper, confinement and madness are synchronous in developing the figure of “the madwoman.” These texts were written during a time when it was uncommon for female writers to seek publication, and many used pseudonyms to get their works published or to be taken seriously by critics. The “madwoman” emerged as a powerful trope to articulate what writing under a patriarchal system feels like. That is to say, confinement scenarios resulting from female …

Analytic Hierarchy Process Is Not A Suitable Method For The Comprehensive Rating, Sai Nethra Betgeri

Master's Theses

The Pipeline Assessment and Certification Program (PACP) was developed by the National Association of Sewer Service Companies, the industry-accepted protocol for condition rating of sewer pipes in the US. The PACP method relies exclusively on visual inspections performed using Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV), where existing structural and operation and maintenance (O&M) defects are observed by certified operators. A limitation of the PACP method is that it does not use pipe characteristics, depth, soil type, surface conditions, pipe criticality, and capacity, nor the distribution of structural defects or history of preventative maintenance to determine the condition rating of the sewer pipe segment. …

Familial Weight And Diet Talk's Relationship To Weight Satisfaction And Life Satisfaction, Jasmine Gilbert

Master's Theses

Today, body weight can be a sensitive topic, and a person’s insecurities and sensitivity to this topic may be rooted in their childhood experiences. Because of the sensitive nature of the weight issue, investigating early life experiences around familial weight and diet talk of young adults will provide information about their current feelings regarding weight satisfaction. Establishing the sources of this talk beyond that of parents and whether they affect later life and weight satisfaction has yet to be determined.

The purpose of this study is to determine if there is an association between familial weight and diet talk, its …

Effects Of Dietary Creatine Monohydrate Supplementation On Doxorubicin-Induced Hydrogen Peroxide-Mediated Global Cysteine Sulfenylation Of Rat Cardiac Tissue, Rachel Flowers

Master's Theses

Creatine monohydrate is prolifically used as an ergogenic aid but is less commonly used for its antioxidant properties. The use of creatine, as an antioxidant, has been studied in multiple disease domains as an intervention to improve skeletal muscle quality for Duchenne muscular dystrophy by impacting calcium ion sensitivity in myocytes, Huntington’s disease by facilitating regulation of succinate dehydrogenase in the citric acid cycle and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis by positively impacting muscular atrophy. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) impact both physiological and pathophysiological roles in aerobic life such that an imbalance to the redox environment of the cell can cause intracellular …

The Effects Of Contraction On Skeletal Muscle Expression Of Interleukin-6, Drew Huber

Master's Theses

Interleukin-6 (IL6) is a pleiotropic cytokine secreted by a wide array of cells in response to different stimuli. The immune and inflammatory functions of IL6 have been widely studied, and it is well documented that IL6 plays a critical role in immune function and the inflammatory response to pathogens and damage to the organism. Interleukin-6 has also been implicated in the pathogenesis of a wide array of diseases and high circulating levels of IL6 are used as a clinical marker for many. However, recent work has found IL6 to function as a myokine in response to exercise involving muscular contractions. …

Composing Mortality: The Voice Of Death In The Music Of Frédéric Chopin, Jessica Castleberry

Master's Theses

The constant presence of mortality in Frédéric Chopin’s life, writings, and music resulted in his obsessive fascination with death, informed both by his individual experiences and cultural milieu. Through topical analysis of the programmatic, texted, and operatic repertoire of the nineteenth century, a body of musical gestures used to depict the varying aspects of mortality can be codified into a single style––the macabre style. This codification allows for a historically informed hearing of the instrumental repertoire of composers such as Chopin. Analyzing Chopin’s works that directly evoke the foundational genres of the style, the funeral march and lament, provides a …

Genetic Analysis Of The Rare, Colorado Endemic Rocky Mountain Monkeyflower, Mimulus Gemmiparus, Branson Wetzstein

Master's Theses

Mimulus gemmiparus is a rare, Colorado endemic plant which possesses a limited range, strict habitat requirement, and unique life history. Most peculiarly, Mimulus gemmiparus seemingly relies entirely on clonal spread using vegetative propagules known as brood bulbils to persist year to year. This inconspicuous annual is only found within a narrow range of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, possessing a total known range of about 2500 km2. There are currently 11 known natural populations of Mimulus gemmiparus spread across three general regions: North (Larimer, Boulder, and Grand Counties), Central (Clear Creek and Jefferson Counties), and South (Jefferson County). Lack of sexual reproduction, …

Examining The Association Between Fictive Kin Care, Parental Attachment And Emotional Distress In College Students, Roxanne Watts

Master's Theses

Having a supportive and secure relationship with parents can predict less emotional distress in college students. In addition to parental support, many families leverage fictive kin caregivers to provide support. This is especially true in communities of racial and ethnic minorities. The present study investigated the association between fictive kin care, parental relationships, and emotional distress in college students. One hundred fourteen (N = 114) college students completed measures that assessed parental and fictive-kin relationships, social support, and emotional distress. A COVID-19 pandemic-related distress measure was also administered. Three hypotheses were tested. First, it was hypothesized that fictive kin …

The Plague And The Parthenon: Crusade, Climate Change And Disease In The Early Modern Mediterranean, John Mark Nicovich

Master's Theses

The present study examines the role epidemic diseases, specifically malaria and bubonic plague, played on the course of the Morean War (1684-1699). The Morean War was a major offensive by Christian powers, led by the Venetian Republic, against Ottoman controlled Greece. Christian victories during the war were widely celebrated across western Europe, but even in victory Christian forces took severe casualties from multiple disease outbreaks. First, this study seeks to explain the terrestrial and maritime networks the war was fought over, and how those networks either led the opposing forces into regions of endemic disease (malaria), or how they allowed …

Assessing Dietary Nutrient Adequacy And The Effects Of Season-Long Training On Body Composition And Metabolic Rates Of Men's Division I Collegiate Basketball Player, Morgan M. Nishisaka

Master's Theses

The success of performance in basketball may rely on both optimal body composition and nutrient intake. To our knowledge this is the first study to examine dietary intake adequacy and season-long effects on body composition and metabolism. The purpose of this study was to examine seasonal changes in body composition (BC), resting metabolic rate (RMR) and respiratory quotient (RQ), while also examining the dietary intake adequacy of NCAA DI male basketball players. BC, RMR and RQ were assessed during pre-season, in-season, and post-season (September, December, and March), while dietary assessment was collected in September and February. Results of this study …

The Role Of Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Activation On Immunoglobulin A-Secreting B Cell Gut Homing, Linda Ortiz

Master's Theses

Within the United States, foodborne diseases are estimated to result in more than 100,000 hospitalizations each year with 3,000 fatalities. Acute gastroenteritis impacts more than 1.5 million children each year in the United States. Worldwide, childhood morbidity and mortality are largely attributed to infectious diarrheal diseases. To combat infection at mucosal surfaces, immunoglobulin (Ig) A is produced by antibody-secreting B cells to inhibit and neutralize pathogens and their toxins. B cells are influenced by various extrinsic signals through activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). The AhR is a ligand-activated transcription factor that links diet and environmental factors to intestinal …

Teaching Old Calipers New Tricks: Using Craniometrics For Ancestry Admixture Estimation Via Fuzzy Math, Kristi Carnahan

Master's Theses

Cranial measurements have been a cornerstone of physical anthropology since its formation as a discipline in the early 1900s. However, most other ancestry determination methods come with a significant epistemological issue: they differentiate individuals into discrete categories without accounting for the issue of admixture. Advances in data mining and analysis techniques can now be used to help resolve this issue through soft computing, also known as “fuzzy math”. This type of advanced computational math requires specialized knowledge in computer programming, statistics, and data analysis techniques unless one is using computer programs specially designed to run these analyses.

This project compiled …

'As Vivid As Blood In A Sink': (Re)Reading Queerness And Repression In Teju Cole's Open City, Jack Hoda

Master's Theses

Teju Cole’s Open City (2011) is an exemplar work of contemporary fiction. For its complex representation of subjectivity, hypnotic narrative tone, and global political scope, the novel has been praised by readers and critics alike. Julius, the text’s first-person narrator, guides us along seemingly innocent wanderings throughout New York City, ruminating on history, art, and politics while presenting himself as the enlightened, cosmopolitan ideal. However, the shocking penultimate revelation that Julius raped a young woman from his past alters our encounter with the text and its narrator. We come to realize that this meandering novel is, in reality, a carefully …

A Research Framework And Initial Study Of Browser Security For The Visually Impaired, Elaine Lau, Zachary Peterson

Master's Theses

The growth of web-based malware and phishing attacks has catalyzed significant advances in the research and use of interstitial warning pages and modals by a browser prior to loading the content of a suspect site. These warnings commonly use visual cues to attract users' attention, including specialized iconography, color, and an absence of buttons to communicate the importance of the scenario. While the efficacy of visual techniques has improved safety for sighted users, these techniques are unsuitable for blind and visually impaired users. This is likely not due to a lack of interest or technical capability by browser manufactures, where …

Intermittent Standing And Prior Exercise As Strategies To Prevent Arterial Stiffening That Can Arise From Prolonged Sitting, Alexander Wright

Master's Theses

Prolonged sitting can cause adverse vascular responses, including elevations in aortic stiffness which might contribute to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Few studies have investigated the impact of intermittent standing and/or prior exercise as strategies to mitigate these deleterious vascular changes. Purpose: to explore vascular health responses to prolonged sitting, with and without intermittent standing and/or prior exercise. Methods: 15 males aged between 18 and 31 years were recruited. Participants completed a control condition (Sitting Only), and three randomized strategy conditions (Sitting Plus Standing, Exercise Plus Sitting, Exercise Plus Sitting Plus Standing). For all conditions, measurements of carotid-femoral PWV (cfPWV) were taken …

Value-Added Opportunities For Tomato And Peach Seeds, Valerie Michelle Lavenburg

Master's Theses

The food industry is increasingly concerned with operational sustainability and food waste reduction. In the United States, the tomato industry was worth $1 billion in 2020, and tomatoes are currently ranked second as the most consumed vegetable after potatoes. Tomato processors have striven to valorize pomace by-products, which contain seeds with valuable compounds such as 45% fiber, 30% oil, and 26% protein. The U.S. peach industry, which was worth $599 million in 2017, is also looking for alternative ways to utilize their seeds, made up of 52% oil. Both tomato and peach seeds are rich in bioactive compounds such as …

Subjective Observation Of Loss Of Subcutaneous Fat And Muscle Tissue – Is That The Answer To Pediatric Hospital Malnutrition Screening?, Grace C. Barcus

Master's Theses

Background: Hospital malnutrition is a prevalent issue with critically ill pediatric patients being at increased risk for nutritional loss. Nutritional risk screening has been associated with increased documentation of nutrition diagnosis and positive clinical outcomes, however, is not mandatory in developing countries. A nutrition screening tool that uses subjective examination of loss of subcutaneous fat and muscle tissue may be an efficient way to identify nutritional risk in hospitalized critical care pediatric patients.

Objective: To determine whether loss of subcutaneous fat and muscle tissue in specific body locations was associated with moderate or severe malnutrition determined by SGA in pediatric …

Assessing The Effect Of Negative Mood States On Valence-Dependent Belief Updating, Aleksandr Karnick

Master's Theses

Individuals consistently tend to underestimate the likelihood of negative events happening to them and fail to update these beliefs adequately when provided with statistical evidence. However, depressed populations are better able to accurately update beliefs. It is not clear if the ability to update beliefs effectively is due to overall dysphoria or are partially due to momentary fluctuations of acute affective states. Undergraduates (N=83) completed a belief updating task where they estimated the likelihood of a negative event happening to them, were presented with the actual likelihood of the event, and then re-estimated the likelihood of the event happening to …

Emotions In Work And War: Comparisons Of Emotional-Cultures Of New Deal Ccc Enrollees And Wwii U.S. Army Enlistees, 1933-1945, Maeve Losen

Master's Theses

Though the Great Depression and Second World War were consecutive eras and overlapped in numerous aspects, scholarship often overlooks the commonalities between these periods. To demonstrate these eras’ shared qualities, this thesis examines the relationship in emotional-cultures—the cultural norms that dictated how individuals felt and demonstrated their emotions—among Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) enrollees and U.S. Army enlistees during WWII.

The broad intent of this undertaking is to place the cultural history of the Great Depression and WWII in conversation and to show the advantage of inter- and multidisciplinary work by applying anthropological and historical theories of emotion. Though the historical …