Digital Commons Network^™

P-Lax : Toys For Adults, To Play & Relax, Zhizi Liu

Masters Theses

Adults don’t play enough. There is so much emphasis on working and being productive in modern day life, but this can have negative effects—for an adult this can lead to high stress and a sense of guilt when one isn’t being productive. My mission is to help adults de-stress and take a break from work by reintroducing play into their day-to-day interactions. Toys for children are often used for educational purposes and to help enhance their creativity and social abilities; toys for adults can instead used to improve mood, and to help release pressure that is built up from everyday …

Midwives For Haiti: Process Evaluation, Denielle M. Riley

Masters Theses

The reduction of maternal mortality is a long-time international objective. One often underemphasized component of addressing complex and context-driven health problems, such as maternal mortality, is the importance of program evaluation. Program evaluation has been identified as particularly scarce among safe motherhood initiatives, which seek to reduce maternal deaths and improve the health outcomes of mothers (Freedman et al., 2007). Useful program evaluation starts with process evaluation. This study is a case study process evaluation of postpartum data collection, which utilizes interviews, observations, and document review. The purpose of this study was to evaluate, describe, and compare the intended and …

“The Cracked Pots Of Humanity”: Post-World War Ii American Literary Perspectives On Psychiatric Treatment/Containment Of Mental Disorders, Jennifer Chichester

Masters Theses

This thesis examines the ways in which characters in Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House and The Bird’s Nest, Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and John Kennedy Toole’s A Confederacy of Dunces grapple with the concept of “madness” on individual and societal levels. Each of these Post-World War II novels question whether “madness” is a social construct. Is the person mad, or is society? These three novels, written in an era when inpatient psychiatric care was losing its prominence as a method for treating those deemed insane, reflect the growing trend of deinstitutionalization in the 1950s …

Black Male Persistence Through Stereotypes In College, Taylor B. H. Boyd

Masters Theses

Stereotypes create threatening environments for Black males on campus causing social, psychological, and academic effects of Black male collegiate success. The theoretical underpinnings of stereotype threat and critical race theory drive this study and explain where stereotypes derive from and how they create threatening environments for stereotyped Black male collegians. In addition, this thesis seeks to break the deficit narrative surrounding Black males in college. In doing so, this study highlights how Black males persist through stereotypes and the threatening environments they create in both academic and social settings in college. The qualitative phenomenological research design captures the lived experiences …

Information Theoretic Eeg Analysis Of Children With Severe Disabilities In Response To Power Mobility Training: A Pilot Study, Joshua O. Usoro

Masters Theses

Studies have shown that self-initiated locomotion in infants and young children is paramount to developing motor skills, social skills, and visuospatial perception. Because children with multiple, severe disabilities are often not able to produce movement on their own due to limited motor control, access to a power mobility device may be vital to their overall development. This study extends data analysis from an exploratory study, and investigates the use of information theoretics in providing objective measures to characterize changes in electroencephalograms (EEG) as a result of power mobility training, and relates these changes to observed rehabilitation outcomes. Three subjects with …

Reasons For Their Departure: A Look At Undergraduate Women Who Abandon Stem Majors, Nicole S. Rombach

Masters Theses

Despite surpassing undergraduate men in degree completion, undergraduate women are still underrepresented in certain STEM majors and depart from these fields at higher rates. Much of the existing research on this topic, however, is quantitative in nature and conducted at large research institutions. This study sought to gain a better understanding of the reasons why undergraduate women switched from STEM to non-STEM majors at a large, Midwest liberal arts institution. A qualitative, phenomenological design was used to identify the reasons students identify as important in their decision to switch majors, the ways in which gender might have been tied to …

Racial Ideology And Black Students’ Leadership Experiences At A Historically White Institution, Rechard Peel

Masters Theses

The purpose of the present study is to understand the relationship between racial ideology and leadership experiences of Black student leaders at a historically White institution (HWI). Using a phenomenological approach, the study seeks to delineate the experiences of Black students as it relates to their leadership and racial identity. Using the Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity (MIBI); (Sellers et al., 1997) and one-on-one semi-structured interviews, data was collected from Black undergraduate students at a midsized HWI who were classified as juniors or above and who participated in one or more student organizations or campus activities in a leadership capacity. …

Worship Renewal Through Discipleship: How Discipleship And Mission Affects Our Worship, Kevin Haglund

Masters Theses

Numerous articles, blogs, and books have been written in recent years about the lessening of congregational participation in singing and many have called for a renewal of worship and changes in worship practice within the church. Yet, most of the solutions offered are aimed at bettering what happens inside the worship event—singing songs with more theologically rich lyrics, incorporating more scripture and prayer, striving for more creative ways to engage the congregation, more resources and training for worship leaders, and many other valuable ideas. As excellent as those solutions may be, they are incomplete unless we also focus on that …

Enhancing The Spiritual Well-Being Of Alzheimer's Patients Utilizing Music, Sheri Heeb

Masters Theses

Over 40 million people have some form of dementia. Alzheimer’s Disease “is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.” The non-pharmaceutical approaches in this study do not have the side-effects of many of the therapies currently being used for treating Alzheimer’s Disease. As part of this project, I will reference multiple research studies which include spirituality and Alzheimer’s Disease, the Nun Study of the Sisters of Notre Dame, and music therapy and Alzheimer’s Disease. Results show that music therapy boosts the memory, reduces anxiety and behavioral issues, and restores a sense of self-awareness. Other studies show that …

Reaching Transcendental Meditation Followers For Jesus: Christian Meditation And Cultural Contextualization, Ashley Boyles

Masters Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to build on to research pertaining to Christian meditation, the Transcendental Meditation movement, and theological contextualization for possible evangelism strategy to reach adherents of TM. The first chapter begins with the purpose of the thesis as well as its limitations and research methods to be involved, with a layout of the rest of the thesis. In the second chapter, the literature review examines material from several different perspectives: Christianity, TM, the TM turned Christian, and the nonreligious field of science. The third chapter includes historical background on Transcendental Meditation, its interaction with Western culture, …

Batman As Monomyth: Joseph Campbell, Robert Jewett, John Shelton Lawrence, Frank Miller, Grant Morrison, Scott Snyder, And The Hero’S Journey To Gotham, Andrew Thigpen

Masters Theses

In 1988, Jeffrey Lang and Patrick Trimble wrote an article called, “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow,” which explains the absence of a hero of the American monomyth in comic books. The American monomyth was proposed by Robert Jewett and John Shelton Lawrence and describes a community in harmonious paradise threatened by evil. The normal institutions of law and order fail to defeat the evil, but fortunately, a hero from outside the community arises to resist temptation, defeat the evil, and return the community to its peaceful condition. Lang and Trimble observe the death of Superman during the events …

Silver Breathed Upon The Stage: The American Revolution As Drama And Mythology, Nathan Stone

Masters Theses

At the time of the American Revolution, several different intellectual influences were present within the American colonies: the classical tradition, taken from ancient Greece and Rome; Christianity, taken from the Bible and the Reformed, Calvinist tradition; and, Whig theory. The question that must be asked is: Were these different intellectual traditions brought together at the time of the American Revolution and, if so, by what means? By analyzing how the different traditions were present in the colonies as well as how the past was utilized through the eighteenth century understanding of time and history—particularly through the use of pseudonyms and …

"Only The Name Is New:" Identity, Modernity, And Continuity In Afghan Star, Timothy Olson

Masters Theses

In 2005 a televised singing competition took Afghanistan by storm. In a nation previously known for censorship of music and violations of women’s rights, a new precedent began to take shape. People of all ages and ethnic groups followed Afghan Star and cast their votes by mobile phone—a technology that had only recently become available. Though followed by a sea of controversy, Afghan Star has persisted for more than a decade and remains one of the most popular television programs in Afghanistan. Prior to the Taliban, Afghanistan already had a vibrant musical culture, but most people felt that playing music …

Spatial Ecology Of The Adult And Neonate Eastern Box Turtle In A Forested Landscape, Patrick B. Laarman

Masters Theses

A thorough understanding of spatial ecology is fundamental when developing and implementing conservation strategies for imperiled turtle species. I investigated spatial ecology of adult and neonate eastern box turtles in the Manistee National Forest (MNF), Michigan. My primary objectives were to evaluate relative habitat preferences of adults and document residency time of neonates in natal openings. I radio-fitted 25 adults, protected 64 nests, and radio-fitted 66 neonates. Mean home range size for adults (n = 25 turtles) was 16.4 ha ± 2.4 SE (100% Minimum Convex Polygon). I detected non-random habitat use by adults (Wilks Ʌ = 0.202, df = …

Vascular Effects Of Dietary Supplement Bmpea On Mesenteric Porcine Vasculature, Clifford Cooper

Masters Theses

β-methylphenylethylamine (BMPEA) was first synthesized in the 1930’s as a potential stimulant and amphetamine replacement. It was expected to act as an indirect sympathomimetic agent that binds to peripheral α- and β- adrenergic receptors to control vascular responses in peripheral sites. The effects of BMPEA were never studied in humans, but due to its structural similarity to amphetamines as well as the effects noticed in animal studies in the 1920’s and 1930’s, BMPEA was assumed to work as a vasoconstrictor. In the current study, porcine mesenteric arteries were used as a model following confirmation of arterial viability with the known …

The Role Of Metastasis Suppressor Cd82 In The Deactivation Of The C-Met Signaling Pathway In Prostate Cancer, Katie L. Uhl

Masters Theses

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men in the United States. Metastasis plays a major role in patient prognosis and treatment options. One of the factors that influences metastasis is the activation of the c-Met signaling pathway. Activation of the growth factor c-Met results in cytoskeletal rearrangement, migration, and invasion. Previous studies have shown CD82 to act as an active metastatic suppressor in normal, healthy cells and is downregulated in various forms of cancer. When CD82 is re-expressed in cancer cells, the cells no longer express metastatic characteristics. The purpose of this …

Nutrition And The Person-In-Environment Perspective: Implications For Social Work, Kayla Harter

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research study was to explore the relationship between nutrition and social work education, practice, and perceptions on nutrition. Licensed master’s level social workers in the state of Michigan (n=45) were recruited online through Grand Valley State University’s School of Social Work listserv, social media, social work professors and colleagues. Participants completed an anonymous online survey through Google Forms which included 18 questions. The online survey involved open and closed-ended questions focusing on 1) integration of nutrition in practice; 2) perceptions on the value of nutrition in social work; and 3) nutrition training during and after graduate …

Effect Of Michigan State-Funded Child And Adolescent Health Center (Cahc) In Directing The Health And Wellness Of West Michigan's Oakridge School District, Amber M. Bytwerk

Masters Theses

School-based health centers are an integrated and proactive resource to promote health and wellness of students, as well as the surrounding community. Literature shows that the number of school-based health centers are steadily increasing across America, with few looking at their integration into the population. Within West Michigan, only two such clinics are operational. Applying data from the Michigan Profile for Healthy Youth (MiPHY) and primary data collected from school staff and administrators, an evaluation was conducted on the interconnectedness and behavioral effects of a community branching from the school-based health center. This project is based on review of: the …

Religion, Science, And Truth In The Human Experience: Poetry As Living Synthesis In Walt Whitman’S Leaves Of Grass, Karen E. Luidens

Masters Theses

Walt Whitman’s great masterpiece Leaves of Grass stands out in the canon of nineteenth-century American poetry for both its innovations in form and its bold ventures into controversial subjects. One such subject is the role of science as opposed to religion in shaping the modern worldview. Whitman’s poetry alternately and at times simultaneously expresses both materialistic and metaphysical cosmologies, criticizing and casting away ancient traditions as often as he calls on them for inspiration.

In this paper I explore the influence of contemporary science on Whitman’s worldview, analyze how its theories shape the cosmology presented by his poetry, and discuss …

The Romance That Didn’T Last: An Analysis Of Language In Chrétien De Troyes Le Chevalier De La Charette, Elizabeth F. Pafford

Masters Theses

Since the appearance of King Arthur in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae, the legend of Arthur and his knights has continually expanded and evolved. The story of the affair between Lancelot and Guinevere began with Chrétien de Troyes and has since been embellished by countless authors, such as Malory, who view it as causing the tragic downfall of Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table.

Le Chevalier de la Charette shows a seemingly satirical depiction of courtly love. Lancelot is humiliated and shamed in the name of Love and willingly accepts it. However, this reading goes against …

Modeling Channel Response To Dam Removal In Lansing, Michigan, Using Swat, Ryan Filbin

Masters Theses

The removal of dams has increased in recent decades in the United States, largely resulting from decaying infrastructure and greater efforts to restore rivers to a more natural, free-flowing state. Dam removal presents the opportunity for increased public safety, improved environmental prosperity, and improved economic prosperity in conjunction with riverfront revitalization projects. The City of Lansing, Michigan, contains two moderate-to high-risk dams along the Grand River that pose a significant risk to the surrounding area in the event of structural failure.

The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is applied to model the impacts of the Moores Park Dam and …

Cultivating The Concrete Jungle: Examining Urban Agriculture In The Motor City - Detroit, Mi, Sultan Muhammad

Masters Theses

The maintenance and development of sustainable food systems is becoming an essential aspect of maintaining an efficient urban environment. Likewise, addressing food and job security within America for the entirety of the population has proven difficult in the face of increasing poverty, particularly in urban areas. Urban agriculture has become a favored system of producing local fresh quality food, increasing employment opportunities, beautifying brown spaces and improving environmental conditions through the benefits of increased vegetation. UA exists in America, but as of yet have not sufficiently addressed the prevailing conditions of food insecurity, particularly within poor communities. This study will …

Revisiting The One-Sided Ewma Control Chart Design, Duy Anh Duong-Tran

Masters Theses

Over the past half-century, Exponential Weighted Moving Average (EWMA) control charts have been widely used in Statistical Process Control to detect small and persistent process shifts. In theory, EWMA control limits monotonically increase over time to account for the continual growth of the EWMA statistic’s variance. These control limits are often assumed constant and are set to their respective asymptotic limits. While not theoretically correct, this simplifies the process of applying and analyzing the EWMA control chart while having little effect on the chart’s performance. One-Sided EWMA charts are often implemented when it is only desirable to detect shifts in …

Women’S Role In Their Reproductive Process: The Effects Of Authoritative Knowledge And Biomedical Interventions On The American Birth Experience, Shannon Sheffey

Masters Theses

The primary focus of this study is to analyze the effects of authoritative knowledge and biomedical interventions on women’s role within their reproductive process as it occurs within the US.I explore the technological advances surrounding childbirth practices within the United States and how through this technology, biomedical forms of authoritative knowledge of birth practices have developed and how these changes have benefitted as well as hindered women. Through interviews and interactions with mothers and pregnant women I evaluate how medical interventions emotionally and physically affect women; evaluate the necessity of increasing technological interventions as opposed to low technology midwifery assisted …

Development Of An Effective Portable And Flexible Glove For Hand Tremor Suppression, Abdulrahem Turkistani

Masters Theses

This paper presents the work carried out in designing and developing a prototype for a tremor suppression system that reduces hand tremor by counteracting vibrations initiated from a patient’s shaking hand. This system includes a glove with a built-in vibration simulation module that oscillates and mimics the hand vibration. The oscillation is generated by a DC motor mounted on the top of the glove, and can vary in degree of vibration. The glove is also equipped with an accelerometer-gyroscope based micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) and vibrating coin motors mounted on each finger, both interfaced with a microcontroller. The microcontroller used in …

The Impact Of Mindfulness Training In A Division I Gymnastics Team: A Pilot Study, Nicholas Cherup

Masters Theses

The physical and psychological demands of sports can place an athlete under a variety of stressors. Subsequently, the way in which athletes deal with such stressors can positively or negatively affect their performance (Mellalieu, Hanton, & Fletcher, 2009). Flow is defined as a type of experience where one is completely engaged in an activity and optimally functioning. Recently, an increase in mindfulness and acceptance based approaches have been utilized as a means to augment negative emotions in sport and many have suggested a link between mindfulness and flow (Birrer, Röthlin, & Morgan, 2012; Kaufman, Glass, & Arnkoff, 2009; Gardner & …

Music Theory For Student Composers: A Course Designed For Engagement By Using Both A Flipped Classroom And Praxial Philosophy, Michelle Nagy

Masters Theses

In a world filled with innovation, technology and hands-on learning, the subject of music theory in the high school classroom has stayed relatively the same for the past fifty years for the student composer. By using the same tried-and-true methods, teachers are introducing concepts through lectures, while students reinforce concepts on their own during their homework assignments. Music examples are given on a regular basis and they are usually played on the piano by the professor or through recording. These methods, while effective, are not meeting the needs of today’s tech savvy and hands-on generation. While students are engaging with …

Measuring Quality Of Life For Internal Migrants Working Urban Renewal Sites In Shanghai, China, Jacob A. Watkins

Masters Theses

Chinese internal migrants continue to struggle to obtain social and economic equity in some of China’s largest cities. Shanghai, China’s largest city, houses one of the largest floating populations in the country. As city officials and the Chinese Communist Party continue to spend on urban renewal sites in the city proper, new opportunities may be emerging for migrant workers. These sites contain hundreds on new commercial and service based businesses that could potentially provide stable employment for rural-tourban migrants in Shanghai and influence migrant quality of life as well as provide the means for migrants to remain in the city …

Alaska Native Artifacts; Eskimos And Aleuts Of The Bering Sea Rhythm Of The Sea Collection, Marcia Sue Taylor

Masters Theses

“Only his artifacts provide his earthly testimony” (Thiry 1977, p. 5). The purpose of the research is to catalogue Eskimo and Aleut artifacts that comprise an unprovenienced (anonymous) collection in the Anthropology Department at Western Michigan University, and provide a corresponding ethnography. This will be accomplished in two ways: (1) a museum curation project, and (2) an ethnographic study that will focus on cultural synthesis within the parameters of artistic styles of harpoon head artifacts and geography as these pertain to the artifacts and their distribution. Analysis of the collection’s harpoon heads will provide both artistic and inventive evidence of …

Tourism Planning And Local Community Participation: Veron – Punta Cana Municipal District, Dominican Republic, Jose Ernesto Fernandez Lorenzo

Masters Theses

This thesis examines the attitudes and perceptions of local residents in regards to tourism development and local community participation, as well as their willingness to participate in the tourism planning process. The data was obtained from a household survey questionnaire conducted in the municipal district of Verón - Punta Cana in the province of La Altagracia in the Dominican Republic. The sites selected for this study include Juanillo, Verón, and Friusa. Through several Chi-square (χ2) analyses, this thesis is able to conclude that residents in Friusa and Verón share positive perceptions in regards to tourism development when compared to residents …