Digital Commons Network^™

Preschoolers With Speech And Language Impairment: Case Studies From A Teacher-Delivered Phonological Awareness Program, Katherine J. Wickham

Masters Theses

Past and present research demonstrates early reading success related to phonological awareness (PA) instruction conducted individually or in small groups outside of the preschool classroom. This study investigated the effects of an explicit, intensive and teacher-delivered PA instruction for children with speech sound disorder and language impairment as part of the preschool curriculum. The investigator examined the performance of individual cases in both groups, those who received instruction and the control. Two participants in each of the experimental (E1 and E2) and control (C1 and C2) groups had standardized scores indicating deficits in speech and/or language. These children who received …

Fifteen Percent Or More: A Content Analysis Of Geico's Commercial Advertising, Paul Davis

Masters Theses

In this media saturated world which is lived in today, the general public is bombarded by a multitude of advertisements. This thesis was conducted to examine Geico's commercial advertising looking specifically at their use of humor. The Elaboration Likelihood Model and the Humorous Message Taxonomy were used to conduct this content analysis. The research examined the route of persuasion and elaboration that were used in 60 Geico commercials from five of their most recent campaigns. The Humorous Message Taxonomy helped to establish which types of humor were being used along with the processes and relationship between elements. Three research questions …

Eeg Acquisition System On Mobile Platform, Veerendra Dasari

Masters Theses

The Electro-encephalogram [EEG] recording systems play a major role in the Brain Computer Interface machines where the brainwave signals are given as controls. There is a considerable development in transmission of these signals onto different platforms based on the necessity and portability of applications. With the advent of wireless signal transmission protocols for the medical devices, there is an increased research in the domain of offsite patient monitoring applications.

This document describes the evolution prototype of the portable EEG acquisition system developed to acquire the human scalp signals via electrodes and display them on the Android mobile phone after pre-conditioning …

A Teacher's Journey In School Improvement And Reform, Kristi Domrase

Masters Theses

Today America‘s schools are failing to prepare its students to compete in the 21st century knowledge based economy. The work presented in this thesis addresses current and historical educational reform movements in the United States with an emphasis on why American reforms are failing to keep pace with other countries in preparing its new students for the new global economy. As a teacher in a persistently low achieving school the paper is a culmination of course studies, research, and personal experiences with the school improvement process and reform policies. What I discovered is that the current educational reforms in America …

Study Of The Insulin Mimetic Sodium Orthovanadate In Glucosamine Induced Insulin Resistnace In Primary Rat Hepatocytes, Kalan Mcpherson

Masters Theses

Insulin resistance and type II diabetes is a disease state characterized by a lack of sensitivity of insulin to provoke a proper response in insulin sensitive tissues. Currently, we utilize glucosamine to increase flux through the Hexosamine Biosynthetic Pathway (HBP) to induce an insulin resistance like state in primary rat hepatocytes. We tested the effectiveness of the insulin mimetic sodium orthovanadate to determine if it could elicit an insulin-like response under these conditions. Mixed results were obtained on the effectiveness of vanadate as an insulin mimetic in this insulin resistant model.

Liminal Losers: Breakdowns And Breakthroughs In Reality Television's Biggest Hit, Caitlin Rickert

Masters Theses

This study explores how The Biggest Loser, a popular television reality program that features a weight-loss competition, reflects and magnifies established stereotypes about obese individuals. The show, which encourages contestants to lose weight at a rapid pace, constructs a broken/fixed dichotomy that oversimplifies the complex issues of obesity and health.

My research is a semiotic analysis of the eleventh season of the program (2011), focusing on three pairs of contestants (or “couples” teams) that each represent a different level of commitment to the program’s values. Specifically, I focus on dramatic “breakdown” moments in which these contestants are disciplined by …

Economic Autonomy Of The Miskitu Women Of The North Atlantic Autonomous Region, Nicaragua: Do Current Development Polices Apply To Matrifocal Societies?, Ariana M. Toth

Masters Theses

This thesis provides an ethnographic investigation into the economic autonomy of Miskitu women in the North Atlantic Autonomous Region of Nicaragua. The purpose of this study is to determine whether dominant development models created by patriarchal Western powers are suited to alleviating gendered poverty disparity among the matrifocal Miskitu Indians. Surveys of Miskitu women obtained during field research, with support from relevant literature, comprise the main source of information considered. It is concluded that while dominant development models are not best suited to alleviating gendered poverty in this region, it is the overarching indigenous nature of Miskitu culture and not …

Climbing Into The Ivory Tower: A Look At Administrative Perspectives On Sexual Assault On The College Campus, Tasha Nichole Turner

Masters Theses

This study examines the attitudes of administrators about sexual violence on campus, as well as their knowledge of disciplinary policies and procedures to prevent and redress rape and sexual assault on campuses. This study begins the discussion about how administrators understand their current policies as well as the attitudes that may affect their understandings. I use Thematic Analysis to analyze responses to a series of open-ended questions surveying participants on their attitudes towards their universities policy and procedures for handling sexual assault. Findings suggest that the participants have overwhelming confidence in the established policies, the extent of their knowledge of …

Creating Sustainable Economic And Ecological Growth In The Congo Basin: Bushmeat Consumption And Biodiversity Protection, Richelle Lynn Warnock

Masters Theses

This research examines the economic and ecological sustainability of bushmeat hunting in the Congo Basin, specifically the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo. Although bushmeat hunting has provided short term gain for individuals in the region, long term solutions focusing on micro and macro level interventions may provide community wide benefits, while protecting Congo Basin wildlife. Research shows that a focus on the development of key economic sectors such as agriculture, mineral resources and hydroelectricity, as well as the growth of infrastructure may provide viable economic gain for the Congo Basin. Ecotourism and improvements to forest management …

Perceptions Of Creativity Among Faculty In Higher Education, Ellie Melissa Potter

Masters Theses

Higher education instructors do not sufficiently incorporate creativity in the teaching and learning environments within which they operate. While there is a great deal of research available regarding creativity and primary or secondary education, there is little research available regarding creativity and higher education. This study contributes to that gap of knowledge by surveying faculty members in one institution of higher education in order to understand their perspectives regarding creativity, both as it relates to being a creative individual and to teaching others to be creative themselves. There were 358 faculty members who participated in the online survey designed specifically …

The Experience Of Being A Foster Parent In Non-Kinship Placements: Emotional And Psychological Impacts, Lindsay Michelle Tryc

Masters Theses

With a significant number of children in the foster care system in need of safe and stable homes, caregivers who are willing to provide such a home are vital. In 2010, almost fifty percent of foster homes were non-kinship placements with caregivers who had no biological relation to the child (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2011). As these caregivers voluntarily open their homes, they are also likely to encounter challenges with foster children due to previous traumas. The specific challenges addressed in this research study included the integration into the family, the management of behaviors, and the ability to make/break attachments. …

"It's Just That For The First Time, I Feel... Wicked": A Rhetorical Analysis Of Wicked's Elphaba Using Kenneth Burke's Guilt-Purification-Redemption Cycle, Patricia Foreman

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the Broadway production, Wicked, and more specifically, the character of Elphaba, or the Wicked Witch of the West. The study utilized Kenneth Burke's theory of the guilt-purification-redemption cycle, and considered Elphaba's journey between the three steps of Burke's cycle. In order to understand this journey better, the researcher considered various facets of the show, including the script, lyrics, costuming, including attire and make-up, and interactions with other characters in the production. Elphaba's causes of guilt, including her mother's death, her relationship with Glinda, her cause in working with Animals, and failed magic …

Demographic And Reproductive Status Of Lake Sturgeon In The Muskegon River System, Michigan, Alex C. Wieten

Masters Theses

My study focused on a threatened population of lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) in the Muskegon River system, Michigan. I assessed the condition, growth and population dynamics of lake sturgeon and compared them to nearby populations using a lengthweight relationship and the von Bertalanffy growth model. I also estimated the abundance of adult lake sturgeon in the Muskegon River system during the spawning run using closed-population models, analyzed movements of adult lake sturgeon during their spawning migrations using ultrasonic telemetry in 2011, and verified reproductive success by capturing larvae with drift nets in 2010 and 2011. The capture of …

School Adult And Student Perceptions Of Bullying In Middle School: A Mixed Methods Case Study, Michelle L. Barrows

Masters Theses

This mixed-methods case study examined the perceptions of students and school adults regarding bullying at one urban middle school (grades 6-8) in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Participants completed a two-part survey. Part one contained open-ended questions regarding the respondent’s experiences at the school and part two used a questionnaire from Maunder, Harrop and Tattersall, (2010) containing a set of twelve scenarios with questions asking participants to indicate whether or not it is bullying, the frequency seen in the school, and the severity if it happened to a girl or a boy. This study showed that awareness of the school district’s anti-bullying …

The Effect Of Accurate Categorical Activity Selection On The Prediction Of Percent Body Fat When Using The Omron Hbf-306 Bioelectric Impedance Analyzer, Abby Moulton

Masters Theses

Accurate methods for assessing body composition are important in evaluating health risk and fitness levels in individuals. Bioelectric Impedance Analysis has become a popular field method for assessing body composition because it is inexpensive, noninvasive, and easy to administer. The purpose of this study was to compare the activity level settings (Normal vs. Athlete) on the Omron HBF-306 bioelectrical impedance device to the criterion method, air displacement plethysmography, to evaluate the accuracy of the settings for college age females. It was hypothesized that the "Normal" setting would be more accurate for individuals described as normal by FIT index scores and …

Factors That Support Individuals With Mental Disabilities In Employment, Penny A. Arthur

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine which factors help individuals with mental disabilities stay employed. Previous research has documented how to help people with mental health disabilities get back to work, but very little on how to keep them employed after they have obtained a job. Obtaining a job is only part of the story; it is critical to examine how to support individuals with mental health disabilities once they are working so that they can become self-sufficient. The current study examined the mental health records of patients in a mental health facility in a rural Illinois county …

Speaking Silence Fluently: Encouraging Student Understanding Of Counterhegemonic Strategies In African American Literature, Kathleen S. Decker

Masters Theses

This thesis suggests that while mainstream multicultural education claims to promote both diversity and equality, it fails to adequately address, let alone improve, the living conditions of minority students. It further suggests that when teachers help students read through the lenses of critical multiculturalism and critical whiteness studies, students can better see that both canonical and non-canonical African American authors deliberately employ nuanced strategies to resist white supremacy. Specifically through the use of purposeful and discreet silences, these authors serve to promote new and actively counterhegemonic ways of thinking in the classroom.

Each chapter pairs two texts--one canonical and one …

Mediators Of The Relationship Between Mindfulness And Alcohol Use, Melissa Lafferty

Masters Theses

Mindfulness is the act of "paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally" (Kabat-Zinn, 1994, p.4). Mindfulness training has been shown to produce beneficial effects for a wide range of physical and psychological symptoms, including substance abuse (Baer, 2003). The current study attempted to test a working model of how mindfulness can enhance psychological well-being developed by Hölzel et al. (2011) within the specific context of alcohol use. It was hypothesized that higher levels of mindfulness would be associated with less alcohol use and less alcohol-related problems experienced. In addition, this study investigated whether …

Resolving The Nutritional Requirements Of The Bile Acid-Dehydroxylating Gut Bacterium Clostridium Scindens, Oindrila Paul

Masters Theses

Compared to the other parts of the human body, the gastrointestinal tract harbors a complex microbiota. The impact of the indigenous microbiota on host physiology is most pronounced in the colon, where the primary bile acids chenodeoxycholic acid and cholic acid are converted, via 7α-dehydroxylation, to the toxic secondary bile acids lithocholic acid and deoxycholic acid, respectively, by Clostridium scindens, an obligate anaerobe. Interestingly, other than bile acid dehydroxylation, little is known about the basic physiology of C. scindens. Understanding the metabolism of C. scindens will hopefully provide much-needed information as to how this gut bacterium impacts human health and …

Flavored Milk Consumption In School Systems And Its Effects On The Body, Kayla Brandt

Masters Theses

Media has portrayed chocolate milk negatively and has been removed in some schools due to added sugar. However, it contributes only 3% of total added sugars in children's diets (Murphy, Douglas, Johnson, & Spence, 2008). It also provides all nine of the essential nutrients as white milk, three of which are vital shortfall nutrients (Mahan & Escott-Stump, 2008). The purpose of this study is to determine if the presence of chocolate milk affects the calcium intake of school- aged children in Nebraska. A convenience sample of approximately 300 children and adolescents, K-12, participated in a three-day quantitative study. The study …

Personality And Substance Abuse, Juliana Gonzalez

Masters Theses

The Big Five have shown to be distinct personality traits that do not overlap and have universal applicability, so this study examined whether there are specific personality trait differences in users of Marijuana, Pain Medication, Sedative/Hypnotics, and Stimulants.

Study was placed in the 50 most visited Craigslist pages in the United States. Anonymous web users (N = 547) were recruited through Craigslist. High Neuroticism was associated with Marijuana and Stimulant use. Low Conscientiousness was associated with Marijuana and Stimulant use. High Extraversion was associated with Pain Medication use only. Implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research were discussed.

Relational Aggression: The Relationship Between Parents' Perceptions And Adolescents' Perceptions And Actions Involving Relational Aggression, Mallory Foster

Masters Theses

Relational aggression, best defined as behavior that is meant to harm or significantly damage another's friendships, has been shown to peak in adolescence. Additionally, the parent-adolescent relationship has been shown to be related to relational aggression in adolescents' relationships in several ways. The purpose of this study was to examine adolescent relational aggression and how such behaviors are related to the parent-adolescent relationship. Specifically, this study assessed whether parent perceptions of relational aggression were similar to adolescent perceptions of the same behaviors. Moreover, the study examined whether there was a relationship between parent perceptions of relational aggression and whether or …

Pubs, Temperance, And The Construction Of Irishness In James Joyce's Ulysses, Leslie Sweet Myrick

Masters Theses

Ulysses can be read as a bar crawl; three episodes and part of a fourth are set in public houses, while various characters walk to and from drinking activities and establishments throughout the day. However, Ulysses' main character, Leopold Bloom, is an extremely moderate drinker and not considered "a regular" patron at any public house. His practicing of temperance is one example of how Bloom does not embody the typical Irish masculinity. However, the drinking culture in Ulysses has not been fully explored in context of the temperance movement which was an ongoing cause in 1904 Dublin despite Guinness's Brewery …

Coping Strategies Related To Obsessive-Compulsive, Social Anxiety, And Depressive Symptoms, Andrew M. Obritsch

Masters Theses

The relationship between coping strategies and psychological symptoms has been studied for decades. The purpose of the current study was to examine how coping strategies relate to obsessive-compulsive, social anxiety, and depressive symptoms as well as how these three symptom domains influence chosen coping strategies. Participants were administered the COPE, Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DOCS), Social Phobia Scale (SPS), Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS), and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, Revised (CESD-R). Given the symptom comorbidity between these three symptom domains, regression analyses were conducted to control for comorbidity among both symptom domains and coping factors. This study found that …

Perceptions And Expectations Of Residence Halls, Christopher M. Hardin

Masters Theses

The study examined perceptions of the residence halls, how those changed over the course of the first semester living in a residence hall, and how the residence halls were meeting the needs of the students. The experimenter utilized the past literature of Arthur Chickering and Linda Reisser (1993) regarding vectors of student development and the work on human needs written by Abraham Maslow (1943). Nine undergraduate students were randomly chosen during orientation days and interviewed about their perceptions of campus. Two follow-up interviews occurred to examine how perceptions changed over the course of a semester. Participants initially expressed concern with …

Assessment Of Adolescents' Knowledge Of Suicide Warning Signs In Their Peers, Jennifer Larson

Masters Theses

The present study examined the knowledge adolescents have about suicide warning signs. Participants included 188 students (79% female and 21% male), 18 to 20 years old, from a Midwestern University. Participants anonymously completed an online survey. Results indicated that adolescents did not show knowledge of suicide warning signs. They also did not correctly identify suicide risk levels in three scenarios. Furthermore, direct exposure to suicide was not related to adolescents' knowledge of suicide warning signs or risk factors; however, adolescents who looked up information about suicide online were better at identifying suicide warning signs. Finally, those who had a family …

Studies Of The Structural Boundaries Of Solid-State Photodimerization Reactions Via Isocoumarins And Heteromeric Assemblies, Mihiri S. Weerasinghe

Masters Theses

The study of molecules in crystals has gained considerable attention in the field of structural chemistry. Much interest has focused on the use of molecular crystals for the construction of materials with specific functional properties. Because the design of such materials requires a critical understanding of intermolecular interactions, use of the building-block approach continues to offer an important strategy to multimolecular frameworks. Though the use of template and metal-ligand interactions has provided successful opportunities to organize chemical reactions in solids, these methods require secondary molecules and are limited to achiral starting materials. As such, exploring chiral synthesis with simplified precursors …

Perceptions Of International Orientation, Payge Schagemann-Jones

Masters Theses

Using qualitative methodology, the researcher analyzed the perspectives of students attending a mandatory Office of International Students and Scholars, sponsored orientation. One week after classes started, four international students and one observer were interviewed on their perceptions regarding the orientation. Themes such as cultural adjustment, understanding professors, prejudice and discrimination, academic advising, and structured entry were presented.

Effectiveness Of Diversity Training: A Mixed Methods Approach To Evaluating A Residence Life Staff Training Program, Alex Dresen

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Self-Compassion As A Mediator Between Coping Styles And Psychopathology, Yamini Bellare

Masters Theses

Self-compassion helps an individual to respond to suffering or pain with mindfulness, common humanity and self-kindness. It has been identified as a protective factor, which promotes physical and mental health. Self-compassion was examined as a potential mediator in the relationship between coping strategies and psychopathology. A literature review of the existing research on self-compassion and its links with specific coping strategies, depression and anxiety is presented. Findings indicate that self-compassion partially mediates the relationship between avoidance-oriented coping and social-anxiety. Self-compassion also was associated with lower levels of psychopathology and avoidance-oriented coping and higher use of adaptive problem-focused coping. The probable …