Digital Commons Network^™

Test-Retest Reliability Of The Acters-2, Alaine A. Benson

Masters Theses

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) is one of the most commonly studied and diagnosed psychiatric disorders in children. Behavior rating scales are often utilized in the assessment and treatment monitoring for AD/HD. This study investigated the testretest reliability of the ADD-H Comprehensive Teacher's Rating Scale 2nd Edition (ACTeRS-2). The ACTeRS-2 rating scale is comprised of four behavior subscales, which include conduct areas frequently displayed by children with AD/HD. The subscales consist of Attention, Hyperactivity, Social Skills, and Oppositional behavior items. For the purpose of this study, data were collected on 124 students in third, fifth, and sixth grade who attended public …

School-Based Support As A Mediator Between Homophobic Bullying And Depression In Sexual Minority Youth, Jamie Henkelman

Masters Theses

School-based support as a mediator between the relationship of homophobic bullying during high school and depression later on was examined retrospectively using a sample of 195 participants who identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or questioning. Participants were recruited from a Midwestern state via email and social networking sites through their college campus' Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender campus groups. The survey was conducted online and used the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale to measure depression symptoms. The modified version of the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network's Community Climate survey was used to measure schoolbased support and homophobic bullying. Results …

The Impact Of A Sociology Career Planning Seminar On Students' Perceptions Of Career Barriers, Career Decision-Making Difficulties And Career Decision Self-Efficacy, Wendy M. Downing

Masters Theses

This study examined a sociology career planning seminar's impact on students' perceptions of barriers to career planning, career decision-making difficulties and career decision self-efficacy during the fall 2010 semester. Students enrolled in the career seminar were placed into the treatment group, while students enrolled in a sophomore sociology course were placed in the control group. The Perceptions of Barriers Scale - Modified Version (Luzzo & McWhirter, 2001), the Career Decision-Making Difficulties Questionnaire (Gati, Krausz & Osipow, 1996) and the Career Decision Self-Efficacy. Scale- Short Form (Betz, Klein, & Taylor, 1996) were used to determine the impact of the course. Paired …

The Role Of Mindfulness In Academic Stress, Self-Efficacy, And Achievement In College Students, Brian D. Brausch

Masters Theses

This study was designed to assess the predictive quality of specific measures toward academic success in college students. In particular, high school grade point average, (GPA), American College Testing exam scores (ACT), academic stress, academic self-efficacy, and mindfulness measures were used as independent variables to determine their predictive significance toward undergraduate fall 2010 semester GPAs. Data from 268 undergraduate students at Midwestern university were collected and analyzed. Results revealed significant predictive quality of high school GPA and academic self-efficacy toward undergraduate performance. However, ACT scores, academic stress, and mindfulness measures were not found to be predictive of undergraduate semester GPAs. …

Transition Of Freshmen Student Athletes, Jessica R. Leach

Masters Theses

The purpose of the current study was to explore the transition of first-time, first-year freshmen student athletes to the collegiate setting. By looking at student learning outcomes as defined by their behaviors in critical domains (i.e., critical thinking, self-awareness, communication, diversity, citizenship, membership and leadership, and relationships), the study evaluated the differences between student athletes and non-athlete students at a specific institution and then compared student athletes at that institution to their peers across the nation. Differences were found in all domains between the student athletes and non-athlete students at the researched institution, and differences were found between this institution's …

The Frequency, Attitudes, And Beliefs Of Sexting Among College Students, Amanda Woolard

Masters Theses

Through the use of various forms of media, "sexting" has become a phrase common in contemporary society. Although the definition has varied through the past years, a recent study by Elizabeth Eraker (2010) stated, "sexting refers to the self-production and distribution by cell phone of sexually explicit images in the course of consensual, voluntary activity by teenagers" (p. 557). The purpose of this research was to assess the frequency of sexting, attitudes regarding sexting, and the beliefs to engage in sexting among the college population. The current study ( 1) examined the frequency of sexting among college students, (2) explored …

Method Developments To Analyze Caffeine And Acesulfame-K Concentrations In Natural Waters In And Around Charleston, Il, Usa, Laleen Bodhipaksha

Masters Theses

Analytical methods using batch solid phase extraction were developed for two chemical markers, caffeine and acesulfame-K, to assess anthropogenic water contamination of natural water bodies in and around Charleston, Illinois.

Measurements were conducted on 12 different extracted samples using reverse phase HPLC. Two creek samples showed the presence of acesulfame-K (0.45 ± 0.10 and 0.25 ± 0.06 ppb) and two creek samples showed the presence of caffeine (3 .1 ± 1.2 and 1.6 ± 0.6 ppb ). Effluent from the Charleston waste water treatment plant showed an acesulfame-K concentration of 0.67 ± 0.15 ppb.

These results indicate measurement of both …

The Effectiveness Of Errorless Learning For Teaching Concepts And Comments To Children With Autism, Marissa L. Ulm

Masters Theses

Research has indicated that errorless learning has been an effective teaching strategy for teaching discrete skills to both typically developing children and children with a learning disability (Schimek, 1983; Storm & Robinson, 1973). Errorless learning differs from other common teaching strategies in that it only presents correct responses, eliminating the possibility of participants responding incorrectly. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of errorless learning for improving symbol acquisition in children with autism who used a high-tech augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device. Four children previously diagnosed with autism participated in this study; subjects were required to …

A Mother's Consumer Socialization: The Relationship With Her Daughter's Compulsive Buying Behavior, Autumn L. Berbaum

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between a daughter's perception of her mother's consumer socialization (both overt and covert) and the development of compulsive buying behavior of that child as an adult. Previous studies suggest that mothers socialize their children into the consumers that they become as adults. The participants in this study were female students at a Midwestern university, ranging in age from 17 to 25, who designated themselves as those who "love to shop." Data were collected via a multi-part questionnaire. The results of this study suggested that mothers' buying behaviors have an influence …

The Graying Of Facebook: Emerging Adults And Their Parents As Facebook Friends (Fbf), Jodi M. Jackson

Masters Theses

Emerging adults and their parents have a unique relationship, especially during the transition into emerging adulthood. More specifically, as emerging adults and their parents navigate the waters of being Face book friends (FBF), they must learn to negotiate dialectical tensions, along with other prominent issues such as boundary management, impression management, managing tensions, and ease of communication Facebook provides. The core of this study centers around Baxter and Montgomery's (1996) theory on Relational Dialectics. Interviews with both emerging adults and their parents were conducted and analyzed to provide the results of this study. This study explores the intersection between social …

The Relationship Between School Belongingness And Drop Out Rates, Lauren Sanders

Masters Theses

The present study investigated the relationship between several measures of school belongingness and drop out rates for 22 high schools in a Midwestern state. Measures of school belongingness were taken from students' responses to the adapted version of the Center for Disease Control for the Department of Health and Human Service's Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). Results indicated that the relationship between items addressing school belongingness (i.e., the student's feeling comfortable in, being respected in, feeling that school contributes to his or her experience in an important way, and feeling connected to the larger school community) and drop out rates …

Happiness And Me: An Exploratory Study Of Parental And Romantic Attachments And Self-Esteem And Their Effects On Adulthood Body Image Dissatisfaction, Stephanie Kibble

Masters Theses

In this study, the author investigated parental attachments, self-esteem, and romantic satisfaction as they related to the cognitive and affective components of the selfconcept when represented through Body Image Dissatisfaction (BID). The study was a within-subject design with 70 participants. They participants were instructed to report their feelings about each of these variables through 4 questionnaires. Individuals with low self-esteem identified as having increased BID as compared to those individuals with high self-esteem. Compared with those who reported supportive parental attachments, individuals with a highly overprotective mother reported higher BID. Multiple regression analysis indicated that gender had no significant impact …

School Attachment And The Use Of Alcohol Among Rural High School Students, Michelle L. Weiler

Masters Theses

The present study examined the relationship between school attachment and alcohol use in rural communities to determine if students with high levels of school attachment were less likely to participate in alcohol use. Participants included 4,768 high schools students in the largest rural geographic educational region in the state of Illinois. The students participated in a program called I Sing the Body Electric and completed a survey which asked questions including how well students are attached to their school and alcohol use. Chi square goodness of fit tests were used to analyze student's reporting of school attachment, how old they …

Does Quantitative Or Qualitative Data Lower Stigma Of Those Suffering From Schizophrenia?, Fred A. Washburn

Masters Theses

This study examines social tolerance and support for legal coercion for people suffering from schizophrenia. Mental illness, defined as a biomedical illness, has decreased stigma and support for legal coercion for other mental illnesses but has the inverse relationship with schizophrenia (Phelan, Yang, Cruz-Rojas, 2006; Schnittker, 2008). This increase in stigma may be linked to scientific quantitative data that places the illness in control of the person. The study examines Eastern Illinois University students' (N=130) level of social tolerance and support for legal coercion for people suffering from schizophrenia after they have been exposed to qualitative data, quantitative data, or …

Student Perceptions Of A Special Admissions Program: The Boost Program, Jessica Elizabeth Rinkel

Masters Theses

This study was designed to understand the perception of a special admissions program, the BOOST Program, through the voices of students who successfully completed the program and continued their academic career at Eastern Illinois University or left the institution for various reasons after completing BOOST Program requirements. The researcher conducted one on one interviews with a selected sample of former BOOST students using qualitative, phenomenological methods (Johnson & Christensen, 2004; Lichtman, 2010) regarding their perceptions of BOOST Program components. Interviews were examined for significant statements, which led to thematic units, and in tum led to four major themes: support, personal …

Eulalee Anderson: Pioneer In International Student Programs At Eastern Illinois University, Bria Phillips

Masters Theses

Eulalee Anderson, a higher education scholar and leader in the office of international students and scholars spent her days tending to the development and support of international students attending college in the United States, specifically at Eastern Illinois University. Born in Port Alegre, Brazil in 1919, she earned a bachelor's degree at the University of Oklahoma and three masters degrees at Eastern Illinois University. The majority of her professional career was at Eastern Illinois University where she first worked in Booth Library at the circulation desk and later joined what was then called the International Programs office as the international …

Perceptions Of Body Image: A Study Of College Women In Sororities And Not In Sororities, Amy L. Piekarski

Masters Theses

College students, especially women, experience several extreme changes during their undergraduate years. These changes occur in areas of physical development, mental capacity, personality expression, and interpersonal relationship development. With these women leaving home and trying to find their place and fit in at their new institution, they seek out various groups of people and organizations to join. One group or organization that many college women engage in is sorority membership. To date, minimal research has been conducted to investigate whether membership in a sorority has a negative or positive effect on their self images. The purpose of the present study …

Evaluation Of College Counseling Websites Regarding Suicide Prevention/Depression Referral Services, Heather L. Zike

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to (1) determine if the 12 public colleges and universities within the state of Illinois contained information on their counseling websites in regards to topics of depression and suicide (2) examine if the websites contained self-evaluations for depression (3) determine if the website contains external links that are highly regarded informative links for depression and suicide among college students, (4) information for faculty/ staff to make referrals, and (5) information for family and loved ones to make referrals.

Synthesis And Toxicity Studies Of Imidazolium-Based Ionic Liquids, Ninu Madria

Masters Theses

"There is a considerable recent interest in the applications of room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) as green solvents in organic synthesis and as nonvolatile electrolytes in lithium ion batteries. A variety of commercially available imidazolium based RTILs have been used for these applications, mainly due to their negligible vapor pressures, high thermal stabilities, wide liquid range, wide electrochemical windows and high anodic stability. The state of the art lithium ion batteries require the use of electrolytes that have relatively low viscosities at temperatures as low as -35°C. This thesis describes the synthesis of novel oxygenated and fluorinated imidazolium based RTILs …

Phytoforensic Tools: Directional Uptake Of Chlorinated Solvents, Matthew Alan Limmer

Masters Theses

"Trees have been used to locate contaminated soil and groundwater, augmenting traditional methods, such as well drilling, that are time-consuming and expensive. In the past decade, plant sampling has gained acceptance as a reliable method for site screening. In this new field of phytoforensics, research efforts focus on developing quicker, more accurate and more informative sampling and analysis methods for measuring contaminant concentrations in trees. These phytoforensic tools are a novel approach to site assessments, potentially reducing cost while more effectively locating contaminated groundwater. This thesis evolved from field data suggesting azimuthal concentrations in tree trunks may reflect the corresponding …

Assess Commercialization Feasibility Of Algae-Based Bio-Fuel With Dashboard And Scorecard Technologies, Madhur Chopra

Masters Theses

"The growing energy depleting energy supplies and increasing environmental pollution has motivated researchers across the globe to look for alternative energy sources. Various energy sources have been identified but none of them have the capability of realistically replacing the fossil fuels and meeting the current demand. Algae based bio-fuels give some hope but producing them at large scale is a challenge which needs to be overcome.

The underlying objective of this research project is two folds. Firstly, the project aims to assist with the commercialization of algae based bio-fuels by developing Dashboard based and Balanced Scorecard based monitoring prototypes. The …

Selective Laser Sintering Of 13-93 Bioactive Glass, Krishna C. R. Kolan

Masters Theses

"Bioactive glasses are promising materials for bone scaffolds due to their ability to assist in tissue regeneration. When implanted in vivo, bioactive glasses can convert to hydroxyapatite, the main mineral constituent of human bone and form a strong bond with the surrounding tissues, thus providing an advantage over polymer scaffold materials. Bone scaffold fabrication using additive manufacturing techniques like selective laser sintering (SLS) provide control over pore interconnectivity during the fabrication of scaffold, which helps in mimicking human trabecular bone. 13-93 glass, a third-generation bioactive material designed to accelerate the body's natural ability to heal itself, was used in …

Economic Evaluation Of Sustainable Strategies For The Transportation Sector, Yaqin Lin

Masters Theses

"Sustainable strategies are drawing growing attention as global environmental challenges increase concerns over energy consumption. As one of the most intensive consumers of energy, the transportation sector has a particular need to go green. Implementing alternative energy sources and applying advanced energy efficient technologies are two major approaches to achieve sustainability. Much work thus far used cost-effectiveness as an important criterion for assessing the practicability of sustainable strategies. However, few studies have evaluated such strategies systematically. This thesis has developed a framework of cost-effectiveness analysis to assess sustainability strategies. The framework summarizes the various effects of five representative alternative energy …

A Framework For Transparent Depression Classification In College Settings Via Mining Internet Usage Patterns, Raghavendra Kotikalapudi

Masters Theses

Depression is a serious mental health problem affecting the mind and body of people in our society. As of today, depression affects about 5 to 7% of the American population, which roughly translates to 14 million people! A particularly worrying concern these days is the increasing incidence of depression among college students. The problem is so severe that many US campuses have dedicated centers with mental health professionals catering to students needs. Although there are very effective treatments for depression, studies report that ~80% of depressed students do not seek any help due to the lack of perception of the …

Isolation And Characterization Of Bacterial Symbionts From Crotalaria Spectabilis Grown On Trichloroethene Contaminated Soil, April Lyn Rocha

Masters Theses

"The discovery of several members of the Leguminosae family growing on a TCE contaminated site demonstrated that they have the capabilities to tolerate the TCE contamination. This led to an investigation of the plants' ability to metabolize TCE. Research by Dr. Lee Newman showed that nodules from Crotalaria spectabilis grown on the site had TCE metabolites present while nodules from other legumes at the site did not. The presence of TCE metabolites within the C. spectabilis nodules suggests that the bacterial symbiont may be responsible for TCE metabolism. This led us to investigate the symbiont of C. spectabilis and its …

Ozone Uptake Rates And Secondary Product Emissions Of Green Building Materials, Seth Paul Lamble

Masters Theses

"Building materials considered "green" were tested for their ability to remove ozone and their potential to generate undesirable byproducts such as aldehydes. Three types of ceiling tile were tested, along with seven flooring materials and eight wall materials. These materials were selected based on "green" criteria. For several this means they were recycled or produced from renewable resources. Others were designed to be low emitting, or due to their composition were likely to be low emitting. Ozone deposition velocities ranged from 0.25 m h-1 for a type of resilient linoleum type flooring to 8.23 m h-1 for a clay based …

Installation And Performance Evaluation Of Coaxial Cable Sensors For Crack And Corrosion Detection, Iana Muchaidze

Masters Theses

"Even under service loads, reinforced concrete (RC) structures can develop cracks that result in excessive deflection of the structures and provide passages for moisture to corrode steel reinforcement. It is thus critical to develop a simple, cost-effective tool for real-time crack monitoring and associated corrosion detection that may affect the engineering maintenance of RC structures. The objectives of this study include: (1) to develop a die-cut manufacturing process of coaxial cables with spiral outer conductors, (2) to quantify the sensing properties of a miniaturized topology-based crack sensor, (3) to investigate the effectiveness of various sensor installation procedures in RC applications, …

Grid Frequency And Voltage Support Using Photovoltaic Systems With Energy Storage Assist, Ravi Bhatt

Masters Theses

"An optimized operating scheme for a grid-connected community based photovoltaic (PV) system is described. The system can participate in grid ancillary services like frequency and voltage regulation functions based on the Smart Grid framework. The proposed model comprises of a PV plant with Li-ion batteries coupled to the grid by means of a three-phase inverter. A two-way communication between the PV plant and the grid is assumed. The PV/storage plant provides constant updates on its current kW/kVar capability and the grid transmits the demand for specific amounts of power and for specific lengths of time. The battery charging energy can …

The Feasibility Of Using Bifidobacteria Bifidum (Atcc 700541) For The Production Of Prebiotic Oligosaccharides, Candice Marie Luehrs

Masters Theses

"Galactooligosaccharides (GOS) are prebiotics that are being used to influence intestinal microbiota towards health promoting, beneficial bacteria like bifidobacteria. Natural sources of GOS are not found in suitable levels to achieve the desired health effects so economically viable commercial production methods are important. Enzymatic conversion of lactose to GOS through transgalactosylation is a preferred method since the starting material is inexpensive and readily available. Enzymes used in batch production are purified from fungal or bacterial sources or remain in whole cells cultured for GOS production. Purified or unbound enzymes are single use whereas enzymes retained within whole cells can potentially …

Managing A Solar Sensor Array Project: Analyzing Insolation & Motivation, Beth A. Yount

Masters Theses

"The renewable power industry is rapidly growing today and is in need of much data to augment the advancement of the field. Photovoltaic technology, while making substantial improvement over the last 60 years, still has some significant hurdles to overcome. When shading, dust, or damaged cells reduce the power output of one panel, the traditional series-parallel configurations make it so every panel in series with that lower current panel, will also have its current lowered; this lowers the overall power output of the array significantly. Advancements in configurations and converters could change this phenomenon and dramatically increase a solar array's …