Digital Commons Network^™

From Mainstream To Fringe Conspiracy: Examining White Supremacist Literature Before And After The Civil-Rights Movement, James Andres

Masters Theses

This project analyzes white supremacist literature before and after the Civil-Rights Movement to examine victimization narratives, siege belief, white supremacist visions of the future, and the threats found in pre-civil rights white supremacist ideology through Goffman’s work on stigma. The author conceptualizes the previous items by utilizing literature analyzing the modern white supremacist movement and using it as a basis to conduct a case comparative study. Using grounded theory, directed approach, and summative content analysis to conduct the study, the author selects 8 influential white supremacist texts for the analysis. The author notes that in addition to the shift in …

Visuals In Music Promotion: Developing An Effective Visual Marketing Campaign Within The Musical Brand Of The Bluegrass Genre, Grant Cochran

Masters Theses

The American genre of bluegrass music is a style of music that is not widely commercial and is not supported by large promotional budgets. This thesis researched historical and current visual designs for the promotion of bluegrass music. A research survey was also conducted to determine what kind of promotional design would most effectively appeal to fans of the genre. The results of that research survey was applied to promotional materials that are to be made available to a newly started bluegrass music festival.

Pay-For-Play In College Athletics: A Phenomenological Study Of Former And Current College Student-Athletes’ Perception Of Pay-For-Play, Brittany Dobson

Masters Theses

The literature suggests the conceptual definition of amateurism set by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the increase in corporate athleticism within the NCAA has resulted in a controversial debate concerning the pay-for-play model, which would allow student-athletes to receive additional compensation. Numerous studies related to pay-for-play have been implemented, however, few have examined how student-athletes feel about the pay-for-play model. The purpose of this study will be to explore student-athletes’ perceptions of pay-for-play. In order to understand student-athletes’ perceptions of pay-for-play, a phenomenological research design was chosen. Three former and two current NCAA Division I student-athletes from Liberty …

Advancing Film Through Art & Design: A Study Of The Influence That Film And Fine Art Have On The Independent Film Market, Jamall Rashaud Mcmillan

Masters Theses

The Influence of Graphic Design and Fine Art in Film is a exploration into the impact that an investment of the arts has on film and more specifically the independent film market. Most independent filmmakers have to develop their productions with little to no budget. In doing so they must work to create a marketable film to the best of their ability. There in-lies the issue; they are doing it to the best of “their” ability. The issue that is in focus with the notion of ability is that a major component that is left out of the equation to …

Fostering Hope: The Christian Healthcare Chaplain In A Caring Relationship, Felix O. Otuorimuo

Masters Theses

In 2017, the data from suicide prevention resource center (National Survey on Drug Use and Health) showed an increasing rate of 10.6 million persons between the ages 18-65 that have had suicidal thoughts, a precipitating factor from hopelessness that triggers the goal of killing themselves. Given this challenge, the study seeks to understand how the Christian healthcare chaplain in a caring relationship, fosters biblical hope as spiritual care intervention to persons with suicidal thoughts to promote recovery, repair and restoration. The research was designed to use purposeful sampling to collect responses by anonymous online survey from 35 Christian healthcare chaplains …

A Comparative Study Of Wireless Star Networks Implemented With Current Wireless Protocols, Sizen Neupane

Masters Theses

Wireless communication is one of the most advanced technological developments of this era. Wireless technology enables both short-range and long-range services. Today, there are several different wireless communication technologies in existence. Each has its characteristics different from another one. This thesis will implement three short-range wireless technologies in star connection and compare the performance in the wireless network.

For this thesis, the performance of three different RF protocols - a proprietary packet protocol called Enhanced ShockBurst in nRF24L01+, Bluetooth Low Energy, and a special Wi- Fi protocol ESP-Now was compared. The general concept was to establish a star network for …

Functional Characterization Of Glutamate Carboxypeptidase Ii In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Hashni Epa Vidana Gamage

Masters Theses

Glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII) is a transmembrane zinc metalloprotease expressed in a number of organisms: from yeast to worm to humans. In humans, GCPII has been observed as a multifunctional protein and expressed in prostate, intestine, kidney, brain, tumor-associated neovasculature and other tissues as five paralogs. In the human small intestine, hGCPII is proposed to facilitate the folate absorption by cleaving terminal glutamate residues in dietary folates. Folates act as a cofactor in one-carbon metabolic pathways such as nucleotide synthesis, amino acid synthesis, DNA repair, and consequently involved in cell division and growth. The hGCPII homolog is found in the …

Juxtaposing Primary- And Intermediate-Elementary Trade Books’ Historical Representation Of Amelia Earhart, Rachael A. Burkhardt

Masters Theses

Amelia Earhart can be used in the classroom not only to interest students but can also be used to cover Common Core State Standards (CCSS), National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) framework, and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). When teaching Amelia Earhart, textbooks, trade books, and primary sources can be used, however one must be careful with the misrepresentations each resource can portray. To look at what is misrepresented, omitted, and included within primary and intermediate grade level trade books, 32 books were scrutinized. The trade books being analyzed were found to have some historically representative and misrepresentative elements …

Analysis Of Construction Fall Protection Guardrails In A Population With Changing Anthropometrics, Connor S. Klinzing

Masters Theses

The construction trade has commonly been cited as one of the most dangerous industries within the United States, with falls from elevation being the most predominate cause for injuries and deaths. The OSHA standards related guardrails has not changed since its implementation in 1970. These standards originally derive from the 1950s, which expect a 160-pound person with 40 pounds of equipment, tools, etc. However, the anthropometries of the common working age citizen has dramatically changed in respects to their weight. This study examines the relationship of the guardrail system to the changing anthropometries to determine if a reform is necessary …

(Dis)Respect In The Classroom: A Gendered Perspective Of Academia, Abriana Nichole Vesconte

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine gendered practices and the experiences of women instructors within academia. Women face different challenges than men in the classroom, and many times, they are challenged by their students. In order to complete this study, I conducted narrative interviews with women faculty ranging from Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs), contractual instructors, as well as tenured and untenured professors at a Midwest university. I was able to interview eight women faculty members of varying positions. After completing the interviews and analyzing the data from each instructor, three prominent themes emerged. These themes are: (1) public …

"Mystery Meat" And "Bulldyke": Disciplining Gender And Silencing Women Sports Reporters On Reddit, Kayla J. Peterson

Masters Theses

Most of the sports industry is a male dominated space where women are very rarely accepted. We see men in the field, whether they work or play, defend the space and tell women reporters to “stay in their lane.” This study focuses on an online news-sharing site, reddit, and examines how sports fans take it upon themselves to defend sports as a male space. Reporters, such as Sarah Spain, Jemele Hill, and Doris Burke, are subjected to hundreds of comments that silence them and discipline them based on their gender. This study emphasizes the need for gender equality in what …

One Way: Miles To Go, Jamie Lynn Golladay

Masters Theses

This creative thesis is a memoir dedicated to a close examination of a childhood taking place in a meth ridden midwestern town, under the supervision of meth addicted parents. Using both prose and poetry to explore small excerpts of memory in a sequential vignette form, this memoir follows the author through early adolescents to middle school, tackling issues such as addiction in the home, prostitution, homelessness, and incarceration as well as more domestic points of interest like sibling bonds, childhood roleplay, and parent/child relationships.

At its core, this narrative looks at the home and the family from the perspective of …

Campus Community's Perception Of Victimization And Fear Of Crime Regarding Campus Violence And Safety, Gianna White

Masters Theses

This study was designed to test perceptions and perceived safety and how it relates to fear of crime regarding university campus violence and safety. Faculty, students, and staff were drawn from a Midwestern university of the United States. This research examined vulnerability to stress, gender, age, and status, and its significance to fear of crime in comparison to the participation in precautionary and avoidance behaviors and campus crime statistics. It was hypothesized that there would be a general fear of crime regardless of overall low levels of campus crime and that both men and women would participate in precautionary or …

How First Year Csa Graduate Students Undergraduate Involvement Experiences And Perceptions Align With The Acpa/Naspa Professional Competencies, Alexis Garner

Masters Theses

Using a qualitative methodology. the researcher studied current first-year graduate students in a College Student Affairs program. The researcher looked at skills the students believed they gained from undergraduate involvement, the students' perceptions of what skills are important for professionals to have, and how both of those align with the ACPA/NASPA Professional Competencies. The study was narrowed down to six graduate students based on their responses to a short participant survey to ensure the participants came from diverse types of undergraduate involvement. These participants were interviewed and asked a range of questions about their undergraduate involvement experiences. skills gained from …

Developing A Basket-Shaped Host Molecule Based On P-Tert-Butylcalix[4]Arene Featuring Urea Groups For Encapsulating Volatile Guest Molecules, Lokugama Widanelage Vidula Priyadarshana

Masters Theses

Molecular baskets are a group of synthetic host molecules which are designed to govern the inclusion of small guest molecules. The basic structural features of basket-shaped host molecules are a cavity for holding a much smaller guest molecule and tunable gates for keeping the guest molecule inside. These types of gates can be tuned by changing temperature, concentration, pH, etc. In this research group's previous study, a molecular basket of cal ix[ 4]arene with carboxylic acid groups was synthesized by functionalizing calix[4]arene's phenol hydroxyl groups with benzyl bromide building blocks. In the study detailed here, 1 , l '-((5-(bromomethyl)-1,3-phenylene)bis(methylene))bis(3-isopropylurea) was …

The Transcriptional Response Of Phanerochaete Chrysosporium And Trametes Versicolor To Growth On Stems Of Helianthus Argophyllus (Silverleaf Sunflower), Nadh Hamoud Alsubaie

Masters Theses

Traditional physicochemical and physicomechanical pretreatment technologies have improved the deconstruction of lignocellulose, but often require high energy inputs and added chemical reagents. Recent studies have demonstrated the use of white-rot fungi as alternative biological pretreatment agents that can mitigate these concerns. Although, white-rot fungi have been shown to grow on a variety of non-woody substrates, they have not been explored with respect to sunflower, which has the potential to provide raw materials for both biodiesel and bioethanol. In the present study, Silverleaf sunflower stems (Helianthus argophyllus) were used as substrates for the white-rot fungi Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Trametes …

Studying Carbon Dioxide Solvent Properties By Microwave Spectroscopic Investigations Of Vinyl Fluoride/Carbon Dioxide Clusters And Developing New Approaches To Decode Rotational Spectra, Prashansa Kannangara

Masters Theses

Supercritical carbon dioxide (sc-C0₂) is an excellent green solvent, but its properties are not thoroughly understood. For example, fluorinated compounds have higher than expected solubility in sc-C0₂. Microwave spectroscopy is one way to learn more about sc-C0₂ because it can be used to determine detailed structures of small clusters of molecules. The purpose of this investigation was to study weak hydrogen bonding interactions in complexes of fluorinated ethylene (solute) with carbon dioxide (C0₂, solvent). Investigations on dimers with one C0₂ molecule and fluorinated ethylene were carried out previously and found two different …

Creg1: Its Role As A Master Regulator Of Liver Function, Iffat Jahan

Masters Theses

Mammalian development involves a complex system of regulatory signals and reactions resulting in highly differentiated cell types with specific structure and function. The liver is a major organ that has been studied extensively to understand underlying genetic processes responsible for specification, establishment and maintenance of tissue identity. Hepatoma and hepatoma variant cell lines have been used as models to understand genetic networks responsible for liver function. Whole genome microarray analysis of hepatocyte cell lines has revealed candidate genes that may serve as regulators or master regulators of liver specificity. In two previous studies in our lab, the role of candidate …

The Origins Of Western Music And Its Influence On Modern Popular Music: Teaching Music Through A Musical Exploration Of Seven Countries, Johanna Katelyn Hatt

Masters Theses

The topics of music history and music appreciation cover a wide range of composers and musical contributions that at times, can be overwhelming to a student who does not have any musical knowledge. Through limiting the music appreciation course to the discussion of composers’ works from various countries, students are able to learn about the important contributions those composers and countries had to music, including modern popular music. This topic will bring value to the field of music education as it offers an alternative approach to the traditional method of teaching a music history course. With this holistic approach to …

Reprogramming Of Rat Hepatoma Cells With Fibroblast-Specific Protein Twist1, Kezban Ucar Cifci

Masters Theses

In mammalian development, a complex system comprised of regulatory signals causes tissue distinction with unique structures as well as functions. Gene expression controls these functions through specific combinations of transcription factors and cofactors that influence cell differentiation by both activation and repression of genes.

Whole genome microarray studies of fibroblasts have identified candidate genes that can serve as master regulators of fibroblast identity. A previous study showed that Prrx1 and Snai2 play important roles in activating expression of fibroblast identity, and Snai2 overexpression in hepatoma cells (Fg14) activated expression of fibroblast specific genes. Moreover, Snai2 overexpression resulted in repression of …

Pokemon Go And Mental Health, Nathaniel Ed

Masters Theses

Pokémon GO is a new type of game that emphasizes physical activity and social interaction. In the literature, both physical activity and social interactions have been shown to be positively correlated with mental health. Much research has been conducted on the effects of gaming on mental health, but to date no research has been done on the possible correlations of the game Pokémon GO and mental health. The present study was conducted to determine whether Pokémon GO players scored significantly lower than a control group of traditional garners on scales of depression, anxiety, and pathological gaming, and if they reported …

The Transition Of Male Student-Athletes To A Division I College, Tori Harrison

Masters Theses

Using a qualitative methodology, the researcher studied high school student-athletes transitioning to becoming college student-athletes at the Division I-level. The study was narrowed down to six, second-year male student-athletes. There were two participants from baseball, two from football, and two from men's track and field. These participants were interviewed and asked a range of questions about their high school experience, their legal guardians' involvement in high school and in college, what their recruiting process was like, and how they managed their transition from high school to college. The interview was broken up into three parts to better understand their transition: …

Using Digital Storytelling To Create Intercultural Awareness At Eastern Illinois University, Toluwalase Solomon

Masters Theses

Despite the increasing enrollment of international students at Eastern Illinois University (EIU), little is known about the integration of international students into the larger community. This creative thesis employs photovoice as a form of digital storytelling to amplify the voices of international students at EIU. Over an 8-week period, 7 international students from Cameroon, India, Ghana, Philippines, South-Korea, China, and France and the researcher captured images that told their stories of acculturation and socio-cultural adjustment in EIU. The main goal of this project is to improve college wide understanding on the actual lived experiences of international students in Eastern Illinois …

Student Use Of Institutional Social Media, Hayley Elizabeth Hanger

Masters Theses

This study is a quantitative exploration of student use of their university's social media accounts at a mid-sized Midwestern institution. The survey was conducted via Qualtrics and was emailed to all undergraduate on-campus students. T-tests showed that differences in reason for use existed across gender, race, and first-generation status. Chi Square test results showed a statistically significant gap between the amount of White and non-White students following institutional social media accounts. Descriptive statistics also indicated that lack of awareness is the driving reason students do not follow institutional social media accounts. Recommendations were made to increase advertisement of social media …

Exploring High School Students' Attitudes Towards Reading, Heather G. Crivilare

Masters Theses

This study explored high school students’ attitudes towards reading as both a recreational activity and academic endeavor; while there are numerous studies regarding the reading habits of younger children, there is a deficit of research into the reading habits of students beyond the middle school years. This study surveyed and interviewed freshmen-through-senior students in a medium-sized, rural Illinois high school about their habits as readers in order to explore the relationship between different environmental factors and reading, as well as between reading habits and college readiness. This study found a gender gap in reading enjoyment favoring female students; a decline …

College Students Experiences Participating In International Alternative Break Trips, Dayton L. Ehrlich

Masters Theses

This study sought to explore undergraduate students’ experiences participating in international alternative break trips. A qualitative approach was used to understand the motivating factors as well as the impact the trip had on them. Participants included three female undergraduate students who had participated in an international alternative break trip in Mexico were interviewed one-on-one. The results demonstrated there were multiple different motivating factors and impacts the students experienced. The motivating factors consisted of student involvement, they were all personally invited on the trip, practicing a new language, opportunity to leave the country, and service was not a motivator. The impacts …

A Pipeline For Exogenous Gene Expression And Biomass Analysis In Plants, Bijay Bisunke

Masters Theses

Biological pretreatment of biomass is typically required for the production of liquid biofuels, which are viable alternatives to traditional fossil fuels. While traditional thermomechanical pretreatments are effective at helping to deconstruct lignocellulose, they are often expensive and tend to generate environmentally dangerous waste materials. An alternative to traditional pretreatment strategies is biological pretreatment, which has focused on lignocellulose-degrading organisms, such as white-rot fungi. While direct pretreatment of biomass with white-rot fungi has shown great promise, directly expressing functional white-rot fungi genes in plants (i.e. in planta expression) has the potential to be even more efficient because the biomass itself …

Cavalier Reading: Examining The Problematic Nature Of Signifiers, Monique Nichelle Branscumb

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Academic Enablers Instruction On Academic Achievement Of Elementary School Children, Bryce Kirk

Masters Theses

The present study investigated the relationship between Academic Enablers (AEs) instruction and student achievement. Specifically, whether such behaviors and attitudes explicitly taught in a small group setting would improve students' academic performance. Students struggle academically and behaviorally for a variety of reasons, poor or lack of instruction, lack of motivation, or related to a disability, to recognize a few. Existing literature has identified several factors, (e.g., interpersonal/social skills, motivation, study skills, and engagement), known as AEs, that meaningfully contribute toward students' academic success. However, unlike previous studies that focused on such AEs in isolation, this study addressed this limitation and …

Authoritarianism Both In Venezuela And Turkey, Furkan Burcu Yildiz

Masters Theses

In this paper, I undertake a comparative analysis of the authoritarian process in Venezuela and Turkey. In both countries, there are signs of political and economic instabilities. Therefore, I examine Turkey's and Venezuela's politics and economy to understand the reasons for authoritarian regimes. The comparison reveals that both countries are en route of authoritarianism; however, the motives are different. As for Venezuela. comparison grounds the argument that their authoritativeness relies on economic instability. On the contrary, Turkey has a stable economy while it has been struggling with political upheavals.

The result of this study pinpoints different ways for authoritarian regimes. …