Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

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 …

Coordination And Symbolic Convergence At The Candles Holocaust Museum And Education Center, Jessica Mcdonald

Masters Theses

Using Coordinated Management of Meaning (CMM) and Symbolic Convergence Theory (SCT), this study examines the ways in which meaning is managed between the messages of the CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center and the visitors of the museum. The research shows that the museum and the museum visitors work together in order to create an overall rhetorical vision of the museum's main message, both within the museum space and beyond. Using the metaphor of conversation, this study demonstrates the three ways through which the museum and its visitors achieve the rhetorical vision: historical conversation, personal conversation, and residual conversation. In …

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.

A Soldier's Home, Andrew O. Mclaughlin

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Montessori Principles: Do Montessori Parents Understand Their Significance And Apply Them To Their Family Lives?, Cody Davis Sanantonio

Masters Theses

This study was designed to offer insight to Montessori educators regarding the grasp that parents who choose Montessori for their children possess of the basic Montessori principles. These principles, which are applied in Montessori schools around the world each day, serve as the underpinning of Montessori philosophy, and since parents are the most significant teachers in their children's lives, it makes sense that parents are working in harmony with the guiding principles of their children's schools. Montessori schools have enjoyed a long history of serving children and families, and have often maintained waiting lists of prospective families who want the …

Dolus's Doctrine, Gretchen Schaible-Smith

Masters Theses

Marta Hoyle has lived her entire life in the safety and security of the New Republic where she tries to live a life that is in accordance with The Book of Law and Faith. Her Radical parents put her under the government's constant scrutiny, and even though she's resided with her pious Aunt Grace for over five years, she finds herself in danger of being tried and eliminated as a Radical.

When Marta receives a warning from a soldier of the danger in store, she decides to risk a visit to a Radical meeting in hopes of finding safety and …

Upvoting The Audience: A Burkean Analysis Of Reddit, Doug Urbanski

Masters Theses

My thesis examines the Internet community Reddit through the rhetorical framework of Kenneth Burke, specifically his work with identification between individuals and how identification shapes communities. I focused on three sections of Reddit: World News, Ask Reddit, and Politics, and analyzed the best-voted comments of top posts from each section, focusing on how anonymous users communicate with one another and how their anonymity might influence the ways they interact. Additionally, I propose a method for instructors to use Reddit in the classroom, taking advantage of the medium's systematic anonymity.

A Strategic Communication Campaign To Build Effective Relationships, Lauren Kluge Padillo

Masters Theses

This creative thesis discusses a strategic communication campaign that will help build effective relationships with the use of several communication strategies and marketing plans. I used our department's move to a new location as an opportunity to initiate dialogue to solve communication problems that are currently an issue. A brochure was developed as a tool that can be later used for reference. The project was successful and did bridge the communication gaps. Based on the success of the project, we will continue to use the literature and make visits to our internal and external customers.

Teacher's Attitudes Towards Integrating Technology: Case Studies In Saudi Arabia And The United States, Asma Mohammed Alharbi

Masters Theses

This study examines teachers' attitudes towards integrating technology in Saudi Arabia and the United States. A case study approach was used to identify several factors that challenge teachers and schools to adapt or integrate technology. And, the case study also reveals similarities and differences between the preparation and practice of teachers in Saudi Arabia and in the United States.

The data was collected through semi-structured interviews distributed to ten teachers from Saudi Arabia and the United States. These interviews were analyzed to determine teachers' attitudes in both countries and to compare and contrast these results. Findings reveal that teachers from …

Social Cognitive Theory Vs. Social Comparison Theory: Examining The Relationship Between Social Influence And Weight Loss, Emily Grigg

Masters Theses

This qualitative study investigated the impact of social influence on weight loss, more specifically, the internal and external elements that effect response and success of those who are trying to lose weight. The research focused on three questions: (1) How great of an influence does self-efficacy have in weight loss success? (2) How great of an influence does social comparison have in weight loss success? (3) Which factor has the largest impact on weight loss: self-efficacy, peer efficacy, or positive social support, or negative social support? Data was collected by the researcher conducting semi-structured interviews. These interview were conducted with …

A Decade Of Aid: The Increase, Impact And Alternative To Foreign Aid, Ryan Piers

Masters Theses

The first term of George H.W. Bush's presidency saw an increase in governmentally distributed foreign aid unparalleled in United States' history. This increase came at time in which the debate over the practicality of foreign aid had never been higher amongst academics. Historically, there are two separate branches of research in the study of foreign aid. The first examines the effects of the practice, while the other investigates the determinants of foreign aid, namely which donors give to which recipients and why. This study is twofold in a sense that it touches on both topics.

This thesis analyzed President George …

Seventy Years Of The African American Male Experience At Eastern Illinois University, Rovion D. Reed

Masters Theses

Using qualitative methodology the researcher analyzed the lived experiences of seven African American men who attended Eastern Illinois University over the past seven decades including one who is currently enrolled. Data was collected by conducting archival research as well and semi-structured interviews. Overall participants reported having good experiences at Eastern Illinois University. The participants' experiences were categorized into seven themes including faculty or staff relations, race relations, intra-racial relations, campus involvement, mentoring, campus climate, and Black Greek organizations. In addition, minor themes were also discovered including only-ness, lowered expectations, positive influence of student organizations, and sense of care from mentors.

Consumer Behavior Relationship Between Mothers And Their Adult Daughters, Helen M. Marcotte

Masters Theses

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the consumer behavior relationship between mothers and their adult daughters. Intergenerational influences (IGI), communication patterns, and the length of time adult daughters lived with their mothers are variables explored in this study. The results of this study suggested that, although the adult daughter seems to have a meaningful relationship with her mother, the only significant correlation was between mother-daughter communication patterns and the mother's role in her adult daughter's consumer behavior.

The Advancement Of European Security Integration, Rachel Anne Dicke

Masters Theses

For almost a decade and a half the European Union has been steadily developing as a global security actor, attempting to unify disparate national security polices into a more coherent, European security policy. The progress of European Security Integration (ESI) is the subject of this thesis, and has been examined in terms of three critical elements. By studying an EU-level defense institution, several individual member states, and an EU-led crisis management operation, a more comprehensive sense of the process could be obtained. The European Defence Agency is analyzed in Chapter 2, followed by the states Denmark, Sweden, and Finland in …

Corporate Social Responsibility And Team Identification In Professional Sports, Lisa Schleef

Masters Theses

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs are becoming more relevant, especially in professional sports. Community members have begun to expect sport organizations to have charitable foundations, given that they are in a perfect position to have successful CSR programs. Explained through team identification and social identity theory, CSR programs provide a great opportunity to bring fans together and foster team identification. CSR programs should help fans develop a positive social identity, by allowing them to become part of a group and interact with other fans. If a person is a fan of a team that helps its community and does good …

Narcissistic Intertextuality In The Works Of Bret Easton Ellis, Jennifer Grindstaff

Masters Theses

This thesis examines the works of Bret Easton Ellis, specifically his three latest novels: Glamorama, Lunar Park, and Imperial Bedrooms, and identifies the metafictional and intertextual elements in these texts. For my purposes, I am defining metafiction as fiction that draws attention to itself and makes the reader aware that he or she is reading fiction. Intertextual will be defined as elements in the novels that appear in other works of fiction. In the case of Ellis, he is drawing upon and reusing elements from his own fiction. These elements include characters that reappear in novels other than the text …

"Single Girl Summer" Enterprise: Building A Successful Brand Using Social Media As A Branding Tool, Rashida Lyles-Cowan

Masters Theses

This is a creative thesis that examines the benefits of using an integrated public relations and marketing campaign for the novel, Single Girl Summer. The campaign was created during the fall semester of 2012, after determining that the novel lacked a clear and concise brand identity. This document outlines important factors that happened during the campaign including; literature research, plan of implementation, promotional work, and more. Finally, this paper discusses the implications of the campaign and results, examining the effectiveness of the integrated public relations and marketing campaign for Single Girl Summer.

Computational Fluid Dynamics Flow Comparison Between Openhole Sleeve And Plug-And-Perf Completion In A Hydraulic Fractured Horizontal Well, Viriyah Theppornprapakorn

Masters Theses

"Multi-stage hydraulic fracture completions in horizontal wells have facilitated economic development of natural gas from unconventional and tight gas reservoirs.Industry has relied on two horizontal multi-stage completion technologies: cemented and perforated liner or Plug-and-perf method and Openhole Sleeve Multi-stage method. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. However, one of the most important questions is which method yields better gas production? Computation fluid dynamics (CFD) is a powerful tool for solving complex fluid flow problems. In well completion design, CFD plays a significant role aiding the completion engineers on making decision on well completion methods. In this study, a …

Gas And Water Flow Through Nanoscale Porous Media, Songyuan Liu

Masters Theses

"This work provides a lab experiment to describe the fluid diffusion in nanoscale porous media. By using ideal ceramic membranes which have uniform pore size in nanoscale and homogeneous pore distribution instead of shale or tight sandstone which have various pore sizes and complicated pore distribution and structure, a better understanding of fluid flow through nanoscale porous media could be gained.

Core flooding test were conducted by injecting nitrogen and water separately to describe gas and liquid flow in nanoscale porous media. With all the other factors known or controlled, pressure and flow rate were measured to calculate permeability. By …

Fuzzy Logic Color Detection: Blue Areas In Dermoscopy Melanoma Images, Mounika Lingala

Masters Theses

"Malignant melanoma is one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer and is one of the most rapidly increasing cancers in the world. Image analysis techniques for the early detection of melanoma are dependent upon the detection of multiple color shades in melanoma images. Use of magnified visible-light imaging by dermoscopy allows detailed investigation of these color shades. This research explores the fuzzy logic methods for the detection and characterization of blue color shades to discriminate melanoma from benign skin lesions. Standard thresholds are placed on the RGB dermoscopy images firstly and then the restrictiveness is explored by implementing fuzzy …

Processing Of Continuous Fiber Reinforced Ceramic Composites For Ultra High Temperature Applications Using Organosilicon Polymer Precursors, James Robert Nicholas

Masters Theses

"The current work is on the development of continuous fiber reinforced ceramic materials (CFCCs) for use in ultra high temperature applications. These applications subject materials to extremely high temperatures (> 2000⁰C). Monolithic ceramics are currently being used for these applications, but the tendency to fail catastrophically has driven the need for the next generation of material. Reinforcing with continuous fibers significantly improves the toughness of the monolithic materials; however, this is a manufacturing challenge. The development of commercial, low-viscosity preceramic polymers provides new opportunities to fabricate CFCCs. Preceramic polymers behave as polymers at low temperatures and are transformed into ceramics …

Fluidic Sensor Devices Utilizing Dry Film Resist As Main Structural Materials, Sijia Gong

Masters Theses

"In this thesis, two types of fluidic sensor devices are demonstrated. The first device utilizes a dry film resist (DFR) as the main structural material of fluidic device utilizing the photolithography process. The second one involves a simple, low-cost sensor platform composed of ubiquitous materials such as polymer tubing and metal wires. Both devices are prepared to measure the dissolved oxygen content, as a model target analyte, based on the oxygen quenching reaction of a ruthenium complex fluorophore as the reporting agent. Characterization of sensors is conducted based on the fluorescence lifetime measurement. The first type of sensor is constructed …

Paste Development And Co-Sintering Test Of Zirconium Carbide And Tungsten In Freeze-Form Extrusion Fabrication, Ang Li

Masters Theses

"Ultra-high temperature ceramics are being investigated for future use in aerospace applications due to their superior thermo-mechanical properties, as well as oxidation resistance, at temperatures above 2000°C. However, their brittle properties make them susceptible to thermal shock failure. Components fabricated as functionally graded materials (FGMs) can combine the superior properties of ceramics with the toughness of an underlying refractory metal by fabricating graded composites. This paper discusses the grading of two materials through the use of a Freeze-form Extrusion Fabrication (FEF) system to build FGMs parts consisting of zirconium carbide (ZrC) and tungsten (W). Aqueous-based colloidal suspensions of ZrC and …

Comparison Of Class Ii Injection Well Area Of Review Requirements With Area Of Evaluation For Hydraulically Fractured Wells, Yashesh Jitendra Panchal

Masters Theses

"Since 2010 the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been proposing plans to study, and has now initiated research regarding the potential impact of hydraulic fracturing processes on drinking water sources. Their work refers to an 'Area of Evaluation' around a hydraulically fractured well, inferring that the wells immediately around hydraulic fractured wells should be studied, to evaluate the conditions of these wells and their potential to contaminate overlying USDWs. Class II injection wells must have a minimum 1/4 mile radius area of review to determine the condition of wells surrounding the proposed injection well. All wells within this AOR …

Comparative Evaluation Of N-Acetylcysteine And N-Acetylcysteine Amide In Acetaminophen-Induced Oxidative Stress, Ahdab Naeem Khayyat

Masters Theses

"Acetaminophen (APAP) is the most widely used pharmaceutical analgesic-antipyretic agent in the world, but its toxicity is a common cause of drug-induced hepatotoxicity. With APAP toxicity, cellular glutathione (GSH) is depleted. This results in the availability of N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI), is a toxic metabolite of APAP that binds to cellular macromolecules, which leads to cell necrosis. N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), a GSH precursor, is the only approved antidote for an acetaminophen overdose. It is a negatively charged molecule that diminishes its penetration into the cells, thereby requiring fairly high doses that increase the severity of side effects. In addition, oral and …

Shopping Alone Online Vs. Co-Browsing: A Physiological And Perceptual Comparison, Ceren Topaloglu

Masters Theses

"Although shopping is a social activity frequently performed with friends and family members, most online shopping is done alone. With the development of Web 2.0 technologies and the increasing popularity of social networking sites, online social shopping has emerged as a new phenomenon that allows more social interaction, participation, and satisfaction for customers while shopping online. Therefore, companies have started to use social shopping tools in their e-commerce websites to facilitate online social shopping. Co-browsing is one of the more recent online social shopping tools available, enabling users to shop or browse together by offering synchronized web views and chat …

Water Management Capabilities Of Bio-Inspired Flow Field Configurations For Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells, Nicholas Warren Freer

Masters Theses

"Fuel cells have received an increasing amount of attention over the past decade for their power production capabilities. Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells in particular are researched because of their high power density, large range of operating conditions, green products, and ease of scalability. PEM fuel cells do have a number of issues that reduce their overall performance. These issues include variations in reactant distribution, materials issues for the bipolar plate, and flooding caused by poor water management. Variations in the reactant distribution causes lower overall power output due to regions of low reactant density. This means that optimizing …