Digital Commons Network^™

The Influence Of Base Sheet Sizing On The Print Quality Of Matte Coated Ink Jet Papers, Saurabh K. Halwawala

Masters Theses

The most recent developments in ink-jet papers have been related to coating aμd pigment technology. Silica is the preferred pigment for matte coated ink-jet papers. Besides being expensive, the high surface area and porosity of this pigment limits the percentage coating solids to less than 30-35%, which increases production cost due to higher dryer loads. Thus, a need exists to develop a new generation of pigments. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of base sheet absorbency on the surface, as well as print properties of matte coated ink-jet papers using a new pigment capable of being …

Ostensible Abductions, Real Anthropology, Timothy F. Mccauley

Masters Theses

A gap has developed in the research agenda of contemporary anthropology with regard to a phenomenon which has received notable attention from research professionals in other fields, such as history and psychiatry. What has been called the "alien abduction phenomenon" has had considerable impact, not only on those who sincerely believe these events are an everyday part of human experience (called "abductees") but also on the changing tapestry of American culture. Alien abduction accounts are closely related to the Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) phenomenon, a theme which has shaped American culture since the tum of the century. This thesis represents …

Isolation And Characterization Of A Genetic Locus That Confers Tolerance To Cadmium And Zinc In Pseudomonas Fluorescens, Szi Fei Feng

Masters Theses

This thesis describes the isolation and characterization of a region containing several genes involved in metal tolerance in the common soil bacterium, Pseudomonas fluorescens ATCC 13525. The DNA region was identified in a cadmium and zinc sensitive mutant, 45-B10, which contains a lacZ-based reporter gene transposon Tn5-B20 inserted in the chromosome. The DNA surrounding the transposon was cloned from this mutant strain and DNA sequencing of this region revealed seven genes that share similarity with genes whose products are involved in the cation-proton antiporter efflux system of other Gram-negative bacteria. Complete DNA sequence was obtained from four of these …

Development Of A Photoinitiator Blend For Uv Cured Inks And Coatings, Madhu Bansal

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to develop a new standard blend of photoinitiators, having properties of low odor, high solubility, faster curing, and being efficient for pigmented as well as for clear systems. In the process, we expect to understand the behavior of mixtures of photoinitiators and their resulting UV spectra. An important first step is to prepare different blend with different photoinitiator and characterize them on cure basis. Curing properties were studied by the KMnO₄ yellow stain density test. The absorption range in the UV spectra was measured for each Photoinitiator with methanol and acrylate as background …

Reading Between The Lines: The Business Discourse Of Globalization, Using Amway As A Local Example, Darlene Bos

Masters Theses

Corporate globalization has become an increasingly discussed topic. The impacts of corporate globalization have been studied on many fronts. This thesis seeks to examine how these worldwide impacts are tied to the individuals in the U.S. that consent to and comply with corporate globalization. This thesis is specifically concerned with the impacts of corporate globalization on workers in the U.S. and around the world. Discourse is the way in which information and ideas are expressed and shared. Discourse is the key to understanding the ideology behind corporate globalization. This thesis looks at the discourse about globalization within one company, Amway. …

Toward A Provident Working Class: French And English Social Reform Rhetoric, 1880-1914, James R. Gavan

Masters Theses

This research examines the rhetoric of belle epoque English and French middle class social observers. Addressing the "social question," they engaged in a debate on how best to appease an impoverished, alienated, and increasingly militant working class. Historians cite this discourse, and the meager legislation it fostered, as a transition from the unbridled nineteenth century laissez-faire to the welfare democracy characteristic of the twentieth century.

Central to the "social question" was the issue of improving social relations without altering existing class hierarchies (which favored the middle classes). Many social commentators shunned the passage of legislative safety nets in favor of …

A Study To Determine Why Some Women Age Fifty And Over Choose Not To Have Frequent Papanicolaou Tests, Dorothy Hicks-Burchwell

Masters Theses

This discriptive study used the Health Belief Model to examine the benefits, barriers, and action cues to obtaining Papanicolaou tests perceived by women age 50 and older. A convenience sample of 48 women were interviewed. Comparisons were made between those who obtained Papanicolaou tests at least every three years (n = 24) and those who did not (n = 24)..

One cue to action and four perceived benefits were found to be important influences. Women who had received Papanicolaou tests less frequently than every three years agreed that certain barriers had influenced their decisions more than women who had received …

Proposition 48: Knowledge, Attitude And Appreciation In High School Student-Athletes, Robin Salters

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the knowledge, attitude, and appreciation of high school student-athletes toward National Collegiate Athletics Association bylaw 14.3, commonly known as Proposition 48. The subjects completed a questionnaire inquiring about their knowledge of Proposition 48 as well as knowledge of its qualifying criteria. Those subjects that acknowledged having heard of the bylaw were then asked questions pertaining to their attitude towards Proposition 48 as a standard for intercollegiate athletics eligibility and the effect of their knowledge of Proposition 48 on their study habits in preparing for the pressures of being an intercollegiate athlete.

The …

State-Corporate Crime In The Defense Industry: A Case Study Of General Dynamics’ Procurement Of The Trident Submarine, James E. Robinson

Masters Theses

This study outlines the evolution of White-Collar criminological studies of the 1940's, to the more specific study of State-Corporate in the Defense Industry. Furthermore, it outlines the procurement process used by the Department of Defense and puts these processes within a theoretical framework to better explain how State-Corporate crimes occur.

This study focuses on the process by which billions of dollars are wasted each year within the military procurement process, and specifically outlines the fraudulent procurement practices utilized by the General Dynamics Corporation when it built the Trident Submarine during the 1970's.

This study also explains the concept of the …

Photodegradation Of Pcbs In Natural Waters, Adriana R. Nicolaescu

Masters Theses

PCBs are widely distributed in the environment and they are biologically refractory and toxic compounds. There is great interest in understanding their fate in the environment, and also for finding safe and effective degradation methods.

This study is concerned with the photodegradation of four PCB congeners: PCB 5, PCB 18, PCB 77, PCB 128 in natural waters. Natural waters contain humic substances which can greatly influence the environmental fate of the PCBs. The different degradation of the four congeners was studied in standardized systems and in humic acid or nitrate solutions, under environmental conditions. DMDE and Methoxyclor (whose environmental half-lifetimes …

Environmental Sociology: An Analysis Of Trends, Gregory M. Fulkerson

Masters Theses

This thesis describes the current status of environmental sociology, and presents an invitation to the reader to engage in the topic of the environment. It begins with a review of the literature, focusing on the origins of sociology and the theory of ecology, and presents the framework for the content analysis. The content analysis investigates the content and number of environmental sociology articles in mainstream sociological journals. In addition to the articles themselves, it analyzes the schools and authors of these articles. This analysis is supplemented with an analysis of environmental journals, enumerating the total number of environmental journals in …

Learning Reinforced Concreyte Design Principles Using A Java-Vrml Based Design Studio, Amarneethi Vamadevan

Masters Theses

Dynamics involving reinforced concrete design are the first real engineering course encountered by the undergraduate construction engineering students. Quite often its associated rigorous theories makes it an uninteresting academic hurdle for many below mediocre students. However when the theory is exemplified with multimedia, interaction and visualization techniques, the conceptual understanding is enhanced. The teaching methodology presented in this thesis is based on presenting students with an individualized, interactive and guided learning environment. The main elements of this approach are: a means of assimilating the student's interactive learning knowledge and behavior (user model), representation of the instructor's guidance and assessment knowledge …

The Fair Play Project: Evaluation Of Ethical-Value Choices In An Educational Sportsmanship Program, C. Bruce Martin

Masters Theses

The erosion of ethical values of athletes and the rise of unsportsmanlike behaviors by our nation's athletic programs is at near epidemic levels. This study evaluated the four-year Fair Play Project intervention in its attempt to correct the problem of poor sportsmanship behaviors created by a lack of ethical reasoning. Beginning in the summer of 1996 as an initiative from athletic directors representing an interscholastic athletic conference in Southwest Michigan, the Fair Play Project had four goals: (I) Plan and implement an annual student leadership conference; (2) Create a school-based student Sportsmanship Task Force in order to improve the sportsmanship …

Does "Gangsta Rap" Music Cross Good Judgment Lines And Decency Values?, Ajay Kumar Ojha

Masters Theses

There has been much controversy associated with "gangsta rap" music over the 1990's decade. This manuscript takes a closer look at "gangsta rap" music through a descriptive analysis, exploring these topics: social construction of reality, sexism, violence, community actions, and their possible negative influences on societal values. The positive and negative implications involving "gangsta rap" music are compared using lyrics from artists whose music has been in question in the past. Using a semantic differential survey and focus group interviews, "gangsta rap" music is analyzed, examining its exposure to people, possible promotion and communication of negative societal values. The study …

Does Creatine Supplementation Increase Muscle Strength In Women?, Tricia Cross

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to see if creatine supplementation increased muscular strength in women. Ten females were assigned to either a creatine (CG) or a placebo (PG) group with five subjects in each. The study lasted five weeks with one week of pre-testing, three weeks of creatine use which included one week of loading (12-13 g/day for seven days) and two weeks of maintenance (3-4 g/day for 14 days), and one week of post testing. Pre- and post-test strength were measured with a one repetition maximal lift (1RM) on the bench press and the leg press. All subjects …

Audre Lorde's Expansive Influence On Black Lesbians: Jewelle Gomez, Cheryl Clarke, And Kate Rushin, Denise L. Fitzer

Masters Theses

Audre Lorde, who named herself black, feminist, lesbian, mother, poet, and activist, was a pioneer for black lesbians everywhere. In her poetry and prose, Lorde challenged the myths and taboos associated with black women, lesbians, and feminists. Although her work focused on a broad range of topics that illuminated her many identities, she concentrated most heavily on issues of multiple oppression and its resulting fear and silence. In naming herself, Lorde urged others to do the same — to fight the self-imposed and socially-imposed silence surrounding triple oppression.

Countless women from the black community of writers have paid tribute to …

African American Poets Of The Vietnam War, Megan Guernsey

Masters Theses

Almost 6000 African American men gave their lives in the Vietnam War. While peaceful protests, voter registration drives, and racial confrontations occurred throughout the United States, the government continued to send young Black men to Southeast Asia to preserve the "freedom" of the Vietnamese people. The irony of this situation lies in the fact that these soldiers were asked to fight a War in the name of democracy, to kill in order to secure rights that they themselves were being denied. Although many Black Americans saw military service as a means of escaping poor ghetto life, they often were confronted …

"Television And Reality: Are They Different?", Tammy L. Holmes

Masters Theses

The purpose of this paper is to discover if there is any significance between the images of television viewed by people and the increase of the social construction of reality. Stephen LittleJohn (1999) states, [Social construction of reality] consists of meanings and understanding arising from communication with others. This notion known as reality that is deeply embedded in sociological thought. The objective of this topic is to explore the effects that mass media have on life and specifically how television often distorts, and does not accurately communicate the everyday lived experiences in our lives. Television often mimics reality. Television only, …

Life Tomorrow: Living Through The Redevelopment Of The Heartside Area, Mackenzi Anne Huyser

Masters Theses

The Heartside area is located in the central city of Grand Rapids and is bounded by the streets of Fulton, Wealthy, Ionia and Lafayette. The neighborhood has seen a number of developmental changes in the last seven years. These changes include structural changes in buildings and a change in the clientele who visit and live in the area. The development of the VanAndel Arena, in 1995, brought many new restaurants and stores into the neighborhood. An area occupied by vacant buildings, homeless shelters, and limited growth, Heartside has seen a rapid, intense period of redevelopment. The current residents in the …

Maternal-Infant Nurses' Knowledge Of Breast Feeding, Wendy S. Kershner

Masters Theses

This study explored the level of knowledge related to breastfeeding among maternal-infant nurses. It also explored whether there was a relationship between nurses' breastfeeding knowledge and level of education, type of clinical experience, years of experience and personal experience with breastfeeding.

A convenience sample of 67 maternal-infant nurses completed a modified version of Leadley's (1994) Breastfeeding Knowledge and Attitudes Survey.

Descriptive and correlational statistics were used to analyze the relationship between the variables and the nurse's breastfeeding knowledge. Data analysis revealed a mean score of 13.2 out of 20 questions on nurses' breastfeeding knowledge. There was no significant difference in …

The Frequency Of Breast Self-Examination In Women Who Participated In The Breast Cancer Prevention Trial, Kelly J. Moore

Masters Theses

This study used the Health Belief Model (HBM) to examine attitudes about breast health among women who had participated in the Breast Cancer Prevention Trial. More specifically, the purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between the HBM variables and the frequency of breast self-examination (BSE). A convenience sample of 80 women completed Champion’s (1993) HBM questionnaire.

It was hypothesized that the HBM concepts would significantly correlate with the frequency of BSE. However, only two significant correlations were found: a positive correlation between the frequency of BSE and perceived benefits (r=.37; p=.000) and a negative correlation between the …

The Effectiveness Of An Education Intervention Related To Knowledge Increase Among Adolescents Regarding Dietary Calcium And Prevention Of Osteoporosis, Deborah K. Fast

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of an educational intervention for 6th - 11th grade adolescents regarding dietary calcium and the prevention of osteoporosis. This was a secondary analysis of data from a study that used a pre-experimental pre-test-post-test; no control group design. Eighty-two boys and 102 girls completed the Healthy Bones Knowledge Questionnaire (HBKQ) as a pretest, received an educational intervention based primarily on dietary calcium intake, then completed the questionnaire again as a post-test.

As a group, the students demonstrated a significant increase in correct answers to calcium-related HBKQ items (t = 3.31, p …

Relationship Of Osteoporosis Knowledge And Perceived Susceptibility To Osteoporosis Among Hispanic Women, Johannie M. Troncoso

Masters Theses

The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine the relationship of osteoporosis knowledge to perceived susceptibility to osteoporosis among Hispanic women. The Health Belief Model (Rosenstock, Strecker, & Becker, 1994) was the theoretical framework for the study. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 54 Hispanic women, ages 18 years and older, from two different areas in a Mid-Western state. The final sample, based on the inclusion criteria, constituted 41 subjects. The participants completed the Osteoporosis Knowledge Test (OKT) developed by Kim, Horan, and Gendler (1991) and the Osteoporosis Health Belief Scale (OHBS) also developed in 1991 by …

Embraced: The Communication Perspective, Community & The Power Of "Story", A. J. Mühr

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

A World Wide Web Site Of Special Education Law For Educators In Illinois, Roger L. Epperson

Masters Theses

Any educational decision regarding evaluation, placement, or instruction of special education students involves legal liability and accountability for a school district. Without the special education legal knowledge from primary legal sources needed to make prudent education decisions, school districts are vulnerable to legal challenges. Too often, educators provide services to special education students without critical knowledge of the educators' role in the special education legal process.

In this study, just the preliminary phase of constructing a special education law World Wide Web (W3) site for Illinois educators was considered. There were two objectives in this study. The first objective was …

Delight, Subversion And Truth In The Canterbury Tales: Chaucer's Talking Birds, Terri Benson Blair

Masters Theses

Geoffrey Chaucer mentions birds over 240 times throughout The Canterbury Tales (Tatlock and Kennedy). This frequent allusion to birds is significant, especially since three of his twenty-four tales are actually about birds. What makes these three tales particularly fascinating is that their bird protagonists have the gift of speech. This study examines Chaucer's use of bird imagery in The Canterbury Tales, in particular, his use of talking birds in "The Squire's Tale," "The Nun's Priest's Tale" and "The Manciple's Tale." My theory is that Chaucer uses bird imagery and talking birds to question the sovereign power of the fourteenth-century …

Parental Influence On Career Development Among College Students, Michael W. Ladd

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between students' perceptions of parental influence on their college and career choices and their emotional independence from parents. The relationship between satisfaction with career/major choice (as demonstrated by vocational commitment) and parental influence was also examined. In addition, relationships between emotional independence from parents and commitment to a career field were explored.

To meet the research objectives, four research questions were addressed. First, is the Perceived Parental Influence scale, developed for this study, a reliable and valid scale? Second, is there a significant relationship between students' perceptions of parental influence …

Teachers' Perceptions Of The Influence Of Standardized Tests On Curricular And Instructional Practices, Jennifer Joy Davis Fox

Masters Theses

Does a student's performance on a standardized test measure the quality of education he/she is receiving? Many students today are being bombarded with standardized assessments mandated by state and district policies. The pressure to perform well on these assessments causes teachers to focus their classroom instructional time on test preparation even at the expense of the non-tested topics and curricular areas. A written survey was designed to determine teachers' perceptions of the influence of standardized tests on curricular and instructional practices. Participating in this study were third and fourth grade teachers (n=67) who administer the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT). …

"Retracing Our Steps": Storytelling, Time, And Traditional Referentiality In Mama Day And Absalom, Absalom!, Christine Ann Roth

Masters Theses

Gloria Naylor and William Faulkner turn to the history and tradition of oral storytelling in their novels. Mama Day and Absalom, Absalom! especially present the concepts and techniques of the storytelling act. The complexities of the audience-performer dynamic and non-linear time in an oral storytelling event create obstacles for the teller (the writer) and confuse the role of the audience (the readers). Writers create the role of listening audience for the readers, changing the accepted rules of the readers by asking them to become participants. In Mama Day and Absalom, Absalom!, Naylor and Faulkner create connections between audience …

Research Utilization In Hand Therapy Practice Using A World Wide Web Survey Design, Amy D. Heathfield

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate how frequently occupational therapists, certified hand therapists (OT, CHTs) read, integrate, and contribute to occupational therapy research; identify barriers and solutions to research utilization; and identify the effectiveness of World Wide Web (WWW) survey research with OT, CHTs. Of the 306 questionnaires sent, 154 were used (50% response rate). Most OT, CHTs reported reading some OT research, but integrated little into practice. One-half reported participating in research since graduation and 82% of those who did not participate reported interest in future research participation. Barriers to research were lack of time, research was …