Digital Commons Network^™

Small Mammal Community Structure In Restored Prairies, Kathleen A. Falout

Masters Theses

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources currently manages approximately 4,000 hectares of natural prairie. High human impacts coupled with small patch size result in challenging management decisions for prairie conservation. The ideal restored prairie would consist of a mosaic of habitats varying in vegetation from forb-grass dominated areas to oak savannas, with concurrent stages of vegetative succession occurring across the habitats. A study was conducted at the Middle Fork State Fish and Wildlife Area located in Vermillion County, IL, to analyze small mammal diversity and community composition among three different stages of prairie restoration.

The three treatment categories were: fallow …

Use Of Alternative Approaches By Physical Therapists In Michigan, Karen E. Huber, Brian W. Scherff

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research was to determine the prevalence of use of alternative treatments by physical therapists in Michigan, what approaches are used most often and if use of alternative techniques is associated with practice characteristics. A questionnaire listing 20 treatment techniques which met the operational definition of alternative was mailed to a random sample of 300 licensed physical therapists in Michigan. Number of modalities used, frequency of use for each alternative treatment, average caseload treated, and relationships between modality use and characteristic of practitioners were determined. Results showed 83% of respondents use one or more alternative modalities; 39% …

Effects Of Insulin And Insulin Mimetics On Antioxidant Enzyme Levels: In Vivo And In Vitro, Shikha Varma

Masters Theses

Tissue antioxidation status is considered to be an important factor for elucidating the etiology of diabetes and its physiological complications. This study was aimed to determine the in vivo antioxidant enzyme levels in the altered antioxidant status of diabetic rat liver with the treatment of two potent insulin mimetics, vanadium and selenate. The direct effects of vanadate, selenate, and zinc (another insulin mimetic) on the antioxidant enzyme levels in primary rat hepatocytes in culture was also determined. Levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and gluthahione peroxidase (GPX) were determined in both model systems.

In the vivo model, insulin treatment …

Regulation Of The Expression Of Lipogenic Enzymes By Insulin-Mimetics, Juiyu Wu

Masters Theses

Many researchers have shown that selenate (SeO₄^2-) and vanadate (VO₄^2-) have insulin-mimetic effects in certain biological processes. These mimetic effects include increasing glucose transport, regulating glycolytic enzymes, normalizing plasma glucose levels and activities of insulin regulated enzymes in diabetic rats. To clarify the functions and roles of these insulin-mimetics in different insulin-regulated metabolic pathways, the expression of the genes for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) and fatty acid synthase (FAS) were investigated. G6PDH is a key enzyme in the pentose phosphate pathway and is also involved in lipogenic metabolism by providing 55-70% of the NADPH utilization …

Loss Associated With Chronic Illness: Application Of The Roy Adaptation Model, Linda M. Dehaan

Masters Theses

The Roy Adaptation Model guided this pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study to test an intervention addressing loss associated with chronic illness. Differences in adaptation and well-being were evaluated between control (n = 20) and experimental groups (n = 20) 30 days after intervention. Adaptation was measured by PAIS-SR scores and analyzed using ANCOVA to adjust for pretest differences. T-test and Mann-Whitney U was used to evaluate well-being as measured by the Global Well-being Scale. Changes in adaptation were not significantly different between groups, but well-being improved 12.8% in the experimental group as compared with 1.4% in the control group. Inconsistency of results …

Parent Knowledge Of Fas And The Risks Of Heavy Drinking During Pregnancy, Kimberly Lynne Spring

Masters Theses

The purpose of this mini-study was to determine the level of parent knowledge of FAS and the risks of drinking during pregnancy.; The parents involved in this mini-study were members of a small, primarily rural community and had one or more children enrolled in grades kindergarten through four in the Hart Public School District.; A questionnaire was developed and mailed to a random sample of parents who were chosen from the school enrollment lists. Results of the survey indicated that the majority of parents had some basic knowledge of the term FAS; however they felt that they lacked enough knowledge …

An Extended Year Program For At-Risk Middle School Children, Karen Patrice Flanigan

Masters Theses

At the beginning of this century only 6% of the American population even received a high school diploma. Now that diploma is so necessary that our society can no longer support or afford any undereducated citizens. Every year there is less and less room for them in the work force.; The states and school districts are reacting to this by trying to identify these at-risk children and to pose interventions to keep them in school. This is one account of an extended year program that was implemented for at-risk middle school children. The research focuses on the characteristics of these …

The Effect Of External Heat And Humidity On Levels Of Perceived Exertion While Performing A Submaximal Bicycle Test, Erika E. Hanselman

Masters Theses

The effect of changes in environmental conditions on perception of the intensity of exercise using the Borg scale for rating of perceived exertion (RPE) was the focus of this study. Subjects (n= 10) recruited opportunistically from graduate classes in the Health, Physical Education and Recreation Department performed the test in a climate control chamber located in the Exercise Physiology lab at Western Michigan University. The submaximal test followed the protocol established by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM, 1991).

Each subject performed each of the four conditions three times. Conditions were assigned in random order to each subject. Perceived …

Egg Removal By Brown-Headed Cowbirds: A Field Test Of The Host Incubation Efficiency Hypothesis, Douglas R. Wood

Masters Theses

Obligate brood parasites, like the Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater), lay their eggs in the nests of host species, usually to the detriment of the host's reproductive effort. In addition, Brown-headed Cowbirds often remove one or more host eggs near the time of parasitism. Although several hypotheses exist, the adaptive significance of egg removal has not been clearly established. Peer and Bollinger (in press) proposed the host incubation efficiency hypothesis which states that the number and size of host eggs influences the incubation efficiency of a parasitic egg. Thus, host egg removal by cowbirds should increase the parasitic egg's …

Nutrition Knowledge Of Illinois High School Athletic Coaches, Donall M. Hausauer

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Prediction Of In-Hospital Delirium In Elderly Hip Fracture Patients Using Family Assessment Of Pre-Morbid Cognitive Behaviors, Ronell R. Ruhlandt

Masters Theses

The elderly are the fastest growing segment of the population in the United States. Elderly persons are at high risk for developing delirium when hospitalized. The purpose of this study was to determine if pre-morbid cognitive behaviors were predictive of in-hospital delirium in elderly hip-fracture patients. The ability to predict or diagnose delirium early could prevent complications during hospitalization and decrease the length of hospital stays. The study was descriptive correlational. Subjects were admitted to a metropolitan teaching hospital during February through August 1993, were 60 years or older, and were diagnosed with hip fracture. Admission assessments included the Cognitive …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Registered Nurse Time Spent In Direct Care Activities, Nursing Skill Mix And Patient Perceptions Of Nurse Caring, Jeanne L. Roode

Masters Theses

There is a need for nurse administrators to understand how the use of nursing resources impacts the quality of patient care. A descriptive correlational research design was used to examine the relationship between R.N. time spent in direct care activities, nursing skill mix and patient perceptions of nurse caring. A secondary analysis was conducted using data previously collected as part of a large-scale data set from a 529 bed community teaching hospital. The data consisted of 76,491 activity samples obtained through work sampling of 16 nursing units, 2 categories of unit skill mix measurements, and a Caring Behaviors Inventory completed …

The Impact Of Delirium On Mental Status And Physical Functioning Of The Hip Fracture Patient One To One And One Half Years Post-Injury, Delores L. Arendsen

Masters Theses

Delirium occurs frequently among hospitalized hip fractured elders. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a delirious episode on physical and mental status of those patients 12-18 months post-injury. This ex post facto correlational study utilized Levine's Conservation Principles as the conceptual framework. The sample consisted of 67 subjects age 60 or older. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Katz Index of Activities of Daily Living (ADL) were administered on admission and by telephone at the post-injury interview. The Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) Diagnostic Instrument was used to assess for the syndrome of delirium. Eleven (16%) …

Perceived Stress And Health-Promoting Behaviors In Nursing Students Using Pender's Health Promotion Model, Gail E. Dunham

Masters Theses

The purpose of this descriptive, correlational study was to add support to the literature that there is a relationship between the perceived stress (Student Stress Inventory) that nursing students report and their practice of health-promoting behaviors (Health Promoting Lifestyle Inventory). A convenience sample of 36 first-year associate degree nursing students was obtained. The conceptual framework used was Pender's Health Promotion Model. No relationships were found between demographic variables and perceived stress. Results indicated that subjects reported they engaged in health-promoting behaviors more than sometimes and they perceived themselves overall as slightly stressed. A negative correlation between perceived stress and health-promoting …

African American Nurses' Perceptions Of Social Support Available During Graduate School, Jacquelyn Denese Pettis

Masters Theses

This study examined African American nurses' perceptions of social support available during graduate school that contributed to their completion of graduate studies. A descriptive correlational research design using a mailed questionnaire was employed for the study. The sample consisted of 91 African American nurses who were women and had completed graduate studies within the United States. A modified Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire (Norbeck, Lindsey, & Carrieri, 1981) was used to collect the data.; Data analysis consisted of reporting means, standard deviations, and range of scores for perceived social support available. Pearson's correlations and t-test were used to examine significant differences …

Relationship Between Coping Strategies And Perceived Quality Of Life In Icd Recipients, Jacquelyn M. Oliai

Masters Theses

A descriptive, correlational design was used to examine the relationship between use of the 8 coping strategies as identified by Jalowiec (1987) and quality of life (QOL). In addition, relationships and differences among demographic variables and stressors, as well as answers to open ended questions were examined. Thirty-nine Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) recipients who were {dollar}\ge{dollar}1 year post implant completed the Jalowiec Coping Scale, a revised Quality of Life Index Scale, and an informational questionnaire. Betty Neuman's conceptual framework for nursing provided the theoretical framework for this study.; There were no statistically significant results found from the data of this …

The Impact Of Total Hip Replacement, Teri L. Holwerda

Masters Theses

This descriptive, correlational study replicated an investigation by Selman (1989) exploring the effects of Total Hip Replacement (THR) on quality of life to identify adaptation level in the four effector modes of Roy's Adaptation Model: physiologic function, self-concept, role function and interdependence. The convenience sample consisted of 43 subjects with a mean age of 67 electing to undergo primary TBR at one 410-bed midwestern medical center July, 1994 through December, 1994. Subjects were tested prior to undergoing THR and four months postoperatively. The instrument used was the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales (AIMS) an arthritis-specific, self-administered questionnaire.; Analysis of data revealed …

Concerns/Needs Experienced By Low-Income Mothers Following A Postpartum Hospital Stay Of Less Than Forty-Eight Hours, Karen S. Kujala

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to describe the needs and concerns that low income women experience during the first seven days at home following discharge from a postpartum hospital stay of less than forty-eight hours. Dorothea Orem's theory of self-care was the conceptual framework.; The sample (n = 50) consisted of Medicaid eligible postpartum mothers, 18 years of age or older, who were discharged with their infants in less than 48 hours after delivery. The mothers were contacted by telephone seven days after discharge to complete an interview regarding concerns they might have experienced.; Data were analyzed descriptively. The …

College Students' Nutrition Labeling Knowledge And Behavior, Jennifer Lee Rogers

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of Two Isotonic Resistance Training Routines For Individuals With Above Average Strength, Craig L. Kruse

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if individuals, possessing above average strength in the bench press exercise, would improve their 1RM more by using an experimental resistance training program as compared to a program of a more traditional nature.

Seventeen male subjects between the age 18 and 26 years, mean age 21.8 years, who were considered to have an above average strength level in the bench press exercise (a bench press strength to body weight ratio, S/BW, greater than 1.00) participated in this study. The subjects had an average S/BW of 1.17. All the subjects trained three alternate …

Middle School Tutoring Practices In Illinois, Kim Lin Johnston

Masters Theses

Districts must provide successful cost-effective programs for students who are failing. One method that has proven both cost effective and successful is tutoring by staff, community volunteers, and students. The study investigated the tutoring practices in 45 schools and large unit districts in Illinois. As implemented, neither peer nor cross-age tutoring followed a predictable pattern. Results indicated that the most comon type of tutoring was after-school with remedial activities focusing on math and reading and taught by certified staff. The study described some of the design and administrative features that shape the programs, discussed possible implications for minority constituencies, and …

Zambian Nurses And The Aids Crisis: Towards A Socio-Cultural Analysis Of Hiv/Aids, Alicia Worley

Masters Theses

This study addresses the need for AIDS research that goes beyond quantitative in formation to deal with the complexities of local context. Sociocultural analyses have been frequently lost in a sea of research that is rooted in a biomedical/quantitative paradigm. As a result of this, issues of political economy, culture, and human agency are often handled at best, tangentially-this to the detriment of prevention and control programs. This study underscores the factors involved in the spread of HIV that lie outside the realm of physiology and medical "fact." The perception and responses of Zambian nurses at a governmental training hospital …

Knowledge, Attitudes, Behavior, And Decision-Making Orientation Relating To Cardiovascular Health In High School Students, Patricia E. Bromfield

Masters Theses

Planning for cardiovascular health (CVH) education for adolescents

requires an awareness of students' cardiovascular knowledge and attitudes

toward "heart healthy" behavior, and an understanding of the dynamics

of health-related decision-making in this age group. This study attempted

to measure these parameters using an 81-item survey administered to 93

9th graders (45 females, 46 males, 2 undisclosed) and 107 12th graders (57

females, 47 males, 3 undisclosed). The survey was administered m a

suburban high school in southwest Michigan in the spring of 1994.

Results were evaluated descriptively for knowledge, attitudes, and

behavior, and for differences across grade and gender. ANOVA's …

The Effect Of Step Height On Energy Cost Using A Stairmaster 4000pt, Bruce Patnoudes

Masters Theses

The study determined if energy cost or heart rate was affected by Stairmaster 4000PT users stepping at lower than the prescribed 8.0 in. recommended by the manufacturer. Eight women participated in the study. Subjects exercised on the Stairmaster 4000PT using three different step heights; 4.0 in., 6.0 in., and 8.0 in. The condition order was randomized to minimize bias. Subjects stepped with a metronome to regulate step height.

The findings indicated that a lower than recommended step height did not affect energy cost or heart rate.

It was concluded that users may step at any of the three step heights …

Gender Differences In Higher Education: A Comparison Of Males And Females Applying To Graduate School, Lynda Bennett

Masters Theses

The objective of this study was to determine in what ways male and female applicants to graduate school are similar or different. Secondary analysis was conducted on survey data which described attitudes and behavior of students admitted to graduate programs at Western Michigan University. The purpose was to assess the relationship between gender and curricula selected, likelihood of applying for and receiving financial aid, and the influence of marital status. Gender did have a statistically significant relationship with curricula selection and influence of marital status. Furthermore, it appeared that women graduate students find marriage to be a more limiting factor …

Criminalizing Pregnancy: An Analysis Of The War On Drugs And The Fetal Rights Movement, Sheryl R. Fett

Masters Theses

The focus of study was the war on drugs and the fetal rights movement as they relate to the criminalization of pregnancy. There was a movement in the 1980s and early 1990s to prosecute pregnant women for prenatal drug use under child abuse statutes and/or drug delivery statutes.

A social constructionist framework was used to analyze this movement. This thesis utilized a qualitative case study relying on documentary analysis. Literature on the war of drugs and the fetal rights movement was analyzed as it related to the prosecutions of pregnant drug users and the subsequent criminalization of pregnancy.

It was …

The Education Of Pregnant Adolescents And Adolescent Parents, Margie Christine Moore

Masters Theses

The enormity and seriousness of the problem of adolescent pregnancy in Kent County, in Michigan, and in the United States is documented, with implications given for future generations. Past and present perceptions of the problem are explored, and significant publications by professionals are reviewed. The needs of the young mother are identified. Educational, financial, legal, medical, physical and mental health, housing, and employment are among a confluence of issues confronting the adolescent who bears and rears her child. A variety of current educational programs appropriate for pregnant and parenting adolescents are then presented and summarized. The components of each program …

A Descriptive Study Of Offenders Sentenced To Special Alternative Incarceration From 1988-1990 In Kalamazoo County, Sherri Deboef Chandler

Masters Theses

This is a descriptive study of the first two-year cohort of offenders sentenced in Kalamazoo County to Special Alternative Incarceration (SAI). Data were compiled from the Kalamazoo County Probation Department records which indicated 84 young men were sentenced to SAI from its inception in 1988 to 1990. Data were gathered on these offenders spanning 1988 to 1992. Successful graduation from SAI, completion of the probationary period, and recidivism were compared to offense, race, SES, education, employment, and other variables. The data of this group were also compared to national data of those sentenced to Special Alternative Incarceration programs. This group …

The Borders Of A Canvas Tent: An Analysis Of Feminist Utopian Novels, Catherine R. Caldwell

Masters Theses

This thesis is a critical examination of three feminist utopian novels: Woman on the Edge of Time, by Marge Piercy; Herland, by Charlotte Perkins Gillman, and Les Guerilleres, by Monique Wittig. The study, derived from the sociology of knowledge and deconstruction theory, focuses on similarities and differences involving: (a) sexuality; (b) community building; (c) religion; (d) decision making processes, political systems, and modes of production; (e) crime, deviance and political conflict resolution; and (f) child rearing. The analysis demonstrates that utopia may serve to critique dominant ideology. It also shows how utopian novels treat, and suggest possibilities …

The Effect Of Insulin Mimetics On Enzymes Of Fatty Acid Biosynthesis, Eric A. Berg

Masters Theses

Fatty acid biosynthesis, an insulin regulated pathway, is the process of producing fatty acid chains from 2 and 3 carbon units. Two enzymes in this pathway that insulin affects are glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) and fatty acid synthase (FAS). Sodium vanadate and sodium selenate have demonstrated insulin-like effects in several tissue and cell types. These mimetic effects include increasing glucose transport, regulating glycolytic enzymes, normalizing plasma glucose levels and activities of insulin regulated enzymes in diabetic rats. Our goal was to examine effects of sodium vanadate and sodium selenate on fatty acid biosynthesis in two insulin responsive systems: Isolated rat hepatocytes …