Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Systematic Tactile Application On Confrontational Naming Performance And Its Influences On Motivation And Rapport In Elderly Persons, Christine M. Fraser

Masters Theses

The present study was designed to examine two questions related to speech output in the elderly population: 1) Does a regimen of touch massage therapy increase speech output as measured by confrontational naming performance on the Boston Naming Test in elderly persons residing in nursing homes or living alone in relatively non-stimulating communication environments, and 2) Is touch/massage therapy a useful method in establishing rapport between an elderly client and the clinician subsequently motivating the client to increase their desire to communicate.

A total of ten subjects were selected to participate in the study. Eight were residents of nursing homes, …

James Welch's Winter In The Blood: Thawing The Fragments Of Misconception In Native American Fiction, Mario A. Leto Ii

Masters Theses

The conventional scholarly view of Native American literature asserts that Native authors often portray their characters as alienated and despairing individuals that are incapable of attaining the means for dispelling those negative feelings. As a result, the characters are presumably destined to forever wander the barren reservation, unable to grasp their fleeting cultural traditions or the modern Euroamerican way of life. James Welch, with his novel Winter in the Blood, challenges that stereotypical scenario by allowing his nameless protagonist to discover a previously unknown link to his traditional Blackfeet heritage. Through the knowledge of his ancestors and the unconscious …

Chaucer's Use Of The Absalom Archetype In The Knight's Tale And In The Miller's Tale, Sharon Hardin

Masters Theses

Although Chaucer did not write The Canterbury Tales until after the death of Edward III, Chaucer's youth was spent in the company (albeit on the fringes) of the war-like king and his war-like sons. Surely, as the young Chaucer performed his duties and perhaps read stories or listened to the gossip spread by servants and courtiers, such as the account of Edward's having ravished a defenseless woman, impressions formed in Chaucer's mind. Perhaps such rumors as that Edward's son Lancaster had designs on his father's throne added to and solidified those impressions into opinion, and a character type was born, …

The Impact Of Prekindergarten Participation Upon Academic Placement, Mary Suddarth

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine whether participation in the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Prekindergarten Program for Children At Risk of Academic Failure had impact on a child's future academic placement. Current uncertainty regarding continued ISBE or federal funding of programs makes such a longitudinal study imperative. This study examined the 1995-1996 academic placement, including additional resources required, i.e., Title 1, speech, or learning disabled services, for 40 children who participated in the 1990-1991 Hamilton-Jefferson Counties Educational Service Region cooperative prekindergarten program in Jefferson County. Results indicated that all children reached expected placement, regardless of one …

Sums Of Powers And The Bernoulli Numbers, Laura Elizabeth S. Coen

Masters Theses

This expository thesis examines the relationship between finite sums of powers and a sequence of numbers known as the Bernoulli numbers. It presents significant historical events tracing the discovery of formulas for finite sums of powers of integers, the discovery of a single formula by Jacob Bernoulli which gives the Bernoulli numbers, and important discoveries related to the Bernoulli numbers. A method of generating the sequence by means of a number theoretic recursive formula is given. Also given is an application of matrix theory to find a relation, first given by Johannes Faulhaber, between finite sums of odd powers and …

An Evaluation Of The Behavior Disorders Classroom Program Of The Wabash And Ohio Valley Special Education District, Daniel J. Allen

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the relative effectiveness and desirability of identified key components of the behavior disorders program delivered by the Wabash and Ohio Valley Special Education District in southeastern Illinois. Sixty-one school superintendents, building principals, and local coordinators of special education responded to a survey addressing key components of the behavior disorders program: technical assistance, timeliness of the Individualized Education Program process, thoroughness of the Individualized Education Program process, academic remediation, behavioral remediation, transition coordination, and followup services. The results revealed very little discrepancy between each of the groups of administrators according to their responses …

A Study Of Secondary School Principals' Perceptions Regarding Current Teacher Evaluation Procedures In Three Midwestern States, Beth A. Saiki-Olsen

Masters Theses

In recent years, new methods of evaluating teachers have been introduced and recommended by educational experts.

This study was conducted to determine the methods and procedures currently used in three midwestern states to evaluate secondary education teachers and to investigate secondary school principals' perceptions regarding those methods and procedures.

The study, which took place during the spring of 1996, included a survey of a random sample of 300 secondary school principals in Illinois, Iowa and Indiana through the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

One hundred and fifty-six principals responded to the survey which found that although principals agreed that …

A Woman Alone And Writing: Anti-Ideology And Artistic Irony In Writings Of Mary Shelley, Delores Archaimbault

Masters Theses

This study focuses upon the letters, journals and selected fiction of Mary Shelley and reveals that Shelley engages in the processes of anti-ideology and artistic irony to help her explore gender identity. To show her consistent use of these processes, I juxtapose excerpts from her letters and journals with excerpts from her fiction. The fiction selections are narrowed to three: Frankenstein, Mathilda and The Last Man. In addition, I examine her writing and her use of anti-ideology and artistic irony relative to the influences of her significant others: her mother Mary Wollstonecraft, her father William Godwin and her …

Edgar In Wonderland: Elements Of Nonsense In Lewis Carroll And Edgar Allan Poe, Martha Taussig

Masters Theses

The names of Lewis Carroll and Edgar Allan Poe would seldom appear together as literary "kindred spirits." While Carroll's imaginative tales have delighted generations of children and continue to provide vivid bedtime story memories, Poe's tales produce equally vivid nightmares. A comparison of the two writers' works, however, leads to the startling realization that despite their apparent differences, Carroll and Poe used the same tools and techniques to explore the same epistemological and existential questions. Like artists dipping into the same colors and simultaneously painting the same psychic landscape, they created eerily similar literary canvasses.

Carroll has long been recognized …

A Study Of Home Influences On Young Children's Early Literacy, Christy Buehnerkemper-Elder

Masters Theses

Recent research has shown that the degree of children's exposure to and knowledge about reading when they first enter school is highly predictive of future reading achievement. Researchers investigating home influences on literacy have concluded that certain home experiences prior to first-grade affect performance and general abilities in early elementary school. One component of the literacy-rich home environment is that of a parent reading to children. This has been considered by many as a critical component of a home environment which fosters reading skills. Being read to as a preschooler has been shown to be associated with reading achievement well …

Physical Condition And Reproductive Success Of White-Tailed Deer At Fort Chaffee, Ar: A Five-Year Study, Donald A. Phillips

Masters Theses

A baseline study conducted in 1991 demonstrated that the resident white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) population at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas was in poor condition, with below average reproductive success, body weight, and antler size, and above average parasite load compared to other regional deer populations. Consequently, a management program was initiated in 1991 which included: (1) neutralizing acidic soils, (2) prescribed burning, (3) planting supplemental food plots, and (4) liberalizing the harvest of female adults from the population. The purpose of this study was to monitor changes in the health and reproductive success of the herd as this program was implemented. …

A Study On How Interactive Distance Education Affects Perceived Instructor Credibility, D. Brent Crebo

Masters Theses

A group of distance education students at four Illinois colleges and universities were studied to see if sending class students rated distance education instructors differently in reference to credibility when compared to receiving class students. A survey was used to gather initial data and then subjects were interviewed by telephone to obtain more information on the topic. The results of the study revealed no significant difference between how students at receiving sites and how students at sending sites perceived an instructor in terms of overall credibility in distance education courses. Responses indicated that students did not have a problem with …

English Proficiency And Intercultural Communication--A Study Of Chinese Students' Ability To Adapt To American Culture, He-Ping Cheng

Masters Theses

Modern technologies have brought our world to the brink of a Global Village. In the modern world, intercultural communication becomes an indispensable part of human activities. In the environment of foreign language study, intercultural communication skills are intertwined with the language education in order to prepare students for the needs of intercultural communication. There is no exception with teaching English as a foreign language in China. Started in the early 1980s, intercultural communication is a hot topic among scholars in the field of language education. However, despite the efforts made to raise the English learners' intercultural awareness, Chinese students still …

Mentoring Relationships Amongst Women In Public Relations, Kristen Kahles

Masters Theses

Mentoring is an old tool used to advance the education and/or careers of individuals that dates back to ancient Greece; it has recently reemerged in organizational and business settings. I examine mentoring relationships among women in the public relations profession. In this study my purpose is to determine how women are affected in a same sex mentoring relationship in the public relations field. One hundred surveys were distributed to female practitioners in the New York and Chicago areas. Thirty-five were returned, yielding a 35% response rate. In addition, six in depth interviews were conducted with six female public relations professionals …

Study On Rheological Behavior Of The Composites Of Recycled Hdpe With Recycled Tire Rubber Particles, Yanze Li

Masters Theses

This study was mainly concerned with rheological properties of composites of recycled high density polyethylene (HDPE) with recycled tire rubber particles at shear rates from 1.167 to 116.7 s^-1. The viscosity was investigated in terms of effects of shear rate, shear stress, temperature, concentration of recycled tire rubber particles and heating duration. The temperature was in the range from 160 to 250 °C and the rubber particle concentration was between 0 and 25%. The heat duration for the composites was up to 240 minutes before testing.

The viscosities of composites were decreased with increase in shear rate and …

Parental Investment In The Red-Eared Slider Turtle, Trachemys Scripta, Michael D. Marlen

Masters Theses

This study was conducted to determine egg and hatchling components of the red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta). In addition, energy components transferred from egg to hatchling were used to determine the level of parental investment in embryogenesis and hatchling care. Eggs of the red-eared slider, collected from central Illinois ponds, were obtained by inducing gravid females to lay by an injection of oxytocin. Egg and hatchling lipids were extracted with petroleum ether while egg and hatchling protein content was determined using the micro-Kjeldahl procedure. Eggs averaged 70.7% water by mass, and dry mass of whole eggs and egg yolks averaged 2.4g …

Self-Disclosure Among Women In Similar Crisis Situations: Case Studies, Stephanie J. Butler

Masters Theses

Using volunteers who were single mothers of young children who were products of unplanned pregnancies in a non-marital situation, six interviews were conducted and disclosure and narrative communication patterns were observed. Each interview was videotaped and observations and comparisons were made about the subjects interviewed. Common themes identified included an overall willingness to discuss the father of the child, a correlation between the relationship with the father and the feelings felt toward the father, worries about money, the importance of talking to other people, a feeling that mother and child were a "package deal" in that if a man they …

A Rhetorical Criticism And Analysis Of President Ronald Reagan's Inaugural Address: Applying The Burkeian Dramatistic Pentad Approach, Marzuki Jamil Baki Bin Haji Mohamed Johar Bachik

Masters Theses

It is no accident that Ronald Reagan rose to the pinnacle of power at a moment when there was a rising wave of intellectual pessimism. Numerous theories were being offered as to why the trajectory of the American experiment has passed its apogee. Reagan's greatest gift to his country has been his soaring sense of possibilities. To see where he got it, look at what he has seen in a long life. However, a great communicator will communicate complicated ideas, hard choices and bad news. Reagan has had little aptitude and less appetite for those tasks. But, then, communication is …

Customer Feedback Information System For Quality Improvement, Ke Wang

Masters Theses

This research addressed the basic needs for an effective customer feedback information system and the database technology to develop the system. It discussed the system concept and configuration of a typical customer feedback information system, database management technology, programming flow charts, program functions and capabilities. A proposed customer feedback information system consists of customer data inputs, database management system and outputs to various departments in an organization. With a user-friendly interface, database management system serves as an information management tool. It can process the feedback from customers and use the information in decision making. Thus, customer feedback can be promptly …

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% …

Knowledge, Utilization, And Favorability Of Commonly Referring Michigan Physicians Regarding Physical Therapy, Jill M. Cabanilla, Sandra J. Frantz

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to assess commonly referring Michigan physicians' knowledge of physical therapy, and its impact on favorability toward, and utilization of, its services. Three hundred questionnaires were sent to physicians of orthopedics, neurology, pediatrics, physical medicine & rehabilitation, and general practice. The usable return rate was 22 percent. Technical, professional, and overall knowledge scores, as well as utilization patterns were compared across medical specialty, practice location, and years of experience. The mean overall knowledge score was 63% with orthopedic physicians scoring the highest at 77 percent. Physicians demonstrated higher knowledge of "professional" PT procedures over "technical" …

Comparison Of The Effects Of Aerobic Dance To Water Aerobic Training On Maximal Oxygen Consumption, Terri L. Bedford, Tamara A. Dusterwinkle, Darcy J. Hoppman

Masters Theses

Water aerobics is one mode of exercise that is gaining popularity. Water aerobics allows adults who participate in an exercise program to improve their cardiorespiratory fitness. The purpose of this study was to determine if water aerobic training is as effective as land dance aerobic training in improving cardiorespiratory fitness in sedentary healthy adults. Eighteen subjects participated in this study; nine in dance aerobics and nine in water aerobics. Before and after eight weeks of training, subjects performed a graded maximal exercise test on a Schwinn Air-Dyne while maximal oxygen uptake was measured via a Beckman Metabolic Cart. ANCOVA was …

The Effects Of Exercise Training On Functional Balance In A Community-Dwelling Elderly Population, Kathryn E. Smith

Masters Theses

The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of aerobic exercise training to improve balance in healthy adults over age 65. Twenty-five habitual exercisers (mean age 75.3 yrs.) and 25 control subjects (mean age 72.8 yrs.) were recruited from a senior day center. Balance was measured by the functional reach test. A two-sample t-test revealed no significantly higher difference in the mean balance score of the exercise group compared to the control group. Regression analysis indicated that none of the other variables collected (age, group, or level of fitness) were significant predictors of the functional reach scores. There …

Plastic Fiber Rolling For Concrete Reinforcement, Jeffery S. Thomas

Masters Theses

"Fiber reinforced concrete is gaining in acceptance and usage as its strength and toughness benefits are realized. Polypropylene fibers are currently the most commonly used fibers. However, the cost of virgin plastics limits the percent content that can be economically added to concrete. One would first believe that recycled plastics could offer a viable alternative to virgin-plastic fibers, but at present time extra selection and cleaning steps required to reprocess the recycled plastic into fibers makes it more expensive than virgin-plastic fibers. A fiber rolling process conceived and developed at the University of Missouri-Rolla has the potential of making recycled …

An Approach To Just-In-Time Implementation In Discrete Parts Manufacturing, Phillip Gregory Shirey

Masters Theses

"Just-In-Time manufacturing is a philosophy that encourages waste reduction and the elimination of non-value-added activities. The processes affected include office and shop personnel. When successfully implemented, JIT accounts for improved production lead time cycles, reduced inventories, improved employee morale, reduced cost of goods, and continuous improvements of the total business process.

This thesis identifies real world problems many medium size U.S. manufacturing companies now face, and an approach to JIT implementation in discrete parts manufacturing. The approach includes developing strategies to motivate the employees and to implement the tools and techniques of JIT, Total Quality Management, ISO 9001, and MRP …

Reverse Osmosis Treatment Of Deinking Effluents, Lei Zhao

Masters Theses

The application of the reverse osmosis process for treatment of preclarified deinking effluent was studied for its efficiency and capacity to remove the total suspended and dissolved solids. Seven coagulants and flocculents were studied in the pretreatment to determine the best coagulant. Two variables, temperature and coagulant dose, were studied to determine the optimum conditions. For the reverse osmosis treatment, two types of thin film composite membranes, sea water and brackish water were used in the research. A set of orthogonal experiments and regression analyses were conducted to study the effects of pressure, temperature, feed concentration, and feed pH on …

The Effects Of Air Sparging On Aquifer Hydraulic Conductivity, Hans Neve

Masters Theses

Air sparging is a relatively new technology used to remove organic contaminants from aquifers. This remediation technique involves injecting into contaminated portions of water table aquifers. Theoretically air sparging will reduce aquifer hydraulic conductivity. Injected air fills some of the available sediment pores, thus restricting the flow of water to the remaining water-filled pore spaces.

The purpose of this study was to measure the reduction in hydraulic conductivity due to air sparging. This was assessed using both laboratory and field techniques. The hydraulic conductivities of several different sediments were determined in the laboratory using a large constant head permeameter modified …

Evaluation Of Bail-Down Test Methods For Characterizing Free Product Recoverability From An Aquifer, Laura L. Krol

Masters Theses

Determination of the occurrence and recoverability of free product impacting the subsurface environment has been an on-going challenge in the environmental industry. A simple and relatively inexpensive test to perform in the field is the free product bail-down test. Many authors have proposed various analysis methods using these data for the determination of different free product characteristics.

The purpose of this project was to determine the comparability and possible validity of bail-down test interpretation methods for predicting hydrocarbon hydraulic conductivity/transmissivity and true free product thickness. Bail-down test data collected from two sites were analyzed and interpreted using methods from the …

Proposition 48 And Proposition 42 In The Ncaa: A Social Constructionist Case Study, Kevin R. Cole

Masters Theses

The controversy surrounding the creation and implementation of two National Collegiate Athletic Association student-athlete eligibility rules, Proposition 48 and Proposition 42, was the focus of this study. The two rules required that a student's scholastic grade point average and SAT scores be factored into scholarship and athletic admissions decisions. By describing the unfolding social process respecting the creation of these two eligibility rules, this study addressed issues vital to rule creating processes in general.

The social constructionist perspective was utilized as a theoretical guide for this study, allowing for the examination of claims makers and their social claims regarding the …