Digital Commons Network^™

Phylogenetic Relationships Within The Batagur Complex (Testudines: Emydidae: Batagurinae), Jean M. Capler

Masters Theses

Relationships between 10 species of the batagurine genera Batagur, Callagur, Kachuga, Hardella, and Morenia are discussed based on a cladistic analysis of 35 morphological characters. Ocadia sinensis (Emydidae: Batagurinae) was used as the outgroup species. Four cladograms were produced with a length of 59.0 steps and a 0.75 consistency index. In contrast with previous studies, Hardella and Morenia do not appear as a monophyletic clade. Instead, Hardella is included with the remaining ingroup taxa (exclusive of Morenia) based on five synapomorphies. The present genus Kachuga was determined to be paraphyletic, having excluded the present genera Batagur and Callagur. The pangshura …

The Relationship Of Career Evaluation Systems (Ces) Test Batteries With Work Production In A Sheltered Workshop, Blake Hegarty

Masters Theses

The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between performance on Career Evaluation Systems' (CES) test batteries and performance on production tasks at CCAR Industries' Manufacturing Plant. Fleishman's factor analytic studies of psychomotor performance were reviewed to demonstrate the conceptual basis for the development of the test batteries. Hester's development of the CES batteries and the factors they measure were discussed.

The subjects were 112 CCAR Industries' clients who were administered Career Evaluation Systems' test battery during vocational evaluations at CCAR Industries' Manufacturing Plant between 1986 and 1992. Fifty-nine subjects met the criteria for inclusion in the final …

"Easy Or Hard" The Mentality Of Survival: The Gi In Europe In World War Two, Brian R. Bowen

Masters Theses

An oral history compiled from recollections of fourteen combat veterans, documented by over forty hours of tape-recorded interviews, the paper recreates GIs' mentality upon entering combat. The formation of the collective mentality is examined by exploring the attitudes, motivations, and historical circumstances determining thought and actions of these reluctant, yet dedicated soldiers. The collective mentality, defined as the way of thinking allowing the majority to best cope with their predicament, answers why men fought and how they persevered once in combat. Explaining sustained combat performance the paper proves how the collective mentality gave Gls the will and ability to withstand …

An Analysis Of Employee Print Media Content, Michelle M. Accardi

Masters Theses

This content analysis studies an area that has had limited research: university print media. University print media helps maintain communication between management and employees. Past research links three communication categories together: organizing, relationship and change. Organizing is found to be the dominant content category in business newsletters, according to past research.

The uses and gratifications theory, exchange theory and structural-functional theory all play an integral part in the communication process. Continuous two-way comunication between management and each public can lead to a successful organization. Internal communication, wants vs. needs, and finding common ground are additional variables that determine the effect …

The Test-Retest And Inter-Rater Reliability Of The Teacher Rating Of Academic Achievement Motivation, Rachel P. Pitcher

Masters Theses

The Teacher Rating of Academic Achievement Motivation (TRAAM) is in development as a measure of academic achievement motivation. To examine the scale's test-retest and inter-rater reliability, teachers rated 90 third through sixth grade students. Results indicated that the TRAAM, in general, is reliable. The test-retest reliability coefficient for the TRAAM Total Score was .96. The four factor scores of the TRAAM were also found to be consistent over time with reliability coefficients ranging from .85 to .93. Inter-rater reliability of the TRAAM was also found to be adequate for the Total Score (r=.77). The inter-rater reliability coefficients of the factor …

Perceptual Ratings Regarding Individuals With High Functioning Autism, Melanie A. Manhart

Masters Theses

A perceptual rating scale evaluating appropriateness/inappropriateness of eight communicative behaviors was designed to determine if the general population perceives adult individuals with high functioning autism as different. In addition, the rating scale results were examined to determine which of the eight communicative characteristics were perceived as most different. The results were also evaluated to determine if a rating difference between genders existed.

The subjects consisted of 453 college students who viewed videotaped interviews with five individuals, two considered "normal" and three diagnosed with high functioning autism who had received varying levels of remediation. After viewing each interview, subjects rated the …

Retention Study: Development Of A Policy For South Central Community Unit School District #401, Steven W. Laur

Masters Theses

This field experience investigated the opinions of administrators and current educational practices in regard to student retention in K-8 school buildings located within the Illinois Educational Service Center #17. The investigation was accomplished by conducting a survey of building administrators in the region. The results of the survey indicated that a majority of the administrators responding to the survey do not agree with the practice of retaining students. The results also show that more boys than girls are retained and that only about half of the schools have written policies in regard to retention. Another fact that emerged was that …

An Investigation Of The Host Specificity Of The Brown-Headed Cowbird, Brian D. Peer

Masters Theses

We attempted to determine the factors associated with the lack of parasitism of the Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) by the Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater). We investigated the breeding phenology of the two species, the responses of colonial- and noncolonial-nesting grackles to female cowbird models, the frequency of artificial egg rejection by grackles, incubation success of cowbird eggs transferred into grackle nests, and the survival rates of cowbirds cross-fostered into grackle nests.

By the time cowbirds began egg-laying at our study sites, 88.5 % of all grackle nests were beyond the point of successful parasitism. Grackles responded …

I.A. Richards' Triangle Of Meaning Compared And Contrasted With The Rhetoric Of The Holy Bible, Gregory L. Swango

Masters Theses

It is the Bible's claim to be the inspired word of God. The message from the Scriptures has persuaded millions: from the shepherd of the first century to the business person of our present age. The words chosen, the genres used, and the forms of verbal support employed are prodigious in every way. The rhetorician and linguist, I. A. Richards, has written and spoken on how words come to have meaning, how they are used in context, and how they are used metaphorically. He has developed his ideas through a model called the triangle of meaning. There is justification for …

Calibration Of Clinical Instruction In A Dental Hygiene Program, Barbara L. Bennett

Masters Theses

Continuous quality improvement training was used to improve intrarater and interrater reliability in subgingival calculus detection among the faculty of Parkland College Dental Hygiene program. Clinical trials compared the experimental group to the control group in detection of subgingival calculus on dental mannequins and patients before and after training using group standards, consensus, and feedback. Intrarater reliability was improved to a significant level and interrater reliability improved although not at a statistically significant level. Surveys distributed at the onset and end of the training examined faculty attitudes about clinical evaluation, consistency, and instruction.

The Relationship Between Lifespan And Reproduction In The Giant Waterbug (Belostoma Flumineum), Wendy Nixdorf

Masters Theses

The evolutionary significance of senescence and death is poorly understood. Life history theory suggests that the allocation of energy to growth or reproduction is necessarily associated with a decrease in energy available for maintenance of the soma. This study attempted to determine if an investment in reproduction would decrease longevity in the giant waterbug (Belostoma flumineum). Male and female waterbugs were collected from the field as last instar stage nymphs and maintained under controlled laboratory conditions. Individuals were randomly assigned to mating effort treatments, (virgins or breeders with breeding efforts ranging from 1 to >5 times). Following breeding, …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Transition Metal Polypyridyl Complexes With A Novel 1,10-Phenanthropteridinedione Ligand, Huakai Huang

Masters Theses

A new alloxazine ligand (1; "Pptd"), produced by the condensation of 1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-dione with 5,6-diamino-1,3-dimethyluracil, and several transition metal complexes containing this ligand, have been synthesized. The Pptd ligands attach to Ru(II), Co(II), or Re(I) metal centers through the phenanthroline linkage to form stable polypyridyl complexes. The spectral and the electrochemical characterization of Pptd complexes of Ru(II), Co(II), and Re(I) is presented.

Pptd is capable of being reduced (across the pyrazine nitrogens) by two H-atoms. When coordinated to Ru(II), Pptd forms stable complexes which retain the robust characteristics and electrochemical activity of other Ru(II) polypyridyl species. In addition, Ru(II) complexes of …

The Life And Athletic Achievements Of Thomas Dwight Eddleman, Diana Eddleman Wilson

Masters Theses

This study documents the life of Thomas Dwight Eddleman who is possibly the greatest all-around athlete in the history of Illinois. Eddleman's diversity made him legendary as a high school athlete from Centralia, Illinois, in the early 1940s, and at the University (Champaign-Urbana) where he earned eleven varsity letters in football, basketball, and track. While the paper focuses on his sports' achievements, it includes a discussion of his "early years." It continues with a commentary on his contributions to society as the Executive Director of the Fighting Illini Scholarship Fund at the University of Illinois from 1969-1993.

Lichen Communities On White Oaks In East-Central Illinois, Michael R. Thon

Masters Theses

This study was conducted as a survey of epiphytic lichen communities occurring on white oak trees at Walnut Point State Park (Douglas Co.) and Fox Ridge State Park (Coles Co.). Using a system of cover classes to estimate lichen cover, quantitative data on the distribution and abundance of epiphytic lichens was obtained. These data were used to calculate summary statistics of each community including total cover, species richness, and Shannon diversity. A total of ten taxa representing six genera were found. The foliose lichen Physcia millegrana had the highest cover in the open canopy habitats while all other taxa had …

Breeding Systems In Spiranthes Magnicamporum Sheviak, Christopher D. Loyet

Masters Theses

A study of the ecology, breeding systems, and pollinators of Spiranthes magnicamporum Sheviak was undertaken in fall 1992. An initial survey of three glacial drift hill prairies revealed sexual activity in this species via removed pollinia. Two hill prairie populations were used for pollination study. In each population, five individuals were randomly selected and crossed using autogamic, geitonogamic, and xenogamic methods. In addition, ten individuals were fitted with pollinator-exclusion bags. After capsule formation, all plants were harvested. They were examined in the lab for general morphology, the presence or absence of embryo formation, and the prescence of sexual or asexual …

Effects Of Single Parent Homes On Educational Outcomes, Mary Jane Day

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

An Object Oriented Preemptive Multitasking Kernel, Lee Gene Shipman

Masters Theses

“This paper describes a preemptive multitasking kernel designed and coded using C++ using an object oriented paradigm. The kernel design, while implemented on an Intel 80386 based IBM PC running MS-DOS 4.01, can be ported to any platform, rewriting only the low level, hardware specific code.

The kernel, in application framework form, enables the applications developer to create real-time multitasking applications. This can be done in a systematic way by capitalizing on the power of object oriented program development.

A simulation was created to verify the correctness of the kernel against a traditional non-multitasking approach. This simulation provides the proof …

The Impact Of Demographic Variables On Views About Nursing As A Profession, Sandra Kaye Fatum

Masters Theses

Understanding the impact of demographic variables on views about nursing will provide essential knowledge for nursing. This study evaluated the possible impact of demographic variables on the individual's view of the nursing profession. The sample was beginning students, senior students, recent graduates, and faculty from traditional and unified bachelor programs utilizing data from Setter-Kline's (1990) study. A significant difference was not found between the demographic variables of marital status (F = 2.248, df = 4, 463, p =.0630), role model (F =.653, df = 2, 37, p =.5263), and basic faculty preparation (F =.666, df = 4, 81, p =.6176) …

Effects Of Nurse Extern Programs On Student Nurse Performance, Lola A. Coke

Masters Theses

This study was done to determine if summer nurse extern programs increased the nursing performance of student nurses. The conceptual framework for the study was developed from Benner's (1984) "From Novice to Expert". Forty-five students from six hospital based nurse extern programs in Southwestern Michigan participated in the study. A pretest-posttest design was used. Schwirian's (1978) Six Dimension Scale of Nursing Performance was used to measure six nursing performance sub scales: leadership, critical care, professional development, teaching/collaboration, planning/evaluation, and interpersonal relations/communication. Frequency and quality scores were obtained for each behavior. It was hypothesized that an increase in both frequency and …

Educational Preparation And Clinical Experience As Variables In Moral Judgement Development Of Staff Nurses, Jacquelyn A. Keehne

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to compare moral judgement development levels of staff nurses with diverse levels of educational preparation and different lengths of clinical experience. Kohlberg's theory of moral development served as the theoretical basis for this descriptive correlational study. The Judgements About Nursing Decisions (JAND) was used to measure moral judgement in this study. The subjects (N = 115) were practicing staff nurses in the clinical areas of orthopedics, oncology, medical/surgical care, cardiac care/telemetry, and intensive care services. Varying lengths of clinical experience were reported and the majority recorded a Bachelors Degree in Nursing (BSN) as their …

Life Satisfaction Of Persons With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Dennis A. Bertch

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to describe the adaptation of persons with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease on continuous nasal cannula oxygen using a self-reported assessment of life satisfaction tool. The Roy Adaptation Model provided the conceptual framework to describe perceived life satisfaction considering the effects of gender, age, race, education, marital status, employment status, length of time on nasal cannula oxygen, and amount/liter flow of oxygen.; A convenience sample of 56 persons was obtained through a medical supply company that services most of southwest Michigan. The majority of respondents (56.6%) were satisfied with life. No significant differences were reflected …

Hardiness And Its Relationship To Anticipatory Nausea And Vomiting Experienced By The Patient Receiving Cisplatin Chemotherapy, Colleen K. Smith

Masters Theses

Research suggests that the hardiness characteristic acts as a buffer in the stress/illness relationship. The purpose of this study was to assess the presence of hardiness and examine its relationship to the amount of anticipatory nausea and vomiting experienced within a sample of patients receiving cisplatin chemotherapy. It was hypothesized that individuals with a high level of hardiness would experience less anticipatory nausea and vomiting than individuals with a low level of hardiness.; A prospective descriptive correlational design was utilized. A convenience sample of adults with cancer (n = 29) receiving cisplatin intravenously was studied. All patients were assessed via …

Health Value And Health Locus Of Control: Impact Upon Compliance In Cardiac Patients, Laura C. Wightman

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of an individual's locus of control and health value to compliance to the prescribed rehabilitation regimen among post myocardial infarction and post cardiac surgery patients. Forty subjects were used in an ex post facto research design. The Multidimensional Locus of Control scale, the Value Survey, and a demographic data instrument were administered 1 to 2 days prior to discharge from the hospital. Thirty days after discharge the subjects completed the Health Behavior Scale.; It was hypothesized that male cardiac patients with an internal locus of control were more compliant to …

An Investigation Of Stress And Burnout In Hospital Registered Nurses, Ellen Nora Hale

Masters Theses

This study investigated job stressors and burnout among hospital registered nurses and was based on a systems theory model in which inputs and throughputs interact to effect outputs. Job stressors were measured using the Job Stress Questionnaire (JSQ). Top-ranked stressors included heavy work load, insufficient resources, and inability to satisfy conflicting demands. Burnout was measured using the three subscales (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment) of the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Based on multiple regression analyses, total JSQ scores accounted for 21% of the variance in emotional exhaustion scores. Together, years of experience and an education level of BSN or BA …

Relationships Between Caregiver Satisfaction With Hospice Nursing Care And Selected Demographic Variables, Kathleen F. Nyeste

Masters Theses

A descriptive correlational retrospective survey of caregivers of hospice patients was used to determine the degree of caregiver satisfaction with hospice nursing care and to examine the relationship between satisfaction with nursing care and selected caregiver demographic variables. A random sample of 180 caregivers from 12 randomly selected home based hospices in Michigan's lower peninsula was surveyed utilizing the Revised La Monica/Oberst Patient Satisfaction Scale and a Caregiver Demographic Sheet. Response rate was 63% (N = 114) with 56% (N = 100) of forms usable for data analysis.; The mean satisfaction score was 332 (possible range 51 to 357), indicating …

Maternal Adjustment To Premature Birth: Utilizing The Roy Adaptation Model As A Theoretical Framework, Ivy Razmus

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether the adjustment for primiparous mothers of preterm infants was less positive than for primiparous mothers of term infants utilizing the Roy Adaptation Model as a conceptual framework. This secondary analysis utilized data from a larger longitudinal study. The data was collected at three months post birth in the homes of the mothers. The sample consisted of 55 preterm and 46 full term mothers. The Affects Balance Scale (Derogatis, 1983) was used to measure adjustment. A significant difference was found between preterm and full term mothers on the Positive Affects Scale and …

Relationship Of Patient Age To Amount Of Postoperative Analgesic Prescribed And Administered, Beth Lee Sendre

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if elderly patients receive less analgesic than younger patients postoperatively and if that reduction in analgesia results from the physician's order, the administration, or both. Hospital records of 161 females with abdominal surgery were reviewed to collect data. The sample was divided into 6 age groups. The findings did not support with increased age from 25 years, less analgesic medication was prescribed for the first and second 24 hour period postoperatively (p {dollar}>{dollar}.05). The findings indicate, as age increased from 25 years, less analgesic medication was administered in the first 24 …

A Descriptive Correllational Study Of Patient Satisfaction In Labor And Delivery, Holly B.O. Estes

Masters Theses

The concept of patient satisfaction continues to be one of the main concerns in the health care arena today. The purpose of this study was to investigate patients' perceived satisfaction level regarding their labor and delivery at one large Midwestern teaching hospital.; Satisfaction was measured using the Labor and Delivery Satisfaction Index by Lomas, Dore, Enkin, & Mitchell, and the Labor and Delivery Evaluation Scale by Humenick. Roy's Adaptation Model provided the conceptual framework for this study. The study sample was 33 primiparas, seventy-six percent reporting overall satisfaction with their labor and delivery experience.; Sixty-one percent reported the labor and …

Coping With Multiple Roles, Deborah J. Laughlin

Masters Theses

Women in increasing numbers have been combining career and family. Balancing the multiple roles may be stressful at times. The purpose of this study was to examine how different stressors influence a woman's ability to utilize coping responses. This study examined the relationships between situational variables and a nurse's ability to cope with multiple roles. The situational variables studied were: age, educational level, number of hours worked, job type, number of children, ages of the children, view of nursing, husband's agreement with the wife on the number of hours worked, and satisfaction with child care. The survey tool, the "Coping …

Perceived Stress Levels Of Registered Nurses Employed In Medical-Surgical And Critical Care Units, Karen Snyder Keese

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research was to compare perceived stress levels of registered nurses employed in medical-surgical units to perceived stress levels of registered nurses employed in critical care units. A descriptive, correlational study was conducted using Wolfgang's (1988) Health Professions Stress Inventory. Perceptions of stress were measured and related to specialty, years of experience, years of nursing education, hours worked per week, and shift worked. A convenience sample of 102 registered nurses from two midwestern hospitals participated by a self administered questionnaire. Study findings included: medical-surgical nurses perceived significantly higher levels of stress than critical care nurses; stressors for …