Digital Commons Network^™

Mainlining, Philip L. Simpson

Masters Theses

Mainlining is a collection of six original stories and a prose foreword. The six stories, each of which can stand on its own but when read together form a unified whole, divide into two sections. The first section introduces three main characters, and the second section details the various fortunes (and misfortunes) of these three main characters and additionally introduces a wide range of secondary characters. When analyzed as a group, these characters provide some insight into the collective experiences and emotions of the people living in Mainlining's fictional community of Lincoln.

Lincoln is a small city bearing more …

Female Representation Among State Legislative Elite: The Illinois General Assembly 1922-1986, Juliana J. Helmke

Masters Theses

This study of female representation in the Illinois General Assembly examines 33 general assemblies, beginning with the 53rd General Assembly – election year, 1922 – at which time the first woman was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives. Trend lines are used to describe changes in female representation over the 64-year period. The effect of changes in the electoral system and the institutional structure are examined. Social and demographic characteristics of women legislators in Illinois are discussed. This data is then compared to data on legislators elected to the 83rd General Assembly.

Over the 64-year period covered in this …

Opening Lines In Classroom And Social Settings: A Study Of The Initiator's First Conversational Sequence, Julie E. Hutcheson

Masters Theses

This study examined various types of opening lines that college students use with strangers in classrooms and social settings. An opening line was defined as the initial turn of the conversational sequence. The responses received by the students, through an open-ended survey, were analyzed and categorized using content analysis. The results revealed many similarities among the two settings in eight pre-established categories and three new categories except for in one of the newest categories. The social setting in one of the newest categories received more sarcastic conversational sequences than the classroom. This study provides examples pertaining to many opening lines …

Some Factors Affecting Male Mating Success In The Giant Waterbug (Belostoma Flumineum Say), Karyn S. Crisman

Masters Theses

Giant waterbugs (Subfamily Belostomatinae) are interesting in that males provide exclusive post-copulatory care of young. This unusual behavior makes this species an excellent study system for investigations of sexual selection theory because in such systems, sex role reversals are predicted. Previous studies indicate that role reversal in giant waterbugs is not complete because males still court females. It is assumed that from this courtship display females can assess male quality and "choose" a superior male. If some males are chosen over others then differential mating success results. This study was undertaken to ascertain some of the factors that affect male …

A Comparison Of Three Populations Of The Plains Pocket Gophers, Geomys Bursarius Illinoensis, In Illinois, Frank P. Wray

Masters Theses

Morphometric and karyotypic analyses were performed on three Illinois populations of the Plains Pocket Gopher, Geomys bursarius illinoensis, to determine if any differences were present among the populations. Gophers were collected in three localities: 1) Iroquois and Kankakee Counties (IKC); McLean County (MC); and St. Clair and Madison counties (SMC). All three populations had the same kind and number of chromosomes (2n=72, FN=70). External measurements did not differ significantly among the three populations. Multivariate analysis of variance of the cranial characters showed that a significant (P<.05) difference existed in both males, F(78,1825)=1.65, and females, F(78,1961)=1.63, between the three regions. Duncan's multiple range tests of some cranial measurements showed a clinal increase going from east to west.

Communication And Aging: Perceptions Of Family And Friend Interaction On Self Reported Life Satisfaction Among Selected Residents Of Three Nursing Homes, Patricia J. Fetzner

Masters Theses

The study of communication and aging provides great potential for enriching the lives of the elderly. Of course this should be of great interest to each of us as we are all inevitably aging. One rapidly growing area in communication research deals with how communication affects the life satisfaction of the elderly. Of particular interest is the attitudinal effect of family and friend interaction.

Early research dealing with the elderly focused on two theories: 1. Activity theory, which is the idea that social activity is essential to an older person's sense of well being and; 2. Disengagement theory, which suggests …

Growth Increments And Condition Factors Of Pomoxis Annularis (White Crappie) In The Years Following Completion Of The Pump Storage Reservoir At Lake Charleston, Charleston, Il, 1982-1988, Herbert Clinton Fairow

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to attempt to document any changes that may have occured due to the construction of a pump storage reservoir at Lake Charleston. The age I white crappie present in the new reservoir were observed to exhibit an increase in first year growth in 1982. This increase was observed in subsequent years but not to the same degree as was observed initially. The age II fish present in the new reservoir in 1982 exhibited a very large increase in growth for the first year of the new impoundment. In the years after 1982 the annual …

Cranial Variations And Skull Suture Obliterations As Related To Age In The Coyote (Canis Latrans), Kurt Daine

Masters Theses

Three criteria, skull size, development of the postorbital process, and cranial suture obliteration were examined to evaluate their effectiveness as possible age indicators in the coyote (Canis latrans). Two collections of coyote skulls were evaluated. The first was 130 skulls of known age, from Utah, which were used to compare the above characteristics to the age of the animal. The second was 151 Illinois Department of Conservation (DOC) skulls of unknown age, which were used in conjunction with the known age skulls to evaluate differences in skull size and observer and inter-observer subjectivity in the classification of suture …

Evolution/Creation Debate: A Rhetorical Analysis, James V. Miteff

Masters Theses

During the course of human history, many social issues have come and gone. One argument that caught the writer's eye is the argument about how man came to exist.

Purpose of Study

The purpose of this study is to analyze an evolution/creation debate that took place at Columbus College, Georgia, on May 6, 1981. Evolutionary theory was supported by Dr. Schwinner, a paleontologist from Columbus College. His partner was Dr. Frazier, a professor of geology at Columbus College. Creation theory was supported by Dr. Henry Morris, President of the Institute for Creation Research, San Diego, and Dr. Slusher, an astronomer …

An Analysis Of The Impacts Of The Illinois Board Of Higher Education' S Admission Requirements On Selected High Schools In East Central Illinois, Stephen C. Selle

Masters Theses

The Illinois Board of Higher Education in 1985 instituted mandatory subject admission requirements for all state universities beginning in the year 1990. Subsequent legislative action by the Illinois General Assembly has moved these requirements back to 1993. This field experience investigated the possible impacts of these requirements on rural schools of under 500 students in east central Illinois. A cover letter explaining the purpose of the study and a two page questionnaire were mailed to twenty- one schools. Sixteen schools in the counties of Vermillion, Ford, Iroquois, Kankakee, and Will responded and were the focus of the study. Enrollment patterns …

Derivatization Of Coal By Alkylation And Lithium Iodide Treatment, Cynthia L. Ludwig

Masters Theses

The hypothesis that hydrogen-bonded ethers in coal could be cleaved by reaction with lithium iodide in pyridine to form new phenol groups was investigated for coals #2, 3, and 5 plus their alkylated derivatives from the Argonne Premium Coal Sample Program. Changes caused by alkylation and reaction with LiI were monitored by solvent extraction yeilds, solvent swelling, FT-IR and Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC).

Solubilities of alkylated coals are rank and oxygen functionality dependent. Evidence supports the hypothesis that the solubilization mechanism is dependent on the extent of hydrogen-bonding in the coal. Elimination of hydrogen-bonds through alkylation increases toluene solubility and …

A Pulsed Field-Gradient System For Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Diffusion Experiments, Saumil Shirish Mehta

Masters Theses

"The construction and performance of a system to generate pulsed magnetic field gradients for use with a commercial superconducting NMR spectrometer for the purpose of molecular self-diffusion measurements is described. Types of coils that provide linear field gradients are discussed. The design and construction of a conventional Helmholtz pair is outlined. A procedure to estimate the magnitude of the field gradients generated by the Helmholtz coils is explained. The design of a circuit to generate fast current pulses using a power MOSFET has been detailed and compared with a functionally similar circuit using bipolar power transistors. The performance of the …

Automated Translation Of Digital Logic Equations Into Optimized Vhdl Code, John Evan Stark

Masters Theses

"It was desired to develop an algorithm for the automated translation of' finite slate machines from state table form to optimized VHDL form. To do this, algorithms arc needed for reducing the state machine to simplest form, making state assignments, producing minimal logic equations to represent the state machine, and producing VHDL code which describes the intended circuit. Various such algorithms were examined and a prototype program written to perform this translation"--Abstract, page ii.

Speech Synthesis Using A Digital Modulation Scheme On The Ibm Personal Computer, John Glenn Wallace

Masters Theses

"Previously the primary output interface that users of personal computers have had available to them were limited to the crt or the printer. This paper presents a method for implementing a voice synthesizer on an IBM personal computer using only the hardware already contained in the personal computer. Presented is a modulation method which can be used with the IBM to obtain good quality voice output. The method consists of 3 parts, 1) sampling and recording the voice, 2) processing and filtering these samples and 3) using these processed samples to drive the speaker. A description of the hardware used …

Needs Of Families Of Adult Cardiac Surgery Patients During The Intensive Care Stay, Michael L. Williams

Masters Theses

The purposes of this research were to identify needs of family of adult cardiac surgery patients during the intensive care stay, by whom these needs were met, and to identify demographic variables that were associated with identified family needs. Thirty-one families of adult cardiac surgery patients ranked 45 need statements using the Critical Care Family Needs Inventory. The need to have questions answered honestly was identified as the most important need by the families in this study. Nurses were identified as the person who met most of the needs of the families. Some significant differences in needs between spouses and …

Showering In Labor: An Effective Pain Management Alternative, Kathleen A. Austin

Masters Theses

Health care professionals continue to be concerned about the relief of pain and anxiety associated with childbirth. There are recent anecdotal reports in the literature which describe showering as an effective nonpharmaceutical alternative for labor pain management. The effectiveness of showering can most likely be explained physiologically by the "gate control" theory of pain.; The purpose of this descriptive-correlational study was to examine the labor patient's perception of the effectiveness of showering as a comfort measure and the relationship between showering in labor and outcome variables such as analgesia use, anesthesia use, and childbirth satisfaction. After approval by appropriate human …

Staff Nurse Identification Of Nursing Diagnosis From A Written Case Study, Sharon Etheridge

Masters Theses

A descriptive study was conducted to determine how well medical-surgical and critical care staff nurses identified the same nursing diagnoses and defining characteristics from a written case study. A convenience sample of 83 staff nurses from four acute care institutions participated in the study.; Of the total diagnostic statements made, 42.9% were the same as those identified by experts in the case study. Three nurses (3.6%) correctly identified all five nursing diagnoses in the written case study. An additional seven (8.4%) nurses correctly identified four of the nursing diagnoses. The demographic characteristics of these nurses were varied. No statistical relationship …

Perceptions Of Registered Nurses Toward Two Patient Classification Systems, Sarah J. Follen

Masters Theses

Patient classification systems provide a means of delineating nursing activities that a patient requires. The majority of patient classification systems consist primarily of delegated services or functional tasks. Two other areas of nursing care, independent and interdependent services, are not a part of most workload measurement systems.; Two patient classification systems were developed for this study. One was designed using primarily delegated services, and the second designed according to the Clinical Practice Model of Nursing (Wesorick, 1988) and consisted of independent, interdependent, and delegated services. The researcher studied how registered nurses perceived each instrument: how acceptable was each instrument to …

Cardiac Rehabilitation: Client's Perceived Adequacy Of Education Related To Adjustments Following Myocardial Infarction, Mary E. Flikkema

Masters Theses

Heart disease significantly impacts the lifestyles of clients. Psychosocial difficulties such as anxiety, depression, marital and family conflict are documented in the literature. Various methods and aspects of adjustment have been studied to assist the client with adaptation to changes in exercise, diet, weight reduction and smoking.; This descriptive study used a correlational design to investigate the relationship between the client's perceived adequacy of cardiac rehabilitative education with postdischarge fears and adjustments. Thirty clients participating in a cardiac rehabilitation program completed a self report questionnaire regarding level of preparedness in the areas of exercise, diet, work/activity, sexual functioning, and social …

Facilitating The Nursing Process For The Nursing Diagnosis "Alteration In Thought Processes", Meridell Veen

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if nurses who were given a tool to facilitate assessment of thought processes would collect more assessment data, diagnose "alteration in thought processes" more frequently, and include a care plan for this diagnosis more often. A quasi-experimental pre-treatment/post-treatment design was used. An inservice program about the Level of Cognitive Function Scale (LOCF) was the treatment.; Of the 40 randomly selected subjects from the 199 adult critical care nurses at a metropolitan hospital, 20 completed the study with pre-treatment and post-treatment data. Data were collected by scoring patient assessment/care plans pre-treatment and 4 …

Expansion Of An Existing Power System - A Study, Suresh Arunachalam

Masters Theses

"An existing paper mill is being expanded to increase its installed capacity. Concurrent expansions will be increasing the electrical demand by 40 - 50 MVA. The expansion also includes the addition of DC drives. The existing system has to be used effectively while additional equipment may be added to cater the load increase. Load flow study with various single line diagram configurations has been carried out to find the required solution. A harmonic analysis was also carried out on the suggested new system to install the required filters and capacitor blanks"--Abstract, page ii.

System Modeling And Vibration Reduction Of A Flexible Beam Under Rotary Motion, Jui-Hung Chien

Masters Theses

"The objective of this thesis work is to reduce the end-point vibration of a flexible beam using the feedback control of the partial state variables. The dynamic model is derived from the assumed-modes method. The new feature of this model is that it is applicable to control system analysis and synthesis. A practical example is presented to illustrate the use of control law to improve the transient response"--Abstract, page ii.

Geology And Petrochemistry Of The Mount Chase Massive Sulfide Prospect, Penobscot County, Maine, Michael V. Scully

Masters Theses

"The Mount Chase massive sulfide prospect of northern Penobscot County, Maine was discovered in 1979 by Getty Mining Company. The deposit occurs within a sequence of lower paleozoic metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks. The footwall units consist of rhyolitic flows, quartz-feldspar crystal tuff, and altered tuffaceous volcanic breccias. These rocks lie unconformably upon intensely folded sediments which are tentatively correlated with the Grand Pitch Formation of probable Cambrian age. The footwall volcanoclastic rocks exhibit a narrow zone of intense chloritic alteration immediately below the massive sulfide horizon, and a broader zone of sericitic alteration below that. A zone of stringer mineralization …

Instructional Leadership: A Self-Assessment Instrument For Principals, John L. Bailey

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Empathy For Captain Ahab, Ronda S. Dively

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Prevalence Of Medication Misuse And Abuse Among The Elderly, Constance Rose Muntz

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Master Of Science In Education Degree In The Field Of Elementary Education At Eastern Illinois University: A Status Study, Susan E. Horath

Masters Theses

This study was designed to obtain a descriptive profile of teachers who were recipients of a Master of Science in Education degree in the field of Elementary Education at Eastern Illinois University. Specific background and attitudinal information was gathered from questionnaire responses.

The Master's Program Evaluation Instrument (MPE) was developed as the means of obtaining information on teachers’: perceptions of specific aspects of their master's program; plans for professional development; and satisfaction with the teaching profession. Questions written on the MPE instrument were carefully selected through a review of related literature and were validated through jury review. The instrument was …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Entry Time In The Military And Academic Performance In Air Force Resident Training, Ronald Denius

Masters Theses

Purpose of the Study

Do young Air Force recruits who enter the military during the winter months truly perform at a lower level than their counterparts who enlist in the summer, fall, or spring?

Design of the Study

Time frames: This was divided into quarters (three month segments) which used service entry dates close to summer, fall, winter, and spring seasons. Quarter segments were:

1. June, July, and August

2. September, October, and November

3. December, January, and February

4. March, April, and May

It was expected that the summer segment would capture the graduate from high school who immediately …

The United States And German Reunification: The Stalin Note Of 1952, Klaus P. Grillmaier

Masters Theses

This thesis discusses the American and West German reaction to the Soviet note of March 10, 1952. In this so-called Stalin Note the Soviet dictator proposed the reunification of Germany on terms of neutrality and acceptance of the Oder and Neisse rivers as the German-Polish border. By launching his proposal Stalin sought to prevent the integration of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) into the Western alliance system.

The paper starts out sketching the emergence of the United States and the Soviet Union as superpowers after World War II. It also analyzes the impact the Cold War had on Europe. …

A Curriculum Response To Budgetary And Marketing Pressures On A Two-Year Community College Engineering Technology Program (Microprecision Technology), Gerald R. Hough

Masters Theses

The process described is a program level response to institutional-wide budgetary restraints. The program in question is a two-year engineering technology associate degree program (Microprecision Technology). The major focus deals with:

1. reducing unit cost

2. improving marketability (recruiting)

3. improving transferability (as it relates to recruiting

The reductions in cost center around the ratio of contact hours to credit hours in the specialty courses as well as a reduction in the number of such courses. Issues dealing with marketability are directly related to the unique nature of the program and the difficulties involved in the public presentation of such …