Digital Commons Network^™

Paleogeogra Detrital Zircon Geochronology Of Upper Cambrian To Lower Mississippian Siliciclastic Strata Of The Ozark Dome And Vicinity, Bing Li

Masters Theses

"Siliciclastic strata exposed in the Ozark Dome provide Late Cambrian to Late Cretaceous snapshots of an evolving paleogeology and regional to far-field tectonic events. U-Pb ages of detrital zircons from the arkosic base of the Upper Cambrian Lamotte Formation reflect first cycle derivation from the adjacent ca. 1.31-1.48 Ga Granite-Rhyolite province, with subsidiary input from ca. 1.6-1.7 Ga Mazatzal basement. Feldspathic arenites near the top of the Lamotte Sandstone also contain significant quantities of detrital zircon grains of these ages, with additional peaks centered at ca. 2.7 and ca. 1.1 Ga, signaling the onset of extra-regional detrital input most likely …

Pricing Of Geometric Asian Options In General Affine Stochastic Volatility Models, Johannes Ruppert

Masters Theses

"In this thesis, we look at the general affine pricing model introduced in [11]. This model allows to price geometric Asian options, which are of big interest due to their lower volatility in comparison to, for example, European options. Because of their structure and in order to be able to price these options, we look at the basic theory of Lévy processes and stochastic calculus. Furthermore, we provide the detailed description of the parameters of the pricing formulas for some popular specific single-factor stochastic volatility models with jumps and generalize the approach of [11] to multi-factor models"--Abstract, page iii.

Laser Sintering And Aerosol Printing Of Conductive Nanoparticles, Mahati Guntupalli

Masters Theses

"Fabrication and printing of nanoparticles is an essential step in the manufacturing of low cost- high efficiency electronic devices. High material costs of noble metal particles necessitates the investigation for a potential substituent. Conventional methods of manufacturing are time consuming and uneconomical, thus intense research is being done to employ new methods for cost, time and space effective manufacturing process.

The first part of the thesis presents the fabrication of Copper nanoparticles. As an economical substituent for noble metal nanoparticles, Copper nanoparticles satisfy various properties as conductive inks, simultaneously suffering from the vital problem of oxidation. The acceleration effects of …

Biodegradable Electronic And Optical Devices Toward Temporary Implants, Md Shihab Adnan

Masters Theses

"Implantable biomedical devices have a high potential to revolutionize health care technologies in near future. Implantable devices can be classified as permanent prosthetic devices such as pacemakers or nerve stimulants and temporary devices for intermediate monitoring and control scenario which are still in research phase. In contrast to permanent device, temporary implants lose functionality and become unnecessary after intended operational lifetime which may pose serious electromagnetic and biomedical safety concern, latent complications at the implanted sites and possible ethical issues if not removed from body by an additional surgical operation.

The first paper of this thesis focuses on exploring the …

Analysis Of Middle Level Trade Books With Gender And Sexual Minority Content, Jena Borah

Masters Theses

Middle school is often the time students become aware of their sexual orientation or gender identity, and in many schools, perceived nonheteronormative behavior is penalized through bullying. One way schools can reduce bullying and increase successful learning environments is to include trade books that feature gender and sexual minorities. State and national standards set expectations for social and emotional learning as well as critical analysis of high quality reading materials. This research analyzed trade books from the 2013 and 2014 Rainbow Lists which were chosen by the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Round Table of the American Library Association as …

Seeing Red In A Sea Of Green: Anthocyanin Production In A Carnivorous Plant, Pinguicula Planifolia, Jenna Annis

Masters Theses

The Southeastern United States is a biological hot-spot for carnivorous plants, with over half of the North American species occurring along the Gulf Coast. Pinguicula planifolia Chapman is one of six carnivorous perennial butterwort species found in the Florida Panhandle. Among these species, only P. planifolia expresses a distinct variation of red coloration on its leaves. The functional role of foliar anthocyanins may include stress response to drought and nutrient deficiency, herbivory defense, free radical scavenging, and photoprotection. Carnivorous plant leaves face strong selection pressures to optimize prey capture and nutrient absorption. Given the frequency of these red pigments in …

A Quantitative Study Of The Source Of Stress For First Generation Freshman Female College Students, Amber Byrley

Masters Theses

This study compared the sources of stress between first-generation and continuing-generation freshman female students, Caucasian and non-Caucasian freshman female students, and straight and non-straight freshman female students. This study was conducted at a rural, Midwestern, four-year, public institution, 101 first time freshman students living in on-campus housing participated in this study. A quantitative study was designed using Higbee and Dwinell's (1992) Developmental Inventory of the Sources of Stress (DISS) questionnaire which measures stress in five sub-categories including time management, physical lifestyle, academics, interactions, and chemical stressors. Results of the study indicated that overall, first-generation freshman females experience more total stress …

An Investigation Of The Nexus Between Poverty And The Informal Sector In Developing Economies: A Case Study Of Nigeria, Omotara Adeeko

Masters Theses

This paper examines the relationship between poverty and the informal sector in Nigeria. In order to achieve this objective both primary and secondary sources of data mostly spanning from 1980 to 2014 are utilized. The methodology follows three stages. First, the Granger causality test is performed to determine the direction of causality. Using that information, a baseline model, along with several variants, is built on the next stage. Lastly, a robustness check is completed to ensure that the results do not exhibit severe spuriousness problems.

Granger causality tests indicate that the informal sector causes poverty. Overall, nine models including some …

Maximal Strength Effects Of Cross Education Training On The Elbow Flexors, Molly Dyer

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to compare the absolute and relative changes in maximal bilateral elbow flexion strength increase after a four-week intervention protocol between a unilateral and bilateral resistance training program in college age females.

Methods: Five non-athlete females, with a mean age of 21.6 years, completed the study. Eligible subjects were randomly assigned to one of two groups; unilateral elbow flexion resistance training (n=2) or bilateral elbow flexion resistance training (n=3). Both groups completed a four-week resistance training three days per week using three sets of ten repetitions at 65% of their predicted one repetition maximum. Maximal …

Athletic Identity And Emotional Regulation In Adolescents, Kellye Kohn

Masters Theses

The ability to regulate emotion is necessary for adolescents to cope with everyday stressors and major life events. Sports participation has been linked positively to the ability to cope and regulate emotion. Athletic identity is a concept that has been linked to anxiety, burnout and lower academic performance; its relationship to emotion regulation had not yet been researched. This paper reviews the literature on athletic identity, sports participation, coping ability and emotional regulation. The current study examines the link between sports participation and athletic identity in youth and their ability to cope with stress and regulate their emotions. One hundred …

Understanding Mentoring Relationships: The Black Male Graduate Student Perspective, Kwame R. Patterson Jr.

Masters Theses

Black males face many obstacles in higher education. They are disproportionately represented among students who are forced to withdraw, underperform academically, and report negative experiences. Despite the negative experiences Black males may encounter, many still have a strong interest in education, and mentoring plays a role in that interest. The purpose of this study was to explore the mentoring relationships and influence on the Black male graduate students experience. A qualitative study was conducted with Black males who received their master's degrees from a regional Midwestern institution. Research revealed that mentoring played a major role in Black male's graduate experience …

An Intersectional Analysis Of Male Student-Athletes' Meaning-Making About Masculinity, Michelle Lisack

Masters Theses

Men's athletics is often viewed as an environment where hegemonic masculinity is perpetuated, though some believe this environment provides a safe space for men to break away from hegemonic masculinity. This study was designed to gain an understanding of how male student-athletes experience masculinity and how the context of athletics influences meaning-making about masculinity. Using a phenomenological approach, the researcher interviewed five male student-athletes and observed the practice sessions of two different teams. The participants were student-athletes of junior or senior status from the following sports: tennis, soccer, swimming, baseball, and basketball. Results showed that male student-athletes found it challenging …

Initial Student Impressions And Affinity Towards The Institution, Andrew Doto

Masters Theses

This study attempted to explore the relationship between the university affinity and initial impressions of undergraduate students at a mid-size, Midwestern university. A quantitative study was employed after acquiring data using Berquam's (2013) Relationship Quality Student Affinity instrument, which measured a student's commitment and pride, as well as their initial impressions towards the university. Results from the Chi Square test for independence showed evidence that initial impressions were related to university affinity, aligning with prior research. Other results from the study indicated that initial impressions and university affinity were also related to university choice rank. Recommendations were made for the …

Athletic Identity And Career Transitioning Of Former Collegiate Athletes, Cameron Jimenez

Masters Theses

The focus of this study was to try and advance the understanding of athletic identity (AI) and its specific effects on former athletes. Previous studies in the area seem to focus on the relationship between AI, exercise habits, career maturity, and career transitioning of professional athletes. For example: Erpič, Wylleman, and Zupančič, (2004) examined former professional Slovene athletes. While those are important aspects of life former athletes encounter, the primary investigator (PI) felt it was important to understand the effects AI presents upon employment status of collegiate athletes who did not play professionally. Eighty-five former collegiate athletes participated and completed …

Genesis B From Ms Junius 11 And Paradise Lost: Possible Connections, Alicia D. Arnold

Masters Theses

This thesis looks at the ongoing debate concerning John Milton's potential use of Genesis B from MS Junius II when creating Paradise Lost. Much of the thesis looks at the probability of John Milton's ability to access or know Genesis B. Included is an annotated translation of "Satan in Hell" from Genesis B. The last chapter looks at the given translation and Paradise Lost to see if there are similarities in dialect, theme, and word-choices, or if Paradise Lost has Old English markers. The conclusion is that the debate must continue as there is currently not enough evidence to prove …

Stress As A Moderator Of Visual Perception: Do Elevated Stress Levels Interfere With Visual Cognition?, Ashley Ebersole

Masters Theses

Stress is an unavoidable aspect of human life, and despite a large body of research on stress, the relationship between chronic or traumatic stress and cognition is not yet fully explained. One component lacking research is visual attention, an area of visual cognition which is an essential part of our ability to interact with the world around us. This is especially true in the context of trauma and stress related disorders, and having a better understanding of how traumatic stress impacts attention and perception can inform psychotherapy for these issues. The current study aims to conceptualize how stressors impact the …

Universal Design: A Student Affairs Perspective, Becca Lynn

Masters Theses

College is one of the most exciting times in an individual's life and could also be one of the most challenging. Students are coming in to college needing amenities and different accommodations for a variety of different reasons; very commonly, learning and physical disabilities. Utilizing qualitative methodology, this study aimed to explore five different student affairs areas on campus to see if they provide a universally designed environment for college students with both learning and physical disabilities. Each professional shared their knowledge of universal design, universal strategies that they currently use, areas professionals believe are the most accommodating on campus …

Render Down, Nathan Hinote

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Successional Changes In Leaf Nutrient Concentrations Of Woody And Herbaceous Species, Daniel Walter Kuchta

Masters Theses

Leaf nutrient concentrations are an example of a functional trait, a trait that can be used to understand community dynamics by observing how plants interact with their environment. I explored how leaf nutrient concentrations were affected over successional time by environmental changes. The majority of prior research on functional traits focuses on either woody or herbaceous species, but not both life forms simultaneously. To address this, I also explored the successional changes to leaf nutrient concentrations, separating the plant community into woody and herbaceous species.

Healthy, mature leaves were taken from 122 taxa of woody and herbaceous species in a …

Low-Head Dams On Habitat, Fish Functional Guilds And Genetic Structuring In A Midwestern River System, Shannon Cassandra Frary Smith

Masters Theses

The natural flow regime of the majority of rivers in the United States has been altered by anthropogenic structures. This loss of connectivity plays a strong role in shaping river ecosystems by altering physical habitat characteristics and shaping fish community assemblages. Although the impacts of large dams on river systems are well documented and often easy to observe, there are fewer studies on the effects of smaller low-head dams. Additionally, the influences of low-head dams on the genetic structuring of small-bodied riverine fishes have yet to be fully explored. I assessed the effects of two low-head dams on the Vermilion …

The Effects Of The Caterpillar Game On Classroom Behavior And Teacher Stress, Amber Jacoby

Masters Theses

A single-case, multiple baseline design was utilized to evaluate the effects of the Caterpillar Game, a classroom management system, on disruptive student behavior, teacher praise, and teacher stress. Three classrooms were included in the study (preschool, kindergarten, and second grade). When the Caterpillar Game was implemented across the three classrooms, student disruptive behavior decreased and teacher behavior-specific praise increased. Disruptive behavior and teacher praise results remained similar to intervention two to four weeks later and teachers reported being highly satisfied with the Caterpillar Game. One of the three teachers reported a decrease in stress. This study adds further support to …

Comparison Of Memory In College Students With And Without Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Study Of Argument Recall Accuracy, Jordan Poll

Masters Theses

The memory abilities of college-aged adolescents (18-24) with ADHD were investigated using arguments. Previous ADHD research provides insight into ADHD's association with a decreased capability to recall important parts of statements. Students read a booklet containing 24 arguments to assess their ability to recall each argument. Participants read one statement, then, immediately after reading it, attempted to accurately recall it by writing it using paper and pencil. This process was repeated 24 times (total of 24 arguments). The researcher examined, specifically, the percent of correctly recalled predicates from those read arguments. Predicates were examined because it has been shown that …

Examination Of Externalizing Behaviors Within General Education, At-Risk, And Special Education Preschool-Aged Classrooms, Rebecca A. Rader

Masters Theses

This study examined the natural occurrence of externalizing behaviors within six preschool classrooms (two general education classrooms, two at-risk classrooms, and two special education classrooms). Approximately 100 direct observation minutes were collected in each of the six classrooms to obtain measures of student off-task and disruptive behavior. No significant off-task differences were found across the three classroom types. However, a significant difference in disruptive behavior was found between special education and general education classrooms and also between special education and at-risk classrooms. The most commonly observed disruptive behaviors across all six classrooms were talking out, being out of area, and …

Examining The Effect Of Caffeine And Technology On Adolescent Sleep, Kaci D. Clark

Masters Theses

The current study expands upon existing sleep research by assessing adolescent caffeine consumption and technology use around bedtime and group differences in caffeine consumption and technology use in regard to sleep onset time, duration and quality, as well as symptoms of delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS). Participants, ranging in age from 13 to 18 years, were recruited from two Midwestern high schools and one junior high school. Online survey software was used to capture adolescents' self-reported caffeine consumption, technology use, and sleep. Adolescents who drank more caffeine did not spend significantly more time using technology at night, nor did they …

Demographics And Parasites Of Spotted Bass In The Wabash River, Evan C. Boone

Masters Theses

Spotted Bass Micropterus punctulatus Rafinesque are a popular sport fish primarily found in the streams and reservoirs of the south. The Wabash River, a large tributary of the Ohio River, contains a naturally reproducing population on the northern boundary of their range. Currently, the lower Wabash River is monitored using two different sampling designs, the Long Term Electrofishing Program monitors community assemblages using stratified random sampling whereas the Illinois Department of Natural Resources uses a fixed sampling design. Due to the wide distribution but low abundance of Spotted Bass throughout this drainage, captures from each design were compared to assess …

Idealism, Pragmatism, And Student Motivation: Implementing Grading Systems, Practices, And Policies In Context, Kaleigh Mcroberts

Masters Theses

This thesis argues for the implementation of contextually-appropriate policies and practices that not only clarify the meaning of grades for teachers, parents, and students, but also give students more autonomy and improve their intrinsic motivation to learn. The literature about motivation reveals that the conventional wisdom—the use of contingent rewards—works when students are asked to complete simple, algorithmic tasks such as turning in assignments on time, but not when they're asked to complete complex, heuristic tasks such as those articulated by the Common Core State Standards. The literature about grading and grading systems reveals similarly misleading conventional wisdom: Educators often …

An Investigation Of Reliability And Validity Of The Bully Participant Behavior Questionnaire In An Elementary Sample, Morgan B. Nesbitt

Masters Theses

The goal of this study was to investigate the factor structure, reliability, and validity for the Bullying Participant Behaviors Questionnaire (BPBQ) in an elementary sample. Previous research provided preliminary evidence of reliability and validity of the BPBQ scores with middle school students (Demaray, Summers, Jenkins, & Becker, 2014). The BPBQ is a self-report survey that purports to measure participation in five roles of bullying. These roles include bully, victim, assistant to the bully, defender of the victim, and outsider. Another goal of the study was to analyze possible sex and grade differences in the bullying roles. The current sample included …

Factors Influencing Student Major Selection At A Community College, Kellie Jean Keck

Masters Theses

College students are influenced by many different things the moment they arrive on campus. This study was an exploratory study that examined what factors influenced student major selection at a rural Midwestern community college. Qualitative interviews were conducted with (N = 6) sophomore level participants that were previously undecided but had since declared a major. Participants were asked a series of questions about their major selection process including their experiences as an undecided student, who, and what may have influenced their major selection, what role monetary returns played in their major selection, and how comfortable they are with their …

Functionalized Bodipy Dyes For Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells, Mahmoud A. Elkhalifa

Masters Theses

It is predicted that more than 20 terawatts of carbon-free energy will be demanded by 2050 to maintain a sufficient energy supply for the increasing global population, and photovoltaics are predicted to contribute significantly to the global energy needs. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) are an emerging class of photovoltaics (PV) that has produced promising power conversion efficiencies at low costs. Currently, electron recombination, dye aggregation, weak adsorption, and inefficient absorbance are among of the largest contributors to low DSC efficiencies.

BODIPY dyes are one of the most promising classes of dyes emerging for DSC application. These low molecular weight fluorophores …

Holography In The Secondary Physics Curriculum, Stephen P. Hogan

Masters Theses

This paper presents a unit plan for effective implementation of a holography learning activity in the secondary science physics classroom. The study of holography has traditionally been limited to collegiate optics courses due to financial and physical constraints. Recent developments in the technology of holographic film has eliminated these two limiting factors. Recent secondary educators who have introduced holography with their secondary science classes have completed the activities, without much discussion or explanation regarding the scientific principles that allow the phenomenon to occur. In this paper we develop a foundational unit plan that finishes with holography as the pinnacle activity, …