Digital Commons Network^™

Compatibility Factors Of Fascioloides Magna Miracidia And Four Sympatric Snail Species: Miracidial Behavior And Snail Response, Bryan Rolfsen

Masters Theses

Miracidia exhibit observable host-finding behaviors, and their sympatric snails have attributes that either permit or prohibit infection. This study was designed to assess the factors involved in intermediate host finding and host-parasite compatibility in the deer liver fluke (Fascioloides magna). The main aim was to determine the extent to which the parasite and/or the intermediate host are involved in host-parasite compatibility. A secondary goal was to determine what factors may lead to miracidial transformation. The study used a panel of four sympatric snails (Lymnaea caperata, Lymnaea palustris, Lymnaea exilis, and Physa sp.) that display …

Examining College Faculty And Staff's Levels Of Confidence And Preparedness In Recognizing And Responding To Distressed Students, Rachel L. Chlebanowski

Masters Theses

Mental health on college campuses is a large focus, as students attending college with diagnosed mental illnesses are becoming more prevalent (Hunt & Eisenberg, 2010). While college campuses should be a safe and supportive environment for students, many faculty and staff do not know the resources available to students, nor are faculty and staff able to identify when students are suffering from a mental illness (Bateman, 1997). This study was designed to identify staff and faculty's ability to work with students with mental illness, including identifying warning signs, as well as recognizes campus resources. The study took place at a …

Between Heaven And Hell And Heathens, Gabrielle Knock

Masters Theses

This work of fiction explores the relationship between worshipped and worshipper by dually depicting it as a child/parent relationship and as a relationship between lovers. Written in the tradition of parodies like Don Quixote and re-imaginings of myths like The Childhood of Jesus by J.M. Coetzee, I use humor and a contemporary setting in my book about a child who could be the second coming of Christ, but who cares more about his mother' s approval than he does about God.

Perceptions Of Historically Black Greek Letter Organizations Impact On Leadership Development, Sherry Gunn

Masters Theses

Historically Black Greek - Lettered Organizations (HBGLO) have an impact on Black students at a Predominantly White Institution. As student affairs professionals, it is important to understand how these organizations affect our students and their development. This study aimed to learn how these Historically Black Greek - Lettered Organizations assisted with members gaining leadership skills, members experiences versus non - members, and members connection/ retention to the institution. The researcher conducted interviews with members of Historically Black Greek Lettered Organizations to examine the perceptions of seven participants. These participants represented four of the six Historically Black Greek Lettered Organization at …

"Fine Dignity, Picturesque Beauty, And Serious Purpose": The Reorientation Of Suffrage Media In The Twentieth Century, Emily Scarbrough

Masters Theses

Throughout the first half century of the woman's suffrage movement, the women of the movement were depicted as dastardly, masculine women who usurped the family structure with their penchant for politics. In the twentieth century, a new generation of woman's suffragists took command of their appearance in the media. Instead of controversial figures, woman's suffragists were envisioned as normal, beautiful women and mothers. Through the use of mass media, woman suffragists restructured their campaign to convince the general public that society needed women to clean up politics. In doing so, suffragists sacrificed their goals of sexual equality in favor of …

Types And Frequency Of Bullying, Victimization, And Defending Behaviors Among Special And Regular Education Students, Ashley Ann Potocki

Masters Theses

Bullying and victimization can have a negative impact on all students. This study compared frequency and types of bully, victim, and defending behaviors that occur in general education and special education. The three types of bullying and victimization include verbal, physical, and relational bullying, while the three types of defending include reporting, confronting, and helping. Due to the fact that the majority of research in the past has focused on the general education population of students, little is known about bullying, victimization, and defending behaviors among children in special education. An additional goal of this study was to compare the …

The Perception Of Black Male Students Of Black Faculty/Staff Involvement In Mentorship At A Predominantly White Institution, B. James Griffin Jr.

Masters Theses

This research study explored the perception African American men had of mentorship, its value to their education and the effects it had on their college success at a predominantly White institution. The study further focused on the impact mentorship had on the student when the mentor was of a different race versus the same race of the student. The research was guided by the following questions: (1) What is the value of mentorships related to attending a higher education institution, (2) What factors lead Black male students to seek mentorships, (3) What are the perceived differences between mentorship with cross-race …

The Effectiveness Of Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies For Teaching English Reading Skills To Hispanic English Language Learners, Michelle Watson

Masters Theses

The present study was designed to assess the effectiveness of the Peer Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) for teaching English reading skills to Hispanic English language learners (ELL) in the third grade. The current literature shows a rapid increase of Hispanic students in the U.S., however, due to a lack of exposure to the English language at an early age, many ELL students are behind their non-ELL peers in academic achievement, especially in reading. The PALS program was designed as an alternative approach to teacher-led instruction to help ameliorate reading difficulties, and although its effectiveness has been demonstrated with a variety …

Spanish-English Bilingual Adolescents' Attitude Towards Home Language: Effects On Narrative Language, Rebecca M. Hunt

Masters Theses

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationship between use of English as a second language in academic and social settings, and attitude towards home language (Spanish) in bilingual adolescents in a Central Illinois high school. In addition, the study evaluated the possible relationship between home language attitude and the structure of a personal narrative. Participants included include 11 Spanish-English bilingual high school students who resided in Spanish-speaking homes. Participants completed a questionnaire pertaining to self-rated proficiency of English and Spanish, frequency of use in various settings, and attitude towards English, Spanish, and bilingualism. English narrative samples …

Adaptive Significance Of Aberrant Chickadee Song In Illinois, Evan Andrew Glynn

Masters Theses

I studied the behavioral responses of Black-capped (Poecile atricapilus) and Carolina (P. carolinensis) chickadees to playback of Black-capped, Carolina, and aberrant chickadee songs throughout the state of Illinois. These two species are parapatrically distributed throughout the eastern United States, including Illinois. Some areas exist where the ranges of the two species overlap. Individuals in these contact zones often sing aberrant vocalizations. This study focused on the two parental vocalizations (i.e., Black-capped and Carolina song), and two of the most common aberrant vocalizations (the 'Greenville' and 'Vandalia' aberrant dialects), in an attempt to understand the adaptive significance of these aberrant songs. …

The Shadow Of The Hyperobject In Thomas Pynchon's V. And Gravity's Rainbow, Trevor Martinson

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Creg1 And Pitx1 As Master Regulators Of Liver Function, Anit Shah

Masters Theses

Development in mammals requires a complex array of positive and negative regulatory signals and responses. The liver is a major organ that has been studied extensively to understand underlying genetic processes responsible for specification, establishment and maintenance of tissue identity. Hepatoma and hepatoma variant cell lines have been used as a model to understand genetic networks responsible for liver function. Whole genome analysis of these cell types has identified candidate genes that might serve as master regulators of liver identity. In this study, the role of two candidate genes - cellular repressor of E1A stimulated gene (CREG1) and paired-liked homeodomain-1 …

The Effects Of Kinesio Tape On Sports Performance: Vertical Jump And Shuttle Run Performance In Women's College Basketball Players, Holly Wohltman

Masters Theses

Introduction: Since Kinesio tape (KT tape) was invented in the mid-1970s, studies have been lacking in producing strong evidence to support the claims of its ability to enhance performance. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of KT tape at enhancing sports performance, in the areas of vertical jump and shuttle run performance, in Illinois College Women's Basketball Team, participants ranged from 19-22 years of age.

Methods: There were eleven female basketball players ranging from the ages 19-22 years were recruited to participate in this study. All participants performed a vertical jump test and a shuttle run …

The Effects Of The Energizers Program On Children's Moods, Emily Estes

Masters Theses

This study examined the effects of an eight week classroom-based physical activity program (Energizers) on the moods of third and fourth-grade students. One third and one fourth grade class participated in the teacher-led Energizers program, while the other third and fourth grade classes served as a control group. Students reported their mood at baseline, four weeks, and at eight weeks. There was no significant interaction between group membership and changes in positive or negative mood. However, girls were found to have higher long-term positive mood scores and lower long-term negative mood scores compared to boys. There was also a main …

Novel Bodipy Dyes For Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells, Hafsah Klfout

Masters Theses

Dyes-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) are of importance to efficient conversion of solar energy to electricity. The modern version of a DSC is a titanium dioxide nanoparticles-based electrochemical device, in which solar energy is absorbed by dye molecules and electrons from excited dye molecules are injected into the conduction band of titanium dioxide nanoparticle. The electrons are then transported through a network of interconnected TiO₂ particles to the fluorine- tin -oxide layer to the external circuit. In this process dye molecules are crucial to the device's energy conversion efficiency.

Boron-dipyrromethenes, known as BODIPY dyes, show strong absorption in the visible …

Accommodating Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder In The Writing Center, Rebekah Barton

Masters Theses

This thesis explores how collegiate writing centers could better serve the needs of students with autism. As there is so little research that involves writing centers and college students with autism, scholarship was pulled from traditional writing center pedagogy, research concerning adults with autism, and the information that was available about teaching students with autism in the college composition classroom. A mixed methods approach was used to conduct my own research: my study involved surveys, interviews, visits, and website analysis. It became clear that not only are writing centers not ready to accommodate students with autism, but some writing center …

For Quality And Training Purposes: Stories, Sean Towey

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Industrial Biomass Gasification Ash As A Soil Amendment On The Earthworm Eisenia Fetida, Michael J. Blackowicz

Masters Theses

Soil application of solid residues from thermal conversion of biomass (i.e. combustion and pyrolysis) has become a topic of interest in recent years. However, there exists a gap in the literature with regard to soil application of gasification residues and their effects on soil health and soil macroorganisms. This study investigates the effects of three different ashes (hardwood oak/hickory, hardwood willow, corn stover), collected from industrial biomass gasification reactors (University of Minnesota Morris, Eastern Illinois University), as a soil amendment on the composting worm Eisenia fetida. Additionally, ash samples were analyzed for total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and potentially toxic …

Troubled, Solomohn Nallshi Ennis-Klyczek

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

D-Galactose Decreases Mitoneet Levels In Liver Cancer Cells: Impact On Cellular Bioenergetics, Sudip Paudel

Masters Theses

Galactose is a simple sugar that at supraphysiological concentrations accelerates aging and age-related complications, which lead to impaired mitochondrial functions. MitoNEET is a small mitochondrial membrane protein with a molecular mass of 12.2 kDa that functions in diabetes, iron metabolism, regulation of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis. MitoNEET knockdown increases cellular respiration rates and ROS levels similar to galactose treatment. Pioglitazone, an antidiabetic drug, binds to mitoNEET and ameliorates galactose toxicity. Cellular mitoNEET levels, exposure of cells to galactose medium, and pioglitazone treatment directly influence cellular respiration. To elucidate the role of mitoNEET in galactose induced …

Remittances And Economic Growth Determinants In Low, Lower Middle, And Upper Middle Income Countries: A Comparative Study, Md Shahedur Rahaman Chowdhury

Masters Theses

The research uses pooled cross-country times series for the time period 1981-2010 to investigate the impacts of remittances and other economic growth determinants on economic growth of low-income, lower-middle income, and upper-middle income economies. This study divides this 30-year period into six non-overlapping five-year periods. This paper contributes to the literature on remittances, economic growth indicators, and economic growth in novel ways. The research finds that remittances are not associated with the economic growth of low-income economies. However, the research concludes that remittances are positively and significantly related to economic growth of Lower Middle-Income and Upper Middle-Income Economies. Nevertheless, the …

Going Solo: A Study Into The Framing And Salience Of International Terrorism, Arianne Gouveia

Masters Theses

In order to explore presidential rhetoric, media coverage and its contribution to public opinion, this thesis will examine these facets in the matters of international terrorism. More specifically, terrorism in India, Syria, and Afghanistan will be assessed and compared during two time periods: 2003-2004, and 2011-2012. This thesis will predominately attempt to evaluate the relationship between the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) and actual coverage. By searching for key words in presidential speeches from President Obama and President Bush, evaluating the news coverage of terrorist activity in all three countries, this thesis will attempt to show the impact of presidential speeches …

Facebook Addiction And Impulsive Decision-Making, Daniel Delaney

Masters Theses

This study examined the relationship between Facebook "addiction" and impulsive decision-making. Impulsive decision-making as measured by the delay discounting task is associated with a number of addictions and other problem behaviors. We gave 152 students a paper-based packet including the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale to measure problematic Facebook use and a delay discounting task to assess impulsivity. 16 Facebook "addicted" participants were matched to 16 control participants on demographic data to compare differences in impulsivity. Likewise, we explored whether a correlational relationship between Facebook addiction scores and impulsivity existed. We found that Facebook "addicts" discounted delayed rewards more quickly than …

Researching The Historical Representations Of Andrew Jackson In Trade Books, Steven K. Sakowicz

Masters Theses

State and national standards compel teachers to introduce historical topics through multiple diverse texts, emphasizing the use of informational texts. Trade books allow teachers to meet these standards while also meeting the needs of diverse students. Primary sources serve as an additional curricular resource that fill the gaps in information covered by textbooks and trade books, allowing students to gain a more complete and accurate understanding of historical figures and events. Standards leave the selection and implementation of appropriate trade books, primary sources, and other curricular resources to the classroom teacher. In this research I qualify and quantify how Andrew …

Characteristics Of A Modern Ballet: The Adoption Of Sonic Vocabulary And Textual Treatment In The Earth Without Water (2014), Mark Luke Rheaume

Masters Theses

The modern ballet, as an orchestral genre, owes much of its status and value to composers of the early 20th century. Claude Debussy and Igor Stravinsky’s groundbreaking works, Prélude à l'apres-midi d'un faune and Le Sacre du Printemps respectively, revolutionized the sonic landscape of ballet and expanded the ideas of interaction with texts and scenarios. This paper demonstrates the continued use of these innovations in the author's composition, The Earth Without Water. This analysis identifies three categories—harmonic vocabulary, rhythmic/formal organization, and textual treatment—by which The Earth derives content or technique from Prélude and Le Sacre.

Attention Regulation, Emotion Regulation, And Cognitive Flexibility As Mediators Of The Relationship Between Mindfulness And Academic Achievement In High School Students, Andrew Baginski

Masters Theses

Mindfulness is defined as a process of purposefully paying attention to one’s thoughts, feelings, and experiences in the present moment while taking a nonjudgmental stance on them (Kabat-Zinn, 2009). While originally an Eastern approach technique in spirituality and philosophy, mindfulness has been incorporated into or served as a basis for numerous psychological therapies and treatments (Segal, Williams, & Teasdale, 2002; Kabat-Zinn, 1982, 1990). Research into mindfulness has expanded to the context of learning, where studies have demonstrated that facilitative states of mindfulness can improve the abilities of students to focus, attend, and recall information in an educational setting (Langer, 1997). …

Factors Influencing Job Satisfaction Of Student Employees Within Campus Recreation, Dale P. Kolnitys

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to assess the overall predictors of job satisfaction for student employees within campus recreation departments. The study centered around three main research questions, 1) what are the predicting factors of job satisfaction? 2) What, if any, differences exist based on the size of the school? 3) What, if any, differences exist based on whether the academic major is closely related to campus recreation?

The questionnaire was completed by 150 students at nine different universities. Data analysis revealed that four factors had a significant influence on job satisfaction of college students working within campus recreation. …

The Effects Of Solutes In The Cryopreservation Of Adherent Neuroblastoma (Neuro-2a) Cells, Trisha L. Bailey

Masters Theses

A simple method to cryopreserve adherent monolayers of neuronal cells is currently not available, but the development of this technique could facilitate numerous applications in the field of biomedical engineering, cell line development, and drug screening. However, complex tissues of some exceptional animals survive freezing in nature. These animals are known to accumulate several small molecular weight solutes prior to freezing. Following a similar strategy, we investigated the effects of osmolytes such as trehalose, proline, and sucrose as additives to the traditional cryoprotectant dimethyl sulfoxide (Me2SO) in modulating the cryopreservation outcome of mouse neuroblastoma (Neuro-2a) cells. Neuro-2a cells adhered to …

The Retrospective Diagnosis Of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder In Adolescents: Family Physicians' Challenges, Adam M. Pechmann

Masters Theses

The primary purpose of the study was to identify current retrospective practices used by family physicians in the diagnosis of Attention-Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in adolescents and young adults. In other words, do physicians adhere to best practices and examine information from childhood in order to diagnose ADHD in adolescents and young adults? In addition, this study aimed to examine the information physicians request for ADHD diagnosis, types of treatments they recommend, the type of information they use to assess treatment outcomes, and professional attitudes regarding the nature of ADHD. Participants completed a questionnaire designed to answer the research questions. Participants …

Sources Of Social Support And Their Relationship With Victimization And Social Emotional Outcomes, Jordan L. Wenger

Masters Theses

Victimization is associated with several negative outcomes; however, social support has been identified as a potential moderator. Social support can come from different sources, including parents, teachers, classmates, close friends, and the school environment. This study compared the frequency of classmate and teacher social support among intermediate and middle school students and investigated the relationship among these three variables. Finally, grade level and sex differences were considered as factors that influence the interrelationship among social support, victimization, and social/emotional outcomes. Participants included 649 students from a rural Illinois school district. Results indicated that there were no significant differences in the …