Digital Commons Network^™

Cellular Analysis Of Hepg2 Cells On Gastrin Releasing Peptide (Grp) Nanostructure, Karshak Kosaraju

Theses

Artificial juxtacrine stimulation arises from the covalent attachment of growth factors onto biomaterials. Incorporation of growth factors onto cell culture substrates has been found to enhance the functionality of cells in vitro. In this study, we describe how the immobilization of Gastrin Releasing Peptide (GRP) enhances the viability of hepatocarcinoma cell line, HepG2 up to 4 days. The biomaterial for immobilization of GRP was prepared using indium tin oxide (ITO) sputtered on polyethylene terephthalate (PET). A self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (3-APTES) on ITO was covalently attached to GRP. Characterization of the substrates before and after immobilization of GRP …

Consumers' Self-Image Response To Gender Portrayal In Advertising Images, Rebecca Delaney

Theses

Previous empirical research has examined the effect of advertising image idealization on self-image issues, but many of these studies neglect to take into account the effects on men. By developing an experiment to include key components from previous methods of research, the present study investigates the effects of gender portrayal in advertising images. The purpose of this study is to examine consumers' responses to the advertising stimulus, or the advertising images of gender. Inconsistent with past research, findings suggest there is less disparity between men and women's reactions after viewing gender portrayals in advertising images. It is suggested that there …

Kansei Engineering And Cultural Differences In Mobile Phone Design, Loni Watson

Theses

Kansei Engineering, a Japanese design method used to translate feelings into product parameters, was used to look at the mobile phone design features of the Motorola Charm, Samsung t249, and HTC HD7 in the United States. Preferences of four design features (shape, material, LCD screen size, and navigation tools) were explored in a sample population of twenty-five university students in a private Northeastern university. Six kanseis/feelings elicited by phones were determined to be important to this group: (1) Attractive, (2) Cool, (3) Durable, (4) Ergonomic, (5) Modern, and (6) User-friendly. A (generic) phone with a rectangular shape, comprised mostly of …

Framing Health Care Across The Pond: A Comparative Content Analysis Of Elite Newspapers In The Us And Uk During The 2009 American Health Policy Debate, Jackson Bales Foote

Theses

This study analyzes content from eight leading newspapers in the United States and United Kingdom during ten months of the 2009 American health care policy debate, identifying emergent issue-specific health care frames that manifest themselves in key framing devices, like metaphors, exemplars, catchphrases, and depictions. This exploratory, quantitive frame analysis is conducted in a cross-cultural context to facilitate generalizable comparisons about how the news media in different countries frame social welfare policy through symbolic and rhetorical elements. A principal component analysis is used to reduce the health care-specific variables into four frames: access, choice, rising costs, and market competition. The …

The Werewolf Pride Movement: A Step Back From Queer Medieval Tradition, Caitlin B. Giacopasi

Theses

No abstract provided.

Shakespeare Wrote No Characters, Alexander Patrick Detmering

Theses

The purpose of my research was to answer a simple question: “What can be said about Hamlet's character?” When analyzing any Shakespearean play, it is commonplace to begin (and end) with the characters that inhabit it. But is this sort of analysis appropriate for Renaissance plays? Freud's famous interpretation of Hamlet operates in this fashion, determining the meaning of the play through the vehicle of Hamlet's character—specifically, the psychology of Hamlet's character. Such a reading assumes, however, the interiority of character: that fictional characters have mental landscapes, complete with pasts that lead to the present as related in the events …

Mourning, Melancholia, And The Possibility Of Transformation: Comparing Julia Kristeva's Black Sun And Judith Butler's The Psychic Life Of Power, Kristina Marie Darling

Theses

In this paper I compare Julia Kristeva's Black Sun and Judith Butler's The Psychic Life of Power, focusing on their treatment of melancholia. The two works prove similar as they appropriate this Freudian concept for feminist ends, suggesting that the mourning, loss, and personal renewal associated with melancholia afford unique opportunities for self-discovery. With that said, the two philosophers present fundamentally different assessments of melancholia as it relates to cultural discourses. Throughout Black Sun, Kristeva suggests that the process of articulating personal loss—whether through psychoanalysis, art, or literature—allows the individual to re-imagine his or her perceived identity. Kristeva envisions this …

Impact Of Image Personalization On Response Rate Of Direct Mail Advertising, Dandan Wang

Theses

With widespread adoption of full-color digital presses in the commercial printing industry, personalization has been enabled to create one-to-one marketing communication to enhance the effectiveness of print media advertising. Prior researches showed an increase in response rates with data-driven personalized direct mailings. However, the impact of image personalization on response rate of direct mail advertising is still unknown. This research used an experimental design to test the impact of image personalization on response rate of direct mail advertising. A direct mail postcard campaign was created with three levels of personalization (black-and-white name-only personalization, full-color name-only personalization, full-color name and image …

The Book Of Job: Navigating Between The Two Jobs From The Perspective Of Ritual, Lawrence Pang

Theses

The overarching problem concerning the unity of the book of Job is its conflicting juxtaposition of Job’s character. In the prose frame, Job does not charge God with any wrongdoing despite the afflictions against him and is acknowledged by God for his piety whereas in the dialogue, Job responses with words of accusation against God for his trouble and for mismanaging the affairs of the world according to the orthodoxy of reward and punishment. Various methodological approaches, ranging from the synchronic to the diachronic, have been advanced to account for the dissonance, however, to date, no attempt has been made …

Issues Faced By Female Middle Managers On Returning To The Workplace Following Maternity Leave., Flora Buckley

Theses

The increased participation of women in the workforce has been one of the major changes in the labour force in recent years. The nature of Ireland’s workforce has changed radically in the past twenty years and women, whether for personal or financial reasons, are now an established part of the workforce. Despite the rapid increase in female participation in the paid labour-force, considerable evidence has been gathered that documents a dearth of women in executive level positions not just in Ireland, but internationally.

Many studies have highlighted issues women face in progressing to senior level management. There is, however, very …

An Exploration Of The Study Abroad Experiences Of United States Students In Three Halls Of Residence At A Catholic University In Western Australia, Nicole Schiffer

Theses

The purpose of this research was to explore the ways United States students develop through studying abroad at a Catholic university in Western Australia. The significance of the research lies in the belief that host and home universities should be aware of the needs of these study abroad students. The needs of these students were understood through an exploration of the challenges faced, the support received, and the personal and professional development attained.

Four dimensions of the context contributed to an understanding of this study. These four dimensions were the University of Notre Dame Australia Fremantle, the UNDA three halls …

The State Of Media Education Implementation In Rochester, Ny K-12 Schools, Lydia S. Palmer

Theses

Through a series of interviews with education professionals in the Rochester, New York, area, this study assessed the status of media education programs in the area's schools. It focused on curricula currently in place in three grade level spans, facilities and resources available to students, and the degree to which public and private/faith-based schools differ in their implementation of media education programs.

A Pedagogy Of Process: Using Arts Based Research With Community Development Co-Researchers To Explore Campus Community Dialogue, Brian Hand

Theses

This thesis will outline how I employed an arts informed participatory research process with four women members of the Southend family resource centre in Wexford town. The primary context for this research was the introduction of a module in community based learning on the BA (hons) in Art at the Wexford Campus of I.T. Carlow combined with a desire to participate more actively in the community sector outside the campus. The choice of an arts based methodology was to capture knowledge in a multifaceted way, to give depth to the many meanings of individual experiences and finally to suggest a …

The Effects Of Grouping And Curriculum On The Self-Concept Of Gifted Children, Valerie A. Beaman

Theses

The Big-Fish-Little-Pond Effect predicts gifted students educated in heterogeneous settings develop higher academic self-concept than those educated in homogeneous settings. Academic self-concept of students in multi-age classroom using the Primary Years International Baccalaureate Program (Primary IB) was compared to academic self-concept of students in single-aged classroom learning traditional curriculum. Data were collected (N=65) on third and fourth-graders using the Self-Description Questionaire (Marsh, 1992). It was hypothesized that gifted and non-gifted students educated in multi-age classrooms taught with Primary IB have higher academic self-concept than children in single age classrooms. Results of 2x2 ANOVA indicated no significant differences between gifted and …

Tube-Based Field-Portable X-Ray Fluorescence (Fpxrf) As A Qualitative Screening Tool For Resource Conservation And Recovery Act (Rcra) Metals In Children’S Products And Comparison To Total Metals Analyses To Predict Hazardous Waste Metals Toxicity Characteristic, James Kohlbach

Theses

This research was performed to assess the efficacy of tube-based field portable x-ray fluorescence (FXPXRF) devices to evaluate RCRA heavy metal concentrations in children's products and determine potential hazardous waste toxicity characteristics by comparative analysis to inductively coupled plasma (ICP) yields per SW6010B. Sample sets consisting of wood, plastic, rubber, bulk, plated/coated, and metal matrices were purchased, size-reduced as necessary and directly analyzed three-times for 120 seconds each via FPXRF operated in the Consumer Goods/Test All mode. Subsequently, the same samples were prepared in accordance to SW3050B and analyzed via ICP at an accredited contract laboratory. Side-by-side results analysis indicates …

Treasure In Jars Of Clay: Towards A New Pauline Pastoral Theology Of Mission To Generation Y In Australia, Matthew Brain

Theses

Within the contemporary Australian context, it is evident that the young people who represent Generation Y (born, 1981 – 1995) are not engaged by a Christian faith. This thesis will set out an approach that will seek to re-envisage the transmission of a Christian faith to the members of Generation Y in Australia through a Pauline pastoral theology of mission. Hence, this thesis aims:

1. To provide a theological hermeneutic of pastoral mission that may be a partner in dialogue with other approaches to ministry among Generation Y.

2. To assist the Christian churches in their consideration of some of …

Developing A Virtual City For Emergency Preparedness Planning And Training, Jon K. Morgan

Theses

Existing techniques for emergency preparedness planning and training fail or lack the ability to convey training on a broad scale and timely fashion. Skill sets that are required for planning, mitigation, response and recovery issues are lost through information overload or failure to identify other channels in which to convey the information. In order to resolve some of the issues with currently existing methods such as tabletop training exercises (TTX), instructional video learning and full-scale exercises we can turn to virtual environments.

In a virtual environment teams can interact with their surroundings from the comfort of the office without having …

Mobile Phones As A Social Medium For The Deaf: A Uses And Gratifications Study, Katelyn D. Ecker

Theses

New communications technologies include mobile phones that now provide access to the Internet and text messaging. The present study used the conceptual framework set forth by past uses and gratifications research and shifted focus to the media needs of one specific population: the deaf and hard-of-hearing. Past literature focused on the uses and gratifications of traditional media, but less is known about the consumption of new media by deaf people. Using a convenience sample of hearing and deaf students at RIT, findings from an e-mailed survey instrument showed deaf and hard-of-hearing students were more likely to use instant messaging and …

Internet Dependency, Motivations For Internet Use And Their Effect On Work Productivity: The 21st Century Addiction, Megan L. Hilts

Theses

Past research has studied peoples’ addiction to the radio and television. Today some media scholars suggest that one can become addicted to or dependent on the Internet. The present study compares Internet use among college students and full-time employees to determine differences between those who are dependent and non-dependent Internet users, their motivations for Web sites visited and the effect of dependency on work productivity. The present study discovered that dependent Internet users are more likely to report that Internet use negatively affected their work productivity at both school and work and also reported higher levels of motivation for going …

The Extraction Of Type 1 Collagen And The Fabrication Of Multi-Filament Embedded Hydrogels For Guided Nerve Regeneration, Mevan Lakmal Siriwardane

Theses

Each year, there are approximately 11,000 new cases of spinal cord injury (SCI) in the United States [2]. There have been some success in pre-clinical studies to induce axonal generation, but the reconnection of axons over large distances remains the greatest challenge. Since the development of nerve conduit to facilitate general axonal regeneration, the primary focus has changed to directing the regeneration of axons while also promoting their outgrowth over very extensive lesions to ensure functional recovery of transected nerves during in vitro experiments by using natural materials such as type I collagen, which is the largest constituent of the …

Image’Nation : The Search For A Folk Image Of Ireland In Art And Popular Culture, 1849 To 1949., Ciarán Walsh

Theses

This study considers how visual images became central to the folk imagination of Irishness between 1849 and 1949. It begins with contrasting representations in photography of the Irish in the 1890s. The political/cultural contexts of images of Irishness is established and developed with reference to the juxtaposition of contemporary visual arts, folk song and nationalism in Kilmainham Gaol in 1991. It considers whether distinct cultural systems have historically competed for legitimacy and whether, specifically, art and tradition are incompatible in terms of a nationalist construction of Irishness. The Irishness of Irish art in the nineteenth century, the role of the …

Self-Portrait, Hong Seon Jang

Theses

My primary aim is to investigate and analyze the ways in which my cultural identity as an Asian artist has been shaped, redefined, and recognized, and how my questions of cultural identities cannot be separated from the broader context of major social, philosophical, and cultural exchanges under the guise of 'Globalization.' [...] The thesis project is a continuation of my inquiries about my cultural identity and how my interpretation of others in the concepts of my art practice has been affected by the authoritative standards of art and humanities set by Western powers over the centuries. I seek to understand …

Shopping Motivations And Their Influence On Shopping Experience In Australia And Indonesia, Tjong Budisantoso

Theses

The main focus of this study is on motivation. In particular, the study aims to investigate the relationship between the in-store experience of shoppers and their motivation for shopping. The in-store experience as defined in this study includes the perception of store atmosphere and cognitive responses. Another interest of the study is to test the relationship between cognitive responses and store atmosphere in two different countries. Lastly, this study explores the relationship between in-store experience and store patronage satisfaction, which in turn can influence shoppers’ repatronage intention. All the hypotheses in this study have been tested in Perth, Australia and …

Adjusting The Margins: Building Bridges Between Deaf And Hearing Cultures Through Performance Arts, Luane Davis Haggerty

Theses

This study addresses a gap in scholarship on leadership styles in the Deaf community. There is an invisible style of leadership differing from the mainstream culture that has not been previously addressed in the literature at any depth. My study was composed of three interlocking parts in a sequence that constitutes the practice of anthropology: fieldwork, analysis, and presentation. The foundation for my fieldwork was an “archeology of the structure of the perceived world” (Merleau-Ponty), using the holding environment of the rehearsal process and the structural process of an acting technique called Del-Sign. Del- Sign is a fusion acting style …

Predictors Of Reading Success For Hispanic Children Learning To Read In English, Therese A. Lawson

Theses

The utility of the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) for documenting the reading progress of English Language Learners (ELLs) was investigated. Relationships among the DIBELS measures were explored using a correlational matrix. The predictive validity of the DIBELS for determining later literacy outcomes was assessed via a series of step-wise regressions. Results suggest that the DIBELS are valid for assessing the reading progress of Spanish-speaking ELLs. Growth was seen on all measures and established DIBELS benchmarks were generally met on time. Differing from previous findings, PSF did not positively correlate with NWF for first graders, and only …

Influence Of Teacher Immediacy On Student Evaluations Of Teachers In American And Chinese Classrooms, Wenli Gao

Theses

This study investigated student perspectives on teacher immediacy in American and Chinese classrooms, and the correlation between immediacy and teacher evaluation. Specific immediacy behaviors that are most associated with teacher evaluation among American and Chinese students were also examined. Two hundred seventy-seven university students responded to instruments designed to measure teacher immediacy and teacher evaluation. Chinese students perceived a lower amount of instructor nonverbal immediacy than American students, but there is no significant difference between the two groups on verbal immediacy. Significant positive correlations were found between teacher immediacy and teacher evaluation in both groups. Praising students' work and soliciting …

The Relationship Between Emotional Recognition And Personality Traits, Lyndon A. Mitchell

Theses

This study investigated the relationship between personality traits and the ability to recognize emotions from facial expressions. A sample of undergraduate and graduate students (n = 52) were administered the 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire 5th Edition (16PF-5) (Cattell, 1993) and an abbreviated version of Ekman's Pictures of Facial Affect (Ekman & Friesen, 1976). Pearson product-moment correlations revealed that the personality trait, Apprehension, was associated with the accurate recognition of most of the emotions. Further, regression analyses revealed that the recognition of fear was best predicted by the 16PF factors Dominance, Self Reliance and Apprehension. Personality differences were also identified between …

A Cross-National And Intermedia Study Of U.S. And European Online Newspapers: The Depth And Breadth Of International News Coverage, Yana Terukhova

Theses

This study examines 1 92 newspaper issues by the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Times, the Independent, and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung during one month. The purpose of the study is twofold: to compare depth and breadth of international news coverage (1) by U.S. and European online newspapers and (2) by the printed and online New York Times. A cross-national comparison reveals broader coverage in the U.S. newspapers; the European newspapers offer deeper coverage in hypertext dimension. Based on the content analysis, the online New York Times covers more international news, while the printed edition allocates a larger part …

Analytical And Synthetic Methods For Anatoxins., Janet Crowley

Theses

This thesis is focused on the potent cyanobacterial neurotoxins anatoxin-a (AN), its methyl analogue homoanatoxin-a (HMAN) and their non-toxic dihydro- and epoxydegradation products. In commencing the investigation into this area a literature review was performed in order to identify areas where more research and method development was required (Chapter 1). The review highlighted the fact that although a number of analytical methods had been developed for the analysis of AN, there were few methods for the determination of its potent homologue HMAN and their non-toxic degradation products. As these neurotoxins degrade quickly it is important to monitor their degradation products, …

Revealing At The Unraveling, Marie Florence Griffin

Theses

This thesis paper exhibits the progression of my photographic studies over the last two years at The Rochester Institute of Technology. This thesis paper explains the thought process behind the art work and defines the influences and interpretation within each body of work. Through digital processes the work portrays issues of identity that revolve around the body politic through the dictates of Western culture, particularly advertising, on the body's surface. The images also emphasize the emotional responses resulting from the violence, seduction and manipulation that culture presumes on an individual's identity.