Digital Commons Network^™

"Falling Hair And Drilling Bone": A Phenomenological Inquiry Into The Lives Of Adolescents Undergoing Chemotherapy, Rudolf Cymorr Kirby P. Martinez

Theses

This study, employing the interpretative phenomenological approach, explored the adolescents' experience of undergoing chemotherapy. Five (5) coresearchers were carefully chosen based on a present criteria set upon by the researcher and are as follows: 1) They are willing to articulate, share, participate, and describe their lived experiences, 2) They have undergone at least the second chemotherapy sessions, either as an in-patient or out patient, as one of their treatment modality for their cancer regardless of its type and severity. And 3) that they are adolescents between 12-18 years of age.

Evaluating The Effect Of Contextual Variables On Discounting Of Health Related Behaviors, Jessica Hubrich

Theses

The present study used a discounting task with differing contextual variables to examine how variables effect discounting between studies and future health related behaviors. Thirty nine participants completed two discounting questionnaires, each included hypothetical food choices paired with a weight loss or stable weight. Participants were instructed to complete each survey based on either their current weight or a gain of 75 pounds, and each survey included two identical hypothetical menu options. One menu incorporated low calorie foods, while the other incorporated moderately healthy foods, and participants were instructed to select the menu they preferred based on weight loss/no weight …

Black Behind The Ear: Using Motion Graphics To Encourage Self-Awareness And Embrace Racial Heritage., Carolina Lopez

Theses

Black Behind the Ear is an animated visual representation of Elizabeth Acevedo’s poem “Hair”. This poem uses hair as a metaphorical element to represent the internalized racism and racial amnesia predominant in the Dominican Republic, a place that owes African slaves for much of the island’s racial, and cultural heritage.

This motion graphics piece intends to encourage self-awareness in a time when embracing one’s culture and race can break the ossified schemes passed through generations about personality standards based on physical attributes. Understanding where one comes from helps people see why certain ideas are worth standing for, and consequently results …

The Soul’S Speaker: Give Your Eyes Some Rest, Fuye Zhang

Theses

The students studying in colleges often fix their eyes on books, on computer screens and archives for a long time to gain knowledge. As a result of this, their eyeballs often turn red out of fatigue. Researches have shown that college students lack the awareness of the benefits of giving their eyes some rest. However, there are few of eye protection advertisements which suggest the need for students to give their eyes some rest. As a designer, I need to let people know the important roles that eyes play in the human body. I feel it is important for designers …

Audialtext: Improving Communication Accessibility For The Deaf Through Automatic Voice-Recognition And Wearable Smart-Technology., Ernest Roszkowski

Theses

Whether you are ordering food at a restaurant, asking for directions, or receiving a phone call from a family member, it is apparent that human communication is an important part of everyday life. Those who are deaf have limited communication accessibility compared to their hearing counterparts, and by default, obtain less public information and face more obstacles during social interactions.

This thesis project will attempt to bridge this communication gap through the exploration of human interactions with user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design. The goal is to design and develop an application concept for wearable smart-technology that will …

Evaluating The Compounding Effects Of Weight Loss And Weight Gain In Choosing To Exercise, Courtney Wilson

Theses

The present study used healthy questionnaires to evaluate the compounding effects of weight loss and weight gain in choosing to exercise. The questionnaire was distributed to 31 participants via social media outlets. Demographic information was also recorded such as height, weight, ethnicity, and income. The height and weight recorded was used to correlate the BMI with the AUC values. This data did not show a strong correlation between body mass index with high or low AUC values, these values were evenly distributed between underweight, normal/average weight, and overweight participants. . The questionnaires designed to assess how people view exercise and …

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy For Children With Autism, Tiffany Thomas

Theses

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pervasive lifelong developmental delay with a prevalence of 1 in 68 children. This growing epidemic occurs for unspecified causes and researchers continue to explore evidence-based treatments available. Parent–child interaction therapy (PCIT) is a parent training program, initially developed for implementation with typically-developing children. PCIT has shown effectiveness in increasing child compliance, minimizing disruptive problem, improving parent-child relationship satisfaction, and communication. The present study investigated the efficacy of PCIT as an evidence-based practice (EBP) for children with ASD by implementing a non-concurrent multiple baseline design across three participants. Results indicated socially significant increases in child …

Living In Place: A Study Of Vitality Through Sense Of Place, Susan M. Wylie

Theses

The built environment can respond to human needs and influence behaviors. An approach to design that grows from essential human conditions arguably is a preferable means of structuring the built world in a responsible and sustainable manner. Although new and innovative building technologies can achieve great strides in sustainability, underlying and fundamental human needs and behaviors may be an equally important source of inspiration and creativity in the built environment.

This thesis addresses social and psychological needs of the aging population in three communities in the vicinity of Rochester, New York. Through understandings of sense of place, the inquiry is …

Integration Of Daylighting Into Educational (School) Building Design For Energy Efficiency, Health Benefit, And Mercury Emissions Reduction Using Heliodon For Physical Modeling, Angela Read

Theses

This thesis examines the concept of incorporating daylight into a school using a heliodon device and Illuminance Rendering in Cloud for Revit software to create a physical and computer model of how the building will function in its given location as a tool to improve the institution’s economy, society, and environment. To properly design the inclusion of natural light in a school building, the climate and weather of the location and the unique timing of occupant use must be considered as daylighting design practices often include concepts that could increase glare or cooling loads. By carefully examining the impacts of …

Indoor Garden, Yuge Wang

Theses

A garden has a similar meaning in different cultures which is an expression of an individual’s or culture’s philosophy. It also has a long history in China. In the past, each Chinese scholar had an intimate garden which was a reflection of their inner world. But this garden culture was tightly connected with the lifestyle at that time. Many people living in modern society feel that they have lost their attachment to a traditional garden, which is too far away from daily life and only can be appreciated in a picture album. As a person who has a great interest …

Re:Act A Three-Way Communication Interactive Design System For School-Family Partnerships, Yoon Jin Lee

Theses

Using interaction design to create conversation to help create a personalized learning environment in and out of elementary classrooms for achieving students’ academic and mental success from a three-way communication between teachers, students, and parents

Many elementary school teachers encounter problems interacting with each student individually. Also, many parents are losing chances to track their child’s development and achievement closely in both physical and mental perspectives because of their busy schedules. There are several web and mobile applications to assist with these issues, but most of those are too focused on grading students’ positive and negative behavior and two-way communication …

Moderators In The Relationship Between Child Maltreatment And Symptoms Of Depression, Sarah Nowalis

Theses

Experiencing child maltreatment is a risk factor for later psychopathology, however, not all survivors of child maltreatment go on to develop mental illness. Therefore, there are likely important moderators that interact with child maltreatment to contribute to the development of psychopathology. The present study examined attachment and stress severity of life events as possible moderators in the association between child maltreatment and later depressive symptomatology in a population of college students. Participants completed measures of attachment, stressful life events, current mood symptoms, and demographic information. An attachment style characterized by anxiety and avoidance, and greater cumulative stress severity were expected …

Wave: Brain-Computer Interface Connection And Biofeedback Monitor, Kurtis Unruh-Kracke

Theses

Over the last couple of years I have had the unfortunate experience of helping a loved one through multiple hospital stays. Anyone who has ever been in a hospital knows it’s not the most pleasant experience one can have. These experiences have lead me to the question of, how do I create a space to optimize and inspire the body, mind, and emotional centers to heal and engage support and community? By using empathy I can create solutions for the most extreme patients and use those solutions for other patients and other situations.

Through interviews with ICU patients, nurses and …

Recent Works: Exploring Connections With Naturally Derived Materials Through The Context Of Art, Edmond Caputo

Theses

Recent Works is a body of art that arrived from my deep connection to the earth and nature. I was born and raised on a lake in upstate N.Y. and my childhood offered me a plethora of stimulation for my senses to receive and appreciate. It is a magical place to discover childhood, to experience as an adult, and one that remains my sanctum sanctorum. Growing up and bearing witness to a fluctuating and fragile ecosystem, where you can experience some of nature’s most triumphant moments and its transitional phases, has revealed itself in a way that has continuously informed …

Seek Another Land, Phillip Leteka

Theses

A family in a country village is tested and torn apart by their own religious fanaticism. A young shoemaker, Eynaud (Matty Oaks), has to stand up against conformity after his sick wife, Çyska (Caroline Duncan), is put through an extreme ordeal by her parents due to their religious beliefs.

The Effect Of Time Spent Using Social Networking Sites Through Smartphones On The Quality Of Undergraduate Students’ Mental Health, Maja Bracic

Theses

The majority of people has already adapted to the unpredictably fast advancements in smartphones’ (SPs) and social-networking sites’ (SNS) technologies by using them on everyday basis (Jena, 2015). Always at hand, SPs are the most preferred way of connecting to SNS and if we add up the addictive nature of both SPs and SNS, young people tend to use them noticeably more than other age groups (Babdi-Akashe, Zamani, Abedini, Akbari & Hedayati, 2014, p. 94). Yet, little is known about the long-term effects of this newborn symbiosis on the quality of mental health. Thus, this research study focuses on exploring …

2-D Electrophoresis Modeling Of Multienzyme Cutting Of Polypeptides, Howard Mayes

Theses

2-Dimensional Electrophoresis is one of the tools in the identification of proteins by molecular weight and pH. The display of molecular weight allows the researcher to quickly identify whether a specific protein or peptide string is in the sample. The pH measurement allows even better resolution between different species in the sample. The MultiEnzyme ElectroPhoresis (MEEP) program tries to model that by providing a graph that displays separated protein strings by both molecular weight and pH. The ability to cleave the protein with 43 different enzyme variations allows the researcher to analyze appropriate enzymes to isolate a protein subsequence before …

The Effect Of Psychological Skills Training On Elite Youth Baseball Hitting Performance, Andrew Hammerlinck

Theses

Psychological skills training continues to grow in popularity amongst athletes and coaches of various levels. However, there is still a lack of research in different populations on the benefits of psychological skills training. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a psychological skills training program on the hitting performance and Athletic Coping Skills Inventory-28 of elite youth baseball players.

A total of 27 participants completed a baseline, pre-test, and post-test hitting test along with pre-test and post-test ACS[-28 measures. A 6-month follow up ACSI-28 and focus group was conducted with 17 of the original participants. The …

An Examination Of The Methods And Practices Applied In The Delivery Of Training In Enterprise Start-Up Initiatives, Maire Vieux

Theses

This study is an examination of the methods and practices applied in the delivery of training in enterprise start-up initiatives. It aims to identify an enterprising approach to learning which can be applied to instill enterprise successfully in enterprise founders. The key questions intrinsic to this research are: to determine the efficacy of the strategies employed by the various stakeholders to infuse entrepreneurial learning throughout the entire programme; and to determine if entrepreneurial learning has a positive impact on the entrepreneurial mind-set and behaviour of participants of enterprise start-up initiatives.

The research proposes a conceptual framework, which identifies key theories …

The Omnichannel Marketplace: A Look At Modern Consumers, Rosa Arnone

Theses

Since the advent of the digital marketplace, marketing techniques to reach consumers have shifted. Traditional media and demographic analysis are no longer the only means for brands reaching consumers. Marketing has now taken an omnichannel approach. This study examined the relationship between the omnichannel consumer, the consumer benefits sought online versus in brick and mortar, and the modern marketer’s approach to omnichannel marketing. It outlines a psychographic and demographic profile of today’s omnichannel consumer, which will ultimately create a more detailed profile for businesses to market across integrated channels ultimately delivering a hybrid consumer experience (HCE). Findings in this study …

What Is The Relationship Between Conflict Management And Employee Empowerment? A Message Design Logic Perspective And Its Importance For Managers And Supervisors, Michelle Maura Fernandez

Theses

This study focused on how conflict management between employees affects employee empowerment. Conflict naturally occurs between individuals, and its management in organizations can result in positive or negative consequences. Employee empowerment influences greater job satisfaction and commitment to organizations. Based on the theory of message design logic, it was hypothesized that employees who employ rhetorical design while managing conflict will experience greater levels of empowerment. The sample consisted of 196 employees at an educational institution who completed a short, online survey. Results showed no relationship between levels of perception of empowerment and message design logic, thus not supporting the hypothesis.

Searching For Color In Black & White: Epistemic Closure, The Rit Archives, And The Colonial Roots Of White Invisibility, Andrew James

Theses

When examining an image, a viewer often focuses on what they see and less often on what they are able to see. Nowhere is this as true, and as problematic, as it is with the visual representation of persons of African descent. This study describes how problematic photographic representation was used as a powerful semiotic tool in the Victorian age conquest of the other, was exported to early Hollywood (creating a lucrative hate-based industry), and was then pushed back into the cultural recesses, settling finally into systemic forms of modern oppression, empowered by the invisibility of whiteness. Images from the …

A Content Analysis Of News Source Characteristics Within Broadcast News Stories Concerning The Financial Crisis Between September 8, 2008 – December 31, 2008, Jennifer L. Freer

Theses

A content analysis was conducted to identify potential differences in the characteristics of sources appearing in stories shown on the three national evening news broadcasts of ABC World News, CBS Evening News, and NBC Nightly News during the first four months of the 2008 Financial Crisis. The names, titles, affiliations, and societal sectors of each on-camera, named individual were identified and analyzed for their differences and frequencies of appearance. The study found the government sector was the most frequently appearing sector, and members of the House of Representatives appeared far more than any other government officials. Though the evening network …

Finding Practical Way To Minimize The Time And Space Needed At The Temporary Donation Places, Reema Aldossari

Theses

This study exploits and describes how to manage donations and send them to the affected people when natural disaster occurs. Throughout my experience in working with some organizations for collecting donations, I found out that there are many problems that harden the goods. Since affected people need the help and the goods immediately, it will take time to reach and be delivered to the people who need them. The process takes a long period of time due to the following reasons: first, the donor ships unsolicited donations and that will consequently waist time and money because no one need them. …

An Exploration Of Rhythm Perception In African Penguins (Spheniscus Demersus), Irene A. Fobe

Theses

Rhythmic properties in penguin vocalizations may be unique to individuals. Rhythm perception is a cognitive ability previously thought to be exclusive to vocal-learning species who have the neurological complexities required to mimic conspecific and heterospecific vocalizations. Discovering rhythm perception in penguins would provide insight on penguins’ ability to recognize kin using auditory cues, and discount theories constraining rhythm perception to vocal-learning animals. The goal of this study was to learn if African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) could perceive changes in rhythm using a habituation-dishabituation paradigm. Subjects were 32-38 African penguins housed at the Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, NY. Penguins were …

Effects Of Olfactory Enrichments On African Cheetahs (Acinonyx Jubatus), Marcus Chas Abston

Theses

AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF MARCUS C. ABSTON, for the Master of Science degree in ZOOLOGY, presented on 18 April 2017, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: EFFECTS OF OLFACTORY ENRICHMENT ON AFRICAN CHEETAHS (ACINONYX JUBATUS) MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Carey Krajewski Environmental enrichment has been an essential part of felid husbandry in zoos, serving to reduce both physiological and psychological stress. Olfactory enrichment is one of many interventions used to prevent stereotypic behavior caused by stress in felids. However, little research has been done on this practice. The purpose of this study was to compare behavioral responses of four …

The Assessment And Etiology Of Novelty Seeking And Rule-Breaking In Young Children, Emma Brittany Diaz

Theses

This study explored the stability and heritability of novelty seeking, defiance, and rule-breaking in early childhood using a twin sample. Parent reports of novelty seeking were assessed at ages 3 and 4, parent reports of rule-breaking were assessed at ages 5 and follow-up (6-16), and observer reports of defiance were assessed at age 5. Results showed that novelty seeking increased between ages 3 and 4, and rule-breaking remained stable from age 5 to follow-up (6-16). All constructs demonstrated significant heritability. Finally, neither novelty seeking nor defiance predicted 5-year-old rule-breaking. Defiance was the only construct that significantly predicted follow-up rule-breaking. Defiance …

Displays Of Jealousy In Dogs, Cassandra D. Beck

Theses

Wolves (Canis Lupis) were domesticated into the common dog (Canis Familiaris) at least 15 thousand years ago. The domestication process changed wolves both physically and neurologically. Dogs now have a unique connection with humans, and display many of the same personality traits and cognitive deficits as humans do. Research by Harris and Prouvost (2014) has suggested that dogs can display jealous reactions. In this thesis, dogs were exposed to either a plastic Jack-O-Lantern stimulus or a plush dog stimulus and recorded their behavioral and physiological reactions to such stimuli. The results show that the majority of the differences in the …

Beauty Or Love, Khorvash Khayati

Theses

Mia is a pretty girl who has attracted many men who present her with empty love only because of her beauty. The film starts with an interior of Mia’s room and then transforms into the past; her memories depict what is in an exterior, outside of her house. She’s dancing and surrounded by many guys. She meets a guy with a hat in the crowd and likes him because he doesn’t try to show off to get her attention. Men start fighting over her; during the fighting, they forget about her. She accidentally gets injured in the middle of the …

Instruments Of Generation, Bradley Dunn

Theses

This Thesis is a study into possible outcomes on products from recent trends in business culture, virtual and physical tools, and marketing and sales.

We will first look at our changing economic and political systems. The situations provide insight into the way goods are produced, by whom they are produced, and the general mood of consumers insights. From there we will consider how changing tools and strategies may lead to similar changes in how we design. And finally we will consider research in customer choice in a world of abundance.

My own explorations into different product sets will attempt to …