Digital Commons Network^™

Be With Me: Well-Being And Singling Contact; The Moderating Role Of Autistic Traits, Michelle Lupien Lieber

Theses and Dissertations

Sibling contact (synchronous or asynchronous) in young adulthood may have implications for individual well-being (health, life satisfaction & depressive symptoms). This link may be moderated by each individuals' traits, specifically autistic characteristics. Current literature has examined sibling contact, mediums of contact, autism relationships, but has yet to consider sibling contact moderated by autistic traits. This study analyzed data from 390 young adults 61% female, mean age = 25.65) who gave self-reports over two collection waves. Structural Equation Models found that regardless of autistic traits, synchronous contact was linked with increased life satisfaction as well as lower depressive symptoms, and asynchronous …

Nutritional Messaging: To Eat Or Not To Eat?, Christina Triptow

Theses and Dissertations

There is a great deal of diet-specific processed foods on the market today. With so many options it can become difficult for consumers to decide what products to purchase. This situation is further intensified by the plethora of contradictory messages found in food advertising, especially in weight loss and dieting food advertising, but also seen in government nutrition campaigns and all over the internet on platforms like social media, blogs, and so forth. These messages can be confusing and frustrating for consumers as they try to decipher which foods they should eat to reach their health or weight loss goals. …

Virtual Advertising In The Nba: How Arousal Level And Visual Attention Alter Brand Recall And Recognition, Caleb H. Porter

Theses and Dissertations

During the 2020 season, the NBA implemented, for the first time, the use of virtual advertisements. Virtual advertisements are digitally superimposed ads directly on the court that are visible to anyone viewing the broadcasted version of a game. This study used eye-tracking and galvanic skin response (GSR) in conjunction with the limited capacity model of motivated mediated message processing (LC4MP; Lang, 2006a) to a) determine virtual advertising's effectiveness compared to traditional in-stadium advertising and to b) monitor the effect emotional arousal has on advertising recall and recognition. A sample of 176 fans of the Utah Jazz viewed one of four …

Osteoarthritis And Cartilage Insult: Elucidation Of Molecular Interplay And Attempted Interventions, Brandon James Rose

Theses and Dissertations

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common and incapacitating joint disease beginning with breakdown of articular cartilage and extending into subchondral bone. At present, the processes through which the disease occurs are poorly understood, and interventions are limited to pain relief and eventual joint replacement. OA is commonly associated with obesity and corresponding pathologies, and as OA is demonstrably not a product of passive erosion of cartilage over time or under increased loads there must needs be some other mechanistic link between the two conditions. We hypothesize that the production of ceramides, a hallmark of the insulin resistance syndrome underlying many obesity-related …

The Use Of Nucleotide Salvage Pathway Enzymes As Suitable Tumor Targets For Antibody-Based And Adoptive Cell Therapies, Edwin J. Velazquez

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the progress made in cancer research, cancer remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Although the development of new cancer treatments has improved cancer patients' survival rate, a significant number of patients experience refractory and recurrence events with serious side effects. It is known that the immune system actively participates in eliminating cancer. However, cancer cells can develop mechanisms to evade the immune system resulting in immunotolerance. Immunotherapy aids the patient's immune system's ability to recognize and eliminate cancer cells. During the last three decades, immunotherapy has gradually emerged as an effective and more specific approach to …

The Inhibition Of Valproic Acid-Induced Negative Neurodevelopmental Outcomes Through Nrf2-Mediated Redox Regulation, Ted Brenton Piorczynski

Theses and Dissertations

Valproic acid (VPA) is a commonly prescribed antiepileptic drug that causes negative neurodevelopmental outcomes, including neural tube defects (NTDs) and neurodevelopmental disorders, in fetuses exposed to it. While the exact mechanism by which VPA causes defects is unknown, research has shown that VPA increases the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that lead to redox dysregulation. We hypothesize that VPA causes negative neurodevelopmental outcomes through the disruption of redox-sensitive signaling pathways that are critical for proper embryonic development, and that protection from the VPA-induced redox disruption may decrease the prevalence of the observed defects. Time-bred mice were treated with 3H-1,2-dithiole-3-thione …

Improving Water Quality Through Reducing Agricultural Nutrient Loss: Field Pennycress As A Cover Crop, Mujen Wang

Theses and Dissertations

Agricultural nutrient loss through water runoff from the Upper Mississippi (UM) River Basin is one of the major contributing sources to the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic dead zone. Cover cropping has been identified as one strategy for farmers to use to reduce nutrient loss from their fields. However, the upfront costs and slow economic return of implementing cover crops prevent farmers from widely adopting traditional cover crops.Field pennycress (Thlaspi arvense) is an emerging potential “cash cover crop” species that may provide the soil and environmental benefits of traditional cover crops and the economic incentive farmers need to widely implement cover …

Size Structure And Intraguild Interactions Between Two Ambystoma Species, Gwyneth Daunton

Theses and Dissertations

Intraguild interactions affect population and community structure through a combination of competition and predation. Changes in size structure influence intraguild interactions by affecting the strength and direction of these species’ interactions. I tested for size-structured intraguild interactions in temporary pond ecosystems between marbled salamanders (Ambystoma opacum) and tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum) using an outdoor mesocosm experiment. I hypothesized that 1) A. opacum survivorship and growth would be negatively impacted when both species start at a similar size because tiger salamanders grow faster and are more aggressive 2) A. tigrinum will grow slower and have lower survivorship …

Measuring Optical Water Quality Parameters Using An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ( Uav )-Based Multispectral Sensor, Lake Bloomington And Evergreen Lake, Jerome Michael Komas

Theses and Dissertations

Surface drinking water infrastructure is an integral part of the development and sustainability of societies around the world. However, these surface freshwater resources have been a challenge to monitor due to the vast number of in-situ samples needed to accurately quantify constituents, expenses of equipment, coordination of personnel, and laboratory costs. Lake Bloomington and Evergreen Lake (Hudson, Illinois) are two vital surface water features that serve as the drinking water reservoirs for the Bloomington, IL. Both reservoirs are within agricultural watersheds, with watershed inputs typically being high in turbidity and nitrate.

We utilized an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) coupled with …

Mirrors To The Soul: Elementary Preservice Teachers’ Critical Reflections Of Situating Race, Racism, And Antiracism Within The Literacy Curriculum, Marian Cunningham

Theses and Dissertations

Research that engages preservice teachers in critical reflective practices may reveal the level at which they understand and confront their own biases when addressing race within the institutions and societies they interact. This study was conducted to understand the depth in which elementary preservice teachers critically reflect on their own racialized experiences and beliefs and how they situate race within the literacy curriculum through the lens of critical race theory. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 preservice teachers. Findings indicated that preservice teachers believe antiracist themes should be integrated into literacy. However, due to lack of exposure, limited coursework, and …

Modelling Physico-Chemical Properties Of Binary Nano-Alloys By Nano-Thermodynamics And Machine Learning, Luke David Geoffrion

Theses and Dissertations

Nanoscience and nanotechnology are some of the fastest growing fields of materials science that have given impact to several fields of science including biology, medicine, and catalysis. These applications take advantage of several properties of nanoscale materials that are present at sizes below 100 nm namely the increased surface to volume ratio. From a theoretical point of view, nanoscience research is dominated by Density Functional Theory and Molecular Dynamics. These techniques dominate for good reason, but are not without their own limitations due to their computational complexity which results in very long calculation time to complete on materials whose size …

The Effects Of Victimization And Trauma On Well-Being, Physical Health Nutritional Habits, And Resting Heart Rate (Rhr) Based On Gender And Sexual Orientation, Mary Hannah Hughes

Theses and Dissertations

There is a well-established and growing body of research dedicated to understanding the influence of past victimization on physical health outcomes. Consequently, knowledge on identifying how past victimization types influence each domain of physical health and if these outcomes differ by gender and sexual orientation remains largely absent within literature. Therefore, the purpose of the following study is to expound upon victimization literature by examining the physical health outcomes associated with different victimization types and to examine how these factors differ by both gender and sexual orientation with regard to victimization type (personal, property, and stalking). Guided by both life-course …

Make America Kill Again: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Donald Trump’S Necropolitical Representations Through Conjunctural Use Of Twitter During His Presidency, Zach Thornhill

Theses and Dissertations

The presidency of Donald Trump set the stage for new forms of rhetoric that shaped national perceptions of different groups. Operating in different conjunctural moments, Trump used his Twitter account as a weapon to repetitively vilify different racial identities. Through negative representations of Black Lives Matter protestors and immigrants, Trump created a culture of incivility and hatred. Using these negative representations, Trump created necropolitical conditions that justified violence in the United States. This thesis will be a critical discourse analysis that examines how Trump was able to create the culture of incivility during his presidency.KEYWORDS: conjuncture, necropolitics, representations, rhetoric, nationalism

I Got Two Versions: Frank Ocean, Lil Nas X, And The Rhetoric Of Progressive Masculinity In Rap Music, Evan William Lobdell

Theses and Dissertations

Rap music serves as one of the most popular genres of music worldwide. Despite its popularity and influence, the genre has often been criticized for its inclusion of misogyny and homophobia. Frank Ocean and Lil Nas X, two Black queer male rappers, are introducing a new style of masculinity to the genre that is centered on a blurring of the masculine and feminine. Through a rhetorical analysis of the lyrics, music videos, and live performances of “Nikes” by Frank Ocean and “Industry Baby” by Lil Nas X, this thesis characterizes progressive masculinity, its impact on understandings of masculinity in rap, …

Characterization Of Adaptations That Confer Increased Resistance To High Salinity In Brine Shrimp, Jasmine Hatcher-Moorman

Theses and Dissertations

Brine shrimp (Artemia salina) are osmoregulators that survive in ~4.5 M salt. Osmoregulating organs in brine shrimp are predicted to mimic a mechanism of osmoregulation in teleost fish involving NKA, NKCC, CFTR-like Cl- channels, and sodium-specific transport through tight paracelleular tight junctions in gut and gill epithelia. Pharmocological studies of low and high salt adapted brine shrimp show that key transporters involved in teleost fish osmoregulation are also vital to brine shrimp survival in hypersaline environments. Artemia express two Na/K pump isozymes formed by different α-submits associating with a common β-subunit. A “normal” α-subunit (α1NN) or a special α-subunit (α2KK) …

Behavioral And Physiological Effects Of Heavy Metals On Fish: A Review And Preliminary Results, Diana V. Morales

Theses and Dissertations

Pollution, specifically heavy metal pollution, in various bodies of water has been a significant issue for decades. Research has been conducted on heavy metals and their effects on the environment, larger fish species, and humans since the 1970s (Skidmore, 1964; Adeniyi et al., 2007; Adeosun et al., 2015; Bawuro et al., 2018). It is known that zinc is a neurotoxin in some species and causes harm to the environment. It is also known that it causes harm to people if it is ingested or if they are exposed to it for long periods of time (Mahurpawar, 2015; Mizuno and Kawahara, …

A Qualitative Inquiry Of The Body Project On College Campuses In Illinois, Maria Ross

Theses and Dissertations

Negative body image is a social and psychological concern that plagues many young women in the United States and has a strong relationship to the onset of eating disorders. One outcome of past research done on body dissatisfaction and eating concerns has been the implementation of peer-led prevention programs such as The Body Project and More Than Muscles that address negative body image and disordered eating. These programs target the sociocultural factors that contribute to eating and body image issues on college campuses. This study uses interviews supplemented by ethnographic fieldnotes and content analysis to describe and evaluate the implementation …

The Association Among Parental Perceptions And The Childhood Obesity Epidemic, Ian C. Washington

Theses and Dissertations

AbstractPurpose: The current study seeks to evaluate factors that are related to parental perception from parents who have children between the ages of 2-12 years old. Data was collected on parental perception of their child’s weight status, activity level, and sedentary level based on screen time to assess if these factors are associated with increased child BMI. Methods: Parents with children were invited to participate in a Qualtrics survey that was distributed via email, parental Facebook groups, and social media platforms. Inclusion criteria included being a parent of a child between the ages of 2 and 12 years old. One-way …

Plasticity In Female Incubation Behaviour Mitigates Effects Of Experimentally Increased Nestbox Temperature On House Wren Nestling Growth And Survival, Paige Anne Farchmin

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, temperatures have increased globally, and by different amounts locally. As local climates change and temperatures increase, nestlings from a variety of bird species are exposed to the threat of increased oxidative stress, producing adverse effects on growth and survival of offspring. One defence against oxidative stress is to increase the dietary intake of antioxidants. I tested the hypothesis that experimental heating of house wren nests during the incubation period leads to increased oxidative stress in offspring. I predicted that experimental heating of nests would lead to decreased growth and survival of young, but that these negative effects …

The Relationship Between Eating Behaviors And Weight Cycling Among College Students, Kayla Valluzzi

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the factors that contribute to diet and weight control behaviors and the presence of weight cycling among college students.

Study Design Students at Illinois State University were invited to participate in a Qualtrics survey distributed via email. Inclusion criteria included being a current student at the university between the ages of 18 and 24. The study population (N= 351) included participants with an average age of 20.5 years old (SD= 1.7). Preferred gender included 267 (76.1%) females, 75 (21.4%) males and 9 (2.6%) non-binary identities.

Results The majority of participants were …

Improving Capture Methods For Neonate Ungulates, Matthew T. Turnley

Theses and Dissertations

The capture of neonate ungulates has played an integral role in studies of habitat selection, phenology, survival, and other topics of ecological interest. However, neonates can be difficult for researchers to locate and capture. Neonate ungulates are born in habitats with reduced visibility, frequently spend time in a concealed, prone position, and may display cryptic coloration. In an attempt to improve researchers' likelihood of locating and capturing neonate ungulates, multiple capture methods have been developed. Much remains unknown about biases associated with capture methods and how to further improve capture methods once biases are understood. Our objectives were to determine …

Aiming To Please: Navigating Intersectional Realities, Priscilla Kar Yee Lo

Theses and Dissertations

As a product of a Chinese immigrant family in North America, I was perpetually reminded to be practical about my future. But after over a decade as a health care professional, I began to feel dissatisfied with the direction of my life. I turned to creative outlets to find a voice and to explore my identity as a female of colour. To create work as an act of remembrance of the collective intersectional adversity minority women continue to face. I was drawn to glass because it is inherently paradoxical, constantly in a state of fragility and permanency. This mirrors the …

Faculty Voices In Faculty-Led Programs Abroad, Tara M. Augspurger

Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on the experiences and perceptions of faculty members who develop and lead study abroad programs for students enrolled in higher education institutions. Through qualitative case study inquiry, four questions are answered. First this study explores what motivates faculty members to become involved in the development and implementation of short-term study abroad programs. Second, faculty identify what was involved in creating and leading the short-term, faculty-led program including what obstacles they encountered and how they overcame them. Third, these faculty shared their perceptions of what students gained from participating in the program. Finally, this study investigates what institutions …

The Relationship Between Interparental Conflict, Family Attachment Style, And Young Adult Emotion Regulation, Kaylee Enevold

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to explore the relationship between interparental conflict, family attachment style, and young adult emotion regulation. Family attachment anxiety and avoidance (i.e., mother, father, and sibling) were expected to moderate the relationship between interparental conflict and young adult emotion regulation, such that better quality of mother, father, and sibling attachment anxiety and avoidance would indicate a weaker association between interparental conflict and difficulties in emotion regulation. There were 397 individuals from Illinois State University aged 18 to 22 who participated in the online survey. Three hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to determine if …

Evaluation Of A High School Wellness Center, Malka S. Moya

Theses and Dissertations

High school students are often burdened with academic, home, and peer stressors. With adolescent mental health issues and suicide on the rise, administrators have worked with nonprofits and the community to solve these problems. School-based wellness centers are tranquil rooms for students to decompress for up to 20 minutes during the school day with various sensory activities, calming nature scenes, and sounds for relaxation purposes. Wellness centers are meant to be a haven for self-regulation so students can come back to class with a calmer frame of mind. So far, there has not been a formal evaluation of school-based wellness …

Understanding The Pathogenesis Of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Using A Caenorhabditis Elegans Model, Kiley Hughes

Theses and Dissertations

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an x-linked degenerative disease that affects one out of every 3,500 males. This disease is produced by loss of function mutations in the dystrophin gene that results in the absence of the dystrophin protein from muscles and other tissues. Loss of dystrophin leads to progressive muscle weakness, loss of ambulation, and premature death. At the cellular level, patients present with increased sarcoplasmic calcium, loss of sarcomeric integrity, and mitochondrial damage. There is no cure for DMD. Understanding the progression of the disease and developing effective treatments has been hampered by lack of animal models able …

The Effects Of Curricular Change On Student Learning And Well-Being In Biomedical And Clinical Education, Rachel Jalaire Tomco Novak

Theses and Dissertations

The implementation of curriculum change, and innovative pedagogical theory, can help educators and administrators in higher education further the learning gains of students in the sciences. But the introduction of new methods of teaching, or curricular restructuring, can be interpreted by students differently, potentially affecting students' emotional states as well as their relationships with peers. To support not only the learning of students, but also their emotional and social well-being, pedagogical and curricular theory should be enacted in ways that take into consideration the full scope of the student experience. In this dissertation, the implementation of curriculum and pedagogical theory, …

Cognitive Biases In Perfectionism: Attention Bias And Memory Bias For Perfectionism-Relevant And Negative Stimuli, Elizabeth Mary Marsh

Theses and Dissertations

Research suggests there are biases that affect cognitive processes such as attention and memory in affective disorders (Everaert et al., 2020; Grant et al., 2020) and traits associated with these disorders, such as perfectionism (Besser et al., 2008; Howell et al., 2016; Tonta et al., 2019). However, very limited research exists on the relationship between attention and memory bias in perfectionism. The aim of the current study was to examine to what extent cognitive biases exist and how they are related in perfectionism. I combined a dot probe task to measure attention bias with a recognition task to measure memory …

Thermal And Hormonal Effects On Gene Expression And Development In The Red-Eared Slider Turtle, Rosario A. Marroquin-Flores

Theses and Dissertations

Sex determination refers to the process by which cues from genes (genotypic sex determination) or environmental conditions (environmental sex determination) trigger bipotential gonads to develop into either ovaries or testes. Temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) is a well-studied form of environmental sex determination in reptiles. The red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans) exhibits a form of TSD where cool incubation temperatures produce males and warm incubation temperatures produce females. In species with TSD, gonadal differentiation is regulated by network of genes and hormones that induce male or female development. TSD is most frequently studied in the laboratory using constant male and …

Exploring Learning Classifier System Behaviors In Multi-Action, Turn-Based Wargames, Garth J.S. Terlizzi Iii

Theses and Dissertations

State of the art game-playing Artificial Intelligence research focuses heavily on non-symbolic learning methods. These methods offer little explainable insight into their decision-making processes. Learning Classifier Systems (LCSs) provide an alternative. LCSs use rule-based learning, guided by a Genetic Algorithm (GA), to produce a human-readable rule-set. This thesis explores LCS usefulness in game-playing agents for multi-agent wargames. Several Multi-Agent Learning Classifier System (MALCS) variants are implemented in the wargame Stratagem MIST: a Zeroeth-Level Classifier System (ZCS), an extended Classifier System (XCS), and an Adaptive Pittsburgh Classifier System (APCS). These algorithms were tested against baseline agents as well as the Online …