Digital Commons Network^™

A Quantitative Study Of Teachers’ Experiences With And Preferences Toward Technology-Facilitated Professional Development, Michael Lee

Theses and Dissertations

This descriptive qualitative study was designed to understand better California K-12 teachers' experiences with and preferences toward technology-facilitated professional development. The issue is that there have been some changes in professional development since COVID-19 and are these changes with technology-facilitated professional developments effective? The conceptual framework for this study uses professional development as it explains organized learning and structure with the help of the TPACK model to help teachers in their practice and instructional strategies. Four primary research questions guide this study: 1) What types of professional development have California K-12 teachers participated in since 2020? 2) How do California …

A Narrative Discourse On Large Global Corporations And Modern Slavery In Complex Supply Chains, Bonnie Nixon

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation asks to what extent, if at all, large global corporations are addressing modern slavery in their complex supply chains. Many companies publicly report that they are addressing human rights topics such as modern slavery in their complex supply chains using traceability, transparency and accountability frameworks and tools, public communications, stakeholder dialogue, auditing, etc. The researcher explored narratives in academic, governmental, corporate, and non-governmental organization reports, media publications, websites, and videos to determine whether the corporations are addressing modern slavery in complex supply chains. Using systematic review methods and tools, the researcher also analyzed medical and engineering profession ethical …

Taking Risk As A Storyteller, Megan Liguori

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Trust In E-Commerce And Its Impact On Digital Marketing Strategies, Akshay Tailor

Theses and Dissertations

Background: The rise of e-commerce has transformed consumer behavior, with trust playing a critical role in determining the success of online platforms. Prior research suggests that privacy and security concerns, as well as transparency and social proof, significantly affect consumer trust in e-commerce. This study aimed to investigate how strong security measures, privacy safeguards, and social media marketing initiatives influence consumer trust and purchasing decisions in e-commerce environments.

Methods: A survey was conducted with 232 students from Illinois State University, focusing on key factors such as privacy protection, security, transparency, and social proof. The survey used a Likert scale to …

Afford To Empower Women? The Effects Of State Capacity On Women’S Rights, Shakiba Bakhtiari

Theses and Dissertations

While the existing literature on women’s rights has extensively studied the effects of international norms and regimes’ strategic choices on advancing women’s rights across time and space, the research on the effects of state capacity on women’s rights promotion has been strikingly limited. In this paper, I argue that the robustness of state institutions is a prerequisite factor for advancing women’s status irrespective of regime type and international incentives. Since high-capacity states possess higher ‘infrastructural power’ to devise complex policies, enforce the laws, and monitor unlawful activities, they are more likely to advance women’s rights and gender equality policies than …

Carotenoids And The Associations With Gut Microbiota Bacterial Populations In Chronic Kidney Disease Hemodialysis Patients, Andrea Kendall

Theses and Dissertations

Background: With increased prevalence and mortality of chronic kidney disease (CKD), treatment by renal replacement therapy using hemodialysis (HD) has increased in parallel. Emerging evidence suggests that gut microbiota play an important role in the progression of CKD; influential dietary factors have not been studied exhaustively to date.

Objective: To explore the relationships between dietary carotenoid intake, the abundance of specific gut microbiota, and symptom-related outcomes in patients with CKD on HD.

Methods: This cross-sectional study investigated the gut microbiota characteristics relative to carotenoid intake in CKD subjects on HD in central Illinois (n = 20). The Block Dialysis …

Enhancing Marketing Education Through Gamification: Learners’ Characteristics And Motivation In Gamification Strategies, Jagannath Kharel

Theses and Dissertations

The study investigates how the personality traits of marketing students influence their engagement with gamification elements and the resulting learning outcomes. Additionally, it explores how gamification, guided by Self-Determination Theory, enhances these outcomes, and motivates university marketing students. One hundred eleven respondents participated, testing eight hypotheses: seven examined the Big Five traits' influence on attitudes and engagement. At the same time, the final used the self-determination framework to analyze motivation in gamification. Respondents with openness and extraversion favored using gamified learning materials, with no gender differences observed. The study found that gamified learning elements, such as rewards, feedback, levels, challenges, …

Associations Between Physical Activity And Academic Achievement In Young Adolescents, Alex Wolfe

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the associations between physical activity and academic achievement among young adolescents. A secondary aim of this study was to analyze differences in physical activity and academic achievement by SES and race/ethnicity. The sample consisted of 30 middle school students (10 boys and 20 girls) between the ages of 11.0- and 14.9-years. Partial correlation coefficients were calculated to examine the relationship between physical activity and academic achievement while controlling for SES and race/ethnicity. 2 x 2 factorial analysis of covariance were utilized to examine the differences in SES and race/ethnicity groups, as well as interactive effects within physical …

A Disconnected School: Why Vertical Alignment Is Not Used To Better Transition Students From Middle To High School (A Qualitative Study), Timothy Revels

Theses and Dissertations

The project focuses on one school – The Carrie Anderson School (TCAS) in Medellin, Colombia which is a private bilingual school that has American accreditation and is one of the most popular and well-regarded schools in the country. The idea for this project started with observation of TCAS ninth grade students and how they struggled during the first half of their freshman year in high school. At that time the school did not have vertical alignment between their middle and high schools. Data was collected from the school using student grade data, faculty surveys, and faculty interviews. The data shows …

An Examination Of Students Perceptions And Achievement Results In Co-Taught High School Math Courses, Joy Bacino

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examined student perceptions about the impact of their math class on their learning and compared these perceptions across co-taught and single taught classrooms and IEP status of students. Student perceptions across groups indicated some differences. Of significance is students with IEPs in co-taught environments shared less favorable comments regarding their learning and reported learning more previously in their single-taught classrooms. End of course exam scores and PSAT scores were also compared and a significant difference between the ends of course assessment scores for non-IEP students within the single taught classroom and IEP students within the co-taught classroom was …

Communication Supports To Enhance The Community Participation Of Young Children With Complex Communication Needs: A Utilization-Focused Evaluation, Amy L. Yacucci

Theses and Dissertations

This utilization-focused evaluation study aimed to describe augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) supports to enhance communication accessibility for children with complex communication needs in a children’s museum. Utilizing feedback from museum staff and parents of children with communication disabilities, the study sought to identify practical strategies to improve the effectiveness of AAC supports in creating more inclusive community spaces. A utilization-focused evaluation framework (Patton & Campbell-Patton, 2022) guided the assessment of embedded-aided communication supports within the museum, ensuring that findings were relevant and actionable for stakeholders. The evaluation revealed three key insights: (a) the importance of communication access through multiple …

Exclusion Disguised As Access: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Postsecondary Disability Service Websites, Lavonne Ciezadlo Kopca

Theses and Dissertations

College students with disabilities are an overlooked minority population. However, they comprise an ever-increasing student population in postsecondary institutions. Yet students with disabilities do not persist or graduate at rates similar to their able-bodied peers. People with disabilities have historically been viewed as a low-status group and have been excluded from various social, educational, and economic benefits of citizenship. This study used a critical theoretical lens of social dominance theory to explore ways that higher education may be complicit in perpetuating discrimination and inequities through policies or discourse found in the content of student disability and diversity office websites. Key …

African American Administrators’ Experiences As They Pursue And Transition Into Higher Education Senior Administrative Roles At Four-Year Predominantly White Institutions, Andre Allen

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the experiences of African Americans as they pursued and transitioned into senior administrative roles at four-year predominantly white institutions (PWIs). Insights were drawn from eight participants who held or had held positions such as president, vice president, provost, assistant vice president/provost, and dean.

From in-depth interviews with participants, their experiences were categorized into the overarching themes of career navigation, racial adversity, professional development, and voices of experience, all of which were deeply interconnected through their respective subthemes. In career navigation, subthemes such as empowered by belief and purposeful positioning emphasized the importance of self-confidence, strategic timing, …

Illuminating Function And Enabling Inhibition At The Protein-Membrane Interface Of Glutathione Peroxidase 4., Courtney L. Labrecque

Theses and Dissertations

Membrane proteins act as gateways to cells and are responsible not only for signaling, lipid transport, and cellular homeostasis, but they are also integral in disease pathologies. One class of membrane proteins, peripheral membrane proteins (PMPs), reside in aqueous compartments of the cell until they are recruited to the membrane to perform their function. Glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPx4) is a PMP enzyme responsible for engaging the membrane and reducing lipid hydroperoxides, thereby preventing cellular death via ferroptosis. Due to its central function surrounding ferroptosis, GPx4 is an interesting drug target that has recently gained interest for inflammatory diseases as well …

Latent Profiles Of Child Coping And Perception Of Experience Processes To Predict Long-Term Symptoms Of Depression, Intrusive Grief, And Suicidality Outcomes In Parentally Bereaved Children, Rebecca Hoppe

Theses and Dissertations

Childhood bereavement is a significant public health issue and the most distressing form of childhood trauma. The death of a parent can disrupt the course of a children's development and potentially predispose them to enduring adverse mental health outcomes, such as depression, intrusive grief, and suicidality. Recognizing grief as a dynamic process, theories have suggested that children’s unique coping and perceptions of experience can contribute to variations in individual adaptations to the death and the onset of mental health problems. The goals of this study were to (a) use latent profile analysis to empirically group recently bereaved children into distinct …

Advanced Synthesis And Rational Design Of Support Structures For Nobel Metal Heterogeneous Catalysis: Towards Enhanced Activity And Continuous Processes, Brian R. Clark

Theses and Dissertations

The field of catalysis has a wide-ranging impact. Our group has identified the constant need for improved catalytic activity in high-impact applications such as hydrosilylation and cross-coupling reactions. For these reactions, precious metal catalysts often exhibit markedly better performance than their counterparts, but they can be a significant process cost that decreases overall economic efficiencies. To address this challenge, we explored support structures that can enhance catalytic activity at low metal loadings and improve precious metal recovery through simple filtration. We found that a platinum on graphene nanoplatelet catalyst (PtGNP) synthesized via strong electrostatic adsorption with microwave irradiation (SEA-MW) exhibits …

An Application Of Cfd To Support The Development Of Treatment Strategies And Technology For The Management Of Cystic Fibrosis In Pediatric Patients, Morgan L. Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

Inhaled medications are a key treatment modality in multiple lung-related diseases and disorders. Considering children with cystic fibrosis (CF), improvements in the delivery of aerosol antibiotics have the potential to better eradicate bacterial lung infections, preserve lung function and thereby further extend lifespans and quality of life. The overall objective of this dissertation was to expand and validate CFD models for predicting the deposition of pharmaceutical aerosols throughout the airways and apply these models to understand the targeted delivery of inhaled antibiotics to children with CF. To accomplish this goal, three contributions were made. First, CFD methodologies for modeling aerosol …

Advanced Manufacturing Methods To Produce Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Via Parametric Control Of Crystallization, Michael Scott

Theses and Dissertations

Crystallization of pharmaceutical APIs controls the particle size, shape, and purity, all of which have direct effect on the performance and safety of the medicine. In recent years, the push to develop and understand continuous processes has enveloped the scientific community in drug manufacturing research, for both chemical reactions and crystallizations. Continuous crystallization is a relatively new field in pharmaceutical sciences and engineering. Utilization of steady state operation, combined with a depth of process understanding, enables crystallization to become a science rather than an art. Process development strategies and their results are presented for four unique active pharmaceutical ingredients in …

Considering Personal And Professional Identities: The Collaborative Experiences Of School Speech-Language Pathologists, Imani Evans

Theses and Dissertations

My three-paper dissertation explored the interrelatedness between two critical issues in special education: interdisciplinary collaboration and sociocultural identity. I examined both through the perspectives of one discipline of specialized instructional support personnel (SISP). In the first paper, I conducted a systematic literature review examining the current empirical evidence on speech-language pathologists’ (SLPs) collaboration in schools. A key takeaway from the literature review was the need for qualitative research to better understand the depth and breadth of collaborative experiences. In the second paper, I utilized an exploratory qualitative design and pilot data to discuss school-based SLPs’ shared collaborative experiences, identifying common …

Calcium Permeability Of Rat Trpv1 In A Close State When Expressed In Xenopus Laevis Oocytes, Zinnia Adhikary

Theses and Dissertations

Transient Receptor Potential V1 (TRPV1) is a nonselective cation channel, which is expressed in nociceptors/ pain detecting receptors. Activated by a wide variety of exogenous and endogenous physical and chemical stimuli such as heat, TRPV1 is involved in temperature detection, body temperature regulation, and pain perception. It is generally accepted that TRPV1's conductance to cations, including Ca2+, depends on its conformational change from a closed to an open state following gating. In the current study, I observed that the plasma membrane of Xenopus laevis oocytes, upon exogenous expression of rat TRPV1, exhibited weak permeability to Ca2+, as evidenced by the …

Searching For Novel Mutations That Regulates The Mouse Polycystin-2 (Trpp2) Ion Channel, Akhilraj Rajan Pillai

Theses and Dissertations

Polycystin-2 (PC2) is an ion channel belonging to the polycystin subfamily of the transient receptor potential (TRP) cation channel superfamily. Mutations in PC2 are associated with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), one of the most common genetic diseases in humans. Despite extensive studies over the past decades, the role of PC2 in normal and ADPKD kidneys remains largely unknown, and the activation and regulation of this ion channel are elusive. To gain a better understanding of the structure and function of the mouse PC2 channel, this study focused on generating five pore mutations in a gain-of-function (GOF) mutant of …

Illustrating The Fantastic: Cross-Writing Illustrations In British Children’S Literature Of The Golden Age, Stephanie Montalti

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation argues that British children’s literature of the Golden Age addresses children and adults through their illustrations. It considers why the nineteenth century experienced a proliferation in fantasy and illustration, as well as why Golden Age children’s texts appeal to mixed-age audiences. Through an application of the term “cross-writing,” I argue that the Golden Age of children’s literature did not think of audiences in a binary manner, as some children’s literature scholars tend to assert. Instead, they used the dual mode of textual and visual narration to complicate the boundaries between childhood and adulthood. I also offer an original …

Exploring The Dual Role Of Vegf165 In Bleomycin Induced Lung Injury And Recovery In A Aav Mice Model, Igor Ban

Theses and Dissertations

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) poses a significant challenge in respiratory medicine due to its complex etiology and progression characterized by excessive lung scarring, leading to compromised pulmonary function. The multifaceted roles of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A (VEGF-A) and specifically its isoform VEGF-A165 are critical in this context, given their involvement in angiogenesis, lymphangiogenesis, and tissue repair. The dual nature of VEGF-A165, promoting angiogenesis and potentially exacerbating or mitigating fibrosis, underscores its significance in both the progression and recovery phases of PF. Our work, explores the nuanced functions of VEGF-A165 using AAV1 as a gene delivery vector to overexpress this growth …

A Quality-By-Design Approach For The Development Of Inhalable Dry Powders For Tuberculosis (Tb) Treatment, Suyash M. Patil

Theses and Dissertations

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb), remains a pressing concern globally. The emergence of drug-resistant strains and the need for prolonged treatment regimens continue to complicate disease management. Innovative therapeutic strategies are urgently required to enhance treatment efficacy, improve patient adherence, and minimize adverse effects. Toward this, strategies involving use of drug combinations, reducing dosing frequencies, and targeting TB-infected cells are gaining attention. In my dissertation, we explored the combination therapy involving two FDA-approved anti-TB drugs, Bedaquiline (BDQ) and Pretomanid (PTD). The BDQ-PTD combination reduced minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), compared to individual drugs and demonstrated additive/synergistic effects at 1:4 …

Role Of Edaravone Nanosuspension In Preterm Labor And Birth Outcomes, Sruthi Sarvepalli

Theses and Dissertations

Annually, preterm birth (PTB) affects fifteen million infants, posing a significant risk of infant mortality and lifelong disability. Among various triggers, it is well-established that infection-associated oxidative stress and inflammation can induce preterm labor. There is no FDA approved medication for the prevention of PTB except tocolytics which provide marginal benefit at a later stage. Scarcity of therapeutic intervention and unmet medical need propelled us in investigating a novel drug molecule. Our current research is focused on investigating the potential of Edaravone (EDA), an FDA-approved antioxidant and anti-inflammatory medication, in delaying preterm labor and improving neonatal outcomes. Our goal is …

Therapeutic Intervention Of Neuroinflammation In Alzheimer Disease By Inhibition Of Classical Complement Pathway Using Anti-C1r Loaded Exosomes, Terjahna Richards

Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease associated with memory decline and cognitive impairment. It is a growing global health and socioeconomic concern, affecting more than 50 million people worldwide. Current therapeutics focus solely on symptomatic management instead of preventative or curative strategies. This is mainly a result of the complexity of the pathophysiological mechanism and the poor understanding of the disease progression. Recently, studies have focused on bridging knowledge gaps giving rise to substantial evidence on the vital role of neuroinflammation in the progression of AD. Neuroinflammation has been shown to be a precursor to apparent amyloid plaque accumulation …

Hjp 272, An Endothelin Receptor Antagonist, And Its Role In Cancer Cell Migration And Invasion, Nabeela Fatima Baig

Theses and Dissertations

Endothelins are a family of versatile peptides composed of 21 amino acids with three isoforms: ET-1, ET-2, and ET-3. As the most abundant of the three isoforms, ET-1 is involved in various biological processes, such as regulation of vascular tone, humoral homeostasis, and neural crest development. However, focus is now being directed towards investigating the functions of the Endothelin axis in the progression of different tumor types including ovarian, prostate, breast, lungs etc. HJP 272 is a novel ETAR antagonist and while our group has previously researched its effects on lung inflammation and preterm birth, this study marks the first …

Characterizing The Role Of Epigenetic Regulator Menin In Pediatric Neuroblastoma Growth Using Pre-Clinical Models, Rameswari Chilamakuri

Theses and Dissertations

Epigenetic regulators such as Menin and MLL1 drive cancer progression, metastasis, and relapse. MLL1 forms a COMPASS complex with its binding partners, including Menin, to function as an epigenetic enzyme H3K4 methyltransferase. H3K4 methyltransferases are known to promote cancer stem cells' (CSCs) self-renewal capacity and metastasis. CSCs are one of the major causes of tumor relapse and metastasis conditions, ultimately leading to poor overall patient survival. Neuroblastoma (NB) is an extracranial solid tumor that accounts for 8-10% of all pediatric cancers, and approximately 50% of patients display metastasis at the time of diagnosis. In this study, we hypothesized and used …

Realizing The Role Of Interdisciplinary Practices In Psycho-Educational Assessment For Learners With Special Education Needs/Disabilities In Guyana, Keon Cheong

Theses and Dissertations

A growing number of students are referred to special education sectors. With the growing numbers, there is a need for structures and systems to be in place to ensure that the least restrictive environment is used while ensuring that learners are adequately placed based on their abilities. This challenge is heightened in the Global South. In the Caribbean, few countries have legislation to address disabilities, and in locations where there is legislation, it is either outdated or not enforced. This dissertation conducts a systematic review using 60 studies to compile comprehensive research-based information about interdisciplinary practices, specifically in the psycho-educational …

New York City’S Health Governance And Activism From The 1950s To The 1970s, Andres Valcarcel

Theses and Dissertations

New York City's expansive network of hospitals and preventative health services has an intense history outside of the popular narratives of biomedical and technological advancement. This thesis will discuss the period between the 1950s and 1970s and the various movements and parties that shaped the city's health and hospital system. During this period, New York City's healthcare delivery system became increasingly privatized and commercialized; processes that improved the quality of healthcare yet simultaneously barred the poorest from accessing it. Communities, healthcare workers, and civil rights organizations worked to address perceived faults and extend their agency in health and hospital policy; …