Digital Commons Network^™

Mechanisms Of Neuroprotection Against Retinal Ganglion Cell Loss Using An In Vivo Glaucoma Model, Kevin Heinze

Honors Theses

Glaucoma is an incurable ocular disease characterized by apoptotic cell death and degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), and is one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide (Quigley and Broman, 2006; Quigley et al., 1995). While current treatments are effective at slowing vision loss, glaucoma’s multifactorial etiology has made it difficult for researchers to identify a target for treatment that will permanently halt RGC degeneration. Previous studies have proposed a glutamate-induced excitotoxic mechanism of RGC death in glaucoma, and neuroprotective agents have been investigated to prevent this effect. One agent, acetylcholine, has been shown to initiate pro-survival signaling cascades …

A Holistic Approach To Therapy And Management Of Lower Back Pain, Lauren Ross

Honors Theses

My thesis project is focused on the concept of pain. It is a compilation of input from my intern advisor, a licensed physical therapist, and from my thesis advisor, a professor within the Integrative Holistic Health and Wellness department. It is an exploration of the origin, effects, development, types, perception, costliness and treatments of low back pain, through a holistic, anatomical, neurological and integrative approach. My research is expressed through a thorough power-point project with several diagrams, pictures and information, as well as a research paper containing significant detail.

This thesis project effectively defines what pain is in the body …

The Importance Of Anger Management Programs In Elementary Schools, Brittany Esterline

Honors Theses

Anger is a universal feeling. Everyone feels angry at some point in their life, and maybe even on the daily basis. Although it is often described as a negative emotion, anger is actually a healthy and natural emotion that should be expressed. It is how one responds to their anger that often disguises anger as an unhealthy emotion. Children who never learn to cope with their anger in a healthy way often struggle physically, mentally, emotionally, and academically.

“According to information obtained by the Learning First Alliance, 15 percent of students are only able to fit into an academic environment …

Vive Le Proletariat: The 1968 Revolt Of French Workers And Students, John Duhan

Honors Theses

1968 was a watershed year in terms of social change across the world. While countries behind the iron curtain like Czechoslovakia, Poland and Hungary were fighting for more reasonable government, western countries such as Germany, Italy, the United States, and France all dealt with uprisings from communist student groups. The unique aspect of the French Revolt of 1968, versus similar revolts in places such as The United States, or Germany, was the relationship between college students and members of the French working class.

For this essay I split the French working class into two separate groups: the immigrant workers, and …

God Only Knows: Family In The Films Of Paul Thomas Anderson, Jordan Rossio

Honors Theses

This project looks at the theme of surrogate families in the first three films of director Paul Thomas Anderson, and shows how these films share a common theme. That theme is how these surrogate families that we create can often become more important and powerful than the families into which we are born. The research is drawn from mostly primary sources. These include magazine, newspaper, and television interviews with the director as well as the audio commentaries and behind the scenes documentaries that are featured on the DVDs of the films. The conclusion of this project found how this theme …

Rapid Test For Determining The Presence Of Oleic Acid, Serena Chambers

Honors Theses

Food allergies have a large impact on the lives of millions of people worldwide. More recently, the allergic reaction to peanuts and peanut-related products has become a popular issue since the reaction they cause is one of the most severe. Food related allergies claim roughly 250 lives each year in the United States alone, with peanut related allergies accounting for almost 60% percent of those deaths. This research is designed to produce a rapid test effective in determining the presence of oleic acid, an allergen found in peanut oil. Oleic acid makes up over 50% percent of the peanut oil …

Effective Teaching Practices To Strengthen Outcomes For Students With Emotional Behavior Disorders, Brittnae Cole

Honors Theses

Teachers of students with emotional and/or behavior disorders (E/BD) must use a variety of methodologies and interventions to address the varied academic and behavioral needs of their students (Walker & Gresham, 2013). Students identified as needing E/BD services require specific strategies that are researched based and have been proven to be successful in improving student outcomes (Kauffman & Landrum, 2009; Evans, Harden, & Thomas, 2004). After an extensive literature review from the past 10 years this paper presents some of the most frequently discussed research-based themes and subsequent interventions within the theme areas. The three most cited research-based themes presented …

Who's Your Daddy? A Study Of Extra-Pair Copulation And Mating Behaviors Of Protonotaria Citrea, Morton Catherine Heidrich

Theses and Dissertations

Mating behavior has a profound impact on reproductive success and the resulting genetic structure of offspring. Extra-pair copulation is a widely observed behavior within avian species. This study explored the genetic effects of mating behaviors of Prothonotary warblers, Protonotaria citrea (Parulidae), using co-dominant microsatellite markers. Prothonotary warblers are migratory songbirds that build nests in cavities, commonly found in wetland habitats. A set of artificial nest boxes were initiated by Dr Robert Reilly in 2002 in Dutch Gap, Chesterfield County Virginia, USA, a tidal tributary off the James River. From this population, 28 nest boxes were surveyed yielding 47 adults and …

On Stream Assessment: Human Perception And Spatiotemporal Delineation Of Geomorphic Units, Benjamin Franek

Doctoral Dissertations

The utility of human visual assessments to stream geomorphic unit delineation as part of project work inception has been established in the literature. However, certain issues arise. The impact of flow stage variation on stream geomorphic unit (SGU) distribution is not well known and the relatively short time that is spent conducting a visual assessment is not adequate to sufficiently understand the stream spatiotemporal dynamic. Also, critical assumptions regarding personal proficiency with visual assessments are embraced, yet often go untested. Even more, various disciplines are discordant in the way they identify and define stream units – interpersonal differences lead to …

Dissecting Emotion, Jennifer Lopresti

Theses and Dissertations

My art making approach has enabled me to focus on the connection between our anatomical makeup and the inner workings of the mind. It has been a journey to personally bridge the gap between the two and to make sense of the overlapping functions. Anatomical imagery has lent itself to my exploration into the topics of transformation and social interaction, and the emotions that are tied to these concepts. My body of work consists of mixed media and sculptural pieces. I make use of found objects such as vinyl records, rotary phones, and old black and white photographs. These items …

Social Withdrawal During Adolescence And Emerging Adulthood, Julie C. Bowker, Larry J. Nelson, Andrea Markovic, Stephanie Luster

Faculty Publications

Peer relationships are of central importance for healthy psychosocial development and functioning during childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Peers provide unique opportunities for social-cognitive growth and the development and maintenance of social skills. They also serve as important sources of emotional and social support, can foster positive feelings about the self and others, and function protectively against the effects of interpersonal stressors (Rubin, Bukowski, & Parker, 2006). Without peer relationships, individuals might miss out on developmentally formative opportunities and experiences, such as acquiring certain socially competent skills and behaviors and forming intimate best friendships (Rubin, Coplan, & Bowker, 2009). It is …

Talking Points : December 6, 2013

AHSS Talking Points Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Axiom, Jon Fila, Peter Klinkon

Theses

Axiom is a short narrative video, using live-action and 3D computer graphics to re-interpret the Greek myth of Persephone through the framework of contemporary science-fiction. The aim of the video is to use narrative, approached from a design strategy that thematizes the representational role of 3D computer generated graphics, to raise questions in the minds of thoughtful viewers about the use of genetics and computer simulated worlds in the context of the vulnerable natural environment. The conceptualization of the video is explained, followed by a summary of the production pipeline, and finally an evaluation of the finished piece.

Cfx Analysis Of The Heat And Mass Transfer During The Chilling Of A Lamb Carcass Using A 3d Model, Joseph Hannon, Garrett Keane, Micheal O'Flaherty

Presentations

Lamb meat is a popular red meat which must go through a complex refrigeration process before being served at the dinner table to reduce bacterial growth and retain meat quality. A major disadvantage of chilling is the drip losses which are losses in weight by evaporation of water contained within the meat. The aim of this work is to simulate the conventional chilling process of a lamb carcass using a three dimensional model.

Creating, Sharing And Reusing Learning Objects To Enhance Information Literacy, Philip Russell, Gerard Ryder, Gillian Kerins, Margaret Phelan

Support services (Former ITT) - Articles

From June 2010 until the present, a suite of online reusable learning objects (RLOs) has been created by staff at the Technological University Dublin (ITT Dublin) library covering a range of information literacy (IL) competencies. These RLOs have helped to facilitate student transition from second to third level, advance IL and enrich the student learning experience. The purpose of this paper is to outline the development of these RLOs and how the resources have been shared, reused and repurposed to enhance IL progression. A review of recent literature explores some of the key issues around the creation of digital learning …

Physical Design Of A Smart Camera With Integrated Digital Pixel Sensors Using A 0.13Μm 8-Layer Metal Cmos Process, Mahir K. Gharzai

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The design of cameras has historically kept imagery and computational circuitry isolated in an attempt to maximize image quality by improving pixel pitch and routing density. Although this technique has worked in creating high density arrays of pixels for large resolution imagers, it has never been able to achieve high framerate computational operations.

A radical approach is introduced to solve this dilemma by creating compact, low- power pixel elements with built-in analog-to-digital converters that directly interface with digital logic. These pixels are capable of integrating alongside logic cells and to create an array of pixels inside the processor that can …

2013-12-06, Board Of Regents, Murray State University

Board of Regents Meeting Minutes

No abstract provided.

Journey To The Center Of An Onion: Artist’S Statement, Stanislav Kozadayev

Kaleidoscope: A Graduate Journal of Qualitative Communication Research

Editor’s Note: Stanislav Kozadayev’s article “Journey to the Center of an Onion: Non-Linearity, Composition, and the Layered Account” is intended to be experienced in its fully mediated web-based form. We invite you to access “Journey to the Center of an Onion” online at http://futuretonality.com/ onion; you may also access the article by visiting the Kaleidoscope website— http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/kaleidoscope—to link to Stanislav’s website and to access the article in scripted form.

Living And Leaving Lolita: An Autoethnography Of Identification And Transcendence, Rebecca Murphy-Keith

Kaleidoscope: A Graduate Journal of Qualitative Communication Research

The dominant discourses around Lolita frame her as either an empowered seductress or a passive victim, but neither discourse delves into what it means to be Lolita, what it is like to embody the construct. Using a critical lens and layered autoethnographic account, I invite readers to experience and reflect on what it means to live Lolita. I argue that as an avatar for the present construction of femininity, Lolita operates as a tool of symbolic violence. By expressing the consequences of living Lolita and connecting my narrative to the broader social construction of gender, I hope to challenge the …

Needs Met Through Role-Playing Games: A Fantasy Theme Analysis Of Dungeons & Dragons, Aubrie S. Adams

Kaleidoscope: A Graduate Journal of Qualitative Communication Research

Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) is an immersive fantasy role-playing game (RPG) which allows players to fulfill real-world social needs through interaction. Although D&D may appear to be a game of simple make-believe, the emotions, camaraderie, and accomplishments experienced by players are real, thus suggesting that RPGs have real-world implications for players. Therefore, the goal of this study is to explore the ways in which players fulfill social needs through group communication during the context of D&D table-top role-play. Utilizing Bormann’s (1972) fantasy theme analysis, this study uses a case study approach to identify four themes which emerged within player talk …

The Hero Of Copyright Reform: Exploring Non-Cochlear Impacts Of Girl Talk’S Plunderphonics, C. Austin Mcdonald Ii

Kaleidoscope: A Graduate Journal of Qualitative Communication Research

The history of audio sampling reaches as far back as the phonograph (Miller, 2004). Although many artists have utilized pastiche and collage in their work, few scholars have examined the products, processes, and implications of sound collage. This paper utilizes Kim-Cohen’s (2009) call for “non-cochlear” analyses of sound to examine the career and works of mashup artist Gregg Gillis, or Girl Talk. Kim-Cohen’s (2009) non-cochlear approach asks us to connect “sonic arts to broader textual, conceptual, social, and political concerns” (p. xix). Appropriately, I contend that Girl Talk’s sound collage albums prompt listeners to think in non-cochlear terms regarding progressive …

Performative Tensions In Female Drag Performances, Kathryn Hobson

Kaleidoscope: A Graduate Journal of Qualitative Communication Research

Using an intersectional queer theory lens, I employ critical performance autoethnography to argue that female drag performances do the work of oppression and social justice simultaneously to question whether queer spaces are actually places of freedom and liberation. First, I explore existing literature of drag, female masculinities, and femme-drag performance; second, I detail intersectional queer theory and critical performance autoethnography; third, I offer my autoethnographic narrative from the site of a drag performance because it is imperative for problematizing female drag performance and the perpetuation of whiteness and misogyny in drag performance; finally, I offer remarks for further justification for …

Lines Of Flight: A Rhizomatic Exploration Of Transparency In Three International Humanitarian Sites, Carmen S. Lowry

Kaleidoscope: A Graduate Journal of Qualitative Communication Research

In this essay, I apply a rhizome metaphor to explore the ways transparency functions in three humanitarian sites. Using a case study method, I investigate how transparency functioned in a resettlement program following communal violence in Indonesia, an emergency response program following Cyclone Nargis in Burma, and a gender-based violence program in Sudan. Through my analysis, I suggest that transparency is a communicative act that has both short and long-range implications for all parties involved, however removed, from the research or intervention project.

Front Matter And Editor's Note, Matt Foy

Kaleidoscope: A Graduate Journal of Qualitative Communication Research

No abstract provided.

Moral Turbulence And The Infusion Of Multimodal Character Education Strategies In American Elementary Schools, Mark A. Lamport, Ph.D., Kristi L. Cobb, M.A.

Christian Perspectives in Education

Pockets of American society are marked by increase in violent crime with concurrent decline in moral character. This phenomenon is infiltrating the nation’s school system as evidenced by growing numbers of aggressive incidents in the classroom. As a result, there is an increasingly accepted need for effective character education programs in the schools as a means to help change the décolleté trajectory of the behavior of the nation’s school children. While more money and growing numbers of legislation have been put forth to support such an endeavor, research is still lacking as to what activities, skills, goals, and approaches would …

Faith: A New Component Within Differentiated Instruction, Maude S. Yacapsin

Christian Perspectives in Education

This qualitative study utilized student self-reports to Differentiate Instruction by Faith at a Christian college in central, PA. A brief survey was administered to 21 students. The students were asked to report how they preferred to engage in gracious Christian worship while in class, based on their unique faith practices. Data demonstrates that an even distribution of students (n = 7) reported preferring the practices of public prayer, silent devotion, or inspirational passage readings. Results further support the use of Faith differentiation in the Christian college classroom.

The Need For Redemptive Discipline In The Christian School, Chris P. Taylor

Christian Perspectives in Education

Classroom management and discipline are key components in determining the success of a school. A safe, positive environment increases the potential for quality learning and complete development on the part of every student. However, the resulting behavior of those disciplined is as varied as the systems or methods employed. The aim of this paper is to provide sufficient rationale to support both the subjective probability that a significant difference exists between the recidivism rates of those who are disciplined redemptively and those disciplined punitively and the necessity to conduct future qualitative and quantitative research to validate that theoretical position.

Rethinking Representations Of Sexual And Gender-Based Violence: A Case Study Of The Liberian Truth And Reconciliation Commission, James West

Journal of International Women's Studies

Focusing on forced marriage or the ‘bush wife phenomenon’ as a category of abuse in the Liberian Civil War, this paper seeks to critically assess the Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s analysis of wartime abuses and its representation of sexual and gender-based violence.

Framing Wrongs And Performing Rights In Northern Ireland: Towards A Butlerian Approach To Life In Abortion Strategising, Kathryn Mcneilly

Journal of International Women's Studies

Feminist strategising on abortion has been dominated by a “pro-choice” frame. Increasingly, however, pro-choice discourse is being viewed as inadequate to meet contemporary and complex feminist aims and analyses, in particular due to the individualising ontological framework upon which it appears to be based. The work of Judith Butler is one location where such concerns have been explored and an alternative approach based upon a renewed analysis of the concept of “life” has been asserted. Foregrounding the fundamental precariousness of intersubjective life and opening the socio-political conditions sustaining precarious life to democratic public engagement carries significant implications for feminist strategising …

Doctors And Sheikhs: "Truths" In Virginity Discourse In Jordanian Media, Ebtihal Mahadeen

Journal of International Women's Studies

This article is concerned with the role Jordanian media play in circulating certain discourses on virginity, namely religious and medical discourses, which are presented as "truths" that ultimately maintain the conservative status quo with regards to Jordanian women's sexuality. It is argued that media discussions (on the textual, production, and consumption levels) largely perpetuate patriarchal control over women's sexuality and render invisible more progressive points of view. Simultaneously, critical opinions expressed at any of these levels, while vastly important, operate from within the same discursive fields and are thus rendered less radical.