Digital Commons Network^™

Professional Learning Networks, Teacher Beliefs And Practices, Brent J. Anderson

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Helping teachers develop the habits of mind and pedagogical skills to improve student achievement has been a challenge for schools and school leaders. Online professional learning networks (PLNs) are a means of allaying the barriers to collaboration. This study utilized social constructivist learning theory and self-efficacy theory to explore the relationship among frequency of teacher collaboration via PLN and teachers' sense of efficacy and adoption of best instructional practices. Study participants were teachers from throughout the United States who participated in education-related Twitter chats. The participants completed an online survey that was embedded in a tweet. The survey instrument included …

Social Bonds, Cardiovascular Function, And Serotonin : Insights From An Animal Model, Neal Daniel Mcneal

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Social relationships positively influence psychological and biological function in humans and other mammals. The disruption of an individual's social environment through separation or death often results in social isolation, which can adversely impact mental and cardiovascular health (Frasure-Smith, Lesperance, & Talajic, 1993; Gore, 1978). The general purpose of this experiment is to further investigate neurobiological mechanisms mediating the adverse effects of social stress and focused on the role of serotonin in that relationship. An animal model was used to simulate social stress in humans. Specifically, the goal of this study is to explore the effects of sertraline hydrochloride (Zoloft) on …

Development Of An Extraction Method For The Mass Spectral Analysis Of Organic Gunshot Residue From Clothing, Brent Casper

Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry

This dissertation will focus on the extraction of volatile organic compounds associated with gunshot residue from articles of clothing, followed by analysis with mass spectrometry. During the discharge of a weapon, a cloud of volatile organic gunshot residue (OGSR) is dispersed around a firearm. This will create a high probability of transfer between the OGSR and the clothing of individuals who are near a discharged weapon.

The first part of this dissertation will be the development of a method for removal of volatile OGSR from articles of clothing. Extraction of OGSR will be completed by solid phase microextraction (SPME), followed …

Nanoparticle Behavior In Biological Gels And Biofluids: The Impact Of Interactions With Charged Biogels And The Formation Of Protein Coronas On Nanoparticles, Xiaolu Zhang

Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry

With the rapid growth of nanotechnology, situations where nanomaterials will interact with biological systems will unquestionably grow. Therefore, it is increasingly understood that interactions between nanomaterials and biological environments will play an essential role in nanomedicine. Biological polymer networks, including mucus and the extracellular matrix, serve as a filter for the exchange of molecules and nanoparticles. Such polymer networks are complex and heterogeneous hydrogel environments that regulate transport processes through finely tuned particle-network interactions. In chapters 3 and 4, we investigate the role of electrostatics on the basic mechanisms governing the diffusion of charged molecules inside model polymer networks by …

Sushi And Sashimi: The Contaminated Bacteria And Helminthes, The Guidelines, Prasert Saichua, Amonrat Jumnainsong

Asian Medical Journal and Alternative Medicine

Sushi and sashimi are the fashionable dishes in Thailand over the last decade. The consumers believe that marine fish and other ingredients are the low calorie food and have various dietaries such as omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, proteins and vitamins. However, several countries reported that the health risks of consuming sushi and sashimi are bacteria and helminthes infection. The contamination of these pathogens has been reported from many areas. In this paper, the illness from contaminated sushi and sashimi are reviewed. Additionally, the guidelines to control the quality in each step of sushi and sashimi preparing are noted. This paper …

Writing Against The Ethos Of Individualism : A Study In Contemporary Multiethnic American Fiction, Manahari Adhikari

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Drawing from existential philosophy, neuroscience, and social psychology, in Writing Against the Ethos of Individualism: A Study in Contemporary Multiethnic American Fiction, I investigate the representation of the self in fictions by Bharati Mukherjee, Leslie Marmon Silko, Maxine Hong Kingston, Sandra Cisneros, and Toni Morrison. I argue that these writers imagine the lives of their fictional characters in terms of the phenomenology of existence and reveal how subjective experiences and personal relationships influence who these characters are and who they become. In imagining a self's authentic ontology in relation to others, multiethnic writers not only write against the dominant narratives …

Biomolecule Localization And Surface Engineering Within Size Tunable Nanoporous Silica Particles, Daniel M. Schlipf

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Mesoporous silica materials are versatile platforms for biological catalysis, isolation of small molecules for detection and separation applications. The design of mesoporous silica supports for tailored protein and biomolecule interactions has been limited by the techniques to demonstrate biomolecule location and functionality as a function of pore size. This work examines the interaction of proteins and lipid bilayers with engineered porous silica surfaces using spherical silica particles with tunable pore diameters (3 – 12 nm) in the range relevant to biomolecule uptake in the pores, and large particle sizes (5 - 15 µm) amenable to microscopy imaging

The differentiation of …

Nanomechanical And Scaling Behavior Of Nanoporous Gold, Nicolas J. Briot

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Nanoporous metals have recently been drawn significant interest in various fields of research. Their high surface-to-volume ratio present a strong potential for applications in sensing, catalysis, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) and even in the medical field. However, the mechanical properties of nanoporous metals have not yet been well determined, as conducting mechanical tests was found to be challenging. Scaling relations linking the mechanical properties of porous materials to those of their dense counterparts are successfully and widely used for many porous metals. However, their applicability to nanoporous metals have recently been questioned, as estimations from the classic scaling relations were found …

Fundamental Studies Of Surfactant Templated Metal Oxide Materials Synthesis And Transformation For Adsorption And Energy Applications, Saikat Das

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

This work addresses fundamental aspects of designing templates and curing conditions for the synthesis of mesoporous metal oxide thin films. The first section addresses selection of cationic-carbohydrate surfactant mixtures to synthesize templated silica thin films for selective adsorption of simple carbohydrates based on molecular imprinting. Nuclear magnetic resonance and fluorescence spectroscopy results suggest a novel structure for mixtures of alkyl glucopyranosides or xylopyranosides with cationic (trimethylammonium) surfactants. Despite thermodynamically favorable mixing, the carbohydrate headgroups in the mixed micelle adopt an inverted configuration with their headgroups in the micelle core, and therefore are inaccessible for molecular imprinting. This orientation occurs even …

Synthesis, Structure, Properties And Applications Of Nanoporous Silicon And Palladium, Xu Jiang

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Nanoporous (np) materials with pore size below 100 nano-meters exist naturally in biological and mineral structures, and synthetic np materials have been used industrially for centuries. Np materials have attracted significant research interest in recent decades, as the development of new characterization techniques and nanotechnology allow the observation and design of np materials at a new level. This study focuses on two np materials: nanoporous silicon (np-Si) and nanoporous palladium (np-Pd).

Silicon (Si), because of its high capacity to store lithium (Li), is increasingly becoming an attractive candidate as anode material for Li ion batteries (LIB). One significant problem with …

Interfacial Engineering Of Biomass Hydrolysis By Cellulase Enzymes And Mechanistic Modeling Of Hydrolysis Of Cellulose Substrates, Ravinder Kumar Garlapalli

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Lignocellulosic biomass is a sustainable and renewable energy resource that can be converted to fuels and other commodity chemicals, but this conversion is currently limited by its recalcitrance to enzymatic degradation. Because of this recalcitrance, the major challenges in the commercialization of enzymatic hydrolysis processes are the relatively low hydrolysis rates, limited cellulose conversion under some conditions, and high cost of enzymes.

Enzymatic hydrolysis is influenced by the structure of the biomass after pretreatment and the mode of enzyme action, but has also been shown to be enhanced by surfactant additives. The objective of this work was to elucidate the …

An Exploration Of College Student Experiences Regarding Healthy Eating At A Midsized Midwestern University: A Qualitative Approach, E. Jordan Stayer

Masters Theses

This study was an exploration of the experiences college students have while eating in on-campus dining centers at a midsized, Midwest, public university. The present study examined college students' (n = 7) experiences of eating in the dining centers with a campus meal plan. Participants were asked a series of questions regarding their individual beliefs, their surrounding environment, and their physical behaviors while dining.

The study concluded that dining habits are very personal to each and every human being in the world. At the higher education level, because each student brings with them a completely different taste, desire, and …

Unhindered Triangulene Salt Pairs: Substitution-Dependent Contact Ion Pairing And Complex Solvent-Separated Discotic Ions In Solution, Subrahmanyam Modekrutti

Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry

This work sought to enforce aromatic interactions between compatible π-molecular orbital systems with ionic bonding. In this case the interacting partners are oppositely charged discotic triangulene derivatives. The observed properties of the heterodimeric ion-pairs likely arise due to a hypothetical synergy between electrostatics and π-interactions. The work presented here describes investigation of putative covalency arising from this hypothetical synergy in the electrostatics driven π-stacking. In order to probe this, various hypotheses were made and experiments were designed to test their validity. The results from the experiments show existence of contact ion-pairs and complex solvent-separated discotic ions in solution. The formation …

Multi-Locus Phylogeny Of The Afrotropical Freshwater Crab Fauna , Savel Regan Daniels Phd, E E. Phiri, Sebastian Klaus Phd, C Albrecht, Neil Cumberlidge

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

New Collections Of Freshwater Crabs From Northern Madagascar, With The Description Of A New Species Of Foza Reed & Cumberlidge, 2006 (Brachyura, Potamonautidae), And Comments On Their Conservation Status, Neil Cumberlidge, Sebastian Klaus, Kirstin S. Meyer, Jennifer C. Kroppin

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

A Multi-Species Approach To Elucidating The Ecological Function Of Primate Geophagy, Brandon Semel

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Geophagy, or soil consumption, is a behavior observed across a broad diversity of vertebrate species, yet the factors driving this phenomenon remain elusive. Studies of sympatric species that exhibit significant differences in diet can help elucidate the ecological basis of geophagy. Five distinct hypotheses were tested using sympatric species that may best explain the benefit of soil consumption in primates: antacid relief, plant secondary metabolite (PSM) adsorption, parasite mitigation, alleviation of diarrhea, and nutrient supplementation. I conducted observations of diademed sifakas (Propithecus diadema) and common brown lemurs (Eulemur fulvus) in primary rainforest habitats of Tsinjoarivo, Madagascar. I studied animals of …

A Phenomenological Analysis Of Gender Integration Policies In The U.S. Military, 1980 To 2013, Tiffany L. Bohm

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This project investigates the gender integration policies of the U.S. Military between 1980 and 2013. I argue that gender integration policies highlight male service members and create a status of privilege. Policies enacted during the 1980s and 1990s recognized that in a technologically advanced military, more women could be used to fill roles previously reserved for men, yet women were prevented from filling every position and in some cases, faced discrimination. Male privilege was perpetuated through gender integration policy that used specific kinds of language, thus reinforcing the preferred masculine or male identity in the military. While in other instances, …

Assessment Of Urinary Methylmalonic Acid Levels In Older Adults On Proton Pump Inhibitors, Tashia Sue Warner

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Background: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) affect gastric acid secretion. The use of PPIs in the elderly population (>70 years old) may increase the risk of vitamin B12 deficiency because gastric acid is needed for vitamin B12 digestion and absorption. However, it's unclear whether adults ages 50--70 years old that use PPIs chronically are at risk of vitamin B12 deficiency. Objective: To determine whether chronic use of PPIs results in increased urinary methylmalonic acid (uMMA) levels in adults ages 50--70 years old, indicating vitamin B12 deficiency. Methods: Fifteen men and women who had been taking PPIs daily for a minimum …

Autistic Texts And Textual Accounts Of Autism : The Interdependence Of 20th - And 21st - Century Science And Literature Through The Rhetorical Phenomenon Of Autism, John Joseph Marinan Iv

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

In this dissertation, I illustrated how throughout the 20th and 21st centuries the science community has officially identified and objectified autism: first, by connecting it with psychoanalysis through schizophrenia; second, by creating other categories such as infantile autism and Asperger syndrome that focused on psychological and medical factors; third, by pointing to Theory of Mind applications that emphasized brain chemistry; and finally, by tracing recent theories of morphology relating to mirror neurons and rapid early brain growth. Despite attempts to define autism as a diagnostic term imbued with empirical qualities, the process of writing about it also created autism as …

Bayesian Sample Size Determination For Some Anova Designs And Regressions, Devi Chitra Lakshmanan

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Sample Size Determination is an important tool in the design of experiments. Researchers often need to choose an appropriate sample size to arrive at a precise and accurate conclusion. Researchers prefer the Bayesian approach over the frequentist approach for sample size determination because it allows for uncertainty about model parameters. In Bayesian Sample Size Determination, given an appropriate model and various sample sizes, data are simulated from the model to learn how the resultant posteriors will behave for various sample sizes. Then, the minimal sample size needed to achieve the results with pre-fixed accuracy is chosen. In this thesis, two …

Development Of A Specific-Use Power Converter To Efficiently Supply A Mems-Type Actuator With The Energy Produced From A Glucose Fuel Cell : A Preliminary Investigation Into Future Development Of An Artificial Muscle Cell, Kurk Macphearson

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The objective of this thesis is to develop a theoretical power converter that is capable of powering a MEMS type electrostatic microactuator from the power provided by a glucose fuel cell. The proposed converter is to serve as an investigation into the possibility of developing an artificial muscle cell that is able to draw energy directly from the sugar in human blood and convert it into linear motion. The ultimate intent is to develop an actuation approach envisioned to drive active prosthetics that are permanently attached to the human body in the effort to eliminate the need for external power …

Development Of Synthetic Strategies To Afford Products With Biorenewable Carbon And Synthesis Of Superelectrophilic Intermediates As Well As Various Preliminary Studies, Sean P. Mc Ilrath

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This thesis describes two main areas of research. The first is the development of synthetic strategies to afford products with biorenewable carbon. Biodiesel has been widely accepted as a plausible alternative to replace petroleum based products for transportation purposes. These bio-based diesel fuels are commonly referred to as fatty acid methyl esters (FAME's), because of the long fatty acid hydrocarbon chain that is attached to ester functionality. The ability to modify FAME's allows for an improvement in properties such as density, viscosity, volatility, and gelation points simply by incorporating increasing degrees of unsaturation, shortening carbon chains, and adding aromaticity which …

Effects Of Weight Training And A Whey Beverage On Muscular Hypertrophy And Strength In Trained Males, Anthony Edward Nielsen

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Background: Ingestion of protein beverages post resistance exercise have been shown to increase muscle mass and strength.;Purpose: The purpose of this investigation was to compare whey protein to whey/carbohydrate supplementation during eight week concentric/eccentric resistance training to determine if one beverage was superior in promoting muscular strength and hypertrophy than the other.;Methods: Twenty resistance-trained males participated in this study and were randomly assigned to either a whey protein or whey/carbohydrate beverage following an 8-week concentric/eccentric resistance training protocol. Seventeen subjects completed all testing and were included in the statistical analysis. Muscle strength was assessed by a one-rep maximum on the …

Empire Of The Scene : Film Adaptations Of The Novels Of J. G. Ballard, Scott R. Stalcup

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study examines primarily the adaptations of J. G. Ballard's novels Empire of the Sun and Crash, directed respectively by Steven Spielberg and David Cronenberg. An overview of the production histories, the contrasts between the films and their source texts, and the reception by audiences, as well as Ballard himself are addressed. In addition, the study examines lesser-known/less available adaptations of Ballard's writing, specifically Sam Scoggins' take on The Unlimited Dream Company, Solvieg Nordlund's adaptations of "The Low-Flying Aircraft" and "Thirteen to Centaurus," Jonathan Weiss' The Atrocity Exhibition, as well as looking ahead to the Ben Wheatley-helmed High-Rise currently in …

Ecological And Evolutionary Invasion Dynamics Of Lonicera Maackii (Amur Honeysuckle) In Relation To White Oak Savanna Restoration Management At Nachusa Grasslands, Illinois, Usa, Shannon R. Mccarragher

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This interdisciplinary research explores the ecological impacts and underlying evolutionary mechanisms associated with the spread of Lonicera maackii (Amur honeysuckle), one of the most aggressive and abundant invasive species throughout the Midwest United States. The main goal of this research is to better understand how the encroachment of Amur honeysuckle impacts the Midwest native Quercus alba (white oak) population in a Nature Conservancy oak savanna restoration project (Nachusa Grasslands) located in Lee County, Illinois, USA, with particular focus on mechanisms required for successful oak regeneration and recruitment (i.e. carbon assimilation, soil quality, soil moisture/ temperature, and plant available nutrients). This …

Characterization Of The Putative 14-3-3 Protein, Arta, In Aspergillus Flavus, Beatriz A. Ibarra

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The Aspergillus genus includes species which cause beneficial effects, while others are detrimental, among them, the opportunistic plant and animal pathogen Aspergillus flavus. A. flavus is a known producer of mutagenic and carcinogenic mycotoxins denominated Aflatoxins (AF). Aflatoxin contamination on agriculturally important crops such as maize, peanut, sorghum and tree nuts leads to numerous health issues and economic losses worldwide. We have identified a 14-3-3 homologous gene in A. flavus, artA. In this study we show that artA regulates morphological development and secondary metabolism. The artA deletion mutant presented a decrease in vegetative growth and an increase in conidial production. …

Build Mytune : Children's Reflective Practice During Music Creativity Processes, Chia-Pao Hsu

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The current study examined how components of reflective practice interplay with children's music-making and sharing processes. This study employed a qualitative approach with 11 children who played classroom instruments and researcher-designed computer programs (Build MyTune I and Build MyTune II) while attending music classes. Information pertaining to the participants' music creativity processes and products, peer interactions, visual representations of their music/works (i.e., drawing artifacts), and interview responses about their thoughts and processes were collected and analyzed. The themes associated with the children's creativity and knowledge sharing processes were merged into four stages: Stage I: making sense of tools, Stage II: …

Boron-Based Nanostructures : Synthesis, Functionalization, And Characterization, Eyrusalam Kifyalew Bedasso

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Boron-based nanostructures have not been explored in detail; however, these structures have the potential to revolutionize many fields including electronics and biomedicine. The research discussed in this dissertation focuses on synthesis, functionalization, and characterization of boron-based zero-dimensional nanostructures (core/shell and nanoparticles) and one-dimensional nanostructures (nanorods). The first project investigates the synthesis and functionalization of boron-based core/shell nanoparticles. Two boron-containing core/shell nanoparticles, namely boron/iron oxide and boron/silica, were synthesized. Initially, boron nanoparticles with a diameter between 10-100 nm were prepared by decomposition of nido-decaborane (B10H14) followed by formation of a core/shell structure. The core/shell structures were prepared using the appropriate precursor, …

Cfd Analysis Of Blood Flow Through Stenosed Arteries, Narmada Surigala

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The pathological complications of atherosclerosis, namely heart disease and stroke, remain the leading cause of mortality in the world. Cardiovascular illness is highly prevalent among the American population. One manifesto of cardiovascular disease is Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) which is caused by atherosclerosis in the arteries. Atherosclerosis is a vascular disease that reduces arterial lumen size through plaque deposition and arterial wall thickening. The flow patterns in the arteries are highly modulating along with the cardiac cycle and a strong function of the waveform created by the heartbeat. In this study, a computational simulation model is developed to analyze blood …

Developing A Personal Guiding Theory Of Counseling : A Qualitative Exploration, Amy L. Barth

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative research study explored how counselors experience the development of a personal guiding theory of counseling. How counselors define their personal guiding theory, what factors have influenced their development, and how they incorporate their personal guiding theory into their counseling with clients was examined. Thirteen participants were recruited through reputational and snowball sampling. All participants held at least a master's degree in counseling, were a licensed counselor in their state of practice, and had at least 10 years of counseling experience. Participants engaged in a 2-part interview process following Seidman's Interview Structure. Portraiture methodology was used to analyze the …