Digital Commons Network^™

Mennonite College Of Nursing Annual Report, 2015-2016, Mennonite College Of Nursing

Annual Reports - Mennonite College of Nursing

Annual report of the Mennonite College of Nursing at Illinois State University

Mennonite College Of Nursing Annual Report, 2016-2017, Mennonite College Of Nursing

Annual Reports - Mennonite College of Nursing

Annual report of the Mennonite College of Nursing at Illinois State University

Wireless Communication Integrated Active Noise Control For Infant Incubators, Ajit Kolla

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Noise problems have become more and more severe with an increase in use of medical equipment such as ventilators, oximeters, alarms, etc in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). These have a severe impact on the physiological and behavioral state of the infants. The concept of a feedforward active noise control (ANC) system using the filtered-x least mean square (FxLMS) algorithm is applied to reduce the noise levels in NICU. In this thesis, various key variables related to the ANC sysrem for infant incubator are assessed in order to evaluate their effect on the performance of the system. The size of …

Three Essays On Democratic Capital And Per Capita Income, Raymond S.K. Attawia

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The correlation between incomes and democracy is well documented, but the exact nature of the relationship and direction of causation, if any, is still being debated. The empirical conceptualization of democracy to include the accumulation over time of social and political infrastructure upon which economic policy is devised and implemented is a novel and promising approach. We present three essays that extend our understanding of the relationship between democracy, expressed as "democratic capital," and economic growth.

Avian Haemosporidian Parasites From The Brazilian Amazon, Jeffrey Andrew Bell

Theses and Dissertations

Birds possess the most diverse assemblage of haemosporidian parasites, including three genera, Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon. Currently there are over 200 morphologically identified avian haemosporidian species, although the true diversity is unknown, due to high genetic diversity and insufficient sampling in highly diverse regions, such as the Neotropics. Brazil, specifically the Brazilian Amazon supports the world’s highest avian diversity and expected equally diverse yet undescribed community of avian haemosporidians. This study includes the largest sampling of avian haemosporidians in Brazil, and the first large scale survey of the Brazilian Amazon. A total of 4521 blood samples were collected from 447 …

Identification And Characterization Of A Putative Populus E3 Ring-H2 Ubiquitin Ligase That When Over-Expressed Is Correlated With Insect Resistance To Orgyia Leucostigma, Justin Burum

Theses and Dissertations

Insect herbivory is a major stress on plants that results in significant economic losses to forest plantations and natural forests. In response, Populus have evolved a suite of constitutive and inducible defenses to deter insect feeding. Despite advances in technologies and the sequencing of the Populus trichocarpa genome, defensive pathways against insect herbivores are poorly understood. With the creation of activation tagged (AT) Populus we can use a forward genetics approach to identify genes involved in insect resistance (IR). To explore the genetic architecture of tree defenses, we conducted a forward genetics screen of AT Populus tremula x Populus alba …

Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (Stem) In Higher Education From The Perspective Of Female Students: An Institutional Ethnography, Laura Parson

Theses and Dissertations

A persistent disadvantage for females is systemically embedded in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education in postsecondary institutions. As a result, undergraduate women majoring in STEM fields face a uniquely difficult path; yet, for the most part, recommendations made and supported in the literature have focused on recruitment of women to STEM fields or on ways to make women more successful and comfortable in their STEM major. These recommendations have so far proved to be insufficient to remedy a gender gap and serve to replicate the existing male hierarchy. In order to truly make the STEM classroom one in …

Integration Of Multispectral Camera Systems For Enhanced Visualization Biological Studies Using Uas, Subin Shahukhal

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to enhance visualization of warm-blooded animals and analyze the vegetation in which they are located using a camera system mounted on Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). The results are coherently displayed in a single image at the same spatial location so that biologists will have accurate animal counts along with vegetation conditions. Application of aerial imagery has been used to analyze the vegetation health and determining the number of the animals by the wildlife service. However, a major obstacle of the research is to combine the two imaging systems to obtain the same spatial image …

A Comparative Analysis Of Associate And Baccalaureate Degree Respiratory Therapy Programs' Preparation Of Graduates For Entry Into The Profession, Christine Sperle

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to increase the understanding of the factors that contribute to or detract from the educational preparation of graduates between associate (AD) and baccalaureate degree (BD) respiratory therapy programs through the use of graduate and employer survey ratings, Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credentialing success, and document analysis of various institutional and program mission, course content, and goals.

This study employed quantitative analyses to compare the perceptions of AD graduates and their employers with the perceptions of BD graduates and their employers regarding the educational program’s ability to prepare graduates for entry into the profession. Graduate …

A Localized Autonomous Control Algorithm For Robots With Heterogeneous Capabilities In A Multi-Tier Architecture, Jeremy Straub

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation makes two contributions to the use of the Blackboard Architecture for command. The use of boundary nodes for data abstraction is introduced and the use of a solver-based blackboard system with pruning is proposed. It also makes contributions advancing the engineering design process in the area of command system selection for heterogeneous robotic systems. It presents and analyzes data informing decision making between centralized and distributed command systems and also characterizes the efficacy of pruning across different experimental scenarios, demonstrating when it is effective or not. Finally, it demonstrates the operations of the system, raising the technology readiness …

Burnout, Autonomy, And Job Satisfaction In Full-Time Public Community College Faculty Members: A Regional Survey And Analysis, Justin W. Berry

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceived levels of burnout, autonomy, and job satisfaction in full-time public community college faculty members; it was also of interest to determine potential relationships between burnout, autonomy, job satisfaction, and demographic factors. Participants in this study were 146 full time faculty members from twelve public community colleges within Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Measures in this study assessed perceived levels of burnout, autonomy, and job satisfaction. Independent samples t-tests and Pearson correlations were utilized to analyze data.

Results indicated that full-time public community college faculty members have moderate levels of …

The Evolution Of Institutional Mission In Social And Historical Contexts At The University Of North Dakota: 1883 – 2016, Stacey Leigh Borboa-Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

The University of North Dakota, a liberal arts institution founded in 1883, has a mission statement that speaks directly to present-day societal needs and norms. While staying true to its founding object, the mission has specific focus on science, technology, health and diversity. These areas speak directly to national and global economic and societal needs. In order for public institutions to secure funding, they have to respond to legislators and taxpayers; they must respond to current trends. This research looks at the University of North Dakota’s evolving mission, from founding in 1883, to present-day 2016. The research focuses on institutional …

Motivations In Exercise, Amanda Dufner

Theses and Dissertations

College students exercise for a variety of reasons, but specific differences in their motivations and perceptions have not been extensively studied. PURPOSE: The main purpose was to see if students whose primary reason for exercise is to lose fat (FATCON), gain muscle mass (MUSC), or maintain health (HLTH) had differences in their exercise motivations, social physique anxiety, and body image self-perceptions.

A secondary purpose was to explore if the participants’ supplement use reflected their exercise priorities.

METHODS: Data were collected at a university Wellness Center, or from exercise classes. Participants (N = 216) completed a packet of four questionnaires: Multidimensional …

Sex Offender Treatment And Legal Policy Perception In Relation To Information Presentation Style, Kirsten Sierra Engel

Theses and Dissertations

Sex offender treatment, policy, and perception are greatly intertwined in the numerous policies in place. Current policies tend to reflect negative perceptions toward both sex offenders and treatment and an inaccurate view of the effectiveness of current sex offender policies. The source of these inaccurate views, however, is not entirely clear, with some researchers linking it to a simple lack of exposure to accurate information. Additionally, the broadly negative perceptions, emotions, and beliefs may be leading individuals to utilize more superficial routes of processing, as explained by the Elaboration Likelihood Model. Given the potential for the public’s opinion to make …

The Impact Of Positive Thinking And Empathy Induction On Social Perceptions Of Cancer, Kelly Marie Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Social perceptions of cancer can influence patients' illness experiences by affecting the behavior of those around a cancer patient. These perceptions can be influenced by exposure to the social phenomenon of positive thinking (PT), leading to increased perceived responsibility of the patient for negative illness outcomes. Accordingly, it is important to identify mechanisms that can diminish the effect of PT exposure on social perceptions of cancer. A pilot study was first conducted to test the effectiveness of an empathy induction intervention in reducing these negative social perceptions in the context of the study scenario, and to assess the newly developed …

Impact Of Seasonality On Agricultural Productivity In Bangladesh, Mohammad Gulam Mostofa

Theses and Dissertations

This paper studies the impact of seasonality on agricultural productivity in Bangladesh for the period of 1980-2013 for 7 regions. This study exploits regional fixed effect to estimate the impact of both observed and unobserved effects on agricultural productivity in order to control for regional differences. I used a panel dataset for the fixed and random effect regression model to control omitted variables bias and endogeneity. Findings from this study expressed that the effects of all the climate variables are not significant to rice, wheat, and pulse yield. Maximum temperature and minimum temperature wet for rice, minimum temperature dry and …

Political Ideology, Beliefs And Values As A Framework For Analysis Of School Nutrition Preferences, Jacquelyn R. Nyenhuis

Theses and Dissertations

Multiple studies have documented the growing controversies in school nutrition public policy. Less is known about the political ideologies, beliefs and diverse perspectives coming from conflicting values and their influence on policy acceptance. Key issues examined are: Does the average US citizen filter their impressions of policies through their core beliefs, values and politics? And, in general, what policies, interventions, and regulations do conservatives and liberals favor?

Utilizing a sequential mixed methods design, Phase I included a survey given to 201 people with both a multi-item closed ended section and an open-ended section. Statistical analysis was performed on the quantitative …

Using Lidar To Measure The Urban Forest In Dekalb, Il, Dustin Bergman

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Urban and metropolitan areas have grown significantly during the 21st century. With more than 50% of the global population living in cities, they are uniquely susceptible to high temperatures, poor air quality, and increases in peak storm water runoff during inclement weather; however, urban and metropolitan areas often have significant forest resources that can greatly ameliorate these factors. To maintain urban forests and maximize their benefits, tree surveys are often performed requiring extensive fieldwork. However, automatable techniques using LiDAR data and aerial orthoimagery have the potential to provide similar metrics over larger areas, more rapidly, and at lower cost. This …

Distribution And Characterization Of The Soybean Cyst Nematode, Heterodera Glycines (Hg) Types In South Dakota, Krishna Acharya

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The soybean cyst nematode (SCN), Heterodera glycines Ichinohe, is an endoparasitic nematode and one of the major pests of soybean (Glycine max L.) in the United State and all over the world where soybean is grown. SCN is ranked first among the biological factors that cause yield loss in soybean. The estimated yield loss by this nematode is $1b annually in the United States alone. SCN is thought to have been first found in China. It was first identified in the United States in 1954 in North Carolina and in South Dakota in 1995. To date, SCN continues to spread …

Ice Concentration Linked With Extractive Stirrer (Icecles), Nujud Omar Maslamani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Clean water is very important for human health. Therefore, drinking water contamination is a significant research concern, especially with the increasing global population. Some contaminants, such as pesticides, can cause health effects even at low levels. Therefore, trace and ultratrace analysis of contaminants in drinking water is essential. Ultratrace analysis typically requires highly effective sample preparation methods and/or highly sensitive instruments. There are currently advanced sample preparations techniques available to analytical chemists that may allow trace analysis of certain analytes. These include liquid-liquid extraction (LLE), solid phase extraction (SPE), solid phase micro extraction (SPME), and stir bar sorpitive extraction (SBSE). …

Similarity Measurement Of Breast Cancer Mammographic Images Using Combination Of Mesh Distance Fourier Transform And Global Features, Ravi Kasaudhan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Similarity measurement in breast cancer is an important aspect of determining the vulnerability of detected masses based on the previous cases. It is used to retrieve the most similar image for a given mammographic query image from a collection of previously archived images. By analyzing these results, doctors and radiologists can more accurately diagnose early-stage breast cancer and determine the best treatment. The direct result is better prognoses for breast cancer patients. Similarity measurement in images has always been a challenging task in the field of pattern recognition. A widely-adopted strategy in Content-Based Image Retrieval (CBIR) is comparison of local …

Undocumented Fears: Immigration And The Politics Of Divide And Conquer In Hazleton, Pennsylvania, Jamie Longazel

Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work Faculty Publications

The Illegal Immigration Relief Act (IIRA), passed in the small rust-belt city of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, in 2006, was a local ordinance that laid out penalties for renting to or hiring undocumented immigrants and declared English the city’s official language. The notorious IIRA gained national prominence and kicked off a parade of local and state-level legislative initiatives designed to crack down on undocumented immigrants.

In Undocumented Fears, Jamie Longazel uses the debate around Hazleton’s controversial ordinance as a case study that reveals the mechanics of contemporary divide-and-conquer politics. He shows how neoliberal ideology, misconceptions about Latina/o immigrants, and nostalgic imagery …

Hybrid Arrangements As A Form Of Ecological Modernization: The Case Of The Us Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grants, Dana R. Fisher, Anya Galli Robertson

Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work Faculty Publications

How are environmental policy goals implemented and sustained in the context of political stagnation surrounding national climate policies in the United States? In this paper, we discuss Ecological Modernization Theory as a tool for understanding the complexity of climate governance at the sub-national level. In particular, we explore the emergence of hybrid governance arrangements during the local implementation of federal energy efficiency programs in US cities. We analyze the formation and advancement of programs associated with one effort to establish a sub-national low carbon energy policy: the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program administered by the US Department …

Encapsidation Of The Host Rnas By Broad Bean Mottle Virus (Bbmv) And Cowpea Chlorotic Mottle Virus (Ccmv), Nipin Shrestha

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Encapsidation of the viral genome into capsid is a highly specific process. Despite the viral RNA specificity, evidence of the host cellular RNA co-encapsidation have been shown in some insect viruses like Flock house virus (FHV) and plant viruses like Cucumber necrotic virus (CNV). This study is dedicated to finding the similar evidence of host RNA encapsidation by the two members, BBMV and CCMV of the Bromovirus family -- model virus system. The Next Generation RNA sequencing (NGS RNA-seq) can be implemented to sequence the RNAs encapsidated by the highly purified virions. We mapped and aligned the reads obtained from …

Copassion And Consumption: The Difference Between Cats And Cows, Miles Mcavoy

A with Honors Projects

Within the last four decades, small town family farms have given way to industrialized farming practices. Laying the foundation for a perpetually growing industry that confines and condemns livestock of all kinds to unethical atrocities unparalleled in our history while simultaneously victimizing all of humanity, ignorant and educated alike, to a future of seemingly unavoidable consequences. Our generations of many are now unjustly burdened by the actions of a few who’ve unfairly deemed the unregulated industry of confined animal feeding operations justifiable and an appropriate response to our expanding populous. Our groundwater is perpetually polluted at a rate of 1.3 …

The Ideal Judge: How Implicit Bias Shapes Assessment Of State Judges, Rebecca D. Gill, Rafael Oganesyan

Political Science Faculty Research

Judicial Performance Evaluation (JPE) is generally seen as an important part of the merit system, which often suffers from a lack of relevant voter information. Utah’s JPE system has undergone significant change in recent years. Using data from the two most recent JPE surveys, we provide a preliminary look at the operation of this new system. Our results suggest that the survey component has difficulty distinguishing among the judges on the basis of relevant criteria. The question prompts intended to measure performance on different ABA categories are also indistinguishable. We find evidence that, on some measures, female judges do disproportionately …

Prenatal Alcohol And Nicotine Exposure And The Subsequent Cognitive And Behavioral Deficits Seen In Children, Abigail P. Stewart

Senior Honors Theses

Prenatal alcohol and nicotine exposure have well known physiological effects on the fetus. However, it is the goal of this thesis to inform the reader of of the deleterious effects that these substances can have on cognitive and behavioral development in children. A literature review in relation to this topic was conducted through online databases using key words. Though some of the results were inconsistent, enough evidence exists for women to be educated on the increased risks for cognitive and behavioral deficits in children exposed to alcohol and nicotine in utero.

Growth In The Midst Of Perpetual Dependency, Hannah A. Lackey

Senior Honors Theses

International aid is a powerful, beneficial tool that has been known to improve many situations in a variety of targeted communities. While aid does provide basic necessities and resources to beneficiaries, it has the potential to simultaneously hinder or slow the development and independence of the assisted people groups if not correctly implemented. Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) based in Boone, North Carolina, provides a variety of domestic and international relief services that break the trend of dependency through their encouragement of local self-sufficiency and growth. Specifically, Samaritan’s Purse’s Karamoja Integrated Maternal Child Health (KIMCH) project, based in …

Response To Keeping Cases From Black Juries: An Empirical Analysis Of How Race, Income Inequality, And Regional History Affect Tort Law, Jennifer Wriggins

Faculty Publications

Issues of race and racism in the U.S. torts system continue to deserve much more attention from legal scholarship than they receive, and Keeping Cases from Black Juries is a valuable contribution. Studying racism as it infects the torts system is difficult because explicit de jure exclusions of black jurors are in the past; race is no longer on the surface of tort opinions; and court records do not reveal the race of tort plaintiffs, defendants, or jurors. Yet it is essential to try and understand the workings of race and racism in the torts system. The authors pose a …

Social Work Ethics: Decision Making And Accountability, James J. Clark, Molly Malany Sayre

Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work Faculty Publications

Book accompanies course that examines the interplay of social work, values, ethics, and decision-making processes. Through the use of practice scenarios, social workers will learn how to approach risk management and thorny ethical dilemmas that are common to many practice areas. The course discusses the role of laws and regulations in regard to ethics, highlights the importance of the distinction between legal and moral problems, and describes the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics.