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Validity Of Whole And Regional Body Composition Testing Devices, Alexa R. Suida Jan 2016

Validity Of Whole And Regional Body Composition Testing Devices, Alexa R. Suida

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Obesity has been established as a risk factor for multiple diseases and is an increasing problem throughout the world. Advances in technology have enabled health professionals to use many devices to diagnose individuals as healthy, overweight, or obese. However, there are discrepancies between the validity of the devices. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to validate InBody 520 and InBody S10 against the Hologic dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) system. METHODS: 50 male and female subjects performed body composition testing on an InBody 520, InBody S10, and a Hologic DXA, followed by repeat measurements on the InBody 520 and S10. …


What Are We Going To Do When The Yellow Bus Stops Coming? : A Historical Legal Analysis Of The Transition Provisions Of The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, Tanya Leah Carter Jan 2016

What Are We Going To Do When The Yellow Bus Stops Coming? : A Historical Legal Analysis Of The Transition Provisions Of The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, Tanya Leah Carter

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

As a result of 1990 amendments, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA) was renamed as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and transition planning and services were initially mandated. The IDEA's transition services were designed to help students with disabilities move from receiving high school special education services to receiving post high school education, work, or independent living. In 1997, Congress reauthorized the IDEA and strengthened the language pertaining to transition planning and services. Congress added a directive that identification of the related services required for successful transition were to be included in the transition planning process.;Congress …


Why Do We Need To Learn This? : An Investigation Of The Association Between Science Teachers' Use Of Utility Value Statements And Students' Immediate And Global Perceptions Of Science Utility, Stephen Spaulding Kafkas Jan 2016

Why Do We Need To Learn This? : An Investigation Of The Association Between Science Teachers' Use Of Utility Value Statements And Students' Immediate And Global Perceptions Of Science Utility, Stephen Spaulding Kafkas

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Science teachers have many opportunities to influence their students' science utility value beliefs throughout the course of their instruction. However, many of them refrain from making statements regularly about the usefulness of the content they are teaching, and it is unclear how effective such statements are in influencing student beliefs. This study examined the week-to-week and global relationship between five dimensions of teachers' utility value statements (frequency, clarity, target, purpose, and temporality) and their students' utility value beliefs. The week-to-week relationship was assessed by the clarity of utility value expressed in six essays students produced. More global changes in students' …


Wireless Communication Integrated Hybrid Anc System With Impulsive Noise Cancellation Capability For Infant Incubator, Lilin Du Jan 2016

Wireless Communication Integrated Hybrid Anc System With Impulsive Noise Cancellation Capability For Infant Incubator, Lilin Du

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Preterm infants are often admitted into neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to increase their survival rate. However, fragile infants are exposed to ambient noise from medical equipment and human activities. High intensities of noise have been involved with numerous advanced health effects in infants. There is a growing concern that a mechanism can be used to cancel noise both inside and outside the incubator. More and more researches show that communication between parents and infants from an early stage accelerates the maturation of infants and has good influence on infants' self-esteem and socialization. This causes the need for a medium …


You're Too Old For That! : Ageism And Prescriptive Stereotypes In The Workplace, Elizabeth A. Hanrahan Jan 2016

You're Too Old For That! : Ageism And Prescriptive Stereotypes In The Workplace, Elizabeth A. Hanrahan

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Age discrimination and bias in the workplace is an imperative area of research. Few studies have examined prescriptive stereotyping, and only one study has specifically examined prescriptive age stereotyping. This thesis marks the first investigation into prescriptive age stereotypes in the workplace. Employing an experimental survey design, subjects (n = 383) were randomly assigned to view one of six vignettes. Results indicate that violators of prescriptive age stereotypes are rated less positively than adherers of prescriptive age stereotypes. Further, prescriptive age stereotype information does not necessarily lead to descriptive age stereotype information. Lastly, processes other than prescriptive stereotyping (Expectancy Violation …


Bioactive Poly(Beta-Amino Ester) Biomaterials For Treatment Of Infection And Oxidative Stress, Andrew L. Lakes Jan 2016

Bioactive Poly(Beta-Amino Ester) Biomaterials For Treatment Of Infection And Oxidative Stress, Andrew L. Lakes

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Polymers have deep roots as drug delivery tools, and are widely used in clinical to private settings. Currently, however, numerous traditional therapies exist which may be improved through use of polymeric biomaterials. Through our work with infectious and oxidative stress disease prevention and treatment, we aimed to develop application driven, enhanced therapies utilizing new classes of polymers synthesized in-house. Applying biodegradable poly(β-amino ester) (PBAE) polymers, covalent-addition of bioactive substrates to these PBAEs avoided certain pitfalls of free-loaded and non-degradable drug delivery systems. Further, through variation of polymer ingredients and conditions, we were able to tune degradation rates, release profiles, cellular …


Peptide-Functionalized Magnetic Nanoparticles For Cancer Therapy Applications, Anastasia K. Hauser Jan 2016

Peptide-Functionalized Magnetic Nanoparticles For Cancer Therapy Applications, Anastasia K. Hauser

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths in the United States. Radiation and chemotherapy are conventional treatments, but they result in serious side effects and the probability of tumor recurrence remains high. Therefore, there is an increasing need to enhance the efficacy of conventional treatments. Magnetic nanoparticles have been previously studied for a variety of applications such as magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents, anemia treatment, magnetic cell sorting and magnetically mediated hyperthermia (MMH). In this work, dextran coated iron oxide nanoparticles were developed and functionalized with peptides to target the nanoparticles to either the extracellular matrix …


Understanding Dna Condensation By Low Generation (G0/G1) And Zwitterionic G4 Pamam Dendrimers, Min An Jan 2016

Understanding Dna Condensation By Low Generation (G0/G1) And Zwitterionic G4 Pamam Dendrimers, Min An

Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry

Cationic polymers have shown potential as gene delivery vectors due to their ability to condense DNA and protect it from cellular and restriction nucleases. Dendrimers are hyperbranched macromolecules with precisely defined molecular weights and highly symmetric branches stemming from a central core. The nanosize, tunable surface chemistries and ease of surface functionalization has made dendrimers an attractive alternative to conventional linear polymers for DNA delivery applications. The commercially available, cationic dendrimer poly(amidoamine) or PAMAM is the most widely studied dendrimer for use as a gene delivery vector. The aim of this dissertation is to provide an increased understanding of the …


Implementation Of Hiv Drug Resistance Testing In Kenya, Horacio Duarte, Ingrid Beck, James Munyao, Molly Levine, Catherine Kiptinness, Bhavna Chohan, Samah Sakr, Michael Chung, Lisa Frenkel Jan 2016

Implementation Of Hiv Drug Resistance Testing In Kenya, Horacio Duarte, Ingrid Beck, James Munyao, Molly Levine, Catherine Kiptinness, Bhavna Chohan, Samah Sakr, Michael Chung, Lisa Frenkel

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background: Testing for HIV drug resistance prior to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is standard of care in the United States but is rarely performed in Africa due to its high cost. The prevalence of HIV drug resistance is increasing in resource-limited settings (RLS). An affordable and feasible strategy is needed in RLS to identify individuals with drug resistance and prescribe effective ART. Our group developed a low-cost oligonucleotide ligation assay (OLA) that detects mutations conferring resistance. Little data exists on implementing HIV drug resistance testing in RLS. Here, we describe the implementation of OLA in one laboratory in Kenya and discuss …


A Framing Analysis Of The News Coverage Of Science, Sam Babin Jan 2016

A Framing Analysis Of The News Coverage Of Science, Sam Babin

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated how the field of science is framed by the United States news media. One full year's (i.e., 2014) worth of science news from four newspapers (i.e., two prestige newspapers, The New York Times and The Washington Post, and two high-circulation newspapers, The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Minneapolis Star Tribune) was gathered and content analyzed in an attempt to determine the distribution of positive, negative, and neutral/ambiguous science news and to compare these distributions in different types of newspapers. Results of a content analysis of 425 (N=425) science news articles indicated that there were no statistically significant differences …


A Qualitative Exploration Of Masculinity Among Community College Males, Marianne Fontes Jan 2016

A Qualitative Exploration Of Masculinity Among Community College Males, Marianne Fontes

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purposes of this grounded theory study were to explore how traditional-aged community college males experience masculinity and to examine how they engage with community college support systems. Eleven diverse participants engaged in three interviews each in which they were asked to reflect on their definitions of masculinity as well as their activities on and off campus. Open, axial, and selective coding methods were employed, and a new theory emerged. The new theory suggests that the participants' hesitation to make concrete educational decisions is related to their resistance to manhood. Findings implicate the need to engage faculty in the support …


A Study Of Boundary Spanning : Pastors' Perceptions Of Their Role As Boundary Spanners In The Elca, Rachel Carrie Berry Jan 2016

A Study Of Boundary Spanning : Pastors' Perceptions Of Their Role As Boundary Spanners In The Elca, Rachel Carrie Berry

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This project examined pastors' roles as boundary spanners regarding information received from the synodical expression in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Twenty-six pastors from the Northern Illinois Synod of the ELCA were interviewed and transcriptions were analyzed using the constant comparative method of inductive analysis. Two research questions were posed to explore boundary spanning from a pastor's perspective. The results echoed the literature on boundary spanning responsibilities and challenges, expanding the boundary spanning research field into the realm of religious organizations and leadership. Implications of this research and further areas of study are provided.


Assessing The Compatibility Of Filth Fly Pesticides With Filth Fly Biological Control Parasitoids Through Toxicological And Behavioral Assays, Edwin R. Burgess Iv Jan 2016

Assessing The Compatibility Of Filth Fly Pesticides With Filth Fly Biological Control Parasitoids Through Toxicological And Behavioral Assays, Edwin R. Burgess Iv

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Filth flies are a significant pest at animal production facilities, leading to economic losses that include reductions in animal weight and milk production. Pesticides and biological control organisms are two important components of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs against filth flies. Biological control against filth flies frequently involves augmentative releases of pupal parasitoids. The compatibility of pesticides and the parasitoids Spalangia endius Walker and Urolepis rufipes Ashmead was examined using one of the most common filth flies, the house fly, Musca domestica L. The specific goals were to 1) assess the effects of the active ingredients of several house fly …


Behavioral And Chemical Ecology Of A Male-Produced Substrate-Borne Pheromone In Urolepis Rufipes, Tyler Wittman Jan 2016

Behavioral And Chemical Ecology Of A Male-Produced Substrate-Borne Pheromone In Urolepis Rufipes, Tyler Wittman

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Use of chemical signals for sexual communication is found in a large proportion of insects. Pheromones may also act as honest signals of the sender's health and resources. Most research has focused on female-produced pheromones used for attracting mates over large distances or on the role pheromones play in species and mate recognition. Little work has been done exploring male produced pheromones, and how pheromones may be involved in mate assessment. Here I show that females of the parasitic wasp Urolepis rufipes discriminate for some aspects of male quality through the male's substrate-borne pheromones. In two-choice trials females spent more …


Benefits And Emotions Present In Offline And Online Communities : A Taxonomic Analysis, Maureen J. Wieland Jan 2016

Benefits And Emotions Present In Offline And Online Communities : A Taxonomic Analysis, Maureen J. Wieland

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This interpretive qualitative study was established to explore the differences and similarities between the benefits gained through online and offline community membership as well as the emotions that are commonly present during conversations between community members. Through an online survey, responses were collected in order to create a typology of benefits as well as emotions discussed within each type of community (either offline of online). The researchers discovered a variety of differences as well as similarities that expand the current research on the field of communication community scholarship.


Beyond Adat : Transwomen Boldly And Innovatively Navigating Their Communities In Central Java, Indonesia, Laurence Anthonie Tumpag Jan 2016

Beyond Adat : Transwomen Boldly And Innovatively Navigating Their Communities In Central Java, Indonesia, Laurence Anthonie Tumpag

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of the following thesis was to investigate how transwomen (otherwise known locally as waria) of Indonesia, navigate their gender identities within their specific locales in central Java. Particularly, I focus how my respondents do this within Yogyakarta, which I define as a cultural hub where local custom and law known as adat predominates and two other field sites located in the periphery of Yogyakarta. Due to the importance of local culture in the general central Javanese region, I hypothesized adat serves to help create space and belonging for my transwomen respondents within each locale. While previous research has …


"All That Weight Is Gonna Crush Your Chest" : Examining The Relationship Between Mentoring, Academic Success, And Self-Efficacy In Latino Male Community College Students, Sadya Khan Jan 2016

"All That Weight Is Gonna Crush Your Chest" : Examining The Relationship Between Mentoring, Academic Success, And Self-Efficacy In Latino Male Community College Students, Sadya Khan

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between mentoring, academic success, and self-efficacy for Latino male students at a community college. Additionally, the study explored the significance of mentor matching with respect to race/ethnicity upon academic success and self-efficacy. The study used a quantitative approach to assess the predictive power of mentoring on the academic success of Latino male students, defined by GPA, as well as academic self-efficacy beliefs. The sample consisted of 123 Latino male students from a community college in Illinois. The College Student Mentoring Scale (CSMS) and the SELF-A scales were adapted into a …


"Anonymous" And Frame Construction In Social Media, Justin Yates Jan 2016

"Anonymous" And Frame Construction In Social Media, Justin Yates

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Social movement organizations operate and communicate using new mediums, such as the use of social media. Anonymous is a non-hierarchical online activist group with unidentified members that engages in exploiting technology toward politically motivated goals. This study examined how a group without formal structure or identifiable members frames its activities as "righteous." Specifically, this study examined the rhetoric of a non-hierarchical online activist group with unidentified members and how it frames its activities as just. This study explored the challenges in maintaining and creating righteous rhetoric for a group with online, non-hierarchical, and unidentified members. Using social movement framing theory …


A Case Study Examining Perceptions Of Female Saudi University Students Regarding The Use Of Asynchronous Online Discussion Boards, Hanadi M. Bokhari Jan 2016

A Case Study Examining Perceptions Of Female Saudi University Students Regarding The Use Of Asynchronous Online Discussion Boards, Hanadi M. Bokhari

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This phenomenological case study explored undergraduate Saudi female students' perceptions of using asynchronous online discussion boards (AODB) as a learning tool. In addition, the current study explored factors that helped students learn skills, specifically their language learning. The current study sought to add to knowledge about how asynchronous online discussion forums can benefit undergraduate Saudi female students' development of learning. Data were collected during the Spring 2016 semester through focus group and individual interviews with ten undergraduate students in an online course as well as their narrative reflections and the researcher reflections and notes. Participants were undergraduate Saudi female students …


African American Males' Perceptions Of A Midwestern Community College, Marietta Turner Jan 2016

African American Males' Perceptions Of A Midwestern Community College, Marietta Turner

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The educational statistics continue to report dismal persistence and completion rates for male African American community college students. Many scholars have noted the fact that African American males remain further behind all other demographics in college enrollment and completion. In this study, I sought to advance the literature on student engagement and academic success by exploring these students' perceptions of their college-going experience. The purpose of the study was to better understand African American male community college students' perceptions of their academic and social experiences at one midwestern community college. The theoretical framework for this study was achieved by combining …


Domestic Violence Counselors' Supervision Experiences : A Qualitative Inquiry, Ann Friesema Jan 2016

Domestic Violence Counselors' Supervision Experiences : A Qualitative Inquiry, Ann Friesema

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative study provided understanding into how domestic violence counselors experience clinical supervision. Domestic violence counselors' supervision experiences, the relationship in supervision, and the ways in which counselors utilize supervision to meet their developmental and self-care needs were explored. Seven participants were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling. All seven participants were employed as full-time domestic violence counselors in non-profit agency settings in which counseling services were provided to victims of domestic violence and their children free of charge. Participants were required to hold a master's degree in counseling, or related field, receive weekly clinical supervision, and provide free counseling …


Experiencing Recovery At Work : Energetic Benefits Of Social Media Micro-Breaks, Pamela R. Waltz Jan 2016

Experiencing Recovery At Work : Energetic Benefits Of Social Media Micro-Breaks, Pamela R. Waltz

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examined the impact of social media micro-breaks during the workday on worker energy. Social media micro-breaks (SMMBs) are discretionary, nonwork breaks that employees insert throughout the workday to engage with social media. Although it is well documented that employees use social media for personal purposes during the workday, little is known about the impact of SMMBs on employee well-being. Drawing on the frameworks proposed by the Job Demands-Resources model of job stress and the Stressor-Detachment model, two studies were conducted to examine 1) whether the frequency and duration of SMMBs positively impacted worker energy by reducing workday fatigue …


Cfd And Aero-Acoustic Analysis Of Flush Toilet In Airplanes, Dheeraj Kamthamneni Jan 2016

Cfd And Aero-Acoustic Analysis Of Flush Toilet In Airplanes, Dheeraj Kamthamneni

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

With the global expansion of air travel and increase in the fleet size of the aircraft with modern technology, the demand for the reduction of sound levels in the airplane toilet is increasing, as it causes discomfort to the passengers. During the cleansing process by air (vacuum), high level of acoustic noise is produced due to the turbulent vortex flow and boundary layer flow separation in the bowl. This study involves investigation of noise generation in a vacuum toilet during the evacuation of bowl in a flush cycle and to identify means to reduce the noise below a target level. …


Characterization And Inhibitor Evaluation Of Ispd And Ispe Enzymes From The Non-Mevalonate Pathway, Brian E. Hartnett Jan 2016

Characterization And Inhibitor Evaluation Of Ispd And Ispe Enzymes From The Non-Mevalonate Pathway, Brian E. Hartnett

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

There is an immediate need for new antibiotics. Antimicrobial resistance is rising at an alarming rate. In addition, certain select agents are a risk for bioterrorism that necessitate the discovery of new antibiotics. The methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway is a metabolic pathway that produces the isoprenoid precursors, isopentyl pyrophosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP). Notably, the MEP pathway is present in most bacteria and not mammals, which makes the enzymes of the MEP pathway attractive targets for discovering new anti-infective agents due to reduced chances of off-target interactions leading to side effects. Currently, there are very few known inhibitors of …


Characterization Of Potential Anti-Infective Agents Of Burkholderia Pseudomallei Targeting Ispf, Joy Michelle Blain Jan 2016

Characterization Of Potential Anti-Infective Agents Of Burkholderia Pseudomallei Targeting Ispf, Joy Michelle Blain

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

There is an urgent need for new anti-infective agents. Pathogenic organisms continue to develop resistance to modern-day antibiotics, while there has been a significant decline in the development of antibiotics over the last 30 years. One particular pathway of interest in the development of new antibiotics is the biosynthesis of isoprenoids. These compounds are essential chemical building blocks in pathogenic organisms such as Plasmodium falciparum, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Burkholderia pseudomallei. Notably, there are two distinct pathways in the biosynthesis of isoprenoids called the Mevalonate (MVA) pathway and the 2C-methyl-D-erythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway. The MEP pathway enzymes are attractive targets in …


Enhancement Of Vicarious Stress Through Prior Established Bond : Determining The Role Of The Arginine Vasopressin 1a Receptor, Joshua Jonathan Wardwell Jan 2016

Enhancement Of Vicarious Stress Through Prior Established Bond : Determining The Role Of The Arginine Vasopressin 1a Receptor, Joshua Jonathan Wardwell

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The experience of stress can have profoundly negative effects on overall psychological and physiological health. It is also true that in social species, interactions with others can have the power to either ameliorate or potentiate these effects. As both stress levels and social interconnectedness rise within our world, it becomes imperative for science to better understand the interactions between stress and the social environment. In support of this goal, the purpose of the current study was to investigate whether a prior established bond between two social animals enhances the physiological and behavioral response to stress in a bonded partner that …


Bystander Action Or Inaction During Bullying : An Investigation Into The Role Of Gender, Empathy, Attitudes Toward Aggression, And Social Support, Trevor Bixler Jan 2016

Bystander Action Or Inaction During Bullying : An Investigation Into The Role Of Gender, Empathy, Attitudes Toward Aggression, And Social Support, Trevor Bixler

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This thesis is constructed to delineate mechanisms that influence bystander behavior in the presence of bullying phenomena. Purpose for this study is derived from the shallow empirical history of differentiation between passive outsiders and intervening defenders, particularly when concerned with student populations within the United States. This study included child participants in grades four and five from the Midwestern region. These participants were administered a series of survey measures, in addition being read aloud a vignette depicting bullying. Role orientation, defender or outsider, were examined as an outcome to be related with the social-cognitive predictor variables of empathy, attitudes toward …


Choosing Sustainability : The Relationship Between Personal Standards And Environment Responsive Behavior, Bridget Denise Stuckey Jan 2016

Choosing Sustainability : The Relationship Between Personal Standards And Environment Responsive Behavior, Bridget Denise Stuckey

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated Personal Standards as a psychological determinant of Environment Responsive Behavior. This was a quantitative study that used questionnaire data collected from community college students in Northern Illinois. This study was guided by three research questions: What is the relationship between Personal Standards regarding the environment and Environment Responsive Behavior? What is the relationship between utility value, personal affect, and outcome expectancy regarding the environment and Environment Responsive Behavior? Are Environment Responsive Behavior and Personal Standards regarding the environment related to gender, childhood locale, field of study, number of semesters completed in college, age, and ethnicity? The data …


Citizenship Development Of Chinese Immigrant Youth In The United States, He Qin Jan 2016

Citizenship Development Of Chinese Immigrant Youth In The United States, He Qin

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

There has been a rapid increase of the Chinese immigrant youths enrolling in U.S. higher educational institutions. The question of how college-level Chinese immigrant youths develop their citizenship is critical to American educators in order to provide better civic preparation. The present mixed-method study investigated Chinese immigrant youths' citizenship development in areas of identity, attitudes, engagement, and knowledge. The participants were over 100 college-level Chinese youths who were born abroad or whose parents were born abroad. In Phase I of the study, a Modified Nominal Group Technique (MNGT) explored the characteristics of different developmental areas of citizenship among the participants. …


Condition-Based Monitoring For Machinery Vibration Using Analytics, Lakhan Raj Patlolla Jan 2016

Condition-Based Monitoring For Machinery Vibration Using Analytics, Lakhan Raj Patlolla

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Machinery plays a key role for manufacturing and production companies. Most of the machines of a production company are subject to vibration signatures of one form or another. Vibration Signatures are quite often used to diagnose the health of the machines, i.e., detect problems in the machines before catastrophic failure takes place. In this thesis, first vibration data is generated using a machinery fault simulator (MFS). The piezoelectric transducers are mounted at various locations on the vibration fault simulating system to collect the data. The primary goal of this thesis deals with the data analytics to identify the source of …