Digital Commons Network^™

Synthetic Methodologies Using Nucleophile-Electrophile Chemistry, Jacob C. Hood

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Synthetic organic chemistry is a vital part of the modern world – making up 15-20% of the U.S. economy. New synthetic reactions can lower manufacturing costs and create more environmentally friendly processes. Substitution, addition, and superelectrophilic chemistry are potent tools to afford potentially essential compounds. The work outlined in this dissertation recounts the expansion of synthetic methodologies employing substrates with a wide range of electrophilicities toward synthesizing heterocyclic molecules. These concepts are summarized in chapter 1. Chapter 2: N-Heterocyclic alcohols are excellent substrates for superacid-promoted Friedel-Crafts reactions. The N-heterocyclic alcohol ionizes to produce reactive, dicationic intermediates, providing good to excellent …

Examining Early Word Recognition Instruction: Synthetic Phonics Vs. Analytic Phonics, Jenelle Gallagher-Mance

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This single subject experimental design study used an adapted alternating treatment design to examine the effects of a synthetic phonics intervention and an analytic phonics intervention on oral reading accuracy, oral reading rate, and letter-sound correspondences among first grade students. Students who were reading at least two levels below guided reading level expectations and scored below the 25th percentile on the AIMSweb R-CBM (2017) fluency probe and the Words Their Way Primary Spelling Inventory (Baer et al., 2007) were selected to participate in the study. Five participants received daily instruction based on a synthetic phonics intervention (systematic directed phonics) or …

Uruguayan Parents' Perceptions About Educational Segregation In Uruguayan Public Elementary Schools: A Case Study, Natalia Fernández

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Educational segregation has been increasing across public elementary schools in Uruguay producing negative effects on students’ outcomes, performance, and opportunities. It also affects social cohesion. Previous studies detect the presence of educational segregation in Uruguay, identify the predominance of socioeconomic segregation in education in the country, and study the relationships between public and private institutions. A review of the extant literature demonstrates there is a gap in the exploration of the possible factors that contribute to the phenomenon. Moreover, there is a need to know the perceptions and experiences of Uruguayan families about the influence of these factors in their …

Design And Cold Test Of A Metamaterial Accelerating Structure For Two-Beam Acceleration, Dillon Christopher Merenich

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Structure-based wakefield acceleration (SWFA) is an advanced accelerator concept that can achieve higher accelerating gradients than conventional accelerators. Advanced structures are required for SWFA, with metamaterial (MTM) structures as a promising candidate. MTMs are periodic sub-wavelength structures engineered to exhibit exotic electromagnetic properties, such as simultaneously negative permittivity and permeability. Because of their unique electromagnetic properties, MTMs are particularly interesting to SWFA. Previous studies at the Argonne Wakefield Accelerator have demonstrated efficient wakefield power extraction using MTM structures. This thesis presents the design, fabrication, and cold test of an X-band MTM accelerating structure for two-beam acceleration. An MTM structure was …

Interactions Of Sexuality Training, Sexual Awareness, And Comfort With Sexual Discourse In Counselors-In-Training, Katie Adeline Rodenkirch

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Since the initial call to action nearly half a century ago, sexuality training has not been made a core component of counselor education. Despite this, upon graduation counselors are expected to be able to handle diverse client needs, some of which are likely to be sexual in nature. Nevertheless, there is limited research regarding counselor sexuality education or factors influencing counselor-in-training comfort with sexual discourse. The purpose of this research study was to determine the relationship(s) and interaction(s) between counselor-in-training sexuality training experience, sexual awareness, and comfort with sexual discourse. The study also explored group differences based on gender and …

Social Media, Gender, And Cancel Culture In The Punk Scene, Elizabeth Alexandra Mitchell

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This thesis intends to examine the technological, political, and social dynamics surrounding the cancelation of musicians within the punk scene, specifically, modern Bay Area punk band, SWMRS. The technological dynamics involve the internet, networked publics, and digital politics. The social dynamics are not separate from sociality facilitated by social media and the networks they create. The politics of this context involves gender and the struggle over women’s agency to fight against sexual abuse and the social injustice it perpetuates. Because this thesis is interested in these issues within the context of popular music, it draws on the work on music …

Faculty Engagement With Universal Design For Learning In The College Classroom, Erin Wilhelm

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore faculty engagement with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in the college classroom. Specifically, this study sought to uncover how instructors of record of Middleview University (MU) use and experience UDL-based tools and pedagogy. The lived experiences of the participants were examined to reveal any possible challenges, benefits, and level of professional preparedness concerning UDL principles and their application to the classroom.Semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and the collection of course artifacts and institutional content were the primary sources of data. The findings of this study revealed that, although the participants did …

K-12 Teachers’ Perceptions And Experiences In Their Teaching Practices Of Utilizing Multimedia Integrating With Online Classroom Technology, Rateeba Turki Algoufi

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation aimed to explore how teachers perceive and engage with multimedia integration in their online teaching practices to effectively involve students. The study specifically focused on teachers in grades three through seven at an international school in Saudi Arabia. The research questions delved into teachers' descriptions of their perceptions and experiences when using online technology and utilizing appropriate multimedia to engage students. The literature review highlighted the existing gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application when it comes to integrating technology and multimedia in the learning environment. The research presented the TPACK framework and multimedia cognitive theory as guiding …

Essays On Parental Migration In China And Performance Of Two Asset Pricing Models, Yuqing Song

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation comprises two research strands. The first strand investigates the migration choices of parents in rural China and their specific impact on children's educational outcomes. The second strand delves into the realm of financial econometrics, focusing solely on the performance of two asset pricing models on days scheduled for important macroeconomic news announcements.

The first essay places emphasis on the migration decisions of two-parent households with school-aged children. The findings affirm the hypothesis that household characteristics, rather than each parent’s personal traits, play an important role in determining parents’ migration choices.

The second essay examines the short-run effects of …

Tagalog And English Core Communication Boards For Tagalog-English Bilingual Children In The Philippines, Vianca A. Ocampo

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

A large proportion of children who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices to communicate are bilingual. Although many AAC devices allow access to each of the bilinguals’ languages, the devices are designed in such a way that access is limited to a single language at a time. Further, most devices contain translated vocabulary from English into the bilinguals’ other language. This study aimed to fill this gap by identifying core vocabulary words from narrative language samples of 4-year-old bilingual children to create ecologically valid communication boards. The language samples were analyzed to obtain the most frequently and commonly produced …

Connection And Time, Caroline Spethman

The Art of Medicine

No abstract provided.

Fraternal New Member Processes: An Alumni Perspective, C J. Gibson

Masters Theses

Hazing has always been an issue in fraternities and sororities. Even though there has been a push to reduce the amount of hazing through research and trainings, it continues to cause harm to the community. The purpose of this study is to gain incite from fraternity alums toward understanding the use of hazing activities while orienting fraternity men to the organization. This study examined the issue from the individuals experience, to their role in inducting new members, and now as alums to gain insight in to why chapters continue to that cycle. Results showed that individuals in groups social construct …

U.S Fans’ Identification With La Liga Teams, Pilar Barrio Sánchez

Masters Theses

This study explores LaLiga fandom in the U.S. by examining fan identification, loyalty, and commitment to their favorite LaLiga team. Moreover, the study explored the reasons why fans first choose their favorite team to support as well as their motives to watch or attend soccer games. To do so, a mixed method approach was used in which participants from LaLiga teams around the U.S. were asked to complete a survey questionnaire and participate in an in-depth interview. Based on the findings, the discussion identifies key strategic considerations and needs of future research for LaLiga to better adjust its communication strategies …

Triclosan Degrading Bacteria From Wastewater Treatment Plants In Central Illinois, Mohammed Alsulami

Masters Theses

Triclosan is an antimicrobial agent that has been used in personal care products and has been identified to cause malformation on cartilage and bone development in zebrafish and influence on thyroid hormone system in humans. Due to its widespread usage and insufficient removal from wastewater treatment plants, triclosan has emerged as a pervasive contaminant that poses a potential threat to the environment and human health. The goal of the study was to isolate and characterize triclosan-degrading bacteria from WWTPs in central Illinois. Using enrichment culture with NMS media containing triclosan as sole carbon source, eighteen bacterial strains were isolated. The …

Evaluating The Contribution Of Adjacent Charges On The Observed Ph-Dependent Binding Profile For A Vhh/Antigen Interaction With A Linked Histidine Protonation Equilibria, Kiruthika Arulmoly

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

pH dependent protein-protein interactions are of great importance for various biological processes. In addition, the generation of engineered pH-dependent therapeutic antibodies opens opportunities for the extension of therapeutic half-life, thereby reducing drug dosage or frequency of administration, as well as providing pH-dependent targeting, such as the tumor microenvironment. Engineering pH-dependent antibody-antigen interaction is mostly achieved through the incorporation of ionizable residues within the antigen binding interface. These ionizable residues must undergo a change in environment upon forming a protein-protein complex, which causes a change in the ionizable group’s pKa value. This coupled protonation equilibria is responsible for the observed pH-dependent …

Undocumented Students’ Voice, Mtss, And School Counselors’ Mental Health Advocacy: A Transformative Mixed Methods Study, Oliver Camacho

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Many young undocumented students are experiencing mental health issues in K-12 schools. Researchers have found a myriad of psychological stressors that add to the complexity of being an undocumented student in the United States. Educators have noted an increased concern in undocumented students expressing concerns of fears at school, acculturation stress, migratory stress, heightened reports of depression, increased anxiety, and a proclivity towards emotional and behavioral problems. There is limited research that reviews mental health supports in schools for undocumented students that includes the voices of school counselors and undocumented students in a transformative paradigm. This study seeks to inform …

Fourth And Fifth Grade Reading Teachers' Perceptions Of Differentiated Reading Instruction, Amanda Lee Clark

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Teacher accountability and test scores currently drive many practices within the field of education. At the same time, student populations have become increasingly diverse, causing classroom teachers to feel pressured to teach to the test. Differentiated instruction has emerged as a best practice to help maximize learning for all students. However, the definition and implementation of the instructional approach remains inconsistent. Guided by the concepts of Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development and Tomlinson’s differentiated instruction, this study examined the connection between these two concepts as they relate to teachers’ perceptions of differentiated instruction in the content area of reading. This …

Princes, Princesses, And Socialites: Feminism And Class Transgression In Hollywood Romantic Comedies, Justina Marie Clayburn

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation explored how characters in romantic comedies negotiate and transgress class boundaries as the films conform to and challenge genre and social expectations, focusing primarily through a feminist lens. Specifically, it addresses the different ways the films negotiate ideas about American identity and economic systems, simultaneously trying to acknowledge problematic elements while upholding social and nationalistic ideals. Feminism has a complicated relationship with Hollywood romantic comedies. While the genre often focuses on issues of interest to women and forefronts female characters and their professional and personal experiences, the denouement generally reinforces heteronormative monogamous relationships above others and the traditional …

"Killers Who Preach": Horror And The "Victorian" Culture Text In The Modern American Musical, Amy Erickson

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines American Broadway musicals adapted from Victorian horror and mystery novels, investigating the ways in which the musical adaptations represent and critique modern American social problems and traditional American values and ideology. Specifically, it analyzes Stephen Sondheim’s 1979 musical Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, a Musical Thriller, adapted from the anonymously published Victorian penny serial The String of Pearls; Rupert Holmes’s 1985 musical The Mystery of Edwin Drood, adapted from Charles Dickens’s unfinished 1870 novel of the same name; Frank Wildhorn’s 1997 musical Jekyll & Hyde, adapted from Robert Louis Stephenson’s 1886 novella The Strange …

Visualizing Dynamic Multivariate Networks, Bharat Kumar Kale

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Many real-world networks are multivariate in nature and also evolve over time. Such a network whose nodes and/or edges along with their associated attributes, evolve over time is called A dynamic multivariate network (DMVN). For instance, in the scholarly community, researchers often collaborate with others. These collaborations have various attributes, such as scientific domain and number of publications, as well as they change over time. At any given point in time, the collaborations among researchers can be modeled as a network resulting in a collaboration network. When the changes in collaborations and associated attributes are also included in the network, …

What A Difference A Day Makes. A Qualitative Case Study On Student Experiences Of Involvement In Clubs And Organizations During Covid-19, Luevinus Muhammad

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative case study explores the experiences and sense of belonging for Valiant Region College (pseudonym) students who served as club leaders/officers during the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 school year. Twelve students total were interviewed either individually or within focus groups and shared their personal experiences, trials and triumphs as they navigated through the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings of this study highlighted four themes: (a) the importance of in-person activities, (b) participants felt a sense of belonging with face to face (F2F) engagement prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, (c) students struggled to create involvement activities during the COVID-19 pandemic, and (d) …

Police Response To Same-Sex Ipv A Qualitative Approach, Lena Fae Mutchler

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The present thesis examines the views that police have towards cases of same-sex IPV(intimate partner violence) in a qualitative sense. An issue highlighted by poor relations and uneven rates of arrest; this study sought to look beyond the usual quantitative approach to the issue. This was analyzed through use of semi-structured interviews with both law enforcement and social service workers in domestic violence organizations. 13 interviews were conducted, 6 with law enforcement, and 7 with social service workers, asking the participants about their views and interactions with same-sex cases, police, and the LGBTQ community as a whole. The results implied …

China’S "Greek Gift" To Africa: A Myth Or Reality, Chibuzo Uchechukwu Victor Obasi

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Two differing perceptions have dominated explanations of the relationship between China and Africa. The first is often held in the West and sees China as an exploitative force that has latched onto Africa's quest for development partnerships to exploit the continent economically. The second considers the China-Africa partnership more positively and views China as a trustworthy ally. Advocates argue that China has no history of colonial ambitions in Africa. Instead, China intervened in Africa to fill the financing gap and tackle the development challenges in Africa with no political strings attached. Perception of which view is mainly correct depends on …

Fidelity In Which School Districts Are Prepared To Implement Their Reunification Plan In The Event Of Tragedy Or Emergency, Mark E. Orszula

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines the fidelity in which school districts are prepared to implement their reunification plan in the event of a tragedy or emergency. School emergencies continue to occur, and safety plans need to be developed and administered to support and protect students and staff. This dissertation is organized into two separate papers. Paper 1 is a review of literature specific to community and school emergencies and emergency operations plans for a variety of school organizations. Paper 2 is an empirical study that explored the extent to which schools in DuPage County, a large collar county in Northern Illinois, were …

Analysis Of The Effect Of Surface Roughness In Additive Manufacturing On Thermo-Hydraulic Performance By Ml Models Supported By Physics-Based Modeling, Kaylen A. Platt

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Heat exchangers (HX) are crucial components of thermal control systems which facilitate proper transfer of heat in systems such as nuclear reactors. This research focuses on the heat transfer-enhancing effect associated with turbulence in fluid flowing conduits. Turbulence can be induced at low flow rates when surface roughness is present on channel walls. Rough surfaces are typically regarded as a flawed product of the Additive Manufacturing (AM) process during the construction of Heat Exchangers. Machining surface finishes onto AM parts is a typical post-processing method used to remove the roughness. Thorough investigations have not yet been published on the effects …

Exploring Veteran Teachers’ Implementation Of Social Emotional Learning Interventions, Timothy Pritchard

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Helping students cultivate their social and emotional well-being is critical to preparing them for their futures. In recent years, school districts have adopted social and emotional learning (SEL) standards and began implementing prepackaged curriculum to help teachers address students’ needs. This study explores the perspectives of six veteran teachers implementing an SEL curriculum in a Midwestern elementary school. After a six-member focus group interview, one participant from third, fourth, and fifth grade were chosen to be interviewed and observed to find their individual perspectives of the process. Data were analyzed within the CASEL framework and the Responsive Classroom practices to …

Cybervictimization And Depression In Adolescence: An Analysis Of Anxiety, Social Media Rumination, And Gender, Logan Riffle

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Bullying is not a new phenomenon, however, given the frequent technology use by youth, bullying has taken on a new platform, the internet (i.e., cyberbullying). Those who are victimized online are at risk for various unfortunate outcomes, such as depression. The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies depression as the "single largest contributor to global disability," and the impacts of depression are vast, affecting the daily lives of many. Among a sample of middle school students (N = 126), the current study initially sought to investigate whether symptoms of social anxiety and social media rumination (SMR) serially mediated the association between …

Orphan Hermeneutics: Refashioning Archetypes In 19th-Century Epic Prose Fiction, John David Sieker

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Celebrated authors of the 19th century, Herman Melville and Charles Dickens are frequently critiqued within specifically national parameters, regarded as authors whose literary concerns reflect their respective countries and cultures. From that premise, there seems little if any connective thread to link Bleak House, the quintessential "stay-at-home" novel, and Moby-Dick, the epic, sea-faring adventure spanning nearly the entire globe. However, certain parallels between these novels in both form and content prove quite striking and reveal a transatlantic connection worthy of sustained critical attention. Both Melville and Dickens gesture to biblical and Classical antiquity in order to weave their respective narratives. …

Advancements In Engineered Nanomaterial Synthesis For Selective Oxygen Reduction Reaction Catalysts And Fundamental Electrochemical Studies Of Lead Acid Batteries, Jacob Kaelin

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

It has long been known that the catalysis of water and its constituent elements could provide an effective means of storing and producing electricity. The deceptively simple process of producing electricity from Hydrogen and Oxygen is composed of two primary reactions, namely the Hydrogen Oxidation Reaction (HOR) and the Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR). While the HOR has largely been optimized on a variety of catalytic materials, the ORR has been plagued by sluggish kinetics and high overpotentials to the point where it is the bottleneck in implementing water catalysis-based technologies in practical scenarios. To help meet these challenges a bevy …

Young Adolescents’ And Parents’ Attitudes And Perspective Taking About Appropriate Mobile Phone Use, Stephanie Jean Cleary

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study explored whether young adolescents and their parents have similar attitudes about appropriate mobile phone use, and whether those attitudes vary depending upon adolescent or parent phone user, the mobile phone use context (i.e., family dinner table, party, or homework/ work), and their self-perspective or other’s perspective. Fifty-two adolescents in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade (age range 11 years to 14 years and 5 months; 26 males, 23 females, 3 non-binaries) and their parent or guardian participated. Adolescents identified as white/European American (82.7%), multiple races (5.8%), Asian (5.8%), black/African American (1.9%), and Hispanic/Latinx/Spanish (1.9%), or did not respond (1.9%). …