Digital Commons Network^™

There Is No Substitute For A Lifetime: A Study Of Metaphor And Linguistic Autonomy In The Lives And Works Of Selected American Poets, Richard Tony Thompson

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Metaphor is not only figurative language, but also a way of understanding reality and creating truth. This study describes how selected American poets, including Tom Andrews, Patti Smith, and Natasha Trethewey, engage the concept of creation through metaphor in their poetic and autobiographical writing. Theories of signification, symbolism, and metaphor as defined by philosophers of language, including George Lakoff, Charles Sanders Peirce, and Roman Jakobson, are combined with complementary theories from philosophers of poetry, including Wallace Stevens, Jorie Graham, and Federico García Lorca, and used as a lens through which to view the agency of the language user as a …

Cold Testing Of A Prototype Superconducting Radiofrequency Electron Gun And Ancillary Systems For The Lcls-Ii-He Project, Kaela Michele Villafania

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Argonne National Laboratory is collaborating with Michigan State University (MSU), Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), and Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) on the design, fabrication, and testing of a prototype superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) gun for the planned LCLS-II-HE upgrade at SLAC. This electron source will enable the generation of higher-brightness beams at a high repetition rate opening the path to expand LCLS-II-HE FEL performances. This thesis focuses on the cold testing of the prototype gun cavity and ancillary structures including the fundamental input-power coupler and tuning system. Numerical simulations are also presented to understand fields inside of the cavity as well as …

After The Collapse: Herman Melville’S And Friedrich Nietzsche's Existentialism, Ryan L. Smith

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation compares the works of Herman Melville and Friedrich Nietzsche. Melville and Nietzsche articulate similar arguments about the collapse of Christian metaphysics as a traditional philosophical system. Both authors recognize the moral, intellectual, and spiritual void this collapse revealed, and they craft similar texts that illustrate humanity’s emotional turmoil facing the abyss. In addition to these scenes of upheaval, Melville and Nietzsche promote the importance of the individual’s will to overcome the possible fall into psychological nihilism resulting from recognizing the emptiness of traditional religion’s teachings. Melville’s and Nietzsche’s striving against complete despair in the wake of this collapse …

Motivation, Engagement, And The Student-Teacher Relationship As Predictors Of Academic Outcomes, Courtney Weaver

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Motivation and engagement have long been studied in educational literature as factors that contribute to student academic achievement. The student-teacher relationship has also gained attention as a factor that exerts influence on students’ performance in the classroom. Models that consider context, or the ways in which these student- and teacher-level factors work together, are lacking in the literature. The current study employed an ecological systems framework with concepts from two related theories, attachment and self-determination, to investigate the roles of motivation, engagement, closeness and conflict in the student-teacher relationship as influences on student academic outcomes. Data for the current study …

Bidirectional In-Situ Analysis And Visualization Of Fluid Structure Interactions With Applications In Blood Flow, Nazariy Tishchenko

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Interactive blood flow simulation has applications in the understanding of complex fluids,training medical professionals, diagnostics, and surgical procedure planning. Bidirectional in situ visualization and analysis are much needed to streamline the analysis of large-scale patient-specific blood flow simulations. The in situ component ensures the live visualization of the simulation results while the simulation is running, and the bidirectional component allows for real-time control and configuration of the simulation parameters (i.e., setting and retrieving the simulation parameters and data based on need). In this project, a highly accurate multiphysics simulation was instrumented to work with an existing bidirectional in situ framework. …

Housing Markets, Residential Preferences And Segregation: Unraveling Spatial Dynamics In Quito, Ecuador, Felipe Miguel Valdez Gomez De La Torre

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Housing issues in cities paradoxically manifest as growing inaccessibility and an oversupply with high prices. Urban public policies have been insufficient to reverse this pattern because they fail to address its root cause: the socio-spatial process resulting in uneven development. This dissertation starts with the premise that housing problems are not isolated but intricately linked to social dynamics and spatial configurations.Latin American cities represent a particular case study due to their high degree of urbanization combined with high inequality, leading to unique and highly segregated urban forms such as self-built settlements and gated communities in close proximity. We take the …

The Convoy, Chris Zwolinski

Mighty Pen Project Anthology & Archive

A true story in which our narrator realizes something is amiss in his convoy, and takes drastic action.

Articles, stories, and other compositions in this archive were written by participants in the Mighty Pen Project. The program, developed by author David L. Robbins, and in partnership with Virginia Commonwealth University and the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, Virginia, offers veterans and their family members a customized twelve-week writing class, free of charge. The program encourages, supports, and assists participants in sharing their stories and experiences of military experience so both writer and audience may benefit.

Incarcerated To Educated: The On-Campus Experiences Of College Students Post Incarceration, Taylor Comer

Masters Theses

As reentry rates continue to climb in the United States, more individuals with felony convictions on their criminal records will be looking to obtain post-secondary education to make themselves more marketable in the workforce. The purpose of this narrative study was to examine the experiences of three individuals that pursued higher education after being released from prison. It was determined that the criminality of these individuals had minimal impact on their experiences in higher education, and that there are other components of their identity that have a heavier influence on their likelihood of success. The other components of their identities …

Social Gender Norms And Depression In College Students, Derek Deeney

Masters Theses

The primary purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if there was a relationship between the conformity to social gender norms (masculine and feminine) and depression among male and female college students at a mid-sized, four-year public institution in the Midwest. A secondary purpose was to investigate if there was a difference in depression between males and females, and if a there was a difference in conformity to social gender norms (masculine and feminine) between males and females. Understanding the trends in social norm conformity and depression can lead to changes in how faculty and staff in higher education …

Further Psychometric Examination Of The Late Adolescent Social Support Inventory, Nicole Shaffer

Masters Theses

The current study set out to provide validity evidence for the Late Adolescent Social Support Inventory (LASSI), a scale designed to measure the perception of the availability of social support. Participants were recruited from undergraduate psychology courses at Eastern Illinois University. There were 69 participants who completed the LASSI, an alternative measure of social support (the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List, shortened version; ISEL – 12), measures of depression, anxiety and stress (the subscales of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, short version; DASS – 21), and a measure of satisfaction with life (the Satisfaction with Life Scale; SWLS). All scales demonstrated …

Population Demographics Of Channel Catfish In The Lower Wabash River, Valerie J. Thompson

Masters Theses

Inland fisheries are experiencing increasing demands due to anthropogenic stressors, especially within large river systems that support both recreational and commercial fisheries. Riverine species are sensitive to habitat degradation, species introductions, and exploitation, so continued monitoring and management of these communities are vital to maintain abundance and diversity within these systems. The North American catfish family, Ictaluridae, supports both recreational and commercial fisheries throughout the United States. Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus are heavily studied and managed compared to other sport catfishes in this family because of their economic and ecological significance. One important Channel Catfish fishery exists in the lower …

Replication Of Construct Validity Of The Behavior Assessment System For Children-Third Edition Teacher Rating Scales (Basc-3 Trs) And The Adjustment Scales For Children And Adolescents (Asca), Joel Katla

Masters Theses

Behavior rating scales, such as the Behavior Assessment Scale for Children-Third Edition Teacher Rating Scale Child form and the Adjustment Scales for Children and Adolescents (ASCA) are common tools to help school psychologists identify and assess problematic behaviors and youth psychopathology. However, the original BASC, the BASC-2, and the BASC-3 have little replication research available. The ASCA, while now having potentially outdated norms, has had replication research conducted and is considered empirically sound. Burback (2020) empirically compared the BASC-3 TRS-C with the ASCA to assess construct validity (convergent, discriminant, divergent) since there were no published studies replicating research presented in …

Student Perceptions Of Teacher Praise: Considering Diversity, Kealie S. Jenkins

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to expand the praise preference literature by considering student diversity. Specifically, students (grades 7-12) acceptability and preferences for praise and reprimand were assessed while considering the following: (a) White/ Non-White, (b) Rural/ Suburban, (c) Special Education/ General Education, and (d) Low SES/ Middle-High SES. Students’ acceptability and preferences for praise and reprimand were collected through the Adolescent Praise and Reprimand Preference Survey (APRPS). A total of 1125 students completed the APRPS. Regardless of diverse group comparisons (except Low SES and Middle/High SES) the top three preferences across (schoolwork and appropriate behavior) all groups included …

Emailed Support For Implementation Fidelity: The Effects Of Email Prompts On Teacher Use Of Bsp, Kathryn Krouse

Masters Theses

This study sought to expand the literature on the effects of emailed implementation support on teachers’ use of behavior specific praise. The effects of the intervention on select student outcomes were also observed. Participants were four early elementary school teachers that sought support for implementing research-based classroom management practices. A concurrent A-B-C-D multiple-probe design was utilized to observe changes in the teachers’ behavior specific praise and correction frequencies and their students’ on-task and disruptive behaviors when didactic training, email prompting, and email performance feedback were introduced in separate phases. The results indicated that three of the four participants increased their …

Effective Communication Strategy During Crisis: A Case Of The 2010 Toyota Recall Crisis, Masud Mensah

Masters Theses

Crisis communication is an integral part of public relations and organizational management at large involving the timely and strategic sharing of information during a crisis or emergency. Its primary purpose is to ensure that organizations effectively manage and minimize the negative impact of the crisis on their operations and stakeholders, which invariably helps to maintain trust, credibility and restore their reputation. Based on an interpretivist standpoint, the study utilizes qualitative approaches and takes the form of a case study. It offers a comprehensive account of the crisis, including key occurrences, media representation, and public responses, showcasing its international impact via …

Student Perceptions Of Inclusive And Culturally Responsive Teaching In The Elementary Classroom, Emma Larson

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research is to explore student perspectives, as it relates to inclusive and culturally responsive teaching practices. In order to uplift student voices in the elementary classroom, observations and interviews were conducted to collect data on student perceptions. This study found that students believe the teacher’s job is to help everyone, students want a sense of belonging, and students love when their teacher celebrates them. As this research followed students in a bilingual kindergarten classroom, further research is needed in order to grasp a deeper understanding of students, their view, and perception of inclusive and culturally responsive …

Influence Of Attack Performance On The Ovc Volleyball Regular Seasons 2022 & 2023, Ignacio Valdemoros

Masters Theses

Understanding the outcome of volleyball games is necessary for coaches before, after, and during a season. There are several ways to gain this understanding, but statistical analysis is fundamental to see the minimum patterns of behavior that influence wins and losses in Volleyball. Furthermore, this analysis helps identify the optimal approach to achieving a goal and determining the most effective alternative to success. Scoring points in Volleyball involves three key skills: serving, blocking, and attacking. Among these skills, attacking plays the most relevant role in determining the outcome of a match. The position on the court (e.g. Outside Hitter, Middle …

Centering Linguistic Justice In The First Year Writing Classroom: An Argument For The Incorporation Of Code-Meshing And Narrative In Academic Writing, Traci Salazar

Masters Theses

The author addresses several questions across three chapters in relation to linguistic identity and standard language ideology in academic writing, particularly as it pertains to the First Year Writing classroom. Firstly, what is standard language ideology, and what are the detriments of its effects on students in the writing classroom? This answer is considered with an emphasis on the implications for students whose home languages are not in close proximity to Standard English (SE) and boils down to a homogenous language that is deemed ideal and is imposed upon others by dominant institutions, such as academic institutions. Within a literature …

Addition Reactions Of Olefinic Heterocycles And 4-Hydroxycoumarins, Benjamin Goka

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The work outlined in this dissertation describes acid-base catalyzed projects facilitating the construction of key synthetic analogs with vast therapeutic applications. Three major projects have been covered demonstrating various synthetic routes developed by our research group to furnish key derivatives of heterocyclic compounds, including coumarins, carbohydrate moieties, and beta-lactams. By their catalytic nature, acids, and bases are known to enhance the reactivities of compounds. This allows synthetic chemists to design or chart new and better reaction pathways leading to the delivery of desired reaction products. The first chapter features a summary of the main concepts underpinning the projects.

Chapter 2 …

Does Gossip Predict Desire For Apologies?, Teddy Schupack

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Gossip and reputation contribute to the smooth functioning of society. Apologizing after a transgression is one way people can repair their relationships and reputations. The current research proposed that reputation concern would promote the desire to apologize after a transgression among those who would be the targets of gossip to an interdependent recipient. The results from the current study, however, did not support the hypothesis. There was no observed difference in the desire to apologize when people believed their behavior would be gossiped about to a related person versus an unrelated person.

Race-Based Stressors And Racial Trauma: The Moderating Role Of Parental Racial Socialization, Jessica S. Philip

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Experiences of race-based stressors are linked with worse psychological outcomes for racial/ethnic minority individuals (e.g., Ferdinand et al., 2015). The way in which parents talk to their children about race (i.e., racial/ethnic socialization; RES) may exacerbate or buffer against the strength of this link (e.g., Keum & Ahn, 2021). Therefore, the present study examined the links between race-based stressors, RES, and psychological outcomes (i.e., depression, anxiety, stress, racial trauma) across multiple racial/ethnic minority groups. The present study also explored the different RES messages as potential moderators for the link between race-based stressors and outcomes, as well as differences in these …

Exploring The Connection: Field Ecology Research And Student Wellbeing, Elizabeth Small

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Field work is essential in ecological research, offering the opportunity to gather firsthand data, observe natural processes, and deepen our understanding of ecosystems. In my study on small mammal trophic niche dynamics, I investigate how small mammals—critical players in grassland food webs—adapt their diets in response to environmental disturbances. By examining the drivers of variation in trophic niche among three common small mammal species, I aim to uncover how these animals coexist despite similar dietary requirements. Understanding these dynamics is critical for informing global conservation efforts, especially as we work to reverse the biodiversity crisis and restore damaged ecosystems.However, the …

Explicitly Counting Subspaces Of Given Height Defined Over A Field Of Rational Functions, Kakoli Bhuyan

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

A height function measures the complexity of mathematical objects, usually points on some projective variety. There are previous results that estimate the number of subspaces of bounded height defined over number fields and function fields over a finite field. These results are asymptotic estimates as the height bound tends to infinity. In this dissertation we derive an explicit counting of the number of subspaces of given height defined over a field of rational functions.

Examining Project Flex: A Sport-Based Prison Program For Incarcerated Youth, Gabrielle Bennett

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

There is a growing global body of literature examining the experiences of adolescents in sport-based youth development programs. Conversely, the advantages of such programming are often contingent on intention, design, population, and environment. One often overlooked setting that serves a vital population benefiting from the integration of sport-based youth development programs, is juvenile justice facilities. Beyond adolescents, much literature remains to be explored in penal settings, particularly, the inception of sport-based prison programs that utilize an evidence-based curriculum and explicit approach to foster life skill development. Often overlooked are staff, administrators, and youth perspectives of sport-based youth development programs in …

Leveraging Bioinformatics To Understand Chlorophyll D Biosynthesis In Acaryochloris Spp., Dikshyant Gautam

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Acaryochloris strains can adapt into far red region of the visible spectrum by utilizing its unique chlorophyll called chlorophyll d (Chl d). The genetic machinery behind Chl d has not been discovered yet. Biosynthetic pathway for other chlorophylls like chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and chlorophyll f found in cyanobacteria are however well known. This research aims to understand the biosynthetic pathway responsible for chlorophyll d production. Bioinformatics approaches like comparative genomics, machine learning, and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) were central in this study to identify candidate genes and regulatory mechanisms potentially involved in chlorophyll d synthesis.

An important …

Provisioning Digital Tools And Systems For Government Use [“Govtech”], Nina-Simone Edwards

Library Scholarship

The project’s second concept paper recommends a series of changes to the current policy landscape for govtech provisioning. The suggestions include rethinking the traditional “make vs. buy” dichotomy in public procurement, mandating interoperability and transparency of govtech tools and systems, and reenvisioning accountability requirements to avoid the problem of “waterfall” development.

To support these policy changes, the paper first recommends improved support and coordination for five important govtech-related functions. Next, it proposes some corresponding changes to institutional structure and organization. Finally, it emphasizes the need to bolster technical capacity within government by developing a pipeline of specialized, govtech-related training programs, …

The Use Of Digital Technologies To Prepare Future Translators For The Modern Requirements Of The Linguistic Services Market, Iuliia Golovatska, Grygorii Tereshchuk

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

The importance of the topic is emphasized by the current educational environment, which demands that professionals possess adeptness in modern information technologies. This adaptability is crucial in an increasingly technologically advanced society. The main goal of study is to study the peculiarities of training future translators, as well as to prove the effectiveness of the use of digital technologies in the process of training future professionals. The analyses methods used were structural-functional, dialectical, synthesis, logical and comparative analysis, and generalization. As a result, it was established that a number of socio-economic changes caused the emergence of new standards of professional …

A Study On The Impact Of Representational Forms Of Concepts In Elementary School Mathematics On The Degree Of Transfer Occurrence, Yue Huang, Ruirui Zhai, Lin Jiang

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Educators aspire for learners to proficiently apply acquired knowledge across diverse contextual scenarios. Facilitating knowledge transfer involves employing varied methodologies in the construction of instructional materials. Regrettably, extant research lacks a comprehensive examination of the efficacy of these methodologies in specific applications. Drawing upon cognitive psychology principles, this research delineates three representations of instructional materials conducive to knowledge transfer: the amalgamation of conceptual content and digital applications, the integration of conceptual content with situational queries, and the fusion of two situational queries. Subsequently, a cohort comprising 63 third-grade students undergoes experimentation to discern the differential impacts of the aforementioned instructional …

Dna Methylation In Aging And Alzheimer's Disease, Raymond Cheng, Jingmin Shu, Hai Chen, Ming Li, Xiaodong Cheng, Li Liu

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

DNA methylation undergoes significant changes with age. These alterations play a pivotal role in the development of age-related diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent advancements in DNA methylome profiling have revealed global hypomethylation patterns, particularly within repetitive elements, as well as gene-specific changes that are associated with neurodegeneration. Age-related alterations in DNA methylation have been implicated in the disruption of key cellular processes, such as inflammation and proteostasis, both central to AD pathology. However, several challenges persist in this field. One major issue is the inconsistency of findings across different brain regions and tissue types, which complicates result interpretation. Furthermore, …

Fetal Abdominal Obesity In Women With One Value Abnormality On Diagnostic Test For Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, Wonjin Kim, Soo Kyung Park, Yoo Lee Kim

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Previous studies have shown that fetal abdominal obesity (FAO) was already observed at the time of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) diagnosis and persisted until delivery despite management in older and/or obese women. In this study, we investigated whether fetuses of women with milder hyperglycemia than GDM have accelerated abdominal growth, leading to adverse pregnancy outcomes. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 7,569 singleton pregnant women who were universally screened using a 50-g glucose challenge test (GCT) and underwent a 3-h 100-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) if GCT result was ≥140mg/dL. GDM, one value abnormality (OVA), and normal glucose …