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The Effect Of Space And Furnishings On Academic Readiness Scores Of West Virginia Preschoolers, J. Elise Coccari

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The effect of space and furnishings, as measured by the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale – Revised (ECERS-R), on the School Readiness Composite (SRC) of the Bracken Basic Concept Scale –Revised (BBCS-R) was investigated. The data analyzed was collected as part of the West Virginia Educare Initiative and included the SRC from 65 preschool students, ranging in age from 2 years, 6 months to 5 years, 0 months. The first subtest score on the ECERS-R, space and furnishings, was also calculated for each child’s classroom. The Spearman rank correlation coefficient between the SRC on the BBCS-R and the space and …

The Relationship Between Receptive Vocabulary And Letter Recognition, James Bennett

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The West Virginia Educare Program has randomly chosen 150 children from 2 ½ to 5 years of age to participate in an academic readiness study. These children came from a 6 county pilot community program collaborative, including the counties of Cabell, Wayne, Monongalia, Roane, Upshur, Webster, and Summers. The Bracken-R, the PPVT-III, and Carolina Curriculum for Pre-Schoolers with special needs were used to assess all subjects. For this study, the letter recognition subset of the Bracken-R and the raw score of the PPVT-III were used to determine if a correlation exists between receptive vocabulary and letter recognition. This study found …

A Matter Of Respect: The Mother-Home Visitor Relationship In The Healthy Families America Program, Sarah Mullins

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This thesis explores factors that influence the mother-home visitor relationship within the home visiting program, specifically, the Healthy Families America Program. The thesis was done as part of an evaluation of the local HFA program and used qualitative evaluation methods. Participants in the study consisted of five families chosen randomly from families who had been in the program at least one year, three Family Support Workers, and two supervisors. Data was gathered from participant observation of home visits and taped semi-structured interviews with participants. Qualities found to be helpful to the relationship were responsiveness, respect, and sharing personal experiences. Qualities …

A Durkheimian Analysis Of Anomie And Deviance In The National Football League: An Exploratory Case Study, Eric M. Carter

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to determine whether Durkheim’s concept of anomie applies to National Football League players. This study was an attempt to discover if and why NFL players are more likely to commit deviant acts. Why do these players that seemingly have everything throw their lives away by committing crimes? This study attempts to address these questions by linking Durkheim’s classic anomie theory with the deviance in the NFL.

In Durkheim’s book, The Division of Labour in Society (1893), anomie emerges through society’s transition from mechanical to organic solidarity. In this, economic change is too fast for …

Chronic Pain: A Study Of Low Back Pain Patients From Southern West Virginia And Eastern Kentucky, Nickandrea M. Cooke

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) was administered to 60 males ranging from 22 to 65 years of age. Subjects were seeking treatment at Mountain Comprehensive Care Center, an outpatient mental health center, for depression/anxiety with a secondary diagnosis of chronic pain stemming from low back pain related to an injury. This study considered T-scores of a K-corrected profile using Scales F (Faking, 1 (Hypochondriasis), 2 (Depression), and 3 (Hysteria). Statistical interpretation of data was obtained through use of the General Linear Model at the p < .05 level of significance to determine variance among the groups. Subjects were assigned to three of six groups based on the criteria of age (less than 35 years vs. 35 years or older); duration of pain (less than one year's duration vs. one year or more duration); and medical evidence available (with clinical evidence to support an orthopedic diagnosis vs. those with no clinical evidence available). The results of this study showed that there was no significant difference between groups on the age variable and the only significant differences on the medical evidence variable were for Scales 2 (D) and 3 (Hy). On the duration of pain variable, significant differences among groups for all scales were noted. Also, chronic low back pain patients from this geographic area presented with extreme elevations on Scale F and high elevations on Scales 1 (Hs), 2 (D), and 3 (Hy), with a higher elevation on Scale 2 (D).

Audrey Flack's Vanitas Series: A Dbae Perspective, Lee Anna W. Collins

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Art is a subject that encourages children to think critically, solve problems creatively, make evaluations, work within groups, and appreciate a variety of different points of view. These skills are particularly suited to a discussion of Audrey Flack’s vanitas series. An original and ambitious artist, her motivational canvases are full of vivid colors, historical references, and popular imagery.

Discipline-Based Art Education or DBAE is a comprehensive approach to instruction and learning in art which incorporates four foundational disciplines in art — art production, art history, art criticism, and aesthetics. Education in these disciplines contributes to the creation, understanding and appreciation …

Relation Of Age Beginning Delinquency, Chemical Dependency, Family History Of Substance Use And The Likelihood To Display Elevated 49/94 Two-Point Codetype On The Mmpi-A With Juvenile Delinquents, Jay Cunningham

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

A data search of male juvenile delinquents (N=40) who had taken the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory for Adolescents (MMPI-A) was undertaken from archival data at the Industrial Home for Youth Division of Juvenile Services at Salem, West Virginia. The Industrial Home for Youth is a 120 bed maximum security correctional facility for males age 10 through 20 and females age 12 through 20. Subjects’ files were placed into two groups, 20 in each group. The study group is males whose MMPI-A profile had a two-point codetype of elevated 49/94, T-score being 65 or above. The comparison group did not have …

Natural Succession Of Benthic Populations In Constructed Sediment Ponds And Ditches In Southwestern West Virginia, Robin E. Dolin

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Strip mining causes major disturbances of the natural environment. One such disturbance is the creation of valley fills, which often fill in the headwaters of small streams. Runoff from these valley fills can cause heavy siltation as well as acid and heavy metal deposition downstream. One way to combat this problem is through the construction of sedimentation ponds, which slow down the flow of water so that sediment can settle out and water chemistry can be altered before the water is discharged into the stream. Since these ponds are, in effect, temporarily replacing small headwaters once present, the question is …

Analysis Of E. Coli Dna From Selected Source(S) Using Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis, Sheema Doshi

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The presence of fecal coliforms in surface waters is a public health issue throughout the United States and Canada. The presence of Escherichia coli (E. coli) indicates recent fecal contamination from either animal or human sources. To solve this growing problem one must identify the source(s) of such contamination by creating a database of DNA profiles of£. coli isolates. Hence, tracking the source(s) of E. coli can help link water contamination to animal source(s) of contamination. In this study, pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was used to analyze DNA from E. coli isolates from known animals. For PFGE, the bacterial …

Cooperativity Of Dna Object Self-Assembly, Ava Caudill Dykes

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

In this study, the temperature dependence of self-assembling DNA structures was investigated. Specially designed two-dimensional DNA nanoarrays offer not only structural stability not normally associated with DNA, but also provide several possible sites of interaction, referred to as free ends, which can be easily exploited through conventional Watson-Crick base pairing. The ability to synthesize two-dimensional DNA nanoarrays was corroborated by confirming the presence of the nanoarrays by AFM imaging in air. The physical characteristics of two-dimensional DNA nanoarrays were also studied. DNA nanoarray synthesis occurs via a self-assembly process based on Watson-Crick base pairing. This self-assembly occurs through an annealing …

Running Water Cuts Deep: An Action Research Study Of At-Risk Students In A Rural High School, Lara K. Dial

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

As a high school teacher, I have formulated a standing comeback for the complaints of my students who whine, “That’s not fair!” My retort is the very cliche, “Life’s not fair”. I tell my students they might as well get used to things that are unfair because they simply cannot go through the rest of their lives whining about it. If life is indeed unfair, students who choose to drop out of school are reducing the chance that they will experience their fair portion of “The good life”. While it is true that the dropout rate in the United States …

The Effects Of A Low-Intensity Exercise Program On The Fitness Level Of A 22 Year-Old Female With Congenital Univentricular Heart Repair, Alice A. Elkins

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This case study examined the effects of exercise on a 22 year-old female with a repaired univentricular heart through early, modified Fontan technique. Improvements in oxygen consumption, blood pressure, heart rate and body composition were observed after a 12-week supervised fitness program. This program considers reversing hypoactivity and the subsequent deconditioning and obesity associated with this patient.

Selling With A Visual Aid, Michelle Fields

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Many have pondered the key to delivering an effective speech. Speculation ranges from what one wears to the tone of voice used to how the speech is outlined. No matter the opinion, most agree that visual aids are key to getting and keeping the attention of your audience. Visual aids can add interest, clarity, and drama to a presentation (Pollock, 2000). Clearly, all advertising seeks to influence behavior (Berger, 1999).

In the case of Boise Cascade Office Products, a visual aid helped to differentiate it from Office Max and Staples, while also driving the business 44% over the previous year …

The Effect Of Residence Type On Adjustment To College, Matthew J. Facemire

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study examined the difference in adjustment to college between Commuters (students who lived at home with their parents) and Boarders (students who lived on campus in residence halls). The study was conducted at a rural teachers college in West Virginia. The Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ) was administered to 86 students from four English 102 classes. The results include 48 students who met the requirements of the study. The results of the SACQ were input into a SPSS computer program to produce a 2x2 design ANOVA. The Test of Between-Subject Effects showed three areas of significant difference between …

Shooting For The Stars: American Gun Advertising And Technology During The Cold War, Angela R. Frye

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Advertising has existed in various forms for centuries. Although it has become almost a science today, marketing to consumers through the use of advertisements has ancient origins. Initially, advertising appeared in vocal form, with town criers and barkers, to a few printed signs, which were dated as far back as the Roman Empire’s advertisements for gladiator events. Historians believe that the first English language advertisement was a handbill created by William Claxton in 1478, for one of the books he printed. These handbills became increasingly sophisticated over time and essentially formed the basis of modem print advertising. Their value in …

Student Victimization And Its Relation To School Violence, Heidi Gregoire

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The frequent depiction of school violence in the media today has led some to believe that violence in our schools is an increasing problem. Those who are most prone to be influenced by the media’s perception of school violence may include those most affected by school violence such as parents, educators, and students. This influence may increase parents’ concerns about sending their children to school, and create a fear of going to school on a daily basis in educators and students. Despite such fears, research suggests that school violence is, in fact, decreasing, at least with regard to school shootings. …

The Trial Of Maurice Papon And French National Consciousness, Mary Guillochon

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

On Monday night 12 September 1994 President Francois Mitterrand appeared on French national television to discuss his involvement with the Vichy regime during its early years and in particular his postwar friendship with the former Vichy regime’s Police Chief, Rene Bousquet. Rene Bousquet was charged with crimes against humanity in 1989 for his role in the Final Solution in France and was indicted in 1991. He was assassinated 8 June 1993 and never brought to trial. Mitterrand’s controversial friendships and his television appearance to discuss them are emblematic of ambiguities present in French society surrounding historical memory of the period …

Examination Of Iv Antibiotic Use And Length Of Stay In Community-Acquired Pneumonia Patients, Shane Hammock

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between IV antibiotic administration and the length of stay for patients with community-acquired pneumonia. Research demonstrates that pneumonia is a large economic burden to acute care facilities across the United States. An ex post facto design was used to examine the difference in lengths of stay (LOS) for two groups of patients diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia in the Appalachian region. The first group received IV antibiotic therapy at or within 8 hours of arrival to the hospital. The second group received IV antibiotic therapy after 8 hours of arrival to …

Genomic Diversity Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa In Cystic Fibrosis, Nathaniel Edwards Head

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common environmental microorganism. However, it has the genetic capacity to cause diseases in patients with compromised host defense systems. Cystic fibrosis (CF) is one of the major hereditary diseases among Caucasian populations. CF patients are born with a defective chloride channel that is responsible for maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance across the lumen of the lung. This imbalance leads to the production of an abnormal dehydrated viscous mucous, prohibiting the patient from normally clearing the respiratory airway. Chronic pulmonary infections with P. aeruginosa are the major causes of high morbidity and mortality in CF. Two of …

An Investigation Of The Prevalence Of Disordered Eating Behaviors In Dietetic Students, Brandi Elizabeth Hicks

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Eating disorders are a debilitating mental illness that affects young people including those in the field of dietetics. Literature suggests that dietetic students have a higher prevalence of eating disorders than other students. Seventy-seven college student in Southern West Virginia enrolled in either dietetics or another major were included in a sample to determine if dietetic students have higher prevalence of disordered eating attitudes and behaviors. The participants completed a survey that included a general information section, a 26-item questionnaire concerning eating attitudes, and a behavioral information section. Upon completion of data collection, the survey was coded, and data was …

Individual Differences And The Effects Of Time Of Day And Interference On Memory, Keelon L. Hinton

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Using the Wickens, Born, Allen (1963) release from proactive interference paradigm, subjects were tested at both a morning and afternoon period in hopes of observing the effects time of day, age, and interference have on working memory. 42 college students and 21 participants over the age of 65 first completed the Horne-Ostberg (1976) questionnaire for morningness-eveningness. While most younger adults were evening and neutral types, the vast majority of older individuals showed a stronger preference for earlier hours of the day. Recall results indicated that recall performance of older participants decreased from morning to afternoon, while recall performance of younger …

Taking A Step Back: An Analysis Of The Unresolved Core Issue Of Constitutional Validity In The Campaign Finance Reform Debate, Scot A. Ginther

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Thesis Statement

Congressional attempts to enact reform in the financing of political campaigns may unavoidably violate the First Amendment2 to the United States Constitution and its guarantees of freedom of speech and association. As a result, the core issue that must be resolved in the campaign finance reform debate is whether campaign finance reform is unavoidably unconstitutional. and opponents (anti-reformists)4 of campaign finance reform have been engaging in an extended ad hoc debate over reform measures without adequately confronting the critical core issue that continues to prevent key reform measures from being adopted: does the First Amendment prohibit campaign finance …

Spanish Women And The SeccióN Femenina: Rhetoric, Imagery, And Ideology, Julia Hudson-Richards

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Women never discover anything; they lack, of course, the creative talent; reserved by God for male intelligence. We can do nothing more but perform for better or worse, the tasks which men give us.

Pilar Primo de Rivera, 1942.

Though at the time of its founding in 1934 the women’s section of the Spanish fascist party may have been insignificant to many, the Sección Femenina in a few short years was installed as the premier government agency with regard to the political status of Spain’s women. With the consolidation of the Franco regime, the Sección Femenina was placed in charge …

The Narratology Of Jennifer Johnston's Novels, Robert N. Hutton

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Irish novelist Jennifer Johnston has published twelve novels to date, from The Captains and the Kings in 1972 to The Gingerbread Woman in 2000. Eileen Battersby's recent Irish Times article “Making Sense of Life” called her “the quiet woman of Irish fiction, “ referring to her understated, sophisticated writing style. All of her novels are short (Joseph Connelly and others have called them “novellas”), and she has become known for her ability to describe a complex situation in a direct, compact way.

This discussion is intended to investigate the narratology of several Johnston novels: to explore narrative voice, narrative chronology, …

Roots And Wings, Charles Eugene Hughes Jr.

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Certain experiences happen to you during your early teen years. Some of them you never think of again, others affect for the rest of your life. It’s the awkward time between childhood and adulthood, when your body and mind begin to develop into whatever it is you will become. The friends you make during these years will be your oldest and dearest. They will share both your innocence and your awakening, and you theirs. I passed through this period in the late 1960s and early 1970s, an era of remarkable social, political, and moral change. But at the time, I …

Isokinetic Dynamometer Versus A Multi-Axial Stability Platform In The Proprioception And Strength Training Of The Peroneal Muscle Group, Eric Johnson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Ankle injuries are the most common and frequent occurring injuries in sports today (Feuerbach, Grabiner & Koh, 1994). Ankle sprains usually occur in athletes that are participating in running or jumping activities. Injuries to the ankle joint represent about 20% of all sports related injuries, and 15% of all time lost injuries (Payne, Berg, & Latin, 1997). The majority of the sprains to the ankle occur to the lateral ligamentous structures due to the forcefully plantar flexion and inversion of the talocrural joint. This inversion mechanism accounts for 85% of all ankle sprains (Kinzey, Ingersoll, & Knight, 1997). Often after …

Race Vs. Threat: How Teens Perceive Violence As A Function Of Race, Corey R. Layne

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The relationship between race students’ perceptions of threat was examined using an examiner-made questionnaire with WV 6th, 9th, and 12th grade students. Eleven ambiguous scenarios and eight demographic questions were rated to measure the level of threat perceived by subjects. The results indicated that both Minority and Caucasian students found both black and white students the threatening.

Factors Influencing Spatial Variability In Soil Nitrogen (N) Dynamics In N-Treated And Untreated Watersheds Of The Fernow Experimental Forest, West Virginia, Nikki Lenore Lyttle

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The central Appalachian region of the United States receives some of the highest inputs of nitrogen (N) due to acidic deposition in the nation. It is believed that these high could levels contribute to a decline in forest soils within the next 50 to 70 yrs. This study examines factors that influence spatial variability in N-treated and untreated watersheds of the Fernow Experimental Forest, Parsons, West Virginia. Within each of the two watersheds [WS4 untreated control, > 100 yr.; WS3 N-treated, acidified, clear cut, ~ 31 yr.], two 0.04 ha plots, one high N and one low N, were selected for …

The Conners' Continuous Performance Test, Karrie Mace

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study examined the Connors’ Continuous Performance Test (CPT). The CPT purports to measure levels of vigilance or attention. This test is administered by computer.

Fifty children from a summer school program were individually administered the CPT. A univariate analysis of variance was completed using previous diagnosis of ADHD, gender, and age. A logistic regression was also completed using gender, age, and total score. No significant difference was found.

Comparison Of Ncaa Division I, Ii, & Iii Athletic Training Positions Regarding Duties And Compensation, Lance David Markham

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The sports arena is one of the fastest growing sectors of American society from little league and junior soccer to college and professional football (Staurowsky & Scriber, 1998). This in part is due to the increase in women’s sports leagues as well as increased opportunities for women in college athletics because of Title EX (Amheim & Prentice, 2000). As sports participation has increased, so has the profession of athletic training. The number of certified athletic trainers entering the job market is now larger than ever and is continuing to grow (Amheim & Prentice, 2000). The athletic trainer is a highly …