Digital Commons Network^™

The Effect Of Backpack Carrying On The Gait Of Young Children, San Fan Ng

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of the study was to investigate the gait characteristics in young females while carrying five different weights of backpack. It was hypothesized that the gait patterns would be changed and the magnitude of the changes would rise with increasing load level.

Subjects were 24 girls aged 9-11 years. The backpacks weighed 0, 2.1, 4.1, 6.1 and 8.1 kg. The study utilized a Motion Analysis System. A force plate was fixed in the middle of the test site. Four high speed cameras were positioned on one side of the force plate. Each subject carried five different weights in sequence, …

A Four Week Intervention Program At Albert Lea Medical Center: An Investigative Study Of Employee Lifestyle Practices, Theresa Thorland

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of a four-week intervention program on the development of healthy lifestyle practices among employees at Albert Lea Medical Center. Specifically, the study was designed to investigate changes in subjects' predicted health risk age after participation in a four-week worksite health promotion program at ALMC. The intervention program consisted of the following wellness components: physical, emotional, occupational, intellectual, spiritual, and social. The study was designed to answer the question of how the "July Challenge" would effect the risk age of each participant.

Health risk appraisals were sent to randomly selected individuals …

Leisure Participation And Life Satisfaction Among Middle-Aged And Elderly Urban Chinese People, Jin Ye

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Society has entered a new millennium where quality of life is receiving more attention than ever before. In China, with the rapidly developing economy, the need for improving the quality of life has also increased. Research has shown that leisure can contribute to quality of life issues. It is very important to understand the characteristics of leisure participation and life satisfaction among middle-aged and elderly Chinese people. This can help leisure professionals to develop suitable leisure programs and improve the life satisfaction of Chinese.

One hundred fifty subjects (69 males and 81 females) living in China participated in this study. …

Attitudes And Perceptions Regarding Internet-Based Electronic Data Interchange In A Public Organization In Saudi Arabia, Abdulrahman S. Al-Zumaia

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study examined the attitudes and perceptions of staff members and administrators in the General Directorate for Private Institutes & Centers (GDPI&C), Training institutes, and Centers in Saudi Arabia toward Internet-based Electronic Data Interchange (I-EDI) in a public organization. A survey was conducted of a group of GDPI&C members and randomly selected Institutes and Centers. The 339 respondents participated anonymously by providing demographic information and completing the attitudes and perceptions section of I-EDI questionnaire. The survey response rate was 82.6%.

An attitude survey was distributed to staff members, administrators, and faculty members in the Saudi Arabian GDPI&C, Training Institutes, and …

The Effectiveness Of Group Play And Group Counseling For Children With Aggressive Behaviors, Jennifer Marie Brehm

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of group play treatment and group counseling interventions for decreasing developmentally inappropriate aggression of children. Group play treatment and group counseling are described in relation to the aggressive behaviors of children. Efficacy of the interventions is presented based on published literature only because no significant effects were found in the study. The Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders is also presented. The subjects are children in the first-grade and their ages ranged from 6 to 7. There are three treatment groups (i.e., a play group, a counseling group, and a control …

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder : Diagnostic Criteria Using The Diagnostic And Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders (4th Ed.) And Russell Barkley's 1990 Model Of Adhd, Justin Matthew Larson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

School teams perform assessments to aid in the diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. In this thesis, a post-hoc descriptive study looked at what diagnostic model school teams in 3 Iowa Area Education Agencies used in assessing children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Three categories were used to describe the assessment process for this study, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th Ed.) (DSM-IV), Russell Barkley's 1990 Model, and an Other category. The researcher reviewed 24 student files to determine what diagnostic category was used in the assessment process. Data obtained through this study showed that there …

School Playground Supervision Practices In The State Of Iowa, Heather Marie Bauer

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to investigate what types of playground supervision practices were being performed in Iowa public elementary schools. More specifically this study included the following research questions:

1. What is the typical public elementary school in Iowa? 2. Do schools in Iowa have playground supervision plans?
3. Who supervises the children?
4. Do schools require the supervisors to have playground safety training?
5. Do schools perform a regular maintenance check on their playground?

A questionnaire was designed to answer the research questions posed in this study. The questionnaire was reviewed by a panel of experts for …

The Coupling Of Biotechnology With Electrochemistry: Electrodenitrification Of Water Using The Enzyme Nitrate Reductase, Cyril Geyer

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Nitrate is a worldwide contaminant that causes environmental (eutrophication) and human health (methemoglobinemia, cancers) concerns. Very few techniques are available to eliminate it from natural environment and they suffer from major drawbacks, such as production of unwanted byproducts (toxins or brine). The electrochemical reduction of nitrate on any electrode is relatively slow and catalysts or electron mediators are needed. The goal of this project was to develop a new process that could overcome these disadvantages. The project demonstrates the feasibility of using an enzyme, nitrate reductase, and a mediator, methyl viologen to transfer the electrons from the electrode to nitrate, …

A Study Of Attitudes And Beliefs Of Teachers And Site Council Members Toward Parental Involvement Within The Framework Of Four Models Of Home-School Relations, Beverly Ann Smith

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes and beliefs of faculty and site council members toward the type of parental involvement model desired in their schools and to assess whether or not a consistent opinion of parental involvement existed between the two school role groups. This study investigated the prevalence of four models of home-school relationships developed by Swap (1993). The four models are the Curriculum Enrichment Model, the Partnership Model, the Protective Model and the School to Home Transmission Model. Participants of the study consisted of faculty and site council members from five selected schools in …

Germination, Emergence, And Early Growth Of Spartina Pectinata, Wade Herold Williams

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Spartina pectinata Link is frequently omitted from lowland prairie restorations because the seed often fails to grow when planted, and inclusion is limited to plugs of young plants. Anecdotal reports indicated improvement of seed germination following stratification. The effects of seed stratification on the germination of S. pectinata seed were systematically studied. Seed was obtained from both relict populations of plants and germplasm plants as defined by Englert and White (1977). Seed from 5 different collections were subjected to 4 different seed stratifying treatments: imbibed-chilled (1 oc for 15 to 45 days); imbibed-frozen (-12°C for 4 to 7 days); or …

Using Bibliotherapy To Increase Sharing In A Kindergarten Classroom, Carla Marie Eich

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The use of bibliotherapy with children as it relates to sharing behaviors is the focus of this study. The investigation examined whether reading books to children about sharing would increase sharing behaviors in a classroom. Previous work completed in this area reported positive results. This study sought to replicate and expand upon existing work to determine if bibliotherapy is a u 1 able classroom intervention to increase sharing behaviors. The following three hypotheses were made for this study: 1. Following treatment, the number of sharing behaviors of the experimental group will be significantly more than at baseline. 2. The experimental …

An Examination Of Dynamic Postural Stability As Tested On The Biodex Stability System, Gina Marie Henkels

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect that the McDavid Ankle Guard™ (McDavid Knee Guard Inc., Chicago, Illinois) and the Active Ankle Trainer™ (Active Ankle Systems Inc., Louisville, Kentucky) had on the dynamic postural stability of recreational athletes and what differences existed between males and females on stability. It was hypothesized that wearing an ankle orthosis would improve postural stability and the Active Ankle Trainer™ would be superior to the McDavid Ankle Guard™ and the control (no brace). Additionally, it was hypothesized that females would have better stability when compared to the male subjects under all conditions. …

Two Instructional Approaches - The Electric Maze And The Direct Instructional Model-For Teaching At- Risk Kindergarten Students Alphabet Letter Names, Sherry Marie Jack

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This paper compares the effectiveness of two instructional approaches for teaching the names of alphabet letters to 5 and 6 year-old elementary students who were at risk for academic failure. The literature review examines investigations which had previously addressed the direct instructional model and parameters of active learning. In this context, a variety of perspectives regarding active learning are reviewed followed by a finer examination of self-corrective materials which was a unique component of the active learning paradigm used in this investigation. Nine (N = 9) elementary children were taught the names of five randomly chosen letters (upper and lower …

An Analysis Of A Radio Frequency Sensor As A Means To Remotely Sense Selected Surface Topographies In An Agriculture Environment, Barry Michael Alexia

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Remote sensing is the science and art of obtaining information about an object, area or phenomenon through the analysis of data acquired by a device that is not in contact with the object, area, or phenomenon under investigation. The remotely sensed data can be of many forms, including variations in force distribution, acoustic wave distribution, or electromagnetic energy distribution.Information thus acquired can be used for observing,monitoring, and studying planetary surfaces and environments.

Because there are many ways to acquire data about targets of interest, there are many types of remote sensors that can be used, including visible, infrared, and active …

An Investigation Of Eddy Current Analysis For Laser Surface Treatment Of Steel, Ronald Edward O'Meara

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The problem of this exploratory study was to determine the strength of the bivariate correlational relationship between microhardness readings converted to Rockwell values and eddy current values of laser heat-treated AISI 1045 steel. Further, the microstructure was analyzed to determine the microstructural changes formed by laser surface treatment utilizing a carbon dioxide laser.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the microhardness and depth of hardness formed by laser surface treatment, to develop a measure of correlation between microhardness and eddy current values, and to study microstructural changes formed by the laser surface treatment. This knowledge could be used …

Field Methodology For The Determination Of The Prevalence Of Giardia Cysts And Cryptosporidium Oocysts Drinking Water And Its Association To The Development Of Diarrheal Disease In The Transylvania Region Of Romania, Rick J. Bauer

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to analyze the drinking water of 69 individuals living in the Transylvania region of Romania for the presence of Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium oocysts. The ultimate objective was to determine if a correlation exists between the presence and concentrations of these two protozoa and the reported frequency and average severity of diarrheal disease in the study group members.

To accomplish this goal, a collection, emulsion, concentration, labeling, and identification method had to be developed that could operate effectively in an international field setting. The protocol selected included the collection of samples using a compressed …

Effect Of Strength Training And Other Activities On Physical Self-Concept Of Females, Denise Cooksley Glew

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The past few years have seen an increased interest in the psychological benefits of exercise. The personality factor of self-concept typically remains relatively stable throughout adulthood unless a person's life experiences cause it to change. Physical self-concept, a dimension of self-concept, deals with how an individual views themselves and has been found to be affected by exercise. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of strength training on the physical self-concept of female college students. The study used a pretest, post-test, quasi-experimental design. The Physical Self-Concept Subscale of the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale was used to measure physical …

An Investigation Of Cooperative Consciousness-Raising As An Innovative Teaching Practice, And Of Reactions To Its Introduction Into A High School, Sahoby Solo Raharinirina

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The language pedagogy literature stresses the importance of the quality of second/foreign language teaching/learning in learners' acquisition, development of communicative competence, or both. The change literature equally emphasizes the importance of the quality of innovation in change audience’s resolution to reconceptualize current practices and espouse the new practice being advocated. Both literatures underline the need to use multiple research strategies in order to depict the product and process of learning and/or shifting experiences. To contribute to the educational literature in these areas, the present research incorporated two different but interrelated studies.

Study One utilized both between- and within-method approaches (Denzin, …

The Effects Of Individual Factors On Punitive Attitudes Toward Juvenile Offenders, Jennifer Keely Mac Connell

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between individual factors and punitive attitudes toward juvenile offenders. The individual factors examined were attributional style, authoritarianism, anxiety, self-esteem, the Five-Factor model of personality, and gender. It was hypothesized that possessing a punitive attributional style, maintaining authoritarian beliefs, and being male would predict punitive attitudes toward adolescent offenders. I also examined the effects of age of the offender and severity of the crime on attributions and punishment decisions. College students (N = 185) at a Midwestern university completed questionnaire packets in partial fulfillment of their introductory psychology course requirements. …

The Effect Of Valproic Acid On Motility And Morphometry Parameters, And Actin And N-Cadherin Distribution In Avian Neural Crest Cells, Leah Christine Fuller

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

All vertebrate species contain a transient ectodermal structure termed the neural crest from which a specific subpopulation of migratory cells, the neural crest cells (NCCs), is derived. Following an epithelial-mesenchymal transition, NCCs actively migrate throughout the developing embryo. Precise temporal and spatial cellular migration is essential for the formation of a diverse array of neural crest derived tissues and structures. Valproic acid (VP A) is a unique anti-convulsant drug that can produce craniofacial and neural tube defects in exposed infants. Alterations of NCC migration, proliferation, and cytoskeletal composition have been proposed as mechanisms of VP A's teratogenicity. To investigate this …

A Study Of Important Content For Undergraduate Graphic Communications Programs, Tsung-Yu Hao

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study was an investigation of important content for undergraduate graphic communications programs in four-year colleges and universities. The findings of this study can help educational professionals as they design curriculum, equip laboratories, and recruit faculty.

Subject categories and content items were initially identified by a review of literature. These content items were then further refined and rated on level of importance by a panel of experts. Modified subject categories and content items were then sent to the panel a second time for rating. Through this process, 15 subject categories and 68 content items were identified.

A questionnaire was developed …

Authentic Assessment In Physical Education: Prevalence Of Use And Perceived Impact On Students' Self-Concept, Motivation, And Skill Achievement, Joseph Kwame Mintah

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The volume of traditional assessments in the public schools of the United States has increased. At the same time, complaints about the use of standardized tests have become louder. The complaints and dissatisfaction have led to a paradigm shift in assessment. Available literature supports the use of alternative assessment. The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze the type and the extent of authentic assessment used in public school physical education. A second purpose was to investigate physical education teachers' perceptions about the impact of authentic assessment use on students' self-concept, motivation, and skill achievement.

The teachers rated …

Use And Effectiveness Of Decision Support Systems (Dss): Study Of The Saudi Private Sector, Ibrahim A. Alhunaishel

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In the industrialized world today, management is characterized by extensive use of computers to manage rapid change, information overload, and complex decision-making. Literature suggests that Decision Support Systems, computer packages offering information retrieval, problem-structuring models, decision alternatives, and other types of decision support, are effective extensions of human decision-making and offer substantial benefits to organizations utilizing them.

In spite of overwhelmingly positive reviews for DSS, empirical literature has produced inconsistent results regarding DSS effectiveness, and definitions of “effectiveness” and of DSS itself are varied and sometimes contradictory. Distinguishing DSS from MIS (management information systems) and other types of managerial computer …

Multidisciplinary Team Decision-Making Practices In Iowa Schools, Debra S. Meyer

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The historical legislation mandating multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) in schools is well known. Relatively little attention has been directed toward either evaluating systematic processes that would lead to the desired outcome ,of better services to all students or educating team members in problem solving content and process. The purpose of the study was to examine the factors that influence problem solving outcomes and other aspects of service delivery in MDT settings. Team members' roles, problem solving steps, family involvement, and team building activities were measured by mailing a confidential Decision-Making Practices in Iowa Schools questionnaire to elementary principals (n = 114), …

Coping Responses Among Aged Home Health Care Clients : A Qualitative Study, Bobbie Kay Grother

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

As people age, they are faced with roles and activities that challenge their intellectual or physical capabilities. People, however, are pragmatic by nature; they seek to use what "works" when faced with predicaments that test their mettle. The purpose of this research has been to understand how aged home health care clients try to maintain valued selves in the face of their declining functional abilities. Data were drawn from qualitative methodological techniques (e.g., participant observation, observational data, and unstructured interviews). In order to provide some structure to this data, a theoretical orientation grounded in symbolic interaction was used in lieu …

A Contrastive Cross-Cultural Study Of The Speech Act Of Correction In Egyptian Arabic And American English, Nadir Anis

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The present study is an empirical cross-cultural investigation of the speech act of correction in Egyptian Arabic and American English. The purpose of the study is to examine how and why Egyptians and U.S. Americans modify the illocutionary force of their corrections in terms of mitigation and aggravation in different speech situations. A Discourse Completion Task/Test (OCT) was used to elicit corrections from 30 Arabic-speaking Egyptians and 30 English-speaking U.S. Americans. All the respondents were either university students or university graduates between the ages of 18 and 35. The six situations used to elicit corrections represented different settings (e.g., classroom, …

An Investigation To Measure The Performance Of Commercial Printing Firms For Conducting Business-To-Customer Activities On The Web, Devang Pranlal Mehta

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This research was conducted to investigate the current status of commercial printing firms regarding the success of their performance using Web technology for conducting business-to-customer (B2C) activities. It was primarily based on Rogers' innovation theory and Auger's empirical study. The impact of the Web technology on the organizational performance was studied. The organizational performance was divided into three levels: financial performance (FP), non-financial performance (NFP), and overall performance (OP). The financial performance was measured by four financial indicators; whereas, the non-financial performance was measured by three non-financial indicators. The overall performance was then measured by adding the four financial performance …

Demographics, Treatment Approaches, Experience And Knowledge Of The Certified Substance Abuse Counselors In Iowa, Michelle R. Vogt

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

No abstract provided.

The New Social Discipline : A Critical Analysis Of Federal Drug-Free Workplace Legislation And Employee Drug Testing, Matthew T. Lammers

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In this research I contend that the arguments for drug-free workplaces are framed within a narrative of science that lends authenticity to the recurring themes that drug testing promotes the health, safety, and productivity of the American workforce. The sense of authenticity effectively delimits the discourse of drug testing and presents the complexities of drug abuse in binary oppositions that contribute to normalizing the behavior of all individuals, not just those who abuse drugs. I suggest that the process of normalization reproduces the delimitation of discourse and provides justifications for introducing drug testing into areas of society beyond the walls …