Digital Commons Network^™

Automated Evaluation Of Radiodensities In A Digitized Mammogram Database Using Local Contrast Estimation, Min Taek Kim

Theses and Dissertations

Mammographic radiodensity is one of the strongest risk factors for developing breast cancer and there exists an urgent need to develop automated methods for predicting this marker. Previous attempts for automatically identifying and quantifying radiodense tissue in digitized mammograms have fallen short of the ideal. Many algorithms require significant heuristic parameters to be evaluated and set for predicting radiodensity. Many others have not demonstrated the efficacy of their techniques with a sufficient large and diverse patient database. This thesis has attempted to address both of these drawbacks in previous work. Novel automated digital image processing algorithms are proposed that have …

Towards A Methodology For Interactive Virtual Design Assessment, Kang Li

Theses and Dissertations

Complex interactive behaviour involves cognitive, sensation and motor behaviour and may consist of several sub interactive behaviours. It needs to be examined from different points of view. Although explaining everything in one model is not currently possible, it is possible to connect information from different sources to get a better understanding of the interaction to benefit product design. The long-term objective of our study is to develop a methodology for interactive virtual design assessment to study the interactive behaviour and achieve compatibility. This study summarized two experiments which covered many aspects of interactive behaviours in seated posture. Experiment one addressed …

Cultural Awareness Levels Of Professionals And Students At Mississippi State University: International Education's Challenge, William Edward Stephen Cottrell

Theses and Dissertations

The literature indicates that America's demographic transformation is becoming a priority issue for higher education. Consequently, progressive educational leadership has a stake in international education development. Since enhanced cultural awareness is essential to this process, its scarcity in terms of measurable evidence has given rise to this study. Research questions included: (1) What is the level of cultural awareness among professional employees and students at Mississippi State University as measured by the Culture Shock Inventory Measurement Table? (2) Do demographic factors relate to cultural awareness levels of professional employees and students at Mississippi State University? (3) What role does international …

A Study Of The Impact Of The Mississippi Writing Project Summer Institute On Teacher Efficiency In Writing, Susan Gregory Dillard

Theses and Dissertations

In order to provide evidence of the worth of the Summer Institute of the National Writing Project, this study sought to determine whether participation in the professional development would increase feelings of teacher efficacy in writing. The Summer Institute professional development is consistent with recommendations of researchers in teacher efficacy and in professional development. Albert Bandura?s social cognitive theory provides a contextual framework for both teacher efficacy and the Summer Institute. The study compared the pre- and posttest scores on the Teacher Efficacy Scale for Writing and Writing Orientation Scale (Graham, S., Harris, K. R., Fink, B. & MacArthur, C., …

The Strength Of Multidimensional Item Response Theory In Exploring Construct Space That Is Multidimensional And Correlated, Steven Gerry Spencer

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation compares the parameter estimates obtained from two item response theory (IRT) models: the 1-PL IRT model and the MC1-PL IRT model. Several scenarios were explored in which both unidimensional and multidimensional item-level and personal-level data were used to generate the item responses. The Monte Carlo simulations mirrored the real-life application of the two correlated dimensions of Necessary Operations and Calculations in the basic mathematics domain. In all scenarios, the MC1-PL IRT model showed greater precision in the recovery of the true underlying item difficulty values and person theta values along each primary dimension as well as along a …

Effects Of Video Modeling On Skill Acquisition In Learning The Golf Swing, Joshua L. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of video modeling on skill acquisition in learning the golf swing. One-hundred-eight college students participated in this study. All participants were pre-tested via videotaping to determine initial skill level. The pre-test videotaping was analyzed using DartTrainer software. Each participant was randomly assigned to one of three groups (1) control (2) single-view or (3) multi-view. Participants in the control group viewed a compact disc (CD) with a putting demonstration repeated 40 times. The participants in the single-view group viewed a CD with a front view only demonstration repeated 40 times of …

Undergraduate Academic Success During The Semester Of Reinstatement Following Academic Dismissal, Michael F. Cogan

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the success patterns of academically dismissed undergraduate students who were subsequently reinstated at a mid-sized research university the following semester. The academic dismissals in this study occurred between the fall of 1999 and the spring of 2003. The university reinstatement policies provided the researcher with a unique opportunity to measure a relatively large sample (N=973).

Two regression techniques were utilized to identify significant predictor variables that could be utilized to make administrative decisions regarding future reinstatement activities. Linear regression results indicated that honor point deficiency accrual during the semester of dismissal was a significant predictor of term …

A Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment For Depression In Native American Middle-School Students, Lori B. Listug-Lunde

Theses and Dissertations

Depression and suicide are serious conditions among Native American adolescents. Despite the need for effective treatment approaches in this population, there continues to be a dearth of empirical research in this area. Intervention studies examining Native American adults at risk for depression and Native American youth at risk for suicide have found effectiveness utilizing group skill-based interventions. Group cognitive-behavioral therapy has demonstrated effectiveness among Caucasian adolescents; however, its effectiveness has never been examined with Native American youth experiencing depressive symptoms.

The current study modified, implemented, and evaluated a cognitive-behavioral intervention for depression among Native American middle-school students. A modification of …

The Graduate Dean As Guardian Of Standards And Academic Excellence, Cynthia H. Shabb

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand the role of the graduate dean at selected American Universities. The primaiy method of investigating the role of the graduate dean was grounded theory. The sample for this study was composed of the graduate dean at the University of North Dakota (UND) and nine institutions identified by the North Dakota University System as UND’s peers including Southern Illinois University—Carbondale, State University of New York at Buffalo, University of Louisville, University of Missouri—Kansas City, University of Nevada—Reno, University of South Carolina, Wright State University, Ohio University, and West Virginia University. The data analysis …

High Stakes Assessment And The American College Test (Act): Relationships Between Two Assessments And High School Coursework, Gaylynn L. Becker

Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on some of the problems school districts face in implementing the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001. NCLB requires that by the year 2013-2014 all students must score at the proficient level or above in state assessments. This requirement poses unique problems for school districts in achieving 100% of the students scoring at or above the proficient level.

Some of the problems this study examined were: What was the relationship between the number of mathematics courses taken and performance on the North Dakota Mathematics Assessment? What was the relationship between achievement on the North Dakota …

Assessing The Perceptions And Attitudes Of Black Students In A Midwestern Predominantly White Institution, Matsimela Changa Diop

Theses and Dissertations

Black students at a predominantly White institution (PWI) were assessed regarding their attitudes toward their experiences at a Midwestern research university. Questionnaires were sent to all enrolled students who indicated that their racial background was Black. A return rate of 44% (42 respondents) was received. Over 75% of the respondents were male, reflecting the predominant number of males among Black students at this PWI.

The students were divided into two groups, voluntary minority status Blacks and involuntary minority status Blacks (those from the adjoining two states of North Dakota and Minnesota). The voluntary minority status Blacks generally were more positive …

Elizabeth Barrett Browning's Juvenilia And Children's Culture In Georgian England: An Introduction To "Julia Or Virtue", Melissa J. Brotton

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the early life and writings of Elizabeth Barrett Browning and seeks to explain the development of her literary disposition and the art she created in the light of her culture and society, bringing to print for the first time her juvenile novel, “Julia or Virtue.”

EBB, growing up in late Georgian England, was in many ways influenced by Georgian culture - its customs, manners, styles, and aesthetics. She was subject to its predominant beliefs concerning the education of girls and the codified virtues that attended such an education. Children of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries occupied a …

Friends Of The Oppressed: An Investigation Of The Kane County Anti-Slavery Society, Jeanne Schultz Angel

Theses and Dissertations

By examining the original minutes of the Kane County Anti-Slavery Society (1842-1845), a profile of local abolitionists was created and conclusions were drawn about the motivations of antislavery men and women in Illinois. Instead of following the lead of the New England antislavery groups and splitting into separate sects, the Illinois abolitionists developed their own approach to fighting slavery by combining strategies of moral suasion, politics, and economic concerns. The men and women of the KCASS proved to bte a diverse group of people in terms of age and wealth, but were similar regarding place of origin and religion. They …

Saudi Women's Society: Perceptions Of Saudi Arabian Women Living In The Upper Midwest, Philline M. Deraney

Theses and Dissertations

This research posed three broad questions about perceptions of adult Saudi Arabian women living in Midwestern states of North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Specifically, the questions explored were: (I) What were the women experiencing while living in the Midwest? (2) What did the experiences mean to the women? and, (3) How did the women interpret their experiences? The purposes of this research were to amplify the women's ''voices'' and to add to the limited base of qualitative research on Saudi Arabian women. Interviews and brief observations of 13 native Saudi women were the main for1ns of data collection, and rigorous …

Green Card, Blood Card, Or June 4 Card: The Chinese Student Protection Act Of 1992, Linxiang Zhu

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis will detail the actual reasons behind the passage of the Chinese Student Protection Act (CSPA) of 1992. It will demonstrate that the passage of this act is rooted in American political desires, American partisan conflicts, and a sophisticated lobbying effort on the part of Chinese students and scholars, who had their own, often complicated, reasons for not wishing to return to China.

To set the stage for this work, it will provide significant background information on three topics: Chinese-American immigration history prior to 1989, the "Crisis of 1989" itself, and the respective responses of the American Congress and …

Why Faculty Use A Course Management System (Blackboard) To Supplement Their Teaching Of Traditional Undergraduate Courses, Lori Anne Swinney

Theses and Dissertations

Use of course management systems (CMS) in higher education has risen dramatically since their development in the late 1990s. This qualitative study investigated the use of a course management system (CMS) by faculty teaching undergraduate, traditional courses in a Midwestern liberal arts university. The focus of the study was on the reasons faculty stated for their adoption of a course management system in their course. Three faculty members were interviewed over a three-month time period. The participants in this study were not mandated to use a CMS by their department or the institution. Initially faculty members were asked questions regarding …

Predictive Variables For Success On Licensure Examinations For Practical And Registered Nursing Education Graduates, Mary Anne Marsh

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research was to examine the relationships of demographic and academic variables to student performance in a laddered practical nursing (PN) and registered nursing (RN) education program. The information gained may be utilized to establish research-based admission, progression and graduation criteria to promote students successful completion of the program and pass the nurse licensure examination.

Descriptive statistics were used to summarize data related to the variables that were measured. Pearson correlations and regression analyses were used to examine various relationships and determine which of the admission demographic and academic variables were related to, or predictive of …

The Effects Of Exposure To Images Of The Male Muscular Ideal On Body Image And Muscularity Concerns In Men, Jason Alan Mccray

Theses and Dissertations

Though body-image has been well-researched in women for more than 40 years, theoretical discussions and empirical investigations addressing male body-image have only recently began to emerge. Work by Pope, Phillips and Olivardia (2000) has begun to identify the dynamics of male body-image distortions and the role media depictions of muscular men may play in their pathogenesis. The empirical literature is curiously devoid of experimental investigations of male responses to media and advertising depictions of muscular men.

The present study was designed to parallel the well-established literature examining women’s responses to fashion images in terms of changes in body-image and mood …

Nontraditional Students In Associate Degree Nursing: Perceived Factors Influencing Retention And Empowerment, Rebecca J. Rudel

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study was conducted to attain a deeper understanding of how nontraditional associate degree registered nursing (ADRN) students experience nursing education. At a time when there is a shortage of nurses in this country, these nontraditional students add significant numbers to the nation's nursing workforce and often receive their education at community colleges. It was of particular interest in this study to understand the factors involved in the retention and empowerment of ADRN students attending a Midwestern community college.

Using phenomenological methods, six nontraditional nursing students from one Midwestern community college were purposefully selected to participate in this study. …

Wisc-Iii Performance Differences Between Non-Referred Native American And Euro-American Children, Kandi Burr-Selle

Theses and Dissertations

The appropriateness of using standardized intelligence tests with minority populations has become a controversial topic for both researchers and practitioners. It has been suggested that the validity of such instruments is compromised due to biases in content and failure to consider culturally based learning style differences. A number of Familial variables such as socioeconomic status (SES) and cultural identification are also believed to impact performance.

Native American children typically score lower on the verbal scales of the Wechsler tests than non-Native children. Conversely, Native American children have demonstrated average or slightly superior perceptual skills that allow them to score higher …

Teacher Candidate Dispositions Identified By Ncate-Accredited Colleges Of Education: How Professional Educators Are Disposed Toward The Students, Curriculum, And Reasons They Teach, Debra L. (Rhoads) Jensen

Theses and Dissertations

The education profession has a great deal of information on potential teachers' knowledge and technical skills, but the study of affective attributes that are the human interface between teaching and student learning is still evolving. The central phenomenon exmined in this study is the affective and attitudinal attributes, or "dispositions" of teachers as defined by colleges of education.

The researcher analyzed conceptual frameworks and affective attributes in Institutional Reports from colleges reviewed by the National Council on the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), whose standards require reporting on dispositions. The dispositional factors that these colleges surmise predict successful practice were …

Thelma Daggs - Recollections Of A "Negro" Teacher At The Fort Totten Indian Boarding School: Pte Wa Uspewicakiyapi (Buffalo Teacher), Patricia R. Maggard

Theses and Dissertations

Black teachers’ unique historical experiences are often completely overlooked or amalgamated with those of White teachers in states such as North Dakota, where the population is predominantly White and the study of African Americans is particularly sparse. This study examines the life experiences of Thelma Bertha Daggs (now deceased), an African American teacher at the Fort Totten Indian Boarding School, Devils Lake, North Dakota from 1949 - 1967. Emphasis was placed on describing and understanding past events and the particular life experiences of Thelma Daggs through collection, evaluation, analysis and interpretation of data, including a range of historical sources from …

Emotional Intelligence And Performance In Graduate School Counseling Program, Gregory J. Gibson

Theses and Dissertations

Emotional Intelligence has been described in the popular literature as being a better predictor of life success than cognitive ability or personality (Gibbs, 1995). In recent years, there has been a plethora of emotional intelligence workshops, books, seminars, and web pages dedicated to education and training in the development of emotional intelligence in the workplace and in other life areas. Despite this trend, there is a considerable amount of discrepancy regarding the measurement and description of what emotional intelligence represents. Not surprisingly, there has also been inconsistency in the literature regarding its predictive value with job and academic success. Moreover, …

Marital Satisfaction And Depression In A Study Of Brazilian Women: A Cross-Cultural Test Of The Marital Discord Model Of Depression, Cody S. Hollist

Theses and Dissertations

Depression is a major societal health problem with individual, familial, social, and economic costs. Cross sectional research has linked depression and marital discord, with women frequently having a higher association between variables. Several longitudinal research studies have linked marital satisfaction to subsequent depression. The Marital Discord Model of Depression states that marital discord is an important antecedent in the development of depression. While some empirical evidence exists supporting this premise, no research has been done with Latinos. The purpose of this study was to test the longitudinal relationship between marital satisfaction and depression among Latina women.

The data was conducted …

Automating The Extraction Of Domain-Specific Information From The Web-A Case Study For The Genealogical Domain, Troy L. Walker

Theses and Dissertations

Current ways of finding genealogical information within the millions of pages on the Web are inadequate. In an effort to help genealogical researchers find desired information more quickly, we have developed GeneTIQS, a Genealogy Target-based Information Query System. GeneTIQS builds on ontology-based methods of data extraction to allow database-style queries on the Web. This thesis makes two main contributions to GeneTIQS. (1) It builds a framework to do generic ontology-based data extraction. (2) It develops a hybrid record separator based on Vector Space Modeling that uses both formatting clues and data clues to split pages into component records. The record …

The French Expatriate Assignment: Helping Accompanying Spouses To Adapt By Assuming The Role Of Anthropologist, Angela Marsha Williams

Theses and Dissertations

A common practice of multinational companies is to temporarily transfer employees to international locations in order to exchange technology, launch new ventures, and facilitate communication within the company. To do this, multinational companies must make a number of decisions regarding their expatriate programs. Even though international companies would rather stay focused on the professional performance of their employees without having to "meddle" in personal and family affairs, recent research has shown that the adaptation of the accompanying spouse is one of the most critical factors in expatriate assignment success or failure. By studying the available literature on expatriate spouse adaptation, …

Leaving Her Story: The Path To The Second Marriage In The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall And Middlemarch, Angela Myers Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

During the Victorian period marriage proved to be a dominant theme in fiction. Female writers especially focused on the topic of marriage and wrote stories of women whose first marriages were imperfect. Anne Brontë and George Eliot dedicated themselves to portraying in their stories realistic heroines who deal with their own flaws as well as those of the men they marry. Their heroines distance themselves from their expected roles, moving beyond their first failed marriages to wiser second marriages.

Anne Brontë's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall follows Helen Huntingdon as she attempts to fulfill the self-appointed role of Savior to …

Exploring The Relationship Between Critical Resource Variables And School Performance In Secondary Schools Of Mukono Uganda, Christopher Byalusago Mugimu

Theses and Dissertations

While good facilities and resources are assumed to affect the quality of teaching and school performance, findings of the growing body of research about resources and school performance remain obscure and highly contested. A central question in effective schooling research is to what extent do resources translate into school performance particularly in impoverished communities of the developing countries. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between school-level financial, physical, and human resources on school performance as measured by aggregated UCE exam scores in 63 secondary schools. This study is grounded in the strategic theoretical perspective of …

Teacher And Student Attitudes Towards Multicultural Issues, Nathan Taraska

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this research were to (a) measure the multicultural attitudes of teachers in a secondary setting, grades 9-12 (n=6); (b) measure the multicultural attitudes of the students in those teachers' classes (n=92); and (c) determine whether these samples of students and teachers have statistically similar multicultural attitudes that indicate a positive relationship. Teachers and students demonstrated largely positive attitudes towards multicultural issues. A series of t-tests revealed the attitudes of the two groups were statistically similar on 12 of the 13 questionnaire items regarding multicultural issues. Implications for schools, teachers, and multicultural education in …

Conjoint Marital Therapy: Proxy Voice Intervention And Softening In The Context Of Couple Enactments, Ryan B. Seedall

Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluated the effectiveness of proxy voice intervention, embedded within couple enactments, on client-perceived softening. During enactments, direct couple interaction is the focus while the therapist coaches from the periphery. In the context of an enactment, the therapist may use proxy voice when partners appear to be distressed and expressing themselves in terms of secondary emotions by modeling appropriate attachment and self-concept expression. The primary research question was whether therapist use of proxy voice in an enactment would be more likely to bring about softening effects, or whether use of proxy voice was counter-intuitive to enactment conceptualization and would …