Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Use Of Treatment Process Variables To Differentiate Between Completers And Dropouts For A Guided Self-Change Adolescent Substance Abuse Intervention, Mildred Cordaro

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study documented differences between substance using adolescent participants who either completed or dropped out of a brief motivational intervention. Therapeutic alliance, working alliance and patient involvement were used to describe differences in treatment process ratings in a sample of majority Latino males who either (a) completed a adolescent substance abuse intervention called Alcohol Treatment Targeting Adolescents In Need (ATTAIN) or (b) dropped out after the first or second Guided Self-Change therapy session. Fifteen-minute segments were copied from the midpoint of previously recorded audio-tapes of Guided Self-Change therapy sessions. Raters were trained to a criterion level of interrater reliability for …

Y-Chromosome Polymorphisms In Southern Arabia, Alicia M. Cadenas

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In order to explore south Arabia's role in the migratory episodes leaving Africa to Eurasia and back, high-resolution Y-chromosome analyses of males from the United Arab Emirates (164), Qatar (72) and Yemen (62) were performed. The distribution of specific haplogroups (E3bl-M35 and J1-M267) and their microsatellite-based age estimates in southern Arabia offer additional insight on their dissemination. With the exception of Yemen, southern Arabia displays high diversity in its Y-haplogroup substructure and share similarities with populations along the eastern coast of the Gulf of Oman, possibly serving as a coastal corridor for migrations. Elevated rates of consanguinity may have had …

The Central European Initiative : An Approach To Regional Stabilization And Democratic Consolidation, Astrid Bettina Boening

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how multilateral institutions can contribute to democratization and regional stability. It is a case study of the Central European Initiative (CEI), a regional intergovernmental organization founded by Italy and Austria in 1989 to undertake a regional integration process, and of its role in stabilizing post-communist democracies. Documents were collected at the CEI offices in Trieste, Italy, and interviews conducted with CEI officers, and data obtained from the websites of related organizations and of CEI member countries.

The thesis probes the relevance of concepts derived from theories of international regimes and social constructivism. It shows that the CEI …

State Legislative Term Limits And The Law Of Unintended Consequences : An Examination Of Member Behavior, Power Structures, And Legislative Organization In Florida, Kathryn Andrews Depalo

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The implementation of term limits on state legislators has provided a wealth of data for study. Florida, the second largest state in the Union with term limits, has not been comprehensively studied. This research examines the effects of term limits on electoral competition, member composition, legislator career paths, legislative leadership, and intra- and inter-governmental influences on Florida's legislature. This study looks at the Florida legislature from 1992 when term limits were enacted through 2004, three electoral cycles in which term limits have been in effect. This study uses both quantitative and qualitative data where appropriate. Electoral data is used to …

Do Antidepressants Cure Or Create Abnormal Brain States?, Joanna Moncrieff, David Cohen

School of Social Work

No abstract provided.

Examining The Process Of Regime Change In The North Atlantic Treaty Organization : The Divide Between Rhetoric And Reality, Barak Carlson

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a product of the Cold War through which its members organized their military forces for the purpose of collective defense against the common threat of Soviet-backed aggression. Employing the terminology of regime theory, the creation of NATO can be viewed as the introduction of an international security regime. Throughout the Cold War, NATO member states preserved their commitment to mutual defense while increasingly engaging in activities aimed at overcoming the division of Europe and promoting regional stability. The end of the Cold War has served as the catalyst for a new period of …

Integration Of Colombian Refugees In Costa Rica : An Ethnographic Approach To The Refugees' Legal, Economic, And Social Experiences, Angela P. Bonilla

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study, based on interviews to 17 refugee families, attempts to identify the reasons behind the lack of integration of Colombian refugees in Costa Rica. The model of Immigrant Modes of Incorporation and the studies of Alejandro Portes and Julia Sensenbrenner about the sources of social capital on migrant communities provided the theoretical framework used to identify the roots of the integration challenges. The findings suggest that Costa Rican policies towards the reception and integration of Colombian refugees are exclusionary. The host labor market is marked by sentiments of xenophobia towards the sample population while reported cases of persecution …

Evaluation Of A Mentored Self-Help Intervention For The Management Of Psychotic Symptoms, Willa Jeanne Casstevens

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cognitive behavioral therapy has been shown to be promising for the treatment of individuals experiencing psychotic symptoms, who are often diagnosed with schizophrenia. Using a non-random non-equivalent comparison group design (n = 26), this study explores whether an individually mentored self-help and self-paced intervention based upon cognitive behavioral approaches to auditory hallucinations or "hearing voices" makes a significant positive difference for individuals with major mental disorder diagnoses and psychotic symptoms who are residing in the community and receiving community mental health services. The mentored self-help intervention uses a workbook (Coleman & Smith, 1997) that stemmed from the British psychiatric survivor …

Biochemical Characterization Of Mammalian High Mobility Group Protein A2, Lorraine Katy Edwards

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The high mobility group protein HMGA2 is an architectural transcription factor, which is expressed during embryogenesis. Aberrant expression causes benign and malignant tumor formation. The protein possesses three "AT hook" domains and an acidic Cterminal. HMGA2 is natively unstructured, however it forms a homodimer. In this study site-directed mutagenesis was used to create single methionine mutants, HMGA2Q37M, HMGA2I71M and HMGA2Q85M. These mutants were cross-linked using EDC and then cleaved using CNBr to determine which domains are involved in homodimer formation. Our results indicate that the second "AT hook" domain may interact with the C-terminal. We then labeled a peptide containing …

The Role Of Amplicon Length Heterogeneity-Polymerase Chain Reaction In Microbial Community Profiling And Presumptive Testing Of Bioagents, Melissa S. Doud

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to the threat of bioterrorist acts, there is a need to develop techniques that rapidly detect possible bioagents. Amplicon length heterogeneity-polymerase chain reaction (ALH-PCR) presumptively identifies eubacteria in samples by detecting differences between the lengths of the hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA gene. To study the efficiency, reproducibility, and reliability of the technique, sputum from cystic fibrosis (CF) patients has been chosen as the model system. There is an abundance of microorganisms in the sputum of the CF lung. Using ALH-PCR, the complex microbial diversity and vast community composition in the lungs of the CF patients were studied. …

Improving Civil Jury Decision-Making : Evidentiary And Procedural Issues, Julian A. Gilbert

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The civil jury has been under attack in recent years for being unreliable and incompetent. Considering the myriad causes for poor civil juror decision-making, the current investigation explores both procedural and evidentiary issues that impact juror's decisions. Specifically, the first phase of this dissertation examines how jurors (mis)use evidence pertaining to the litigants when determining liability and awarding damages. After investigating how jurors utilize evidence, the focus shifts to exploring the utility of procedural reforms designed to improve decision-making (specifically revising the instructions on the laws in the case and bifurcating the damage phases of the trial). Using the results …

Evaluation Of An Alcohol Expectancy Typology : Group Differences In Psychosocial Functioning And Developmental History In A Treatment Sample Of Adolescents, Sabrina E. Des Rosiers

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goals of the present study were (a) to identify distinct and meaningful groups of adolescents on the basis of their self-reported alcohol expectancies and, (b) to document multivariate group differences between alcohol expectancy clusters and specific adjustment outcomes. Six distinct homogenous subgroups were identified via Cluster Analysis. Subsequent validation analyses involving between-cluster comparisons of psychosocial adjustment outcomes identified significant group differences. Clusters with stronger endorsement of positive alcohol expectancies were more likely to receive a lifetime diagnosis of conduct disorder, engage in negative social interactions, have higher ratings of perceived stress, and reckless behaviors. Between-cluster differences were also identified …

Assesing The Impact Of Local Incentives On Capital Cost: The Case Of The Indiana Era Program, Esteban G. Dalehite

Department of Public Administration

Public policy makers and administrators around the world recurrently face the question of whether to grant tax privileges to businesses in order to promote investment, jobs, or economic development in general. This article analyzes a very popular form of local incentive, the property tax abatement, and its ability to reduce capital cost. The research question is: By how much do property tax abatements reduce the capital cost of business and homes? Results show that abatements can account for quite a large range of possible percentage reductions in the price of investment for firms. The findings provide public administrators and policy …

Mayoral Leadership And Political - Administrative Relationships In Two Ukrainian Cities, Natalya Kolisnichenko, Valentina Krivtsova, Allan Rosenbaum

Department of Public Administration

The article that follows examines the role of mayoral leadership in two large cities in Ukraine - Kiyv and Odessa. It begins with an examination of the various roles and resources typically found in the office of mayor, as well as a review of some of the unique characteristic of local governance in Ukraine. It then examines the activities of recent mayors in the two cities. It concludes by suggesting a somewhat expanded set of mayoral roles based on the Ukrainian experience.

Entral-Local Administrative And Governance Relationships In Two Ukrainian Cities: Kyiv And Odessa, Natalya Kolisnichenko, Allan Rosenbaum

Department of Public Administration

The institution of local self-government occupies an increasingly important position in Ukrainian society. However, the contemporary system of local self-government in Ukraine is still not consistent with the principles of the European Charter of Local Self-government. In areas such as access to sources of revenue, policy initiation and citizen involvement in local governance, municipal governments in Ukraine frequently fall significantly short of expected European standards. In part, this is due to the lingering influence of the Soviet totalitarian past on the mentality of both the Ukrainian legislators and the representatives of local governments who are working to create democratic principles …

User Interface Design For Semantic Query Expansion In Geodata Repositories, Hartwig H. Hochmair, Zhaohui (Jennifer) Fu

GIS Center

Semantic query expansion is the process of supplementing a user query with additional terms that interpret and extend the user's information needs. This work presents the results of an empirical study that investigates user preferences for different designs of user interfaces that provide semantic query expansion for data search from geo-data repositories. The study assesses further whether it is possible to map qualitative gradations of semantic relatedness between geographic key terms to ranges of numerical similarity values.