Digital Commons Network^™

World Of Warcraft: A Family Therapist's Journey Into Scapegoated Culture, Nickolas Jordan

The Qualitative Report

Relational (online) video games are lucrative business. The extremely popular Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game, World of Warcraft, boasts over eight million paying users. Video games are also a lightning rod for criticism and contempt by news media, parents and policy makers as the number of mass shootings increases in the United States. There is some research suggesting violent video games increase violent cognition and behavior. There is other research arguing no relationship exist between violent gaming and aggression. The same dichotomy of views exists within the discussion of how relational video games impact intimate partnerships. The purpose of …

Winter And Summer 2014, Graduate School Of Humanities & Social Sciences

CAHSS Graduate SGA Dialogues

No abstract provided.

Com Outlook Fall 2014, College Of Osteopathic Medicine

COM Outlook

No abstract provided.

Visionary Summer 2014, College Of Optometry

Visionary

No abstract provided.

Microbial Community Assembly Found With Sponge Orange Band Disease In Xestospongia Muta (Giant Barrel Sponge), Rebecca Mulheron

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The giant barrel sponge, Xestospongia muta is an iconic and essential species of the coral reefs in South Florida. The sponge has primary roles providing ecosystem services and creating unique habitats for diverse microbial communities. On April 27, 2012 an outbreak of Sponge Orange Band Disease (SOB) was detected off the coast of South Florida. The disease begins with sponge bleaching, followed by mesohyl or “mesohyl” necrosis and often total mesohyl disintegration. Sampling from two diseased populations at Boynton Beach and Fort Lauderdale, FL took place on May 11th and May 29th, 2012. Each of the nine diseased sponges from …

Long-Term Stony Coral Transplantation Success Offshore Southeast, Florida, Usa, Theresa Elizabeth Robitaille

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Transplanted coral (Order: Scleractinia) colony condition was surveyed at five injury event sites, two coral nurseries, and one impact minimization location off the coast of Broward County, Florida, USA in 2012. Because stony corals are long-lived and slow growing, generally growing less than one centimeter in diameter per year, determining transplantation success requires long-term (greater than two years) monitoring. Long-term monitoring efforts, however, are rarely completed. This study is unique in that it examined stony coral transplantation success of several projects over a time period of 6-17 years. Control colonies were also surveyed in order to compare naturally growing coral …

Methodological Considerations For Qualitative Research With Immigrant Populations: Lessons From Two Studies, Yu Lu, Mary W. Gatua

The Qualitative Report

Often, research strategies are guided by principles developed based on mainstream U.S. cultural norms. Immigrants, however, may differ in their cultural backgrounds and previous exposure to research. Commonly adopted research procedures, such as the informed consent process, may be culturally inappropriate for research with culturally diverse populations, and hence require cultural adaptations. Based on two qualitative studies, this paper describes the methodological issues encountered in the field when working with Chinese and Kenyan immigrants, and explains how these issues were resolved. Comparing and synthesizing experiences from the two studies, recommendations for methodological adaptations when working with immigrant populations are provided. …

Parent-Adolescent Storytelling In Canadian-Arabic Immigrant Families (Part 1): A Grounded Theory, Lynda M. Ashbourne, Mohammed Baobaid

The Qualitative Report

Interviews with 20 mothers, fathers, adolescent sons and daughters from Arabic immigrant families elicited descriptions of participants’ experiences of storytelling in their families. Constructivist grounded theory analysis of interview data provided an initial conceptualization of intergenerational storytelling during adolescence that both reflects and serves to influence parent-adolescent relationships as well as the broader cultural domain through story content, storytellers’ intentions, and responsive interaction. This preliminary substantive theory presents storytelling in immigrant families during adolescence as relationally grounded, influenced and expressed through a cultural/language “prism,” responsive and active in moving relationships toward or away from connection, and dependent on story content/context …

Association Of Trauma Exposure With Proinflammatory Activity: A Transdiagnostic Meta-Analysis., M Tursich, R W J Neufeld, P A Frewen, S Harricharan, J L Kibler, S G Rhind, R A Lanius

Faculty Articles

Exposure to psychological trauma (for example, childhood/early life adversity, exposure to violence or assault, combat exposure, accidents or natural disasters) is known to increase one's risk of developing certain chronic medical conditions. Clinical and population studies provide evidence of systemic inflammatory activity in trauma survivors with various psychiatric and nonpsychiatric conditions. This transdiagnostic meta-analysis quantitatively integrates the literature on the relationship of inflammatory biomarkers to trauma exposure and related symptomatology. We conducted random effects meta-analyses relating trauma exposure to log-transformed inflammatory biomarker concentrations, using meta-regression models to test the effects of study quality and psychiatric symptomatology on the inflammatory outcomes. …

Uncovering Ed: A Qualitative Analysis Of Personal Blogs Managed By Individuals With Eating Disorders, Jacqueline Gies, Sara Martino

The Qualitative Report

Previous studies have investigated the potential harmful effects of pro-eating disorder (ED) websites. Websites, such as personal blogs, may contain eating disorder content that may hold important information as well and must be considered. Fifteen blogs hosted by the site “Tumblr” were qualitatively analyzed. Each blog owner was anonymous and all were female. Ten main themes were extracted using grounded theory: interaction, negative self-worth, mind and body disturbances, pictures, eating disorders, suicide, diet, exercise, stats, and recovery. Additional themes also appeared in the study. Results indicate that although each individual blog is unique to its owner, common concepts existed among …

"I Heard He Got The Package": African American Men's Experiences Of Living With Hiv/Aids, Lisa M. Baumgartner

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences of African American men living with HIV/AIDS. The questions guiding the study were: (a) How do African American men incorporate HIV/AIDS into their identities? and (b) How do contexts affect the incorporation process? Data from this study was taken from a larger study concerning HIV/AIDS identity incorporation. Twelve self-identified African American men living with HIV/AIDS participated in 1.5-2 hour in-depth interviews. Participants traversed through a four or five step incorporation process. In addition, a disclosure process occurred. The contexts that influenced the incorporation process included the interpersonal context (e.g., support …

Recruitment And Retention Of Vulnerable Populations: Lessons Learned From A Longitudinal Qualitative Study, Evalina Van Wijk

The Qualitative Report

The main focus of the researcher’s study was to examine the lived experiences of intimate partners of female rape victims within the first six months post rape. Yet, many publications describing longitudinal qualitative studies of sexual assault fail to provide a detailed report on the processes followed, the difficulties experienced, as well as the reasons for such difficulties. To fill theses gaps, in this paper, the researcher describes the strategies applied to recruit and retain the participants for the entire six-month period post rape. The lessons learned during recruitment and data collection are also described. The research question that guided …

Evolution Of Medical Students' Understanding Of Systems-Based Practice: A Qualitative Account, Brian L. Rutledge, Ellen S. Jones, Jessica H. Bailey, James H. Stewart

The Qualitative Report

Reflective writing is a useful tool in medical education to analyze student experiences and measure development of certain skills. This tool is particularly useful in identifying skill components of systems-based practice. These skills are necessary for any practicing physician, but are of particular importance as they are a required residency competency. There is now additional focus on systems-based practice with the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). In this qualitative, grounded theory study, the reflective writings of students at a United States medical school were analyzed using the constant comparative method to explore how the focus …

Using Grounded Theory As A Method Of Inquiry: Advantages And Disadvantages, Mohamed El Hussein, Sandra Hirst, Vince Salyers, Joseph Osuji

The Qualitative Report

There are many challenges and criticisms attached to the conduct of research, none the least of which is a notion that much of the research undertaken in professional disciplines such as nursing may not have clinical and/or practical relevance. While there are a plethora of qualitative research methods that individuals must consider when designing research studies, one method stands out - Grounded Theory (GT). Grounded theory was developed in the early 1960’s by Glaser and Strauss. With its theoretical orientation based in sociology, GT strives to understand and explain human behavior through inductive reasoning processes (Elliott & Lazenbatt, 2005). Because …

Transnational Companies And Radical Transformation Processes: A Study Of Performance In Comparison To Other Multinational Companies, Jorge Alejandro Palacios

HCBE Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to answer the following question: Do organizations that were defined as having successfully adopted the transnational model, as per Bartlett and Ghoshal (1989), and labeled as transnational companies (TNC), perform significantly better than other multinational companies (MNC) when going through radical transformation processes?

This research question was answered through a mixed method research design. The first part used a quantitative research approach and evaluated the financial performance of TNCs selected from the Bartlett and Ghoshal (1989) research, using secondary data sources from 6 TNCs and 20 MNCs. The second part used a qualitative approach …

Medical Education Digest, Vol. 16 No. 4 (July-August 2014), Nova Southeastern University

Medical Education Digest

No abstract provided.

An Acute Bout Of Self-Myofascial Release In The Form Of Foam Rolling Improves Performance Testing, Corey Peacock, Darren D. Krein, Tobin A. Silver, Gabriel J. Sanders, Kyle-Patrick A. Von Carlowitz

Department of Health and Human Performance Faculty Articles

Recent developments in the strength and conditioning field have shown the incorporation of foam rolling self-myofascial release in adjunct with a dynamic warm-up. This is thought to improve overall training performance; however, minimal research exists supporting this theory. Therefore, determining if an acute bout of foam rolling self-myofascial release in addition to a dynamic warm-up could influence performance is of importance. In order to do so, eleven athletically trained male subjects participated in a two condition, counterbalanced, crossover within-subjects study comparing two particular warm-up routines. The two warm-up routines compared were a total-body dynamic warm-up (DYN) and a total-body dynamic …

Effect Of Cueing On Learning Transfer Among Health Profession Students Engaged In A Case-Based Analogical Reasoning Exercise, Timothy Speicher, Alexandra Bell, Marijke Kehrhahn, Douglas Casa

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of cueing on learning transfer among pre-professional, health profession undergraduates engaged in a case-based analogical reasoning exercise. Methods: The study design was a quasi-experimental, randomized post-test design. Volunteer undergraduate pre-professional health profession students (N = 192) were assigned to either an experimental group, which received two written clinical cases with cues or the control, which received the same cases, but no cues. After participants read the cases, a target case was provided for solution based on the previous cases. Target case solutions were scored by content experts for extent …

Perspective Volume 2: Number 2, Summer-Fall 2014, College Of Health Care Sciences

Perspectives

No abstract provided.

The Walking Interview: An Ethnographic Approach To Understanding Disability, Mary Butler, Sarah Derrett

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

The purpose of this paper is to describe a method of interviewing where walking is explicitly the focus. The interviews were one element of a qualitative study, which was part of a multi-method prospective outcomes of injury study. Four participants were purposively chosen for follow up because they had an injury following a pre-existing disability. The results of this study indicate walking as a method of interviewing has the capacity to add depth and richness to the kind of information obtained. The process of walking lends itself a range of affordances, including shifting the power balance implicit in the research …

Integrated Clinical Experiences In A Campus Onsite Clinic: A Self-Contained Model Of Physical Therapy Clinical Education, Ann M. Wilson

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: This paper describes a self-contained model of integrated clinical experiences (ICEs) that take place during the academic portion of an entry-level physical therapist education program in a campus onsite clinic. Description of Model: Students participate in ICEs for three consecutive semesters. Students provide pro bono physical therapy services to individuals with impairments, functional limitations, or changes in physical function resulting from a variety of health conditions. In addition, students participate in an exercise/wellness program for individuals who wish to improve or maintain their current levels of fitness. The first ICE consists of second-year students observing/assisting third-year students in the …

Using Debriefing To Foster Task Management Among Anesthesiologist Assistant Students, Llalando Austin

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: This study evaluated the effect of video-aided oral debriefing on task management of anesthesiologist assistant students through the use of high-fidelity anesthesia crisis simulation scenarios. This information describes an evaluation of student learning that is valuable in student educational and workplace competency. Method: A total of 18 graduate students in an anesthesiologist assistant program voluntarily participated in two anesthesia simulation scenarios separated by one of two debriefing methods (oral debriefing versus video-aided oral debriefing). Task management scores of the scenarios were assessed through the Anesthetists’ Nontechnical Skills system. Task management scores after the pre-intervention scenario were compared to the …

Issue Of Adjustment To Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion Devices, Emily F. Piven, Ursel Lovett, Homer Nazeran, Julia Bader

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Introduction: Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion with an insulin pump provides best practice for prevention of tertiary complications of insulin-dependent diabetes. Purpose: The aim of the study was to identify self-care adjustment issues to pump technology via a computer-based survey. Method: Internal reliability of the Adaptation to Insulin Pumps Survey was 0.765 (Cronbach’s alpha). The validated survey was emailed to a convenience sample of 10,000 users. Logistic regression analysis was done on each binary variable, testing for Group effect, while controlling for age and gender. Results: There were 959 responders. Seventeen survey statements relating to barriers, intrusiveness, attitude, and adaptations had …

A Qualitative Evaluation Of Blood Pressure Screening Procedures In The Illinois Wisewomen Program, James Broadbear, Barbara Broadbear, Adrian Lyde, Sharon Mills

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Hypertension is a major modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and various other conditions. Approximately 70 million Americans are hypertensive. Among women age 18 and over, 31.7% have high blood pressure (BP) and only about 60% of those women have it under control. The purpose of this evaluation was to understand blood pressure screening procedures among Illinois WISEWOMAN Program (IWP) providers. Procedures at primary care providers (PCP) compared to obstetrician/gynecologists (OB/GYN) were of interest. A qualitative approach was used featuring interviews with allied health staff members who conduct blood pressure screenings. The focus of the interviews included the use and …

Health Promotion Strategies Derived From A Metropolitan Police Weight Loss Competition With Weight Loss Comparisons By Gender And Bmi Category, Robert Boyce, Tyler Willett, Allen Mullins, Glenn Jones, Randy Cottrell

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Background: Weight management is critical in police work. It can have both legal and life-saving implications as it is linked to the health and physical readiness of the officers. A weight loss competition is one way to address weight management in police work. Among the factors to consider is gender impact, as females forge forward within a male environment. Also, assessing weight loss among obesity categories is essential for designing effective programing. Purpose: To compare mass changes among body mass index (BMI) categories and between genders at biweekly weigh-ins during a 12-week competition with recommendations for professionals. Methods: Before the …

Coral Reef Conservation Program (Crcp) Local Action Strategy (Las) Project 3b “Southeast Florida Coral Reef Fishery-Independent Baseline Assessment” – 2012-2013 Interim Report, Kirk Kilfoyle, Brian K. Walker, Steven G. Smith, Richard E. Spieler

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

Reef fishes are important biologic, ecologic, and economic resources of the marine ecosystem which must be managed for sustainability. Until recently there was no long-term monitoring program in place to assess the condition of fish resources of the northern Florida Reef Tract (FRT) (northern Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Martin counties). An assessment/monitoring plan for the northern Florida reef tract was designed through a joint cooperative effort by scientists at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, NOAA-Southeast Fisheries Science Center and Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center (NSUOC). This report is a synoptic compilation of the …

Southeast Florida Shallow-Water Habitat Mapping & Coral Reef Community Characterization, Brian K. Walker, Katelyn Klug

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

Baseline mapping and quantitative assessment data are required prior to future permitted or un-permitted impacts in order to determine the pre-existing state of the benthic resources; therefore, it is imperative that these data be collected on the ecologically sensitive and economically valuable shallow-water coral reef habitats in southeast Florida. In southeast Florida, the nearshore reef habitats are most vulnerable to coastal construction activities and other anthropogenic impacts, therefore these habitats were the focus for this study. The study goals were to provide a spatially appropriate map of increased resolution and a regional quantitative characterization of nearshore benthic resources to evaluate …

Research In Special Education: Using A Research Poem As A Guide For Relationship Building, Rama Cousik

The Qualitative Report

Building positive relationships with participants is an important component of qualitative research in the field of special education. Research poems allow expression of the evolution of participant-researcher relationship in a sensitive and nuanced manner. In this paper, I use a research poem about gardening to demonstrate how a researcher can construct a positive relationship with his/her participants. Each line of the poem represents the sequence and evolution of relationship development between the researcher and families who participated in the research.

New Emerging Technologies In Qualitative Research, Dorit Redlich-Amirav, Gene Higginbottom

The Qualitative Report

According to Mayan (2009) being a qualitative researcher means to "enjoy living and learning with people to collectively make sense of our world. Qualitative research is not only done with people, it is also accomplished through people…" (p. 12). By virtue of its various definitions, qualitative research involves a great deal of human communication. Communication has a major role in all aspects of qualitative research from planning to execution. While many new qualitative research technologies have evolved over the past few decades, the most critical and influential ones are those related to communication technologies. As there is limited data about …

Narratives Of Third Culture Kids: Commitment And Reticence In Social Relationships, Anastasia Aldelina Lijadi, Gertina J. Van Schalkwyk

The Qualitative Report

The lives of Third Culture Kids (TCKs) are characterized by their experiences of living among different worlds that could isolate them from social interaction and establishing long-term friendships. Exploring the experiences of ten TCKs, this paper reports on primary data gathered through the Collage Life Story Elicitation Technique (CLET) in order to gain an understanding of the meaning making of TCKs and their commitment and reticence in establishing relationships during their developmental years. In-depth thematic analysis indicated a struggle building intimacy and companionships and deep friendships, as well as difficulties with maintaining relationships with others and a possible fear of …