Digital Commons Network^™

The Experiences And Views Of Lesbian Parents And Adult Children Of Lesbian Parents In Ireland: An Exploratory Study, Aoife Quille

Dissertations

This research focused on the experiences and views of lesbian parents and adult children of lesbian parents. The experiences of the members of lesbian-parented families determined the main areas that were explored. The lack of international and Irish research on the lived experiences of lesbian parents and their children prompted this investigation. The study was conducted using qualitative, semi-structured interviews. The sample consisted of three lesbian parents and two adult children of lesbian parents from two parent lesbian families. The findings highlighted the experiences of the parents and adult children from lesbian-parented families in reference to: the Irish legal context; …

Elementary Students’ Perceptions Of Teachers: Factors That Influence Achievement, Susan Hladky

Dissertations

This quantitative study a) examined third grade students’ perceptions of teachers in relation to care, respect, help, and motivation to succeed; b) examined relationships among achievement, gender, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity and students’ perceptions of their teachers, and c) identified the relationship of students’ perceptions as they relate to higher levels of achievement. The research question that formed the basis of this study was: What is the relationship among student achievement, gender, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and third grade students’ perceptions of their teachers? A correlational research design was used to identify relationships among students’ perceptions of teachers, gender, socioeconomic status, …

Looking Through The Eyes Of A Homeless Prisoner, Exploring Homeless Offender’S Perspectives On Their Transition From Custody To Community., Louise Rowlands

Dissertations

The research study provides a phenomenological approach to investigate individual’s experiences of their journey through homelessness and examining it within the concept of homeless identity. The study was concerned with exploring and acquiring a rich description on what is homeless offenders/prisoner’s perception of their transition from custody to the community and the pathways they endure. The study examined pathways into, through and out of homelessness through available literature and by conducting five interviews with individuals who are currently or have a history of homelessness and offending. Similarly the researcher sought to highlight and develop issues that drew individuals back into …

Associations Among Perceived Benefits, Barriers, Cues, And Physical Activity In Thai Primary Students, Sireewat Ar-Yuwat Phd, Mph, Rn

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and cues to action and levels of physical activity in Thai fourth grade students. The Health Belief Model was used as the theoretical framework of the study to investigate students' beliefs related to physical activity. The participants in this cross-sectional study were fourth grade students selected by a simple random sampling method. A sample of 123 students was recruited from primary schools in Muang district, Phitsanulok province. The sample schools were selected by stratified random sampling. For data collection, the study utilized two instruments: the …

Partners Against Crime A Review Of Partnerships In Joint Policing Committees, Dermot Harrington

Dissertations

Recent developments of policing in Ireland have seen a shift towards local crime prevention initiatives through local partnerships. The principle aim of this study is to explore the effects of the partnership model of policing with the recent introduction of Joint Policing Committees (JPCs). This dissertation seeks to examine the opinions of members of JPCs towards this model. The research employed a qualitative methodology obtained through semi-structured interviews of JPC members and observational studies. In addition, this thesis reports on literature regarding partnership, security and governance in modern society. While this research project found that informal partnerships between An Garda …

Pulling A Rabbit Out Of A Hat, Where Do Policies Come From? An Examination Of The Criminal Justice Policy Processes Behind The Building Of The Dóchas Centre (Ireland’S Largest Women’S Prison), Eoin Carroll

Dissertations

There is an increasing need to understand the processes in which key decisions are made within the criminal justice system. While women in the Irish prison system are still very much in the minority they are the fastest growing population in prison and are currently experiencing overcrowding unknown in living memory in Irish prisons. It is too soon to comprehensively examine the origins of the recent policy decision to retrofit bunk beds and dormitories in Ireland’s largest women’s prison (Dóchas Centre) and what other possible solutions were explored, for example, why a proposed new facility was cancelled. However, it is …

Emerging Adulthood In Ireland: Is The Quarter-Life Crisis A Common Experience?, Mairead Murphy

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of young people between the ages of eighteen and twenty-eight in Ireland to establish the prevalence of what has become known in popular culture as the quarter-life crisis. This transitional period in a young person’s life is academically referred to as emerging adulthood and is a time of great change and personal growth. The study utilised a qualitative approach; individual interviews and focus groups were carried out with the identified research group. The findings of the study indicated that indeed, emerging adulthood is a challenging time, and for some, …

An Exploration Into The Nature And Extent Of Violence Experienced By Secondary School Teachers, Ciana Lernihan

Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to explore the nature and extent of violence experienced by secondary school teachers. A combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods were used in order to gain the greatest insight into teachers experiences of violence and intimidation in schools. The research instrument used in order to gather data was a questionnaire. One hundred and ten questionnaires were gathered from teachers in a number of different schools. The study investigates teachers own experiences of violence and intimidation, the reporting of violence, the effects of violence on teachers health, moral and personal and professional lives. …

The Impact Of Dynamic And Passive Standing On Bone Mineral Density And Appositional Growth In Immobilized Children, Megan Diane Damcott

Dissertations

The first discovery of the potential role that mechanical loading has on determining the strength of bone occurred in 1892. However, for almost a century after this discovery, the specific mechanisms influenced by mechanical loading remained locked in a mysterious 'black box'. Then in the 1960s, the 'black box' was opened and continued work has now unlocked the basic mechanisms involved in mechanical loading and whole-bone strength. This increased knowledge has spurred clinicians and researchers to investigate the impact of weight-bearing interventions on individuals with an increased risk of osteoporosis. The most common weight-bearing clinical intervention used in non-ambulant populations …

Extensions Of Snomed Taxonomy Abstraction Networks Supporting Auditing And Complexity Analysis, Duo Wei

Dissertations

The Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine – Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT) has been widely used as a standard terminology in various biomedical domains. The enhancement of the quality of SNOMED contributes to the improvement of the medical systems that it supports.

In previous work, the Structural Analysis of Biomedical Ontologies Center (SABOC) team has defined the partial-area taxonomy, a hierarchical abstraction network consisting of units called partial-areas. Each partial-area comprises a set of SNOMED concepts exhibiting a particular relationship structure and being distinguished by a unique root concept. In this dissertation, some extensions and applications of the taxonomy framework are considered. …

From "The Projects" To Houses : Physical Redevelopment, Poverty Deconcentration, And Resident Self-Sufficiency Impacts On Public Housing Residents At Hope Iv Developments In Camden, New Jersey, Michael C. Brown

Dissertations

Since 1992, public housing authorities (PHAs) throughout the United States have been building public housing rental and owner-occupied housing in place of demolished or rehabilitated distressed public housing and simultaneously attempting to deconcentrate poverty and improve self-sufficiency among the affected residents. The distressed housing is usually dilapidated, poorly designed, poorly constructed, poorly maintained, and poorly managed; the residents are very poor, are in constant fear of crime and violence, and have little hope. Previous attempts to address these problems have been piecemeal and often inadequate.

Based on recommendations by the National Commission on Severely Distressed Public Housing in 1992, the …

Understanding Forgiveness Through The Application And Extension Of The Enright Forgiveness Inventory To Female Caregivers And A Community Sample Of Female Spouses, Lauren Nicole Decaporale

Dissertations

Despite recent increased attention to the construct of forgiveness, measures of forgiveness have been limited by inconsistent use of a single operational definition. One measure of forgiveness, the Enright Forgiveness Inventory (EFI), has shown strong psychometric properties in numerous studies and across diverse samples. However, limited research has explored the conceptualization and measurement of the forgiveness process with older adults and caregivers. The current study examined the utility of the EFI within a sample of 118 middle-aged and older female spouses, including a subset of dementia family caregivers (n = 29). Participants completed measures of religious coping, depression, state and …

Economic Returns Of The Occupational Education Experience Based On Two Missouri Community Colleges, Dianna Parker

Dissertations

A commonly held belief is that formal education has a strong positive association with earnings (Sanchez, 1998). The motivation for individuals to pursue and complete an education beyond high school is likely founded in the hopes of higher paying jobs or a higher position. The “economic benefits” of a community college education can be defined as the gain in personal earnings over time because of the skills and knowledge acquired, as reflected in credit hours completed, at the community college. The purpose of this study was to determine how the skills, knowledge, and credentials obtained in community college occupational courses …

The Impact Of Rap Music On Audience Values Structure, Janet Mignon Kucia

Dissertations

Music has long been an integral part of culture. Identity and leisure are but two of the myriad reasons cited for music consumption. Rap music is a relatively new genre of music that has enjoyed tremendous success as a commercial and underground movement. This particular genre has become an important part of musical culture and has recently become an area of interest from an academic perspective. In this project, research in the areas of media effects and values formation is explored. Additionally, lyrical content, usage and technological implications are discussed. The author reports on original research in which the correlation …

A Comparison Of Levels Of Empowerment And Clinical Decision-Making In Senior Bachelor Of Science Nursing Students Enrolled In A Curriculum Based On A Caring Nurse Theorist And A Curriculum Not Based On A Caring Nurse Theorist, Karen M. Johnson

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether senior baccalaureate nursing students enrolled in a curriculum based on a theory of caring reported higher levels of perceived empowerment as learners and higher levels of perceived clinical decision-making ability than senior baccalaureate nursing students enrolled a curriculum not based on a theory of caring. This study also investigated whether there is a relationship between the level of empowerment as learners and the level of perceived clinical decision-making ability in senior baccalaureate nursing students.

Surveys were distributed online to senior nursing students enrolled in a university which was determined to have …

Does The Biofuel Industry, With The Aid Of Certification Programs, Contribute To Sustainable Development?, James Michael Kierulff

Dissertations

Despite being a source of alternative energy and an avenue for broad economic development, a number of biofuel producers have demonstrated that the biofuel industry has significant potential for unleashing social, environmental and economic harm. To largely avoid such perils, the industry must demonstrate that it is operating in a sustainable manner, contributing to the sustainable development of all stakeholders who rely upon the industry‘s responsible operation. Recently minted, internationally developed certification programs have been developed to move the industry into sustainable compliance and to offer a means by which stakeholders can incentivize the industry toward greater levels of sustainability …

The Effects Of Backward-Designed Curriculum And Instruction On Classroom Management, Tyrone Burson

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the link between interesting, purposeful work and positive classroom behavior. The backward design model proposed by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe was the foundation for establishing interesting, purposeful work. Their curriculum and instruction model termed Backward Design is a three-stage approach to curriculum design consisting of determining the desired results, acceptable evidence, and the instruction to bring about the desired results. In the review of literature, the researcher was unable to find a study specifically investigating the relationship between classroom behavior, classroom management, and the employment of backward-designed curriculum and instruction. However, …

A Descriptive Study Of The Relationship Between Teacher Mentoring Programs And Retention Rates, Lisa D. Anderson

Dissertations

The design of this descriptive study is to identify those factors contributing to the high rate of early career teacher attrition and to identify a means for its reduction. The subjects for this study were limited to teachers from the southwest section of a Midwestern state. Five school districts were randomly selected based upon the researcher having previously met school district personnel in various professional settings and request letters were sent to superintendents and building principals. Voluntary teacher participation in completing a short, internet-based survey served as the basis with five districts responding. These districts, while confined to a southwest …

They Returned, But Will They Stay? Exploring The Influence Of College Experiences On Adult Students’ Persistence, W.A. Locke

Dissertations

This study explored how college experiences, as perceived by adult students, influenced their decisions on persistence. Specifically, the role students’ perceptions of their college experiences played in their decisions to persist in college or voluntarily depart without completing a degree was examined. A grounded theory approach was used involving 26 current, completed, and non-completed students between 40 and 65 years of age. Of these 26 students, 23 had returned to college to obtain masters or doctoral degrees, two had recently obtained their bachelors degree and were now seeking graduate certificates, and one was completing her bachelors degree after a 39 …

Identification And Analysis Of Proteins And Genes Responsible For Microbial Anaerobic Nitrate-Dependent Iron Oxidation And Overexpression In E. Coli Of Perchlorate Reductase, Ming Gao

Dissertations

SECTION 1 Iron is the fourth most abundant element on the earth crust as well as an essential nutrient for all living organisms. The cycling of iron between the environment and biological systems and the microbial-mediated transformation between Fe2+ and Fe3+ has a significant impact on the biogeochemistry of the environment. The recently discovered microbially-mediated anaerobic nitrate-dependent oxidation of Fe2+ has been shown to play an important role in global iron biogeochemical cycling. Furthermore, the formation of iron oxide from anaerobic nitrate-dependent Fe2+ oxidation results in the adsorption and precipitation of soluble toxic heavy metals and radionuclides from surrounding environment. …

Perceptions Of Faculty Association Leaders: Roles And Essential Skills, Keith Brian Reinhardt

Dissertations

AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF KEITH B. REINHARDT, for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION, presented on May 26, 2011, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: PERCEPTIONS OF FACULTY ASSOCIATION LEADERS: ROLES AND ESSENTIAL SKILL MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Patrick Dilley A specific perspective of how faculty association leaders function at a tangible level has yet to be presented. Past studies describe faculty leadership as a collective abstract idea or theme, disregarding the concept and importance of individual faculty leader's roles at an operational level. The purpose of the study was to identify the roles and skills of …

An Examination Of Educators' Perceptions Of The School's Role In The Prevention Of Childhood Obesity, Sharon Harris Johnson

Dissertations

Childhood obesity is a prevalent subject of research currently, and many researchers have studied the effectiveness of school programs in battling obesity among students. This case study, utilizing ethnographic tools of observation, interviews, and investigation of artifacts, examines educators' perceptions of the role of the school in the prevention of this epidemic, how perceptions affect practices, and the barriers to prevention efforts. The lens of caring theory, social justice, and critical theory frame the analysis of how educators in a medium-sized elementary school contend with the problem of childhood obesity. Educators in this setting perceived their role in the prevention …

Bilateral Asymmetry In Incisors: Implications For Miocene Hominoid Species Diagnosis, Candace Ann Davis

Dissertations

AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF CANDACE A. DAVIS, for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in ANTHROPOLOGY, presented on March 31, 2011, at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. TITLE: BILATERAL ASYMMETRY IN INCISORS: IMPLICATIONS FOR MIOCENE HOMINOID SPECIES DIAGNOSIS MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Robert S. Corruccini The primary purpose of this dissertation is to show how knowledge of variation and asymmetry in incisor antimeric pairs of living great ape genera can be utilized as a "yardstick" for pairwise comparisons of isolated Miocene ape incisors from the two genera Kenyapithecus and Equatorius . The research was designed to help determine whether these …

Perceptions Of Illinois Community College Administrators On The Impact Of The U.S. Economic Recession And State Financial Pressures On Programs For Adults, Barry Ray Hancock

Dissertations

BARRY RAY HANCOCK, for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT, presented on May 9, 2011, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: PERCEPTIONS OF ILLINOIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE ADMINISTRATORS ON THE IMPACT OF THE U.S. ECONOMIC RECESSION AND STATE FINANCIAL PRESSURES ON PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. John S. Washburn The United States economic recession is now in its third year and continues to have a serious impact on the American higher education system, including Illinois' public community colleges. Illinois community colleges are seeing increases in enrollments while at the same time seeing significant decreases in state …

Investigating Nitrate-Dependent Humic Substance Oxidation And In-Service K-12 Teachers' Understanding Of Microbiology, Nastassia N. Jones

Dissertations

Humic substances (HS) are the humified portions of totally decomposed soil organic matter that are ubiquitous in nature. Although these substances have been studied for more than 200 years, neither their metabolic capabilities nor a specific chemical structure has yet to be determined. HS have been studied as a carbon source in many environments where they are degraded; however, previous studies have shown that some microorganisms are capable of utilizing humic substances as electron acceptors and electron donors in anaerobic respiration. Even though there have been humic-reducing and humic-oxidizing microorganisms isolated and studied in recent years, the mechanism of humics …

Psychometric Evaluation Of The Valued Living Questionnaire: Comparing Distressed And Normative Samples, David D. Cotter

Dissertations

The Valued Living Questionnaire (VLQ; Wilson, 2002) was created to measure the extent to which an individual contacts his/her chosen values, an important construct in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT; Hayes, Strosahl, & Wilson, 1999). The goal of the current study was to contribute to the psychometric evaluation of the VLQ by replicating and extending the first study of the VLQ’s psychometric properties conducted by Wilson, Sandoz, Kitchens, & Roberts (2010). In the present study, the VLQ was administered to a normative collegian sample (n = 171, M age = 19.32) and a distressed sample of collegians who were participating …

The Evolution And Development Of Wing Form, Body Size And Flight In Large- And Small-Bodied Fruit Bats (Artibeus Jamaicensis And Carollia Perspiciillata), Jason B. Shaw

Dissertations

Differences in developmental patterns important to diversification are produced through heritable variation of the onset/offset and timing of juvenile growth. As the size and shape of an organism changes during ontogeny, morphological, and behavioral components must adjust to accommodate proper function. This study explored the ontogenetic pathways of two closely related Phyllostomids differing in flight ability, body size, life history strategies, and developmental state at birth. We hypothesized that Artibeus jamaicensis and Carollia perspicillata will show ontogenetic differences that account for the diversification of morphological, body size, and behavioral patterns. Comparisons between the two species‟ flight development, growth rates, and …

Does Psychopathy Predict Desirability In Speed Dating Situations? A Social Relations Analysis, Kathleen Tucker Payne

Dissertations

Psychopathy is a multifaceted construct that can lead to a number of consequences including many that could interfere with interpersonal relations and romantic attractions. The speed-dating paradigm allows researchers to study various aspects of interpersonal relations. The present study examined how the two-factor structure of psychopathy, as measured by the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI; Lilienfeld & Andrews, 1996), may influence evaluations of initial romantic attraction during speed-dating events. Factor I, or “fearless dominance,” is characterized by the affective and interpersonal aspects of psychopathy, whereas factor II on the PPI represents “impulsive antisociality” and is characterized by the more antisocial features …

The Family Environment And Children With An Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Longitudinal Examination Of The Relation Between Parental Expressed Emotion And Child Externalizing Behaviors, Stephanie Bader

Dissertations

The current study, a longitudinal study using Bader (2009) as Time 1 data, used questionnaire data to explore the longitudinal relation between parental expressed emotion, a well-established predictor of symptom relapse in various other disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar, and behavior disorders), with change in externalizing behaviors in 84 children, ages 8 to 18, with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Both components of expressed emotion, criticism/hostility and overinvolvement, were explored, though hypotheses were only made in regard to criticism/hostility. It was found that high levels of parental criticism/hostility, not parental overinvolvement, at Time 2 uniquely related to higher levels of externalizing …

Baccalaureate Nursing Student Civic Engagement Study, Lori A. Brown

Dissertations

No abstract provided.