Digital Commons Network^™

Community College Retention: The Role Of Late Registration Policies, Kay L. Keck

Dissertations

The study provided for a clearer understanding of the impact of late registration on community college retention and student persistence. Of particular interest were the results of the examination of the course-specific side of late registration. The most significant findings of this study were: (1) Students who registered and began a course on time had a greater likelihood to successfully complete the course. The consequences students associated with late registration included missing critical first class day information and feeling rushed and unprepared to begin the class; (2) A majority of late registrants were successful in the late registered course, and …

Mail And Web Surveys: A Comparison Of Demographic Characteristics And Response Quality When Respondents Self-Select The Survey Administration Mode, Dawn M. Mackety

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to use a nonexperimental, quantitative design to compare mail and web surveys with survey mode self-selection at two data collection waves. Research questions examined differences and predictabilities among demographics (gender, ethnicity, age, and professional employment) and response quality (pronoun use, item nonresponse, response extremity, yea-saying, item completion errors, response length, response equivalency, anecdotal comments, and multiple response use) by survey mode and response wave. Analyses were conducted using chi-squares, ANOVAs, t -tests, and binary logistic regressions.

A questionnaire in mail and web formats containing 48 forced-choice and open-ended items was administered to a nonrandom …

Evaluation Of Researchers And Their Research: Toward Making The Implicit Explicit, Chris L. S. Coryn

Dissertations

Due to its very nature, the evaluation of research permeates nearly every aspect of the work of researchers. They evaluate the work of others or have their own work evaluated. They evaluate hypotheses that come to mind, the previous literature, the quality of data, the explanatory power of theories, or the design of experiments or instruments. And this is not always casual evaluation. It is highly skilled evaluation, and becoming a first-rate or world-class researcher is a process of improving the quality of these evaluations. However, deciding when someone is or has become a first-rate or world-class researcher is an …

Metaevaluation Case Study Of Four Evaluations Of Osha Vpp Programs, Jafar Momani

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the controversy about shifts in the U.S. Administration's policy related to the Labor Department (OSHA) shift from enforcement to partnerships and voluntary protection programs (VPP). A metaevaluation of four OSHA VPP evaluation reports was conducted and included the investigation of objectives, methodologies, strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. Conducting a crosswalk of the 1994 Joint Committee evaluation standards (JCS) and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) standards was an opportunity to provide additional validity to the evaluation standards, evaluation reports findings and conclusions, and to highlight the importance of the shared elements between …

Parental Decision Making In The Administration Of Stimulant Medication For Their Latency Age Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd), Randye Kay Phd, Msn, Rn

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine parental decision making in the administration of stimulant medication to their latency age children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Research has shown that psychostimulants, used to treat ADHD are effective for 75-90% of children (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2001), however children do not take their medication from 20-65% of the time. A qualitative study using a type of grounded theory, dimensional analysis (Schatzman, 1991), was conducted to study the experiences of fourteen parents whose children began medication treatment between the ages of 5 and 12. Semi stuctured, audiotaped …

I Teach What I Do, I Do What I Teach: The Experiences And Impacts Of Teaching Artists, Patricia L. Saraniero Edd

Dissertations

Nationwide, many public school districts are struggling to keep arts education available for their students. California public school districts, in particular, are hard-pressed to provide arts instruction to their students. One response to dwindling arts instruction has been the use of teaching artists. A teaching artist is at once a practicing artist and an educator. Very little is known about teaching artists, and the formal empirical research on them is limited. This dissertation used a mixed-method design, incorporating both surveys of principals and teaching artists and interviews with teaching artists, to develop a better understanding of the experiences and impact …

Creating Culturally Relevant Techonological Operas In An Urban School, Dianna Isaac-Johnson

Dissertations

The project described in this study developed due to the gap in achievement between African-American and white students. As music teacher I noticed my urban students could rap all the words of popular songs. Therefore I incorporated the use of technology with an authentic need to learn reading, writing, and lyric development for science and history content within a "hip-hop opera". This study details the instructional sequence, in which students watched musical performances, learned songs with a karaoke machine, and wrote new lyrics for the songs based on history and science material. I combined the students' lyrics into new versions …

Families Moving Forward: Homeless Women With Children Transitioning To Independent Living, Kristin Elizabeth Hoyt Phd

Dissertations

Family homelessness is one of the most profound and disturbing social problems of the 21st century and is projected to remain an ongoing issue for the United States in upcoming years. The fastest growing segment in the homeless population continues to be families, specifically single women with children. One intervention to the problem of homeless women with children is by providing them with transitional housing, a step beyond the familiar short-term emergency shelter. Transitional housing typically shelters families for up to 2 years. During this extended stay, women participate in programs designed to assist them with addiction, mental health, domestic …

Adapted Physical Education Enrollment Issues And Exercise Mediators For Students With Disabilities In San Diego County Community Colleges, Toni M. Pfister Edd

Dissertations

Most community colleges in California offer adapted physical education (APE) courses specifically designed to assist people with disabilities and chronic diseases in adapting and maintaining exercise programs. However, little is known about those eligible to enroll in these courses as well as their participation profiles; as such, the primary purpose of this study was to determine why some eligible community college students with disabilities do not enroll in APE courses as well as to determine what relationship demographics and exercise participation profiles have on physical activity participation. Data for this study was gathered through a web-based survey of 163 college …

A Qualitative Study Of Women Therapists’ Experiences Of Spirituality In The Counseling Process, Sharon A. Carney

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Community College Partnerships With Business And Industry, Maryann Sharpley Lavender

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe, analyze and interpret the expectations and outcomes of industry partnerships with community colleges to determine their value, emerging themes that have contributed to their success or demise, and whether the goals initially set forth in establishing these partnerships was achieved. This study is based upon resource dependency theory, which proposed that if government and state funding given in support of community college education was diminishing, then the need is to better understand the value of and how community college and industry partnerships are working toward continuation. Resource dependency theory revolves around the …

The Global Hepatic Transcriptional Response Of Male Fisher Rats To Dietary Aroclor 1254 Exposure, Trisha M. Basford

Dissertations

Dietary intake is a primary route for biomagnification of environmentally persistent polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) within humans and animals. Aroclor 1254, a mixture of PCBs, is associated with a variety of toxic responses including alterations in blood and lipid biochemistry and tumor promotion. Measurement of the transcriptional responses to low-level dietary exposure to A1254 has not been reported to date, and is important given the persistence of PCBs, and range of effects associated with exposure. The aims of this study were to characterize changes in rat hepatic global gene expression due to sub-acute and sub-chronic dietary exposure to A1254, and to …

An Evaluative Model For Incorporating Diversity Training Into Teacher Preparation, Amy Sue Desonia

Dissertations

In 1949, W.E.B. DuBois noted, "Of all the rights for which the world has struggled and fought for 5,000 years, the right to learn is undoubtedly the most fundamental (Foner, 1970, pp. 230-231)." Yet, inequity, so deeply embedded in the United States public education system, severely inhibits the free exercise of this right by many. Teachers struggle to teach, and students struggle to learn. Preparing pre-service teachers for diversity in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade (PK-12) classrooms throughout the United States is becoming increasingly urgent based on demographic trends--students will progressively become more diverse as they represent different races, ethnicities, cultures, …

Characterization Of Molecular Events Following Heavy Metal Cadmium Exposure: A Cellular Regulatory Symphony In Response To Early Cadmium Insult, Chin-Ju Jean Hsiao

Dissertations

Cadmium, a non-essential toxic heavy metal, has been classified as a human carcinogen and one of the most hazardous substances in our environment. Since it can circulate within the food chain, has a long biological half-life and can bio-accumulate, it has the potential to induce detrimental health effects linked to toxicity, cancer and chronic diseases.

In recent years progress has been made to dissect and understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of cadmium exposure. However, few studies have focused on investigating potential protective and/or defense mechanisms naturally applied by cells upon initial exposure, prior to any damage or toxic …

Struggling With Race: A Grounded Theory Study Of The Developing Of Awareness Of Racism, Shawn Victoria Macdonald

Dissertations

White counselors and psychologists need to have a strong understanding of racism and white privilege for effective therapeutic work with people of color. However, many white counselors struggle in various ways with multicultural training. The phenomenon of white counselors in training struggling with awareness of racism and white privilege is well-recognized but not fully understood.

A constructivist grounded theory study was conducted to explore the phenomena of "struggle" among white counselors in training who were engaged in multicultural training. 33 interviews were conducted with 17 participants who were students in master's and doctoral level counseling, counseling psychology, and related programs. …

Effects Of Two Parkinson’S Disease Patient Education Models On Disease Self-Management And Quality Of Life, Lorraine Pearl-Kraus

Dissertations

Purpose. To compare the effects of Parkinson's Disease Collaborative Care (PDCC) and Parkinson's Disease Information Training (PDIT) patient education disease-management models on patients' (a) perceived self-efficacy in PD self-management, and (b) self-reported perceived PD-Health Related Quality of Life.

Methods. 41 middle-stage (Hoehn & Yahr Stages 2 & 3) patients (24 males & 17 females; age range 48-78; mean 67.59 years) were randomized to the PDCC (n = 21) or PDIT (n = 20) group. Prior to inception, 3 withdrew; after the first session, 3 more withdrew. Participants in both groups attended three consecutive weekly, 2-hour patient education sessions with presenters …

A Study Of Career Preparation Activities Used In Michigan’S Public High Schools, Brian L. Pyles

Dissertations

This study assessed the status of Michigan's Career Pathway high schools 2 years after state Career Preparation funding was terminated early, in order to determine the institutionalization of Career Pathway activities. In particular, this study examined the use of Career Pathway curriculum guides, Educational Development Plans (EDPs), student Career Pathway designations, student career assessments, work-based learning activities, alternative scheduling, college credits earned in high school, instructional strategies, teacher professional development, and Career Pathway high school planning committees. This study also ascertained the perceived helpfulness of having students declare a Career Pathway and using EDPs as a guide in the selection …

The Impact Of Combined Maternal Alcohol And Tobacco Use On Low Birth Weight In Singleton Pregnancies : A Population Based Study In The Us, 2003, Della A. Campbell

Dissertations

Background: The Black-White disparity in birth outcomes in the United States remains embedded. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines low birth weight (LBW) as birthweight less than 2500 grams/5.5 pounds or below the 10th percentile for gestational age. LBW is a frequent marker of poor maternal/infant health outcome. A reduction in the incidence of LBW is a major public health initiative in the US. Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the magnitude of risk for low birth weight, defined in this study as neonatal birth weight less than 2500 grams, in relation to combined maternal alcohol and …

Prediction Of Mrna Polyadenylation Sites In The Human Genome And Mathematical Modeling Of Alternative Polyadenylation, Yiming Cheng

Dissertations

Messenger RNA (mRNA) polyadenylation plays many important roles in the cell, such as transcription termination, mRNA stability and transportation, and mRNA translation in eukaryotic cells. A large number of human and mouse genes have multiple polyadenylation sites (referred to as poly(A) sites) that lead to variable transcripts, some of which are translated into various protein products with different functions. However, the details about when and where the polyadenylation occurs, and how pre-mRNA switches from one poly(A) site to another are still unknown. This kind of 3 '-end processing can be regulated by the cell environment, cell cycle stage, and tissue …

Sifting Customers From The Clickstream : Behavior Pattern Discovery In A Virtual Shopping Environment, Peishih Chang

Dissertations

While shopping online, customers' needs and goals may change dynamically, based on a variety of factors such as product information and characteristics, time pressure and perceived risk. While these changes create emergent information needs, decisions about what information to present to customers are typically made before customers have visited a web site, using data such as purchase histories and logs of web pages visited. Better understanding of customer cognition and behavior as a function of various factors is needed in order to enable the right information to be presented at the right time. One approach to achieving this understanding is …

Ligand-Based Drug Design : I. Conformational Studies Of Gbr 12909 Analogs As Cocaine Antagonists; Ii. 3d-Qsar Studies Of Salvinorin A Analogs As Kappa Opioid Agonists, Deepangi Pandit

Dissertations

Ligand-based drug design (LBDD) techniques are applied when the structure of the receptor is unknown but when a series of compounds or ligands have been identified that show the biological activity of the interest. Generally, availability of a series of compounds with high activity, with no activity, and also with a range of intermediate activities for the desired biological target is required. It is common that structures of membrane-bound proteins (for example, monoamine transporter proteins and opioid receptor proteins) are unknown as these proteins are notoriously difficult to crystallize.

In Part I of this study, analogs of the flexible dopamine …

Central And Peripheral Autonomic Influences : Analysis Of Cardio-Pulmonary Dynamics Using Novel Wavelet Statistical Methods, Anne Marie Petrock

Dissertations

The development and implementation of novel signal processing techniques, particularly with regard to applications in the clinical environment, is critical to bringing computer-aided diagnoses of disease to reality. One of the most confounding factors in the field of cardiac autonomic response (CAR) research is the influence of the coupling of respiratory oscillations with cardiac oscillations.

This research had three objectives. The first was the assessment of central autonomic influence over heart rate oscillations when the pulmonary system is damaged. The second was to assess the link between peripheral and central autonomic control schema by evaluating the heart rate variability (HRV) …

Comparative Immune Function In Wild Birds, Kevin David Matson

Dissertations

Over the last several decades, interest in quantifying immune function in comparative studies of wild animals has grown appreciably. Now, the field of ecological immunology is undergoing a transition, and ¿second generation¿ studies are being designed and carried out. With a greater appreciation of the complexity of immune systems, these second generation studies are commonly distinguished from their antecedents by making comparisons using multiple assays and including multiple species. I worked to advance this transition by developing novel approaches to comparative immunology, exploring the interrelationships among indices of immune function, and applying multiple indices to a question of comparative avian …

Examining Stage Theories And The Predisposition To Lead Within The Homosexual Community, David Robert Blair Edd

Dissertations

An application of homosexual stage-based self-integration theory suggests that until gay individuals have become fully self-integrated, their capacity for leadership within the community is diminished. Unfortunately, now more than ever before, leadership is needed in dealing with such pressing community issues as the disproportionately high suicide rate among gay teens, the ongoing struggle for gays to become fully self-integrated individuals, bringing equal rights to the gay population, and of course, developing a base of strong gay leaders to meet the ongoing challenges facing this population. To test the self-integration-leadership hypothesis, this study surveyed 150 men in gay Internet chat rooms …

A Mixed Methods Study On Cbam And The Adoption Of Thin Client Computers By Adolescents, Cynthia Sistek-Chandler Edd

Dissertations

Although stages of change and adoption of innovation dynamics have been examined for adult populations, comparable research for adolescents is limited. Applying a change instrument grounded in Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) to an adolescent population, this study investigates perceptions of 45 middle school students who used thin client portable computers in a one-to-one program at home and at school for 3 years. A mixed methodology design identified which of the 7 stages of concern students passed through and why some students adopted the innovation more readily than others. The Change Facilitator Stages of Concern Questionnaire, a modified version of CBAM, …

The Lived Experience Of Wives And Husbands With Coronary Heart Disease, Patricia A. Bradley Phd

Dissertations

The purpose of this feminist hermeneutic study was to discover the meaning of living in the community with a husband who has coronary heart disease (CHD). Ten women, aged 47-74 who were married from 4 to 55 years, participated in unstructured face to face interviews. The women were interviewed 6 to 18 months after their husbands were diagnosed with medically or surgically treated CHD. Audio recorded transcribed interview data were analyzed to identify the essential themes and sub-themes. Texts were interpreted guided by hermeneutic phenomenology (Gadamer 1960/1989; 1976) and van Manen's (1990) research activities. A feminist lens was applied to …

Transition To Nursing Home Of Korean-American Elders, Myungja Kim Hahm Phd

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore factors affecting Korean-American (KA) elders during the transition to nursing homes in the first month following admission. The three aims of this proposed study were (1) to explore culture specific factors that affect KA elders' perspectives during the transitional period to a nursing home, (2) to identify thoughts and feelings of KA elders about their admission into a nursing home, (3) to describe the adjustment process associated with admission to a nursing home. A grounded theory design was utilized to explore KA elders' perceptions/experiences associated with adjustment to a nursing home. Open-ended, …

Factors That Motivate Or Discourage Movement Into School Leadership Positions And The Implications For Recruitment Policy And Practice, Ginger Lee Blackmon Edd

Dissertations

Public schools in the United States are facing one of the most extensive transformations in school leadership. Districts face the difficult challenge of recruiting and training school leaders who have the capacity to deal with the growing demands and responsibilities placed on school site administrators. Despite a surplus of people certified for administration, the changing demands of the principal's job precipitated by national reform efforts have left a shortage not only of qualified applicants, but also in the total number of applicants (qualified and unqualified) willing to carry the burden of the job. This study investigated the factors that influence …

An Empirical Study Of Employee Relations And Managerial Malpractice Risks In A Four-Year Public Higher Education System, Robert Lee Brown Edd

Dissertations

Over the last decade, the rapid rise in college tuitions and fees has become a national priority, with congressional committees and scholars interested in solving this persistently stubborn and often intractable problem. Although a number of reasons for this phenomenon have been discussed, one theoretically plausible but untested explanation involves the extent to which campus climate may be empirically linked to the costs of managing various legal claims against the university, including workers' compensation, employment practice, and stress claims. To test the empirical validity of this hypothesis, this study gathered campus climate and claims data from 23 campuses and 25 …

Integrating Total Disability Management In A Climate Of Change: A Case Study, Mary E. Jesko Edd

Dissertations

Integrated disability management (IDM) is a cost-containment strategy increasingly being employed by human resources and risk management departments to address occupational and non-occupational illness and injury in a consistent manner. The goal is to both reduce on-the-job injury and minimize the loss of work time due to injury or illness. Although a large number of organizations have embraced the IDM concept, implementing IDM often is difficult because of the complex array of contracts, policies, procedures, corporate cultures and structures. Although extensive research has examined leaders' influence on change in various types of businesses, to date, research has not specifically explored …