Digital Commons Network^™

The Process Of One White Upper Middle Class Lesbian Couple Pursuing Parenthood For The First Time: A Qualitative Case Study, Jessica L. Manning

Dissertations

During the past three decades researchers have shown increasing interest in studying planned lesbian parenting. However, no previous studies have examined the process of lesbian couples as they pursue parenthood for the first time. Instead, previous research has typically conducted one retrospective interview with one or both parents in order to answer one outcome related query, such as whether a couple used a known or anonymous sperm donor. The current study is a qualitative case study that examines the process of one lesbian couple who is pursuing parenthood for the first time.

The participants in this study were Ann and …

A Qualitative Exploration Of African American Womanhood: Implications For Counseling And Counselor Education, Nikita Murry

Dissertations

The disciplines of counseling and counselor education have expressed a commitment to greater multicultural competence. Existing research points toward greater study of Black American females; however, for some the call for equity and change in the societal perceptions of Black women has largely gone unanswered. For others, emerging research has started to change the perception of Black American women. Current counseling literature is limited in the exploration of gender identity development from a Black woman's perspective. This study fills a gap in the literature concerning gender identity development for Black American females by exploring the phenomenon of womanhood and how …

Counseling Professionals' Attitudes Toward Transgender People And Responses To Transgender Clients, Emily A. Nisley

Dissertations

The multicultural counseling movement emphasizes the critical nature of counselor attitudes in providing culturally competent service (e.g., Sue, 2001; Sue, Arredondo, & McDavis, 1992; Sue et al, 1982; Sue & Sue, 2003). Until recently, however, the counseling professions have paid little attention toward transgender people as a cultural minority group. The purpose of this study was to conduct the first assessment of counseling professionals' attitudes toward transgender people and to examine relationships between such attitudes and responses to a transgender client.

A national convenience sample of 138 master's and doctoral level counselors and counseling psychologists, recruited via electronic mailing lists, …

Development Of The Trauma Informed System Change Instrument: Evaluation Of Factorial Validity And Implications For Use, Margaret M. Richardson

Dissertations

This paper outlines the process of developing and evaluating an instrument measuring the extent to which a complex community system has changed as a result of a community initiative, and for purposes of this research, doing this within the content area of developing local trauma informed child welfare systems in specific communities in Michigan. The instrument was designed for the Southwest Michigan Children's Trauma Assessment Center's (CTAC) SAMHSA-funded initiative to bring a trauma informed perspective to professionals working with children in child welfare. Because there is not a standard set to define what constitutes trauma informed treatment of children in …

Confidence Intervals And Tests On The Difference Of Means Of Two Delta Distributions, Karen Grace Villarente Rosales

Dissertations

Various research fields produce data that are lognormally distributed and inflated with zero values. This type of data follows a delta distribution. In this study, we want to extensively investigate different interval and hypothesis testing methods for comparing the means of two delta populations to see which methods are optimal under different conditions of the populations.

For confidence intervals, existing MVUE methods are extended to two sample cases and compared to classical and two proposed robust methods. We investigated the performance of the classical Student's t, Welch t, and Wilcoxon-based interval to see if these methods really perform badly on …

Biochemical Characterization Of Theromin, A Novel Leech Inhibitor, And The Interaction Between The Fourth Metalbinding Domain Of Wilson Disease Protein And Its Copper(I) Chaperone Hah1, Brian A. Zeider

Dissertations

Theromin, a novel thrombin inhibitor from the leech Theromyzon tessulatum, has been shown to be the strongest inhibitor to date. There has been a lot of attention on direct thrombin inhibitors as a much more efficient drug for anticoagulation therapy. One main reason for the need of strong direct thrombin inhibitors is that the current therapy, heparin, causes alternative clotting events in some patients where antibodies are made to the heparin/thrombin complex and causes clots to occur by different methods. Recently there has been a strong inhibitor from a leech used, hirudin, that can inhibit with a K_{i …}

Orientation And Mobility, Reading, And Math: Analysis Of Data For Children With Visual Impairments From The Special Education Elementary Longitudinal Study, Dawn L. Anderson

Dissertations

This dissertation research comprised three studies focused on vision-specific skills, and their association with functional and academic outcomes for school-age students with visual impairment. The studies involved analysis of secondary data for 850 students with visual impairment who participated in the Special Education Elementary Longitudinal Study (SEELS). Data in the SEELS were gathered using direct assessment and parent and teacher responses for a nationally representative sample of elementary and middle school students.

The first study used Chi Square analysis to determine if participation in Orientation and Mobility (O&M) training, or if the time when O&M instruction was received, was associated …

The Molecular Transport And Intercalation Of Guest Molecules Into Hydrogen–Bonded Metal-Organic Frameworks (Hmofs), Greg Anthony Hogan

Dissertations

The process of molecular transport and intercalation has been widely studied for many years, resulting in the discovery of molecular frameworks that are capable of hosting guest molecules or ions. Layered and porous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been found to have applications in the field of catalysis, storage, separations, and ion-exchange. While MOFs are perhaps stronger materials, HMOFs have the advantage of being easily modifiable and more flexible. Because HMOFs have not been extensively studied for their ability to host molecules, and because their ability to withstand guest loss and guest exchange is essentially unknown, here we report the synthesis …

The Effect Of Enrollment In Middle School Challenge Courses On Advanced Placement Exams In Social Studies And Science, Katherine Glaude-Bolte

Dissertations

Educators seek to guide students through appropriate programs and courses that prepare them for future success, in more advanced coursework and in other challenges of life. Some middle schools offer Challenge, or honors, courses for students who have demonstrated high ability. High schools often offer Advanced Placement (AP) courses, which are taught at the college level. This study examined the correlation between enrollment in middle school Challenge courses and subsequent AP exam category scores in social studies and science in a suburban school district. The independent variables were the number of years of enrollment in middle school social studies or …

Activation Of The Innate Immune Response By The Alzheimer's Amyloid Beta Protein Via Toll-Like Receptors, Udan Lourdes Maria

Dissertations

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most common form of neurodegenerative disease characterized by the generation and deposition of amyloid beta plaques and the formation of neurofibrillary tangles. A wealth of data now demonstrate that inflammation is a prominent feature in AD pathology and a potential therapeutic target for the treatment and prevention of the disease. The emergence of evidence linking amyloid beta protein (Aβ), the primary component of senile plaques, to inflammation has led to new insights into understanding AD pathology. Aβ, a protein fragment resulting from cleavage of human amyloid precursor protein (APP), primarily exists in two forms: a …

The Effects Of It, Task, Workgroup, And Knowledge Factors On Workgroup Outcomes: A Longitudinal Investigation, Srikanth Mudigonda

Dissertations

In order to successfully manage the knowledge-related processes occurring in their workgroups, organizations need to understand how different contingency factors affect the knowledge-related processes of a workgroup, ultimately affecting the workgroup's knowledge outcomes and performance. To obtain a deeper understanding of the longitudinal effects of different contingency factors on knowledge outcomes and performance of workgroups, this dissertation was guided by the research question: Which factors, from the five categories of factors (a) characteristics of the workgroup; (b) characteristics of the tasks assigned to the workgroup; (c) the interface between the workgroup and the tasks; (d) characteristics of the knowledge required …

School Resource Officers In Missouri Public Schools: School Safety And Academic Success, John W. Link

Dissertations

This study was designed to explore the relationship between the presence of a school resource officer and a safe school climate, as well as, increased student achievement. Additionally, the perceptions of public school superintendents regarding the impact of school resource officers on safe school climate and academic success were investigated using the Correlates of Effective Schools as a framework. The research was divided into sections to observe two sets of data. Section I included an examination of Missouri school districts with a student population of 2,000 or less, comparing 20 schools with school resource officers to 20 schools without school …

The Role Of Puf3p And Puf4p In The Regulation Of Mrna Decay In Yeast Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Florencia Andrea Lopez Leban

Dissertations

Proper regulation of gene expression at a cellular level is required in all organisms for their successful adaptation and survival to physiological or environmental changes. In eukaryotes, a convenient way of regulating gene expression is achieved by post-transcriptionally adjusting the decay rates of different mRNAs. The Puf family of proteins in yeast belong to a widespread group of eukaryotic RNA-binding proteins that regulate the lifespans of target mRNAs by sequence specifically binding to 3' untranslated regions (UTRs) and modulating their decay rates. For example, the yeast Puf3 protein binds the COX17 3' UTR, stimulating its deadenylation and subsequent decay. However, …

Development Through Interaction During The Early Years The Adult And Child As Co-Constructors, Thea Norton

Dissertations

By their very being, significant adults both impact upon and shape the young child’s development. This research explores what is known, understood, respected and reflected upon in the practises of early childhood professionals, with an emphasis on the interactive style of the adult, emotional development and the potential impact of adult-child interactions on the child’s holistic development. Through drawing on interdisciplinary research, including emerging theories of brain and emotional development, the work of past and current theorists and an examination of contemporary and best practice, the importance of the empathic adult who engages in positive interactions with the young child …

“It’S Like Throwing A Pebble Into Water And There Is A Ripple Effect Throughout The Entire Pond” The Effect Of Drug Use On The Family System, Aoife Stack

Dissertations

Alcohol and drug problems affect not only those using these substances but also family members of the individual substance user. There has been a historic neglect within the addiction sphere of both research and practice pertaining to the effect of drug use on the family. Each family member is uniquely affected with negative outcomes ranging from economic hardship to violence being perpetrated against them (Csiernik, 2002). Thus, treating only the individual with the substance problem is limiting and serves an overly narrow orientation for the enhancement of both family and community health. This study addressed an important gap in literature …

Adolescents Who Sexually Abuse: Exploring The Impact On The Family, Tracey Carroll

Dissertations

This research project considers a frequently ignored dimension of adolescent sexual abuse, the parents and families of the adolescent perpetrator. This study focuses on eliciting professionals‟ views of the impact on the family when an adolescent member has sexually abused. The context for the study is outlined with an account of the prevalence of and explanations for adolescent sexual abuse. The study proceeds to look at legislation and the impact on labelling. Areas relating to the family on the impact of disclosure, parental reactions and the process of engagement are explored.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five professionals working within …

Natural Selection On Mrna Secondary Structure And Its Correlation With Protein Functional Groups, Suresh Solaimuthu

Dissertations

Natural selection may occur at multiple levels of the biological hierarchy, including at the molecular level. It may occur on any phenotypic trait that evidences variation and that is heritable. This research uses computational methods to investigate whether the stability of the secondary structures of mRNAs has been the subject of natural selection.

The DNA sequence that codes for a particular target protein is only partially determined by that protein, since the redundancy of the genetic code permits multiple possible synonymous codons for each peptide. An RNA transcript of a DNA protein template (gene) folds back on itself through complementary …

Design Of Novel Drug Delivery System And Optimal Dosage Regimens, Kwang Seok Kim

Dissertations

Three representative drug delivery systems were analyzed to emphasize the roles of mathematical models and computer-aided simulations in pharmaceutical research. In the first project, a protocol was developed so that the optimal regimen, consisting of the intravenous boluses and subsequent infusion of theophylline, could be obtained once information on the pharmacokinetics became available. The method was based on a two-compartment model of the human body. A module was created and posted on a website for free access. The second project dealt with the transdermal heat-assisted delivery of corticosterone. Heat conduction and drug diffusion through the patch and the skin were …

Atomic And Electronic Structure Studies Of Nano-Structured Systems : Carbon And Related Materials, Sumit Saxena

Dissertations

Modeling in the framework of density functional theory has been conducted on carbon nanotubes and graphene nano-structures. The results have been extended to non-carbon systems such as boron nanostructures. Computational studies are complemented by experimental methods to refine the structural models and obtain a better understanding of the electronic structure.

It is observed that the zigzag edged bilayered graphene nanoribbons are highly unstable as compared to their armchair counterparts. A novel approach has been proposed for the patterning of chirality/diameter controlled single walled carbon nanotubes. Nanotube formation is found to be assisted by edge ripples along with the intrinsic edge …

The Public Understanding Of Climate Change : A Case Study Of Taiwanese Youth, Shih-Yun Kuo

Dissertations

Global climate change is likely to be the most challenging environmental dilemma of the 21st century because its impacts on ecosystems and human society are transnational in scale and long term in scope. Due to its high scientific complexity and uncertainty and high political and economic sensitivity, mitigating the problem will require interdisciplinary cooperation and collective and sustained efforts on the part of all nations. Sufficient domestic support from both government and the lay public will not only be significant to the success of an international climate regime, but also crucial to the effectiveness of potential domestic climate policies.

Such …

Emotional Response Patterns And Emotional Numbing In Adult Female Victims Of Sexual Assault With Ptsd, Tristan A. Robinson

Dissertations

DSM symptoms of emotional numbing appear to have a major impact on the course and outcome of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), yet the construct definition of emotional numbing itself has not been clearly established. Two opposing conceptualizations of this construct have been proposed in the traumatic stress literature. One holds numbing to be a form of non-effortful emotional avoidance, akin to dissociation, that results in diminished responsiveness to emotional stimuli in general (Foa, Zinbarg, & Rothbaum, 1992; Foa & Hearst-Ikeda, 1996). The other suggests that numbing entails a deficit in responsiveness to positive emotional stimuli but not to negative emotional …

Information Acquisition And Sociality Among Migratory Birds, Zoltán Németh

Dissertations

Information use is a key feature of adaptive behavior: the better informed an individual, the better it is able to adjust its behavior to meet the demands of a variable world. Therefore, most animals attempt to reduce environmental uncertainty by gathering information when it is available. However, tracking unpredictable ecological factors may carry costs as individuals invest valuable time and energy in the process of information acquisition. Social learning (i.e., use of social information inadvertently produced by other individuals) enables the individual to gain rapid and more complete assessment of its novel environment. This process may be particularly important for …

Influence Of Financial And Policy Environments On The Business Strategy Of Biotechnology Companies In India, Sumesh Mohan Arora

Dissertations

The biotechnology industry thrives on innovation and new knowledge creation, but is also capital intensive with a complex regulatory environment (Hine and Kapeleris 2007). It is seen as a sunrise industry by the Indian government (Natesh and Bhan 2009). Current literature on the business strategy of Indian biotechnology companies and the influence from external factors is very limited. The objective of this research was to qualitatively test the applicability of the Miles and Snow (1978) theory of organizational behavior which describes four strategy choices: prospector, analyzer, defender and reactor, in the context of the Indian biotechnology sector. Research on Western …

Exploring The Use Of Video-Teleconferencing For On-Duty Training In The St. Charles Fire Department And St. Louis Metropolitan Emergency Response Community, Robb F. Watkins

Dissertations

This study was conducted because the St. Charles Fire Department needed to identify a way to change its training delivery system to accommodate training in quarters for on-duty companies. St. Charles was experiencing: budget reductions, staffing shortages, delayed responses due to training, and increasing response times. The department identified video teleconferencing (VTC) as a possible solution to their training delivery dilemma. This study was a qualitative study including surveys and interviews that evaluated the VTC implementation process. The research question was, “How can fire department training be constructed to enhance the frequency and adequacy of training and reduce the need …

Design, Synthesis, And Polymerization Of Novel Heterocyclic Monomers As Precursors For Functional Polyester, Poly(Ester Amide)S And Polyamides, Eylem Tarkin-Tas

Dissertations

The research presented in this dissertation involves the synthesis and polymerization of heterocyclic monomers which pave the way to biodegradable polyester nanocomposites, functional polyesters or poly(ester amide)s, functional polyamides and supramolecular polymers. The key monomers are ε-caprolactone, γ-acetamido-ε- caprolactone, γ-ethylene ketal-ε-caprolactam and α-amino-ε-caprolactam.

Poly(ε-caprolactone) organo-modified montmorillonite nanocomposites were prepared by in-situ polymerization using dibutyltin dimethoxide as initiator/catalyst. The montmorillonite was first modified with 1-decyl-2-methyl-3-(11-hydroxyundecyl)- imidazolium cation. The hydroxyl functionality was used for not only initiating polymer chains from the surface of the clay platelets but also for grafting polymer chains to the surface by acting as a reversible chain transfer …

Patterns Of Diversity, Zoogeography, And Ecological Gradients In Honduran Freshwater Fishes, Wilfredo Antonio Matamoros

Dissertations

Nineteen major river drainages across Honduras were sampled from 2005-2009 in order to understand Honduran geographical patterns of freshwater fish distribution, to delineate the Honduran freshwater fishes ichthyographical provinces, and to understand patterns of species assemblage at the drainage level. A total of 166 species of freshwater fishes were sampled, a 64% increase over previously published reports. Eight species belong to primary freshwater families, 47 to secondary, and 111 to peripherals. In order to understand the species-drainages relationships, a presence-absence matrix was built for the 19 major drainages and 55 primary and secondary freshwater fishes. Correspondence and cluster analysis clearly …

Parent Engagement And Cultural Capital: Negotiating Culture In A Multilingual/Multiethnic School, Paula Andrea Echeverri-Sucerquia

Dissertations

This study explored how a multicultural/multilingual school negotiated culture with limited English proficient (LEP) students' families, particularly in the context of parent involvement activities. In order to understand how such negotiation of culture occurred, the researcher focused on the perspectives that school administrators, teachers and parents of students in an English as a Second Language (ESL) program had on the education of LEP students and their parents' involvement in school-organized activities. It also focused on the participants' understandings of cultural capital and the extent to which the school builds on immigrant /sojourner families' knowledge and culture to support their children's …

Interpreting Cultural And Sociopolitical Landscapes In The Upper Piura Valley, Far North Coast Of Perú (1100 B.C.- A.D. 1532), Jorge Antonio Montenegro

Dissertations

This dissertation is a diachronic settlement and landscape study undertaken from an interpretive archaeology perspective. The outcome of this study has been an interpretation of the settlement and landscape configurations as well as of the sociopolitical organization during the entire prehispanic occupation (ca. 1100 B.C.- A.D. 1532) of the Upper Piura River Valley in the Far North Coast of Perú. Also, the sociopolitical interaction between the local polities of the Upper Piura River Valley and the southern foreign Northern North Coast polities has been assessed. The Far North Coast is not an environmentally "marginal" area as compared to the Northern …

Individual-Based Modeling Of White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) Movements And Epizootiology, Lene Jung Kjaer

Dissertations

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are important game mammals and potential reservoirs of diseases of domestic livestock, so diseases of deer are of great concern to wildlife managers. In many situations, models can be useful for integrating existing data, understanding disease transmission patterns, and predicting effects on host populations. Individual-based modeling (IBM) has become more commonplace in ecology as a tool to link individual behavior to population dynamics and community interactions, especially for gauging the effects of management actions. Spatially explicit IBMs are especially useful when ecological processes, such as disease transmission, are affected by the spatial composition of the environment. …

Grown Men, Daniel Charles Crocker

Dissertations

Grown Men is a collection of short fiction that articulates the themes of poverty, adulthood, alcoholism and faith. Some of the stories use the same characters in order to further explore place and economic and social status. Set in small towns in Missouri and Mississippi, Grown Men seeks to examine the way men deal with their changing roles when they lose their jobs, relationships and families. The collection is accompanied by a critical introduction. ii