Digital Commons Network^™

Communication, Crisis, And Identity: Dialectical Tensions In Family Narratives About Hurricane Katrina, Laura Poole Rogers

Dissertations

In this study victims of Hurricane Katrina ordered their experiences with the crisis into meaningful themes which expressed their values, actions, inactions, occupations, needs and losses, and feelings. In interviews participants explained what happened, when it happened, how they responded, how they thought they should have responded, and how they handled situations surrounding the storm. Narratives about situations after the storm revealed descriptions of their and others' relationships in interactions with representatives of larger social units. The dialectical analysis revealed dialectical tensions that emphasized participants' dynamic and changing relationships and identities. Dialectical analysis of narratives about those relationships revealed dialectical …

The Content And Role Of Web Sites In Public Relations Of Religious Congregations, Jerlen Young Nelson

Dissertations

This study presents an analysis of the content of Web sites belonging to local religious congregations. The study included a quantitative content analysis of the Web sites of 120 local congregations, which represented 12 different religious organizations. These religious organizations were all members of the Religious Communicators Council organization. Results of the study emphasized the basic content and functions of the Web sites. Overall, this study found that 43.3% of the Web sites were used for informational purposes only. For example, a few of the most prevalent variables on the Web sites were the general contact information, staff information, e-mail …

"George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People": Hip Hop, Public Discourse And Black Politics In The Early 21st Century, Hazel Bell James Cole

Dissertations

Recently, more scholars are examining hip hop as a powerful cultural, communicative force, yet hip hop's political orientation goes unnoticed. This study highlights the politics found in hip hop culture and in rap music since 2000 by exploring hip hop as a social movement. This study utilizes a critical, cultural approach by applying ideological case study and textual analyses methods. Song lyrics, activist efforts and black politics prove the political orientation of hip hop culture, which revealed that rap music in general is limited by capitalistic, hegemonic restraints juxtaposed to rappers serving as the legitimate voice of the marginalized and …

Predicting Counseling Psychologists' Attitudes And Clinical Judgments With Respect To Older Adults, Jody K. Tomko

Dissertations

With an emphasis on developmental, strengths-based approaches, as well as a commitment to training multiculturally competent practitioners, the profession of counseling psychology and counseling psychologists are potentially equipped to help address the mental health needs of older adults. Amid projections that Baby Boomers will utilize mental health services at a higher rate than previous cohorts (Rosowsky, 2005), understanding the factors involved in preparing counseling psychologists to provide services to older adults is critical. Older adults, however, have not traditionally been a population served by psychologists (Laganà & Shanks, 2002). Further, possible factors involved in the training and experience of counseling …

Modeling Fluid Structure Interaction Over A Flexible Fin Attached To A Naca0012 Airfoil, Srinivasa Ravindra Pantula

Dissertations

Flow separation control is of importance to the performance of air vehicles. Generally, it is desired to postpone separation such that the overall drag is reduced, stall is delayed, lift is enhanced, and pressure recovery is improved. This work explores a new concept of post-stall flow control for airfoils and wings by using a thin flexible fin attached on the upper surface of an airfoil to passively manipulate flow structures in the fully separated flows for drag reduction and lift enhancement. The flow induced oscillations combined with the shape deformations change the overall pressure distribution on the fin, which in …

Counselors Working In Integrated Primary Behavioral Health And The Influence On Professional Identity: A Phenomenological Study, Geniene Michelle Gersh

Dissertations

Over the past several years there has been a paradigm shift within the primary care delivery system from a traditional medical approach of providing behavioral health services to an integrated primary behavioral health model. This shift in patient care presents new opportunities for professional counselors to assume a role working in the health care arena. Currently there is a lack of research exploring the experiences of counselors working in this model. In addition, there is a deficit in the existing counseling literature specifically examining how working in this setting may potentially influence counselor identity. In an effort to inform counselors …

An Evaluation Of The Efficacy Of The Consultant Workshop Model In A Human Service Setting, Nicole E. Gravina

Dissertations

The purpose of the present dissertation was to document and evaluate the consultant-workshop model commonly employed by OBM consultants. The consultation took place in a non-profit human service setting that delivers behavioral services to children diagnosed with autism and their families. Workshop attendees were 13 senior therapists each of whom oversaw 6 to 8 instructor therapists who provided behavioral services to clients and 3 clinical supervisors who oversaw senior therapists. The training took place in 2005 (i.e., three years prior to this evaluation) across five months and four workshop sessions. Participants learned to pinpoint, measure, diagnose, and intervene and then …

The Sins Of Kalamazoo, A Full-Length Play Based On The Works Of Carl Sandburg, Christine Iaderosa

Dissertations

The Sins of Kalamazoo , is a creative work, a frill-length play adapted from the poem of the same name and other works by Carl Sandburg. This playfollows a nonlinear storyline based on images suggested by Sandburg's poem as well as portions of the city of Kalamazoo's history.

"The Sins of Kalamazoo", poses the question: "I hear America, I hear, what do I hear? America's national narrative is made up of both the shining promise of the future and of the recognition of the decay as its cultural identity becomes fragmented through time. The theatre provides an exceptional cultural space …

Flexography Printing Of Silver Based Conductive Inks On Packaging Substrates, Ramesh Chandra Kattumenu

Dissertations

Printing technologies for the production of flexible electronics have gained much interest due to its potential as a means to reduce the complexity and costs of present technology. High volume printing techniques like flexography are of great importance in order to produce rolls of flexible electronics printed directly on paper substrates. The proposed research will be focused on RFID components being in-line printed using flexography printing as the manufacturing platform. The properties of substrates and inks and printing process parameters are evaluated to study their effect on printed traces and RFID antenna. It was found in the study that properties …

Estadounidenses And Gringos As Reality And Imagination In Mexican Narrative Of The Late Twentieth Century, Jessica Lynam

Dissertations

The representation of North Americans in contemporary Mexican narrative texts is frequent, complex and worthy of study. The present dissertation makes no pretense of being a comprehensive catalogue of “gringos” in Mexican narrative; it can be better seen as a cross-section of Mexican literature concerning people from the United States published during the final two decades of the twentieth century. My intention is to explore how this Mexican narrative has characterized non-Mexican Americans and contextualize these visions in terms of their cultural and historical origins. In this study I analyze six texts authored by both men and women, border authors …

High School Mathematics Teachers' Evolving Understanding Of Comparing Distributions, Sandra R. Madden

Dissertations

Statistics has achieved a position of status in the secondary curriculum (College Board, 2006b; Franklin et al., 2007; NCTM, 2000) and understanding of statistics is essential for high school mathematics teachers if they are to engage students in thoughtful pursuit of statistical ideas. High school teachers typically are ill-prepared in the area of statistics (Ben-Zvi & Garfield, 2004a; CBMS, 2001; Shaughnessy, 1992, 2007). Using methods of design research, this study investigated 56 high school mathematics teachers' understanding of the statistical concept ofcomparing distributions and demonstrated that a modest four-day, statistics-oriented, technology-rich, professional development program may significantly improve teachers' understanding. …

Radiographic And Functional Analysis Of Movement Allowed By Four Wrist Immobilization Devices, Timothy M. Mullen

Dissertations

Immobilization of the wrist is a common practice throughout the healthcare industry. The main forms of wrist immobilization are short-arm casts, prefabricated wrist splints, custom volar wrist splints, and custom circumferential wrist splints. It is generally accepted, by the medical community, that each form of immobilization allows for some movement. The amount each device allows is unknown. Establishing data that accurately describe the amount of mobility in each immobilization device will allow clinicians to make an evidence-based decision each time they are confronted with the need to order an orthosis.

The purpose of this study was to identify the specific …

Construction Of A New Model System In Saccharomyces Cerevisa To Study Yopo And Identify Its Targets, Laura Nejedlik

Dissertations

Yersinia species use a type three secretion system (TTSS) to inject Yersinia outer proteins (Yops) into the target cell. The effector YopO is a serine/threonine kinase which upon association with actin becomes active. However, activation of the kinase is not required for actin disruption. YopO also contains a Rho/Rac binding domain, but it is unclear how it affects these proteins.

We have established an expression system in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to study YopO. The expression vector contains a GAL1 promoter for inducible expression of YopO as well as a V5 epitope used for visualization of each Yop. We have shown that …

Research Self-Efficacy And Research Mentoring Experiences As Predictors Of Occupational Commitment In Counselor Education Doctoral Students, Glinda Jeanette Rawls

Dissertations

The demands of research and pressure to publish have been identified as reasons doctoral graduates in counselor education infrequently choose faculty careers (Maples, Altekruse, & Testa, 1993; Swickert, 1997). Despite this finding, the counselor education literature provides very little information on doctoral students' research self-efficacy or perceived ability to complete research-related tasks (Bieschke, Bishop, & Herbert, 1995). In addition, research mentoring can enhance research self-efficacy (Hollingsworth & Fassinger, 2002), yet it too remains understudied. Research mentoring involves someone more experienced promoting research skill, awareness, and productivity to someone less experienced (Dohm & Cummings, 2002). Few studies have explored research self-efficacy, …

Three Essays On Computer And Internet Use At Home, Tadesse Biru Wodajo

Dissertations

This dissertation consists of three essays on computer and Internet (CI) use in the United States households. Surveys show that the adoption and use of these two technologies at home have been steadily increasing over time. In addition to providing information regarding the use of CI at home, the essays seek to address a number of issues.

The first essay investigates the factors that determine the probability of owning a home CI and those influencing the intensity of use by employing the double-hurdle model. The double-hurdle estimation reveals that the use of a home CI is governed by two distinct …

Calculations Of K-Shell Fluorescence Yields And Photoabsorption Cross Sections For Carbon Ions At The K-Edge, Muhammet Fatih Hasoglu

Dissertations

The advent of new space missions providing high-precision observations has engendered the need for reliable and precise K-shell atomic data in order to interpret these X-ray spectra. In response to this need, we focused on the calculation of K-shell fluorescence yields for 2 nd -row ions. A secondary project was undertaken in order to treat theoretically the K-shell X-ray absorption processes in carbon ions. These calculated fluorescence yields of 2nd -row ions and theX-ray photoabsorption cross sections of carbon are astrophysically important in determining (1) charge-changing probabilities, such as Auger vs. radiative decay, and (2) chemical abundances of the interstellar …

Circumnavigation, Vincent Reusch

Dissertations

This creative work, a novel, set in the late 1980s, tells the story of twenty-seven-year-old Davison Johnson (Davi), as she sails around the world in a solo race. For Davi, sailing is more than a challenge, however; it is an escape. On her previous year-long sail, she sailed away from the guilt of her non-action as her Cambodian student, Chanthavy, was abducted from a market in Siem Reap, where Davi was working as an English teacher. Now, she is sailing away from the uncomfortable reality of her older brother's slow death to AIDS. Her brother, Peter, does not disappear as …

Evaluation Of Electron Donor Materials Used To Create Subsurface Permeable Reactive Barriers For Enhanced Reductive Dechlorination Of Chlorinated Ethenes, Elizabeth S. Semkiw

Dissertations

Chlorinated ethenes (CEs) are widespread ground water contaminants, apparently due to their extensive migration from numerous contamination source points. In this study, a long-term field investigation and aquifer microcosm experiments were combined to evaluate the effectiveness of electron donor materials used to create and maintain subsurface permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) for the enhanced in-situ biodegradation of CEs. The laboratory component includes the first side-by-side comparison of electron donor materials dairy whey, lactate syrup, and Hydrogen Release Compound® (HRC), in which dechlorination rates, fermentation product distributions, and H₂ production were monitored as measures of substrate efficiency. Field study allowed the …

Characterization Of The Ap-1 And Nf-Kappa B Transcription Factors In The U-87 Mg Astrocytoma Cell Line, Denise L. Smith

Dissertations

Growth factors, signaling molecules and transcription factors are frequently mutated in cancer and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) has been shown to be over-expressed in most gliomas. In the astrocytoma cell line U-87 MG, the over-expression of PDGF has been shown to lead to over-expression of transcription factors activator-protein-1 (AP-1) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), and it is believed that the individual subunits of AP-1 (c-Jun, JunB, JunD, c-Fos, FosB, Fra-1, and Fra-2) and NF-κB (c-Rel, p50, p52, p65, and RelB) play different roles in proliferation, survival and differentiation in the U-87 MG cell line.

To assess these different roles, transient …

Metaevaluation By Formal Evaluation Theory Of Aid Evaluation Work, Ryoh Sasaki

Dissertations

This document describes the metaevaluation of aid evaluation reports generated in a single fiscal year (FY 2004). Sample reports (n=102) were chosen basically by stratified random sampling from the pool of evaluation reports (N=1034). The pool consists of ex post evaluation reports (and some extensive midterm and termination evaluation reports) obtained from Web sites.

The Key Aid Evaluation Checklist (KAEC) was developed based on the well-known Key Evaluation Checklist (KEC) (Scriven, 2005, 2006). A supplemental checklist, Subdimensional Checklist (SDC) was also applied for the metaevaluation.

A key conclusion of this metaevaluation is this: Quality of the current aid evaluation reports …

Switch On And Switch Off Nanosensors For The Detection Of Nerve Gas Agents, Shankar Varaganti

Dissertations

The central hypothesis of this research is the development of novel nanosensors by a bottom-up approach for the detection of nerve gas agents. The nanosensor assembly consists of four main parts; nanoparticles (N), Monomer (M), Complex (C) and Receptor (R). Two novel Ru (II)-bipyridyl and zinc complexes with tryptophan receptors either in 4,4' or 5,5' position of the bipyridyl ring have been synthesized and characterized by using ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, mass spectrometry and absorption spectroscopy. Silica nanoparticles or quantum dots are used as a platform for the nanosensors. Highly conjugated stilbene type compounds are used as monomers. …

Financialism In Pretrial Release And Criminal Case Outcomes: A Relative Comparison Of Finances, Ethnicity And Sex, Daniel White

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of financial resources upon pretrial release and criminal case outcomes. Data related to the pretrial and criminal case outcomes was analyzed to determine the effect that financial ability has on being released prior to trial and the subsequent adjudication outcome rendered. Other relationships included were ethnicity and sex based on the literature in this area.

The data that were chosen for this study included individual and county-level data compiled by the State Court Processing Statistics (SCPS) program of the Bureau of Justice Statistics on the processing of a sample of …

Content Analysis Of University Alcohol Policies: "Party Schools" Compared To Non-Party Schools, Sarah E. Pernie

Dissertations

Universities across the United States are dealing with an alarming number of underage students drinking on or near campus. One prevention tool is having a comprehensive alcohol usage policy for students, which includes content as recommended by a number of national organizations focused on decreasing underage drinking on campuses. Yet little is known about the content actually contained in current university alcohol policies.

To this end, my research involved a content analysis of the alcohol policies from 71 purposefully selected universities across the country. These included institutions identified as "party schools" by the Princeton Review , and a similar sample …

A Comparative Study Of Extended Meta-Ethnography And Meta-Analysis Based On The Fundamental Micro-Purposes Of A Literature Review, Rhae-Ann Richardson Booker

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the results of literature review methods operating out of interpretivist and positivist paradigms. Using existingstudies on racial and ethnic matching of African American and Caucasian American clients and clinicians as data, my investigation included an examination of the research processes and results of an extended meta-ethnography (EME) and a published meta-analysis (PMA). The premise of my investigation was that both review methods include and, furthermore, require some level of interpretation, as answers are sought by researchers for their questions or areas ofinterest. Furthermore, my exploration included comparing the EME and PMA results …

Sense Of Humor, Stress And Coping, And Outcomes In Children's Lives, Lambertha Okhuizen-Stier Phd, Mph, Rn

Dissertations

Children are confronted with many stressors in their environment which may bring about symptoms such as anxiety, sadness, worry, aggressiveness, hyperactivity, restlessness, or low self esteem (Sharrer & Ryan-Wenger, 2002). To prevent the short and long term effects of stress, children may use coping strategies to manage or alter stressful life events (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984). This study explores the relationships between stress and sense of humor among school-age children. A sample of 106 students (and parents/guardians) in the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) returned self-report instruments packets containing the Multidimensional Sense of Humor Scale for Children, and the …

Developing An Instrument To Measure School Community Engagement With Implementation Of Information Literacy Curriculum, Candace Wexler Aiani Edd

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop a valid and reliable survey instrument to be used by librarians and other educational leaders to measure implementation of a school's information literacy program. The goal was to create an instrument that would consider implementation of a library-centered program within the context and culture of the whole school. Once developed, the survey would identify areas of strength and weaknesses in implementation, allowing schools to design interventions and professional development opportunities to further implementation. A theoretical basis for measuring implementation as well as an initial set of dimensions of implementation was identified during …

Generalization Effects Of Social Story Interventions For Individuals With Asperger's Disorder, Jennifer Alphonso Abraham

Dissertations

Social Stories™ (Gray, 2004) is a relatively new intervention designed to teach appropriate skills to individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Although there is preliminary evidence of the effectiveness of Social Stories it has typically been implemented in one target setting. As a result, there are little data to support whether or not the effects of Social Stories will generalize to other settings. The current study examined the effectiveness of Social Stories for increasing appropriate behaviors exhibited by four children diagnosed with Asperger's Disorder. Generalization effects across settings were assessed using a typical Social Story (Train and Hope) format and …

Preparation Of Carboxylic Acid Functionalized Glycopolymers Through Raft And Post-Polymerization Modification For Biomedical Application, Husnu Alp Alidedeoglu

Dissertations

The primary theme of this dissertation involves the synthesis of well-defined primary amine functionalized polymers, subsequent modification of the polymers to produce novel carboxylic acid functionalized glycopolymers and surface polymerization of these systems utilizing controlled polymerization techniques. Additionally, the synthesis of new water-based allylic copolymer latexes is described. Carbohydrates are natural polymers which possess unlimited structural variations. They carry a huge density of information, and play major roles in recognition events and complex biological operations. For example, hyaluronic acid (HA), an anionic glycosaminoglycan, provides lubricating and cushioning properties in the extracellular matrix and has been found to be involved in …

The Efficacy Of Smartmusic® Assessment As A Teaching And Learning Tool, Michael William Buck

Dissertations

This study examined the effects of SmartMusic® assessment on student music performance while integrating research-based teaching and learning components. Over approximately three weeks, 46 high school band students (N=46) received five 15-minute teacher-led music lessons, totaling 75 minutes of instruction. Two groups, teacher-led instruction or teacher-led instruction using SmartMusic® assessment, were determined by randomly splitting pairs of matched-subjects within woodwind, brass, or mallet percussion families. Constant for both groups, instruction and evaluation materials included teaching and learning practice rubrics, a criterion-referenced performance evaluation form, and short lyrical and technical etudes complemented with respective skill development exercises. Pre- and post-test measures …

The Role Of Racial Attitudes And Identity In Black Client-White Counselor Dyads, Tara Michelle Ferguson

Dissertations

The therapeutic alliance has become an important area of investigation in the psychotherapy literature due to its demonstration of a moderate and consistent relationship with therapy outcomes. Some researchers have suggested that barriers to alliance formation may exist in cross-ethnic dyads due to different worldviews, race related socialization experiences, and racial attitudes. Although past research has indicated that racial identity and attitudes played a role in predicting various counseling processes, no studies in this area have examined their influence in actual counseling dyads. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the role of Black racial identity and attitude …