Digital Commons Network^™

Assessing The Impact Of Organisational Culture When Introducing Web.2.0 Technologies Into A Non-Profit Organisation For Knowledge Managment, Heather Madden

Dissertations

Some of the key challenges that any organisation faces today are those of knowledge sharing and collaboration. This research investigates knowledge sharing in existing communities of practice in a non-profit organisation and the challenges that are faced by attempting to facilitate online interactions for these communities. Organisation culture can either incentivise or impede this process and this research will describe how people and culture are two of the most important factors when considering a knowledge management initiative. Given that the impact of culture is such a key issue, a number of organisations are interviewed and evaluated to compare and contrast …

That's Life:An Examination Of The Direct Consequences Of Life-Sentence Imprisonment For Adult Males Within The Irish Prison System, Clara Geaney

Dissertations

Although Ireland compares relatively well in terms of international crime rates, there has been an increase in the number of prisoners serving life-sentences in the Republic. The current system for managing life-sentence prisoners in this jurisdiction is that they are likely to earn their temporary release after having served about fifteen years in prison. However, there is limited research in Ireland on the effects of imprisonment, and certainly for life-sentence prisoners, criminology in the Republic has failed to examine the issues faced by this group at all. Very little is understood about the coping mechanisms specific to life-sentence prisoners; the …

Natal Dispersal And New Group Formation In Capybaras (Hydrochoerus Hydrochaeris) In A Seasonally Flooded Savanna Of Venezuela, Elizabeth Rae Congdon

Dissertations

This study examines natal dispersal and new group formation in capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) in a seasonally flooded savanna in Venezuela. The first section describes a novel approach to the study of dispersal that could be applied to many taxa. Dispersal is considered in three stages (emigration, transience, and immigration) and its proximate and ultimate mechanisms are clearly differentiated. The second chapter describes dispersal behavior in capybaras, including which individuals disperse, when, and to where. In the third chapter, I evaluate dispersal in capybaras with respect to social subordination and social cohesion hypotheses. In this population, some support was …

A Comparison Of An Individually Tailored And A Standardized Asthma Self-Management Education Program, Judy Ann Shackelford

Dissertations

Asthma is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases in the United States (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2003). According to the CDC (2003), prevalence of asthma continues to rise in epidemic proportions and is very costly. While asthma cannot be prevented or cured, it can be controlled to improve quality of life. Self-management is key to controlling asthma (CDC, 2003; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute [NHLBI], 2002). State of the science for asthma self-management establishes that health care costs decrease for self-management intervention groups (Lindberg et al, 2002; Thoonen et al, 2003). Education is essential to support asthma …

Electron Beam Characterization Of Carbon Nanostructures, Eric Samuel Mandell

Dissertations

Atom-thick carbon nanostructures represent a class of novel materials that are of interest to those studying carbon's role in fossil fuel, hydrogen storage, scaled-down electronics, and other nanotechnology. Electron microscope images of "edge-on" graphene sheets show linear image features due to the projected potential of the sheets. Here, intensity profiles along these linear features can measure the curvature of the sheet, as well as the shape of the sheet (i.e. hexagonal, triangular). Also, electron diffraction powder profiles calculated for triangular graphene sheet shapes show a broadening of the low-frequency edge of diffraction rings, in comparison to those calculated for hexagonal …

Missouri Ozark Women's Experiences Of Living With Postpartum Depression Symptoms, Nathalie B. Williams

Dissertations

Depression is a serious complication of the postpartum period that affects not only women but their children and families as well. Rural women are of particular concern because of the significant barriers to health care that they experience as a result of isolation, poverty, traditional beliefs, and a lack of accessible and adequate health related services. A review of the literature to identify evidence based nursing interventions that focused on primary and secondary prevention of postpartum depression revealed few interventions and there were no studies identified that targeted or even included women living in rural areas of the United States. …

Structural Changes And Neighborhood Homicide Trends In St. Louis, Missouri, 1980 - 2000: A Multi-Level And Spatial Analysis, Robert Jason Fornango

Dissertations

Social scientists have long observed strong correlations between social structure and violent crime rates at the neighborhood level. Yet little is known about the relationship between changes in social structure and violent crime trends. Furthermore, the spatial distribution of crime trends has received little attention in the literature. The dissertation explores the trajectories and spatial dynamics of neighborhood homicide rates and social structure in St. Louis, Missouri between 1980 and 2000. Multilevel growth curve models are used to describe the nature of, and variation in, census tract homicide trajectories as functions of structural characteristics and changes in those features. Exploratory …

Perceptions Of Dyspnea, Physical Activity, And Functional Status In Obese Women, Donna Althea Jewell

Dissertations

PURPOSE: King's Theory of Goal Attainment guided this study exploring the physical sensation of dyspnea that obese women feel and how it affects their functioning. BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE: Obesity prevalence has doubled since 1980. Current research is investigating how to reduce prevalence and examining obesity's impact on the respiratory system. Little research was found that investigated the impact obesity has on routine activities because of dyspena and function and whether physical activity has a mitigating effect. METHODS: A comparative descriptive research design was used. A survey of dyspnea felt during routine activities was created; IRB approval to survey community-dwelling women …

The Experience Of Technology Integration By Teacher Educators In Higher Education, Patricia Ann Suess

Dissertations

With the advancing use of technology globally, it is becoming essential for K-12 educators to have knowledge of educational technology and its appropriate classroom use. Thus, it is important for higher education faculty involved in the preparation of those K-12 teachers to achieve technology integration in their teacher education programs. It is not sufficient to simply provide computers and peripheral devices to future teachers. The critical issue is the way in which those tools are used to promote student learning. Therefore, it is necessary for faculty in higher education to model the use of technology as a teaching and learning …

Fiscal Impact Of American Indian Gaming On Non-Indian Local Governments, Courtney A. Andrews

Dissertations

Intense growth in American Indian gaming over the past two and a half decades has resulted in suggestions of impact on non-Indian communities with a resulting growth in tribal-local government interaction. Although there is mounting evidence of both positive and negative socio-economic impacts on non-Indian communities as a result of Indian gaming operations, to date, there has been very little exploration of the actual fiscal impact on non-Indian governments as a result of these operations. This thesis serves to examine this impact. This study uses a combination of an extensive literature review, tribal-local government survey, GIS techniques and a quantitative …

The Instructional Perspectives Of Community College Mathematics Faculty, Laurie K. Mcmanus

Dissertations

This study investigated the beliefs, feelings, and behaviors of full-time mathematics faculty at community colleges in a Midwestern state. The online questionnaire for this study included the modified Instructional Perspectives Inventory [IPI] (Henschke, 1989; Stanton, 2005). The subscales of the IPI are: (1) Teacher empathy with learners; (2) Teacher trust of learners; (3) Planning and delivery of instruction; (4) Accommodating learner uniqueness; (5) Teacher insensitivity toward learners; (6) Experience-based learning techniques; and, (7) Teacher-centered learning processes. Approximately 23.4% of invited participants responded to the survey, yielding a sample size of 34. Statistical analyses included calculations of mean, standard deviation, and …

Intensive Professional Development In Early Literacy Instruction For Preschool Teachers, Rebecca Brinks

Dissertations

This study assesses the efficacy of using an intensive professional development program to improve preschool teachers' practices related to early literacy. A mixed methods approach was employed to review secondary data from a federally-funded Early Reading First Grant. The population studied consisted of thirty-one preschool teachers at four diverse programs serving low income children located in the mid-western urban community of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The intensive professional development used in this study resulted in significant improvements in the mean scores for all areas of the Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation (ELLCO) when comparing baseline to the final scores in …

Resilient Teachers: A Qualitative Study Of Six Thriving Educators In Urban Elementary Schools, Paul Giroux

Dissertations

This qualitative research study used elements of phenomenological and narrative research methodology to explore the common characteristics and experiences of a sample of resilient elementary teachers working in urban schools. The six research subjects in this study’s sample each had at least eight years of teaching experience, and each participated in a cycle of three in-depth interviews designed to determine their degree of resilience and to develop a portrait of their personal and professional characteristics, experiences, attitudes and beliefs. Once the data collection phase was complete, data was coded and then analyzed to identify which of the characteristics and experiences …

The Social Construction Of Linguistic Reality: A Case Study Exploring The Relationships Among Poverty, Race, And Remediation In An Urban Community College, Rosemary Robinson Jackson

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between Length Of Kindergarten Day And Student Literacy And Math Achievement, Cheri Nicole Oliver

Dissertations

With the demands of increased student achievement and the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), educators and policy-makers alike are questioning the effect of full-day kindergarten. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between students who attended full-day kindergarten and their second grade literacy and math achievement and students who attended half-day kindergarten and their second grade literacy and math achievement.

Results from the Stanford Achievement Test administered in the fall of 2007 were analyzed for statistically significant differences between the two second grade groups of students. Analysis of the data showed no statistical difference between …

Systematic Study Of The Validity Of Clinical Performance Assessments In Entry-Level Athletic Training Education, Gayle A. Thompson

Dissertations

PPerformance assessment (PA) is essential to determining the competency of clinical skills in allied health education, yet little research has been conducted to determine what validity evidence supports the interpretations made from PA currently utilized in athletic training clinical education. This study examined current PA practice and associated effectiveness of PA used by athletic training clinical practicum course instructors. Current research suggests the most predominant method of PA utilized in athletic training follows a behavioral approach that emphasizes observation of specific skills in standardized ways, as exemplified by the 'check-list' method. An alternative to the behavioral approach is the holistic …

Three Essays On The Impacts Of Risk And Uncertainty On Foreign Direct Investment (Fdi) And Remittances Flows Into Developing Countries, Blen Solomon

Dissertations

This three-essay dissertation focuses on the two most important and most stable sources of finance to developing countries, namely Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and remittances. The first essay examines the roles of exchange rate uncertainty and political risk in determining FDI inflows into African economies. The past few decades have witnessed a surge of FDI inflows to developing regions. However, FDI inflows to Africa still remain relatively small and investor surveys show political risk and macroeconomic uncertainty to be strong deterrents of FDI inflows into Africa. In this essay, I use a sample of 12 African countries and employ Fixed …

Retaining Exploring Students: A Comparison Study Of Decided And Undecided College Students, Betty D. Dennis

Dissertations

U.S. four-year institutions graduate fewer than 50% of its first-time, full-time, degree-seeking students within six years Today, improving college student retention and graduation rates is a primary focus of higher education nationwide. Scholars have found that students who enter college undecided and are still exploring majors need a great deal of support to be retained. Research has also demonstrated that between 20% and 50% of entering freshmen have not selected a major course of study and that colleges and universities are concerned these students are at a higher risk of leaving the institution. What is unclear is whether selecting a …

Structure And Excitations In Metal Ammonia Compounds, Xue Wang

Dissertations

This work has two parts. In the first part, inelastic x-ray scattering was used to measure the plasmon excitations in liquid lithium ammonia systems. The measurements were carried out for different metal concentrations, 8 mole per metal (MPM), 10 MPM, 11 MPM, 16 MPM and 20 MPM of temperature 200K. The data were analyzed to determine the plasmon energy and the linewidth as a function of momentum for each metal concentration. Deviations from the random phase approximation (RPA) in the jellium model increase as the concentration is lowered.

In the second part of this work, elastic x-ray scattering was used …

Synthesis, Study Of Self-Assembly, And Trivalent Lanthanide Metal Ion Recognition Characteristics Of Amphiphilic Acylpyrazolones And Amphiphilic Acylisoxazolones, Venkat Reddy Guduru

Dissertations

This research project focused on the separation of trivalent lanthanide metal ions by HPLC using amphiphilic acylpyrazolones and amphiphilic acylisoxazolones. The central hypothesis of our research project is that the nanoscale self-assembly nature of amphiphilic ligands (chelating lingads) can influence their metal ion recognition and separation. To test the central hypothesis, we have synthesized a family of novel amphiphilic ligands and employed them as model systems for the separation of trivalent lanthanide metal ions. Several novel intermediates such as 4-acylated. N -acylated, O -acylated pyrazolones and isoxazolones, have been efficiently synthesized and fully characterized.*

The trivalent lanthanide metal ion recognition …

A Mixed Methods Analysis Of The Concept Of Female Sexual Health, Laura C. Ford

Dissertations

The theoretical concept of health includes the ability to function physiologically, perceive a state of wellness, participate in social relationships, and be disease-free. Currently, the medical field approaches sexuality from a disease prevention and treatment perspective. Female sexual health must be understood holistically (i.e., emotionally, sociologically, and physiologically) for healthcare providers to help their patients optimize their sexual health; however, little research has been conducted from a holistic perspective. This study's purpose was to begin an exploration of the meaning of female sexual health.

This study utilized focus groups and a survey to explore the concept female sexual health as …

Diagnostics For Choosing Between Log-Rank And Wilcoxon Tests, Ruvie Lou Maria Custodio Martinez

Dissertations

Two commonly used tests for comparison of survival curves are the generalized Wilcoxon procedure of Gehan (1965) and Breslow (1970) and the Log-rank test proposed by Mantel (1966) and Cox (1972). In applications, the Log-rank test is used after checking for validity of the proportional hazards (PH) assumption, with Wilcoxon being the fallback method when the PH assumption fails.

However, the relative performance of the two procedures depend not just on the PH assumption but also on the pattern of differences between the two curves. We will show that the crucial factor is whether the differences tend to occur early …

An Investigation Of Relationship Characteristics, Exercise And Physical Activity, Couple And Life Satisfaction, Mark W. St. Martin

Dissertations

Exercise has been shown to be positively related to many different variables including sexual satisfaction, mental health, and physical health. These variables, in turn, have been linked to increased life satisfaction and couple satisfaction. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between exercise and couple satisfaction as well as exercise and life satisfaction. A secondary purpose was to replicate previous findings on the relationships between communication, love, sexual satisfaction, self-esteem, and physical health and couple satisfaction.

A total of 229 undergraduate and graduate students from a large Midwestern university in the United States participated in this …

A Study Of Intake And Assessment In Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, Christopher J. Richmond

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare clients' assessment of two different counseling intake procedures used by clinicians. This study compared a Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) intake intervention with an intake intervention constructed from the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I). The SCID-I is one of the most widely used diagnostic interviews and reflects a "gold standard" in formulating accurate diagnoses. The SFBTintake intervention developed for this study stands in stark contrast to the SCID-I and its primary objective, evaluation of the problem. SFBT is a strength-based model that maintains a positive and future-oriented focus. …

Economic Impacts Of Casino Gambling On Rural Michigan Communities, Mark Steven Reece

Dissertations

When considering future casino development, it is important to know whether the magnitude of a casino's economic impact.

A way to understand the impact of adding a casino to a rural Michigan community is to study the economic changes during the 6 years surrounding casino's opening. If significant changes occur in population, employment, and commercial, industrial, and residential property values, it may be possible to attribute this change to the introduction of a casino.

Township level data is used for an index of annual percentage change, preceding and following an opening. This study tests for movement in the community's economics …

Mapk Survival Signaling In Melanoma, Matthew W. Vanbrocklin

Dissertations

Extracellular signals activate mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades potentiating biological activities such as cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival. Constitutive activation of MAPK signaling pathways is implicated in the development and progression of many human cancers, including melanoma. Mutually exclusive activating mutations in NRAS or BRAF are found in ∼85% of all melanomas resulting in constitutive activation of the MAPK pathway (RAS-BRAF-MEK-ERK-RSK). We have previously demonstrated that inhibition of this pathway with small molecule MEK inhibitors selectively induces apoptosis in human melanoma cells both in vitro and in vivo, but not in normal melanocytes. These results support the notion that the …

Essays On Intrahousehold Allocation And The Family: Fertility, Child Education, And Nutrition, Alemayehu Azeze Ambel

Dissertations

Understanding the constraints that households face when making decisions on fertility, education, and health is beneficial for effective interventions aimed at enhancing investments in human capital, promoting gender equity, and reducing poverty. This dissertation consists of four essays that analyze the nature, performance, and determinants of fertility, child education, and nutritional status in a developing economy.

The first essay identifies peculiar constraints, including gender preference and income uncertainty that households face when making fertility and schooling choices. The underlying assumption in the theoretical analysis is that in the absence of formal risk and capital markets, households may revert to informal …

The Effects Of Acute Nicotine Abstinence On Vigilance And Verbal Memory In Non-Diagnosed Smokers, David W. Ayer

Dissertations

Research has shown a differential prevalence of smoking in the schizophrenic population compared to other psychiatric and non-diagnosed populations. The three most commonly investigated reasons for this differential prevalence in schizophrenics are: the self-medication hypothesis, side effects hypothesis, and sociological hypothesis. The self-medication hypothesis which proposes that schizophrenics smoke at a higher rate to ameliorate cognitive deficits is the most substantiated by the research. Of current interest is the possible role of nicotine in improving performance on vigilance and verbal memory, the two areas shown to be most related to impaired social functioning in schizophrenics. It is difficult to make …

Evaluating The Effectiveness And Benefit-Cost Of Michigan Background Check Program Using Crime Opportunity Theory, Judith Brown Clarke

Dissertations

Elderly persons in long-term care settings are exceptionally vulnerable to abuse, neglect, and exploitation necessitating special protective measures by criminal justice, social services, and health care agencies. In 2006, 28.6% of Michigan households with a family member in long-term care reported that person having experienced one or more forms of abuse including physical, caretaking, verbal, emotional, neglect, sexual, and exploitation (Post, 2006). Criminal justice agencies were scrambling to identify programs aimed at reducing elder abuse in long-term care. Michigan was selected as one of seven states designated as a federal pilot test site. As a result, the Michigan Background Check …

A Study Of Disaster Preparedness Of Rural Hospitals In The United States, Barbara Cliff

Dissertations

This dissertation examines disaster preparedness in the U.S. and explores the relationships between risk perception, funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and preparedness. Secondary data analysis was conducted using the National Study of Rural Hospitals from Johns Hopkins University. The study, based on a random sample of rural hospitals, consisted of a mail questionnaire and a follow-up phone interview with the hospital's Chief Executive Officer (n = 134).

A model of disaster preparedness was utilized to examine seven elements of preparedness. Risk perception was examined by seven risk threats, and HRSA funding was examined as a …