Digital Commons Network^™

The Relationship Between Coping, Anxiety, And Quality Of Life For Taiwanese Post-Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery Patients, Heng-Hsin Tung Phd

Dissertations

Coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG) is a stressful event and requires coping strategies to achieve adaptation. In Taiwan, despite the fact that the incidence of CABG is increasing in both men and women, research on post-CABG adaptation is very limited and no research focuses on outcomes for women. This can lead to problems for health care providers who lack effective interventions to help these patients. The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between coping, anxiety, and quality of life in Taiwanese post-CABG patients. A cross-sectional correlational design was used; the sample consisted of 50 female and …

The Viability Of Is Enhanced Knowledge Sharing In Mission-Critical Command And Control Centers, Sameh A. Sabet

Dissertations

Engineering processes such as the maintenance of mission-critical infrastructures are highly unpredictable processes that are vital for everyday life, as well as for national security goals. These processes are categorized as Emergent Knowledge Processes (EKP), organizational processes that are characterized by a changing set of actors, distributed knowledge bases, and emergent knowledge sharing activities where the process itself has no predetermined structure. The research described here utilizes the telecommunications network fault diagnosis process as a specific example of an EKP. The field site chosen for this research is a global undersea telecommunication network where nodes are staffed by trained personnel …

On Mitigating Distributed Denial Of Service Attacks, Zhiqiang Gao

Dissertations

Denial of service (DoS) attacks and distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks are probably the most ferocious threats in the Internet, resulting in tremendous economic and social implications/impacts on our daily lives that are increasingly depending on the wellbeing of the Internet. How to mitigate these attacks effectively and efficiently has become an active research area. The critical issues here include 1) IP spoofing, i.e., forged source lIP addresses are routinely employed to conceal the identities of the attack sources and deter the efforts of detection, defense, and tracing; 2) the distributed nature, that is, hundreds or thousands of compromised …

Unified Architecture Of Mobile Ad Hoc Network Security (Mans) System, Li Ling

Dissertations

In this dissertation, a unified architecture of Mobile Ad-hoc Network Security (MANS) system is proposed, under which IDS agent, authentication, recovery policy and other policies can be defined formally and explicitly, and are enforced by a uniform architecture. A new authentication model for high-value transactions in cluster-based MANET is also designed in MANS system. This model is motivated by previous works but try to use their beauties and avoid their shortcomings, by using threshold sharing of the certificate signing key within each cluster to distribute the certificate services, and using certificate chain and certificate repository to achieve better scalability, less …

Constitutive Modeling Of The Thermo-Mechanics Associated With Crystallizable Shape Memory Polymers, Gautam Barot

Dissertations

This research addresses issues central to material modeling and process simulations. Here, issues related for developing constitutive model for crystallizable shape memory polymers are addressed in details. Shape memory polymers are novel material that can be easily formed into complex shapes, retaining memory of their original shape even after undergoing large deformations. The temporary shape is stable and return to the original shape is triggered by a suitable mechanism such heating the polymer above a transition temperature. Crystallizable shape memory polymers are called crystallizable because the temporary shape is fixed by a crystalline phase, while return to the original shape …

Characterization Of Hypertension Through Multivariate Analysis Utilizing Linear And Nonlinear Methods, Diane L. Donnelly

Dissertations

Analysis of blood pressure by nonlinear methods is vastly underutilized in current research. As such, 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure data from a small cohort of borderline hypertensive and normotensive subjects were analyzed using linear and nonlinear methods. Data were collected and provided by researchers from Columbia University. The cohort size was twelve subjects, consisting of two groups of six each. Although disease state was known, group membership for individual subjects was not. Therefore, one aspect of this research was to separate the cohort, a-priori, into two distinct, evenly sized groups, based solely on analysis results. Separation was accomplished by the …

Automatic Modulation Classification Of Communication Signals, Zaihe Yu

Dissertations

The automatic modulation recognition (AMR) plays an important role in various civilian and military applications. Most of the existing AMR algorithms assume that the input signal is only of analog modulation or is only of digital modulation. In blind environments, however, it is impossible to know in advance if the received communication signal is analogue modulated or digitally modulated. Furthermore, it is noted that the applications of the currently existing AMR algorithms designed for handling both analog and digital communication signals are rather restricted in practice. Motivated by this, an AMR algorithm that is able to discriminate between analog communication …

Feasibility Of Superconductivity In Semiconductor Superlatices, Kenneth P. Walsh

Dissertations

The objective of this thesis is to explore superconductivity in semiconductor superlattices of alternating hole and electron layers. The feasibility of superconductivity in semiconductor superlattices is based on a model formulated by Harshrnan and Mills. In this model, a semiconductor superlattice forms the layered electron and hole reservoirs of high transition temperature (high-Tc) superconductors.

A GaAs-A1xGa1-xAs semiconductor structure is proposed which is predicted to superconduct at Tc = 2.0 K and may be analogous to the layered electronic structure of high-Tc superconductors. Formation of an alternating sequence of electron- and hole-populated quantum wells (an electron-hole superlattice) in a modulation-doped GaAs- …

Analytical Model For Staging Emergency Evacuations, Vivek V. Korikanthimath

Dissertations

Disaster response in areas of high population density is centered on the efficient evacuation of people and possibly goods. Developing evacuation plans suitable for different levels of urgency based on the intensity of threat is a challenging task. In case of densely populated cities (e.g., New York, Los Angeles), the level of threat is enhanced by the congestion of their transportation systems, and the decision to evacuate a region simultaneously or by dividing it into multiple stages (or zones) affects the required evacuation time and associated delays.

The evolution of the traffic conditions on the evacuation route can vary significantly …

Evaluation Of Environmental Carrying Capacity And Application Of The Sustainability Target Method, Chatpet Yossapol

Dissertations

The environmental carrying capacity (CC) is defined as the capacity of the earth to absorb or tolerate potentially stressful burdens imparted at various scales and locations, that is, to accommodate the ecological stresses without showing permanent damage. The CC can be used as a reference dataset for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) purposes and as a baseline for other environmental studies.

In this research, a set of impact-oriented U.S. CC is developed for both input- and output-related impacts. CC for eight common impact categories is evaluated: resource depletion, global warming, ozone depletion, acidification, eutrophication, photochemical ozone formation, human toxicity, and eco-toxicity. …

The Impact Of Abiotic And Biogenic Mn Oxide Coatings On Contaminant Mobility, Bioavailability, And Attenuation, Thipnakarin Boonfueng

Dissertations

Abiotic and biogenic manganese oxide coatings significantly impact the mobility and bioavailability of metals in soils and sediments. While sorption to discrete Mn oxides has been investigated in a number of studies, coatings have not received as much attention. Abiotic nanocrystalline (hydrous manganese oxide (HMO)) and crystalline Mn oxides (bimessite and pyrolusite) coated on montmorillonite were studied for formation, structure, stability, and surface properties. Coatings dominated the clay surface characteristics where the surface charge behaved similar to that of the discrete oxide and the local structure was consistent with the pure oxide phase. Furthermore, in sorption studies, Zn and Pb …

Selected Problems Of Inference On Branching Processes And Poisson Shock Model, Satrajit Roychoudhury

Dissertations

This dissertation explores the development of statistical methodology for some problems of branching processes and poisson shock model.

Branching process methods have become extremely popular in recent days. This dissertation mainly explores two fundamental inference problems of Galton-Watson processes. The first problem is concerned with statistical inference regarding the nature of the process. Two methodologies have been developed to develop a statistical test for the null hypothesis that the process is supercritical versus an alternative hypothesis that the process is non-supercritical. Another problem we investigate involves the estimation of the 'age' of a Galton-Watson Process. Three different methods are discussed …

Healthy Lifestyles Of Adults In A Work Setting, Kim Schafer Astroth

Dissertations

Nurses have a key role in promoting healthy lifestyles to reduce incidence of disease in adults. Since the 1980¿s, researchers have recognized readiness as a key component of adopting healthy lifestyle change. Prochaska¿s transtheoretical model, which contains readiness, or stage of change, served as the theoretical framework for the current study. The purpose of this study was to test an exercise behavior model, and in so doing: (a) compare the concurrence rates of exercise stage of change classifications obtained from the four selected exercise stage of change self-report measures; and (b) determine the relative strength of the predictive factors of …

A Comparison Of Achievement Levels In Mathematics And Science, And Current Attitudes, Of Secondary Students In A Six-Period Daily Schedule, With Those Of Students In A Rotate-Eight Block Schedule, Brad J. Heger

Dissertations

In part one of this study, secondary students¿ mathematics and science achievement levels in a Six-Period Daily (SPD) schedule were compared with those in a Rotate-Eight Block (REB) schedule (eight macroperiods in a two day rotation). In part two, alumni were surveyed to compare current opinions of the schedules¿ effectiveness overall and on two subscales. Archival test data and demographic information were obtained on two graduated classes in a selected suburban Midwestern high school, enrollment grades 9 to 12 of approximately 1000 students. Stratified random samples of 50 students from each class were selected based upon treatment, academic ability, ethnicity, …

Finding Voice: An Exploration Of A Community¿Based Adult Learning Process, Stephen C. Jeanetta

Dissertations

The Circles of Hope is a dialogue and support group process that uses personal support, education for action, and organizing for change as a method for their own personal development and change and to become agents of change in their own communities. Case studies summaries based on individual interviews and participation in a focus group were developed for seven women who have been regular participants in the Circles of Hope. Using cross-case analysis as the key analytic framework (Miles & Huberman, 1984), change was examined across three themes, the process experience, personal growth and change, and engagement in community. This …

Learning Leadership: An Investigation Of Principals' Attitudes Toward Teachers In Creating The Conditions Conducive For Learning In School-Based Staff Development, Arnold N. Stricker, Jr.

Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine the attitudes of principals toward teachers as learners by answering the following question: Do principals understand adult learning and do they have the competencies to create the conditions for learning in school-based staff development? Three research questions and a hypothesis undergirded this overall question and supported the investigation of this question. Participants in the study included principals and teachers in grades PK-12. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, Instructional Perspectives Inventory (IPI), and Respect for Partner Scale (RPS) both revised for principals and teachers. Results were analyzed to determine the extent of relationships …

Rain Town, Melanie Crow

Dissertations

My project, a collection of poetry, examines both loss and transformation. Personal loss informs the poems, but the work also addresses how the speaker is accorded insight into the world because of loss and is transformed. The work takes into account mythology, science, and the act of writing in order to understand what it means to live in mutability. Many of the poems demonstrate an acute awareness of the body. Robert Lowell and Jorie Graham are both writers who have informed my poems in this way; both explore a dual consciousness of loss and renewal and both represent moments of …

Unintended Consequences In Public Policy: Formulation And Implementation Of Michigan’S Safe Delivery Of Newborns Law, Anne Julie Hacker

Dissertations

It is generally believed that social policy is the result of careful research and planning on the part of officials. Yet there often exists a gap between theformulation and implementation of many social policies. This gap brings with it conflict, which in turn may result in unintended consequences. Theseconsequences may be so antithetical to the formulators' original intent as to make the policy implementation paradoxical.

This qualitative research study examines the ambiguities, challenges, or boundaries that policy formulators placed on practitioners responsible for implementing Michigan's Safe Delivery of Newborns Act and that ultimately created unintended consequences indicative of a public …

Seeking Justice For Victims And Offenders: A Needs-Based Approach To Justice, Patrick M. Gerkin

Dissertations

This dissertation is a case study investigation of a victim-offender mediation program in a mid-western state. Victim-offender mediation is one form of amuch greater movement currently emerging within the criminal justice system known as restorative justice. The focus of this dissertation is to examine the connections between theory and practice with regards to mediation as a form of restorative justice.

This research fills avoid in the restorative justice literature. It offers findings based on empirical research about the issues that are central to restorative justicetheory and practice. There is a wealth of theory claiming that restorative justice can deliver a …

Applications Of Time-Varying-Parameter Models To Economics And Finance, Peng Huang

Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on applying time-varying-parameter models to the field of financial and monetary economics. The first two essays analyze the cross-sectional returns on the U.S. stock market by emphasizing the dynamics of risk loadings. The third essay studies the impact of a tight monetary policy on weak currencies during financial crises by examining the time-varying relationship between interest rates and exchange rates.

Motivated by the pricing errors found in small size and low book-to-market ratio portfolios in the Fama-French three-factor model, the first essay proposes a time-varying four-factor model. As small size and low book-to-market ratio firms are more …

The Effect Of Using A Video-Case Curriculum To Promote Preservice Teachers’ Development Of A Reflective Stance Towards Mathematics Teaching, Shari L. Stockero

Dissertations

This study investigates the effects of using a coherent video-case curriculum in a university methods course. In particular, three issues are addressed: (1) howthe use of a video-case curriculum affects the reflective stance of preservice teachers; (2) the extent to which a reflective stance developed while reflecting on other teachers' practice transfers to reflecting on one's own practice; and (3) how preservice teachers' reflective stance that is developed via sustained and focused reflection using a video-case curriculum compares to the reflective stance of peers who engaged in less sustained and focused reflection. Althoughvideo cases are increasingly being used in teacher …

The Effect Of Parenting Styles In Adolescent Delinquency: Exploring The Interactions Between Race, Class, And Gender, Yaschica Williams

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine how parenting style interacts with other variables related to characteristics of the child (i.e., race/ethnicity, class and gender) in producing delinquency. This research integrates the traditions of criminology and psychology by incorporating the research of two researchers renowned in their respective fields of study, Travis Hirschi from criminology and Diana Baumrind from psychology.

The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1997 (NLSY97) is used in this study to test hypotheses derived from Hirschi's (1969) social bond theory and Baumrind's (1966) parenting typology. These hypotheses examine the effects of family process variables and parenting …

The Effects Of Paper Physical Properties On Print Gloss And Ink Mileage, Renmei Xu

Dissertations

Ink film coat weight was measured using an internal tracer method. Commercial toluene based gravure inks were marked with the tracer, which can be detected analytically and used to calculate ink film coat weight. The ink film coat weight versus relative print density data was plotted and curve fitting was performed using six previous proposed models. The models that were used to fit laboratory results were also found useful for pilot plant press results. Oittinen model and Calabro-Savagnone model fitted the experimental data better than the other four models, measured by the sum of the square of residuals and their …

Effects Of Anxiety Induction On Facial Recognition Skills Within A Sample Of Adult Victims Of Childhood Abuse, Kathryn M. Bell

Dissertations

Although it is well established that interpersonal victimization can lead to affect regulation problems, less is known about the extent to which childhood victimization impairs facial recognition skills. Most studies exploring this relationship have focused on emotion recognition (ER) in physically abused and neglected children. The degree to which these ER problems apply to sexual victimization and extend into adulthood is yet unknown. The current study examined the impact of physical and sexual childhood abuse on adult ER skills under a heightened arousal condition in 104 women with varying childhood victimization experiences. The relationship between childhood victimization and ER skills …

Characterization Of Membrane Potentials In Vascular Smooth Muscle Of Hagfish, Lamprey And Trout, Prentiss Jones Jr.

Dissertations

The objective of this study was to characterize membrane potentials in systemic arteries of Pacific hagfish, Eptatretus stouti, Rainbow trout, Onchorhyncus mykiss, and Sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus. Previous studies have characterized membrane potentials in piscine tissue. However, these studies utilized non-vascular tissues such as cardiac muscle and skeletal muscle (69, 161). Characterization of membrane potentials in fish vasculature is without precedent in the literature. The hypothesis of this study was that membrane potentials in fish vascular smooth muscle differ little between species when comparable vasculature is evaluated.

An Evaluation Of Intraverbal Training And Listener Training For Teaching Categorization Skills, Anna Ingeborg Petursdottir

Dissertations

Behavioral language interventions, such as those employed in early and intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) programs, target both expressive and receptive language skills. Skinner's (1957) analysis of verbal behavior provides a framework for analyzing expressive and receptive language in terms of stimulus control and reinforcement history. From this perspective, different expressive language programs target different verbal operants, such as tacts, intraverbals, and echoics , whereas most receptive language programs target a type of listener behavior that may be referred to as manded stimulus selection (Michael, 1995). Although EIBI curricula (e.g., Maurice, Green, & Luce, 1996; Leaf & McEachin, 1999) have frequently …

Far From The Heart: The Social, Political, And Ecclesiastical Milieu Of The Early Abbotsof La Chaise-Dieu, 1052-1184, Maureen M. O’Brien

Dissertations

This study examines the institutional development of the abbey of La Chaise-Dieu, whose evolution depended upon its community of monks, its patrons, and its response to the demands placed upon it by the society at large and the Church in general. It examines these factors as they were managed by its first eightabbots by tracing the development of their personal, social, political, and ecclesiastical networks in an effort to identify how those interactions took place and why they took the forms they did. This analysis rests on the examination of charters that were drawn up by the abbey and by …

Factors Contributing To Career Success: Perceptions From African American Male School Administrators, Oliver Wilson

Dissertations

In this qualitative study, interviews were conducted with seven Black male school administrators in the Michigan school district who held the position of assistant principal or principal. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of Black male school administrators in Michigan school districts. The interviews were recorded and transcribed. Using a phenomenological approach the participant responses were codified, grouped, and analyzed for emergent themes. Five themes emerged as a result of the data analysis: (1) Colleague support is a key mechanism in the success of Black male school administrators. (2) Parental involvement is important in the success …

Leadership Styles Inventory Of Michigan Career And Technical Education Area Center Principals, Alan D. Papendick

Dissertations

This study was conducted to determine the leadership styles of the career and technical education (CTE) area center principals in Michigan and how effective they are perceived by their subordinates. The concept of leadership traits or styles has been studied extensively within the K--12 general education setting, but lacks sufficient empirical evidence within the CTE community. The population for this study included all the CTE area center principals in Michigan and their determined subordinates: lead administrative assistant, counselor, paraprofessional, and four faculty members. This study analyzed data collected from 19 CTEarea center principals and 70 subordinates. The instrument used for …

Connecting Art And Science: An Interdisciplinary Strategy And Its Impact On The Affective Domain Of Community College Human Anatomy Students, Kevin Petti Phd

Dissertations

Educational objectives are often described within the framework of a three-domain taxonomy: cognitive, affective and psychomotor. While most of the research on educational objectives has focused on the cognitive domain, the research that has been conducted on the affective domain, which speaks to emotions, attitudes, and values, has identified a number of positive outcomes. One approach to enhancing the affective domain is that of interdisciplinary education. Science education research in the realm of interdisciplinary education and affective outcomes is limited; especially research conducted on community college students of human anatomy. This project investigated the relationship between an interdisciplinary teaching strategy …