Digital Commons Network^™

The Lived Experience Of K-12 Educators Who Practice Within An Acute Care Inpatient Psychiatric Hospital, William Davies

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human service professionals serve roles in society in which they are responsible for the well-being of countless numbers of people. These professionals span important fields including nursing, social work, law enforcement, medicine, and education. This study focused on a specific subgroup of human service professionals: special education teachers who practice within an acute care inpatient psychiatric facility. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the lived experiences of educators in order to identify emergent themes that best describe their experiences.

The psychiatric hospital in this study is a large hospital located within an urban area of the Northeastern …

An Examination Of The Impact Of Smart Pen Technology On Mathematics Achievement And Attitudes Of Community College Students, Amy Marie Marolt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to examine the impact of instructional use of smart pen technology on the mathematics achievement and attitudes of community college students enrolled in a College Algebra course. This quasi-experimental, mixed-methods study utilized a nonequivalent control-group design. In this study, two sections of College Algebra were analyzed with one section serving as a treatment group which had access to an online archival of smart pen documents. The other section served as a control group which had access to an online archival of digital documents which did not have smart pen capabilities. The first hypothesis sought to analyze the …

Biopharmaceutic And Pharmacokinetic Evaluation Of Hesperidin And Hesperetin For Ocular Delivery, Ramesh Srirangam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The bioflavonoid hesperidin and its aglycone hesperetin are promising candidates for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema because of their pharmacological properties. The objective of this project was to characterize the biopharmaceutic and pharmacokinetic characteristics of hesperidin and hesperetin for ocular delivery, especially with respect to the distribution of these compounds to the posterior segment of the eye. Hesperidin and hesperetin were found to be water insoluble compounds. Although they demonstrated good permeability across the ocular tissues, hesperetin's permeability was found to be higher than that of hesperidin. Hesperidin demonstrated symmetrical transcorneal and transretinal permeation whereas hesperetin …

Mechanisms Of Alpha]-Synuclein-Induced Neurodegenertaion In Parkinson's Disease And Stroke, Cherine Belal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder affecting one million Americans. Despite its social and economic impact, the pathological cascades that lead to neuron dysfunction and degeneration in PD are poorly understood. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress has been implicated as an initiator or contributing factor in neurodegenerative diseases including PD. The ER is an organelle central to protein folding and intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis. Perturbations of these functions result in ER stress and upregulation of ER stress proteins, of which some have been implicated in counteracting ER stress-induced cell death. The mechanisms that lead to ER stress and how ER …

Identification Of Fabrics Likely To Collect And Disperse Fel D 1, Mary Janice Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Individuals sensitive to domestic cat allergen Fel d 1 experience a variety of symptoms including eye irritation, respiratory irritation, asthma, and severe respiratory distress. Fel d 1 is a protein produced in the saliva and on the skin of domestic cats. Previous studies have demonstrated that Fel d 1 adheres to clothing, upholstery, and human hair and has been found in non-cat environments in levels high enough to cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. In a general sense, two very different approaches have been adopted to study Fel d 1. One area of the literature focuses on the molecular biology …

Maize And Stone A Functional Analysis Of The Manos And Metates Of Santa Rita Corozal, Belize, Lisa Glynns Duffy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The manos and metates of Santa Rita Corozal, Belize are analyzed to compare traditional maize-grinding types to the overall assemblage. A reciprocal, back-and-forth grinding motion is the most efficient way to process large amounts of maize. However, rotary movements are also associated with some ground stone implements. The number of flat and trough metates and two handed manos are compared to the rotary-motion basin and concave type metates and one-handed manos to determine predominance and distribution. Flat is the predominant type and, together with the trough type, these grinding stones make up the majority of metates at the site. Manos …

Effects Of 3d Stereoscopy, Visuo-Spatial Working Memory, And Perceptions Of Simulation Experience On The Memorization Of Confusable Objects, Joseph R. Keebler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigated the impact of active stereoscopic 3-dimensional (3D) imagery equipment and individual differences in visuo-spatial working memory (VSWM) capacity on retention of a set of similar, novel objects (i.e., armored military vehicles). Seventy-one participants were assessed on their visuo-spatial working memory using the Visual Patterns Test (Della Sala, Gray, Baddeley, & Wilson, 1997). They were then assigned to one of four different conditions (3D high VSWM, 3D low VSWM, 2D high VSWM, 2D low VSWM) based upon their visuo-spatial working memory. Participants were then trained to identify military vehicles using a simulation that presented the training stimuli in …

Use Of Vegetative Mulch As Daily And Intermediate Landfill Cover, Assal Edwar Haddad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Management of yard waste is a significant challenge in the US, where in 2008 13.2% of the 250 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) was reported to be yard waste. This study describes research conducted in the laboratory and field to examine the application of vegetative mulch as daily and intermediate landfill cover. Mulch was found to exhibit stronger physical properties than soil, leading to a more stable landfill slope. Compaction of mulch was found to be significantly greater than soil, potentially resulting in airspace recovery. Degradation of mulch produced a soil-like material; degradation resulted in lower physical strength …

Non-Being And Memory: A Critique Of Pure Difference In Derrida And Deleuze, Frank Scalambrino

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The psychology philosophy split has restricted viable readings of today's psychological research. My project (within the philosophy of psychology) is to provide these readings. Specifically, in this dissertation I analyze the data and the interpretations of a large number of contemporary memory research articles. I use these articles to support my claim that Immanuel Kant misunderstood what in the Critique of Pure Reason he labeled "affinity." Further, Jacques Derrida and Gilles Deleuze inherit this Kantian misunderstanding by way of G.W.F. Hegel's attempt to eliminate it. Put another way, the component in question is that which grounds the post-structuralist justification for …

Graduate Recital, Flute, Deidre Huckabay

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This recital explores works for flute inspired by birdsong. The flute's range and flexibility make the instrument a match for the avian syrinx. Vivaldi's Concerto in D Major presents a bird that bursts into refined song for the listener's pleasure. This showpiece depicts a captive pet at once caged and preserved for exhibition by the musical score. Messiaen's Le Merle Noir, on the other hand, features an unruly specimen whose shrill utterances and suspended melodies suggest both volatility and ancient wisdom. Other works on the program explore birdsong differently: Michael Colquhoun's work requires the performer to arrange "chirps" during performance, …

Development And Psychometric Evaluation Of An Instrument To Assess The Treatment Fidelity Of A Brief Opportunistic Intervention To Reduce Substance Use Among Pregnant Women, Antonia Torrey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although abstinence from alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD) among pregnant women is a leading national objective, prenatal use has not decreased. Evidence-based interventions that can be replicated in practice are critically needed and brief interventions have shown promise in reducing prenatal ATOD use. The "I Am Concerned" (IAC) brief opportunistic intervention is currently being implemented by frontline primary prenatal care staff members in several areas of the United States. Evaluation of treatment fidelity, to determine if behavioral interventions are delivered as intended, is essential to controlled research. This study constituted the first step in the development and psychometric evaluation …

Neuroendocrine Mechanisms Mediating Pheromonal Modulation Of Behavior In Terrestrial Salamanders, Corina Wack

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pheromones are chemosensory cues released by an individual to cause a behavioral or physiological change in a conspecific. These changes can range from increasing a female's receptivity to altering hormone secretions in the body. The red-legged salamander (Plethodon shermani) is an emerging non-mammalian model for understanding the evolution of chemical communication due to their well-characterized pheromones. Plethodontid salamanders secrete pheromones from their submandibular gland, called mental gland pheromones. Previous studies showed that mental gland pheromones increased receptivity in females during courtship and also increased corticosterone (CORT) concentrations in males. CORT is a metabolic hormone that mediates vertebrate stress responses. To …

Mass Conservation Analysis For The Lower St. Johns River Using Continuous And Discontinuous Galerkin Finite Element Methods, Lillie E. Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis provides a mass conservation analysis of the Lower St. Johns River for the purpose of providing basis for future salinity transport modeling. The analysis provides an assessment of the continuous (CG) and discontinuous (DG) Galerkin finite element methods with respect to their mass conservation properties. The following thesis also presents a rigorous literature review pertaining to salinity transport in the Lower St. Johns River, from which this effort generates the data used to initialize and validate numerical simulations. Two research questions are posed and studied in this thesis: can a DG-based modeling approach produce mass conservative numerical solutions; …

A Comparison Of The Online Sexual Behavior Scores Of Persons With A Sexual Addiction, In Comparison To Persons Wondering If They Have A Sexual Addiction As Measured By The Online Sexual Addiction Questionnaire (Osa-Q), Adam Buzzinotti Purcell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study will examine the online sexual behaviors of visitors to The Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health (SASH) website (www.SASH.net). The survey was available for one year via the SASH website. The data consisting of tabulated survey results was collected via the survey link on the SASH homepage, and were electronically hosted and collected by a third party data collection website (www.surveymonkey.com). Tabulated responses totaled

N= 3,603 with responses from 37 countries on five continents. The study examines whether a difference exists between the self-reported online sexual behaviors (OSB) of those who self-identified as sexual addicts, and those …

Crossing Literate Worlds Exploring How Students With Rich Identities As Writers Negotiate Multiple Writing Contexts, Autumn Phelps Shrum

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the literate identities of college students who engage in various school and non-school writing practices simultaneously. In case studies of three student writers, the researcher seeks to explore how the discourse community roles, selfperceptions, negotiation of multiple writing processes and development of authority impacted the students’ identities as writers. Triangulated research methods included weekly interviews with the student participants, observation of the students in their writing classrooms and analysis of the students’ school and non-school texts over one semester. Students experienced several conflicts and synergies between contexts. Main findings indicated that writing across many academic and extra-academic …

A Contextual Approach To Learning Collaborative Behavior Via Observation, Cynthia L. Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation describes a novel technique to creating a simulated team of agents through observation. Simulated human teamwork can be used for a number of purposes, such as expert examples, automated teammates for training purposes and realistic opponents in games and training simulation. Current teamwork simulations require the team member behaviors be programmed into the simulation, often requiring a great deal of time and effort. None are able to observe a team at work and replicate the teamwork behaviors. Machine learning techniques for learning by observation and learning by demonstration have proven successful at observing behavior of humans or other …

The Individual Behind The Image Female Idols In Their Various Forms, Patricia Lois Nuss

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The research investigated the artistic and photographic processes corresponding with two studies motivated by the artist's personal history and focused on the role, affect, and history of various female idols represented in art history, religion, and modern American popular media. The first part of the study documented female models as they were simultaneously asked by the artist to think of a range of personal but nonspecific moments from her life, the women were asked not to share their thoughts, only the moment spent thinking, with the artist. The second part of the study documented aspiring models as they awoke during …

Intelligent Design, Jillian Amistoso Dudziak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As human beings we are designed and created in a fabric that is profound and complex. We are built with a framework where mind and body work in a concerted effort to maintain our lives automatically. A deep and defining part of our existence as humans is not just the innate desire to live but to live in consistent well-being--emotionally, physically, and mentally. I believe when we incorporate our knowledge of human physiology into our creative process then we allow ourselves a greater opportunity to create an authentic connection with our intended audience. My work during the past three years …

Somali Piracy And The Introduction Of Somalia To The Western World, Daniel A. Jean-Jacques

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the origins of the modern phenomenon of Somali piracy within a deeper historical context. More specifically, this analysis concentrates on the development of piracy in the north of the country. It is here contended that Somali piracy is, in fact, the product of the confluence of three historical currents. The first of these currents is the progressive degeneration of traditional Somali institutions due to exposure to the colonial and global markets. The second is the increasing reliance of northern Somalis on maritime resources due to over exploitation of the land and the fishing initiatives of the Barre …

The North Comes South Northern Methodists In Florida During Reconstruction, Heather K. Bollinger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines three groups of northern Methodists who made their way to north Florida during Reconstruction: northern white male Methodists, northern white female Methodists, and northern black male and female Methodists. It analyzes the ways in which these men and women confronted the differences they encountered in Florida‟s southern society as compared to their experiences living in a northern society. School catalogs, school reports, letters, and newspapers highlight the ways in which these northerners explained the culture and behaviors of southern freedmen and poor whites in Jacksonville, Gainesville, and Monticello. This study examines how these particular northern men and …

Bayesian Model Selection For Classification With Possibly Large Number Of Groups, Justin Kyle Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present dissertation is to study model selection techniques which are specifically designed for classification of high-dimensional data with a large number of classes. To the best of our knowledge, this problem has never been studied in depth previously. We assume that the number of components p is much larger than the number of samples n, and that only few of those p components are useful for subsequent classification. In what follows, we introduce two Bayesian models which use two different approaches to the problem: one which discards components which have “almost constant” values (Model 1) and …

A Sense Of Place Ethnographic Reflection On Two Palestinian Life Histories, Patrick H. Barrett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is a labyrinth of complex social connections between people and places that deserves careful anthropological reflection. People do not simply occupy places; they experience them, infusing them with life and social meaning. Basso (1996:53) argues that ethnography has reported little about the complex ways in which people are “alive to the world around them.” Anthropology is currently experiencing a resurging emphasis on place that seeks to account for its remarkably social features. Rather than primarily thinking about place when determining a location for fieldwork, emerging anthropological reflection shows the discipline is repositioning itself to explore the complex and often …

An Analysis Of Teacher Action Research Focused On Differentiated Instruction For Student Subgroups In One Florida School District In 2009-2010, Michelle Marie Madden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the action research reports written by teachers in one Florida school district after they had received professional development on differentiated instruction and the action research process in the 2009-2010 school year. The 69 reports that were completed by the teachers were assessed using the Action Research Rubric that was developed for this study. This rubric evaluated whether the reports contained the elements of action research along with the characteristics that the district emphasized as part of the professional development such as differentiation, student subgroups, and collaboration. The Action Research Rubric contained seven subscales: Purpose of the Study, …

An Analysis Of Factors That Influenced Brevard Students To Drop Out And Why They Returned To Earn Their General Education Development (Ged) Diploma, B L. Spadaccini

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dropping out of high school almost guarantees a life of hardship. The absence of a diploma contributes to poverty, increased crime rates and weakens the economy. To that end, school districts have a moral and ethical responsibility to bring an end to the dropout epidemic. This study was based on an analysis of more than 26,000 Brevard public school students. The researcher used 2006-2007, 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 student data to determine the relationship between race, grade level, ESE status, ELL status, SES, type of promotion and dropping out of school. In addition, the researcher reviewed Student Exit Survey data and …

Effects Of Block Predator Management On Duck And Pheasant Nest Success In Eastern South Dakota, Nicholas R. Docken

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nest success is the biggest limiting factor governing waterfowl production in the Prairie Pothole Region which supports greater than 50% of North America’s breeding duck population. Depredation by predators accounts for 80% or more of nest losses each year (Klett 1988). Township size block predator management (BPM) has been effective at increasing duck nest success in North Dakota and Canada, but no BPM work has been done in South Dakota. There has also been no research on the effects of BPM on pheasants. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effectiveness of increasing duck and pheasant nest success …

Biophysical Techniques Of Transcutaneous Drug Sampling And Drug Delivery, Srinivasa Murthy Sammeta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Monitoring the time course of drug in the skin is critical for determining the frequency and dose of drug administration from safety and efficacy perspectives. Intermittent blood sampling is used as a surrogate for approximating concentration of drugs in the tissues, which leads to blood loss and discomfort to patients. A novel noninvasive technique called “Electroporation and transcutaneous sampling” (ETS) was developed for estimating the drug concentration in the skin extracellular fluid. The application of ETS technique in studying dermatokinetics of cephalexin, ciprofloxacin, and 8-methoxypsoralen was investigated. The results demonstrated the ability of ETS technique in dermatokinetic studies of drugs …

Protecting The Magazine Brand: Brand Manuals, Their Uses And Implementation, Callie Jean Blackwell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis discusses the need for a brand manual for a magazine after the creation of a first issue. A brand manual ensures each subsequent issue of the magazine has consistent design from issue to issue as well as keeps the tenets of the overall magazine brand intact. This thesis was project based and conclusions were met by means of a literature review of branding, interviews and experiential research. The foundational similarities between brands and magazines through the lens of magazine design was discussed and found to be one in the same: magazines are brands. Brands are only as good …

Design, Synthesis, Biological Evaluation And Metabolic Stability Studies Of Sigma Receptor Ligands, Rohit Bhat

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sigma receptors represent a unique family of proteins that includes two subtypes: sigma-1 and sigma-2. Sigma-1 receptors have been implicated in the behavioral and motivational effects of psychostimulants as well as in the pathophysiology of depression and Alzheimer's disease. Sigma-2 receptors are widely expressed on many tumor cells and they are believed to play an important role in tumor cell proliferation. Therefore, sigma receptors are attractive targets for developing pharmaceutical agents directed to the treatment of psychostimulant abuse, cancer, Alzheimer's disease as well as diagnostic agents for cancer and brain imaging. A derivatized 2(3H)-benzothiazolone, (3-(2-(azepan-1-yl)ethyl)-6-propylbenzo[ d]thiazol-2(3H)-one) was reported to have …

Population Viability Analysis Of Swift Fox (Vulpes Velox) At The Badlands National Park, Indrani Sasmal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The swift fox (Vulpes velox) was historically distributed in southwestern South Dakota including the region surrounding Badlands National Park (BNP). The species declined during the mid-1900s due to habitat fragmentation, non-target poisoning, and harvest. A remnant population occurred on USDA Forest Service lands in Fall River County, South Dakota. Following the successful reintroduction of the species in Canada (1983), a reintroduction program was initiated in BNP in the year 2003. Free-ranging swift fox from Colorado and Wyoming were translocated to BNP from 2003 to 2006. Despite these releases and observations of free-ranging swift fox occurring throughout western South Dakota, it …

Living On The Edge: A Humanbecoming Perspective, Robin Peterson-Lund

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Living on the edge is a universal lived experience. The humanbecoming theory of nursing science guided the study. The purposes of this investigation were to reveal the structure of the experience of living on the edge, to understand the lived experience of living on the edge, to reveal and gain insight into the unique ways people live their health. This understanding is essential for nurses to value the person's perspective of their personal health and quality of life. The participants were ten persons living in the frontier of the American west. A review of literature evaluated the existing body of …