Digital Commons Network^™

The Hospitality Of Jim Crow : Tourist Development In Mississippi, 1936-1964, Sara L. Newell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Cultivating The Wild Land : The Industrialization Of Agriculture And Willa Cather's Great Plains Farm Novels, Amanda Kuhnel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Emotion Intensity, Emotion Regulation, And Emotion Knowledge In The Prediction Of Reactive And Proactive Aggression, Kimberly Lynn Parks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Comparing Aster And Landsat 7 Etm+ For Change Detection, Taufique Hasan Mahmood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Design Of Mixed Fuel For Heterogeneous Reburning, Benson Baari Gathitu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Geologic Mapping Using Remote Sensing In The Mountain Pine Ridge Area Of Belize, Seth Broadfoot

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Experimental Characterization Of Environmentally Friendly Treated Wood Core Pultruded Composites, Brittany Hancock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Ethanol Toxicity In Japanese Medaka Embryogenesis : A Mechanistic Study / By Xueqing Wang, Xueqing Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Ploofop Refugees / By Neal Walsh, Neal Walsh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Depression, Volition, And Death: The Effect Of Depressive Disorders On The Autonomous Choice To Forgo Medical Treatment, Matthew Butkus

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many contemporary models of medical ethics champion patient autonomy to counterbalance historically paternalistic decision-making processes. These models tend to suggest an autonomous agent free from cognitive bias and systematic distortion (e.g., Kantian or Cartesian rational agents). Evidence is emerging from the fields of cognitive psychology, cognitive science, and neuroscience that fundamentally challenge this cognitive model, demonstrating the dependence of cognition on deeper, avolitional structures (e.g., backstage cognition, cognitive heuristics and biases, automaticity, emotionally-valenced memory, etc.), and hence, shifting the cognitive model towards reductionistic and deterministic philosophies and psychologies. Medical ethics models must adapt their sense of autonomy in light of …

How Perioperative Define, Attribute Causes Of, And React To Intraoperative Nursing Errors, Robin Chard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Errors in nursing practice are a growing concern in healthcare posing a threat to patient safety. Practitioners have been hesitant to come forward and report errors because of negative ramifications in the workplace. Few studies have approached error management through the eyes of the clinician or have studied how nurses cope or change their practice after committing an error. Studies on nursing errors have traditionally used floor/unit nurses as the sample population. This study used an often unseen and highly specialized group known as perioperative or operating room registered nurses.

This study was a descriptive, correlational design using a survey …

Human Development In Populorum Progressio: Challenging Uganda's Development Claims, Peter Debo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates and questions Uganda's development claims and choice between confrontation and mutual respect among the people, using Paul VI's notion of integral human development in Populorum Progressio and the requisite development principles, virtues and conditions or factors presented therein. In the study I have argued that the development claims of Uganda do not, to a significant degree, meet the standards of human development advocated by Paul VI in Populorum Progressio. The study shows that human dignity and its universality precipitate the significance of the question of integral human development, and consequently necessitate a relevant anthropology.

The structure of …

Disenfranchising The Black Other: A Critique Of American Drug Laws, Heather Dorsey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Presently, approximately 4.7 million Americans are unable to vote, a population which is disproportionately black and stripped of their civic rights because of their status as present or former felons. I propose that unequal drug laws which provide different sentences for crack cocaine, used more often by poor blacks because of its cheapness and availability in poor neighborhoods, and powder cocaine, used more often by upper class whites, punish blacks for their status as Other. Disproportionately punishing them for a habit in which people of all races participate has created a class without the ability to participate in the system …

The Lived Experience Of Lebanese Oncology Patients Receiving Palliative Care, Myrna Doumit

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to uncover the lived experience of Lebanese oncology patients receiving palliative care. The study design was based on the Utrecht School of phenomenology based on the Dutch school of phenomenology. This study followed purposeful sampling in which ten participants six women and four men with a mean age of 54.4 years were selected. The proposed research was approved by the Institutional Review Boards at the American University of Beirut and Duquesne University. In-depth semi-structured interviews along with observation-field notes were used as the source for data collection. Data were analyzed using the hermeneutic phenomenological …

Microbial Transformation Of Arsenic And The Characterization Of Clostridium Sp. Strain Ohilas, Edward Fisher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The impact of electron donor (acetate, pyruvate, lactate, formate, and hydrogen) and arsenate concentration (1, 5, 10, and 20 mM) on microbial arsenate reduction in freshwater sediments from the Ohio River, Pittsburgh PA was investigated. Hydrogen (with acetate as the carbon source) appeared to be the best electron donor and 5 mM sodium arsenate the most effective for both growth and orpiment (As2S3) production. A mesophilic, spore-forming, motile, low-mole %GC gram-positive bacterium was isolated from Ohio River sediments on medium with 20 mM lactate and 10 mM arsenate. Although pH 8 was optimal for growth, 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis …

Participant Feelings And Views Of The Idpel Center Adventure Program And Its Effect On The Self-Efficacy And Personal Leadership Development, Maurice Flurie Iii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since 1993 Duquesne IDPEL cohort participants begin their educational journey by participating in the Professional Seminar (Pro-Sem). The initial portion of the Pro-Sem is currently held at the Linsly Outdoor Center (LOC). At Linsly participants are involved in several experiential based simulation experiences. The purpose of these experiences is to encourage dialogue and to build Cohort teamwork (Duquesne University, 1996). This study was compelled by the findings of Brufee (1999) and Vygotsky (1978) that social interaction allows the learner to gain knowledge more rapidly. A Heuristic phenomenological case study method was used in this study of the learning experiences of …

School Administrators' Perceptions Of The Cacrep School Counseling Standards, Sandra M. Frey-Mckeown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

School administrators have broad influence on the selection and role of school counselors. However, administrators' training programs give them little, if any, understanding of the standards (CACREP) to which school counselors are trained and, perhaps more importantly, no information about the school counselors' role as defined by the counseling profession (Ballard and Murgatroyd, 1999; Borders and Drury, 1992; Fitch et al., 2001; Louis et al., 2001; Ponec and Brock, 2000) The purpose of this study was to describe how school administrators view the importance and use of the CACREP School Counseling Standards when hiring school counselors. Questionnaires were mailed to …

The Experience Of Being A Full-Time Nursing Faculty Member In A Baccalaureate Nursing Education Program, Elizabeth A. Gazza

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the experience of being a full-time nursing faculty member in a baccalaureate nursing program, from the perspective of those having the experience. Upon receiving approval from the Duquesne University Institutional Review Board, informants were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Sample size was guided by data saturation. Eight female informants, with an average of 6.1 years of experience in a full-time faculty position, shared their experiences through in-depth personal interviews. Each informant participated in a second interview to clarify data from the initial interview and to verify themes identified …

The Effects Of Women's Health And Life Experiences On Surgical Intervention, Debra Jeanne Hastings

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research suggests that violence against women is a significant public health problem that has reached catastrophic levels. Women who are abused use health care services at higher rates than those who are not abused and continue to experience health problems long after the original trauma. Few studies have examined the association between women's history of victimization and numbers and types of surgical interventions over the life course.

A triangulated study using quantitative and qualitative approaches was designed. The cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted through use of a survey of 156 women who were scheduled for elective surgery. The qualitative methodology, …

An Assessment Of The Levels Of Stress Among Beginning Counselor Education Graduate Students, Students Beginning The Counseling Practicum And Students Graduating From Their Program Of Studies, Richard Christian Hoffman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The following study examines stress among graduate level counselor education students at different stages during their training program. The students were assigned to three groups according to training level: (1) beginning, (2) practicum, and (3) graduating. The Stress Profile (Nowack, 1999) was administered to the students (N= 58). Three constructs were chosen from the survey: (1) stress, (2) cognitive hardiness, and (3) psychological well-being. The constructs were developed using the theoretical framework of Lazarus's (1999) theory of appraisal and stress. These variables were compared among the students to determine if a difference in stress levels exists at different times during …

Hope Vi: A Case Study Of Pittsburgh And New Orleans, Amy Ingram

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

HOPE VI is a housing policy that attempts to revitalize distressed public housing communities to create mixed-income, mixed-use neighborhoods. This research examined the application of HOPE VI in two neighborhoods, one in Pittsburgh and one in New Orleans, to determine policy success or failure. The research hypothesis is that HOPE VI was successful in revitalizing these communities. The method of research utilizes population projections and descriptive social indicators from data collected by the US Census for 1990 and 2000. Evaluation of ten social indicators derived from HOPE VI goals generally indicates that HOPE VI failed to achieve its objectives in …

Teacher-School Board Member Trust Relationships And Their Perceived Influence On School Effectiveness, Pamela A. Lenz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite the attention devoted to school reform in the past century, mandated initiatives enacted by policymakers have wrought few long lasting improvements in education. Throughout the last six decades of reform, federal and state lawmakers have exercised unparalleled sway on student learning, with political agendas taking precedence over breakthroughs in educational pedagogy. Taking a different approach, recent research suggests that systemic reform is more likely to occur at the local level, with schools whose culture fosters positive trust relationships being more effective than their lower trust counterparts. This collective instrumental case study expands upon extant research by examining the perceived …

The Political Process Model: A Case Study Of The Alaskan Native Land Rights Movement, 1959-1971, Kristine Michelle Liebner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The emergence and success of the Alaskan Native Land Rights Movement of the period between 1959 and 1971 is analyzed based on the political process model and other theories from the social movement theory perspective. Explanations outside of the political process model, including resource mobilization theory, ethnic competition theory, collective identity theory, and grievance theory were used to assess the applicability of the political process model in this case study. Interviews were used as well as historical literature and theoretical literature as a basis of analysis.

The findings suggest that the political process model is not sufficient in explaining the …

Economic Instruments For Water Pollution Control Policy Making Issues: Experiences From Colombia, Monica Mildrei Montoya

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As part of the pollution control effort several developing countries have established economic-based initiatives to improve environmental quality. In this study the Colombian water pollution charge, which was implemented in 1997, is analyzed. The two key questions that this study attempts to answer are: 1) Does the performance of the pollution charge program in Colombia undermine the notion that economic instruments are not feasible in developing countries? 2) Which factors determine the performance of the water pollution charge program across regional environmental agencies in Colombia?

The answer to these questions provides valuable information for developing countries looking for more efficient …

Detection And Management Of Elder Abuse: Nurse Practitioner Self-Perceptions Of Barriers And Strategies, Catherine Pearsall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Elder abuse is a serious and growing phenomenon, yet it is one of the most under-diagnosed and under-reported problems in the United States. Nurse Practitioners are uniquely positioned to identify, diagnose, and report elder abuse. Quantitative methodology underpinned by the theoretical framework of Carper's Patterns of Knowing was utilized to assess the self-perception of nurse practitioners related to the barriers of detection and strategies for management of elder abuse. Two hundred potential participants were randomly selected from the AANP membership database yielding a 54.5% response rate (n=88). Nurse practitioners identified the following barriers as fairly or very important: resistance to …

A Mechanistic Evaluation Of How Melatonin Enhances Alkaline Phosphatase Activity In Human Adult Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Nicholas Radio

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Current osteoporosis therapy is directed toward inhibiting the activity of bone-resorbing osteoclasts. Decreased bone producing osteoblast efficiency however, is largely responsible for osteoporosis development. Therefore, novel osteoporosis treatments should stimulate osteoblast formation and activity. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to determine melatonin's role and subsequent mechanism(s) involved in differentiating human adult mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSCs) into osteoblasts as assessed by alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP) and determine whether receptor compartmentalization facilitates these signaling mechanisms. Melatonin significantly increased osteogenic medium-induced alkaline phosphatase activity, an enzyme associated with functional osteoblasts, indicating melatonin enhances osteoblast differentiation. The mitogen activated protein kinase signaling …

Culture Care Meanings, Beliefs And Practices Of Rural Dominicans In A Rural Village Of The Dominican Republic: An Ethnonursing Study Conceptualized Within The Culture Care Theory, Gretchen Schumacher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this ethnonursing study was to discover, describe and analyze the meanings, beliefs and practices of care for Dominican people living in a rural village of the Dominican Republic. Leininger's Culture Care Diversity and Universality Theory and ethnonursing method was utilized as an organizing framework for studying the domain of inquiry. Interviews were conducted with nineteen general informants and ten key informants, all of whom were rural Dominicans living in the village of Villegas 60 miles northwest of Santo Domingo. Exhaustive analysis of audio-taped interviews revealed eighteen categories and nine patterns from which three main themes emerged. The …

Does Caring Matter?: A Qualitative Study Of Urban African American Alternative School Students Perceptions Of Their School Experiences, Past And Present, Victoria Berger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A cultural mismatch among African American school students and their teachers, due to diverse values, norms, and expectations, often provokes inappropriate teacher response to student conduct, thereby inciting disruptive student behavior. The management of this diversity when the environment is devoid of a teacher's sensitivity to the student's life can impact students' behavior, and ultimately, initiate an alternative school referral. This study examines such student-teacher interactions through the lens provided by the analogous dynamics of iatrogenic harm, wherein an intervention by a medical or other specialist results in additional impairment or disease. This study intends to reveal, through the voice …

"Doing The Right Thing": A Study Of Cross-Generational Eldercare Decision-Making In Community And Disease Context, Jeannie Baron-Yenerall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Utilizing the sociology of knowledge perspective, as well as elements of structural-functional theory this study examined the decision-making process as it relates to eldercare. Specifically, how does the knowledge of available resources, community context, and caregiving beliefs affect the caregiving alternative one chooses? Furthermore, what role does family social milieus play in the decision-making process? This research used a 20-item interview schedule developed specifically for this study; and the unit of analysis was the individual responsible for making decisions about the care received by an elder. The survey used both closed and open-ended questions, designed to capture data related to …

A Comparison Of Quality Of Life In Adult Patients With Heart Failure In Two Medical Settings: A Heart Failure Clinic And A Physician Practice, Janet Bischof

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Heart Failure (HF), a major chronic disease that affects 4.8 million Americans, traditionally is medically managed by a primary care physician, with acute treatment at hospital emergency rooms often followed by inpatient admission. Ongoing support (prevention, diagnosis, treatment, intervention, symptom management, and end of life care), education, and intervention over the continuum are important to manage HF. The Modeling Role Modeling theory (Erickson, Tomlin, and Swain), is the study's conceptual framework. When an individual knows about their illness, they mobilize internal/external resources to gain, maintain, or promote equilibrium. These resources affect daily activities. The purpose of this descriptive study is …