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Nitrogen And Phosphorus Removal Capabilities Of Juncus Effusus And Paspalum Urvillei Under Eutrophic Water Conditions, Jason Victor Beadle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Comparing Perceptions Of Effective Characteristics Of Middle School Advisors From Administrators, Teachers, And Students, Kevin Deitrick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study compared perceptions of effective characteristics of middle school advisors from administrators, teachers and students at Fort Couch Middle School, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The research questions for this study included the following:

1. What are the effective qualities that students value in an advisor?

2. What are the effective qualities that principals value in an advisor?

3. What are the effective qualities that teachers value in an advisor?

4. What is the comparison between student, principal and teacher perceptions of effective qualities in implementing an advisor program? This was a descriptive research study using quantitative (survey) and qualitative …

Happily Ever After: A Study Of Social Correlates Of Marital Unhappiness And Policy Implications, Benjamin Sprajcar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the variable happiness with marriage within the context of 14 independent variables. The 14 independent variables are sex, number of years of education, income, church attendance, job satisfaction, importance of having a fulfilling job, work hours, age, television hours watched per day, number of children, class identification, divorce, race and religious denomination. The purpose of this study is to help expose factors that affect marital happiness and to then suggest policy ideas that are directed at alleviating these problems. Using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), more specifically the General Social Survey (GSS), I was …

Development Of A Biochemical Probe For Arsenate Respiring Bacteria Using Bacillus Selenitireducens Strain Mls10, Mirunalni Thangavelu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To date, eighteen phylogenetically diverse prokaryotes have been found to utilize arsenic as the terminal electron acceptor in anaerobic respiration, converting arsenate into the more toxic and mobile arsenite. This process can lead to ground water contamination, making it imperative to detect in situ, active arsenate-respiring prokaryotes.

A biochemical probe that targets the catalytic subunit (ArrA) of the respiratory arsenate reductase (Arr) from Bacillus selenitireducens strain MLS10 was developed. Polyclonal antibodies were raised against a fifteen amino acids long highly conserved sequence at the C-terminus of ArrA. Highly specific antibodies obtained by affinity purification using the synthesized ArrA polypeptide, reacted …

Effectiveness Of Staged Partner Training On Conversational Interactions Involving A Person With Severe Aphasia, Kelly M. Hanna

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A single subject investigation measured the effects of staged partner communication training on conversational interactions between a familiar conversational partner and a participant with severe aphasia. Conversational variables were analyzed across four conditions: Condition A -- baseline; Condition B -- general aphasia communication strategies; Condition C -- augmented expression strategies; and Condition D -- augmented comprehension strategies. The instructional protocol (slideshow lecture, examples, roleplay, discussion) was implemented immediately before each experimental condition. Two, 5-minute conversations per condition were videotaped, transcribed and coded for the following dependent variables: number of exchanges per topic, percentage of facilitative communication acts, communication role and …

A Study Of The Principle Of Subsidiarity In Catholic Social Thought: Implications For Social Justice And Civil Society In Nigeria, Simeon Iber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examined the centrality of the principle of subsidiarity in Catholic social teaching, in bringing about social and moral reconstruction of society and in particular the Nigerian social context. The origin of this principle has been traced to the natural human inclination to build a healthy relationship between the individual and society, such that, the society will provide generous help and support to individuals to help themselves. Subsidiarity is a way of organizing individuals and social groups in community to help each other in pursuing their interests with common goals, the ultimate purpose being to assist one another and …

Application Of Symphonology Theory In Patient Decision-Making: Triangulation Of Quantitative And Qualitative Methods, Margaret Irwin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study tested the theory of Symphonology in two ways: 1) by determining if concepts in Symphonology were expressed in the experience of patients involved in health care decision-making, and 2) by testing the effect of an education/counseling intervention based on Symphonology, designed to facilitate decision-making. The study design was a pre-test post-test quasi-experimental design. Demographic and disease-related variables, decision-making role preference and the Bioethical Decision Making Preference Scale for Patients/Families (BDMPSP) (Husted, 2001) were measured prior to the intervention. Demographic variables that were measured included age, gender, race, marital status, years and type of education and time since diagnosis. …

Environmental Equity: Gradient Measures Of Race And Social Class In The Areas Surrounding Pennsylvania Superfund Sites, Mark A. Jablonski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the socioeconomic and racial characteristics of the areas surrounding the 120 National Priority List Superfund hazardous waste sites in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Using three distinct concentric distance measures, the study uses 1990 census tract data to determine whether Nonwhite and low-income populations live in closest proximity to Pennsylvania's most toxic sites and consequently bear the brunt of the negative externalities associated with having Superfund sites nearby. The results of the study suggest that environmental inequities are not prevalent in the areas surrounding Pennsylvania Superfund sites. Rather, the areas between 1.667 and 3.333 miles away from the …

Experiences Of Pain In Elderly Patients Having Total Knee Arthroplasty, Catherine Kleiner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Patients experiencing postoperative pain are at an increased risk for developing life-threatening complications. Effective interventions for pain relief exist, but are under- utilized. The reasons for the under use of interventions need to be identified so that changes in nursing practice can occur. The purpose of this study was to increase the understanding of the postoperative pain experience following total knee arthroplasty from elderly patients' perspective. Hermeneutic phenomenology was used to guide this study. Fifteen patients, nine women and six men, who had total knee arthroplasty participated in this study. Ages ranged from 66 to 86 years. Purposeful suffering is …

Measuring Educational Gains And Setting Consequences: Charter Schooling And The No Child Left Behind Policy, Erin Lyttle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The charter school movement and the federal legislation No Child Left Behind (2001) have put a process in motion through which parents and students can opt out of the established public education system. This thesis is an in-depth study of one Pittsburgh charter school within the context of a critique of public education in American history. Empirical data was collected through a triangulated research design, which included interviews, surveys, field observations, and content analysis.

Determining the features of a charter school that make classroom dynamics more or less effective than those in traditional public schools was the original micro-level focus …

The Baby Out With The Bathwater! Securitization Of Corruption And Its Impact On Human Security, Shabnam Mallick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the context of the president's rule in India in 1975, this paper looks at the intersection of political corruption and human security through the lens of the theory of securitization and desecuritization. In this, I study the deeper politics--i.e., the frame of reference of actors--behind the distortions in the civic and political institutions of India. I argue that the securitization of development led to its de-politicization, which in turn negatively impacted human security. In doing so, I arrive at some moral, social-psychological, and cognitive understanding of how not to securitize. The policy implications are towards employing securitization only as …

The Later Heidegger And Contemporary Theology Of God, Daniel Martino

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Martin Heidegger was a central figure in 20th century Western philosophy. In evaluating his work from the perspective of the early 21st century it is clear that his influence crossed disciplinary lines. This work aims to address one area where Heidegger's thinking has had tremendous impact -- theology. Specifically, Heidegger's later writings are selectively examined in order to determine the bearing they have on the issue of God.

The route to God, in a strict confessional sense, is neither easy nor direct in the Heideggerian corpus. As a result, the first methodological tack used throughout this study establishes Heidegger's abiding …

Examination Of The Growth And Development Of The Long Term Community Based Jazz Workshop Inc. Program, Anthony Mcbride

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study is to examine the growth and development of the long-term community based Jazz Workshop Inc. program. Within the context of examining the Jazz Workshop Inc. program, the impact of the program on its participants will also be explored. The Jazz Workshop Inc. program is located in Homewood in the City of Pittsburgh. The study utilized interviews and focus groups, which were recorded (audio and video) under consent of all parties. This study uses a qualitative design for the analysis of data gathered from 1) interviews with the Director, 2) several of the music instructors, …

Assessment Of Constructs Related To Childhood Aggression, Susan B. Mclaughlin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study provides empirical support for the comprehensive theoretical model of aggression proposed by Meloy (2001) by examining characteristics of children who have a longstanding history of aggression across home and educational settings. The theoretical model first proposed by Meloy (2001) found attachment, anxiety, and attention difficulties in adults who evidenced severe aggression problems. The current study clarified how the adult model applies to children. That is, this study examined how attachment, anxiety, and attention are related to the overall functioning of children requiring treatment for aggression. Results are discussed in terms of child development issues, treatment selection, and intervention …

The Role Of Teacher Education Experiences In Addressing The Concerns Of Apprentice Teachers, Mary Mcvey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the role of a teacher education program in helping apprentice teachers to address their teaching concerns. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of program data were used to answer the following questions: What are the concerns of apprentice teachers? Do they differ between public and private school teachers? Do they differ between elementary and middle school teachers? How well did the teacher education program at Franciscan University help teachers to be prepared to address their concerns and does preparedness differ between public and private, and elementary and middle school teachers? What program experiences were perceived as most effective in …

Recognizing A Different Other: A Neo-Kleinian Analysis Of Lesbian Relationship Violence, Jacqueline Ann Neilson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lesbian relationship violence is an important public and private concern, yet it has been insufficiently researched, theorized, and treated. This dissertation explores and analyzes discourse on lesbian relationship violence from the perspective of therapists, researchers, lesbians who are victimized, and lesbians who perpetrate violence. The discourse on lesbian relationship violence includes empirical research, theories, treatments, personal stories, and other communications through conversations and writings. These texts are dialogued with neo-Kleinian and postmodern feminist theory in order to unfold the parameters of the discourse on lesbian relationship violence, analyze its limits and exclusions on lesbian experiences of relationship violence, and reframe …

Examining The Perspectives Of An Interdisciplinary Treatment Team Regarding The Implementation Of A Sensory Motor Group Trauma Curriculum In A Child And Adolescent Partial Hospitalization Program, Barbara Peck

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A trauma curriculum was introduced at a child and adolescent partial hospitalization program. This study examined (a) the impact of the trauma curriculum on the partial hospitalization program; (b) the perspectives of the multi-disciplinary treatment team--teachers, teacher aides, trauma clinicians for the children and adolescents in the partial program, parents/caregivers, the facility's psychiatric nurse, the facility's medical director, and county program specialists--and a panel of expert practitioners toward the curriculum, and (c) any changes in the perspectives of the multi-disciplinary treatment team concerning the concept of trauma and its effects. To answer the research questions of this qualitative study, an …

Development, Research And Validation Of Environmental Speciation Methods; And Evaluation By Speciated Isotope Dilution Mass Spectrometry In Mercury And Chromium Speciation Analysis, G. M. Mizanur Rahman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The toxicity of an element depends upon its chemical forms, which also gives vital information for samples and their relevance. A sequential extraction method for mercury speciation in soil and sediments was established based on the mobility and toxicity of different mercury species and was proposed as a draft US EPA Method 3200. In order to finalize the method, an interlaboratory validation study was performed, and the final results verified the applicability of the method. Some of the widely used mercury speciation methods were evaluated during this study and the results were compared with those obtained from EPA draft Method …

The Effects Of The Manager's Behavior On The Retention Of High Potential Employees For Different Generations, Kimberlee Rhule

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the behavior of the manager that affects the retention of high potential individuals within an organization. Research suggests that the reason why employees leave organizations is their manager. A high potential is defined as an individual who exhibits the capabilities of developing into a future leader of the organization. The study also investigated high potentials' perception as to how effectively their expectations of those managerial behaviors are being met. Managerial behavior is defined as the manner or conduct displayed toward employees by the manager. High potential individuals who participated in the study …

An Examination Of Standardized Language, Mathematics, And Reading Achievement Testing Results When Compared For Middle School Aged Student Leaders And Non-Student Leaders, Susan Schaming

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The evolution of the middle school concept, according to Forte and Schurr (2003), with its own identity and its subsequent implementation, has proven to be an ideal or preferred model for educating students. Knowles and Brown (2000) assert the importance of middle level teachers' ability to nurture their students' academic, emotional, personal, and social development during the often "chaotic" years of transescence and early adolescence.

This study examined and explored sixty-four randomly selected seventh grade middle school students' earned scores on their annual standardized achievement testing, particularly the Terra Nova II Multiple Assessments subtests in the areas of Language, Mathematics, …

The Impact Of Utilizing High-Fidelity Computer Simulation On Critical Thinking Abilities And Learning Outcomes In Undergraduate Nursing Students, Lori Schumacher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Critical thinking abilities and learning outcomes are major components of nursing education. Initial critical thinking skills are often gained while the nursing student is learning the theoretical nursing principles in the classroom and is further enhanced in the clinical setting where learned knowledge is applied. A variety of instructional strategies are utilized to facilitate learning and promote critical thinking. Through the utilization of three complex and dynamic conceptual models, this study compared critical thinking abilities and learning outcomes of beginning baccalaureate undergraduate nursing students when three instructional strategies were used (classroom, simulation, and a combination of classroom and simulation).

A …

A Comparison Of The Behavioral Adjustment Of First-Grade Students That Attended A Full-Day Kindergarten Program And First-Grade Students That Attended A Half-Day Kindergarten Program, Denise Shaffer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated and compared the behavioral adjustment of first-grade students that participated in a full-day kindergarten program and first-grade students that participated in a half-day kindergarten program. The researcher also examined gender interactions between the two groups. The study was conducted in two elementary schools in western Pennsylvania. Participants in the study included 10 first-grade teachers. Participants completed a total of ninety-three behavioral questionnaires. Student's t-tests and analysis of variance were used to analyze the data. Results of the study showed no statistically significant difference in overall behavioral adjustment, impulsive acting out behaviors, passive-aggressive behaviors, impulsive overactive behaviors, repressed …

Case Study: Nicosia Master Plan; Cooperation In The Midst Of Conflict, Doga Akinci

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Nicosia Master Plan reflects the courageous vision of Lellos Demetriades and Mustafa Akinci- the former Mayors, respectively, of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities of Nicosia. While both leaders looked forward to a common solution to the political crisis they believed that no time should be lost in dealing with the immediate problems of a divided city. They worked on a common sewage system that was a pressing need at that time on both sides of Nicosia.

This thesis examined the process that was used to develop the Nicosia Master Plan. The success of this cooperation was due …

Addressing Scientific Literacy Through Content Area Reading And Proces, Susan Cooper

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to interpret the experiences of secondary science teachers in Florida as they address the scientific literacy of their students through teaching content reading strategies and student inquiry skills. Knowledge of the successful integration of content reading and inquiry skills by experienced classroom teachers would be useful to many educators as they plan instruction to achieve challenging state and national standards for reading as well as science. The problem was investigated using grounded theory methodology. Open-ended questions were asked in three focus groups and six individual interviews that included teachers from various Florida school districts. …

Coed Adolescent Soccer Players In A Competitive Learning Milieu: An Ethnographic Assessment Of Gender Attitudes, Perceptions And Sport Specific Component Testing, Francis O'Donnell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The history of association soccer dates back to the 1800's, and all indications are that prospects for the female athlete was scarce in all sports. The researcher has arranged an environment where young females can train with males in a soccer setting that has all the necessary elements for the athletes to learn, improve and compete with their own gender as well as opposite gender. The female group has been noticeable underachievers in this sport and is not aware of their potential. The research methodology is ethnographic in nature and study could easily be related to a traditional way to …

Determinants Of Financial Condition: A Study Of U.S. Cities, Lynda Dennis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

How well a local government is able to provide for the needs and preferences of its citizens generally depends on the financial resources available; and, how such resources are allocated, distributed, and managed. Demographics, size of local government, supply and age of infrastructure, financial position of the government, and the local economy represent a few of the factors affecting what public goods and services citizens prefer. Internal systems of accounting and control affect the allocation, distribution, and management of financial resources. As such, these internal systems significantly affect the provision of public goods and services. The research outlined in this …

Mediating Effects Of Selected Social Cognitive Theory Variables On Women's Exercise Behavior, Katherine Mowat

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Development Of Nanoparticle Treated Sensors And Bearing Diagnostics Using Fluctuation Based Processing / By Sai Narayan Sundar, Sai Narayan Sundar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Impact Of Movies Upon An Individual's Image Formation Concerning A Given Destination, Jeeyeon (Jeannie) Hahm

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The process of watching a movie is a common way to be entertained in this day and age. There are multiple ways in which people can enjoy a movie ranging from the big screen at a commercial theater, on their home's television, or even in a car while driving. One outcome associated with watching a destination movie might be that the viewer will be compelled to visit or not the location portrayed in the movie. It is a primary assumption of this thesis that movies have the ability to create or change an individual's image of a destination by its …

Rate Of Graduation Among Students With Histories Of Specific Language Impairment, Amy Jean Hadley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The rate of graduation among students with histories of specific language impairment (SLI) was investigating by comparing the target population to matched, nondisabled peers. Data regarding the graduation outcomes for 176 matched pairs of students, over a five-year period, were analyzed to determine if a significant difference in achievement of a high school diploma was observable between the two groups of students. In addition, the study addressed the variables of socioeconomic status and attendance rate as related to graduation rate. For students with histories of specific language impairment, model of service delivery was also examined with regard to graduation rate. …