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Identification And Functional Characterization Of Cataract-Specific Gene Expression Changes Reveals Important Pathways For Human Lens Maintenance, Aging And Disease, John R. Hawse Iv May 2004

Identification And Functional Characterization Of Cataract-Specific Gene Expression Changes Reveals Important Pathways For Human Lens Maintenance, Aging And Disease, John R. Hawse Iv

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Human age-related cataract, and opacity of the eye lens, is a multifactorial disease with a poorly understood etiology and is the leading cause of world blindness and low vision. It has been estimated that any therapy that could delay the onset of age-related cataract by ten years would halve the number of individuals requiring surgery in their lifetime. To accomplish such a feat, it is essential to understand the molecular mechanisms and biological pathways associated with this disease. Here, I describe the global gene expression profiles of human age-related cataracts compared to clear lenses, differentiate these changes from those that …

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Interaction Between Primary Alveolar Macrophages And Primary Alveolar Type Ii Cells Under Basal Conditions And After Lipopolysaccharide Or Quartz Exposure, Rania S. Kanj May 2004

Interaction Between Primary Alveolar Macrophages And Primary Alveolar Type Ii Cells Under Basal Conditions And After Lipopolysaccharide Or Quartz Exposure, Rania S. Kanj

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Evidence suggests that hyperproduction of reactive oxidants and inflammatory mediators plays a critical role in adverse pulmonary responses to silica or lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The main objective of this study was to contribute to advancing the understanding of the role of AM's and type II (TII) cells in the induction of pulmonary inflammation and injury in response to silica and LPS, and improve our understanding of the interaction between AM's and TII cells which would occur in vivo. To reach this objective, three aims were put forth. (1) Determine the relative responsiveness of primary rat AM's, primary rat TII cells and …

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Current Issues In Empirical Trade Estimation, Matthew Quinn Mcpherson May 2004

Current Issues In Empirical Trade Estimation, Matthew Quinn Mcpherson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The study of empirical trade estimation has been a staple in international economics literature since the early 1960s. I focus on three current topics in empirical trade estimation. In chapter 1, I use a time-series approach and in the context of the effect of exchange-rate volatility on trade, provide both theoretical and empirical explanations for positive volatility effects. My results show a clear pattern; when the effect of exchange-rate uncertainty on trade volume is positive [negative] for importers, the effect for exporters is negative [positive]. In addition, the U.K. provides evidence that trade balance is an important factor in determining …

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Correlates Of 9-Month-Old Infants' Night Awakening, Cheryl Wiedman May 2004

Correlates Of 9-Month-Old Infants' Night Awakening, Cheryl Wiedman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

There are individual differences in 9-month-old infants' night awakening behavior. Some infants are able to soothe themselves back to sleep however; others are unable to fall back asleep without parental intervention. Attending to a waking infant frequently during the night may cause problems for parents due to the effects of sleep deprivation. In particular, mothers of infants who are sleep deprived as a result of their infants' frequent night awakenings have been found to experience deficits in mood and perceptions of their infants. Given that there are individual differences in night awakening behavior the present study sought to determine: (1) …

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Media Concentration Of Ownership And Its Effects On Editorial Page Vigor Of West Virginia Daily Newspapers, Rita F. Counts Colistra May 2004

Media Concentration Of Ownership And Its Effects On Editorial Page Vigor Of West Virginia Daily Newspapers, Rita F. Counts Colistra

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examines the effects of media concentration of ownership on editorial page vigor of West Virginia daily newspapers that changed from independent to non-independent ownership from 1965 to present. A content analysis over two-time periods, a one-week constructed sample while under independent ownership and a one-week constructed sample after the newspaper changed to non-independent ownership, suggests that overall editorial page vigor does not change. However, data concerning editorial geographic focus and number of letters to the editor suggest an increase in vigor after moving to non-independent ownership. That is, the newspapers published more locally focused editorials and more letters …

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Software For Efficient File Elimination In Computer Forensics Investigations, Chad Werner Davis May 2004

Software For Efficient File Elimination In Computer Forensics Investigations, Chad Werner Davis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Computer forensics investigators, much more than with any other forensic discipline, must process an ever continuing increase of data. Fortunately, computer processing speed has kept pace and new processes are continuously being automated to sort through the voluminous amount of data. There exists an unfulfilled need for a simple, streamlined, standalone public tool for automating the computer forensics analysis process for files on a hard disk drive under investigation. A software tool has been developed to dramatically reduce the number of files that an investigator must individually examine. This tool utilizes the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) National …

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Software Architectural Risk Assessment, Ajith Reddy Guedem May 2004

Software Architectural Risk Assessment, Ajith Reddy Guedem

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Risk assessment is an essential part of the software development life cycle. Performing risk analysis early in the life cycle enhances resource allocation decisions, enables us to compare alternative software architectural designs and helps in identifying high-risk components in the system. As a result, remedial actions to control and optimize the process and improve the quality of the software product can be taken. In this thesis we investigate two types of risk---reliability-based and performance-based risk. The reliability-based risk assessment takes into account the probability of the failures and the severity of failures. For the reliability-based risk analysis we use UML …

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Comparison Of Partially Decoupled And Combined Methods Of Path Planning And Task Allocation, Jennifer Beth Hazelton May 2004

Comparison Of Partially Decoupled And Combined Methods Of Path Planning And Task Allocation, Jennifer Beth Hazelton

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Developing autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) reduces the risks to which soldiers are subjected by enabling the UAVs to make efficient decisions, regardless of the situation. This requires each group of UAVs to be proficient in planning their own paths and assigning tasks in a way that minimizes the total cost of the mission. Two methods are presented for doing this, the partially decoupled approach and the combined approach. After comparing two methods, the partially decoupled approach costs an average of 3.0 meters less than the combined approach, while taking an average of 0.327 seconds longer to complete. This indicates …

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Comparison Of Path-Planning And Search Methods For Cooperating Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Zachary Wilson Spritzer May 2004

Comparison Of Path-Planning And Search Methods For Cooperating Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Zachary Wilson Spritzer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The main goal of this research effort is develop a simulation environment for cooperating UAVs within MATLAB's SIMULINK. This is the first step in a process that will eventually lead to the implementation of model UAVs on a model battlefield. The interest in cooperation of UAVs over the past decade has grown significantly. This is due to several reasons including lower operational cost, lower risk for humans, and greater maneuverability.;This research explores two scenarios. The first is a scenario in which all of the characteristics of a battlefield are known prior to the UAVs being launched. Three prevalent path-planning methods …

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Forensic Information Management System, Arunshankar Srinivasan May 2004

Forensic Information Management System, Arunshankar Srinivasan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The primary objectives of this project were to reduce the paper work, increase data reliability and reduce process turnaround time at the West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory (WVSPFL) Charleston, WV. The objective was achieved by reengineering and automating various processes in the seven units of the laboratory. A software tool called Forensic Information Management System (FIMS) was developed. FIMS was implemented in Visual Studio.Net; MS-SQL server was used as the database. The FIMS can be accessed via the internet/intranet, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), or a stand-alone desktop computer. The key benefits of FIMS are its ability to integrate information …

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Perspectives On The Leadership Styles Of West Virginia University Extension Service County Program Coordinators, Elaine Bowen May 2004

Perspectives On The Leadership Styles Of West Virginia University Extension Service County Program Coordinators, Elaine Bowen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research study examined the leadership styles of West Virginia University Extension Service County Program Coordinators from two perspectives. A sample of coordinators (n = 33) completed Bolman and Deal's Leadership Orientations (Self) Survey and Extension Service Committee members (n = 152) completed a Leadership Orientations (Other ) Survey. Descriptive procedures, Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficients, and qualitative techniques were used to analyze the data.;Survey scores for the structural, human resource, political, and symbolic leadership frames were categorized into four leadership styles. Findings revealed the majority of coordinators (39%) reported none of the four leadership frames were used frequently. The single …

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Preservice General Education Teachers' Perceptions Of Special Education Training Needs, Kalie Renee Kossar May 2004

Preservice General Education Teachers' Perceptions Of Special Education Training Needs, Kalie Renee Kossar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study focused on the Five-Year-Teacher Education Program at West Virginia University. Specifically, preservice general education students were asked to complete a questionnaire titled Preservice Teacher Perception Questionnaire at three different times while completing the program. The PTPQ was administered after 80 hours in the field (N = 81), after 224 hours in the field (N = 66), and at the end of the program after completing 600 hours in the field (N = 71). The focus of the questionnaire was to gather data both about the preservice general education students' perceptions of students with disabilities and their perceptions of …

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Assessing The Factors Affecting West Virginia Prek--12 Teachers' Use And Non-Use Of Lesson Plans Published On The Internet, Kammi Kai Hefner May 2004

Assessing The Factors Affecting West Virginia Prek--12 Teachers' Use And Non-Use Of Lesson Plans Published On The Internet, Kammi Kai Hefner

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

During the past 10 years, West Virginia PreK--12 schools have received nearly {dollar}14 million to provide teachers with technology-enhanced solutions in meeting the demands of Internet enculturated students. Specifically, these monies were dedicated to educating West Virginia PreK--12 teachers about technology. In some way during that training, these teachers were exposed to the knowledge that lesson plans exist on the Internet.;The first purpose of this study (1) was to build a demographic profile for (a) teachers who were unaware that lesson plans are available on the Internet, (b) teachers who were aware that lesson plans exist on the Internet but …

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Assessment Of The Learning Styles Of Students At The Eastern Caribbean Institute Of Agriculture And Forestry, Centeno, Trinidad And Tobago And Identification Of Teaching Methods Used By Instructors, Cynthia Marie Burskey May 2004

Assessment Of The Learning Styles Of Students At The Eastern Caribbean Institute Of Agriculture And Forestry, Centeno, Trinidad And Tobago And Identification Of Teaching Methods Used By Instructors, Cynthia Marie Burskey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

An issue in higher education is to create a learning environment that is both positive and effective. With teaching methods that take into account all the learning styles within the classroom, a teacher can make the atmosphere of the classroom more conducive to learning. This study sought to determine if the teachers at the Eastern Caribbean Institute of Agriculture and Forestry, Centeno, Trinidad and Tobago (ECIAF) were using instructional methods that facilitated learning in their students. A two-phase study was utilized. Phase I used a descriptive survey to determine the learning styles of 36 first-year students at ECIAF. Phase II …

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Types Of Hardware And Software In Use And Problems Associated With Their Use In Secondary Agricultural Education Programs In West Virginia, David T. Aberegg May 2004

Types Of Hardware And Software In Use And Problems Associated With Their Use In Secondary Agricultural Education Programs In West Virginia, David T. Aberegg

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Microcomputers have become a vital tool in business, industry, and education. The level and the amount of education that students in West Virginia receive in secondary agricultural classes on microcomputers can affect their ability to compete for jobs and in college curriculums. For agriculture programs to produce quality graduates ready to meet the demands of today's work place, they must have up-to-date microcomputing hardware and software. This study examined the accessibility to computers by teachers of agriculture education in West Virginia. A survey was sent to 74 agriculture education departments in West Virginia. The results showed that most departments are …

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Employment Opportunities And Skills Necessary For Entry-Level Employment In The Timber Industry, Robert E. Driscole May 2004

Employment Opportunities And Skills Necessary For Entry-Level Employment In The Timber Industry, Robert E. Driscole

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to determine the skills and knowledge needed by entry-level employees in the timber harvesting industry as viewed by the Owner/Operators in the four county area of northern West Virginia. The population consisted of 163 owner/operators in Monongalia, Marion, Taylor and Preston counties. A descriptive survey approach was utilized to explore the training need for persons wishing to enter the timber harvesting industry. The most significant finding was that the owner/operators viewed good work ethics as the most important trait for entry-level employees in the timber industry.

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Knowledge And Dissemination Of Sustainable Agriculture Practices By County Extension Agents In Ohio, Pennsylvania, And West Virginia, Erin M. Hersman May 2004

Knowledge And Dissemination Of Sustainable Agriculture Practices By County Extension Agents In Ohio, Pennsylvania, And West Virginia, Erin M. Hersman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to determine the level of knowledge and preparation that Extension educators possess concerning the numerous dimensions of sustainable agriculture. From this information, a relationship between the amount of education that Extension educators receive about sustainable agriculture and the amount of information that Extension educators offer to their clientele about this topic was determined. Part-time agriculturalists were perceived to attend workshops/meetings based on sustainable agriculture practices, use more fact sheets or publications on the concepts of sustainable agriculture, and, in turn, apply more concepts of sustainable agriculture. Full-time agriculturalists were attending the workshops and/or meetings …

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Using The Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale As A Tool For Classroom Improvement, Brittany K. Lucci May 2004

Using The Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale As A Tool For Classroom Improvement, Brittany K. Lucci

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study's intent was to examine the use of the ECERS as a training tool for classroom improvement. Quality ratings for classrooms were measured using the two ECERS observations with a training session in between. The participants of this study were 15 Educare classrooms from a northern county in West Virginia.;An alpha level of .05 was used in all statistical analysis. The results of the one-tailed paired-sampled t-test of the ECERS displayed two significant findings. A second analysis resulted in additional significant findings, after removing a center from the study.;This was an important study for child care centers and directors. …

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Pic 18f452 Implementation Of Digital Filters, Vikram A. Bose-Mullick May 2004

Pic 18f452 Implementation Of Digital Filters, Vikram A. Bose-Mullick

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research hopes to explore the computational limits of the PIC18f452 chip by encompassing the designing and implementation of two types of filters for the PIC 18F452 microcontroller. The main purpose of this research is to implement a floating-point least mean square (LMS) error adaptive filter and its secondary goal is a fixed-point implementation of finite impulse response (FIR) filter. FIR filters are specified via a graphical user interface (GUI) and upon demand, optimized C-language code is generated for the popular CCS PIC C-Compiler. In is the intent of this research to learn whether FIR filters can be made computationally …

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Breaking Boundaries, Juan Giraldo May 2004

Breaking Boundaries, Juan Giraldo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Graphic design communication is in constant change. Everyday new technologies emerge and evolve, affecting the way we communicate and deliver messages. For this reason, graphic designers should be able to understand the basic principles of design and effectively apply them to any media. It is my intention with this thesis to analyze the way I work in the design process, my influences, and also, why I make specific decisions based on different media. To illustrate these concepts I will discuss the body of work presented in my thesis exhibition: Breaking Boundaries.

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Decentralized Control For Uav Path Planning And Task Allocation, Matthew C. Lechliter May 2004

Decentralized Control For Uav Path Planning And Task Allocation, Matthew C. Lechliter

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The effort of this research is to move toward enabling Unmanned Air Vehicles to fly in autonomous formations with intelligent mission planning capabilities. In particular, UAVs will be able to autonomously perform path planning and task allocation. During missions, the UAVs must be able to avoid threats and no-fly zones while still reaching their target optimally in time.;A path planning and task allocation approach was first developed that treats the problem as a Multi-dimensional, Multiple-Choice Knapsack Problem. Paths are selected and task assigned while minimizing the UAV team's overall mission cost. Next, a SIMULINK-based centralized simulation environment was created. This …

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Portable Implementation Of Computer Aided Design Environment For Composite Structures, Santosh Kumar Pagadala E. May 2004

Portable Implementation Of Computer Aided Design Environment For Composite Structures, Santosh Kumar Pagadala E.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Composite materials are widely used due to their low weight, long durability and the ability to tailor their properties to specific design requirements. Their wide range of applications requires a solid understanding of their behavior under different load conditions. The calculations needed for efficient and accurate design of composites could be exhaustive and time consuming. Therefore an efficient computer program which would facilitate effective design becomes a key factor to supporting commercial use of composite materials.;A portable software tool was developed in Java programming environment for design analysis of composite materials. This software tool is superior to its predecessor, the …

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Repeatability Of On-Road Routes And A Comparison Of On-Road Routes To The Federal Test Procedure, J. Axel Radermacher May 2004

Repeatability Of On-Road Routes And A Comparison Of On-Road Routes To The Federal Test Procedure, J. Axel Radermacher

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

West Virginia University has developed a Mobile Emissions Measurement System that recorded vehicle, engine, and exhaust behavior during in-use testing. This system obtained data from numerous vehicles over specified on-road routes. A study was conducted on on-road route repeatability. A methodology for finding repeatability had to be established, and factors influencing repeatability were identified. It was found that routes and drivers significantly influenced repeatability, and that further study of a larger sample group needs to be conducted before specific conclusions could be drawn about the influences of the vehicle on repeatability.;A further study was conducted on how well the on-road …

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Evaluation Of The Separation Involved In Recycling End-Of-Life (Eol) Electronic Equipment, Vivek Vasudevan May 2004

Evaluation Of The Separation Involved In Recycling End-Of-Life (Eol) Electronic Equipment, Vivek Vasudevan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research work focuses on a froth flotation technique to separate two specific EOL plastics, namely High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS) and Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene copolymer (ABS).;The objective of this research was to investigate composition of keyboards and casings of personal computers, and other EOL components, as representative of post-consumer EOL equipment. The plastics were then characterized in terms of their density, qualitative composition and inorganic content.;The frother investigated in the froth flotation study was methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC), while oleic acid and dodecylamine hydrochloride were investigated as representative surfactants from the anionic and cationic groups, respectively. HIPS and ABS were …

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Attitudes Of Extension Agents And Program Assistants In West Virginia Towards Involvement Of Special Needs Populations In 4-H Programs, Christina L. Reed May 2004

Attitudes Of Extension Agents And Program Assistants In West Virginia Towards Involvement Of Special Needs Populations In 4-H Programs, Christina L. Reed

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to determine the attitudes of Extension professionals with 4-H program responsibilities in West Virginia toward the involvement of special needs youth in 4-H programs. The study also sought to determine if Extension professionals felt they had sufficient training to work with special needs youth or if additional training was needed. A majority of the respondents (91.0%) agreed that involvement of special needs youth in 4-H programs would foster understanding and self-esteem for all participants. Special needs youth were involved in 66.7% of the programs. A majority of the Extension professionals (80.7%) thought training should …

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Depositional Environments Comprising The Birch River Section (Middle Pennsylvanian), Powell Mountain, Nicholas County, West Virginia, Jeffrey R. Rutland May 2004

Depositional Environments Comprising The Birch River Section (Middle Pennsylvanian), Powell Mountain, Nicholas County, West Virginia, Jeffrey R. Rutland

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A field analysis of Middle Pennsylvanian strata (Kanawhat Formation and Allegheny Formation) in central West Virginia was performed to test two depositional models, coastal plain and fluvial-deltaic. Sedimentary descriptions form the basis for two levels of interpretations, where the first goal is to interpret the depositional settings of individual architectural elements within the section. The second task was to place the compiled interpretations into the previously established regional stratigraphic framework. At Birch River, the Kanawha Formation is composed of both estuarine and alluvial facies. The estuarine facies include, estuary margin, estuarine channels, and estuarine lagoon. Alluvial facies make up the …

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Assessment Of Tractor And All-Terrain Vehicle Safety Programs Available To Youth In West Virginia, Renee D. Chambers May 2004

Assessment Of Tractor And All-Terrain Vehicle Safety Programs Available To Youth In West Virginia, Renee D. Chambers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to identify the number and types of tractor and ATV safety programs available to youth in West Virginia through the Extension Service and secondary agricultural education programs. The target population of this study included county Extension agents and secondary agricultural educators in West Virginia employed during the winter of 2003--2004. A descriptive research design was utilized in this study. Thirty-five percent of Extension agents and 64.5% of agricultural educators provided tractor safety educational activities to youth. One-third of Extension agents and one-fifth of agricultural educators offered ATV safety educational activities. Age groups targeted the …

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Multicultural Competence And Levels Of Effectiveness In Adventure -Based Counseling, David M. Cummins May 2004

Multicultural Competence And Levels Of Effectiveness In Adventure -Based Counseling, David M. Cummins

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The current study explored the relationship between adventure based counselor multicultural competency and their levels of effectiveness as perceived by youth at risk. The sample consisted of 22 counselors (19 White and 3 ethnic minority) who competed the Multicultural Knowledge and Awareness Scale and 86 youth at risk participants (52 White and 34 ethnic minority) who completed the Counselor Effectiveness Rating Scale. Analysis of the data suggests a very small negative relationship between multicultural competence of adventure based counselors and their levels of effectiveness as rated by the ethnic minority and White youth at risk participants. Limitations of the study …

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Establishing Control Of Stereotypy By An Antecedent Stimulus Using Punishment, Shannon S. Haag May 2004

Establishing Control Of Stereotypy By An Antecedent Stimulus Using Punishment, Shannon S. Haag

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Few studies have demonstrated conclusively that the use of punishment in the presence of an antecedent stimulus can bring responding under control of that stimulus. The purpose of this study was to determine stereotypy could be controlled by antecedent stimuli due to a differential history of punishment, and, if so, whether participants would then request the stimulus correlated with nonpunishment. Three adults with mental retardation participated. In Experiment 1, analog functional analyses were conducted to develop hypotheses about the effects of environmental variables on participants' repetitive behaviors. Results of Experiment 1 suggested that the responding of all participants likely was …

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Understanding The Relationship Between Self-Esteem And Current Grade Point Average Of College Undergraduates, Jennifer L. Wiles May 2004

Understanding The Relationship Between Self-Esteem And Current Grade Point Average Of College Undergraduates, Jennifer L. Wiles

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The author investigated the relationship between undergraduates' self-esteem (current and retrospective) and their current grade point average. Specifically, the author investigated the relationship between students' self-esteem (fifth grade, eleventh grade, and undergraduate) and their current undergraduate grade point average. A sample of 95 college students from West Virginia University completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. The author assessed the relationship by performing six correlations and three reliability estimates for each self-esteem survey. The results showed a strong correlation between fifth grade self-esteem and current grade point average, but there was no significant correlation at the eleventh grade and undergraduate level. Also, …

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