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Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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Assessing Computer -Mediated Communication Discourse Of A Traumatic Brain Injury Survivor, Cheryl L. Fickey Prichard Dec 2000

Assessing Computer -Mediated Communication Discourse Of A Traumatic Brain Injury Survivor, Cheryl L. Fickey Prichard

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Speech-language pathologists and audiologists have begun using computer technology for information storage and retrieval and as one means of providing clinical services to communication-disordered patients. The purpose of this study is to develop a protocol to assess the written communication of brain-injured clients whose communication therapy milieu includes interactions with the world outside the treatment room through computer-mediated communication (CMC).;A panel of experts reviewed a series of discourse analysis procedures and rated their perceptions of validity, reliability, and ease-of use for the procedures as means of evaluating CMC discourse. The Computer-Mediated Communication Evaluation Protocol (CMC-EP) was developed based on the …

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Determining Organic Vapor Cartridge Breakthrough Characteristics Of Jp-8 During Aircraft Fuel Tank Entry Operations, Kevin W. Culp Aug 2000

Determining Organic Vapor Cartridge Breakthrough Characteristics Of Jp-8 During Aircraft Fuel Tank Entry Operations, Kevin W. Culp

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study assessed the service life of organic vapor cartridges exposed to jet Propulsion Type 8 fuel vapor. Two experiments were conducted that involved exposing 45 cartridges to three challenge concentrations (300, 600, and 1200 parts per million) of fuel vapor and two relative humidity levels (50 and 80 percent). The impact on service life of (1) high relative humidity conditions and (2) prior static exposure to fuel vapor were evaluated.;This study concluded that the 80 percent relative humidity test condition had a statistically significant effect on breakthrough time versus the 50 percent relative humidity condition, reducing service life by …

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Evaluating Diagnostic And Treatment Modalities In The Management Of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia In The Veterans Administration Population, Ancilla William Fernandes Aug 2000

Evaluating Diagnostic And Treatment Modalities In The Management Of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia In The Veterans Administration Population, Ancilla William Fernandes

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a common prostatic condition among aging males significantly affects quality of life. Though clinical practice guidelines for BPH management have been established, little research has been done to determine adherence to such guidelines. To assess adherence to such guidelines, this study evaluated diagnostic and treatment modalities in BPH management in the VA population (a population with a high percentage of elderly males). A survey, containing simulated BPH patient cases, was mailed to 292 VA urologists, of which 114 (39%) responded. Urologists showed good adherence to the recommended diagnostic tests but preferences varied for the optional tests …

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Philosophies Of Adult Education As Practiced By Agricultural Education Teachers In Pennsylvania, West Virginia, And Virginia, Crystal R. Buckingham Aug 2000

Philosophies Of Adult Education As Practiced By Agricultural Education Teachers In Pennsylvania, West Virginia, And Virginia, Crystal R. Buckingham

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to increase understanding of adult education philosophies as practiced by Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Virginia secondary school agriculture teachers.;A Philosophy of Adult Education Inventory (PAEI) and researcher-created demographic sheet was sent to a sample of agriculture teachers in the tri-state area (n = 314). Descriptive data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences for Windows (SPSS). Frequencies, means, and correlational and multivariate analyses were used to describe and analyze the research results.;It was shown that there is a slight relationship between adult education preparation and the five philosophies. The Humanist philosophy is …

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Evaluation Of The Use Of Remotely Sensed Images To Speciate Mixed Appalachian Forests, Doru Ioan Pacurari Aug 2000

Evaluation Of The Use Of Remotely Sensed Images To Speciate Mixed Appalachian Forests, Doru Ioan Pacurari

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Advancements in technology have led to development of various new sensors and platforms. Among them, the airborne digital camera has potential for use in detailed forest vegetation management, and they offer a number of advantages over conventional aerial photographs. The aim of the study was to determine the ability to speciate mixed Appalachian hardwood forests using the Airborne Data Acquisition and Registration (ADAR) System 1000, and to determine the optimal spatial resolution and the optimal scale of the acquired images. Digital images of a 200-ha area in west central West Virginia were acquired for the study.;The first objective of the …

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Relationship Between Cutting Parameters And Bit Geometry In Rotary Cutting, Srikanth Addala Aug 2000

Relationship Between Cutting Parameters And Bit Geometry In Rotary Cutting, Srikanth Addala

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The main objective of this research was to investigate the relationship between cutting parameters (cutting force, penetration force, specific energy, specific respirable dust) and the bit geometry parameters (angle of the bit tip, bit tip size and shape of the bit) in order to reduce the amount of specific respirable dust generated and the specific energy consumed in rotary cutting. In the cutting process when two grooves are made in the rock at certain spacing, a land/ridge is formed between the two adjacent grooves. If that land/ridge can be removed in a cutting cycle, then a clean surface will be …

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Examining Yard Sales In Fayetteville, A Rural West Virginia Town, Kimberly Dawn Wood Aug 2000

Examining Yard Sales In Fayetteville, A Rural West Virginia Town, Kimberly Dawn Wood

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The informal economy has been a widely studied topic as the economy has changed with a shift from primary to secondary industries. The informal economy is a particular topic of interest in West Virginia, a state with a depressed economy where many citizens participate in informal activities to supplement their income. Yard sales are an understudied informal activity, and one the researcher saw occurring often in rural Fayetteville, West Virginia. A study utilizing in-depth interviews was completed and sought to answer who participated in yard sales, how extensively they participated, and why. It was found that reasons for participation were …

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Child Support Enforcement In West Virginia, Amy Ellen Hendershott Aug 2000

Child Support Enforcement In West Virginia, Amy Ellen Hendershott

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The intent of this research is an exploratory examination of trends in child support enforcement before and after the implementation of The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) and to determine whether West Virginia is keeping up with the national average of child support enforcement. Using a time-trend analysis, this study examined five variables that constitute child support enforcement: total money distributed; paternities established; support orders established; absent parents located; and total caseload. This research found that the PRWORA of 1996 significantly improved paternities established and absent parents located in the state of West Virginia. All …

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Assessing West Virginia Nipf Owner Characteristics And Preferred Assistance Topics, Daniel Joseph Magill Aug 2000

Assessing West Virginia Nipf Owner Characteristics And Preferred Assistance Topics, Daniel Joseph Magill

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Four hundred and fifty-one Non-Industrial-Private-Forest (NIPF) owners (49% response rate) in West Virginia responded to a survey of their forestry assistance needs. Most of the socioeconomic characteristics of the respondents, their reasons for owning the property, the types of activities they were engaged in on the property and the agencies that provided assistance by themselves significantly (Chi2 & ANOVA) differentiated those interested and not interested in obtaining assistance. However, when all 39 factors were considered together (Logistic Regression) only a small number of these factors were needed to explain the difference between landowners wanting and not wanting a specific assistance …

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Effects Of Acetaminophen On Estrogen-Responsive Alkaline Phosphatase In Ishikawa Endometrial Cancer Cells, Janet A. Dowdy Aug 2000

Effects Of Acetaminophen On Estrogen-Responsive Alkaline Phosphatase In Ishikawa Endometrial Cancer Cells, Janet A. Dowdy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examines the effect of acetaminophen (APAP) on the estrogen-responsive gene alkaline phosphatase in Ishikawa endometrial cancer cells. Basal levels of alkaline phosphatase activity were significantly inhibited in cells treated with 0.03, 0.1, 0.3 and 1mM APAP compared to control. Alkaline phosphatase activity induced with 1nM estradiol was significantly inhibited in a concentration dependent manner by 0.0.1, 0.3 and 1mM APAP. APAP did not directly inhibit the activity of alkaline phosphatase at any of the concentrations tested. Increasing estradiol concentrations (0.01, 0.1 and 1nM) did not alter the level of inhibition of alkaline phosphatase activity by 0.1, 0.3 or …

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Adapting Parent -Child Interaction Therapy To Train Head Start Teachers In Behavior Management, Alisa B. Bahl Aug 2000

Adapting Parent -Child Interaction Therapy To Train Head Start Teachers In Behavior Management, Alisa B. Bahl

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Efforts toward greater inclusion of children with a range of presenting problems have resulted in increasingly more children with difficult behavior in non-specialized classrooms. Unfortunately, teachers report that they have not been trained adequately to work with children who exhibit extreme behaviors. It is important, therefore, that effective methods of training teachers are empirically investigated. In clinical settings, strategies for training parents of young children with disruptive behavior disorders have substantial empirical support. Therefore, using these techniques to train teachers is a logical step. Parent-Child Interaction Therapy is one empirically validated parent training approach that uses coaching as a means …

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Reliability-Based Method For Stability Of Mine Entry Design And Evaluation, Zhouming (Victor) Sun Aug 2000

Reliability-Based Method For Stability Of Mine Entry Design And Evaluation, Zhouming (Victor) Sun

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Variability in the physical properties of coal/rock is a major source of uncertainty encountered around mining environment. It causes a considerable variation in strength/stress estimations of mining structures when the coal/rock properties are used. Therefore, the conventional safety factor method on stability assessment of mining structures is a special case of the more general probabilistic method in that it assumes the variability of coal/rock properties is zero. Although the use of probability and statistical methods in the analysis and design of geotechnical structures has grown rapidly in recent years, its application to mining structure design has been slow due to …

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Mechanical Property Characterization Of Recycled Thermoplastics, Johnny Edward Bargo Aug 2000

Mechanical Property Characterization Of Recycled Thermoplastics, Johnny Edward Bargo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Reuse of engineering thermoplastics retrieved from discarded computers, monitors and printers called as electronic shredder residue is described in the following thesis. Virgin, blend of virgin and recycled, and 100% recycled polymers such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polycarbonate (PC) are characterized for mechanical properties as part of this research. This research consists of characterization of mechanical properties such as tension, bending, compression, impact, hardness, and creep of ABS and PC plastics.;Long-term mechanical property retention and environmental durability are very important for infrastructure and automotive applications. The resins alone do not have the strength or stiffness to meet the …

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Media Use And Perceptions Of Binge Drinking, Jason L. Price May 2000

Media Use And Perceptions Of Binge Drinking, Jason L. Price

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Examines media use by college students and their perceptions of campus alcohol use; literature review of binge drinking rates and studies, media use studies, and perceptions of alcohol use studies; overview of research methods and findings; analysis of data obtained through questionnaires distributed to undergraduates; conclusions.

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Inventory And Prediction Of Heavy-Duty Diesel Vehicle Emissions, Justin Michael Kern May 2000

Inventory And Prediction Of Heavy-Duty Diesel Vehicle Emissions, Justin Michael Kern

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A vehicle emissions inventory is an account of emissions produced by all vehicles in an area. Many different factors can affect the emissions and the measurement of the emissions that are used to create an emissions inventory. These factors for heavy-duty diesel vehicles have been addressed and their relative affect on emissions was evaluated from test data and analytical analyses. These elements can affect the emissions by a factor of 15 depending on testing conditions.;One purpose that an emissions database serves is to provide a source for predicting future emissions for a specific vehicle or many vehicles in a general …

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Evaluation Of The International 4-H Youth Exchange (Ifye) Program, Mary Elizabeth Williams May 2000

Evaluation Of The International 4-H Youth Exchange (Ifye) Program, Mary Elizabeth Williams

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which the International 4-H Program achieved its objectives regarding positive cross-cultural attitudes, life leadership skills, and host culture knowledge through the six-month International 4-H Youth Exchange (IFYE) Program. The population consisted of the twenty-one 1999 IFYE six-month representatives. A descriptive census survey was used to collect the data for the study. Each participant completed pre- and post-exchange evaluations while attending the program orientation and debriefing at the National 4-H Center. The major finding of this study was the representative's significant gain in host culture knowledge. The IFYE representatives' positive …

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Prenatal Care Utilization And Its Effect On Pregnancy Outcome In West Virginia, Cortney Robyn Usakewicz May 2000

Prenatal Care Utilization And Its Effect On Pregnancy Outcome In West Virginia, Cortney Robyn Usakewicz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of prenatal care utilization and maternal dietary intake on pregnancy outcome among West Virginia WIC participants. The sample size (102--155) used in this study varied, due to the number of subjects that provided complete information for specific variables. Data were obtained from survey questionnaires, participants' medical records and food frequency questionnaires. Data were analyzed by Statistica using Pearson's and Spearman's correlation.;Results of this study showed that women who experienced transportation problems or had problems with the father of the baby delayed initiation of prenatal care. In turn, these problems negatively …

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Substrate Cleaning Using A Remote Hydrogen Rf-Plasma, Srinivasan Prasanna May 2000

Substrate Cleaning Using A Remote Hydrogen Rf-Plasma, Srinivasan Prasanna

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The substrates (wafers) used in semiconductor processing have a surface oxide layer (the so-called native oxide layer) and a hydrocarbon contamination layer that must be removed before growing an epitaxial film of good quality. In this work, low temperature remote rf-hydrogen plasma cleaning of II-VI and silicon semiconductor surfaces was investigated as a preparation for subsequent deposition in molecular beam and gas source molecular beam epitaxy environments. The plasma was characterized using mass spectrometric methods to determine the identity and relative fluxes of ionic and neutral species and to determine the kinetic energies of the ionic species. Etching studies were …

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Timing Of Alveolar Cleft Bone Grafting In Maxillary Alveolar Cleft Defects, Richard Morrow Crout May 2000

Timing Of Alveolar Cleft Bone Grafting In Maxillary Alveolar Cleft Defects, Richard Morrow Crout

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Numerous methods have been attempted to identify the best time for secondary alveolar cleft bone grafting, including chronological age, skeletal age, and dental age. However, few studies have employed objective methods of assessment that would permit statistical analysis. Fifty-nine patients with clefts of the alveolus who acquired secondary alveolar cleft grafts at the Lancaster Cleft Lip and Palate Clinic were studied. A total of 74 affected areas from 15 bilateral and 44 unilateral alveolar cleft patients were available. Timing of the graft was determined utilizing root development of the involved canine, as compared to crown length, from a high quality …

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Web-Based Workflow In Secure Collaborative Telemedicine, Vijayanand Ranganath Bharadwaj May 2000

Web-Based Workflow In Secure Collaborative Telemedicine, Vijayanand Ranganath Bharadwaj

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Workflow involves the automation of a business process in whole or part with movement of information and tasks between parties according to a set of rules. The ubiquitous nature of the Internet and WWW prompts us to investigate how these entities can be fully exploited to improve the efficiency of any workflow process in a reliable, secure fashion.;This research effort alms to investigate the utility of the internet and specifically the WWW in providing a substrate for complex workflow and to demonstrate that workflow with a high degree of automation and ability to interface with disparate data sources can be …

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Smart Card-Enabled Security Services To Support Secure Telemedicine Applications, Monoreet Mutsuddi May 2000

Smart Card-Enabled Security Services To Support Secure Telemedicine Applications, Monoreet Mutsuddi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Internet is quickly evolving into a standard and widely used mode of information transfer. Therefore internet's information transfer capabilities could be exploited by Secure Telemedicine Applications to securely transfer medical information. However the current day internet protocol stack does not provide much in terms of security for the data being transferred across it. In this thesis we explore how Cryptography along with Smart Cards can be used to implement application layer protocols, to enhance the security of data flowing across the internet in a Secure Telemedicine environment. This thesis also discusses the design and implementation of various system software …

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Youth Leadership Life Skills Development Of Participants In The West Virginia 4-H Camping Program, Rebecca Diane Duncan May 2000

Youth Leadership Life Skills Development Of Participants In The West Virginia 4-H Camping Program, Rebecca Diane Duncan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Although the development of leadership skills through the 4-H camping program is highly valued, measurement of leadership skill development of West Virginia 4-H camping program participants has been lacking. Thirteen to fifteen year old 4-H members were targeted in this study in order to gather data about leadership development among this age group.;Significant relationships were found between the total YLLSDS score and years of participation in county camp and receiving the Spirit of Camp Award. Participants also reported higher leadership scores if they had served as a Chief or Sagamore of their 4-H tribe, if they were female, and if …

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Heavy Metal Redistribution In Soils Using Compost As A Soil Amendment, Jason Thomas Morrison May 2000

Heavy Metal Redistribution In Soils Using Compost As A Soil Amendment, Jason Thomas Morrison

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Organic soil amendments such as compost can reduce the availability of heavy metal contaminated soil. The objectives of this study were (1) to evaluate the efficiency of compost as an soil amendment within heavy metal contaminated soil; (2) to determine the hypoaccumulation of heavy metals in the stem, shoot, and root systems of white clover and wheat; (3) to identify movement of heavy metals within the soil; (4) to evaluate the differences of nodule formation in Trifolim repens. Three volumes of compost were added to a heavy metal contaminated soil (additions of zero, 10, and 40 percent compost, by volume). …

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Pregnancy Intendedness Among A Low Income Population, Amy Nicole Thomas May 2000

Pregnancy Intendedness Among A Low Income Population, Amy Nicole Thomas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction. In the United States, approximately 3.1 million births per year are classified as unintended. Specific aims. This study will examine the association between pregnancy intendedness and support characteristics, key demographic factors and psychological factors in a low income population. Methods. Three interviews were conducted as part of the intensive evaluation. Questions focused on demographics, prenatal health behaviors and psychosocial factors. Results. Unintended pregnancy resulting in birth was most commonly found among non-White, poorly educated and those living in poverty. The support of the family or friends was not found to be significant when comparing it to the intendedness of …

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Parental Influences On High School Student Achievement And Goals, Richard K. York May 2000

Parental Influences On High School Student Achievement And Goals, Richard K. York

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The present study examined parental influences on educational and career goals of high school students. Data on educational and career goals from the Perceived Life Chances Interview were derived from 124 rural adolescents. One hundred of their mothers and 36 of their fathers completed the Inventory of Parental Influence which consists of five subscales of Parental Involvement/Help, Psychological Support, Parental Pressure, Pressure for Intellectual Development, and Time Management/Monitoring. Responses from the Perceived Life Chances Interview were qualitatively analyzed in order to derive categories that reflected the varying responses from participants. These categories served as dependent variables in a series of …

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Foodborne Pathogens In Poultry Production And Post-Harvest Control, Rajesh R. Nayak May 2000

Foodborne Pathogens In Poultry Production And Post-Harvest Control, Rajesh R. Nayak

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A comprehensive ecological survey was conducted from April 1997 to June 1999 on four turkey flocks (F5-F8) to identify the preharvest sources of Salmonella colonization. Generic E. coli and total coliforms were enumerated as indicators of fecal contamination in F7 and F8. Turkey cecal and crop contents, litter, drinkers, air, feed, feeder contents, and environmental swabs were sampled and tested for Salmonella and E. coli. Salmonella was isolated from 13% of litter, 11% of turkey ceca, 10% of drinkers, and 5% of swabs. Escherichia coli and total coliforms were detected in 45 and 53% of samples, respectively. Salmonella heidelberg was …

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Parent And Sibling Relationship Influences On Late Adolescent Social Anxiety And Other Adjustment Outcomes, Catherine Joan Massey May 2000

Parent And Sibling Relationship Influences On Late Adolescent Social Anxiety And Other Adjustment Outcomes, Catherine Joan Massey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The primary objective of the present study was to examine associations among several family relationships and adolescent social anxiety utilizing a family systems perspective. The second objective was to investigate specific family relationships and their association with adolescent adjustment outcomes such as depression, general anxiety, global self-worth, and social acceptance self-worth. Social anxiety levels of only children and children with siblings also were compared. Five-hundred and fifteen (337 females, 178 males) participants in late adolescence completed a questionnaire packet according to whether or not they had siblings. The questionnaire packets contained all or most of the following measures depending on …

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Il -10 Gene Therapy For The Treatment Of Pulmonary Inflammation, Sujatha Dokka May 2000

Il -10 Gene Therapy For The Treatment Of Pulmonary Inflammation, Sujatha Dokka

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is an anti-inflammatory cytokine that plays an important regulatory role in inflammatory diseases. The overall goal of this research is to investigate the potential therapeutic effect of IL-10 gene therapy for the treatment of pulmonary inflammation and to develop appropriate gene delivery and expression systems for efficient gene transfer to the lung. We evaluated various liposomal and non-liposomal agents including LipofectAMINE RTM, LipofectinRTM, DOTAP, DEAE-dextran, and the DNA condensing agent protamine sulfate for their ability to promote gene transfection in macrophages. We have developed an efficient transfection protocol which is at least 20--25 fold superior to frequently used …

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Factors Found When Integrating Computer Technology In A Small Rural School District, Edward Dale Jeffreys May 2000

Factors Found When Integrating Computer Technology In A Small Rural School District, Edward Dale Jeffreys

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this research study was to provide school board members, school administrators, and teachers with information required in developing a successful plan for the integration of computer technology into the classroom curriculum. The stated problem of this research was to identify and analyze the factors that inhibit and enhance the implementation of computer technology into the classrooms of a small rural school district.;A review of the literature was conducted in the following areas: (a) the use of computer technology in K--12 rural school districts; (b) enhancers to the integration of computer technology into the classroom curriculum in small …

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Increasing Self-Efficacy With Diabetes Cooking Schools, Sheila Rye May 2000

Increasing Self-Efficacy With Diabetes Cooking Schools, Sheila Rye

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Dining with Diabetes, a diabetes cooking school program offered through West Virginia University Extension Service, targets dietary self-management and is guided by Social Cognitive Theory. This study compared two convenience samples of persons with diabetes. One group attended the program, (experimental, n = 34) the other, (comparison, n = 13) did not. The groups were evaluated at baseline and three-month post-test regarding knowledge about dietary management of diabetes, skill and self-efficacy in preparing simple recipes. Four participants in the experimental group (11.4%) and one person from the comparison group (7.7%) had increases in all three areas. The study also assessed …

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