Digital Commons Network^™

Exemplar Versus Base Rate Information Messages: Effect On African-Americans’ Intentions Toward Signing A Donor Card, Aisha O’Mally

Theses

This study examines factors that may play a role in moderating the influence of a message on African-Americans to become organ donors. The message and sender were both manipulated to examine the impact of exemplars versus base rates within the message as well as the race of the sender. An anthropomorphic agent was used to present information about organ donation. Respondents completed a pre-test survey, viewed a short video, and then completed a post-test. There was no significant evidence found that either base rate or exemplar information influenced African-Americans to become organ donors. The expectation that participants would identify more …

Framing Health Care Across The Pond: A Comparative Content Analysis Of Elite Newspapers In The Us And Uk During The 2009 American Health Policy Debate, Jackson Bales Foote

Theses

This study analyzes content from eight leading newspapers in the United States and United Kingdom during ten months of the 2009 American health care policy debate, identifying emergent issue-specific health care frames that manifest themselves in key framing devices, like metaphors, exemplars, catchphrases, and depictions. This exploratory, quantitive frame analysis is conducted in a cross-cultural context to facilitate generalizable comparisons about how the news media in different countries frame social welfare policy through symbolic and rhetorical elements. A principal component analysis is used to reduce the health care-specific variables into four frames: access, choice, rising costs, and market competition. The …

Burnout As A Function Of Eysenck’S Neuroticism Factor In Teachers Working With Children With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders, Shannon Prince

Theses

The purpose of this study is to observe the level of neuroticism in special education teachers working with children with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders (EBD) and how it is related to the level of burnout (i.e., chronic state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion; Center & Steventon, 2001) they experience. Two surveys, Friedman's Questionnaire on Teacher Burnout and Eysenck's Personality Questionnaire Brief Version, were delivered to special education teachers working with EBD students in self-contained classrooms in Western New York. The data were analyzed by correlating the teachers' level of neuroticism with their level of burnout. Results indicated a significant correlation between …

Developing Interprofessional Collaboration: An Action Research Approach To Change In Residential Care, Denise F. O Leary

Theses

This thesis presents a study which aimed to develop interprofessional teams to drive organisational change at residential care facilities in order to gain insight into the processes involved, as well as the factors influencing them. It is unrealistic to create a team and expect team members to immediately act in a collaborative way to address team goals, yet the development process has been largely overlooked in the literature. This thesis addresses this gap. Healthcare providers at three residential care facilities for older people were invited to become involved in the study and teams were successfully set up at two facilities. …

Art For Healing; Art For Consciousness Change, Robert Neill

Theses

From a very early age I have been drawn to create art. I have followed this passion closely throughout my entire life. After acquiring a master's degree in art education, and subsequently, teaching high school art for 3 years I was compelled to enter the MFA program at Rochester Institute of Technology with a concentration in painting and new forms. Through this process, I discovered a great calling. After the first year of study in the MFA program I traveled to Tibet. This journey was instrumental in the formation of my thesis: Art for Healing, Art for Consciousness Change, as …

Fabrication And Life Cycle Assessment Of Organic Photovoltaics, Annick Anctil

Theses

Increasing demand for renewable energy has resulted in a new interest for alternative technologies such as organic photovoltaics. With efficiencies exceeding 8% for both polymer and small molecule photovoltaics, organic photovoltaics are now being commercialized due to their flexibility and low weight which allow for their adoption in new applications such as portable electronics, smart fabrics, and building-integrated photovoltaics. To date, most research efforts have been focused on increasing power efficiency with little assessment of potential negative impacts associated with their large scale production. It is generally assumed that organic photovoltaics have low environmental impacts and are by nature inexpensive …

Cuda Accelerated Cone‐Beam Reconstruction, Albert Sze

Theses

Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) is an imaging method that reconstructs a 3D representation of the object from its 2D X-ray images. It is an important diagnostic tool in the medical field, especially dentistry. However, most 3D reconstruction algorithms are computationally intensive and time consuming; this limitation constrains the use of CBCT. In recent years, high-end graphics cards, such as the ones powered by NVIDIA graphics processing units (GPUs), are able to perform general purpose computation. Due to the highly parallel nature of the 3D reconstruction algorithms, it is possible to implement these algorithms on the GPU to reduce the processing …

Dissolution Testing Of Prednisone And Salicylic Acid Calibrator Tablets At Different Tablet Locations, Anandhavalavan Arulmozhi

Theses

Dissolution testing is routinely carried out in the pharmaceutical industry to determine the rate of dissolution of solid dosage forms. This test is one of the several tests that pharmaceutical companies typically conduct on oral dosage formulations (e.g., tablets) to determine compliance. The USP Dissolution Testing Apparatus 2 is the most common of the apparatuses listed in the USP. However, it has been shown previously that the dissolution profile of a tablet undergoing dissolution in the USP Dissolution Apparatus 2 can be affected by the tablet location in the apparatus.

In this work, the dissolution rates of both non-disintegrating tablets …

Biomechanical Analysis Of Asymmetric And Dynamic Lifting Task, Xiaopeng Jiang

Theses

Lifting tasks is one of the leading causes of occupational lower back disorders (LBD). Aimed at deriving internal forces of human musculoskeletal system during lifting, biomechanical models are utilized to address this problem. This thesis provides an indepth literature review of such modeling, and the results of experiments used to address LBD issues.

An isometric pulling experiment was conducted to study the correlation between electromyography (EMG) and predicted muscle forces by AnyBody Modeling System™ with increasing hand loads. An infinite order polynomial (min/max) optimization criterion predicted percentage of maximum muscle forces, which achieved 98% correlation with normalized EMG. In a …

The Effect Of Dynamic Standing On The Bone Mineral Density Of Non-Ambulatory Children: A Pilot Study, Megan Diane Damcott

Theses

In recent decades, research in osteoporosis has expanded to include the effects of prolonged immobilization on the load-bearing bones of non-ambulatory children. One current therapeutic intervention for this population is a passive standing program, in which the body is fully supported and continuous, stationary loading is applied to the bones, leading to the legs being primarily inactive. This research focused upon the effect of passive standing and a new therapeutic intervention of dynamic standing, a standing therapy in which the body is supported but vertical, reciprocal displacements which mimic the walking gait are applied to the feet, causing the muscles …

Dissolution Of Disintegrating Solid Dosage Forms In A Modified Dissolution Testing Apparatus 2, Shrutiben Rameshbhai Parekh

Theses

Dissolution tests are routinely carried out in the pharmaceutical industry to determine the dissolution rate of solid dosage forms. Dissolution testing serves as a surrogate for drug bioavailability through in vitro–in vivo correlation (IVIVR), and it additionally helps in guiding the development of new formulations and in assessing lot-to-lot consistency, thus ensuring product quality. The United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) Dissolution Testing Apparatus 2 is the device most commonly used for this purpose. Despite its widespread use, dissolution testing using this apparatus remains susceptible to significant error and test failures. There is documented evidence that this apparatus is sensitive to several …

Transdermal And Transbuccal Delivery Of Lidocaine And Nicotine : Combined Effects Of Iontophoresis And Chemical Enhancers, Ran Wei

Theses

This study focused on the effects of iontophoresis and chemical enhancers on drug release. The transport of Lidocaine HCl (LHCl) and Nicotine Hydrogen Tartrate (NHT) through the skin and mucosa was evaluated for potential clinical applications. These two potential delivery routes have the advantage of avoiding first-pass effect. Samples were pretreated with enhancer solutions for one hour before the experiments. Passive or 0.3 mA iontophoresis-assisted drug diffusion was conducted for 8 hours to monitor the cumulative amount of drug released. Graphical methods and mathematical optimization techniques were implemented to analyze the data. The effects of chemical enhancers on the delivery …

G-Factors For Ternary Crystals Of Groups Iii And V, Liviu Mateescu

Theses

The objective of this thesis is to present a method of calculating the g-factors of ternary crystals of III-V group elements.

There is an increasing interest in knowing the magnetic behavior of different semiconductor materials, due to advances in the domain of spintronics. The g-factors were calculated for the conduction electrons, since they have the greatest contribution to the magnetic properties of the crystal. The thesis presented here proposes a method to calculate the magnetic g-factor of whole families of crystals made of three elements, of the form A_1-xB_xC, for eleven values, x ε {0, 0.1, …

Electoral Reform In Kosovo (2010-2015) / [Presentation Given In May 2011], Besnik Osmani

Theses

In recent years Kosovo has made efforts to organize elections in accordance with democratic principles. The results from the questionnaire introduced in this project indicate that 60 % of the respondents believe that the electoral process is not credible, citizens do not trust the voting system, and some respondents believe that votes are manipulated. The main objectives of the Capstone Project were to assess the opinion of voters and ascertain some key recommendation for improvement ... The findings and recommendations of this project aim to influence adequate changes in the electoral system in Kosovo and underline the importance to (i) …

Review Of Recruitment Procedures In Kosova's Public Service / [Presentation Given May 2011], Baki Svirca

Theses

This capstone project shows the need for a herculean effort to attract young people, educated and ethically minded for a career in public service. Findings from this report show that public administration should reform the recruitment procedures for a Civil Service that should be accountable and transparent to face the challenges of the Kosova state. The report's main findings indicate that the areas needing attention include: 1) level of education, 2) inadequate recruitment procedures, 3) politicization, 4) numerous movements after each election cycle and 5) lack of promotion.

Kosovo's New Customs Declaration Processing System / [Presentation Given In May 2011], Bujar Haxhidauti

Theses

This capstone project assessed available options for new Customs Declaration Processing System for Kosovo Customs. The outcome of the analysis clearly shows that Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA World) of United Nation Conference for Trade Aid and Development is the most suitable system for Kosovo Customs.

School-Based Professionals' Self-Reported Training, Preparation And Confidence In Providing Services To Students With Asd, Kimberly Nosek

Theses

The number of children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has grown

exponentially in recent years (Simpson, 2008). Children diagnosed with ASD have lifelong impairments in three areas: socialization, communication and behavior (AP A, 2000). These along with associated features of the disorder such as difficulties with learning, attention, affect, sensory processing, and regulating emotions and behavior can make creating an educational plan for these students particularly challenging. The current study addressed a number of research questions related to training, preparation and confidence to deliver services to students with ASD among school-based professionals. The study utilized survey-research, targeting school …

Kindergarten Transition Practices For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cassandra Mccumber

Theses

The educational classification of Autism has increased significantly in recent years. Schools are now facing new requirements and expectations to provide appropriate services to meet the needs of students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The kindergarten transition is the first major educational transition in a student's educational career. It is a particularly important transition for students with ASD because a successful kindergarten transition leads to better academic outcomes and better generalization of skills developed in the preschool setting (McIntyre et al., 2006). However, students with ASD begin with significant risk of an unsuccessful transition to kindergarten to due to qualitative …

Comparison Of Geochemical And Biological Characteristics Of Natural And Constructed Wetlands In Western Ny, Katrina Scheiner

Theses

To protect wetlands and the critical ecosystem functions and services they provide, federal law mandates creation of new wetlands for wetlands that are destroyed. However, we don't yet fully understand if created wetlands are functionally equivalent to their natural counterparts. In this study of two natural (N1, N2) and two created (C1, C2) wetlands in western New York state, interdependent biological and geochemical characteristics were measured to assess equivalency of ecosystem function. With the exception of Typha sp, all wetlands contained unique vegetation zones. We sampled within these vegetation zones during the growing season of 2010. Overall cover of plant …

Late Medieval Women: Ascetic Performance And Subversive Mysticism, Deirdre A. Riley

Theses

No abstract provided.

The Werewolf Pride Movement: A Step Back From Queer Medieval Tradition, Caitlin B. Giacopasi

Theses

No abstract provided.

Effecr Of An Enriched Environment On Morphine Conditioned Place Preference In Rats, Gina E. Difeo

Theses

No abstract provided.

Fredrick Ii: Anti-Papal Or Papal Manipulator? A Study Into The Cause Of Conflict Between Emperor Frederick Ii And Pope Gregory Ix, Daniel Lauri

Theses

No abstract provided.

Discovering Determinacy In Shandy: A Readerly And Writerly Goose Chase, Michael R. Pauloski

Theses

No abstract provided.

An Investigation Of The Composition, Microbial Digestion And Potential Applications Of An Industrial By-Product Of Seaweed Extraction, Juncal Nogales Esteban

Theses

Commercial preparation of seaweed extract from Ascophyllum nodosum, for use as fertilizer and soil improver, produces a residue which requires remediation. This residue is rich in nutrients and offers potential for other added-value products. The residue’s composition and microbial flora were studied, a microbial digestion system was developed, and extracts were screened for anti-hyaluronidase and anti-elastase activities.

The residue had a pH of 8.61±0.39, 16% (w/w) TS which comprised 40.6% minerals, 29.5% fibre, 20.9% lipid, 4.9% protein and 0.48% polyphenols. The microbial digestion included an initial 3-day anaerobic phase during which pH decreased from 9.12 to 7.89. At day 3, …

Distribution Patterns Of River Otters, Lontra Canadensis, Within Monroe County, New York, Darren Doherty

Theses

River Otters, Lontra canadensis were reintroduced to western NY after being extirpated in the early 1900's. The goal of this project was to understand what environmental variables influence habitat selection of river otters, within Monroe County, New York. Water chemistry and the use of benthic macroinvertebrates were investigated to assess the water quality and human impacts. The research area included three tributaries of the Genesee River: Black, Honeoye, and Oatka Creeks. At identified latrine sites, I collected macroinvertebrates at 9 sites and water chemistry at 30 sites to provide an index of the water quality. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) was …

A Comparison Of Native And Colonial American Conceptions Of Self: Implications For Competing World-Views, Marjorie R. Cavey

Theses

Native and Colonial Americans had vastly different approaches to the world, and viewed nature and other people in quite dissimilar ways. The concept of self is central to this project because personal values and attitudes toward others are grounded in agency - actions that emerge from the self and define the way that one treats his or her surroundings and everyone or thing in it. The way that one's self is perceived is necessarily communicated within the context of social settings. Situation in a world of other people (and of nature) requires that actions be weighed in accordance with agency. …

The Effects Of A Guided Program On Improving Fourth Grade English Reading Comprehension Skills In The Uae., Mohammed Kamil Salhyyah

Theses

The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of implementing a guided reading program for promoting reading comprehension skills of grade four pupils in the UAE. This program was based on intensive practice of the targeted skills followed by a gradual release of teacher’s role to have more pupils’ independence while reading. The participants of this study were sixty pupils in grade four who were divided into a control group and a treatment group. Data were collected and analyzed using the results of both the pretest and posttest. The treatment was implementing a guided reading program which lasted …

Characteristics Of Leaders Of Change For Principals In Al Ain Schools, The United Arab Emirates, Fatima Murad Ali Khaja Al Mazam

Theses

This study investigates the characteristics and skills of leaders of change that are exhibited by AI Ain Education Zone school principals. The research design is mainly a quantitative survey study. Data were gathered from 434 teachers in AI Ain schools. Means, standard deviations, t test and one-way analysis of variance were used as statistics to analyze the data. The study found out that school principals in AI Ain exhibit the characteristics of leaders of change regarding sharing vision and values, valuing human resources, fostering collaborative relationships, communicating effectively, being proactive, creating and sharing knowledge, and managing resistance to change. The …

Forest Carbon Mapping And Spatial Uncertainty Analysis: Combining National Forest Inventory Data And Landsat Tm Images, Andrew Lawrence Fleming

Theses

Being able to accurately map forest carbon is a critical step in the global carbon cycle modeling and management process. This project is aimed at enhancing the current methodologies used for forest carbon mapping, and applying a method to account for any errors produced. By doing so, more accurate decisions can be made based on the knowledge gained from forest carbon maps; such as policy decisions on how to manage forests, or how to mitigate climate change. The use of remotely sensed images, in combination with Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data, is one such way of doing this. This …