Digital Commons Network^™

Weight Loss In Alzheimer's Disease: A Comparison Of Care Options, Linda Dyhouse Kaiser

Theses

The purpose of this culminating project is to examine the care of Alzheimer's disease patients residing in a special care unit with the care received by those residing with the general nursing home population. More specifically, it compared the weights of patients on a special care unit with the weights of patients housed with the general nursing home population.

According to demographic information, the fastest growing cohort of the population is the older-old. This data is of great significance to health care providers for it is the 80 and above age group that are prime candidates to develop Alzheimer's disease. …

An Analysis Of National Average Car Rental Rates And Economic Indicators, Amy S. Peterson

Theses

Travel suppliers have depended largely on business travel as their main source of business and profit because it is less price conscious and finicky compared to the pleasure travel market. The past recession has caused corporations to scale-down by drastically reducing business related travel; therefore, it is understood, as a majority, that the condition of the economy usually dictates future business. Car rental companies are a significant part of the travel supplier industry and it is wondered if the fluctuations in car rental rates are a direct reflection of the rise and fall of the economy also. The study will …

Case Study Of Blackjack Dealers; Their Work Environment And Their Relationship With Management, Linda Anne Weintraub

Theses

Not listed.

The Development Of A Project Management Handbook For St. John's Mercy Medical Center, Angela D. Matherne

Theses

The purpose of this study is the development of a project management handbook, as a guide for Information Systems (I.S.) projects at St. John's Mercy Medical Center. The need for this study was supported by inconsistencies in project management methods observed at St. John's.

A review of project management literature revealed that there has been very little empirical research in this area, and suggested that the nonspecific nature of project management literature may be contributing to the problem observed at St. John's. The literature review supported the view that a project management handbook should be developed, containing commonly accepted project …

Workplace Drug And Alcohol Testing: A Blueprint For Employee Acceptance And Success, Charles Edward Martin

Theses

Drug and alcohol testing in the workplace is a highly emotional and complex issue. Society's drug and alcohol abuse problem has become so pervasive that employers are obligated to act to protect themselves, their businesses and their employees .

Business costs have risen dramatically due to lost productivity resulting from drug and alcohol abuse. Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) and rehabilitation efforts have been somewhat successful but are extremely expensive.

Many businesses have chosen to protect themselves by implementing pre-employment drug screening. Some businesses drug test current employees randomly and "for cause". "For cause" has generally been defined as reasonable suspicion …

Image Is Reality, Sarah Louise Meininger

Theses

How individuals perceive a business is reality. It doesn't matter if these perceptions are true or false. This paper explores aspects of corporate image and identity and the importance of shaping an image for a company.

We will focus on the importance of research and how initial research should determine how people perceive a company in and outside the organization itself. We will also discuss the CEO' s impact and his/her role. The CEO oversees current perceptions, shapes and molds an image for the company, guides the image for the future and should also be a communicator within the company. …

Adding New Life To Years: A Senior Peer Exercise Program, Cynthia Lymm Pearl Nayer

Theses

The thesis "Adding New Life to Years: A Senior Peer Exercise Program" explores the development and impact of a peer-led exercise program aimed at improving physical, social, and emotional health among older adults. Recognizing the challenges associated with aging—such as decreased mobility, social isolation, and chronic health issues—the study focuses on engaging active seniors as volunteer leaders to conduct low-intensity exercise classes for frail elderly participants.

This program aims to foster mutual benefits: healthy senior volunteers experience enhanced self-worth, social engagement, and physical fitness, while the frail elderly improve in areas like blood pressure, mood, and perceived self-efficacy. Grounded in …

The Impact Of Decision Style On Decision Quality, William E. Niedringhaus

Theses

This thesis focuses on the study of decision style and the effects each styles characteristics has on decision quality.

Each personality style exhibits specific characteristics unique to t hat particular style . These characteristics in conjunction with the decision makers cognitive abilities form a unique problem solving or decision style. Characteristics of each style have been operationalized by the Myers-Biggs Type Indicator.

Decision quality is measured, for purposes of this paper, in terms of the impact the decision maker's style has on the decision outcome . Decision quality is measured separately from decision success since successful decisions require more than …

The Design And Implementation Of A Business Plan For A Neighborhood Inn, Edward L. Beck

Theses

This project will focus on the study of the eating and drinking establishment industry. Information was gathered for the purpose of constructing a business plan for The Haven.

Research has indicated that the owner of an inn must be concerned with several factors associated with the successful operation of an inn, those being: industry data, specific company data, financial data, and marketing data. The Haven inn's business plan was formed by utilizing information from each of these areas.

Once The Haven's business plan was completed, two members of the eating and drinking establishment industry were chosen to judge the plan's …

The Impact That An Aging American Population Has On Financial Institutions, Jerry M. Bladdick

Theses

This thesis will focus on the study of America's aging population and the impact this population has upon financial institutions and the services and products these institutions provide.

Research has shown that real estate and cash are the primary sources of wealth for the majority of older adults. Banking institutions realize that with the ever-increasing size of this _population. special programs, incentives, and services may need to be provided in order to maintain the loyalty of older clients.

In recent years, financial institutions have hired management consulting firms to confirm that the older banking consumer of the 1990s will dramatically …

A Proposed New National Health Care Plan, Larry W. Pruett

Theses

Larry W. Pruett’s 1993 thesis, A Proposed New National Health Care Plan, explores the need for comprehensive reform of the U.S. health care system and outlines a detailed alternative model. Frustrated by inefficiencies, escalating costs, and limited access, Pruett evaluates the systems of Canada, Germany, and Japan, rating them on technology, public health, service, efficiency, and equity. He also reviews reform proposals from President Clinton, the American Medical Association, and the American Hospital Association.

Pruett’s plan shifts the primary point of care from hospitals to outpatient clinics, which would provide most non-emergency health services. Hospitals would retain a role …

A Successful Penetration, Troy M. Rybicki

Theses

Many new products fail due to poor data or inadequate planning. The purpose of this thesis was to develop and outline a marketing plan that would effectively coordinate the marketing mix elements: price, product, promotion, and distribution into a focused strategy, reducing the risk of failure for Emerson Motor Division's new recreational pump motor line. The following plan was determined to be an effective strategy to successfully penetrate the Nema 56 Recreational Pump motor market by two experts with Fractional Horsepower Motor Industry experience. Accordingly, this project provides a thorough, accurate analysis of the relevant data from which an effective …

The Changing Work Environment: A Challenge For Corporate America, Angela D. Hamilton

Theses

This thesis will focus on the study of change in the work environment, and the impact change has on American corporations and workers. Predictions foretold a changing workplace, workforce, and global economy. As a result, there are specific challenges to corporations, workers, and the country.

Research has attributed the lack of worker training and development to a decline in the importance of training. Most human resources planning in American corporations has played second fiddle to other business decisions; judgments are made and human resources follow. So it becomes necessary to focus more clearly on the American business environment and the …

The Development Of The Business Plan For Baker Accounting And Tax Service, Marsha P. Baker

Theses

This thesis will focus on the study of developing a business plan for a small home-based accounting and tax service .

Statistics indicate that the failure rate for new businesses is high. Research indicates that the main reason for the high rate of new business failures is lack of planning . Specifically, many entrepreneurs feel that preparing a formal business plan is not necessary and thus fail to plan for significant factors that impact their businesses.

The purpose of this study is to research all aspects of beginning a home- based accounting and tax service in preparation for writing a …

Voting Participation And The Very Old: A Cost / Benefit Analysis, Scott Randolph Jendusa

Theses

A cost/benefit analysis of the voting behavior of a purposive sample of citizens aged 76 to 94 reveals that disability limits turnout by increasing the effort needed to vote while the reasons to participate decrease due to the loss of social roles and relationships. Personal interviews were conducted with 16 poor, disabled , unmarried women to determine if the decline in voter turnout statistics that occurs in the mid-seventies indicates a lack of interest in voting by the advanced elderly or the inability to participate when so desired . The study expands upon the existing literature which implicitly accepts disability …

An Investigation Into The Design And Implementation Of A Policies And Procedures Manual For Collegiate Financial Aid, Pam Jones Williams

Theses

This expository study will focus on the development of a Policies and Procedures Manual for Collegiate Financial Aid.

Collegiate financial aid is a complex, ever-changing field. As such, there is a pressing need for financial aid offices to develop, and adhere to, a set of financial aid policies and procedures which can be uniformly applied and consistently referred to by all staff members.

The total dollars involved in the financial aid process can be staggering: each year billions of dollars are awarded to students in the form of federal, state, and institutional scholarships, grants, and loans. It is no wonder …

Do The Experiences Of Other Health Care Systems Identify Incentives For A Cost-Effective Universal Health Care System In The United States?, R. Daniel King

Theses

Each health system used various incentives to achieve lower cost and better utilization of services. In some cases there was evidence that particular incentives demonstrated considerable success with no negative side-effects, while others were effective but introduced new problems.

The results of this analysis did support that other universal health care systems contained examples of proven incentives that if incorporated would benefit a universal health care system in the United states.

Training Manual For The Long Term Care Facility Quality Assessment And Assurance Committee, Kris S. King

Theses

This thesis addresses the need for a training manual for the federally required long term care Quality Assessment and Assurance Committee. The training manual has been designed to provide guidance to the Committee members, recognizing that effective leadership is essential for a successful quality and compliance program in any facility.

There have been numerous publications devoted to quality assurance in the long term care setting; however, few provide simplistic and meaningful explanations for conducting quality assurance and improvement activities. This manual has adopted a unique approach by correlating federal requirements to specific quality assurance and improvement processes.

The training manual …

Establishment Of A Program For The Education Of Cytotechnologists, Joan R. Kohrs

Theses

The Barnes Hospital School of Cytotechnology closed in 1977 as have many other programs tor the education of cytotechnologists. These programs were victims of hospital budgetary concerns, as well as a job market that had no demand tor new cytotechnologists.

Unfortunately with fewer and fewer graduates from accredited programs in the last 15-16 years there is, currently a shortage of these skilled laboratory professionals.

Faced with unfilled vacancies in the cytology laboratory many hospitals are considering re-evaluating the possibilities of sponsoring programs for the education of cytotechnologists.

Barnes Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri, long a leader in both health care· and …

Strategic Planning: The Long And Short Of It, Linda Ann Flynn

Theses

This thesis will focus on corporate strategic planning, its stages and the impact that the planning process has on organizations.

Over the yea.rs corporate America has deemed it necessary that not-for-profit organizations should include time for planning in their management efforts. Research has shown that the management of any not-for-profit can be at best difficult. With the help of strategic planning, however, even not-for-profits can be better off in the future with time well spent today.

Time taken to understand the planning process and to follow the steps will help top management to solicit the commitment from both board members …

Do Women In Anxiety Support Groups Demonstrate Less Anxiety Than Those Who Are Not In Support Groups?, Anna L. Addis

Theses

Not available.

Influences On The Selection Of Dietetics As A Career Choice, Katherine A. Kobel

Theses

The purpose of this study was to gather information on factors which influence career-decision making in dietetics students. Self-administered questionnaires were completed by 1695 students in Plan IV/V dietetic programs throughout the country. Of the 156 schools which were mailed questionnaires, responses were received from 53.9% of the schools. Demographic information revealed that 77.7% of the students were between the ages of 20 to 30 years old. Thirteen percent were over 30 years old, while 9.1% were less than 20 years old. The number of students from rural (26.8%) and urban (26.2%) areas were equally divided. The majority of students, …

The Suitability Of Polyethylene Terephthalate Copolyester For Radiation Sterilized Dry Small Volume Parenterals, Steven M. Drucker

Theses

Small volume parenterals (SVP) are typically terminally sterilized through autoclaving. This technique works when the containers are filled with a liquid. However, in the case of sterile powders, autoclaving is not a viable method nor is dry heat since most products can not withstand 2 50C for a half hour. Thus gamma irradiation may be an acceptable method to terminally sterilize this class of product. One of the drawbacks of gamma irradiation is that it will discolor glass which is currently the package material of choice due to superior barrier properties and relative inertness. This paper explores the possibility of …

A Study Comparing The Moisture Barrier Characteristics Of Flat Liners Versus Stoppers In Continuous Thread Closures On Glass Viles, William L. White

Theses

The combination of glass vial, elastomeric stopper, and aluminum crimp seal represents one of the principal packaging systems used to package diagnostic reagents, ophthalmic and veterinary medicines, and pharmaceutical products. This work states that elastomeric flat liners are an alternative to traditional stoppers. To confirm this position, several comparative moisture transmission evaluations are conducted to contrast the barrier performance of glued flat liners against stoppers in continuous thread closures on glass vials. After a review of several standard packaging integrity testing methods, this thesis demonstrates the use of coulometric titration as an alternative package system testing methodology. Coulometric titrators are …

Analysis Of Packaging Based Determinant Attributes For Minimally Processed Vegetables: A Food Service End-Use Study, James A. Myers

Theses

The objective of this study was to determine what packaging based attributes most influence the purchasing decision of foodservice operators. The study was limited to those packaging attributes associated with minimally processed vegetables. A survey instrument was used to poll operators from various segments of the foodservice industry. Factor analysis was employed in an effort to identify attributes with degrees of communality. It was determined that attributes associated with the utility function of foodservice packages were of primary concern. These attributes were linked to the challenges of handling products in the foodservice environment. Factor loadings were significant on two other …

A Study Of Time And Temperature Variables Affecting Apolipoprotein B-100 On Iodipamide Ethyl Ester Particles, Deborah J. Alberty

Theses

The hypothesis tested in the epitope stability study is that apo B bound to a synthetic core of iodipamide ethyl ester (IDE) particles retain stability, as detected by immunoreactivity of apo B epitopes with two monoclonal antibodies. The mAB 3.01 binds to the carboxy terminal end of apo B-1 00. The mAB T4 binds to the T4 peptide fragment at the amino terminal end of both apo B-1 00 and apo B-48. Stability of LDL-coated IDE was evaluated over 40 days when stored at -20C, 4C and 25C. Stability of reconstituted lyophilized IDE was evaluated over 42 days, starting with …

Determination Of Pentachlorophenol In Wood And Leachate From Discarded Treated Wooden Poles, Yan Zha

Theses

Pentachlorophenol(PCP) has long been used as a preservative in the wood industry. The disposal of the used treated wood poles in landfill is of an environmental concern.

The study presented in this paper was designed to determine the leaching of pentachlorophenol from treated aged wood. An analytical method for HPLC determination of PCP was developed and validated to perform the analysis of pentachlorophenol in samples of the oringinal wood and leaching solutions.

Further studies involved the description of the PCP distribution in wood poles, the estimation of the leaching rate of PCP and the factors which influence the leaching rate …

Bacterial Biosorption Of Heavy Metals From Liquid Wastestreams, Emilia Rus

Theses

In this study, immobilized activated sludge from a municipal wastewater aerobic treatment plant has been evaluated as a potential biosorbent for the removal of heavy metals from liquid waste streams. The method of immobilization consists of entrapment of the microorganisms in calcium alginate beads.

The affinity of immobilized activated sludge to cadmium, lead, chromium and copper has been evaluated under well defined laboratory conditions.

Initially, the time course of metallic ions uptake and the effect of pH and temperature on biosorption were studied for each metal. Then the biosorption pattern and the effect of biosorbent concentration on binding capacity were …

Computation Of Collision Parameters Of Spheres By Computer Vision, Sumit Sen

Theses

Collision parameter evaluation of rigid spherical particles requires estimation of pre- and post-impact position, velocity and angular velocity vectors of colliding particles. A three dimensional experimental technique is devised where the instantaneous position and orientation of the particles are determined by analyzing frames obtained through high speed video imaging system. Since the image obtained is two dimensional, a mirror setting is designed to capture two orthogonal views of collision in order to estimate motion in depth. The translational velocity vector is determined from the position information extracted through application of available image analysis techniques over two time frames of digitized …

Quantitative Assessment Of Myocardial Oxygen Supply And Demand Using A Dynamic Model Of The Cardiovascular System, Badrinath R. Puranic

Theses

A quantitative understanding of the changes in coronary, pulmonary and systemic hemodynamic variables and their effect on myocardial supply and demand is important to the better management of anesthetic care of patients with impaired cardiac function. Animal studies have identified those hemodynamic factors that play an important role in determining the balance between oxygen supply and demand for the myocardium. These include myocardial contractility, left ventricular end-diastolic volume, systemic arterial pressure, systemic vascular resistance, and heart rate. The interactions of these factors are complex and their combined effects on myocardial oxygen supply and demand are difficult to predict a priori. …