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A Reliability Of The Adolescent And Adult Self-Concept Retrospective Scale, Andrea D. Marino

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to establish test-retest reliability coefficients for the Adolescent and Adult Self-Concept Retrospective Scale (AASRS). This study utilized a one-week duration between test administrations for the test instrument. There were thirty-one college students used, ranging in age from eighteen to twenty. The AASRS is an individually administered, interview-type self-concept measure. The version of the test used in this study is designed for older populations. The Pearson product-moment correlation statistical procedure was used to calculate the correlation coefficients for this sample. The correlations for both the Global and Distortion Indexes were calculated. The correlations were found …

The Effects Of Block Scheduling On Students With Special Needs, Kimberly C. Seifring

Theses and Dissertations

This study surveyed the professionals from two schools in the southern New Jersey area regarding their views of block scheduling as well as their views on the effectiveness of block scheduling among students with special needs. A total of 243 surveys were distributed and 61 were returned. The survey questioned the teachers in regards to the changes they had to incorporate into their daily instructional time upon switching to block scheduling, the advantages and disadvantages of block scheduling, and how to ensure that students with special needs experience success while participating in a block schedule. A majority of the participants …

A Study Of Board Members' Knowledge Of Idea And New Jersey's Special Education Code, Susan Lynne Geverd

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to obtain information regarding the level of understanding that local school board members have in reference to IDEA and the New Jersey Special Education Code. A questionnaire was devised that contained twelve items in regards to least restrictive environment, free and appropriate education, the IEP process, evaluation procedures and parental rights. Thirty-six questionnaires were distributed to a convenience group composed of a school superintendent and board members. The sample represented four different counties in New Jersey. A total of 16 questionnaires were returned. It was found that out of the 16 respondents, 5 answered …

Business Alumni And Business Faculty Perceptions Of Graduates' Finance Capabilities: A Study Of Selected Small Private Colleges In The Upper Midwest, Dennis I. Bolen

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine what within the introduction to finance curriculum has prepared undergraduate business major alumni to succeed at their degreegranting institutions and later to meet the demands of the business world. This included the importance of topical coverage and skills, as perceived by both undergraduate business major alumni and corresponding school finance instructors. Specifically, the preparation afforded by the introduction to finance course was assessed within business departments of selected Upper Midwest institutions of higher learning. Findings of the study were compared to organizational pronouncements of the Finance Management Association International, and the American …

N-3 Essential Fatty Acids Intake And Depressive Symptoms, Nami Matsumura

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine whether N-3 fatty acids intake would correlate with a prevalence of mental distresses. The present study consisted of a comprehensive literature review and analysis of preexisting data that were relevant to this study. Two data were primarily used in the assessment. These were the 1994 study of Media and Markets by Simmons Market Research Bureau, Inc. for food intakes, and the report of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) for the prevalence of Frequent Mental Distress. Due to incompatibility of those two studies additional data- the U.S. population estimates for regions …

Activated Carbon Injection For Mercury Control In Coal-Fired Boilers, Randy Ray Brintnell

Theses and Dissertations

Mercury is a toxic compound causing numerous health problems in humans. One of the ways that mercury is released into the atmosphere is through the burning of coal. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the United States consumes i billion tons of coal per year and coal-fired utilities emit 73 tons of mercury per year. Though there arc currently no regulations on mercury emissions, it will remain an environmental concern.

Activated carbon (AC) injection is a proposed technology for mercury control in coal-fired boilers. We are interested in determining whether the diffusion rate or the absorptive capacity of the sorbent …

The Relationship Of Authoritative Parenting, School Attendance, Suspension, And Academic Success Among Adolescents, Charles Bender

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived parenting style of adolescents and the educational implications. Grade Point Average, Absences, and Suspensions was explored. The level of perceived authoritativeness, as well as the "pure" parenting style was measured. Adolescents who viewed their parents as presenting a more firm and democratic parenting atmosphere demonstrated a lower rate of absenteeism and did better academically.

The Child Report of Parental Behavior Inventory was administered to seventh and eighth grades in an urban school district. The sample size for this study was 320 (m=148, f=172). The study was comprised of 194 African …

Increasing Self-Concept And Developmental Assets In Adolescents Using Behavioral And Psycho-Educational Interventions, Terriana Milne-Beatty

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescent high-risk behaviors such as drug and alcohol use, susceptibility to peer pressure, violence, committing crimes and academic failure are often attributed to low self-concept, resiliency, minimal personal developmental assets, and deficient life skills. Thirty teens (7 males, 23 females) ages 12-15, from diverse cultures, volunteered for 3 groups, and were given a 4-month, 12-session interactive counseling program that incorporated the creative arts, behavioral, and psycho-educational therapy for the purpose of improving teens' self-concept, assets, and life skills. Pre and Posttest measures of The Tennessee Self-Concept Scale-2 showed mean raw scores being statistically significant for improvements within the entire teen …

Obtaining Objective Measurements Of Reaction Times To Auditory Alarms, Andrew George Neubauer

Theses and Dissertations

Several pulse parameters that were believed to affect response time to auditory alarms were investigated in a factorial experiment. 18 subjects, (14 male, 4 female), participated in an experiment where the effects of inter-pulse interval (125, 250, and 500 milliseconds) and pulse format (sine, sawtooth, and square waves) on both selfreported ratings of workload and reaction time to alarms (auditory and visual) were explored. The results show that alarms with a shorter inter-pulse interval produced the fastest reaction times. Subjective preferences were rated as equal. Accuracy was equal across groups as measured by amount of errors in responding to auditory …

Application Of Research To Practice Settings: Music Therapy, Desiree Gagner-Tjellesen

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the clinical use of music therapy as an independent therapeutic nursing intervention in acute care settings. This study identified its frequency, rationale, and perceived effectiveness as an independent nursing intervention. This research also identified barriers and facilitators to nurses’ utilization of music therapy. Frequency and reasons for use of other independent nursing interventions was also investigated.

An author designed structured questionnaire was utilized in this descriptive study. The census sample (N=321) consisted of registered nurses at a Midwestern acute care facility of greater than fifty beds. Forty-two percent (n=135) participated in the …

Development Of A World Wide Web Site For The Occupational Safety And Environment Health Program In The Industrial Technology Department At The University Of North Dakota, Zachary D. Knoop

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Certified Athletic Trainers' Perceptions Of Gender Equity And Barriers To Advancement In Selected Practice Settings, Cynthia L. Booth

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if gender and/or practice setting were related to certified athletic trainers' perceptions of gender equity and specifically to barriers to professional advancement by women. This study was used to examine the perceptions of gender equity as viewed by NATA-certified athletic trainers of both genders working in three different practice settings: the secondary school setting, the college/university setting, and the clinical/hospital setting. A total of 600 individuals were selected for the sample, 100 each of men and women from each of the three settings.

The findings of this study revealed that perceptions of …

Codependency Among Nurses: A Rural Urban Comparison, Nancy Carlson

Theses and Dissertations

This descriptive study was undertaken to examine the role of environmental work stressors and family-of-origin dysfunction in the gensis of professional codependency and compare rural and urban samples of nurses using those parameters. The nursing literature presents us with two contradictory explanations of the relation between codependency and nursing. Some see it emerge when a nurse’s wish to care for others is motivated by attempts to fulfill her or his own unmet needs from dysfuctional family experience. Others see the medical institutional expectation of devotion and self-sacrifice by nurses as a causal factor in codependency. Both interpretations are based on …

The Effectiveness Of The Peer Mediation Program In Improving The Atmosphere In The School And Reducing Violent Acts In The School Setting, Robert Milavsky

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the impact mediation has in reducing violence in the school setting. Through the use of survey instrumentation, the researcher will gather feedback from disputants regarding the effectiveness of the program in resolving their problems. Along with a survey instrument, the researcher will conduct monthly mediation meetings. The purpose of these meetings is to gather information from the mediators in regards to both effective and ineffective mediations and ways to improve the total program.

Survey instruments will go out to all individuals participating in a mediation. It will be distributed approximately two weeks …

A Study To Determine That If By Establishing An Equity Awareness Baseline That Programs And Activities Can Be Identified To Reduce Levels Of Gender Bias At The Westampton Township Middle School, Michael Adams

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop a gender bias-free environment for students at the Westampton Township Middle School utilizing an action research survey model in order to establish a staff and student equity awareness baseline. Using this baseline, resources will be identified and committed to programs and activities to address and reduce levels of identified gender bias.

To establish the baseline, surveys were developed. One survey was developed for staff and another for students. Thirty-nine of forty-two teachers participated in the staff survey. Three hundred out of three hundred and six 6th, 7th and 8th grade students participated …

The Analysis Of Air Conditioning An Existing School, Dennis M. Vespe

Theses and Dissertations

The intern wants to learn the cost and electrical feasibility of air conditioning an existing school, as well as to determine if students' learning is enhanced by the presence of air conditioning in an educational atmosphere. The intern will use the interview procedure along with the review of material culture data, and action research techniques. The intern will research case studies on the improvement of student achievement in a climate controlled atmosphere, as well as interview faculty members that have taught in climate control environments and non - climate controlled environments to develop an air conditioning plan for the Black …

Evaluation Of Selected Scales Of The Revised Neo Personality Inventory (Neo Pi-R) And The State -Trait Anger Expression Inventory (Staxi) With A College Student Population., John Raeburn Reid

Theses and Dissertations

It has been noted that some individuals seem to be chronically angry and hostile but experience little dysfunction in their lives because of that anger. On the other hand, other individuals experience high levels of anger around certain stimuli, experience dysfunction, and display problematic behaviors. Further, if an anger assessment is indicated and one of two such assessing instruments must be chosen, it would seem to be important to know which is most appropriate. In this study dimensional anger is investigated through the use of the Revised Neo Personality Inventory (NEO PI-R) and The State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI). Selected …

Perceptions Of Students, Parents, And Teachers Toward Cooperative Teaching., Terence Brenner

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the Perceptions, of students, parents, and teachers toward cooperative teaching in school that have implemented cooperative teaching practices. The instrument was organized into three domains for students and parents as follows: student achievement, student-teacher relationships, and student behavior. The instrument was organized into five domains for teachers as follows: student achievement, student-teacher relationships, student behavior, teacher to teacher relationships, and professional development. There was one open-ended question at the end of the survey asking respondents to comment on cooperative teaching. Six upper midwest elementary schools participated in the study. A total of …

Children With Special Health Care Needs: An Assessment Of Progress Toward Improved Health And Well Being, Tamara Gallup-Millner

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

How The News Media Tell The Story Of The Yanomami: A Qualitative Study Of Narrative Coherence And The Ideal Audience, Tania H. Cantrell

Theses and Dissertations

The news media link anthropological discovery and the communications discipline. In this study, press stories about the Yanomami Indians of northern Brazil and neighboring Venezuela have been studied and narratively analyzed according to Narrative Paradigm Theory. While not an audience study, plausible interpretations of ideal audience member values and insights into the question of human identity are presented. It is argued that the media are storytellers who tell the audience about itself by telling it about others recursively.

Press coverage of the Yanomami is divided into eight general categories. These include the environment, effects of "civilization," warfare/violence, massacre, gold miners, …

An Analysis Of The Effectiveness Of A Constructive Induction-Based Virus Detection Prototype, Kevin T. Damp

Theses and Dissertations

Computer viruses remain a tangible threat to systems both within the Department of Defense and throughout the greater international data communications infrastructure on which the DoD increasingly depends. This threat is exacerbated continually, as new viruses are introduced at an alarming rate by the growing collection of connected machines and their operators. Unfortunately, current antivirus solutions are ill-equipped to address these issues in the long term. This thesis documents an investigation into the use of constructive induction, a form of machine learning, as a supplemental antivirus technique theoretically capable of detecting previously unknown viruses through generalized decision-making techniques. A group …

Factors Affecting Perceptions Of Ethics Within Organizations: A Case Study Of Organizations Within Aeronautical Systems Center (Asc), David W. Carlson

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis studied some of the factors that can be used to help predict perceptions of ethical climate within organizations. specifically, five organizations within Aeronautical Systems Center (ASC) were analyzed by evaluating four years of cultural survey data. The factors that were studied were analyzed through the use of different statistical processes (to include a regression analysis) to order to determine if they could significantly predict the perceptions of the ethical climate of the five ASC organizations studied. The factors were also analyzed to determine how influential the significant factors were in predicting perceptions of the ethical climate of the …

Development Of A Real Time Guidance System For A Kinematic Test Vehicle, Orhan Cekic

Theses and Dissertations

Differential carrier phase GPS measurements are capable of giving centimeter-level accuracies. These accuracies have many potential applications for safety and control of various types of vehicles. For this research, a real-time guidance system is developed. The real-time guidance system can be divided into two components: hardware and software. The hardware component consists of two GPS receivers (one base, one mobile), two wireless 115 Kbaud transceivers, and two laptop computers. One computer is for the reference station and other is for the mobile receiver interface and graphical display. The guided vehicle is a golf car called the Remote Sensing Autonomous Vehicle …

Chromium Concentration Bias In The Particle Size Distribution Of Primer Overspray, Joseph M. Fox

Theses and Dissertations

Air Force aircraft-painting operations create clouds of paint overspray that contain strontium chromate, a confirmed carcinogen, which poses an exposure hazard to painters. It is often assumed that all particles in paint overspray have the same chemical composition as the original paint mixture, however differences in composition may occur in various particle sizes. Because particle size affects where in the respiratory system a particle deposits, actual exposures to a specific chemical may vary. Paint particles greater than 2.5 µm are deposited in the upper respiratory system and will be eliminated by physiological removal mechanisms. Particles less than 2.5 µm will …

Modeling Chlorinated Ethene Removal In Constructed Wetlands: A System Dynamics Approach, Colby D. Hoefar

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to gain understanding of the dynamics of the processes that degrade Perchloroethene (PCE) to ethylene, or carbon dioxide (CO₂), within the confines of a constructed wetland. A system dynamics approach will be used. This model is focused on identifying and optimizing the naturally occurring processes in stratified wetland sediment that reduce mass, toxicity, mobility, volume or concentration of contaminants in groundwater. Contaminant fate and transport within a wetland system is extremely complex and the mechanisms that drive wetland behavior are dynamic. Confidence in the model was built through verification and testing. Reasonable …

An Information Visualization Solution For The Analysis Of The Afm Simulation Output Data, Stuart H. Kurkowski

Theses and Dissertations

With the advancement of computer hardware and software computer simulations are now able to run faster and track more elements than ever before burdening the analyst with more and more data to analyze. Air Mobility Command's (AMC) Airlift Flow Model (AFM) is the Air Force's logistics simulator that simulates multi-day mobility scenarios in a matter of minutes producing megabytes of output data. Because the analysts' needs for summaries, trends, and comparisons of the data have surpassed the capabilities of current desktop spreadsheet analysis techniques new tools are needed.

Toxicity Of Tolyltriazole To Bacillus Microorganisms, Christopher J. Leonard

Theses and Dissertations

The safety of air travel in cold weather depends upon the use of aircraft deicing fluids (ADAF). The environmental and toxic effects of the ADAF component tolyltriazole are not well understood. Tolyltriazole is a potential human carcinogen and has exhibited microbial toxicity in Microtox test. This research used two methods to investigate the toxicity of tolyltriazole on bacillus shaped microorganisms. The first method compared the dissolved oxygen uptake of microcosms exposed to varying concentrations of tolyltriazole. When exposed to 1000 ppm tolyltriazole, all isolated species showed inhibition in respiration. There was no evidence that tolyltriazole at

A Pharmacokinetic Study Of The Effects Of Stress On Chemical Exposure, Sierra H. Suhajda

Theses and Dissertations

Following the Gulf War there were many concerns raised about human exposure to the combination of chemicals and stress. Stress causes several changes in basic functions of a human body, from breathing and blood flow changes to hormonal and enzyme changes, and increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier. Each of these changes can strongly influence chemical uptake, distribution, and accumulation in the body. The purpose of this thesis was to model and predict the changes that will occur when stress is combined with chemical exposure. Physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling is one tool that can be used to visualize, predict, and …

Data Warehouse Techniques To Support Global On-Demand Weather Forecast Metrics, Meriellen C. Joga

Theses and Dissertations

Air Force pilots and other operators make crucial mission planning decisions based on weather forecasts; therefore, the ability to forecast the weather accurately is a critical issue to Air Force Weather (AFW) and its customers. The goal of this research is to provide Air Force Weather with a methodology to automate statistical data analysis for the purpose of providing on-demand metrics. A data warehousing methodology is developed and applied to the weather metrics problem in order to present an option that will facilitate on-demand metrics. On-line analytical processing (OLAP) and data mining solutions are also discussed.

Chromate Dissociation From Primer Paint In Simulated Lung Fluid, Tiffany J. R. Morgan

Theses and Dissertations

OSHA has proposed a new strontium chromate exposure standard that would potentially cause Air Force paint facilities to be in violation of the proposed standard if adopted. This proposed reduction make the continued use of chromate containing primer paints very difficult. There is currently no acceptable replacements for chromate containing primer paints on AF aircraft. This study suggests that paint particles with chromate bound in primer paint may be unavailable for bodily absorption if inhaled and a reduced standard for painting applications may be unnecessary. Primer paint overspray was collected into simulated lung fluid (SLF) and allowed 6 hr, 24 …