Digital Commons Network^™

Internal Displacement Outside The Camp: Recognizing Displacement In South Kivu, Democratic Republic Of Congo, Maya Moseley

Theses and Dissertations

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been facing a displacement crisis since 1994. This study focused on eastern DRC, as it has endured protracted conflict resulting in the forced displacement of millions of people. The majority of internally displaced persons (IDPs) are located in the eastern region of the country, finding refuge with host families and communities. Despite the vast number of IDPs living outside of displacement camps, scholars and practitioners generally focus their attention on camps. The purpose of this research was to examine the experiences of IDPs living in host communities, to shed light on this …

Conditional Cash Transfer In Egypt: The Need For Proper Financial And Administrative Controls, Ahmed Fathy Badawy

Theses and Dissertations

Conditional cash transfer (CCT) programs, as one of the most efficient social protection programs, use large amount of public resources. Such programs are prone to leakage of public resources due to risks from error, fraud, and corruption. Countries in Latin America have implemented CCT programs since the early 1980's and they have experienced leakages from error, fraud, and corruption (EFC) which requires use of mechanisms and a control system to tackle the risks of EFC. These mechanisms have been introduced in the World Bank toolkit on tackling error, fraud, and corruption. The recommended strategies to mitigate EFC address risks through …

Muslim Minorities In The West: Between Fiqh Of Minorities And Integration, Dina M. Taha

Theses and Dissertations

Fiqh of minorities is a specific framework/perspective of the general Fiqh that looks with one eye at the objectives and principles of Sharîâ a, and the other eye to consider the reality of Muslim minorities in cases that will, usually, only arise in the situation where Muslims constitute a minority. Fiqh of minority is, arguably, based on the premises that Muslim existence in non-Muslim communities, should promote a civilizational dialogue between the Islamic culture and other cultures. This paper argues that Fiqh of minorities' scholars attempt to provide legal opinions and solutions for Muslim minorities in the West in order …

The Impact Of Conflict Type On Child And Infant Mortality Rates: Evidence From Global Data, Ubah Abdulgani Adan

Theses and Dissertations

Wars kill, destroy, cause havoc and leave lasting impacts on the societies affected. Infants and children are particularly susceptible to these shocks. This thesis looked at whether there is a differential impact across different types of war (civil and international) on child mortality rates among children in different age groups (neonatal, post neonatal, infant, ages 1-5, and under-5). An unbalanced dynamic panel dataset, from 155 countries covering a period of 30 years (1970-1999) was used in this analysis. The empirical results showed that international war contributed more to the rise of neonatal mortality than did civil war. Conversely, civil war …

Health Care Management, Antigona Shuperka

Theses and Dissertations

Before the 1999 the health services were pure and as a result Albanians suffered the most. Moreover the health services have been improved during the post war period, mostly in Hospitals. During the last four years, the health services in Kosova have received a lot of aids and support form donators outside the country. There was a constantly rise of financial budget. Many of the health buildings were renovated for community to have better conditions, the personnel is correct and the patients are now having more benefits from doctors.

The achievements that our health services made are recognized, but there …

Literacy Coaching In The United States: Implications For Taiwan, Mei-Lan Lo

Theses and Dissertations

Literacy coaching has become a popular professional development approach in the United States over the last decade. To date, there has been little research on the different lived experiences and challenges of literacy coaches working in different contexts. Furthermore, research findings regarding the effectiveness of literacy coaching are inconclusive. To fill the gaps in the literature, this study was designed to explore the nature of literacy coaching in the United States and examine the relationship between literacy coaching and student literacy achievement, both from the perspective of literacy coaches and that of classroom teachers. An embedded mixed methods research design, …

Narrowing The Achievement Gap: A Case Study On How St. Cloud School District 742 Improved Academic Growth For Black Students In Three Years, George Earl Nolan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this case study was to identify gradual growth and improvement in test scores of black students compared to white students for St. Cloud School District 742 as showed in NWEA and MCA testing. The achievement gap in the state of Minnesota has been a pervasive issue that has long been discussed and analyzed. School districts the size of St. Cloud have seen dramatic shifts in demographics that have caused administrators and teachers to change their instructional approaches.

This study looked at specific programs, practices, and instructional strategies that recognized growth and improvement in state testing and assessment …

Understanding And Developing Use Of Self After Graduation, Hanina L. Stettin

Theses and Dissertations

After graduation from a master's program, organization development (OD) practitioners are responsible for their own continued growth and learning. This research was conducted in order to provide the diverse, and relatively young, field of OD with some sense of (a) what methods practitioners are employing to develop and improve their Use of Self and (b) how they feel it helps them be better practitioners. The research was conducted in two stages. Firstly, alumni participated in an online survey gathering information about personal and professional practices. The data collected in the survey was enriched through second-stage research consisting of interviews with …

A Comparison Of Maximal Exercise Responses Among Patients With A Total Artificial Heart, A Left Ventricular Assist Device, Or Advanced Heart Failure, Justin M. Canada

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate graded exercise responses to treadmill exercise in patients with a total artificial heat (SynCardia, Tucson, AZ). Additionally, this study sought to compare the exercise response in total artificial heart (TAH) patients to both advanced heart failure (HF) patients on medical management only and HeartMate II (Thoratec Corp., Pleasanton, CA) left‐ventricular assist device (HMII) patients. For patients with biventricular heart failure the TAH is a viable option to bridge patients until transplant becomes available. Its demonstrated improvement in mortality and increasing usage necessitates a shift in focus to quality of life in the …

Theoretical Studies Of The Ground And Low-Lying Excited States Of [3,3']Bidiazirinylidene(C2n4), Tetramethyleneethane Diradical, And Arsenic And Selenium Oxides, Rashel Makane Mokambe Sumpter

Theses and Dissertations

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Resistance On The Great Plains: The Bismarck Indian School, 1916-1921, Amber A. Annis

Theses and Dissertations

The Bismarck Indian School was one of twenty-eight off-reservation boarding schools erected by the Bureau of Indian Affairs to assimilate Native children into the dominant White society. The school, located in Bismarck, North Dakota, opened in 1908 and briefly closed in 1918. The school started back up in the same year and became an all-female boarding school in 1922 until finally closing down in 1937. When beginning the research I was confronted with a problem; no one had previously written about the school. No other scholars had offered their analysis, or interpretations, on the institution or its pupils. The work …

The Effect Of Middle School Athletic Participation On California Common Assessment Tests, Stephen M. Hawn

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the correlation between participation in middle school athletics and academic achievement and how this relationship may be impacted by gender and ethnicity. Scores from the cumulative California Standards Tests of 6th thru 8th graders were gathered and evaluated. The data used were from past years' scores that the school district provided for the researcher. The hypotheses formed were that a positive relationship could be found between middle school athletics participation and academic success. The participants in the study were students in 1 California middle schools located in Southern California. A literature review …

Psychology And People Living With Hiv/Aids: A Critical Review Of The Literature, David Fischer

Theses and Dissertations

The implications of living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) have evolved over the last 30 years. The view of HIV infection as an imminent death sentence has largely disappeared. From a practical perspective, HIV positive status is now medically treated as a chronic illness rather than as a terminal diagnosis. In response, the focus of psychological research and therapeutic practice has evolved to reflect the changing implications of living with HIV. This study documents how psychological literature regarding people living with HIV has changed over the course of the epidemic.

Role Of Lysophosphatidic Acid In Regulation Of Cancer Cell Metabolism, Abir Mukherjee

Theses and Dissertations

The simplest phospholipid, lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), is a heat stable component of serum known for its proliferative and migratory activities in cancer cells. Strong evidence suggests that LPA production and expression of its receptors are dysregulated in multiple human malignancies. The mechanism behind LPA-mediated tumor cell growth and oncogenesis remains poorly understood. In this thesis project I used ovarian and other cancer cells as a model system to examine the hypothesis that LPA present in the tumor microenvironment is a pathophysiological determinant of hyperactive de novo lipogenesis and aerobic glycolysis, two hallmarks of cancer cells. We demonstrated that LPA induced …

Effects Of An Intervention To Promote Stair Use In A University Building, Bethany Anne Marie Brandvold

Theses and Dissertations

Wellness programs have been implemented by companies and other organizations for various reasons since before the 1970s, and many have focused on the promotion of physical activity as a health-promoting behavior. Promoting physical activity via stairwell prompting at the workplace has become very popular in recent years. This study tested an intervention based upon motivational signage placed in the stairwells of a University administrative building, as well as daily emails sent to the employees in the building. Key concepts from Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and a sub-theory of SDT, Organismic Integration Theory (OIT) were integrated into the messages of the posters …

Narratives Of Nigerian Educated Women Pursuing Higher Education Degrees In Western Universities, Vincent Hassan Bulus

Theses and Dissertations

The impetus for conducting this research is near and dear to my heart along with desiring to make a change for the better. In conducting interviews of Nigerian women's experiences, struggles and accessibility to secondary education, the research shows significant barriers to secondary education in their narrative experiences that their male counterparts do not experience. Specifically, the experiences of these selected Nigerian women who have shared their aspirations, goals and accomplishments through narrative form can be generalized to the women of Nigeria as a whole. The cultural background is an overwhelming obstacle which, although seems to be slowly eroding, the …

A Needs-Assessment For The Development Of Out-Of-School Time Program For A Middle School, Samir Elmoghrabi

Theses and Dissertations

Communities that fall in the category of middle to low class economics are in critical need for Out-of-School Time (OST) programs to supervise students while parents are working; however, these numerous communities do not qualify for OST government funding. The purpose of this study is a needs-assessment for a middle school that does not qualify for government funding. Of 974 parents, 325 participated in a comprehensive survey. Eleven school personnel--including top administrators, teachers, and staff--and 6 community members including the city mayor, director of an OST program, president of school board of education, a business leader, and 2 library administrators …

Factors Influencing Pharmacists’ Decision To Report Adverse Events Related To Dietary Supplements, Ali M. Alhammad

Theses and Dissertations

Background: The increasing consumption of dietary supplements (DS) has drawn the attention of regulatory agencies, researchers and healthcare professionals. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not require premarketing assessment of DS considering them safe unless proven otherwise. However, the reporting rate of DS adverse events (DS-AE) is low. Objective: To describe pharmacists’ attitudes and knowledge of DS and DS information resources, and to determine the importance of selected attributes in pharmacists’ decisions to report a DS-AE. Methods: A convenience sample of practicing pharmacists in Virginia was surveyed using a web-based self-administered questionnaire. A conjoint analysis exercise was developed …

Role Of Extracytoplasmic Function Sigma Factors In Porphyromonas Gingivalis, Suhasini Yanamandra Sai

Theses and Dissertations

Porphyromonas gingivalis is a major etiological agent that is responsible for the cause and progression of periodontal diseases. The bacterium is exposed to various environmental conditions and oxidative stress conditions while it is in the oral cavity. So, P. gingivalis should have an efficient regulatory system in order to adjust and survive in the oral cavity. But little is known about the regulatory mechanisms that help the bacteria to survive in the oral cavity. So, it is essential to understand and characterize these regulatory mechanisms. The response and adaptation of P. gingivalis to environmental stress conditions occur at the level …

Second Grade Students' Cognitive Understanding Of Heart Rate Monitors And Pedometers, Carolyn Lee Tozer

Theses and Dissertations

Childhood obesity has become a significant health problem in the United States (Dietz, 1998, Blair et al., 2007, Robinson, Wadsworth, 2010). In children, obesity is defined as being at or above the 95th percentile for BMI according to age growth charts (Carroll, 2006). There are several approaches to combating the epidemic of obesity. In physical education classes, teachers are using are heart rate monitors and pedometers to assess the students' levels of physical activity (Blair et al., 2007). However, it is uncertain if elementary students better understand the results from the pedometer, or the heart rate monitor. A study of …

Cholesterol Dyshomeostasis And Age Related Macular Degeneration, Bhanu Chandar Dasari

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation work focused on retinal modifications that are relevant to Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in cholesterol-fed rabbit model of Alzheimer's disease (AD), as AD and AMD share common features. It is unknown whether cholesterol-fed rabbit model of AD displays any AMD features in retina. Previous research showed 27-hydroxycholesterol (27-OHC) involvement in AD like pathology in organotypic hippocampal slices of rabbit brain and human SHSY-5Y neuroblastoma cells. The extent to which and the mechanisms by which 27-OHC may also cause pathological hallmarks related to AMD are not known. Various studies suggested estrogen's (E2) role in AMD development. 27-OHC is a …

Adult Enrichment Learners In St. Cloud, Minnesota: Motivational Reasons For Participation, Scott Wallner

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to identify reasons and motivation of adult stakeholders that influence participation in adult community education enrichment classes in the St. Cloud Public School District, St. Cloud, Minnesota. The study also examined the perceptions about adult learners held by leaders, planners, and facilitators of these programs, and identified similarities and differences between perceptions by district staff and program participants.

Participants were 289 adult learners who had taken at least one adult enrichment course during the 2009 or 2010 calendar year. 284 participants completed the online Education Participation Scale-Form A, a 42-item survey developed by Boshier …

Genetic Relationships Of Wild Pigs (Sus Scrofa) In The United States: Geographic Origins And Genotypic Distribution Of The Species With Implications For Management, Blake Eugene Mccann

Theses and Dissertations

Wild pigs are a damaging invasive species with a long history in the United States. However, during the last 30 years wild pigs have drastically expanded their invasive range and are now present in 44 U.S. states. Though historic records provide insights regarding original introduction histories in areas where pigs are long-established, little is known regarding sources for new populations. To develop a better understanding of recent invasions, I utilized an array of molecular markers (mitochondrial DNA sequence, nuclear microsatellites, and nuclear single nucleotide polymorphisms) to evaluate both the evolutionary history of introduced pigs and gene flow between populations indicative …

The Urotsa Bladder Cell Model For Heavy Metal Carcinogenesis: Characterization With Respect To The Role Of Beclin-1 And Sparc Expression, Jennifer Larson

Theses and Dissertations

The development of bladder cancer is known to have a strong association with environmental toxins. This laboratory employs the human Urotsa cell line model to explore the relationship between As+3 and Cd+2 exposure and the development of urothelial cancer.

The parental Urotsa cells and their As+3 and Cd+2 transformed counterparts have been used to define the mechanism of cell death (apoptosis and/or necrosis). A third mechanism of cell death, autophagy, has not yet been investigated. The hypothesis for the current study is that the autophagy pathway involving beclin-1plays a role in Urotsa cell death mechanisms. A combination of real time …

Mental Health And Social Engagement Among American Indian Elders, Twyla Beth Baker-Demaray

Theses and Dissertations

Elderly American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) in the United States are increasing in number, and with their increase come a greater need for quality, culturally sensitive long term care. Mental health is one facet of overall health that is little explored for this particular population. Social engagement has been shown to be a protective factor for depressive symptoms amongst mainstream elder populations. This study looked at data from a nationwide AI/AN elder needs assessment. The purposes of this study were threefold. First, the data were analyzed to describe the characteristics of the study population. Second, a regression analysis was …

Positioning For Elementary School Success: Charting The Journey Of Adopting And Leading School Reform, Nancy Jo Burke

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this longitudinal case study was to develop a process and structure for adopting and leading critical school reform initiatives within a rural North Dakota pre-kindergarten through fourth grade elementary school. Elementary principals can use this process and structure to benefit staff, and ultimately, to improve student academic achievement. This longitudinal case study identified factors that facilitated or hindered a rural practicing elementary principal, staff, and school while implementing federal, state, and local school reform initiatives beginning in the 2005-2006 school year.

This longitudinal case study utilized a qualitative, grounded theory and case study approach to identify: (a) …

Sex Determination And Differentiation In The Common Snapping Turtle - A Reptile With Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination, Anthony Loren Schroeder

Theses and Dissertations

Temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) was first discovered in an African lizard over 40 years ago. TSD has since been shown to be exhibited by many vertebrates including some fish and amphibians, numerous lizards, turtles, and all crocodilians studied to date. Although numerous questions surround TSD, a major question focuses on understanding the genetic, physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying this process. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying TSD are not well known and the gene(s) that transduces a signal for ovary or testis development is not known in any species. Furthermore, it is well established that sex steroid hormones, androgens and estrogens, …

The Impact Of Time Of Day, Sleep, And Nutrition On Age-Related Changes In Cognitive Performance, Jaclyn Reckow

Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined how sleep, nutritional intake, and time of day moderate age-related cognitive changes. Research indicates there are cognitive changes associated with healthy aging. Many studies comparing young and older adults have tested participants at the same time of day. More recently, research has revealed certain cognitive tasks produce a synchrony effect, in which participants perform better during their preferred time of day. Older adults tend to prefer morning activities while younger adults prefer afternoon or evening. Forty-eight young adults, ages 18-35 (M = 20.7) and 25 older adults, ages 60-84 (M= 71.4) completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality …

Changes In Fruit And Vegetable Household Food Availability Among Low-Income Families Over A One-Month Period Of Time, Ann Alicia Wells

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: There is little evidence of how fruit and vegetable (FV) household food availability changes over a one-month period among low-income households. The objective of this study was to analyze how FV variety and sustainability changes over a 4-week period.
Design: Inventories were conducted in low-income family households (n=49) once a week over a 4-week period. Trained researchers gathered the weights of all FV, including legumes, within the home. Previously determined mean container weights were subtracted to obtain the estimated weight of the FV. All weights were then converted to edible cups of FV, taking into account the weight that …

Macrobotanical Evidence Of Diet And Plant Use At Wolf Village (42ut273), Utah Valley, Utah., Wendy Dahle

Theses and Dissertations

Farming played a role in the subsistence base for the Fremont culture, but there is no consensus as to how significant that role was. Maize is consistently found in Fremont sites, but evidence of wild plant use is also abundant. The use of both domesticates and foraged plants by the Fremont, combined with the diversity of the landscape and sites that were inhabited by the Fremont, contributes to the diversity of theories on Fremont subsistence. This thesis examines evidence for plant usage at Wolf Village, a Fremont site in Utah Valley. Wolf Village is ideally situated for a Fremont farming …