Digital Commons Network^™

A Proactive Approach To Juvenile Delinquency Utilizing The K.A.R.E. Program, Shae Cody Abram

Theses

This project will focus on the study of juvenile delinquency in America and the growing trend of juveniles between the age of 12 and 16 years old who are both the victims and perpetrators of criminal activity. It introduces a program called K.A.R.E., an acronym for Kids At Risk Education which is a proactive approach to addressing the root causes of juvenile delinquency.

Breakdowns in family life, neighborhood environments, socioeconomic, inequities, and peer group's pressures have contributed to this growing trend of youth crimes. Youth violence has become one of the leading causes of death for juveniles in this country. …

Incorporating Critical Thinking Skills Into The Language Arts Curriculum, Particularly In The Field Of Detective Fiction, Charles E. Bright

Theses

In this age of accelerated change and continuing complexity, there is a widely-recognized need to incorporate critical thinking skills into all aspects of everyday life and not simply as an optional philosophy class at the post-secondary level of American education.

Chapter One of this culminating project investigates the historical roots of critical thinking, with a brief investigation into the history of bow education in America (with slight digressions such as Alcott/Emerson's Temple School and John Dewey's Chicago experiments) has historically failed to foster the development of critical thinking skills in America's students by its centuries old tradition of emphasizing rote …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Optimism, Pessimism, And Depression, Brian E. Elledge

Theses

The relationship between optimism, pessimism , and depression was investigated . Graduate counseling students (N=44) currently enrolled in school were recruited by a sample of convenience to participate in the study . The subjects were administered three questionnaires measuring optimism, pessimism, and depression, as well as a data sheet to help describe the sample. Correlational analyses only showed significant relationships between gender and optimism, and between race and depression. No significant relationships were found between optimism and depression, or pessimism and depression . The implications for these findings are discussed.

The Impact Of Community Violence On African American Children And Families, Simeon J. Williams

Theses

This thesis will attempt to increase awareness of the significant impact of community violence on the social and emotional development of African American children and families and to examine the role that mental health and maternal and child health agencies could play in the implementation of effective prevention and intervention strategies.

The purpose of the study is to give an overview of the scope of the problem, identifying the extent, prevalence, and nature of the community violence in African American communities. Additionally, the study will review the theoretical and conceptual frameworks that have guided research in the area of violence …

The Effects Of Organizational Culture On Employee Motivation, Vickie R. Newman

Theses

This thesis will focus on the study of organizational culture and the effect of the organization's beliefs and value systems on employee behavior. Current research has focused on the organization as the unit of analysis, rather than on the individual . Measuring individual behavior at t he organizational level is a challenging endeavor . However, the measurement o f organizational behavior, in its individual components, must be assessed for each individual within the organization.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the internalization of organizational culture by individuals and the resultant outcome behaviors. It is hypothesized that organizational culture, …

Effects Of Training And Contact On Decreasing Ageism In Mental Health Professionals, Kristen Lyn Nachtmann

Theses

Advances in research on attitudes towards older adults can productively be applied to the problem of professional ageism. In this study a group of 50 mental health professionals ranging in age from 19-65 with 21 being male and 29 being female responded to a questionnaire entitled Aging Opinion Survey. This survey requested the subjects' opinions concerning three topics: stereotypic decrement, personal anxiety towards aging, and social value of the elderly. This was matched with their level of training in gerontology and contact with this population. ln general, subjects with higher levels of contact and training had a more positive opinion …

The Integration Of The Long Term Care Continuum Into A Seamless Health Delivery System, Virginia E. Moseley

Theses

A seamless continuum of healthcare services is necessary to serve older adults, caregivers and the community. Personal knowledge and experience of the author, a nurse and skilled nursing facility administrator. is combined with a literature review to determine a vision for serving older adults and caregivers. A vertical integration of long term care into a health delivery network traditionally focused on acute and primary care is proposed.

Employee Benefits, Kimberly Elinor Miller

Theses

This paper discusses how group benefits have changed over the past ten years, what corporations are offering their employees such as medical insurance, employee assistance programs, wellness training programs, child care programs, flexible compensation plans, continuing education benefits and retirement benefits and how each one of these benefits is set up . Employers want not only to implement benefit programs which will help them meet their organizational goals, but also to attract, retain and motivate employees. In order to succeed in these efforts they must install a program of benefits that is both cost effective and will meet organizational profit …

Estate Planning For The Senior Adult, Susan E. Weis

Theses

This thesis will focus on the study of developing a marketing strategy for an attorney firm with the main focus being estate planning and wills. Statistics show that approximately 77 million Americans born between 1946 and 1964 are now entering middle age. This represents one-third of the population in the United States who will be the senior citizens of the next century. Due to increasing life spans, the eider's role and societal views, this age group demands a change of their needs. These needs not only include elements suclh as Social Security and housing but a broader perspective of planning …

A Procedure Guide For Resident Directors Of Lindenwood College, Janice L. Pierce

Theses

This culminating project will focus on the role of the Resident Director at Lindenwood College. It is experientially bused and intended Lo address an identified need to document key philosophies and procedures that support the potential success of a new Resident Director.

The Resident Director is a member of the Administrative staff but is generally a temporary employee as opposed to a member of the permanent staff. The key responsibilities of the role are to provide an environment that is safe and secure and conducive to the pursuit of an academic education.

Management Needs And Development Of Nursing Administrators In The Long Term Care Industry, Myrtle Jean Darnell

Theses

This thesis will focus on the role of the nursing administrator in long-term care in the past, at present, and the requirements for the future. The major emphasis will be to focus on the educational needs required for the nursing administrators to function effectively in their role as top nursing leader of the facility.

There are many external forces affecting long-term care facilities: early discharges from hospitals result in sicker residents in the nursing home, a case mix prospective payment system is being piloted for rollout to all fifty states, and managed care enrollment is increasing for the Medicare population, …

T.H.A.N.K.S.: Teens Helping Anyone Needing Knowledge Service, Carole Dawn Arrendale

Theses

This thesis is a business plan for a new non-profit organization for volunteerism. This non-profit organization will connect college students, high school students, grade school students, and other nonprofit agencies for the purpose of providing volunteers to non-profit agencies.

The enactment of the Welfare Reform Act (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, TANF) has created a greater need for quality, well-trained volunteers in order to meet the growing demands for and needs of non-profit agencies. The □ew deadline for Welfare to Work is now 2-5 years and public assistance such as Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), food stamps, and …

Quality Assisted Living For Older Adults, A Study Of Three Single Family Homes, A Viable Housing Alternative To Institutionalization, Rhonda Lynn Dahlberg

Theses

Long-term care is one of the greatest threats to the financial security of older Americans and their families. People are living longer and because of this many are becoming frail, developing functional impairments and suffering from chronic illnesses. In the past, elderly people did not have many options when health problems made running a household too difficult to manage. It then became necessary to explore other housing alternatives. Previously, nursing homes were the traditional solution for individuals without the family resources to help them stay at home.

Today, new housing options are emerging. These housing options are gaining considerable attention. …

Motivating And Leading Today's Workforce, Janet Brown-Mitchell

Theses

This thesis will focus on the study of motivation tactics used by American companies in reaching their two most important goals - goals which are one, to grow and expand by increasing profits and two, to stay in business.

Organizations are finding that they cannot survive and prosper merely by laying off employees and restructuring . Events are unraveling at a dramatic pace, and businesses are no longer able to compete globally.

Companies must begin to think long term if they are to meet their goals. Downsizing and restructuring are resulting in poor employee morale, and reduction of quality in …

Working With Your Employees To Move Through Change Using Communication And Motivation: A Case Study, David G. Buck

Theses

This thesis focuses on effecting change in a government agency by the use of communication, motivation through incentives, and other management tools.

The United States Army Reserve Personnel Center (ARPERCEN) manages, trains, and mobilizes Army personnel. Its largest directorate is the Personnel Records Management Directorate, which houses the Accessions Division. At least 200,000 hard-copy personnel records pass through the Division for verification and processing in a typical year.

Eighty percent of hard-copy records transferred to ARPERCEN were also transferred electronically; however all were band-processed as if new. This entire accessioning process was redundant and inefficient.

Change was coming. The Reserve …

The Effects Of 50 Beat Per Minute Music To Decrease Anxiety And Lower Heart Rates In A Select Group Of College Students, Laura E. Burnell

Theses

The purpose of this study was to assess the affect of experimenter chosen 50 beat per minute music composed especially for stress and anxiety reduction on a select group of college students, and to examine its usefulness in promoting relaxation. The rationale for the study was based on research done in the area of using music to promote relaxation, and on the composer's claims that this music has been effective on a variety of populations for such purposes. Thirty subjects comprised of 17 males and 13 females ranging in age from 18 to 25 years participated in the study. This …

Foreword: The New Estates, Lance Liebman

Faculty Scholarship

Telecommunications Law is under pressure from fast-paced technological advances and changes in the industry structure. As the high-stakes debates plays itself out in federal and state legislatures, agencies and courts, the academic study is struggling to catch up. The author poses provocative questions about the present and future of Telecommunications Law. Of paramount interest are the ill-fitting legal categories that continue to influence crucial determinations about the level of First Amendment protection accorded various communications media, and the reach of Constitutional Takings doctrine that pits incumbent regulated industries against government regulators and up-start competitors looking to shake-up the established order. …

The Legal Architecture Of Virtual Stores: World Wide Web Sites And The Uniform Commercial Code, Walter Effross

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

No abstract provided.

The Characterization Of An Amiid Species From The Fort Union Rock Formation Of The Early Paleocene, Alexis Penot

Honors Capstone Projects and Theses

No abstract provided.

Parasites, Porotic Hyperostosis, And The Implications Of Changing Perspectives, T. D. Holland, Michael J. O'Brien

History Faculty Publications (Archived)

Cribra orbitalia and porotic hyperostosis traditionally have been viewed (at least by archaeologists) as indicators of chronic iron deficiency anemia resulting from a dependency upon maize. Recent interpretations, however, have sought to explain these conditions as an evolutionary, adaptive response to intestinal parasites rather than as a consequence of poor nutrition. Thus diet is eliminated as a contributing factor. This model, however, adopts too simplistic a view of evolution. Furthermore, it concomitantly severs the well-documented link that exists between cranial lesions and cereal-based subsistence. A more realistic approach would be to incorporate both diet and pathogens (bacterial as well as …

The Impact Of Good Father-Son Relationships On The Son's Development From Adolescent To Middle Age: A Qualitative Study., Wayne Francis Coombs

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This is a qualitative study regarding the impact of good father-son relationships on the son's development between adolescence to middle age with a homogeneous group of middle-aged men. Literature regarding the study of father-son relationships is reviewed along with historical and current theoretical perspectives. The literature contains a great deal of information pertaining to poor father-son relationships and essentially no information regarding good relationships. The major focus of this study was then to identify the components of a good father-son relationship and describe the impact of these on the son's life. It was found that a "good enough" father-son relationship …

Computer Programming: Science, Art, Or Both?, Sandra Trent Gum

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to determine if spatial intelligence contributes to a student's success in a computer science major or if mathematical-logical intelligence is sufficient data on which to base a prediction of success. The study was performed at a small university. The sample consisted of 15 computer science (CS) majors, enrolled in a computer science class, and 15 non-CS-majors, enrolled in a statistics class. Seven of the CS-majors were considered advanced and seven were considered less advanced. The independent measures were: the mathematics and the English scores from the ACT/SAT (CS-majors); a questionnaire to obtain personal information; …

The Relationship Between Public Sector Higher Education Level-Four Grievant Variables And Third-Party Discipline And Discharge Arbitration Case Determinations At The West Virginia Education And State Employees Grievance Board, Years 1985-1995., Ellen Jane Barnes

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examined the relationship between grievant variables (case description, case issue, gender, seriousness of the case) and case determination (denied/granted). A disk copy of QA4 database years 1985 to 1995 was provided by the West Virginia Education and State Employees Grievance Board. The approximate 222 higher education synopses reports were read to locate the population. Fifty-five higher education discipline and discharge synopsis reports were isolated. Key words used by the Board assisted in isolating the population. The 55 higher education synopsis reports were printed out to compare to information on case decisions housed in the West Virginia Secretary of …

Involvement And Persistence: Nontraditional Student Perceptions Of The Student-College Relationship., James Leonard Butcher

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study was based upon the premise that college students who perceive themselves to matter to their institutions will be more involved and inclined to persist in their educational experiences than those who perceive themselves to be marginalized. The study pursued the question of possible relationships among student perceptions of mattering, involvement and persistence with emphasis on nontraditional student issues. A questionnaire, The Mattering Scales for Adult Students in Postsecondary Education, with additional sections to measure perceptions of involvement and persistence, was administered to a sample of nontraditional and traditional students at a commuter oriented co-educational institution of 6,500 students …

Parent Perceptions Of Accreditation Standards In Early Childhood Education., Lori Elizabeth Casto

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A major problem in the development of a profession in early childhood education is the lack of recognized research data relevant to practice. Parents supply an ongoing demand for the education of their children, and researchers need to determine what dimensions of quality parents find most important. The present research investigated parents' perceptions of the National Association for the Education of Young Children's (NAEYC) Accreditation Standards. Seventy-six licensed preschools and daycare centers were randomly drawn and stratified by type and size of center (NAEYC Accredited, Head Start, Large, and Small). Surveys were sent to the director of each center for …

Prediction Of Premature Termination From Residential Substance Abuse Rehabilitation., Frank Robert Hershberger

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A significant proportion of clients utilizing substance abuse programs fail to successfully complete a course of treatment. High attrition rates represent a large number of clients who do not receive the full benefit of treatment. Both clients and treatment programs are adversely affected by premature termination. The present research focused on prediction of discharge status from residential substance abuse rehabilitation. A discriminant function analysis resulted in a prediction equation which incorporated nine sociodemographic variables. This equation correctly classified the discharge status of 67% of the prediction sample of 252 subjects. The equation was cross validated in a stratified random sample …

Examination Of A Cumulative Strategies Model For Drug Abuse Prevention: Risk Factor Reduction In High-Risk Children., Kimberly Ann Horn

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A Cumulative Strategies Model for drug abuse prevention employs a process by which two or more drug abuse prevention strategies are used conjointly, such that each strategy targets two or more factors that place children at high risk for drug abuse. This model was examined using an innovative multiple component program called CHOICES. CHOICES emphasizes the reduction of risk factors that are characteristic of a high risk population of children of alcoholics and predictive of drug abuse. Using a repeated measures multiple baseline design, the results of this study revealed that the Cumulative Strategies Model inherent to the CHOICES program …

Field Dependence-Independence And Sports With A Preponderance Of Closed Or Open Skills, Wenhao Liu

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The focus of much research on field dependence-independence in sport settings has been on the relationship of field dependence-independence to sports with a preponderance of closed or open skills since 1970s. Although most of the previous research supported the claim that field dependence is of greater advantage to sports with a preponderance of open skills and field independence an advantage to sports with a preponderance of closed skills, several studies provided inconsistent and contradictory results. In addition, few of those studies involved adequate sports and sample size and some used a different sport classification. Little comparison, if any, of field …

Role Of Calcium And Other Cations On Contractile Vacuole Activity Of Tetrahymena Thermophila, Robert William Bird

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The contractile vacuole (CV) of Tetrahymena removes fluids from the cell and maintains cellular integrity. Although many studies have been done, it is not fully understood what controls its function. Therefore, this study sought to further elucidate an understanding of what controls the activity of the CV. The effect of calcium on CV activity was studied. Twenty-four hour cultures of Tetrahymena were centrifuged, washed in an experimental solution and isolated. Single cells were measured and analyzed using computer video imaging and analysis programs. Compared to control cells, cells treated with calcium have statistically significant differences (P < 0.00001) in the following parameters: smaller overall cell volume, CV volume, and the interval between contractions. Calcium has an effect on CV activity. Increases in calcium result in decreases in cell volume and CV volume. Cadmium treated cells differed (P < 0.00001) from control cells in cell volume, CV volume, kinetics (slope) of contraction, and the interval between contractions. Increases in cadmium, relative to calcium, result in increased cell and CV volumes. Taken together, these results indicate that the control of CV activity in Tetrahymena is through stretch-activated ion selective calcium channels.

Relationship Between Selected Health Behaviors Practiced And Health Behaviors Encouraged In Instruction Provided By School Health Educators, Terri Long Jedlicka

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to examine the personal health practices of school health educators endorsed by the Iowa Department of Education to determine if their health practices were consistent with the formal health education instruction they provided. A health education questionnaire and health risk appraisal, designed to obtain information about the personal health practices and formal instruction provided, were sent to a sample of 200 randomly selected school health educators endorsed by the Iowa Department of Education. There were 106 usable responses for a 53% return rate. The majority of the participants in this study were females in …