Digital Commons Network^™

The Influence Of Alerts (Callouts) On Pilot Visual Attention To An Electronic Taxi Map, Kevin Patrick Purcell

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

An Epidemiologic Survey Of Raccoon(Procyon Lotor) Latrine Sites, Gabriel Paul Roussere

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Determination Of Selenium Leaching Using Batch Tests And Column Experiments, Evangelos Kakouros

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Cross-Cultural Field Experiences In Costa Rica: A Qualitative Study Of Teacher Change., Peggy A. Romeo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In order for teachers to be able to think and teach globally, they must be involved in cross-cultural experiences; experiences that lead to change. The purpose of the present study is to provide information that may be of value in determining if the experiences of a field course designed around a trip to Costa Rica generate professional and personal change in the teachers who participate in the course. Methods for data collection included (1) in-depth, open-ended interviews of the participants before and after the field course; (2) participant observation of the field trip; (3) evaluation of participant journals; and (4) …

The Institutional Production Of Literary Value: Studies Of African-American Popular Music Lyrics And The Avant-Garde., Carl Silvio

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Recent decades have witnessed series of debates over the nature of the texts studied by literary studies. Some argue that the literary text is first and foremost defined by its aesthetic value, while others claim that the discipline should regard its object as a social document which reveals information about the society that produced it and exerts an ideological effect upon its cultural context. These debates, between what are usually termed “traditional” and “cultural studies” approaches to literature reveal a central contradiction that has divided the discourse of aesthetic value since its formulation in the Eighteenth century. The question of …

Islam, Indigenous Traditions, And Adventism In Kenya: A Comparative Study To Determine Effective Approaches To Evangelize Kenyan Muslims, Joseph Kilonzo

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Islam is spreading speedily in Kenya from the coast and the north towards inland areas, converting great number of persons and communities. The Islamic influence is evident in almost all spheres of life in the country, including social, political, economical, and spiritual. Muslims are particularly hard to reach with the gospel. However, this does not mean the task of reaching them is unsurmountable. The task of this project, therefore, was to provide a biblical, theological, and missiological strategy for presenting the gospel to Muslims in Kenya with the view of winning them over to Christianity (Adventism).

Method

The research …

Evangelizing The Secular-Minded: A Training Seminar For The University Seventh-Day Adventist Church In East Lansing, Michigan, Roy Anthony Castelbuono

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Topic

Today in many ways our world has been unified, not by a political empire but by a way of thinking. People today find common ground in a shared experience of living guided by a set of values that spans the divide of culture, language, and history. The process of this transformation is best described by the term “secularization.” Secularization best describes the far-reaching changes we find in our communities and in our personal lives, and is one of the greatest challenges the Seventh-day Adventist Church faces as we begin the twenty-first century.

Purpose

The purpose of this project was …

A Program To Improve Bible Study And Prayer In The Humboldt Park Hispanic Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Julio I. Juarez

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

A survey conducted in the Humboldt Park Hispanic SDA church (HPHC) indicated that its members, like many others in our post-modern society, have neglected personal Bible study (PBS) and prayer. The results of this were evident in many aspects of their lives.

Method

This problem was brought to the attention of church leaders (elders and the church board). Consequently, a strategy was developed for involving all members in a week of prayer and seminars centered around personal Bible study and prayer. The seminars were based on a review of related literature. A survey was conducted before and after the …

A Seminar On Reaching The Secular Mind For Members And Guests Of The Hickory Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Kenneth J. Ford

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Western civilization is now pre- or post-Christian. Secularism has entrenched itself in our culture. Many churches are still utilizing mostly antiquated methods of reaching a Christian culture. We need to discover methods to engage the twenty-first-century secular mind.

Method

This report is outlined in the following way. It gives a brief overview of secularism by defining and then tracing its origin and development. Then it gives an overview of biblical, SDA, and selected evangelical literature on reaching the secular mind. A six-session seminar was formulated utilizing Microsoft PowerPoint, to be conducted sometime in the near future.

Results

The results …

A Strategy For Reaching Secular People, Ernan Alpin Norman

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Secularization is a process that has effected and continues to effect massive changes in the cultural, social, and religious experience of many people. It is characterized by a loss of the influence of religion on society’s institutions and peoples. It came about when the scientific method became the principal means of discovering truth, while the biblical and theological perspectives became increasingly sidelined. People have become increasingly secular in their thinking, and many currently view the church as archaic, irrelevant, and boring. This presents a problem for the church and its mission in our contemporary society. Because of the lack …

Church Growth In The Khasi-Jaintia Conference, Meghalaya, India, Khrawbor Kharbteng

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The population of the Khasi-Jaintia Conference territory is made up of 80 percent Khasis and 20 percent other ethnic groups. The Khasis, an accepting and happy people, are receptive to the Christian message. This receptivity comes from their monotheistic concept of God and their admiration for the dedicated missionaries who brought the gospel but did not attempt to modify their culture, except for their refusal to accept social evils such as drinking, gambling, and sexual promiscuity. Seventh-day Adventism came to the Khasi region in 1915 with the arrival of E. G. Hardinge and family. The actual work of the Seventh-day …

Youth Ministry Strategies For Korean Seventh-Day Adventists In The United States, Joon Hwan Huh

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Since the ministries of Korean-American churches have focused mainly on the first generation, little relevant ministry to second- and third-generation Korean-Americans has been developed. The youth have been ignored by the church leadership. Consequently there has been a need to encourage the spiritual developmental stage of youth leadership, to clarify worship and relationships, and to design an effective youth ministry for the SDA Korean-American church.

Method

The task of this dissertation was to discover biblical principles and guidelines for the development of effective and relevant youth ministries for Korean-American Seventh-day Adventist churches. In order to meet this aim, Scripture …

A Training Program For Local Church Elders/Leaders In Northeast India, Kongyui Awungshi Shimray

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Local church elders and leaders in the Northeast India Union have regularly cared for nurturing and evangelism within the church. They have performed pastoral responsibilities because there are only eighteen paid district pastors in charge of over 130 organized churches and more than 300 companies. However, elders and leaders have no training to perform the task effectively. To enable local church elders and leaders to minister effectively, leadership training is required.

Method

The project considered first the concept of Christ's servant leadership as a basis for the work of elders and local leaders within the chinch. It also reviewed …

Development And Implementation Of A Stewardship Program At The Calhoun, Georgia, Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Paul S. Hoover

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Task

The task of this project was to increase the participation among the membership of the Calhoun Seventh-day Adventist Church with the financial stewardship need of the congregation. The study was to determine the number of families involved and to implement factors to increase church family involvement.

Method

A family giving unit was defined as a family within the Calhoun Seventh-day Adventist Church. A family unit is made up of a household whether the member is single, married, or married with dependents. Family involvement was measured in three giving areas of tithe, church budget, and debt reduction to the Calhoun …

Fashion In The Classroom And Perceptions Of Attraction And Credibility., Ellen Louise Kapalko

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to determine whether an instructor’s fashionableness has an impact on his or her students and perceptions of attraction, credibility, and affect. Participants were 113 students enrolled in introductory communication courses at West Virginia University. A pre-test was given to 14 graduate students who rated the photographs as being fashionable or unfashionable. 51 participants rated the fashionable photograph and 63 rated the unfashionable photograph for attraction, credibility, and affect. Results of this study showed that there were no differences in students’ perceptions of attraction, credibility, and affect between the fashionable and unfashionable instructor

Shake, Rattle And Roll: Hazard Modeling In Indonesia Using Gis., Jacqueline K. Snyder

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The islands of Indonesia are unique in that they are prone to more combined natural disasters caused by volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunami than most other countries. Indonesia is also one of the most densely populated areas in the world. As a result, Indonesia is highly vulnerable to large-scale natural disasters. The political structure, island setting and economic status of the country have prevented the creation and implementation of a comprehensive vulnerability hazard model. Such a model would be an invaluable tool in reducing both economic loss and human casualties arising from natural hazards because it would identify vulnerable areas and …

The Effect Of Environmental Illumination On Traffic Sign Conspicuity And Retroreflectivity., Allen F. Bildstein Jr.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Due to the high number of nighttime crashes and fatalities, Congress has mandated that a minimum standard be established for traffic sign retroreflectivity. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has sponsored numerous studies to determine minimum in-service retroreflectivity guidelines for traffic sign visibility and legibility. A laboratory study was conducted to determine the adequacy of the recommended minimum in-service retroreflectivity guidelines in situations of varying visual complexity and environmental illumination. Subjects completed a target search and recognition operation on a set of eleven traffic signs presented at four different background complexities and three different luminance levels, including the recommended minimum in-service …

The Economical Use Of High-Performance Steel In Slab-On-Steel Stringer Bridge Design., Beth F. Clingenpeel

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In the early 90’s a collaborative effort between the American Iron & Steel Institute, the US Navy, and the Federal Highway Administration began the development of high performance steel (HPS). HPS70W is the product of this effort and is currently being employed in bridge design. The benefits of this steel are higher fracture toughness, improved welding characteristics, and enhanced weathering characteristics. However, HPS70W has an increased material relative to traditional bridge steels. Because of the increased cost, there is a need to investigate the economical use of HPS70W in design. A few studies have been performed to explore this issue …

Burn Prevention Knowledge: An Assessment Of Restaurant Servers., Carrie Piazza-Waggoner

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Burns from hot food and liquid account for 100,000 burns in children each year. The current research targets a high burn risk environment, restaurants, in order to examine server knowledge about burn prevention and burn care with customers. Participants included 71 local restaurant servers and 53 servers from various restaurants who were recruited from undergraduate courses at West Virginia University. All participants completed a brief demographic form as well as a Burn Knowledge Questionnaire. It was found that server knowledge was low (i.e., around 50% accuracy). Yet, most servers reported that they felt customer burn safety was important enough to …

A Database For Dismantling Of Obsolete Vessels., Pooja Sibal

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This project developed a software tool and associated databases to show information on ships available for cutting, the ship name, type, year built, UIC number, ship status, light ship displacement, length, beam, changes made, dead weight, number of propellers, propulsion type, dismantling site and vessel site of the ship(s). Information on the previously dismantled vessels is also kept. The Database for Dismantling of Obsolete VEssels (DOVE) also provides total towing cost for a selected ship based on the total tow distance, the light ship displacement of the ship, the unit tow cost/mile-ton and the tow preparation cost. A cutting technology …

A Profile Of The Construction Equipment Industry In Mexico: A Perspective For Manufacturers Of Construction Equipment., Oscar Octavio Rangel-Celorio

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research is aimed at devising a procedure that includes the understanding and appraising of the advantages, disadvantages, opportunities and risks associated with investing in the construction equipment industry in Mexico in relation to economic variations. It is expected that the results of this research could be used by U.S. companies interested in the export-import business as a guideline for decision-making when considering accessing this particular market. This work uses statistical and forecasting models that show the relationship between economic variables and the construction equipment industry, and establishes different economic conditions under which these models may give alternative results, offering …

Private Commercial Law In The Cotton Industry: Creating Cooperation Through Rules, Norms, And Institutions, Lisa Bernstein

Coase-Sandor Institute for Law & Economics Research Paper Series

No abstract provided.

Switching The Default Rule, Cass R. Sunstein

Coase-Sandor Institute for Law & Economics Research Paper Series

There is a standard analysis of default rules in contract law, including those forms of contract law that fall under the label of employment law. But behavioral economics raises many complications. The default rule can create an endowment effect, making employees value certain rights more simply because they have been granted such rights in the first instance. Similarly, the default rule for savings plans, set by employers or law, seems to have a large effect on employee behavior. When the default rule affects preferences and behavior, conventional economic analysis seems indeterminate; either default rule can be efficient. In employment law, …

The Economic Cost Of Fatal Occupational Injuries In The United States., Elyce Anne Biddle

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Occupational injuries claimed the lives of over 30,000 American workers from 1990-1995 as reported through the National Traumatic Occupational Fatalities (NTOF) surveillance system. Estimates of the value of these lives have been calculated, but nearly all studies present an aggregate value, which sheds no light on the variations in costs for different case or worker characteristics. This project developed a user-friendly computer program to calculate the cost of fatal occupational for exclusive use by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The model estimates comprehensive national costs for all occupational fatal injuries reported through NTOF, nearly $30 billion …

The Quantification Of Oscillatory Force Parameters That Affect Eccentric Contraction-Induced Injury In An In Vivo Rodent., Kenneth Bradley Geronilla

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Skeletal muscle injury is a major concern in areas of occupational health and sports medicine. To date, the mechanisms responsible for muscle injury are not clearly understood. The objective of this research was to quantify the dynamic force parameters resulting from oscillatory contractions (stretch-shortening cycles), which are associated with skeletal muscle injury. An in vivo rodent experimental model was used to study the oscillatory contraction response of the dorsiflexor muscles in male Sprague-Dawley rats. In vivo testing of anesthetized animals was accomplished via a custom designed isokinetic rat dynamometer, which allowed for continuous monitoring of muscle force output. The rats …

The Relationship Of Interviewer's Communication Behaviors And Applicant's Evaluation Of The Interviewer., Seft George Hunter

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The present study sought to explain the nature of the relationship between interviewers’ communication behavior (willingness to communicate, self-perceived communication competence, and socio-communicative style) and applicants’ perception of credibility (competence, trustworthiness, and goodwill), general attitude toward the interviewer and belief that the interviewer should continue interviewing for her/his company. Results indicated that: (1) there was a significant positive relationship between perceived WTC, competence, goodwill, trustworthiness, general attitude toward the interviewer, and belief that the interviewer should continue interviewing for her/his organization; (2) perceived communication competence was positively correlated with competence, goodwill, trustworthiness, general attitude toward the interviewer, and belief that …

An Analysis Of Service Sector Growth Effects On Income Inequality A Comparison Model Of Metropolitan And Non-Metropolitan Areas Of The Appalachia., Cheryl Lynne Peskar-Johnson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

It is very difficult to find regional economic restructuring studies that examine economic well-being by analyzing the effects of service sector growth on income inequality. This study is a regional economic restructuring analysis. Through the use of county level data of 399 Appalachian Counties this study produced a comparison model of metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas. The main goal of my thesis was to evaluate the growing economic differences in income potentials that have resulted in new spatial inequalities in the United States. By regressing income inequality (GINI INDEX) against service sector growth this study was able to support earlier studies …

Student Preceptions Of Teacher Violations Of Expected Verbal And Nonverbal Immediate Behaviors., Amy M. Denson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examined student expectations of teacher behavior and how violations of those expectations are evaluated by students. The purpose of this research was to determine whether or not students hold certain expectations about their teachers and if so, which types of behaviors were expected or not expected of classroom teachers. Students were asked to complete the Immediacy Expectation Scale (IES) to determine if teachers were expected to use immediate behaviors and also to determine if teachers were expected to not misbehave. Students were further asked to read four scenarios that manipulated teachers as high or low in immediacy and …

Part I: Defining Good Corporate Citizenship: What Defines A Company As A Responsible Member Of Society?, Edward Fallone, Todd Kahn, Lawrence E. Mitchell, Reverend Robert A. Sirico

Marquette Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Quest For Uniformity In Mediation Confidentiality: Foolish Consistency Or Crucial Predictability?, Ellen E. Deason

Marquette Law Review

No abstract provided.