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Fmla Notice Requirements And The Chevron Test: Maintaining A Hard-Fought Balance, Shay E. Zeemer

Vanderbilt Law Review

The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 ("FMLA" or "the Act"), an act that extends twelve weeks leave to employees for certain medical and family situations, seemed like a panacea for the everyday battles employees face in balancing work and family needs.' At last, the Act's supporters thought, an employee can take time off to care for a loved one, or have a child, and return to find his or her job intact. In the eight years since its enactment, how- ever, the FMLA finds employees and employers alike disillusioned, uncertain about rights and obligations, and still fighting to …

The Challenge Of Policing Immigrant Communities, Benjamin J. Goold

All Faculty Publications

Providing effective policing for immigrant communities is one of the greatest challenges facing law enforcement agencies in the United States today. Despite the fact that police departments across the country have worked hard to improve their relations with immigrant communities in recent years, research suggests that many immigrants continue to encounter considerable difficulties in their dealings with the police and the criminal justice system in general. Language barriers, cultural differences, and a lack of familiarity with the US legal system, are all factors that can prevent immigrants from gaining access to justice or taking advantage of important criminal justice services. …

An Examination Of Collaborative Practice In Anesthesia Care Team Settings And Occupational Stress In Nurse Anesthetists, Steve Louis Alves

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to provide a comprehensive understanding of the nature of certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) scope of practice (SOP), collaboration with anesthesiologists in anesthesia care team (ACT) settings, and occupational stress. A critical philosophy viewpoint serves as a broad perspective in understanding the depiction of domination and conflict between CRNAs and anesthesiologists in ACT environments. The theoretical basis for this study was derived from the quality of nursing practice framework, with an elaboration of the process component to examine CRNA's scope of practice, collaboration between CRNAs and anesthesiologists, and role-related occupational stress. A mailed survey …

Breast Cancer Experiences: Women's Reflections Years After Diagnosis, Margaret Barton-Burke

Open Access Dissertations

Many women diagnosed with breast cancer m the last decade are either living with active treatment for the disease or are classified as cured but living with the sequelae of the disease or treatment. Most research has been on the physical aspects of the disease and conducted during or immediately after active treatment. Information beyond the physical dimension of women's experiences is small and narrowly focused, and research beyond 5 years is almost nonexistent. A full depiction of the multidimensional nature of being diagnosed with, treated for, recovering from, and living with the aftermath of breast cancer is lacking. The …

The Internal Process Of Therapeutic Touch As Nursing Action, Denise Ann Coppa

Open Access Dissertations

Therapeutic Touch (TT) is a complementary healing modality utilized by health care providers to reduce anxiety, accelerate relaxation, decrease pain, and boost the immune systems of clients. Although there is a standard in the literature as described by Krieger (1979), very little has been written about whether the core process of TT conforms to the standard and whether there are differences between the process as practiced in adults compared to children. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the core process of TT in adults and children as practiced and perceived by five professional nurses who had extensive …

An Exploratory Study Of The Effects Of A Training Program On The Ability To Prepare A Breakfast Meal By Clients With Mild Alzheimer's Disease, Alicia J. Curtin

Open Access Dissertations

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the insidious onset of an array of cognitive deficits that progress over time and lead to changes in an individual's ability to even perform simple tasks, such as preparing meals. Recently, researchers have demonstrated that clients with mild AD have preserved procedural memory function despite significant cognitive deficits. Procedural memory is an automatic, unconscious process, requiring practice and repetition to activate the particular structures involved in learning tasks. Skills training is a strategy using repetition and practice to enhance the client's ability to perform a certain task. An exploratory design using direct observation and …

A Participant Observation Study Of Experienced Nurses' Presence In Daily Care, Paulette Anne Osterman

Open Access Dissertations

As important as presence is to nursing, it often lacks conceptual clarity and systematic empirical observation in nursing practice. However, in the few qualitative studies with presence as a focus researchers have not considered both nurse and patient in interaction in present time nor included the nature of the patient's perception of the nurse's presence. In an earlier project in a long-term care setting, nurses were observed to be present in more than one way (presence, partial presence, full presence, and transcendent presence). In addition, nurses' employed presence for assessing impending health care changes early in the shift, and used …

Female Coping With Cardiac Rehabilitation After A Cardiac Event: A Qualitative Study, M. Patricia Burnside Quigley

Open Access Dissertations

Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in American women. Cardiac rehabilitation can reduce cardiac risk, but women underutilize cardiac rehabilitation. Research has not described how women who do participate cope with integrating cardiac rehabilitation into their lives. The purpose of this research study was to explore women's coping with a Phase II (12-week) cardiac rehabilitation program by analyzing interview data for common elements and other ways of coping. A secondary purpose was to explore to what extent the women's descriptions in their interviews corresponded with Lazarus' theoretical concepts of appraisal and coping. The purposive sample was comprised …

Corrosion Protection Of Aluminum Alloys Using A Chromate Conversion Coating, Hanan S. Mogawer

Open Access Dissertations

Corrosion protection of light metal alloys, including aluminum and its alloys, often involves the application of a chemical coating, such as a chromate. Chromates appear to be active coatings, which can repair themselves at defect sites. However, concerns over the environmental hazards that chromates present demand replacement by more environmentally friendly materials. Currently there are no entirely suitable replacements for the chromate coatings. More importantly, it is difficult to design such a replacement, as the mechanism by which chromates reduce corrosion is unclear. The research conducted provides information regarding the role chromates have in reducing corrosion of some aluminum alloys. …

A Proposed Model Of Medical Staff-Family Communication In The Context Of Cancer: Psychometric, Model And Mediational Testing, Dana Anne Gionta

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation extends our knowledge of the relationships among complex communication variables involved in medical staff-family member communication in the context of adult cancer. It does this in three ways. First, communication variables are quantified using qualitative data from previous studies in the area of cancer, communication and the family to provide a more systematic means of studying these variables. Manuscript 1 examines the psychometric soundness of these instruments with results indicating a single factor structure for each instrument, preliminary evidence for construct and content validity and good to excellent internal consistency (.77, .91, .93., .97). Second, a model of …

Health Professions Scholarship Program: Are The Armed Forces Getting Quality Osteopathic Physicians?, David Mcwhorter, Joseph Forester

Faculty and Staff Publications

To compare the medical knowledge and reasoning of osteopathic medical students in the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP) with corresponding civilian students, we analyzed their performance on the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX-USA) levels 1 and 2. The results from this study showed no significant difference between that HPSP medical students (COMLEX-USA level 1, N = 37; COMLEX-USA level 2, N = 34) and civilian students (COMLEX-USA level 1, N = 507; COMLEX-USA level 2, N = 492) on COMLEX-USA level 1 (p = 0.24) and COMLEX-USA level 2 (p = 0.50). Moreover, no significant difference was observed between …

Evaluation Of The Vocational Curriculum For At-Risk Students At Westinghouse Career Academy, Burchell Love

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem under investigation was whether or not the curriculum model and/or delivery methods used at Westinghouse Career Academy has an effect on at-risk students completing a four year vocational program. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the vocational curriculum at Westinghouse Career Academy. There were two research questions addressed in the study. First, "What were the specific factors that contributed to at-risk students being unable to successfully complete a four-year program." Second, "What were the changes that could be made to improve upon the effectiveness of the vocational curriculum for at-risk students at Westinghouse …

Assessment Of The Validity Of Course And Non-Course Prerequisites In Predicting Success Of Associate Degree Nursing Students At Monterey Peninsula College, Debra Schulte

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem under investigation was that the nursing program was not in compliance with the mandate from the Chancellor's Office of the California Community Colleges that each mandatory prerequisite be a valid predictor of student success in the program. The purpose of this study was to determine the validity of each course and non-course prerequisite as meaningful predictors of success for Associate Degree Nursing students.

Four research questions were under consideration. The first is "Which course prerequisites have content validity as prerequisites for the Associate Degree Nursing program?" The second was "Is each of the course prerequisites for the Associate …

Expanding The Study And Understanding Of Psychological Control, Brian K. Barber, Roy A. Bean, Lance D. Erickson

Faculty Publications

The two central purposes of this volume are to review the historical, conceptual, and empirical literatures on parental psychological control and to advance the rapidly growing scientific literature Ono this aspect of the parent-child relationship. Chapter 2 addressed the first task with a review of published material that has specifically investigated psychological control or variables that are conceptually similar to it. From this review of the historical conceptualizations of parental psychological control, we concluded that psychological control is a psychologically oriented, intrusive, constraining, and manipulating form of parental control in which parents appear to maintain their own psychological status at …

The Effects Of Rumination And Emotional Writing On Heart Rate Recovery Following Anger Recall., Danielle H. Hernandez

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Recognizing that stress is related to a variety of psychological and physical health consequences, several studies have examined strategies individuals use to cope with life stressors. Two such strategies are rumination and emotional writing. Although on the surface, these two strategies appear to evoke similar goals (e.g., exposure to negative life events), research has shown that rumination is closely associated with delays in cardiovascular recovery and emotional writing is possibly linked to enhanced cardiovascular recovery from stress. This experiment examined the effects of rumination and emotional writing on heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) recovery from the recall of …

The Development Of Policies And Procedures For Referring Collegiate Athletes With Eating Disorders., Brooke R. Andrews

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Objective: To write an institutional policy that outlines a referral plan for collegiate athletes diagnosed with eating disorders. Design: A modified Delphi Technique. Participants: 14 Team Physicians and 14 Head Athletic Trainers from the Big East Athletic Conference. Interventions: Participants received a first round demographic and policies questionnaires followed by a second round policies questionnaire two weeks later. Participants were asked to rate the components on relevance to a written policy. Results: The final policy outlines the medical personnel who should comprise an Eating Disorder Team, what evaluations are mandatory for an athlete suspected of having an eating disorder, and …

The Relationship Between Preschoolers' Academic Self-Esteem And The Quality Of Their Child Care Center., Kara Lynn Bodnovich

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The present study examined the relationship between preschoolers academic self-esteem and the quality of their child care center. Data on the quality of the child care environment from the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale Revised (ECERS-R) was derived from nine preschool classrooms, and data on academic self-esteem from the Behavioral Academic Self-Esteem (BASE) Rating Scale was obtained from 110 preschool children. The total scores from each of the measures were analyzed to find possible significance. Additionally, correlations were performed on the subscales of both measures. It was evident from present and prior research that there is a relationship between the …

The Longest Distance Between Two Points., David Lee Chance

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Longest Distance Between Two Points is a collection of short fiction and nonficiton stories written between spring semester of 2000 and spring semester of 2002 and compiled for my master's thesis. Three of the pieces were written for this collection and the other two are revisions of works composed for graduate writing workshops. The stories all deal with people who have some type of personal limitation that causes them to have trouble functioning in the world. Some of the themes that are explored in these stories are poverty, addiction, mental illness, language barriers and physical handicaps. Each story deals …

An Evaluation Of Double-Observer Point Count Techniques And Avian Habitat Use On The Camp Dawson Collective Training Area, Preston County, West Virginia., Greg Michael Forcey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Double-observer point counts are a new method of inventorying avian fauna that allow detection probabilities to be calculated for each point or species of bird. These detection rates allow estimation of abundances that are more robust than estimates derived from single-observer counts because detection probabilities factor in birds present but not detected. The combined double-observer (DO) technique involves two observers recording data together on a single data sheet. The primary observer dictates the number of each species that is detected while the secondary observer records this information; the secondary observer also notes birds that the primary observer did not detect. …

When Bombs Explode: Mass Print Media's Construction Of The Terrorist Bombings Of United States Targets., Thomas Joseph Leonette

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study follows the construction of terrorist bombings in four major United States’ newspapers. Data was collected from two sources, including a listing of the population of articles related to each attack and the first page full-length article of each attack. The population or articles were analyzed for date, length, and general intent and the individual articles were analyzed for keywords that corresponded to categories such as Aggressor, Victim, Motive, and Target. The data from these two sources were combined to provide a basis on which the mass media could be compared for the way in which terrorist bombings are …

The Effectiveness Of Rofecoxib On Post-Endodontic Pain., Stephen Howard Moore

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this clinical study was to determine if pre-operative administration of rofecoxib would significantly reduce post-endodontic pain, when compared to ibuprofen. Twenty-one patients requiring conventional root canal therapy were evaluated. Each of these patients were diagnosed as having periapical pain. The patients consented to a single-blind, random, oral administration of either 50mg rofecoxib or 600mg ibuprofen prior to conventional one-visit endodontic treatment. The evaluation of pain was completed on a pain survey that consisted of visual analog scales at the following time intervals: initial, immediately after, 4 hours, 8 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours, and 72 …

The Relations Between Spirituality, Religiosity And Reasons For Living In Older Adults., Andrea Kay Shreve-Neiger

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The present study examined the relations between measures of religiosity and spirituality and reasons for living in older adults. Participants consisted of 69 community-dwelling older adults. Results revealed that number of reasons for living endorsed was related to degree of religiosity, and that spirituality, or the more covert idiographic aspect of faith, was related to survival and coping. Religiosity and spirituality were found to overlap in areas of prayer fulfillment and universality. In addition, the top ten reasons for living in this population were identified. The implications of the results for suicide assessment and prevention in older adults, and future …

The Effect Of Selected Forest Defoliators On Mortality Rates And Crown Conditions In Hardwood Stands On The Allegheny National Forest., Randall Steven, Jr. Morin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

From 1985 to 1995, Allegheny hardwood forests experienced a rise in tree mortality. Over 85% of the Allegheny National Forest (ANF) has been defoliated at least once since 1984. Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) and Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) data for the ANF were used along with aerial survey data to compare stand characteristics in defoliated and non-defoliated stands. A GIS was used to map the FIA and FHM plot locations and the defoliation polygons for each pest of interest. The percent standing dead basal area and percent crown dieback for host tree species were compared inside and outside of …

Environmental Justice Through Pollution Prevention: Development Of A Quantitative Method To Assess Community Vulnerability And Air Emission Hazard For Optimal Impact., John Lewis Boettner Iii

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study develops a quantitative and objective method of analyzing community vulnerability combined with potential exposure to emission hazards. This extends earlier work concerning Environmental Justice Through Pollution Prevention (EJP2) initiatives for optimal selection of facilities for resource allocation for pollution prevention initiatives. A 1992 EPA report indicated that minority and low-income communities are exposed to higher levels of pollution in their neighborhoods than that of the general population. Environmental Justice is a grassroots derived term for addressing these disproportionate shares of negative environmental impacts, which are placed upon people of minority or low socio-economic status. The method developed identifies …

Cross-Border Workers' Compensation Coverage And Nafta: Analysis Of Coverage In American And Canadian Jurisdictions., Patricia Cathleen Kimpan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Workers’ compensation is a social insurance program with different attributes in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Workers’ compensation programs are largely privately funded. In all North American jurisdictions, workers’ compensation benefits are paid for by employers, through insurance premiums. More dangerous occupations have higher premium rates than do safer occupations and industries. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) makes more likely the possibility that workers from one jurisdiction, made ill or injured by their employment, will seek help in a transborder jurisdiction. A survey of North American regulators was conducted. Trucking and transportation are important industries in workers’ …

Wv Works…Does It? An Examination Of Post-Welfare Hardship In West Virginia, Elizabeth Carter Mcgaha

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In the six years since the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996 was signed into law, there has been a lot of talk about the large numbers of people who have left the welfare rolls during this time, but little has been said about whether or not those who have left have done so successfully. In 1999, a research team from West Virginia University (WVU) conducted a random statewide study of leavers in West Virginia, which examines the hardship experienced by former recipients since leaving the program, such as, the inability to pay for food, medical …

Personal Tobacco Use Behaviors And Tobacco Cessation Activities Of Dental And Dental Hygiene Students In United States Dental Schools., Amanda Suzanne Hatfield

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to determine and compare the tobacco use behaviors of dental and dental hygiene students enrolled in U.S. dental schools with their perceptions and performance of tobacco use cessation counseling activities (TUCCA). A survey was mailed to a stratified sampling of accredited dental schools with which dental hygiene programs (n=8) were affiliated. Results were reported in frequencies, cumulative frequencies, and percentages. With use of the JMP program, Chi Square analyses were performed to test for statistical significance. Response rates of 57.1% from the dental programs (n=7) and 100% from the dental hygiene programs (n=8) were …

The Induction Of Sensitization And Airway Hyperreactivity By 3-Amino-5-Mercapto-1,2,4-Triazole In A Murine Model., Kimberly Jean Klink

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

An increase in the incidence of respiratory disease reported in a herbicide producing factory correlates with potential exposure to 3-Amino-5-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole (AMT) and AMT based product 1 (AMT-bp1). In animal studies, no signs of systemic toxicity or irritancy were observed with concentrations up to 25% AMT or 40% AMT-bp1. AMT-bp1 was negative while a dose dependent increase was observed following exposure to AMT in the LLNA. An increase in B220+IgE+ cells was observed at 25% AMT exposure. AMT was negative in the MEST (up to 25%). Following dermal exposure 5 days a week, animals exposed to 25% AMT demonstrated elevated levels …

A Model For Building A Better Academic Web Site: A Quantitative Analysis Of Foreign Language Departments On The World Wide Web., Margarita (Maria) M. Toro

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis defines what an effective academic web site is, and examines the utilization of web sites by the Land Grant colleges’ foreign language departments. A system with the parameters of evaluation was created from studies that observed web users’ perceptions of web sites. Four main factors were analyzed: informativeness, interactivity, entertainment, design and usability. The results showed that departments of foreign language are not projecting a positive image throughout their web sites. Moreover, the web masters of the foreign language departmental sites are not considering entertainment and interactivity features as fundamental elements in the development of academic web sites.

The Technical Feasibility Of Using Treated Mine Water To Rear Rainbow Trout, Oncorhynchus Mykiss., Aislinn E. Tierney

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective of this study was to determine the technical feasibility of using the effluent of an active mine water treatment facility to rear Oncorhynchus Mykiss (rainbow trout) by performing an extensive water quality analysis, and monitoring and analyzing bioassays. Monthly grab samples were taken and analyzed for dissolved concentrations of typical acid mine drainage (AMD) metals (e.g., iron, manganese, aluminum, magnesium, and calcium). Additionally, sulfate concentrations, alkalinity, acidity, and hardness were measured. Further, a grab sample for analysis of trace heavy metal concentrations in the treated effluent was taken as a baseline measurement. Finally, fifty trout were raised in …