Digital Commons Network^™

Acceptable Casualties: Power, Culture, And History In The West Virginia Coalfields, 1900-1945., Paul Hellmut Rakes

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

West Virginia's coal mining industry experienced extremely high casualty rates during the first half of the twentieth century. This study examines the cultural, political, and technological factors that contributed to the hazardous nature of mining and prevented significant improvements in mine safety. The period was characterized by rapid advancements in technology which enabled mine operations to expand significantly. However, these technological improvements unleashed dangerous forces underground, such as increased accumulations of coal dust. The adverse impact of technological innovation was incompletely understood by miners and operators alike, especially during the early years of the century. When West Virginia experienced a …

Incorporating Risk Into Watershed Management: A Chance Constrained Programming Approach., Sujittra Rodsomboon

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Abandoned mine lands are areas affected by past coal mining activities that often pose significant water quality problems from acid mine drainage (AMD). Weather, a primary determinant of AMD, is inherently stochastic. The economic costs of treating AMD problems are an issue of importance to policymakers and citizens. This study develops a spatial model to devise cost effective plans for treating AMD in a watershed when pollution loads are stochastic and the level of certainty of treating all of the AMD is allowed to vary. Mixed integer and stochastic chance constrained programming methods are applied to a model of AMD …

Training And System Implementation Impact Study Subtitled: "But We Just Got Used To The Old System!"., Barbara A. Matey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Anyone who is a participant in today's workforce can attest to the fact that change is a constant and that workplace changes are often brought about by new or upgraded technology, which often means that a worker may become accustomed to a particular system, only to discover that it will soon be replaced with a new one. Today's technology is often packaged in the form of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system that revolutionizes the company's processes and brings about massive changes in the production of goods and services. These systems promise both the integration of different departments of a …

The Utility Of Perceived Stress, Locus Of Control, And Type A Behavior Pattern As Predictors Of Doctoral Degree Completion In A Non-Traditional Ed.D. Program., Barbara J. Mcdermott

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Logistic regression analyses assessed the ability of critical stress, locus of control and Type A behavior pattern to predict degree completion in a non-traditional Ed.D. program. The population consisted of students admitted to the Cooperative Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership Studies, a collaborative program offered by West Virginia University and Marshall University, from 1980 through 1997. The sample included 107 (74%) eligible respondents to the survey. Sixty-four percent of respondents were female, 36% were male with the average age at entering the doctoral program 39.5 years. Ninety-two percent of respondents were employed full-time during doctoral study. The student's scores on …

The Development And Validity Testing Of The Risk Communicator Style Scale And The Risk Knowledge Index., Jason Steven Wrench

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examined the current lack of quantitative research in the area of risk communication. This study set out to develop and then validate two different scales that could be used for future research in the area of risk communication. The first scale created in this study is the Risk Communicator Style Scale. The scale is based on the technical and democratic models of risk communication described by Fiorino (1989). This study found a conceptual problem with Fiorino's original conceptualization of technical risk communication. Fiorino's original conceptualization of technical communication tried to equate the use of scientific and statistical information …

Sowing Barren Ground: Constructions Of Motherhood, The Body, And Subjectivity In American Women's Writing, 1928-1948., Virginia Blanton Broaddus

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This project considers the demands American women confront about their societal roles, particularly cultural discourses that urge women to become biological mothers. These discourses become especially compelling during eras when women transgress ideological boundaries, leaving the constructed domestic space and taking places in the public sphere. I analyze responses to these discourses as they are manifested in literature written between 1928 and 1948 as well as in the late twentieth century. My analysis, informed by cultural studies and feminist theory, depends upon my use of intersubjectivity theory, particularly as articulated by Jessica Benjamin. I discuss the role of the body …

Leadership Formation In Ministerial Education -- Part 1: Assessment And Analysis Of Leadership Traits In Seventh-Day Adventist Pastors In North America, Skip Bell, Roger L. Dudley

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

No abstract provided.

Career Maturity And The Use Of Disability Support Services: The Effect Of Locus Of Control And Career Self -Efficacy For College Students With Disabilities., Bethanne T. Jacobson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Each year the number of college students with disabilities increases. For these students, completing a college education is important in order to meet personal goals of self-sufficiency, independence, financial security, and to allow for more effective competition in the job market. This study examined the influence of locus of control and career self-efficacy on the development of career maturity for college students with disabilities. The college students that responded to this study demonstrated high levels of career self-efficacy, career maturity, and an internal locus of control regardless of gender, ethnicity, academic level, disability status, age of onset of disability, or …

The Relationship Between West Virginia School Principals' Self-Perceived Brain Hemispheric Cognitive Styles/Leadership Styles And Identified Schools Of Excellence., James Perry Varner

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to identify the predominant self-perceived brain hemispheric cognitive styles and leadership styles of principals of schools identified as a West Virginia School of Excellence and to compare these with principals of schools that have not been identified as a West Virginia School of Excellence. The following research questions provided the focus for this study: Is there a difference between West Virginia principals of schools identified as a West Virginia School of Excellence and principals of schools not identified as a School of Excellence who perceive themselves as: (1) Right brain hemispheric cognitive style and …

A Comparative Examination And Assessment Of National Study Commissions., Barry S. Harrison

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation conducted a comparative examination of executive-appointed national study (advisory) commissions utilized by Canada and the United States. Such commissions of inquiry are ad hoc bodies which are established by executive authority, assigned a specific issue, crisis or incident to investigate, conduct their affairs openly, and conclude with a publicly issued final report. In the Canadian context there has been very little study of the more than 350 Royal Commissions of Inquiry created since Confederation. American presidential study commissions from Truman to the first Nixon administration were the subject of a 1974 study. This study expanded on that earlier …

The Effect Of Math Anxiety, Math Self -Efficacy, And Computer -Assisted Instruction On The Ability Of Undergraduate Nursing Students To Calculate Drug Dosages., James Edward Hodge

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study investigated the effect of math anxiety, math self-efficacy, and computer-assisted instruction on the ability of undergraduate nursing students to calculate drug dosages. The population of the study consisted of undergraduate nursing students at Mountain State University (N = 122), while the sample included students enrolled in a Math Topics for Nurses course during the Spring Semester of 2002 (n = 40). Mountain State University is a small, private university located in Beckley, West Virginia. Participants completed the Math Anxiety Scale (MAS), Math Self-Efficacy Scale (MSES) and a Drug Dosage Calculation Exam. Fennema and Sherman (1976) created the Math …

The Struggle For Community-Based Health Care: A Case Study Of The Rainbow Valley Community Health Centre (Ontario), Suzanne Galloway

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Rural communities are particularly disadvantaged in terms of access and control of their health care. Community based health care settings have the potential to provide the collaborative and integrated wellness care espoused in government declarations and reports. In this ethnographic case study, I relate the real life struggle of a citizens’ group trying to establish the Rainbow Valley Community Health Centre (RVCHC), in the small rural town of Killaloe in Northeastem Ontario. My objectives in this research were threefold: to contribute to the setting and document its development process; to reflect on my role in this process; and to inform …

Community Partnerships: A Case Study Of The Hamilton-Wentworth Supported Housing Coordination Network (Ontario), Jonathan S. Lomotey

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Community partnerships are growing in importance as means of improving social service delivery (Boudreau, 1991; MacGillivary & Nelson, 1998; McCann & Gray, 1986; Nelson, Prilletensky & MacGillivary, 2001; Wolff, 2001). Several research studies have identified them as effective means of intervention and for strengthening society (Nelson et al., 2001; Wandersman et al., 1996; Wolff, 2001). In this case study of the Hamilton-Wentworth Supported Housing Coordination Network, information was gathered from the participants in the partnership, documents and participant observation to reconstruct and analyze the partnership story. Current mental health housing policy in Ontario was also analyzed to determine its nature …

Lifestyle, Medical, And Socio-Structural Content In The Portrayal Of Heart Disease In The Print Media, Christina Jane Fuller

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In this thesis, l examined how cardiovascular disease (CVD) is portrayed in magazines. Analyses of health in the mass media provide insight into the messages that society receives on areas such as disease, wellness, medicine, illness prevention, and health-promoting and health-damaging lifestyles. In this thesis, l reviewed literature on health promotion, population health, and mass media. Through content analysis I examined quantitative and qualitative differences in the portrayal of CVD in terms of lifestyle, medical, and socio-structural content. I compared articles from magazines that are associated with different socio-economic statuses (SE8), ages, and genders (n = 104). The findings illustrate …

The Effect Of Changes In The Inhibitory Interneuron Connectivity On The Pattern Of Bursting Behavior In A Pyramidal Cell Model, Keun-Hang Susan Yang, Piotr J. Franaszczuk, Gregory K. Bergey

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Inhibitory interneurons play crucial roles in the regulation of patterns of activity in the hippocampus, and some types are thought to be vulnerable in epilepsy. The connections between excitatory and inhibitory synapses are important for generation of bursting activity in pyramidal neurons. The present study investigates the influences of changes in the connectivity of interneurons on the patterns of bursting in several excitatory connections using a multicompartmental pyramidal cell model. Simulations show that bursting activity depends upon changes in the connectivity of the inhibitory interneuron, and the location of the inhibitory synapses on excitatory neurons.

Graininess Of Spatial Distribution In House Sparrows And House Finches: Implications For Interspecific Competition, Carol A. Heaverlo

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In Iowa, the House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) is a non-indigenous avian species commonly found in areas inhabited by humans. During the past 10 years the House Sparrow population numbers have declined 54%. Competition for resources between the House Sparrow and House Finch has been cited as the reason for the decline. It has also been suggested that interspecific competition between the House Sparrow and House Finch is not the primary reason for the decline because the two perceive the environment on different scales: the House Sparrow is a coarse-grained species and the House Finch a fine-grained species. In three urban …

Health Promotion Evaluation And Needs Assessment In The Transylvania Region Of Romania, Bryan C. Byrd

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Since the revolution of 1989, Romania has been undergoing wide ranging changes affecting all aspects of the country including health promotion. As common to many newly independent states (NIS) the changes in socio-economics, on-going poverty, unemployment status, and the overall culture shock of political transition, has resulted in health characteristics and indicators improving in some areas but suffering in others. This project was initiated as a descriptive study of the health promotion practices of Transylvania, Romania. The goal of the research was to describe and discover the philosophical practices driving current Romanian health promotion practices, as well as to conduct …

Health Concerns Of Reentry Nontraditional Women Students: A Survey Of A Community College In Eastern Iowa, Diana D. Cooke Gehrke

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to investigate the health concerns ofreentry nontraditional women students in a community college in the state oflowa. This group was surveyed in May of2000 at the end of the spring semester. Three hundred nontraditional women students were randomly selected from a population of2,164 names supplied to the researcher by the office of admissions. The women were sent a 103- questionnaire survey accompanied by a cover letter and an informed consent. The categories covered were: (a) demographics, (b) tobacco use, (c) alcohol use, (d) personal relationship issues, (e) causes and management of stress, (f) health …

Board Members’ Perceptions Of Their Roles And Responsibilities At Centers For Independent Living In Iowa: The Impact Of Demographic And Experiential Variables, Kimberly Jo Hurley

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to determine if there were any relationships between the demographics and board experience of board members at Centers for Independent Living (CILs) in Iowa and their perceptions of their roles and responsibilities. A survey was administered to board members of five of the seven CILs in Iowa (N = 62, n = 36).

Although the sample was not large enough to determine the proposed relationships, descriptive statistics were used to summarize the demographics and board experience of the subjects as well as their ability to correctly distinguish between the roles the CIL board and …

Resolving The Uncertainty Of Preterm Symptoms: Women’S Experiences With The Onset Of Preterm Labor, Marianne E. Weiss, Nancy P. Saks, Susan Harris

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: To describe expectant women's experiences with the onset of preterm labor.

Design: Qualitative, using grounded theory methods.

Setting: Southwestern tertiary women's hospital.

Participants: Thirty pregnant women who were less than 35 weeks gestation, had experienced preterm labor within the past 7 days, and had no previous experience with preterm labor.

Data Source: Taped and transcribed interviews.

Results: Themes that emerged from the interview data included the following: recognition and naming of sensations, a consistent pattern of attribution of symptoms, the threat or risk inferred by the attributed cause of the symptom pattern, the associated certainty or uncertainty about these …

Rearing The Child Who Is Technology Dependent: Perceptions Of Parents And Home Care Nurses, Maureen O'Brien, Carole B. Wegner

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

ISSUES AND PURPOSE. Most children who are dependent on technology for survival live with their families at home. This study explores the perceptions of parents and home care nurses regarding rearing the technology-dependent child.

DESIGN AND METHODS. In this qualitative study, interviews were conducted with 16 parents whose child is technology dependent and 15 registered nurses who provided home care.

RESULTS. Rearing the child who is technology dependent is similar to but different from raising other children. Parental communication and negotiation of child-rearing expectations with home care nurses is essential.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS. Improved collaboration and communication between parents and nurses …

Legal Services Provision Through Multidisciplinary Practice- Encouraging Holistic Advocacy While Protecting Ethical Interests, Stacy L. Brustin

University of Colorado Law Review

No abstract provided.

Unfinished Stories, Oliver Houck

University of Colorado Law Review

No abstract provided.

Improving The Quality Of Care In Nursing Homes: Class Action Impact Litigation, Kimberly L. Intagliata

University of Colorado Law Review

No abstract provided.

A New Prescription For Abortion, Heather A. Smith

University of Colorado Law Review

No abstract provided.

The National Energy Policy: Assessing Energy Policy Changes, Gary C. Bryner

University of Colorado Law Review

No abstract provided.

Uncertain Waters And Contested Lands: Excavating The Layers Of Colorado's Legal Past, Tom I. Romero, Ii

University of Colorado Law Review

No abstract provided.

Sustaining Geographies Of Hope: Cultural Resources On Public Lands, Sandra B. Zellmer

University of Colorado Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Regulatory Minefield: Can The Department Of Interior Say "No" To A Hardrock Mine?, Christine Knight

University of Colorado Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Rio Grande Silvery Minnow And The Endangered Species Act, Sean O'Connor

University of Colorado Law Review

No abstract provided.