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Expertise And Training Effects On Co-Ordination Dynamics In A Whole Body Rhythmical Task, Gordana Cacija

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research consists of two studies. The purpose was to investigate the effects of slow and fast music tempo on interjoint co-ordination variability in an aerobic stepping task. The 'step knee-up' task is a cyclical whole body movement performed on the step platform. The exercise consisted of a few repetitive cycles. A cycle was defined by eight counts, four counts for the left leg pattern and four for the right leg as follows: The first half of the cycle was counted: I. Step up with the left foot onto the 20-cm step platform, 2. Flex the right hip to bring …

A Phenomenological Inquiry Into The Patient's Experience Of The External Application Of Ginger, Tessa C. Therkleson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This Research Study explores the quality of the experience for the patient of the external application of ginger using a Husserllan phenomenological methodology, In this Study the phenomenon Is the patient's experience of the external application of ginger. A group of Anthroposophical Nurses in the Hawkes Bay of New Zealand personally selected seven appropriate consenting adults to receive one external application of ginger. Following their experience, the patients were asked a series of open-ended questions by the researcher, These Interviews were audio taped. The interview data have been transcribed and reduced to themes that have been explored and reflected on …

Is It 'Too Bloody Late'? : Older People's Attitudes To Physical Activity And To The Recommendations In The National Physical Activity Guidelines, Joan Jackson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Participation in physical activity confers many health benefits by reducing the risk factor for a number of lifestyle related diseases such as diabetes, colon cancer, and heart disease. Other benefits include improved mental and physical well-being. For older people the benefits are even more important; engagement in physical activity extends to such health benefits as reduction in the risk of falls and related potential injuries. However the most significant benefit to older people is that physical activity enables older people to live independently for longer and with a greater sense of well-being. This study explores, through qualitative research, older people's …

A Study Of The Representation Of Marriage And The Family In The Film Muriel's Wedding, Zoe Chambers

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Representations of the family in the Australian popular media in recent years appear to have shifted from a traditional nuclear family form to more diverse constructions, and the family has become an institution that is more often associated with dysfunction rather than the idealised notions of caring and support. This study will examine this re-evaluation of the nuclear family through a close analysis of the film Muriel's Wedding (1994). How the discourses of gender and nationalism intersect with those of marriage and family will be studied, in an attempt to understand this reappraisal of the Australian family.

Geostatistical Optimisation Of Sampling And Estimation In A Nickel Laterite Deposit, Mark P. Murphy

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Nickel and cobalt are key additives to metal alloys in modem industry. The largest worldwide nickel-cobalt resources occur in nickel laterite deposits that have formed during the chemical weathering of ultramafic rocks at the Earth's surface. At the Murrin Murrin mine in Western Australia, the nickel laterite deposits occur as laterally extensive, undulating blankets of mineralisation with strong vertical anisotropy, near normal nickel distributions, and positively skewed cobalt distributions. The mineral resources in nickel laterite deposits in Murrin Murrin are usually estimated from drilling and sampling on relatively wide-spaced drill patterns that are supported by local clusters of close-spaced sampling. …

Do Size Differences Of Juvenile Snapper (Pagrus Auratus) In Two Regions Of Shark Bay, Western Australia, Reflect Different Environmental Conditions, Nadia Tapp

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Aspects of the population biology of juvenile Pagrus auratus in the western gulf of Shark Bay, Western Australia, were investigated to explore the causes of an observed size difference between 0+ fish (first year of life) in the northern and southern regions of that gulf. Five trawl surveys were conducted in each region of the western gulf, from November 2000 to December 2001, to collect juvenile P. auratus. The 0+ fish from the northern region were found to be consistently greater in length by between 10 and 20mm LCF, than those in the southern region, thereby confirming those observed size …

Using The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (Meps) To Assess Antibiotic Utilization In Acute Respiratory Tract Infections, Muhammed S. Al-Sultan

Open Access Dissertations

Background: Respiratory tract infections (RTls) are considered to be the primary reason for prescribing antibiotics in community practice, accounting for 75% of prescribed antibiotics. Only some of these conditions, acute non pneumonic RTls (ARTls), are the focus of this dissertation. ARTls include acute cases of nasopharyngitis (common cold), sinusitis, pharyngitis (sore throat), laryngitis, and bronchitis. These conditions are, in many cases, caused by a virus and they usually resolve naturally without the use of any medication.

Objectives: Many studies have demonstrated the inappropriate overutilization of antibiotics in certain ARTls. This practice may be associated with high unnecessary costs …

Drug Benefit Plans For Elderly Under Managed Care And Utilization Of Lipid Lowering Agents, Susan M. Abughosh

Open Access Dissertations

Many health maintenance organizations (HMOs) have implemented programs providing varying degrees of annual drug coverage for Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in their plans. Older adult plan members in an HMO operating in central Massachusetts were able to choose among 3 drug benefit options starting January 1, 1994: full coverage for prescription drugs, a maximum of $1000/year in coverage, or no drug coverage. As such, cost containment policies have been shown to affect prescription drug use and other types of health service utilization. The unintended effects of this policy are important to consider. This research investigated the effects of type of drug …

Does The Texas Homosexual Conduct Law Violate The Fourteenth Amendment, Dale Carpenter

Faculty Journal Articles and Book Chapters

No abstract provided.

Nurses' Experiences Of Moving From Cure-Oriented To Comfort-Oriented Care In The Medical Intensive Care Unit Setting, James Mark Badger

Open Access Dissertations

Medical intensive care unit (MICU) nurses often struggle to balance technological competence, task proficiency, and attention to the psychosocial needs of patients. They routinely are involved in negotiations to maintain or withdraw life-support. Knowledge is limited, however, on how nurses move from aggressively attempting to extend life to letting life end. The purpose of this qualitative research investigation was to explore nurses' experiences of moving from cure-oriented to comfort-oriented care in the MICU setting. The use of a descriptive qualitative research design with brief selective participant observation and focus group interviews was used to capture the nurses' experiences. The study …

Elementary School Children's Stigmatization Of Children With Mental Illness, Yvonne M. Fausett

Open Access Dissertations

Stigmatization of those with mental illness, while well-researched among the adult population, has not received as much empirical attention in relation to children as the targets of stigmatization or as the perpetuators of stigmatization. It has been speculated in the adult literature that the stigmatization of adults with mental illness by other adults is a product of childhood socialization. This study seeks to investigate the developmental trajectory of stigmatization, beginning in childhood. To this end, the Children's Stigmatization Measure (CSM) was generated as a self-report measure consisting of 4 clinical vignettes (e.g., Anxiety, Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder, Depression, Normal), with 10 …

Life Experiences Of Cambodian-American Refugee Women: Segmented Life Stories, Jane A. Mccool

Open Access Dissertations

Of the estimated 50 million international refugees and displaced persons (U.S. Committee for Refugees, 2003), 80% are mothers with children (Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children, 2003). There is a paucity of research that explores refugee experiences with organized violence and healing following such events. Available research typically addresses acts of domination and oppression rather than life stories of individuals. Individual health and healing responses are ordinarily examined through the lens of psychotraumatology. A socialized view proposes that exposure to trauma is not a private experience and that the refugee experience of organized violence, the flight to safety, and …

Testing Of An Intervention To Decrease Certified Nursing Assistant (Cna) Turnover In A Nursing Home, Howarlene Sabrina Webb

Open Access Dissertations

The average length of stay for certified nursing assistants (CNAs) in the nursing home is 7 months, with a mean annual turnover of 177%. In addition, loss and replacement of a CNA is estimated to cost $5,000. Lack of recognition is noted among the factors for the high turnover that exists (low salary ranks first). Because few interventional studies exist specifically to decrease CNA turnover, there is need for simple, noncomplicated, user-friendly programs to successfully lower turnover of CNAs thereby, reducing the cost of turnover. This study was aimed at decreasing turnover of CNAs in a nursing home by empowering …

Predictors For Readiness To Engage In Low-Risk Hiv Behaviors In Men Who Have Sex With Men, Steven Lee White

Open Access Dissertations

The main purpose of this research was to investigate Transtheoretical Model (TTM) predictors of condom use in a sample of sexually active young men who have sex with men (MSM). A secondary purpose was to investigate the applicability of specific Multifaceted Model of HIV Risk (MMOHR) predictors of condom use and other interpersonal predictors of condom use in this sample of young MSM. A third purpose was to explore the impact of various behavioral factors and psychoattitudinal factors on condom use in this sample of young MSM. The sample (N = 185) was young men aged 18 to 30 who …

Writing Across Cultures: Contrastive Rhetoric And A Writing Center Study Of One Student's Journey, Christine M. Fox

Open Access Dissertations

As student populations in colleges and universities continue to diversify, composition programs do not always meet students' varying needs. English as a Second Language (ESL) students appear to fail mainstream writing courses at higher rates than their traditional counterparts, yet mainstreaming continues to be mandated, often due to budgetary constraints. Many programs offer multicultural writing courses, but these, too, are often ineffective for many students. Meanwhile, as Paul Kei Matsuda shows, there is a decided split between the disciplines of composition and ESL. Since ESL scholars have a much stronger history of working with diverse student populations than composition scholars …

The Effects Of Distress And Depression On Exercise Behaviors Of Type 2 Diabetics: Applying The Transtheoretical Model, Kelly Lynn Fisher

Open Access Dissertations

Adherence to self-management regimens among individuals with type 2 diabetes is a major issue. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of adjustment distress and depression, in relation to the Transtheoretical Model constructs of stage of change, processes of change, decisional balance, and self-efficacy for exercise behavior. A convenience sample of 125 type 2 diabetics between the ages of 33 to 86 (mean age of 62.3), were from a diabetes outpatient education center. Data was collected by mailing the following instruments: demographic survey, Short Geriatric Depression Scale, Problem Areas In Diabetes Survey, and Exercise versions of Stages …

Relationship Of Early Intervention Service Coordination Model To Quality Of Transition And Family Empowerment, Candace Adams

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship that variability in early intervention service coordination model has with the quality of transition from early intervention to preschool special education services and with the degree to which families feel empowered to advocate for their child and families' needs. Eighty-five service coordinator and family pairs in the state of New York were recruited for the study based on their adherence to one of two service coordination models: (1) dedicated service coordination or (2) service coordination plus provision of other developmental services (dual role model). Both service coordinators and families rated …

Creativity In The Time Of Accountability: Lessons From Three Middle Schools, Kevin Michael Hurley

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation presents findings relative to educational creativity in the time of accountability by examining changes in the delivery of English Language Arts instruction in the 7th and 8th grade classes of three high achieving Massachusetts public middle schools. "High achievement" was measured by the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System from its initiation in 1998 to the present. Data were collected through archival research and interviews with teachers and administrators. Discussion occurs regarding curricular adjustment and environmental change in creating a balance between curricula and climate within the middle school milieu. In this time of educational success merging with demands for …

The Personalization Of The School Environment: The Relationship Of Students' Access To Support From An Adult With Student Adjustment Outcomes And Experiences Of School Climate, Arthur William Lisi Jr.

Open Access Dissertations

Although personalizing the school environment is increasingly at the center of many calls for school reform, there has been little empirical data actually provided to substantiate claims that having an adult in the school who knows a child well--often the operational definition for such personalized communities--are actually associated with or have a positive impact on students' views of their schooling, their own feelings of self-worth and adjustment, and academic performance. The current study sought to examine the critical role an adult in the school can have in providing such instrumental and affective support. Data were collected from 27,604 middle school …

Latent Transition Analysis As A Sensitive Outcome Analysis For Longitudinal Data, Rosemarie Ann Martin

Open Access Dissertations

Three secondary data analysis studies were conducted to provide methodological and theoretical examples of the application of Latent Transition Analysis (LTA) to three studies of smoking cessation among adults. Each study was designed to evaluate an interactive expert system intervention for smoking cessation in three different populations of smokers: (1) Chapter 2 evaluated the expert system intervention versus assessment only in smokers from the state of Rhode Island (N = 4,144); (2) Chapter 3 evaluated the expert system intervention versus a non-interactive manual-based intervention in a managed care setting (N = 2,882); (3) and Chapter 4 examined the expert system …

Mystical Discourse As Ideological Resistance In Wordsworth And Whitman: A Transatlantic Bridge, Donald J. Moores

Open Access Dissertations

Despite both the recent trend in transatlantic scholarship and the central position Wordsworth and Whitman occupy in the Romantic tradition, there have been relatively few comparative discussions of the two poets. Although some critics have discerned solid connections between them, there is essentially a scholarly void in the critical record, and my dissertation fills this gap. A bridge between Wordsworth and Whitman is found in their privileging of a marginalized epistemology, which they expressed through a type of mystical rhetoric I call the "cosmic" mode. This epistemology entails the merging of self and other, a living cosmos endowed with consciousness, …

Assessing The Relationship Between Neuropsychological Constructs And Alcohol Use Among College Students, Louis Francis Ruffolo Jr.

Open Access Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between alcohol use and the neuropsychological constructs of executive cognitive functions and visual-spatial abilities in a sample of predominately first-year college students. Previous research investigating the relationship between these functions and alcohol use in social-drinker populations is equivocal. For this study, N = 94 participants were divided into two groups (frequent heavy drinking and non-heavy drinking) based upon their self-reported drinking. They were assessed through a brief battery of neuropsychological assessment instruments, behavior rating scales, and alcohol-use measures. Results showed greater and more frequent alcohol use and related negative consequences for those students classified as …

Home Care Nurses' Decisions About Pain Management With Older Clients, Jeanne Marie Schwager

Open Access Dissertations

Unrelieved pain is a pervasive problem affecting a large percentage of older adults. To increase understanding of this problem, a qualitative study was done to describe the decision-making processes used by homecare nurses in selecting pain management interventions for older clients. The following research questions guided the investigation: How do experienced homecare nurses define situations and make decisions about pain management interventions for older clients? What factors do homecare nurses consider in defining the situation and making decisions about pain management interventions for older clients? What is the stream of nurses' actions following decisions about pain management interventions for older …

The Role Of Nitrate And Carbohydrates In Modulating The Partitioning Of Nitrate Assimilation Between Leaves And Roots In Perennial Ryegrass (Lolium Perenne L.), John T. Bushoven

Open Access Dissertations

Nitrate (NO3−) assimilation in perennial grasses occurs predominantly in leaves. A growing body of evidence indicates that NO3− transport to and assimilation in leaves reduces the partitioning of photosynthetic products to roots. Since roots are dependent on leaf derived carbohydrates to support metabolism and growth, concentrating NO3− assimilation in roots may increase their sink activity and growth. The rate-limiting step in the assimilation of NO3− is its reduction to nitrite (NO2−) catalyzed by nitrate reductase (NR). The first objective of the present investigation was to compare the results obtained from the in vivo/in vitro NR activity (NRA) assays and to …

Development Of Culturally Tailored Measures For Hispanics At-Risk For Hiv, Shirley Amanda Gazabon

Open Access Dissertations

The HIV/AIDS epidemic represents an ever-increasing threat to the Hispanic populations in the United States. Much research has been done developing and validating HIV prevention measures on English speaking non-Hispanic individuals, but no attempts have been done to develop culturally appropriate measures for at-risk Hispanics. This study had four main goals: (1) to develop and culturally tailor an English and Spanish version of the Transtheoretical Model's condom stage of change, condom use decisional balance, and condom use self-efficacy scales; (2) to develop a Spanish version of the Multifaceted Model's sexual assertiveness scale; (3) to validate the English version of the …

The Influence Of Cognitive Reserve On Neuropsychological Functioning After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting, Susan Anne Legendre

Open Access Dissertations

Neuropsychological functioning is negatively affected in many individuals who undergo coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). However, the degree and consistency of this impairment is variable. Research in the fields of Alzheimer's disease and HIV suggests that the impact of various assaults to the central nervous system may be mediated through some form of cognitive reserve. The concept of cognitive reserve (CR) is based on the hypothesis that an individual's genetic make-up or experiences acquired throughout life, such as educational and occupational attainment, provide a reserve which allows an individual to sustain greater cerebral injury before clinical presentation of dysfunction. The …

Factors Influencing The Adoption Of Electronic Business In The Purchasing Activities Within A Business Organization Using An Extended Technology Acceptance Model, Kenneth J. Sousa

Open Access Dissertations

The implementation of electronic business systems has gained significant attention within business organizations. These systems have transformed the approach in which industries market, promote and sell their products and services. The adoption of these systems can increase competitive advantage, achieve cost savings and create differentiation within a market. Therefore, in order to fully leverage investments in information technology, it will be important for business organizations to gain a clear understanding of the characteristics and behavior of customers who adopt electronic business technology. Several research studies have used developed technology acceptance models to determine the influences on the adoption of various …

Evaluation Of Elementary Teachers’ Technology Skills To Enhance Curriculum Integration Through A Staff Development Model, Marie Fuller Walker

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to assess elementary teachers’ current skills and abilities in technology. The problem was that there was no evidence, hard data, or documentation of any evaluation of the technology skills of the elementary teachers of the Coatesville Area School District. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the technological skills and abilities of the elementary teachers to determine whether and to what extent it hindered the desired outcomes and to facilitate planning more effective staff development to address the technology skill levels of the faculty in order to enhance curriculum integration.

This study combined the …

Inservice Needs Of Online Adjunct Instructors, Judy Donovan

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation examined the inservice needs of adjunct online instructors in higher education, and offered training based on their self-reported needs and interests. One of the goals was to have the participants learn ways to improve their feedback to students. Another goal was to investigate the interest in staff development of online faculty. Online instructors often have an initial training course or workshop before beginning to teach online. Although this may teach the basics, enough to allow them to manage, it usually does not cover the finer points of the course management system, nor does it cover much pedagogy …

A Brand New Elementary School: Conception To Inception, W. Glenn Huggins

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to provide a practical model for building a new school. The basis for this model was the author’s experience as a public school principal with the responsibility of opening a new school. The context of this paper involved the initiation of organizational and operational processes for systems and structures associated with a new school. This model utilized recollections and recommendations of an experienced practitioner and might be considered a combination of a diagnostic aide and operational guide. This work provided a practical model for the development, design, construction, and initial operation of a new school. …