Digital Commons Network^™

Putin Administration's Policies And Russian Initiatives To Rebuild A Eurasian Empire, Julie M. Mura

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

As the current President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, nears the end of his reign, the shift in his foreign policy has become clear as well as the direction on which he has set the nation for his predecessors to continue. The shift in policy has come from above as represented by the Russian elite and central government, as well as a noticeable ideological shift from below by the Russian citizens, both of which focus on the anti-West rhetoric known as Eurasianism. The school of thought known as Eurasianism seeks Russia to reestablish itself as a Eurasian empire. The contention of …

Prgmdh Algorithm For Neural Network Development And Its Applications, Chetan. Tangadpelli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

The existing Group Method of Data Handling (GMDH) algorithm has characteristics that are ideal for neural network design. This thesis introduces a new algorithm that applies some of the best characteristics of GMDH to neural network design and develops a Pruning based Regenerated Network by discarding the neurons in a layer which don't contribute for the creation of neurons in next layer. Unlike other conventional algorithms, which generate a network which is a black box, the new algorithm provides visualization of the network displaying all the neurons in the network. The algorithm is general enough that it will accept any …

Range Assignment Problem And Security In Wireless Networks, Mohammad O. Pervaiz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

This thesis considers two important issues in wireless networks. In first part, we address Energy-Efficient Range Assignment in Heterogeneous Wireless Sensor Networks (HRA) and in second part, we present a survey on security attacks in ad hoc wireless networks. We address the HRA problem by selecting the transmission range for each energy-constraint sensor node such that a multi-hop communication path exists between each sensor' node and a resource-rich supernode while maximum power required is minimized. This is the first work to address this problem. We propose several solutions: an Integer Programming approach, a distributed greedy protocol, and a minimum spanning …

Response Of Tropical Marine Macroalgae To Thermal Stress, Brent C. Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

Short-term increases in temperatures above 31°C have been shown to influence the structure and diversity of coral reefs through coral bleaching episodes, but quantitative information on how these thermal events affect macroalgae on coral reef communities has rarely been described. Using laboratory mesocosm experiments, I examined six species of commonly occurring macroalgae from two functional form groups on the Florida Keys reef tract to determine their temperature thresholds, quantified by the point at which photosynthesis, quantum yield (Fv/Fm), and mortality rates were significantly affected. Red crustose coralline sp., classified in the calcareous group, showed no significant changes in Fv/Fm, and …

Readability Analysis Of Elementary-Level Science Textbooks, Robyn Trainer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

Given both the unprecedented attention to the importance of providing children with the best possible science textbooks and the overwhelming evidence that students in the United States are severely lacking the most basic science knowledge, the decline in the number of students pursuing science degrees is alarming. In spite of all the efforts being made, a disparity still exists between (1) the wealth of science information available, (2) the apparent ease of access to scientific information, and (3) the lack of scientific academic progress being made in classrooms across the United States. A literature review was conducted which included the …

The Technical Fix Or The Systemic Solution For Urban Water Quality? A Case Study Of Grassroots Activism On Behalf Of New York City's Drinking Water, Mirele B. Goldsmith

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This case study examines the activities of the Croton Watershed Clean Water Coalition from 1996 until 2004. The Coalition opposed construction of a filtration plant for the Croton water supply. The study traces the Coalition’s campaign against filtration, which took place in the context of the widely heralded New York City Watershed Memorandum of Agreement (1997). Although the Agreement permitted New York City to avoid filtration for its Catskill and Delaware water supplies, plans were laid for filtration of the Croton supply.

My study is informed by political ecology which provides a framework for understanding politics, practices and contradictions involved …

Job Satisfaction Of Iowa Public School Principals, Boris Sodoma

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In recent decades, job satisfaction has been the theme of numerous studies in both public and private organizations. As some researchers report, the examinations into the job satisfaction of school administrators have been frequently overlooked. Little attention has been given to job satisfaction among public school principals serving at elementary and secondary levels.

On a daily basis a wide variety of demands are being placed on principals. The legislature and taxpayers demand more services, industry expects competent workers, parents insist that social issues ought to be addressed, and the public wants achievement scores to improve. As a result, principals are …

Iep Meetings: What Are The Strategies That Make An Iep Meeting Successful?, Maria T. Cashman

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

All students who receive special education services have one thing in common. They each have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) designed specifically for him/her. The IEP is a valuable document that guides the special education services for a student. It is imperative that parents have a significant role in the development, implementation, and review of the IEP.

For this study, interviews were used to understand the strategies that assist parents in achieving active participation during their child's IEP conference. Six parents of sophomore, junior, and senior high students were interviewed. Three parents were identified as "involved", which means they were …

Alternative High Schools: What Types Of Programs Lead To The Greatest Level Of Effectiveness?, Timothy W. Gilson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Based on the writings and research of Mary Anne Raywid and Gary Wehlage, this study sought to identify characteristics of effective alternative high schools in Iowa. This effectiveness was identified as both student retention and graduate completion.

The researcher-developed survey instrument was distributed to seventy alternative school directors and/or instructors within the state of Iowa. The schools identified were those classified by the Iowa High School Athletic Association as class A through 3A. With sixty-one surveys completed and returned, this study proceeded with an 87% response rate.

The following conclusions were drawn based on the results of this study: (a) …

Exploring Intersectionality In Education: The Intersection Of Gender, Race, Disability, And Class, Amy J. Petersen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to explore the intersection of gender, race, disability, and class within education. Specifically, I examined the educational experiences of African American women labeled with a disability and from a disadvantaged socio-economic class. Employing qualitative methodology and methods, I interviewed four adult African American women from disadvantaged socio-economic groups to gain a deeper understanding of their lived educational experiences.

The story that emerged from this research was each participant's strength. Their stories revealed that each woman persistently and continually engaged in the world around them in order to negotiate, evade, and resist the dominant ideology …

Trends In Family-Centered Early Intervention, Jody Lee Albertson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Family-centered early intervention services have been evolving for quite some time, and the role of the family in intervention for children with disabilities has changed drastically. Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandated the family-centeredness of early intervention services, which is evident in the services and supports a family receives, the Individualized Family Services Plan document, and service coordination activities. The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) then conducts compliance monitoring to gauge whether states are in compliance with IDEA. State monitoring reports are available to the public online.

The purpose of this study was to …

Description And Evaluation Of An Interprofessional Patient Safety Course For Health Professions And Related Sciences Students, Debra Gerardi

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Team Disputes At End-Of-Life: Toward An Ethic Of Collaboration, Debra Gerardi

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Conflict At End Of Life: A Growing Need For Dispute Resolution Practices, Debra Gerardi, Jacquelin N. Font-Guzman

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

An Opera In Aid Of The Reading Of History, B. Mcevoy Campbell

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis consists of six chapters and a frontispiece/CD recording of a song cycle, Blue Orpheus: Hymns and Lullabies, written and performed by the author. This arrangement responds to currents within queer theory, which view questions concerning its historical and philosophical origins as diversions from its ability to determine present conditions, by reframing these "presentist" (and its close relative, "performative") orientations in terms of "place" and the corresponding laws and freedoms that originate from its cultivation—in politics, the art of memory, and systems theory and design. Generally speaking, to each concept of place I devote two chapters.

Chapter one …

Twins In The Kindergarten Classroom : What Factors Do Parents Consider When Deciding Whether To Place Their Same-Gendered Twins In Separate Or Joint Classrooms?, Tammy Marie Gehling

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In this qualitative research project, the topic of kindergarten placement of same-gendered twins is investigated through interviews with three mothers of young twins in a medium-sized Midwestern city. Specifically, the issue of what parents believe is the "best" placement for same-gendered twins is discussed, along with factors that shaped this decision. Advantages of both separate and joint kindergarten placement are discussed, along with such issues as patterns of twinship, mandatory placement policies, and early-onset separation anxiety. Recommendations are provided for both parents and educators regarding this issue.

The Relationship Between Sexual Behavior And Relational Aggression In College Students, Hiliary Baethke

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Although the study of relational aggression has been the subject of more research since Crick and Grotpeter (1995) first defined the term, the impact of this form of aggression on college students is still an area that requires more study. Relational aggression is defined as "harming others through purposeful manipulation and damage of their peer relationships" (Crick & Grotpeter, 1995). Current research on relational aggression has established that women are more likely to engage in relational aggression then men (Crick, Bigbee, & Howes, 1996). While research has typically focused on the impact of relational aggression on friendship groups, the impact …

Correlates Of Physical Activity Among Adolescent Males And Females, Rhonda Baumann

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between physical fitness measures, selected psychosocial correlates of physical activity, and self-reported physical activity among seventh and eighth-grade students in rural Iowa. Computerized physical fitness measures were obtained by the HealthFirst Trifit™ computer system, attitudes about physical activity were measured by the Correlates of Physical Activity in Children (CP AC) questionnaire, and physical activity levels were measured by the Physical Activity Questionnaire-Adolescents (PAQ-A). All subjects were enrolled at Tilford Middle School in Vinton, Iowa. Data were collected on 253 seventh and eighth grade students enrolled at Tilford Middle School …

The Relationships Between Four Strength Qualities And Sprint Performances In Division I Sprinters And Jumpers And Recreationally Active Subjects, Steven Eugene Blocker Jr.

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to compare four separate strength and speed qualities between Division I sprinters and jumpers and recreationally trained athletes. Nine Division I sprinters and jumpers and 9 recreationally active males participated in the study. Methods: Subjects performed 54.9-m timed trials. The 0-18.3 m (Split 1) time and 36.6-54.9 m (Split 2) time were recorded. Subjects performed multiple strength related tests. Back squat one repetition maximum ( 1 RM), 1 RM relative to body mass (}RM-Rel), peak power during jump squats with 10 and 30% of lRM (PPl0 and PP30), PP 10 and PP30 relative to …

The Hippocampus Supports Both The Recollection And The Familiarity Components Of Recognition Memory, Peter E. Wais, John T. Wixted, Ramona O. Hopkins, Larry R. Squire

Faculty Publications

The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) has been used to investigate the component processes of recognition memory. Some studies with this technique have been taken to indicate that the hippocampus selectively supports the process of recollection, whereas adjacent cortex in the parahippocampal gyrus supports the process of familiarity. We analyzed ROC data from young adults, memory-impaired patients with limited hippocampal lesions, and age-matched controls. The shape of the ROC changed in similar ways from asymmetric to symmetric, as a function of the strength of memory (strong to weak) in both the young adults and the patients. Moreover, once overall memory strength …

Family Acculturation, Family Leisure Involvement, And Family Functioning Among Mexican-Americans, Owen D. Christenson, Ramon B. Zabriskie, Dennis L. Eggett, Patti A. Freeman

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between acculturation and family leisure involvement and aspects of family functioning ( cohesion and adaptability) from Mexican-American parent, youth, and family perspectives. Acculturation was measured using the Bidimensional Acculturation Scale for Hispanics (BAS), family leisure involvement was measured using the Family Leisure Activity Profile (FLAP), and family functioning was measured using the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales (FACES II). The sample was obtained from communities in Texas and Utah and consisted of 74 Mexican-American families, including a parent and child from each family. After adjusting for sociodemographic variables, the …

Body Image And Beliefs About Appearance: Constraints On The Leisure Of College-Age And Middle-Agewomen, Toni Liechty, Patti A. Freeman, Ramon B. Zabriskie

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among body image, beliefs about appearance, and leisure constraints for college-age women and their mothers. The Body-Image Assessment Scale, the Beliefs About Appearance Scale, and a hierarchical leisure constraints scale were used to assess body image concerns, and leisure constraints. A convenience sample of 116 female students at a private American university and 76 of their mothers was utilized. Multiple regression and t-tests were used to analyze the data. Findings suggested that body image and beliefs about appearance pose leisure constraints for college-age and middle-age women. Findings also suggested that …

Information Pursuit In Financial-Statement Analysis: Effects Of Choice, Effort, And Disaggregation, Mark W. Nelson, William B. Tayler

Faculty Publications

Prior research provides evidence that financial-statement users weight information less heavily in judgment when that information is provided in a less accessible format (e.g., information disclosed in a footnote or less important financial statement rather than being recognized on the income statement (Maines and McDaniel 2000)). We provide evidence that, conditional on users performing the analysis necessary to transform the financial statements to appear as if disclosed information had been recognized, users may weight that information more heavily than it would have been if it had been recognized. Our experiments are set in the context of constructive capitalization of operating …

Devon-Wide Gypsy And Traveller Housing Needs Assessment, R Southern, Z James

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

Easy Grocery: 3d Visualization In E-Grocery, J Somerville, Lj Stuart, N Barlow

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

There are many deficiencies in the traditional electronic commerce schema. The main problem for consideration is the text and picture based design that underpins current HTML systems. This paper presents the online grocery shopping system called Easy Grocery which is available at www.easygrocery.co.uk. This system is based on the innovative concept of using a 3D system as an interface to the user during their shopping experience. Furthermore, this 3D system follows the mental model of the user as opposed to that of the developer. Additionally, the user is able to select the layout of the online store so that it …

Lung Nodule Detection In Screening Computed Tomography, I Gori, R Bellotti, P Cerello, Sc Cheran, Et Al

School of Biomedical Sciences

A computer-aided detection (CAD) system for the identification of pulmonary nodules in low-dose multi-detector helical Computed Tomography (CT) images with 1.25 mm slice thickness is presented. The basic modules of our lung-CAD system, a dot-enhancement filter for nodule candidate selection and a neural classifier for false-positive finding reduction, are described. The results obtained on the collected database of lung CT scans are discussed.

Supplementary Prescribing By Pharmacists In England, Rj Hobson, Gj Sewell

School of Health Professions

No abstract provided.

Risks And Concerns About Supplementary Prescribing: Survey Of Primary And Secondary Care Pharmacists, Gj Sewell, R Hobson

School of Health Professions

No abstract provided.

Stability Of Paclitaxel Infusions In Different Container Types, Gj Sewell, P Donyai

School of Health Professions

Objectives. To determine the physicochemical stability of generic (Teva Pharmaceuticals) paclitaxel infusions (0.3 and 1.2 mg/mL) in 0.9% sodium chloride or 5% glucose in polyolefin (Viaflo®), low-density polyethylene (Ecoflac®), and glass containers at 2-8 and 25°C. Methods. Paclitaxel infusions of various concentration/diluent/container combinations were prepared. Containers were light-protected and incubated at test temperatures with further analysis at predetermined intervals of 1-3 days for up to 30 days. Infusions were monitored for pH, weight loss, precipitation, colour change, and subvisual particulates as indicators of physical stability, and assayed for drug concentration to determine chemical stability. Results. Precipitation was the limiting factor. …

Creating A Tribal Law Practice Clinic In Kansas: Carving The Peg To Fit The Hole, Aliza Organick

Faculty Scholarship

This article will focus on three main challenges in creating a tribal court practice clinic. The first part will address creating a tribal court focus within an existing clinic curriculum. The second part will address the process of designing a curriculum for the TCPC that includes incorporating the basic doctrinal foundations of federal Indian law, as well as the clinical skills necessary to practice in a tribal court setting. The third part will offer some concluding thoughts on my long-term plans and dreams for TCPC.