Digital Commons Network^™

Diagnostics For Choosing Between Log-Rank And Wilcoxon Tests, Ruvie Lou Maria Custodio Martinez

Dissertations

Two commonly used tests for comparison of survival curves are the generalized Wilcoxon procedure of Gehan (1965) and Breslow (1970) and the Log-rank test proposed by Mantel (1966) and Cox (1972). In applications, the Log-rank test is used after checking for validity of the proportional hazards (PH) assumption, with Wilcoxon being the fallback method when the PH assumption fails.

However, the relative performance of the two procedures depend not just on the PH assumption but also on the pattern of differences between the two curves. We will show that the crucial factor is whether the differences tend to occur early …

An Investigation Of Relationship Characteristics, Exercise And Physical Activity, Couple And Life Satisfaction, Mark W. St. Martin

Dissertations

Exercise has been shown to be positively related to many different variables including sexual satisfaction, mental health, and physical health. These variables, in turn, have been linked to increased life satisfaction and couple satisfaction. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between exercise and couple satisfaction as well as exercise and life satisfaction. A secondary purpose was to replicate previous findings on the relationships between communication, love, sexual satisfaction, self-esteem, and physical health and couple satisfaction.

A total of 229 undergraduate and graduate students from a large Midwestern university in the United States participated in this …

A Study Of Intake And Assessment In Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, Christopher J. Richmond

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare clients' assessment of two different counseling intake procedures used by clinicians. This study compared a Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) intake intervention with an intake intervention constructed from the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I). The SCID-I is one of the most widely used diagnostic interviews and reflects a "gold standard" in formulating accurate diagnoses. The SFBTintake intervention developed for this study stands in stark contrast to the SCID-I and its primary objective, evaluation of the problem. SFBT is a strength-based model that maintains a positive and future-oriented focus. …

Economic Impacts Of Casino Gambling On Rural Michigan Communities, Mark Steven Reece

Dissertations

When considering future casino development, it is important to know whether the magnitude of a casino's economic impact.

A way to understand the impact of adding a casino to a rural Michigan community is to study the economic changes during the 6 years surrounding casino's opening. If significant changes occur in population, employment, and commercial, industrial, and residential property values, it may be possible to attribute this change to the introduction of a casino.

Township level data is used for an index of annual percentage change, preceding and following an opening. This study tests for movement in the community's economics …

Cultural Disparities Of Sat Scores And The Influence On Higher Education Opportunities For African American And Latino Students, Nichelle Hoover

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Inequalities in the distribution of education resources and cultural identification can lead to lower SAT scores for African American and Latino students. By using SAT scores as one of the primary sources to determine admission to institutions of higher education, educators may be denying minority students admission to a variety of colleges and universities, depriving the student of his or her best choice and the college of an engaged and diverse student body, and contributing to the perpetuation of inequalities in the system. The evidence contained in this literature review shows that, given the current system, those students' SAT scores …

Investing In Air Transport - A Prudent Move, Ruwantissa Abeyratnre

Transportation Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Gaining Command &(And) Control Of The Northwest Passage: Strait Talk On Sovereignty, Christopher Mark Macneill

Transportation Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Concept And Implementation Of Participation And Empowerment: Reflection From The Coffee Ipm-Secp, Muhammad Iqbal

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia

Participation and empowerment are two important keywords in agricultural development program. One of the agricultural programs that considerably implemented through farmer’s participation towards empowerment is Integrated Pest Management (IPM). This article reviews the reflection of the concepts and implementations of farmer’s participation and empowerment in the coffee Integrated Pest Management for Smallholder Estate Crops (IPM-SECP). It can be explained that farmers were participated only in the planning and implementation stages of the project, while monitoring and evaluation activities were solely done by the project implementing unit and other related agencies. In the planning stage, the extent of farmer’s participation can …

Charting The New Territory Of Adaptive Co-Management: A Delphi Study, Ryan Plummer, Derek Armitage

Geography and Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

Complex systems understanding implies a world characterized by dynamic, nonlinear interactions, discontinuities, and surprises. Such conditions are not amenable to conventional resource management approaches that stress command-and-control, and therefore, novel governance approaches are more suited to complexity and uncertainty are required. Adaptive co-management has emerged as an interdisciplinary response to this need, and blends the adaptive management and collaborative management narratives. However, concepts associated with adaptive co-management are relatively new and quickly expanding from multiple perspectives. The objective of this paper is to take stock of this relatively recent concept and synthesize current thinking in terms of: (1) the core …

Islamic Teachings Of Bioethics In Relation To The Practice Of Medical Genetics, Mohsen A. El-Hazmi

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Ultrastructure Study Of Postmenopausal Endometria Of Tibolone, Conjugated Estrogen + Medroxyprogesterone Acetate And Tamoxifen Users, Tuncay Nas, Mustafa F. Sargon, Hamdi H. Celik, Pinar O. Keskin, Rifat H. Gursoy, Kutay Biberoglu

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Study Of The Bacterial Agents Of Blood Stream Infection In A Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Jaffar A. Al-Tawfiq

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Metastatic Synovial Sarcoma To The Left Atrium. A Management Dilemma, Atif W. Qubbany, Abdulhalim J. Kinsara

Saudi Medical Journal

We present a rare case of synovial sarcoma with minimal symptoms that metastasized and threatened to embolize the heart in a 26-year-old male admitted to our hospital for evaluation of low back pain. The tumor made a direct extension to the left atrium and moved freely in the left ventricle outflow tract. We discuss the potential therapeutic modalities in this difficult scenario.

Metformin Discontinuation Rate Among Patients With Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus In Basrah, Iraq, Abbas A. Mansour, Omran S. Habib

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

A Senior Recital, Lohol Gonzales, Kanako Yamazaki, Mika Brunson

Senior Recitals

Program listing performers and works performed

Discovery: An Incremental Revolution, Rebecca Minnillo

Student Scholarship

Theorists such as Simon (1973), Popper (1959) and Kuhn (1962) have commented on the tendency to view scientific discovery as a "revolution" with a focus on an end result. In history, we "date" scientific discoveries as if they were events instead of the final outcome of a lengthy experimentation process. But, as Kuhn (1962:7) observed nearly a half-century ago, scientific revolution is, in fact, a "process rarely completed by a single man and never overnight". Rather, discovery most often occurs as a result of collaboration and interaction between researchers over protracted periods of time. Surprisingly, there is a paucity of …

Essays On Intrahousehold Allocation And The Family: Fertility, Child Education, And Nutrition, Alemayehu Azeze Ambel

Dissertations

Understanding the constraints that households face when making decisions on fertility, education, and health is beneficial for effective interventions aimed at enhancing investments in human capital, promoting gender equity, and reducing poverty. This dissertation consists of four essays that analyze the nature, performance, and determinants of fertility, child education, and nutritional status in a developing economy.

The first essay identifies peculiar constraints, including gender preference and income uncertainty that households face when making fertility and schooling choices. The underlying assumption in the theoretical analysis is that in the absence of formal risk and capital markets, households may revert to informal …

The Effects Of Acute Nicotine Abstinence On Vigilance And Verbal Memory In Non-Diagnosed Smokers, David W. Ayer

Dissertations

Research has shown a differential prevalence of smoking in the schizophrenic population compared to other psychiatric and non-diagnosed populations. The three most commonly investigated reasons for this differential prevalence in schizophrenics are: the self-medication hypothesis, side effects hypothesis, and sociological hypothesis. The self-medication hypothesis which proposes that schizophrenics smoke at a higher rate to ameliorate cognitive deficits is the most substantiated by the research. Of current interest is the possible role of nicotine in improving performance on vigilance and verbal memory, the two areas shown to be most related to impaired social functioning in schizophrenics. It is difficult to make …

Evaluating The Effectiveness And Benefit-Cost Of Michigan Background Check Program Using Crime Opportunity Theory, Judith Brown Clarke

Dissertations

Elderly persons in long-term care settings are exceptionally vulnerable to abuse, neglect, and exploitation necessitating special protective measures by criminal justice, social services, and health care agencies. In 2006, 28.6% of Michigan households with a family member in long-term care reported that person having experienced one or more forms of abuse including physical, caretaking, verbal, emotional, neglect, sexual, and exploitation (Post, 2006). Criminal justice agencies were scrambling to identify programs aimed at reducing elder abuse in long-term care. Michigan was selected as one of seven states designated as a federal pilot test site. As a result, the Michigan Background Check …

A Study Of Disaster Preparedness Of Rural Hospitals In The United States, Barbara Cliff

Dissertations

This dissertation examines disaster preparedness in the U.S. and explores the relationships between risk perception, funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and preparedness. Secondary data analysis was conducted using the National Study of Rural Hospitals from Johns Hopkins University. The study, based on a random sample of rural hospitals, consisted of a mail questionnaire and a follow-up phone interview with the hospital's Chief Executive Officer (n = 134).

A model of disaster preparedness was utilized to examine seven elements of preparedness. Risk perception was examined by seven risk threats, and HRSA funding was examined as a …

Adsorption Of Lead On Single And Mixed Solid Systems, Soumya Das

Dissertations

Metal oxy-hydroxides and phyllosilicate minerals play a significant role in the fate and transport of heavy metals in the environment (Bertsch and Seaman, 1999). Chemical speciation of metals affects their bioavailability and chemical reactivity (Stumm and Morgan, 1996). Surface complexation models (SCMs) based on equilibrium thermodynamic principles have been successfully used to quantify adsorption of heavy metals on pure solid minerals, including phyllosilicates and oxy-hydroxides. For natural sediments with mixed mineralogy, Davis et al. (1998) suggested two different SCM approaches, namely, the component additivity and generalized composite models. In this study, adsorption of lead on pure HFO, silica and kaolinite …

Perceived Organizational Support And Ethical Work Climates As Predictors Of Turnover Intention Of Licensed Nurses In Skilled Nursing Facilities, Anna A. Filipova

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to replicate Victor and Cullen's (1987; 1988) studies to confirm whether ethical climates (ECs) arise in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), and whether organizations and groups within organizations have identifiable ECs; and (2) to test a model that examines the effects of ECs and perceived organizational support (POS) on licensed nurses' turnover intention (TOI) through job satisfaction (JS) and organizational commitment (OC).

A cross-sectional survey design was implemented. Three hundred and fifty nine freestanding SNFs were selected in a midwestern state. While a total of 110 facilities (31%) agreed to participate, responses were …

Perceptions And Intervention Practices Of Speech-Language Pathologists Serving Students With Emotional/Behavioral Disorders, Laura A. Getty

Dissertations

A relationship between emotional/behavioral disorders (E/BD) and language deficits has been validated by researchers in special education (Cantwell & Baker, 1991; Beichman, Cantwell, Forness, Kavale, & Kaufmann, 1998; Cohen, Barwick, Horodezky, Vallance, & Im, 1998) as well as researchers in speech-language pathology (Hyter, 2003; Hyter, Rogers-Adkinson, Self, Simmons, Jantz, 2001; Ruhl, Hughes, & Camarata, 1992; Gallagher, 1999; Fujiki, Brinton, Morgan, & Hart, 1999). The exact prevalence rate between E/BD and language deficits was not definitive as it varies between 35% and 97% depending on the study reviewed (Benner, Nelson, & Epstein, 2002). While it has been documented that a relationship …

Leadership-Influenced Practices That Impact Classroom Instruction Related To Writing: A Case Study Of A Successful Elementary School, Barb Johnson

Dissertations

This research studied the practices of educators at an ethnically diverse suburban elementary school which had demonstrated success in the area of student writing, even among at-risk students. The overall research goal was to examine to what extent and how leadership-related practices impacted classroom instruction in a manner that helped produce successful writing scores. A case study approach was used to explore four key leadership-related practices (supervision, curriculum, professional development, and knowledgeable leaders) and their impact on classroom literacy-based instructional strategies.

The study participants included two leaders and fourteen teachers from a single elementary school located in a metropolitan Michigan …

A Qualitative Exploration Of First-Generation Asian Indian Women In Cross-Cultural Marriages, Monica Thiagarajan

Dissertations

The literature on Asian Indian women has not adequately addressed the experiences that first generation Asian Indian women face while going through the process of making the decision to marry cross-culturally. The purpose of this exploratory study was to identify, describe, and understand the struggles, challenges, and conflict experienced by Asian Indian women who decide to marry cross-culturally and to understand the consequences of the decision on the lives of these women and their interpersonal relationships.

Initial and follow-up phone interviews were conducted with eight Asian Indian women who had experienced cultural and familial challenges regarding their decision to marry …

Response To A Retrospective Evaluation Of Crown-Fractured Permanent Teeth Treated In A Pediatric Dentistry Clinic, H. Cem Güngör

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Dyadic Relationship Scale: A Measure Of The Impact Of The Provision And Receipt Of Family Care, Margaret Sebern, Carol J. Whitlatch

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose: This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Dyadic Relationship Scale (DRS), which measures negative and positive dyadic interactions from the perspective of both the patient and the family caregiver. An important aspect of evaluating the DRS was that it be statistically sound and meaningful for both members of the dyad. Design and Methods: The study used a cross-sectional design. Survey packages were mailed to home health care patients and their family caregivers. The unit of analysis was the dyad, and exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted. We examined the reliability, discriminant, and concurrent validities of the instrument. …

The Continued Vitality Of Prophylactic Relief, Tracy A. Thomas

Akron Law Faculty Publications

The categorization of a separate type of “prophylactic” injunction and its continued prevalence in the courts provides a framework by which to evaluate the legitimacy of broad injunctions. Such broad injunctive relief has been conventionally theorized as simple judicial activism, and has been attacked accordingly. The theory of prophylaxis provides an alternative narrative by which to evaluate injunctive relief in order to retain valuable and effective judicial remedies. Rather than striking down all broad injunctive relief as the dominant discourse demands, the concept of the prophylactic injunction provides language through which jurists and lawyers can navigate the real issues of …

The Crab Fisherman And His Children: A Constitutional Compass For The Non-Offending Parent In Child Protection Cases, Angela Greene

Alaska Law Review

No abstract provided.

Targeted Therapies In The Management Of Metastatic Bladder Cancer., Matteo Fassan, Edouard J. Trabulsi, Leonard G Gomella, Raffaele Baffa

Department of Urology Faculty Papers

The management of metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC) of the bladder is a common and complex clinical challenge. Despite the fact that UC is one of the most frequent tumors in the population, long term survival for metastatic disease remains low, and chemotherapy is curative for only a small minority of patients. UC is genetically heterogeneous, and it is surrounded by a complex tissue microenvironment. The problems of clinical practice in the field of metastatic bladder cancer have begun to stimulate translational research. Advances in the understanding of the molecular biology of urothelial cancer continue to contribute to the identification of …