Digital Commons Network^™

Self-Injury And The School Counselor, Carla J. Wosoba

Graduate Research Papers

Self-injury is an issue that has increasingly attracted the attention of school counselors in recent years. School counselors have daily contact with students and are thus an important resource for working with adolescents who self-injure. This paper provides an overview of self-injury including demographics and risk factors, followed by ethical considerations for school counselors such as confidentiality, professional competence, and referral. The school counselor's role is addressed, providing suggestions for assessment, prevention, and interventions for use with students who self-injure.

Using Distance Education To Deliver English Instruction In Indonesia, Muhammad Yaumi

Graduate Research Papers

This paper highlights using distance education to support students in learning English in· Indonesia. The purpose is to discuss using distance education for English instruction in Indonesia, the cultural uniqueness of Indonesian students' learning styles, and a model of distance education to deliver English instruction in Indonesia. Library research involved resources relating to distance education and teaching English in the Indonesian culture. This research involved a variety of print references, electronic databases and a variety of Web resources. Research indicated that distance educat10n in Indonesia has been implemented since the 1950s. The developmental history of distance education in Indonesia was …

Judgmental Heuristics In Nonprofit Organizations’ Web Sites, Jennifer Sue Yarrow

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to identify related judgmental heuristics cues that could be incorporated in Web site home and donation pages of charitable nonprofit organizations. These types of heuristics could persuade individuals to continue activity on the Web site; thus increasing the possibility for donation activity. As nonprofit organizations begin building more sophisticated and progressive Web sites, they must recognize that the importance of reviewing the content of their sites with the users' cognitive processes in mind. The financial support that is lost by poor or unpersuasive Web site content could be critical for many organizations, and an …

The Female Adolescent Experience: Barriers To Physical Activity, Roberta Katherine Parsons

Graduate Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Dental Health And Nutrition In Low-Income Preschool Children, Tonya R. Krueger

Graduate Research Papers

Dental health is an important, but often overlooked, health issue for children living in poverty in the United States. There are several risk factors for childhood caries including socioeconomic status, belonging to a racial or ethnic minority group, and poor dietary habits. While dental caries is a preventable infectious disease process, there are several barriers to adequate care and appropriate utilization of dental services often resulting in increased, severe, untreated decay for children from families with limited resources. This review examines caries in low-income preschool children and nutrition education as a preventive strategy. Federal programs that provide health and nutrition …

Self-Esteem & Developmental Assets: An Examination Of The Pertinent Literature Off The Relationship Between Self-Esteem And Developmental Assets In Adolescents, Angela Gorsuch

Graduate Research Papers

Adolescent development has been studied heavily as scholars have sought to understand the process of biological, emotional, and cognitive development during the transition from childhood and adulthood. Research has often focused on one indicator, self-esteem, on how well young people navigate this transitional period in their lives. Scholars have agreed that self-esteem is a reflection of a young person's psychological well-being during adolescence. High self-esteem generally indicates an adolescent is successfully handling these critical years of development and is exhibiting positive qualities and behaviors. On the reverse, low self-esteem is often an indication an adolescent may not be negotiating this …

Measuring Levels Of Satisfaction, Commitment, And Constraints Of Middle-Age Women Exercising In Fitness Centers, Melissa Dowd

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of the study is to determine the levels of satisfaction, commitment, and constraints for middle-age women exercising in fitness centers in the Cedar Valley. Members of five fitness centers participated by completing surveys regarding their opinions of their current fitness center. The data gathered from this study can be used by management of fitness centers in planning, marketing, and implementing programs and services.

Participants in the study (n=260) completed the survey containing four sections: (a) satisfaction dimensions of facility, services, staff, and social; (b) items measuring commitment to a service provider; ( c) structural, interpersonal, and intrapersonal constraint …

Recognition Of Stroke Symptoms By The General Public Associated With Delayed Hospital Presentation: A Health Awareness Challenge, Shannon Rudolph Umthum

Graduate Research Papers

This review of literature examines knowledge of stroke risk factors and recognition of symptoms by the general public and their link to emergency department delays. This review is written with the intent of illustrating the need for educational campaigns and effective programming to improve the public's recognition of the symptoms of stroke and the urgency in seeking prompt medical attention for increased survival and decreased disability.

Exploring Influential Pioneers Of Youth Related Delinquency Theories, Latika Monique Speller

Graduate Research Papers

The purposes of this study are to explore who the pioneers of youth related delinquency theories are and to examine these theories in depth to identify their importance to society as a whole and to discuss the contributions these theories have made as well as future directions of these theories pertaining to criminology and sociology. Also explored in this study are the many factors that contribute to youth becoming delinquent and characteristics of delinquent behavior.

This study was a literature review of theorists that explored and researched theories pertaining to delinquency. After researching the work of these theorists, their findings …

The Application Of The Sport Commitment Model To Strength And Conditioning, Nicholas Ryan Troupe

Graduate Research Papers

Since strength and conditioning has become accepted as a necessity for individuals to succeed in athletics, strength and conditioning professionals have been asking the same question. What can be done to get athletes to commit to a strength training program? Whether in-season or out of season, strength and conditioning professionals attempt to assist athletes in committing to a program using a variety of motivational strategies. The Sport Commitment Model (Scanlan, Carpenter, Schmidt, Simons, & Keeler, 1993) is a theoretical model which can help strength coaches understand the varying commitment levels of the athletes. Specifically, the Sport Commitment Model suggests both …

Social Interaction Patterns Between Children With And Without Disabilities During Recreation Activities, Mary A. Parramore

Graduate Research Papers

Children are spending more time in community care facilities (i.e., after-school programs, day camp, etc.) and are interacting with other children of mixed abilities on a more consistent basis. Therefore, acceptable social skills and possessing the ability to interact and communicate effectively are of vital importance. The basis of this study was to examine and identify key components that generated positive and reciprocated social interactions between children of all abilities in an inclusive recreational program. Participants selected for this study were school-aged children of varying physical and/or cognitive abilities. All children utilized the services of the Family YMCA of Black …

Compliance Of Iowa Private Foundations With The Iowa Principles And Practices For Charitable Nonprofit Excellence, Julie Patricia Gosselink

Graduate Research Papers

Today, nonprofit organizations and foundations in the United States need to think about how they operate and put into place ethically sound business strategies to earn and maintain public trust. The Iowa Principles and Practices for Charitable Nonprofit Excellence, developed in 2004, identifies ways to help make Iowa's charitable nonprofit organizations more effective in their operations, and provides an excellent framework for accountability.

The purpose of this study was to conduct a comprehensive literature review in order to determine the degree of implementation among private foundations in Iowa pertaining to the Iowa Principles and Practices for Charitable Nonprofit Excellence. This …

University Of Northern Iowa Intramural Sports Employee Manual, Darin Eugene Leigh

Graduate Research Papers

Welcome to the University ofNorthem Iowa Intramural Sports Program, a program within Wellness Recreation Services (WRS). Intramural supervisors and officials are the most important component of the intramural sports program. Supervisors and officials are often only criticized and never commended for the job done. Without the hard work and dedication of supervisors, officials and scorekeepers, our intramural program could not exist. Supervisors, officials and scorekeepers have the most personal contact with the participants in the programs and events we provide. You are a reflection of our program, WRS and the University of Northern Iowa.

Acupuncture For Labor Pain Management A Review Of The Literature, Saraj Brainard

Graduate Research Papers

The process of giving birth is one of the most natural and instinctual processes in the animal world. Although natural, it is often a painful experience that the explanation for differs from culture to culture. Women have been giving birth naturally all over the world since the beginning of time even though there have been methods of pain management for many years. In Western society, we have used biomedical methods such as anesthesia and epidurals to relieve this pain since at least the 1960s (Rooks, 2000). Although the most generally accepted method of pain management, epidurals may not be the …

The What, The Why, And The How Of Using Repeated Readings Of Poetry To Increase Reading Fluency, Melissa Feldmann

Graduate Research Papers

This literature review concludes that repeated readings of poetry will increase student reading fluency. The use of repeated readings to increase fluency is a common classroom practice; its effectiveness has been firmly established. The daily use of poems for rereading purposes can enhance several literacy skills including fluent reading. Although there are limitations of the study, it can be concluded that when poems are read repeatedly in a variety of ways, students are able to read fluently while comprehending the text. The research that does exist clearly suggests that classroom teachers might use repeated readings of poetry to help students …

The Efficacy Of An Actor-Emotion Technique On Changing Communication Attitude In Children Who Stutter: A Treatment Outcome Study, Tiffany Marie Scavo

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of the present study was to test the efficacy of an actor-emotion strategy approach on changing communication attitudes in an adolescent child who stutters. The participant for this study was an eleven-year, ten-month old male attending a public middle school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana who presented with a severe fluency disorder. The participant attended group sessions Monday-Thursday from 9:00-12:00 for 6 weeks as part of a fluency day camp. The study used a worksheet-based measure to evaluate emotionality on a daily basis. Using an ABA withdrawal design, two analyses were completed. The first analysis examined the stability or …

Record-Keeping Systems Adoption By Louisiana Dairy Farmers, Elisabeth Grisham

LSU Master's Theses

Fifty Louisiana dairy farmers were interviewed to gather production amounts, costs of production, management techniques, technologies adopted, and demographic information. These data were used to analyze what record-keeping systems the farmers were adopting and to what extent the systems were being used. Logit, ordered probit, negative binomial regression, OLS regression, and double hurdle models were used to determine adoption and intensity. In this study, age was found to decrease the probability that a farmer would believe their computer was not at all useful and also of limited usefulness, while increasing the probability that a farmer would believe the computer was …

The Uses Of Enchantment, Anna Belenki

LSU Master's Theses

This work begins with the decorative arts. It is inspired by the seductive color and line of Iznik tile from the Ottoman Empire and the ornate decorative flourishes of 18th. Century Chinoiserie wall paper that depicts fantastic landscapes and fanciful animals. The bears, cats, birds, snakes, and dogs and people dressed in costumes that appear in the tiles are the protagonists of a fairy tale yet to be written. The uses of enchantment are endlessly fascinating. Enchantment fulfills our need for fantasy, beauty, meaning and reassurance. It connects us to the past and equips us to face the present, secure …

Evaluating The Effects Of A Multi-Component School-Based Nutrition Intervention Program In Elementary School Students, Linda Silverman

LSU Master's Theses

The objective of the study was to evaluate a multi-component school-based nutrition intervention program, Smart Bodies, to see if the curriculum increased nutrition knowledge, increased self-reported intakes of fruits and vegetables, and improved opinions, outcome expectations, social norms, and self-efficacy related to fruit and vegetables among elementary school students. The Smart Bodies curriculum was conducted in the classrooms of eighteen public schools in south Louisiana over a twelve-week period and included nutrition related games, videos, books and classroom activity tracking charts. Six hundred forty-one 4th and 5th grade students were included in the sample. A survey based on the Social …

Cell Cycle Analysis Of Atrazine-Treated Human Fibroblast Cells Using Flow Cytometry, Andrea L. Austin

Honors Program Theses

Atrazine is the most frequently used triazine herbicide in the United States. Studies have shown an association between herbicide exposure and increased levels of DNA damage, reproductive and endocrine problems, and an increased risk for certain cancers. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEP A) has set a maximum allowable limit at 3 parts per billion (ppb ). Previous work from our lab has shown decreased cell proliferation of normal human fibroblasts after low-level atrazine exposure for 72 hours at 0.8-100 ppb without a corresponding increase in apoptosis or necrosis.

The objective of the current study is to determine a …

Assessment Of Key Parameters To Achieve Bacteria Transformability In E. Coli And A. Tumefaciens, Zach Regelin

Honors Program Theses

ln this project, growth and transformability of E. coli and A. tumefaciens were investigated. The growth of the bacterial species was monitored under different key parameters including: the strain of the bacteria, the inoculum source (a fresh plate or frozen glycerol stock), and the media type. Growth was monitored by measuring the optical density (OD). Using E. coli strains Dh5a and CdB\ it was determined that the strain, the media type, and the amount of inoculum had a great effect on the growth but the source of the inoculum had little effect. For A. tumefaciens, the strain and the media …

The Effect Of Homocysteine On Neural Crest Cells, N-Cadherin, And Its Binding Partners, Kacie Rae Callaway

Honors Program Theses

At elevated levels the amino acid homocysteine has been linked to defects such as spina bifida and improper septation of the outflow tract of the heart. Neural crest cells (NCCs) originate from the neural tube (which forms from fusion of neural folds and will become the spinal cord), disassociate from their neighbors, and migrate throughout the body to form many essential structures. N-cadherin, a cell adhesion protein expressed on the surface of neural tube cells of the early embryo, plays a major role in cell shape change, long-range migration, and communication. α-catenin is a member of the cadherin adhesion complex …

Impacts Of Bottom Trawling On A Deep-Water Oculina Coral Ecosystem Off Florida., John K. Reed, Christopher C. Koenig, Andrew N. Shepard

Faculty Scholarship

In 1984, a portion of the deep-water Oculina coral reef ecosystem off eastern Florida was protected as the Oculina Habitat Area of Particular Concern (OHAPC), prohibiting bottom trawls, longlines, dredges, and anchors. Unfortunately, the northern two thirds of the reef system remained open to these gear until 2000 when the OHAPC boundaries were expanded to 1029 km2. In the 1970s, the Oculina reefs were teeming with large spawning aggregations of grouper and snapper. By the early 1990s, commercial and recreational fishing had decimated the fish populations, and the coral had been severely impacted by bottom trawling for rock shrimp. Historical …

Neopeltolide A New Macrolide From A Lithistid Sponge Of The Family Neopeltidae., Amy E. Wright, J. C. Botelho, Esther A. Guzman, Dedra K. Harmody, P. A. Linley, Peter J. Mccarthy, Tara P. Pitts, Shirley A. Pomponi, John K. Reed

Faculty Scholarship

A new marine-derived macrolide designated as neopeltolide (1) has been isolated from a deep-water sponge of the family Neopeltidae. Its structure was elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data interpretation. Neopeltolide (1) is a potent inhibitor of the in vitro proliferation of the A-549 human lung adenocarcinoma, the NCI-ADR-RES human ovarian sarcoma, and the P388 murine leukemia cell lines, with IC50’s of 1.2, 5.1, and 0.56 nM, respectively. Neopeltolide (1) also inhibited the growth of the fungal pathogen Candida albicans with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 0.62 íg/mL.

Microbiological Enhancement Of Phosphorus Sequestration In Iron-Enriched Sediments, Lindsay Marie Sandersfeld

Honors Program Theses

An overabundance of phosphorus, primarily due to agricultural run off, is the source of increases in unwanted algae in Iowa's surface waters. Oxidized iron found in mine tailings will sequester phosphorus in sediments and prevent it from entering surface waters. Therefore, adding mine tailings to wetlands is a cheap and easy way to eliminate phosphorus pollution. This phosphorus removal process is enhanced by a microbial component that biochemically solubilizes iron tailings which allows them to efficiently react with free phosphorus in the water. The purpose of this project was to characterize the microbial component in this process. Ferric citrate medium …

Partnering With Homeschoolers: Collaborations Between Homeschoolers And Public Schools, Sharon Gerst

Graduate Research Papers

This research paper focuses on the interactions between homeschoolers and public schools. A modified case study approach, the constant comparative method, was used to examine the rationale and interaction patterns of five different families. The families were interviewed as to their rationale for homeschooling, the impact homeschooling had on their families, current collaborations they had with their local public schools, the impact of these collaborations on the family and their children’s academic and social development, and interests these families may have had in additional collaborations with their local public school. The families were most interested in collaborations in which they …

Finding Meaning In The Aftermath Of Trauma: Resilience And Posttraumatic Growth In Female Survivors Of Intimate Partner Violence, Melissa Dawn Young

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Despite recent interest in resiliency and growth in victims of trauma (Ryff, Singer, Love, & Essex, 1998; Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1996), very few studies exist that document resilient responses to intimate partner violence, and none exist that explore posttraumatic growth in the aftermath of violent relationships. The purpose of this study was to explore resiliency and growth factors in women who were interviewed for the Domestic Violence Project at The University of Montana, which comprises an archival dataset. Participants were 127 women who had been out of a violent relationship for a year or more. As interview questions did not …

How The Environmental Movement Has Failed The American Public. Reviving Environmental Action As Part Of The Public Consciusness: Advertising Is The Missing Tool, Ross Rademacher

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The organizations that make up the environmental movement have a great opportunity and challenge before them. These organizations could lead our nation in a time of great change. They could challenge the public to align personal consumer habits with positive environmental beliefs. However, the environmental movement has failed to market and communicate effectively. Due to this failure, companies such as Chevron and Wal-Mart have taken the moral high ground away from environmental organizations. The movement as a whole, with a few exceptions, has not successfully promoted key themes that could motivate change. There are rare examples of successful marketing and …

A Reanalysis Of Boas’S Hebrew Immigrant Data: Comparisons Of Foreign-Born And Us-Born Children Living In Early 20th Century America, Margaret Rose Kress

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This research paper uses data observed on Hebrew immigrant populations collected by the anthropologist Franz Boas and coworkers between 1909 and 1910. Boas was asked by the United States Immigration Commission to write a report that examined how the influx of European immigrants into the United States might affect the morphology of the American population. Seeing this as a chance to undermine racial typologies, Boas took many measurements of immigrants and their children and concluded that observed changes between foreign-born and US-born children were a result of the move into a new environment. Recent research has demonstrated that the Hebrew …

Nad(P)H:Quinone Oxidoreductase (Nqo1)-Directed Lavendamycin Antitumor Agents: Structure-Based Design, Molecular Modeling And Structure-Activity Studies, Mary Hassani

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) is a two-electron reductase that catalyzes an NAD(P)H-dependent activation of many quinone-based antitumor agents. NQO1, expressed at high levels in many human solid tumors, can be used as a target for enzyme-directed bioreductive antitumor drug development. We hypothesized that lavendamycins, quinolinedione antitumor antibiotics, can be activated by NQO1 in cancer cells that overexpress NQO1 to exhibit selective toxicity toward those cells. The effects of functional group changes on the metabolism of lavendamycins by recombinant human NQO1 were studied using a spectrophotometric assay. These structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies determined key structural features that were required for lavendamycin …