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2007

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Analysis Of Topological Characteristics Of Huge Online Social Networking Services, Yong-Yeol Ahn, Seungyeop Han, Haewoon Kwak, Sue Moon, Hawoong Jeong May 2007

Analysis Of Topological Characteristics Of Huge Online Social Networking Services, Yong-Yeol Ahn, Seungyeop Han, Haewoon Kwak, Sue Moon, Hawoong Jeong

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Social networking services are a fast-growing business in the Internet. However, it is unknown if online relationships and their growth patterns are the same as in real-life social networks. In this paper, we compare the structures of three online social networking services: Cyworld, MySpace, and orkut, each with more than 10 million users, respectively. We have access to complete data of Cyworld's ilchon (friend) relationships and analyze its degree distribution, clustering property, degree correlation, and evolution over time. We also use Cyworld data to evaluate the validity of snowball sampling method, which we use to crawl and obtain partial network …

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Parent-Child Relationship Quality And The Influence On Sociometric Versus Peer-Perceived Popularity, Jenna Palica May 2007

Parent-Child Relationship Quality And The Influence On Sociometric Versus Peer-Perceived Popularity, Jenna Palica

Honors Scholar Theses

The purpose of this study was to compare factors in the parent-child relationships of peer perceived popular adolescents to those of sociometrically popular adolescents. Factors included autonomy, relatedness, and idealization. Participants were 71 8th grade adolescents. Results showed similarities in parent-child relationships between perceived popular and sociometrically popular adolescents for autonomy, relatedness, and idealization. Results suggest that future research should explore other factors, such as affection from mother and father and levels of psychological control behavior to differentiate perceived popularity from sociometrically popular adolescents.

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Toward A Common Currency: Using Item Response Theory To Adjust For Grading Inconsistency, Daniel W. Allen May 2007

Toward A Common Currency: Using Item Response Theory To Adjust For Grading Inconsistency, Daniel W. Allen

Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science Honors Projects

Grading inconsistency results from the application of different standards such that grades provide an inaccurate, and sometimes misleading, evaluation of student performance. Many attempts to correct for grading inconsistency have either not accurately corrected for inconsistency or have been too complicated to constitute politically feasible solutions to the problem. Within this context, Item Response Theory (IRT) is offered as a solution to grading inconsistency. IRT corrects for inconsistencies in the distributions yielded by the various grading practices of professors and departments as well as the failure of current practices to accurately account for differing student quality by course.

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Faculty Perceptions Of The Role Of Foreign Language Education At West Virginia University, William L. White May 2007

Faculty Perceptions Of The Role Of Foreign Language Education At West Virginia University, William L. White

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Foreign language education has a long history within higher education. However, since the late 1960s, foreign language enrollment, measured by percentages of students taking language courses, has declined by almost 50% in American colleges and universities. The author contends that much of this decline can be explained by three concomitant forces; including (1) the rise of professional programs that are constrained by an exactness of education that precludes study beyond rather narrowly defined plans of study; (2) the lack of language learning success that foreign language students demonstrate upon completion of language programs; and (3) the failure of language departments …

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Indian Warfare, Household Competency, And The Settlement Of The Western Virginia Frontier, 1749 To 1794, John M. Boback May 2007

Indian Warfare, Household Competency, And The Settlement Of The Western Virginia Frontier, 1749 To 1794, John M. Boback

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The thesis of this dissertation is that Indian-related violence and warfare had a profound influence on the duration and nature of the frontier experience of those men and women who settled in the western Virginia backcountry between 1749 and 1794. Recurrent attacks by Shawnees, Delawares, Mingos, and Indians from the Great Lakes region caused such widespread death, destruction, and depopulation that it effectively prolonged the period of austere and difficult living conditions for over forty years. This conclusion contradicts the assertions of some recent scholars who have argued that crude living conditions lasted for only a year or two on …

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Student Nagging Behavior In The College Classroom, Katie Neary Dunleavy May 2007

Student Nagging Behavior In The College Classroom, Katie Neary Dunleavy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Nagging is a persuasive tactic yet to be fully explored in instructional communication. Nagging involves an exchange in which a student makes persistent requests of an instructor who fails to comply. The purpose of this dissertation was to examine nagging in the college classroom in order to ensure nagging was not just an aspect of other instructional concepts. The purpose was also to determine why students choose to nag, to examine the strategies students use to nag, and to examine the perceptions of students and instructors of these strategies. Finally, the purpose was also to examine nagging as a potentially …

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Social Rank And Social Anxiety, Jennifer A. Chrystan May 2007

Social Rank And Social Anxiety, Jennifer A. Chrystan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of the current study was to investigate a primary assumption of social rank theory. More specifically, the purpose was to determine whether the perception of social inferiority leads to increased anxiety during social interaction, with a heightened effect occurring among those who are more socially anxious. Although multiple studies have demonstrated shared covariates between social anxiety and perceptions of inferiority, virtually no research has been dedicated to scrutinizing the causal relationship proposed by social rank theory. One hundred undergraduate students at West Virginia University participated in this study. Participants engaged in three social interaction tasks with a same-gender …

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Constructing The Co-Ed Military, Elaine Donnelly May 2007

Constructing The Co-Ed Military, Elaine Donnelly

Duke Journal of Gender Law & Policy

During a pre-launch test of the Apollo One spacecraft,1 an electrical spark ignited the pure-oxygen atmosphere inside the cramped capsule, killing astronauts Virgil Grissom, Edward White, and Roger Chafee.2 Critics demanded to know why the mechanical and electrical engineers of the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) failed to recognize the inherent dangers of operating in a pure-oxygen environment. To ensure that the intent of Congress is carried out with regard to homosexuals in the military, the Secretary of Defense should: * Improve understanding and enforcement of the law by eliminating the Clinton Administration's enforcement regulations, known as "Don't Ask, …

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How Principals Promote A Culturally Relevant Learning Environment To Improve Black Student Achievement In Urban Elementary Schools, Rachel Maria Lee May 2007

How Principals Promote A Culturally Relevant Learning Environment To Improve Black Student Achievement In Urban Elementary Schools, Rachel Maria Lee

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of the study is to explore the role of the principals in promoting a culturally relevant learning environment to help Black students in urban elementary schools to achieve academic success. The voice of the principals is absent in the literature. As a group, the academic achievement of students in suburban elementary schools surpasses the academic achievement of students in urban elementary schools based on assessments on the national and state levels. The majority of the Black students in elementary schools attend schools located in the urban areas that utilize the traditional teaching instruction, strategies, and methods to impart …

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Inquiry Into The Latin And Spanish Cultural Presentations Of Spanish First Year Textbooks, Max Joe Young May 2007

Inquiry Into The Latin And Spanish Cultural Presentations Of Spanish First Year Textbooks, Max Joe Young

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This thesis uses critical theory perspectives and qualitative research methodology to explore the cultural content of three first-year Spanish textbooks. These three textbooks are currently being used or have been used recently in the region of southeastern Georgia. The researcher seeks to discover what cultural aspects are actually being presented to students who most likely have little knowledge of cultural expression in Latin America and Spain. The researcher also seeks to explore the Americanization of Latin culture. This study focuses upon three areas of cultural presentation found in the three texts: cultural paragraphs and essays, illustrations and photographs, and vocabulary. …

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Lived Experiences Of Female Science Majors At A Two-Year College, Lisa Norton Howell May 2007

Lived Experiences Of Female Science Majors At A Two-Year College, Lisa Norton Howell

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study focused on the lives of women majoring in science at a two-year institution. The specific research goal was to investigate the lived experiences of first year female science majors at Waycross College, relevant to their career choices. The participants in this study consisted of 6 young women enrolled as science majors in the fall semester of 2005. Two interview sessions were conducted during their first year of study. They were able to share their stories as young women and share their perspectives relative to their chosen fields of study. Analyzed using the feminist standpoint theory perspective of Sandra …

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We Are Not Amused: The Narrow Interpretation Of Title Ii's Place-Of-Entertainment Provision In Denny V. Elizabeth Arden Salons, Inc., Michael F. Roessler May 2007

We Are Not Amused: The Narrow Interpretation Of Title Ii's Place-Of-Entertainment Provision In Denny V. Elizabeth Arden Salons, Inc., Michael F. Roessler

North Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

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Associations Between Age At School Entry And Academic Performance: Using Data From A Nationally Representative, Longitudinal Sample, Dawn Fleischman May 2007

Associations Between Age At School Entry And Academic Performance: Using Data From A Nationally Representative, Longitudinal Sample, Dawn Fleischman

All Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between age at school entry and academic performance in kindergarten through the fifth grade. The study utilized the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-1999 (ECLS-K) dataset that includes a nationally representative sample that was collected over a six year period and compiled by the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES).
Even when controlling for the variables of gender, race, socioeconomic status, and disability, the analyses revealed that the youngest students did not perform as well in reading and math as their school entry peers through the fifth grade. …

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Blocks & Robbers: An Analysis Of The Frequency Of Robbery On Public Housing Blocks And On Blocks Adjacent To Public Housing Blocks In Omaha, Nebraska, Liddie M. Thompson May 2007

Blocks & Robbers: An Analysis Of The Frequency Of Robbery On Public Housing Blocks And On Blocks Adjacent To Public Housing Blocks In Omaha, Nebraska, Liddie M. Thompson

Student Work

This research replicates the earlier work of Roncek, Bell, and Francik (1981) that found public housing blocks in Cleveland, Ohio had higher index crime rates than non-public housing blocks and that these blocks affected crime rates of blocks throughout the entire city. The current thesis utilizes t-tests for differences of means and regression analysis to determine whether similar results can be found in Omaha, Nebraska with respect to the crime of robbery. The research is framed within the social disorganization perspective and the routine activities theory. The findings indicate public housing blocks in Omaha have higher incidences of robbery than …

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May 2007 Commencement Program, Bowling Green State University May 2007

May 2007 Commencement Program, Bowling Green State University

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

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Reality, Theory, And A Make-Believe World: The Fundamentalism Of The "Free" Market, Daniel Bonilla Maldonado, Collin Crawford, Carmen G. Gonzalez May 2007

Reality, Theory, And A Make-Believe World: The Fundamentalism Of The "Free" Market, Daniel Bonilla Maldonado, Collin Crawford, Carmen G. Gonzalez

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.

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The Free Market And Gender Relations: Political Economic Power, Impunity, And The Murders Of Women, Dr. Claudia Lozano May 2007

The Free Market And Gender Relations: Political Economic Power, Impunity, And The Murders Of Women, Dr. Claudia Lozano

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.

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Best Practices In Second Stage Labor Care: Maternal Bearing Down And Positioning, Joyce Roberts, Lisa Hanson May 2007

Best Practices In Second Stage Labor Care: Maternal Bearing Down And Positioning, Joyce Roberts, Lisa Hanson

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Despite evidence of adverse fetal and maternal outcomes from the use of sustained Valsalva bearing down efforts, current second-stage care practices are still characterized by uniform directions to “push” forcefully upon complete dilatation of the cervix while the woman is in a supine position. Directed pushing might slightly shorten the duration of second stage labor, but can also contribute to deoxygenation of the fetus; cause damage to urinary, pelvic, and perineal structures; and challenge a woman’s confidence in her body. Research on the second stage of labor care is reviewed, with a focus on recent literature on maternal bearing down …

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Long-Term Unemployed Men: A Social Constructionist Exploration Of Identity Construction, Elizabeth A. Scott May 2007

Long-Term Unemployed Men: A Social Constructionist Exploration Of Identity Construction, Elizabeth A. Scott

Theses

Identity construction in long-term unemployed men over the age of thirty-five was explored using discursive psychological analysis (Wetherell, 2001). Forty participants in County Kerry, who had not engaged with statutory agencies providing employment rehabilitation services, were accessed over a three year period in order to identify the reasons for nonengagement. A grounded theory approach (Bryman, 2004) to data collection was utilised. This yielded six broad codes and eighteen categories of discursive resource drawn upon by the men in constructing identities. In explaining their continued absence from the workforce and lack of engagement with services, discourses identified by Levitas (2004) classifying …

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Visitors' Delayed Responses To Interpretive Talks And Interpreters' Expectations For Visitor Responses, Lisa Machnik May 2007

Visitors' Delayed Responses To Interpretive Talks And Interpreters' Expectations For Visitor Responses, Lisa Machnik

All Dissertations

National Park visitors' delayed responses to interpretive talks are examined and compared to professional interpreters' expectations for visitor responses to interpretive talks. The premise is that through an understanding of visitors' delayed responses, interpretive programs can be refined to further the goals of visitor learning and appreciation as well as the development of a sense of stewardship. Informal learning theory, schema theory, and constructivist learning theory provide a conceptual and theoretical framework for the research.
Visitors to nine U.S. National Parks participated in a computer-assisted telephone survey/interview eight months after attending an on-site interpretive talk (n=283, response rate 86%). Questions …

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Three Essays In Political Economy, Melissa Yeoh May 2007

Three Essays In Political Economy, Melissa Yeoh

All Dissertations

The first essay provides a theoretical framework that informs the ongoing debate regarding the effect of conservation easement subsidies on local property tax revenue. Supporters claim that conservation easements increase property tax revenue by providing environmental amenities that increase the value of adjacent properties. Critics argue that they decrease property tax revenue by lowering land values and shrinking the tax base. In instances when local property tax revenue decline due to the income tax deductibility of conservation easements, the decline is larger when the demand for land is more elastic, the proportion of non-agricultural land in the county is larger, …

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Initial Preparation Of Secondary Teachers: Implications For Australia, Penny Collett May 2007

Initial Preparation Of Secondary Teachers: Implications For Australia, Penny Collett

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Observation of secondary art teacher education in the United Kingdom and Australia has revealed a range of differences, including a greater role for schools in initial teacher education (ITE) in UK. The literature reporting on research into preparation of teachers in UK indicates a general satisfaction among students regarding their experiences in schools. However some issues of concern arise which need to be considered if there is a move towards greater involvement of schools in ITE in Australia.

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Aku Newsletter : May 2007, Volume 8, Issue 1, Aga Khan University May 2007

Aku Newsletter : May 2007, Volume 8, Issue 1, Aga Khan University

The Aga Khan University Newsletters

No abstract provided.

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Sales Sense: Improving Communication Through A Network Of Frames, Stuart R. Strolin May 2007

Sales Sense: Improving Communication Through A Network Of Frames, Stuart R. Strolin

Student Scholarship

Why, when one business unit is successfully using an IT product, will another business unit reject or block its deployment when they have the same or similar business needs? Sales practitioners involved in making sense of these situations, centered on the assimilation of complex software innovations, lack the descriptive tools and language for methodically formulating approaches to overcome such obstacles. Insights have been offered by theories such as Diffusion of Innovation (Rogers, 1995), Technological Frames (Orlikowski & Gash, 1994), and Actor-Network Theory (Callon & Latour, 1981; Law, 1987). Various authors (Fichman, 1992; Lamb, 2003; Letch & Perth, 2001; Silver, Markus, …

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College And University Endowment Diversification: An Extension Of Institutional Theory, Mary (Mimi) E. Lord May 2007

College And University Endowment Diversification: An Extension Of Institutional Theory, Mary (Mimi) E. Lord

Student Scholarship

Today’s college and university endowments look dramatically different than they did 25 years ago. The quest for greater investment returns has been accompanied by an explosion in the number of asset classes in endowment portfolios\, particularly among large endowments. According to Modern Portfolio Theory\, greater diversification of holdings can help to improve the return/risk profile of a portfolio either by: a) enabling greater returns without adding to risk; or b) lowering risk without lowering returns. Transformation toward greater diversification has resembled to some extent the diffusion process described in institutional theory\, where new practices are initiated by large\, prestigious organizations …

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Sales Opportunity Crafting: Explaining Diverse Selling Approaches, Ganesh Kumar May 2007

Sales Opportunity Crafting: Explaining Diverse Selling Approaches, Ganesh Kumar

Student Scholarship

Salespeople play a critical boundary-spanning role in establishing productive relationships with their buyers. In doing so, they employ diverse selling approaches that resulting in a wide range of customer experiences—some that align well with the overall marketing strategies and some that conflict with the intent of the organization. Several theoretical explanations for the variations in selling approaches, but no singular theory provide us a lens to understand how salespeople approach various selling opportunities. The primary goal of this inquiry is to compile the extant theoretical knowledge from various disciplines in order to develop a conceptual framework for future empirical research …

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Peer Influence On Moral Choice Among College Student Athletes, Mary-Beth A. Cooper May 2007

Peer Influence On Moral Choice Among College Student Athletes, Mary-Beth A. Cooper

Student Scholarship

Since the inception of sport, much has been written about the behavior of athletes on and off the field of play. Some suggest that the culture of athletics and the very nature of competition promote aggressiveness, performance-related stress, and increased social pressure on student athletes. It is the intent of this research to explore what influences college athlete behavior. Specifically this researcher will focus on peer influence as a factor in impacting athletes' decisions regarding moral choice. Parson's conceptualization of influence introduces the idea of vulnerability to influence. Suggesting that influence varies by the perceived trustworthiness of the source of …

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Where Have All The Children Gone?: Young Adult Commitment In Chinese Protestant Churches In United States, Cecilia C. Chan May 2007

Where Have All The Children Gone?: Young Adult Commitment In Chinese Protestant Churches In United States, Cecilia C. Chan

Student Scholarship

Many Chinese Protestant churches in North America (hereafter referred to as Chinese churches) have noted a severe membership reduction due to the exiting of second generation Asian Americans, i.e. American raised Chinese (ARC) and American born Chinese (ABC). Lee coins this phenomenon as “the Silent Exodus” (p. 588). This research proposal investigates why the “Silent Exodus” group of 25-35 year-old young adults return to Chinese churches after a hiatus usually caused by relocation to attend college. The purpose of the study is to examine the young adult group’s motives for re-entering and staying with the church and to examine the …

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Effectiveness Of Prices As A Smoking Reduction Mechanism: An Analysis Of Adolescent Smoking Behavior, Mir M. Ali May 2007

Effectiveness Of Prices As A Smoking Reduction Mechanism: An Analysis Of Adolescent Smoking Behavior, Mir M. Ali

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

[to be added]

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Sword Of St. Michael: The 82nd Ariborne Division In World War Ii, Guy Anthony Lofaro May 2007

Sword Of St. Michael: The 82nd Ariborne Division In World War Ii, Guy Anthony Lofaro

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

[to be added]

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