Digital Commons Network^™

Implementing A Strategic Plan For Child Health: A Sydney Case Study, Garth Alperstein, Peter Sainsbury, Sharyn O’Grady

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Aim: The aim of this paper is to describe the implementation of a strategic plan, ‘Health Gain for Children and Youth of Central Sydney”, over a 10 year period to December 2005.

Methods: Descriptive information was obtained from the records and minutes of all relevant committees, interviews with key workers who were involved with the committees, managers and senior health professionals, and from the involvement of the authors throughout the process of the implementation.

Results: An implementation steering committee was established to oversee the implementation of the plan. Rather than adopting a uniform approach to assigning responsibility for the implementation …

Changes In Motor Skill And Fitness Measures Among Children With High And Low Motor Competence: A Five-Year Longitudinal Study, Beth Hands

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Children with low motor competence (LMC) are less able to participate fully in many sports and recreational activities typically enjoyed by their well-coordinated peers. Poor fitness outcomes have been reported for these children, although previous studies have not tracked these outcomes over time. In this study, 19 children (8 girls and 11 boys) with LMC aged between 5 and 7 years were matched by age and gender with 19 children with high motor competence (HMC). Six fitness (body compostion and cardiovascular endurance) and motor skill (sprint run, standing broad jump and balance) measures were repeated for each group once a …

New Medical Graduates: Can General Practice Help With Training?, Tom Brett

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Medical student numbers in Australia have increased significantly in recent years. A resulting increase in medical graduates is inevitable and desirable.

Western Australian medical graduates will double by 2012 and treble shortly afterward. Insufficient training positions in hospitals will likely require additional training opportunities to be provided by general practices.

This article reviews innovative general practice training schemes for new medical graduates in Australia and overseas. It examines whether Australian general practice can play a role in training the rising numbers of new doctors.

Terrorism, The Constitution, And Individual Liberties Lecture 20, Nadine Strossen

Articles & Chapters

No abstract provided.

Thriving, Coping, Surviving, Hoping: Negotiating The First Year Of Teaching, Debrah Jean Fordice

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In this qualitative study, I examined how four teachers negotiated their first year of teaching. All four teachers graduated from the same teacher preparation program, and secured general elementary positions in the same school district where they conducted some or all of their clinical coursework. I explored the factors that shaped the practice of these first-year teachers.

Annie, a 23-year-old, single, female marathon runner, with a vision to work with children in an inner-city setting, secured a position as a first grade teacher at a school where 85% of the children lived in poverty. Rachel, 24 years old, newly-married, and …

Deliberative Democratic Practices In Tourism Planning: Towards A Model Of Participatory Community Tourism Planning, Oksana Grybovych

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to compare and contrast the current practices of citizen involvement in community tourism planning with the framework of deliberative democracy. The goal of this study was to expand the literature on tourism planning which currently lacks a working framework for participatory community tourism planning. Drawing from political philosophy, democratic theory, and planning literature, this study utilized the framework of deliberative democracy and planning as communicative action, in order to contribute to the development of a model of participatory community tourism planning.

The current practices of citizen involvement in community tourism planning were examined in …

Framing Strategies Of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Advocacy Organizations: The Case Of Let California Ring's 'Garden Wedding' Commercial, Helena Mica

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Framing is the process of presenting a complicated argument by relying on the ideas and concepts that a person already has regarding a basic subject. The idea of same-sex marriage has traditionally been presented by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) advocacy organizations using a frame of equal rights, with same-sex couples seeking equal treatment under the law. However, due to a lack of support for this argument, the organization Let California Ring introduced the 'Garden Wedding' commercial in the fall of 2007 that presented same-sex marriage in a new, emotional frame. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the …

Influence Of A Collaborative Norming Process On Teacher Perceptions Of Middle Level Team Structure And Development, Brian Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The teaming concept has served as a cornerstone of middle level philosophy and education since the middle school movement began in the 1960s. The literature on teaming is quite extensive and the interpretations of that research often differ among schools. For the purpose of this study, teaming is defined as a small group of teachers with different content responsibilities who work with the same group of students in a school-within-a-school structure. Described as a signature practice in the middle school movement, teaming provides an organizational framework that allows schools to design and deliver effective learning to every student (Crow and …

Show And Tell: Learning With Interactive Videoconferencing In Kindergarten, Debra Piecka

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The research investigated how kindergartners make meaning using interactive videoconferencing. The study explored two research questions: 1) What types of meanings are being formed by the kindergartners during interactive videoconferences and, 2) What are the nature of young children's emerging inquiries and dialogue surrounding their use of interactive videoconferencing in their classroom? The study embodied a Vygotskian perspective as the theoretical framework in order to meet demands associated with the young participants' vulnerability, developmental appropriateness, and the students' interactive learning environment. Employing an ethnographic, participant observation methodology, the research design was informed by three criteria: 1) a pilot study, 2) …

Student Assistance Program Outcomes Of Students At Risk For Suicide, Virginia Biddle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine relationships between participation in Pennsylvania's Student Assistance Program (SAP) and educational outcomes (academic performance, promotion/graduation status, attendance, suspension, and policy violations) of students at risk for suicide. The methodology was based on the Framework for Program Evaluation in Public Health, while the theoretical framework was Jessor's Protection-Risk Model. A retrospective analysis was performed using existing SAP data maintained by Pennsylvania's Department of Education. Binomial and multinomial logistic regressions were performed.

Being referred and participating in the SAP due to suicidal ideation, gesture, or attempt predicted fewer drug and alcohol policy violations and …

Assessing Cafa's Stated Jurisdictional Policy, Richard L. Marcus

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Computers On The Legal Profession: Evolution Or Revolution?, Richard L. Marcus

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

W.E.B. Du Bois And The Rhetoric Of Social Change, 1897-1907: Attitude As Incipient Action, Fendrich Clark

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the social change rhetoric of scholar and civic activist W.E.B. Du Bois to understand the role, motivations, influences, and shortcomings of his message upon a shifting current of black thought during the late ninetieth and early twentieth-century. In this study, I focus upon Du Bois' rhetorical aptitude in the building of his character, the emotional appeals made to his immediate audience, and the logical arguments and counter arguments that he publicly advanced in developing his program of parallel development.
I contend that in providing an alternate narrative to the competing opinions of accommodation as a solution to …

Social Presence, Satisfaction, And Perceived Learning Of Rn-To-Bsn Students In Web-Based Nursing Courses, Susan Cobb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While the development of online education has been progressing rapidly, further evaluation research is needed (Atack and Rankin, 2002; Halter et al., 2006). There is a need for further research on nursing students' experiences and satisfaction with online education, and correlating factors to promote the quality of online learning. Social presence is one factor that has been shown to affect outcomes such as satisfaction and perceived learning in online courses (Gunawardena and Zittle, 1997).

The purpose of this study was to assess social presence in online nursing courses and its relationship to student satisfaction and perceived learning. The theoretical framework …

African American Males And Issues Of Fatherhood: An Examination Of The Sweat Lodge As A Psychosocial And Spiritual Intervention, Jay E. Darr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The emasculation of African American men is illustrated by disparities in the criminal justice system, education, employment, income, and health care, which has an impact on an African American man's ability to be a father. Researchers, policy-makers, and practitioners have struggled with establishing sustainable programs that address the complex issues that face African American men, especially when they have children (Martinson & Nightingale 2008). The emergence of the Sweat Lodge as an intervention for Native Americans has had some promising results (Cohen, 2003; Edwards, 2003, Noe, Fleming & Manson 2003; Smith, 2005). However, there is limited research on the Sweat …

African American And Latino Relations: A Case Study Of Philadelphia Neighborhoods, Yasmeen Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines African American and Latino relations using Philadelphia as a case study. It analyzes how factors such as the urban landscape's rising Latino population, socioeconomic status, media depictions of African Americans and Latinos, language barriers, and residential segregation affect inter-group relations. The study used interviews to assess the current relationship of African Americans and Latinos in Philadelphia. Seven interviews were conducted with community leaders and government representatives who worked in African American and Latino communities. The study hypothesized that incidences of African American and Latino conflict will rise as the Latino population increases in formerly African American neighborhoods. …

Culture Care Education And Experiences Of African American Students In Predominantly Euro American Associate Degree Nursing Programs, Lana Marie Deruyter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this ethnonursing study was to discover the cultural care education and experiences of African American students in predominantly Euro American Associate Degree Nursing Programs. Leininger's Culture Care Diversity and Universality Theory was used as a framework to describe the worldview, beliefs, values, and meanings of their lifeways. Interviews were conducted with nine key informants and nineteen general informants from eight associate degree nursing programs located in Southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey. Analysis of the taped interviews revealed fourteen categories from which eight patterns were identified. From the eight patterns, three themes emerged. These themes were (a) …

The Educational Journey Of Three Adults With Learning Disabilities: A Demonstration Of Resiliency, Lori Hufnagel Buglak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Not all students who are diagnosed with LD are destined to live a life of academic struggles, missed opportunities, and unfulfilled dreams. Not all students fit the stereotypical idea of troubled, underachievers who will drop out of school, aspire to low level jobs, and remain financially dependent (Miller & Fritz, 1998). Some students with LD become resilient to the negative effects and attributes that are often associated with having LD; and despite the odds, make it in life (Werner & Smith, 1992). The purpose of this study was to understand how students with mild LD develop resiliency through their school …

Atrazine And Info-Disruption: Does The Pesticide Atrazine Disrupt The Transfer Of Chemical Information In The Terrestrial Salamander, Plethodon Shermani?, Stephanie Lanzel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Atrazine is a commonly used herbicide in the United States and is a potential info-disruptor. Atrazine acts as an info-disruptor in fish, by dampening olfactory responses to pheromones, and atrazine has been linked to endocrine disruption in frogs. By interfering with chemoreception, atrazine may potentially impact foraging and reproductive success in various species. I hypothesized that in the terrestrial salamander, Plethodon shermani, in which chemical communication is important in social and foraging behaviors; atrazine would act as an odorant and/or interfere with chemosensation. I predicted that both acute and chronic exposure to atrazine would decrease chemoinvestigative behaviors, pheromone detection by …

Aesthetic Pedagogy: Kierkegaard And Adorno On The Communication Of Possibility, Clifford Gentry Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on Adorno's appropriative reading of Kierkegaard. Adorno interprets Kierkegaard's notion of the aesthetic as an active philosophical principal. He finds this principle to be at work throughout Kierkegaard's authorship as the means of the justification of the particular and concrete in defiance of their would be enslavement to the general and abstract. The aesthetic principle is that which requires Kierkegaard's readers to become active participants in the formation of the experienced meaning of his texts. Adorno's approach facilitates a reading of Kierkegaard that focuses on his pedagogical use of the communicative power of imagery. At the same …

A Phonological Description Of Wichí: The Dialect Of Misión La Paz, Salta, Argentina, Megan Leigh Zdrojkowski Avram

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The Wichí language, a member of the Matacoan language family, is spoken in parts of South America’s Chaco region. Specifically, Wichí is found in the Salta, Chaco, and Formosa provinces of Argentina, as well as in southeastern Bolivia. Wichí is an endangered language, with speakers numbering c. 25,000 (although estimates vary greatly). This study aims to contribute to the documentation of Wichí and to our understanding of human language in general by providing insight into the phonetics and phonology of the dialect of Wichí spoken in the remote village of Misión La Paz, Salta, Argentina. The data for this study …

Perceived Value Of Faculty-Developed Course Websites: A Student-Faculty Comparison, Donald W. Southwell

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study is a case-study examination of faculty-developed course websites and their usage within a single mid-western community college environment. Its purpose is to develop an understanding of the perceived value of selected course websites from both student and faculty perspectives based on website design and use. The study analyzes course websites from instructional and technological theoretical perspectives, drawing from literature in the fields of education and technology studies.

To understand course websites within the context of their usage, three selected course websites were paired with the instructor and a subset of students to form a case study unit. The …

Poisoners, Larcenists, And The Mad Chambermaid: Villainy In Late Victorian Detective Fiction, Jennifer Filion

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis seeks to identify patterns of villainy in late nineteenth-century detective fiction in order to examine middle class conceptions of criminality and the way those models reflect the values of Victorian society. Through a study of more than sixty pieces of short detective fiction, this study identifies and focuses on six primary categories: the visual depiction of the criminal, the criminal class, the jewelry heist, the colonial subject, the violent female offender, and the domestic villain. The creation of each criminal category and the reinforcement of that “type” in popular literature functions to establish order and to support beliefs …

Synthesis And Dye Leakage Assay Of Human And Rat Islet Amyloid Polypeptide 10-19 And Insulin 14-18, Andrew William Gray

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Islet amylin polypeptide (IAPP) is co-secreted along with insulin in the pancreatic islets of Langerhans. During type 2 diabetes mellitus, human IAPP (hIAPP) fibrilizes to form amyloid deposits that are found post-mortem in more than 95% of people with the disease. Rodents do not suffer from type 2 diabetes mellitus as their IAPP (rIAPP) does not undergo self-aggregation. Although the amyloid deposit is found in those with the disease, the actual cause of the disease is the cytotoxicity of the mechanism that forms those amyloid deposits. The self-aggregation of IAPP to form amyloid deposits is inhibited by insulin due to …

Nurses' Attitudes Towards Continuing Formal Education: A Comparison By Level Of Education And Geography, Tanya Altmann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Quality healthcare is a priority. Many healthcare organization representatives and mission statements, recent research, and research priorities support the contention that improved quality is related to higher educated nurses providing care. What is needed goes beyond what can be acquired through continuing education courses.

What we know is that few U.S. nurses continue their formal education after licensure and that the majority have an Associate Degree or Diploma in nursing. Thus, it is in the publics' interest to invest more in enticing and enabling nurses to achieve higher educational levels consistent with the trends of other health care professionals.

The …

The Steroid Sulfatase Inhibitor (P-O-Sulfamoyl) - Tetradecanoyl Tyramine (Du-14) Enhances Memory Retention In Passive Avoidance In Rats With Hippocampal Cholinergic Deficit, Phebian Arinola Abitoye

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Neurosteroids, such as dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, (DHEAS) are steroidal compounds synthesized within the central nervous system that modulate its function. Among the effects associated with sulfated neurosteroids is the enhancement of memory. Previous studies have demonstrated that altering the metabolism of neurosteroids via inhibition of the enzyme steroid sulfatase could reverse scopolamine-induced amnesia. p-O-(Sulfamoyl) - tetradecanoyl tyramine (DU-14) is a steroid sulfatase inhibitor (SSI) that prevents the conversion of DHEAS to DHEA thereby increasing the concentration of sulfated neurosteroids to potentiate the effect of endogenous DHEAS. To determine whether DU-14 could enhance memory retention for footshock in rats with hippocampal cholinergic …

On The Use And Abuse Of Nietzsche For Marketing Communication: Examining Consumer Suspicion Toward Advertising, Daniel Ulf Assmus

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines increasing consumer suspicion in light of contemporary marketing praxis. Immanuel Kant's concept of "self-inflicted intellectual immaturity" is traced throughout 20th century marketing literature. A review of the public relations practices of Edward Bernays reveals a close similarity to recent concepts of integrated marketing communication (Schultz). This project contrasts marketing communication approaches grounded in mass psychology with the rational choice model of consumer behavior.

These dualistic viewpoints are often regarded as mutually exclusive; however, this author proposes an "integrated dualism" of marketing communication to provide consumers with ways to redeem rhetorical "tokens" (Mayhew) that constitute the managerial rhetoric …

Crafting True Immigration Reform, Richard A. Boswell

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Civil Society Networks And The Development Of Environmental Standards At International Financial Institutions, David B. Hunter

Chicago Journal of International Law

This Article describes the recent emergence of standards for sustainable finance across a variety of FIs and the implications of those standards for the progressive development of international environmental law. Section II examines the evolution of sustainable development standards at the various FIs. Section III describes the structure and impact of the CSO networks that have influenced development of the standards and continue to monitor their implementation. Section IV identifies some of the implications of the development of these standards for international environmental lawmaking more generally.

Competitive Supragovernmental Regulation: How Could It Be Democratic?, Errol Meidinger

Chicago Journal of International Law

The purpose of this Article is to work through an initial assessment of the democratic potential of competitive supragovernmental regulatory systems. Section II lays out the main institutional elements of competitive supragovernmental regulation and gives some examples of its operation. Key features include implementation through market chains, increasingly participatory and transparent deliberative procedures, and competition among programs. Section III then focuses on the democratic dimensions of competitive supragovernmental regulatory systems. In partial contrast to other work important in the field, it takes a systemic view, examining the composite democratic potential of regulatory systems composed of multiple programs, rather than focusing …