Digital Commons Network^™

Increasing Oral Reading Fluency In Children Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Breanna N. Gile

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The incidence of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) has increased in the past several years. As the incidence of ASD rises, the number of students with an ASD in public school settings also rises. There is no information available regarding how academic skills, such as reading fluency, are improved in children with an ASD. In fact, most reading fluency literature has examined interventions and assessment strategies with participants with learning disabilities. However, research has demonstrated that stimulus control improves a variety of skills in students with an ASD. For example, interventions to increase oral reading fluency can serve as stimulus control. …

Killing In Combat And World Assumptions, Jennifer Mcdonner

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current research was qualitative in nature, exploring the experience of having killed in combat from a constructivist and phenomenological framework. The researcher used semi-structured interviews to examine the lived experiences of U.S. soldiers who have killed in combat and how those experiences relate to fundamental assumptions such as benevolence of the world, meaningfulness of the world, and inherent self worth as proposed by Janoff-Bulman. Participants were four men and one woman who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The researcher identified thematic networks of the evolving self, the self in relation to others, and the impermanence of the environment as …

Beyond Content, Deeper Than Delivery: What Critique Feedback Reveals About Communication Expectations In Design Education, Deanna Dannels, Amy Housley Gaffney, Kelly Norris Martin

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

In design education, the critique is a communication event in which students present their design and critics provide feedback. Presumably, the feedback gives the students information about their progress on the design. Yet critic feedback also serves a socializing function—providing students information about what it means to communicate well in the design education context. Using a qualitative research methodology, this study explores what critic feedback reflects about expected communication competencies in design studios. Results suggest that communication competence in this setting involves interaction management, demonstration of design evolution, transparent advocacy of intent, explanation of visuals, and the staging of the …

Perceptions Of Sibling Relationship Quality: Differences Between Deaf -Hearing Dyads And Hearing -Hearing Dyads, Kelly Renee Dardeen

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined how the variables of deafness and family environment affect the quality of the sibling relationship. Specifically, the author explored how the presence or absence of deafness in a sibling interacted with the family environment, and impacted the quality of the sibling relationship. Research on the impact of deafness on families and sibling relationships has shown mixed results. Many different variables have been included in past research, such as age and sex of siblings, birth order, and family size. However, relatively few researchers have focused on the dynamics of the family environment and how that influences the sibling …

Psychological And Cultural Meanings Of Hunger: Women's Experiences, Hyun Ok Kim

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This is a qualitative study of the experience of hunger among women with no known eating disorders. Eight European American participants were recruited through a chain sampling strategy. Each participant completed two interview sessions, an initial open-ended interview and a follow-up. They were asked to describe their hunger experience and to tell stories that illustrated how food, eating, and cooking had impacted their relationship with food and their hunger experience. The data was analyzed from a Buddhist perspective. In contrast to the common understanding of hunger, participants experienced hunger both physiologically and psychologically. The results of the study indicate that …

Performance Of Privatised And Private Firms : Empirical Evidence From Egypt, Mohamed Bahaa El Din Mohamed M. M. Bekheit

Plymouth Business School Theses

Privatisation has been a major political and economic phenomenon over the past few decades, and researchers continue to target it for both theoretical and empirical work. The objective of this thesis is to evaluate the Egyptian experiment concerning its privatisation programme, and to determine whether this programme has affected the performance of privatised firms. Using 15 years of data, which cover the period 1990/1991 to 2004/2005; this thesis empirically investigates three main issues. Firstly, it examines whether the performance of privatised firms improves following privatisation through comparing pre- and postprivatisation performance in terms of profitability, operating efficiency, output, leverage and …

Microwave-Assisted Synthesis Of 1,4´-Diazaflavone And N-Alkyl Derivative Pigments With Anti-Microbial Activity, Nuran Yayli, Osman Üçüncü, Nuretti̇n Yayli, Emi̇ne Demi̇r, Zi̇hni̇ Demi̇rbağ

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

1,4'-Diazaflavone pigment (2) was synthesized by a simple environmentally friendly microwave-assisted one-pot method for the cyclization of 2'-amino (E)-4''-aza-chalcone (1) under solventless conditions using K-10 clay. In addition, 10 new N-alkyl (C_{5-12, 14-15}) substituted 1,4' -diazaflavonium bromide pigments (3-12) were prepared from compound 2 or directly from compound 1, with corresponding alkyl halides in acetonitrile under reflux. The anti-microbial activity of compounds 1-12 was tested. The N-alkyl substituted 1,4' -diazaflavonium bromides (3-12) showed good antimicrobial activity against the gram-positive bacteria tested with minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) values for the reference antibiotic kanamycin. The optimum length of the alkyl chain for …

Public Health Law For A Brave New World; Book Review: Lawrence O. Gostin, Public Health Law: Power, Duty, Restraint, Elizabeth Weeks Leonard

Scholarly Works

This is book review of Lawrence O. Gostin's new edition of Public Health Law: Power, Duty, Restraint (University of California Press, Berkeley, California, 2d ed., 2008). A review of a second edition of a book may be somewhat unusual as subsequent editions of already published works typically do not break new ground. But this book is different. Gostin's first edition, published in 2000, established and defined the modern field of public health law. The revised and expanded second edition emerges in the post-9/11, post-Katrina, post-Bush world. Gostin now seeks to apply public health paradigms to social problems beyond the field's …

Consumers’ Mental Health Recovery In A Psychiatric Outreach Program: A Process And Outcome Evaluation, Phillip Chan

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study was a process and outcome evaluation of a relatively innovative Canadian psychiatric outreach program that was multi-disciplinary, shared-care, community-based, consumer-directed, and self-determination oriented. Using structured interviews with participants (n=32), both quantitative and qualitative approaches were employed. The quantiative process measures included a demographic survey, a frequency of service utilization and satisfaction survey, and a shortened version of the Recovery Oriented System Indicator (ROSI) instrument. These measures revealed that the program was serving the target population; the conumsers utilized the services frequently and they were satisfied with the program; and, in the eyes of consumers, the program …

Effects And Mechanisms Of Female Sex Hormone Influence On Skeletal Muscle Inflammation, Sobia Iqbal

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Previous work from our laboratory has demonstrated that estrogen will attenuate leukocyte infiltration into skeletal muscle following eccentric exercise. However the mechanisms by which estrogen exerts its effects are still uncertain. In experiment one, we investigated the role of estrogen receptor (ER) influence on muscle leukocyte infiltration following eccentric exercise through administration of the ER antagonist ICI 182,780 following downhill running in ovariectomized female rats with (E+) or without (E-) estrogen supplementation. At 24 hours post-exercise, soleus and white vastus muscles were removed and immunostained for HIS48 (neutrophil) and EDI (macrophage) positive cells. The increase in number of fibres positive …

Contributions Of Vision To Gait Improvement And Perceptual Impairment In Parkinson’S Disease, Chad A. Lebold

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

No abstract provided.

Paleohydrologic Reconstruction Of Three Shallow Basins, Slave River Delta, Nwt, Using Stable Isotope Methods, Cherie Mongeon

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

p>The long-term natural hydrological variability of the Slave River Delta (SRD), NWT, is not well documented and needs to be further developed to provide temporal context to understand and evaluate impacts of Slave River (SR) floodwater influence and climate variability and change on contemporary hydro-ecological doncidiotns of the SRD. The SRD has broad ecological and cultural significance, as it provides extensive habitate for wildlife and is important for local First Nations community who have an historical connection with the delta and its resources. Concners have been raised over recently reported drying trends in the SRD over the past few …

Computer Mediated Communication: Providing Pastoral Care To Youth In “A High Tech” World, Tanya L. Ramer

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study used a hermeneutical methodology to explore how Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) can be used to provide pastoral care to youth in a high tech world. The research was motivated by the writers desire to find ways to be in communication with youth and provide pastoral care to them during their adolescent years. The thesis will explore computer mediated communication and its usefulness in providing pastoral care to youth by exploring the benefits and limitations, how it can be abused, namely cyber bullying, how it can provide an opportunity for mentoring and a theological reflection on how it can …

Preaching As Spirit-Directed Witness, Klaus Sonnenberg

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study seeks to address two specific areas that have been comparatively neglected in modern homiletical writings. Firstly, there has been a reticence to view preaching as witness—which has resulted in what one perceptive homiletician has called “a testimonial vacuum” in much of the preaching that is done in the mainstream churches of the west; and secondly, there has been a scarcity of emphasis on the role of the Holy Spirit in theological writing, including in the crucial area of preaching. Happily, this is beginning to change: there is more and more material being written now in the area of …

Modelling Asset Prices Under Regime Switching Diffusions Via First Passage Time, Xiaojing Xi

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In this thesis we focus on the development of a new class of stochastic models for asset price processes and their application to option pricing and hedging. The asset price process involves analytical treatments for calculating first-hitting (or first-passage) times for a regular diffusion with killing in combination with Markov state-switching. The dynamics is naturally dictated by the underlying diffusion process itself rather than arising from some addition exogenous process. To date, this class of asset pricing models appears to be novel in the literature and, moreover, offers a significant to the standard geometric Brownian motion commonly used in the …

Assessment Of Unit Scale: An Innovative Counselling Tool For Assessing The Relationships Of Couples Facing Infertility, Reina Zatylny

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Orthotic Intervention During Running Among Individuals With Functional Flatfoot, E. Anne Cunningham

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Foot orthotics are commonly prescribed to runners with functional flatfoot (FFF) with the goal of restoring the medial arch of the foot. In addition, treadmills are typically used by both clinicians and researchers in order to measure the lower extremity kinematics associated with running. However the mechanism of orthotic intervention as well as the accuracy of treadmills in representing overground running remains controversial within the literature.

This thesis first compared the lower extremity kinematics between treadmill and overground running among individuals with a subtalar neutral foot type. The results indicated no significant differences with respect to rate of rearfoot angle, …

What Can We Learn About White Privilege And Racism From The Experiences Of White Mothers Parenting Biracial Children?, Shannon Cushing

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Despite progress in the movement toward anti-racism, racism remains a problem in Canada. While the presence of racism and the problem of racism are recognized by Canadian society, there is still a long way to go before racism and white privilege are eliminated. In the present study, I apply Community Psychology values to the examination of an as-yet relatively unexamined minority population: white mothers of biracial children. Guided by epistemological views that place my research within the critical and social constructivist research paradigms, I explore my research question, “How can the experiences of white mothers parenting biracial children inform us …

Opportunity, Tools And Support: Ngo Engagement In The Security And Disarmament Field, Sarah Estabrooks

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

NGOs have been consistently excluded from multilateral proceedings in the security and disarmament sector where states are concerned about their national security interests. And yet, they have found avenues to participate in the multilateral process through the negotiation of treaties, provision of expert research and testimony, systematic monitoring of state compliance, documentation of UN proceedings, and even as members of government delegations. This paper explores the conditions that enable NGOs to engage directly in the state-centric system of the United Nations, addressing political opportunity, enabling resources, and institutional support. I explore how NGOs contribute to international politics, using a constructivist …

The “Both-And” Choice: The Impact Of Informational, Motivational And Behavioural Skill Messages On Adolescent Dual Protection, Tyla Fullerton

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The promotion of simultaneous condom and hormonal contraceptive use is an imperative given increasing rates of sexually transmitted infections and patterns of sexual behaviour in Canada. Previous research has shown that few adolescents engage in dual protection due to a number of barriers including attitudes and beliefs about sexual health risk. These attitudes and beliefs are shaped by key sexual health referents including parents, friends, educators, health care providers, and sexual partners. This study investigated how these sources influence information, motivation and behavioural skills (IMB) that lead to dual protection. Attitudes and beliefs are shaped by information and motivation from …

Multi-Method Assessment Of Newcomer Settlement Experiences In Kitchener-Waterloo, Qaseem Ludin

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Every day hundreds of newcomers begin a new life in Canada. Some are refugees fleeing persecution, others come to join family, and yet others (mostly the economic and independent categories) are seeking to make a better life for themselves. In all, since 2000 around 250,000 people have settled in Canada each year. Their backgrounds and personal histories may be widely different and each one’s experience on arrival is unique. The communities across Canada into which they integrate differ too in their character and in the manner in which they receive newcomers. For many new Canadians, there are, nevertheless, certain shared …

Non-Preferred Limb Performance Following Prolonged Training Periods: Performance And Retention Of Skills, Matthew Thomas Mayer

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The purpose of the current study was to examine if a long-term training program could improve non-preferred limb performance on a battery of standard tasks (Annett Pegboard, Grooved Pegboard Place and Remove Phase) and non-standard tasks (Scroll Task and Line-crossing Task). Upon completion of the training sessions, two new tasks were introduced, Finger Tapping and Fitt’s Law Task, to examine if any performance improvements could be transferred. A second purpose of the study was to learn if a training program could increase the perceived comfort in using the non-preferred hand on the same testing tasks. Participants were assigned to a …

Sense Of Community And Restorative Justice As Models Of Support: Female Survivors Of Sexual Abuse And Males Who Have Offended Sexually, Chris Mcevoy

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Sexual abuse is a social phenomenon that adversely affects the lives of the victims, those who have offended and the surrounding community. It is an issue of public health, policy, and justice. Currently, few research studies explore the ability of community agencies to support all persons affected by sexual abuse, and even fewer studies examining the perspectives and experiences of individuals left searching for remediation or healing. The Revive program, part of Community Justice Initiatives in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada functions as a mutual-aid support group for persons affected by sexual abuse, using principles of restorative justice to guide their mission. …

Personal Stories Of Empathy In Adolescence And Emerging Adulthood, Kendall M. Soucie

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Empathy, the ability to understand and experience the emotions of others, has yet to be investigated from a narrative or life story perspective. The purpose of the present study was, therefore, to examine the ways in which emerging adults and adolescents, through their self-defining stories, process and come to extract meaning from their personal empathic and non-empathic experiences. Twenty-nine adolescents (14–17, M=15.28, SD=.99), and 31 emerging adults (18–20, M=18.23, SD=.56) narrated stories about their empathic (times when they felt sad for someone, times when they put themselves in someone else’s shoes) and non-empathic experiences (times when …

Escalation Of Wheel Running: An Animal Model Of Non-Drug Addiction, Ali Gheidi

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Animal studies using the self-administration paradigm suggest that duration of drug access (Ahmed, 2005) and individual phenotype (Piazza, Deminiere, Le Moal and Simon, 1989) are important factors in the development of drug addiction. Wheel running in rats has been proposed as a model to study non-drug addictions (Eikelboom & Lattanzio, 2003). When first given ad lib wheel access, young male rats initially run at low levels (about 1000 wheel turns per night) and gradually increase this distance to high levels (about 5000 wheel turns per night) (Afonso and Eikelboom, 2003). Like with self-administration, duration of wheel access has been found …

Evaluation Of The Effects Of Various Exercise Interventions On Parkinson’S Disease, Michael D. Sage

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The overall purpose of the current thesis was to evaluate the influence of various exercise strategies on Parkinson’s disease (PD). While countless exercise interventions have been investigated by PD, results have been weak and inconclusive at best. As such, there are currently no scientifically-validated recommendations for an optimal exercise intervention. The four studies comprising this thesis have attempted to address the shortcomings of previous literature, namely, inconsistent use of outcome measures, lack of PD symptomatic measures, varying lengths of exercise interventions, absence of a non-exercise control group, continued assessment of participants after exercise has ended, and verifying replicabilty of findings. …

Vietnamese Women's Critical Reflections On Their Adaptation To Living In The United Sates, Mai Le Ho Del Buono

Doctoral Dissertations

unavailable

Ladies Who Launch Organization : A Case Study Of Women Entrepreneurs, Dorothy Raab

Doctoral Dissertations

unavailable

Imagining Just Discourse In Policy-Making : Transnational Space, Identity, And The Other, Annette Marie Caneda

Doctoral Dissertations

unavailable

The Relationship Between Executive Coaching And Organizational Performance Of Female Executives As A Predictor For Organizational Success, Lily Benavides

Doctoral Dissertations

unavailable