Digital Commons Network^™

Program Accountability In Teacher Education: A Study Of The Perceptions Of University And State Government Leaders In The State Of Washington, Gary W. Ballou

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation explored the perceptions of accountability in teacher education programs in the State of Washington across three different stakeholder groups: university deans and/or program directors, legislators, and executive staff members (Governor). This qualitative study involved three (3) rounds of interviews. First, individual open-ended interviews were conducted with 30 individuals (10 Washington state legislators, 5 executive staff members, and 15 university deans/program directors). Second, individual follow-up interviews were conducted with 5 participants from the first round of interviews. Third, a focus group comprised of the same 5 participants from the follow-up interviews were asked for even deeper specifications and insights …

The Building Of The Shenyang Jianzhu University 1998-2007: A Case Study Of The Role Of Professor Fuchang Zhang And His Communist Party Network, William D. Blizzard, Jr.

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine how the building of Shenyang Jianzhu University’s new campus was accomplished under the leadership of Professor Fuchang Zhang, Secretary General of the Chinese Communist Party for the university, using his Communist Party network. This study was conducted in the city of Shenyang, Liaoning Province, Peoples Republic of China, using interviews with Professor Zhang, his peers, government officials, and other university presidents. Archival data is also included. There were limitations in the study that included personal and professional friendships, student recruiting issues, as well as methodological limitations because all interviews had to be …

Developing Collaborative Leadership: A Study Of Organizational Change Toward Greater Collaboration And Shared Leadership, Jonathan Tyler Clark

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Implicit in leadership behavior is the ability to work with others, to be in relationship, and to collaborate. Contemporary theories about leadership have shifted from a focus on the individual “leader” toward the collective act of “leadership.” A concrete understanding of collaborative leadership remains somewhat underdeveloped in the literature and theoretically. This dissertation is a case study of organization's efforts to change from autocratic organizational leadership to a more collaborative working environment. Taking the form of a literary portrait, the study analyzes an example of action learning about collaborative leadership. The portrait will be of the agency's change, with special …

Dwelling, Walking, Serving: Organic Preservation Along The Camino De Santiago Pilgrimage Landscape, Mercedes Chamberlain Quesada-Embid

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study is an exploration of the people and the landscape of the well-known Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route. Although there are many routes that make up the entirety of the pilgrimage, this research is specifically focused on the landscape of the Camino Francés, or French Route, in northern Spain. The path has been written about in many ways and for a myriad of reasons since it became affiliated with the Christian tradition in the early ninth century. This research, however, is different. By way of an environmental history and hermeneutic approach, an investigation of the interrelated and overlapping human …

Indigenous Languages Under Siege: The Native American Experience, Allison M. Dussias

Intercultural Human Rights Law Review

How have Native American languages, like the languages of other indigenous peoples around the world, arrived at this crisis stage? Is this simply the result of the passage of time, in an environment in which non-Native American society's sheer numbers, and its ever-present English-language media, including the "cultural nerve gas of television, inevitably swamp Native American languages and lead to their replacement by English? Or has this situation resulted from more deliberate action on the part of the dominant society, acting through its laws and other mechanisms of government power? We should also ask, given that so many Native American …

Developing Lexical Competition Resolution Mechanisms Through Reading Experiences, Ana B. Areas Da Luz Fontes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The goal of the present study was to investigate whether competition resolution mechanisms are improved throughout a student's college years. For this purpose, I bilingual participants with a range in the number of college credits completed (e.g., freshmen to seniors) were recruited. Participants were presented with sentences that biased the less frequent, or subordinate meaning of an ambiguous word (e.g., novel, fast) (e.g., novel: something new; fast: to not eat). The ambiguous word was either a Spanish-English cognate (e.g., novel/novela) or a noncognate control (e.g., fast). These sentences were followed by target words that, on critical trials, were related to …

Unlocking Creativity In The Classroom, Rose Marie De La Cruz-Bechtel

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Creativity is a process involving skills that can be presented and strengthened in a classroom setting. An overview of various research strands regarding creativity since 1950 is included. The pragmatic approach of Roger von Oech forms the basis for a selection of strategies useful for unlocking and encouraging creative thinking in the 4-8 classroom.

Evaluation Of An Image Processing Algorithm For Scene Change Detection, Daniel Flores

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Despite the efforts to reduce traffic accidents by government entities and automobile manufactures, the numbers of accidents are not considerably reduced. An evaluation of an algorithm based on the fly's eye is done on this research applying its principles to detect scene change on images for printed circuit boards providing initial steps to implement this algorithm on vehicular traffic to keep track of objects moving on the field for collision avoidance purposes. The effectiveness of the algorithm is addressed through a comparison of its performance with that found in experimental data.

The Affective, Behavioral, And Cognitive Correlates Of Club Drug Use Among Hispanic College Students, Brenda Sue Hanson

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Limited information exists about club drug use among minorities. This study examined potential affective, behavioral, and cognitive correlates of club drug use in a Hispanic college student sample. Participants (N = 321) completed multiple measures assessing demographic information, acculturation, depression, anxiety, positive and negative affect, alexithymia, polysubstance use, sensation seeking, need for cognition, and prospective memory. Primary analyses included logistic regression models assessing the impact of affective, behavioral, and cognitive correlates on club drug use, while secondary analyses included moderation analyses exploring potential relationships between variables of interest, as well as assessment of univariate relationships between club drug use …

Perspectives Of White/Non-Hispanic Male Superintendents Of Majority-Hispanic School Districts In Texas, Samuel Franklin Hogue

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study examines the dynamics and challenges which White/non-Hispanic male superintendents face in leading school districts where the majority of constituents come from a different ethnic or racial background than their own; specifically school districts where the constituency is majority Hispanic. It also identifies the career paths and educational experiences of value of White/non-Hispanic males who serve as superintendents of school districts with majority Hispanic student populations as well as ascertains the general leadership theories and/or styles these men subscribe.

This study advances the understanding of school leadership in majority Hispanic school districts that are led by White/non-Hispanic males, how …

An Examination Of Wind Band Transcriptions, Russell J. Houser

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

An examination of twenty-six wind band transcriptions from orchestral, operatic, keyboard and choral literature with the intent of identifying those characteristics and qualities which best preserve the intent and message of the original composition.

A Comparison Of The Profiles And Career Pathways, Terri Kaylene Jordan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Overview

The purpose of this descriptive study was to compare the personal characteristics and career pathways of the superintendents of the fifty largest public school districts in the United States and the chief executive officers (CEO's) of the top fifty Fortune 500 companies in the United States. The research questions that guided this study were: (1) What are the similarities and dissimilarities in the profiles of public school superintendents and CEO's of Fortune 500 companies? and, (2) What are the similarities and dissimilarities in the career pathways of public school superintendents and CEO's of Fortune 500 companies? Demographic information …

Motherhood:Portrayals In American Literature, Christine J. O'Leary

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this Thesis is to illustrate five categories of motherhood in American literature. The five categories chosen are: the self-absorbed mother, the self-martyred mother, the child-sacrificing mother, the self-sacrificing mother, and the substitute mother. I chose these five categories because they appear frequently in texts written by people of multiple ethnicities who represent several larger American cultures.

1. The self-absorbed mother lives for her personal pleasures. Her children are a burden. She prefers her happiness over the day to day care of the children.

2. The self-martyred mother believes that she is responsible for all the difficulties …

Assessment Of Human Muscle Fatigue From Surface Emg Signals Recorded During Isometric Voluntary Contractions By Using A Cosine Modulated Filter Bank, Cristhian Mauricio Potes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Human muscle fatigue involves both a decrease in the frequency and increase in the amplitude of a surface electromyographic (EMG) signal. Muscle fatigue is also related to a decrease of the force impeding to reach the same initial level of the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC). To determine muscle fatigue indices, a method is proposed by decomposing a surface EMG signal into 32-subbands. This decomposition was attained by using a cosine modulated filter bank. The

surface EMG signals analyzed during this research were recorded during isometric voluntary contractions. Both the instantaneous mean frequency (IMF) and the instantaneous amplitude (IA) are estimated …

An Analysis And Overview Of Selected Original Compositions, Miguel Angel Soto

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The following chapters present an overview of the compositions completed as part of my studies toward the Master of Music degree. They are presented chronologically in the order in which they were composed. The analyses of these works are intended to offer insight into the process of their composition, as well as to draw attention to their important musical elements. These pieces involve a wide range of instrumental and vocal settings, as well as a variety of traditional forms.

The N400 Erp: Semantic Vs. Evaluative Incongruities, Jennifer Hilda Taylor

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The objective of this research was to utilize both behavioral (response times) and psychophysiological measures (ERPs - N400 & Pre-response Positivity) to uncover the cognitive mechanism responsible for the evaluative priming effect (spreading activation vs. response competition) by controlling for semantic influences. This research project examined the evaluative incongruity effect by controlling for semantic influences in two separate studies. The first study kept semantic associations among word pairs completely random, while the second study controlled for semantic associations by either pairing words from the same semantic category (e.g., animal-animal) or from different semantic categories (e.g., animal-person). Participants completed an evaluative …

Evaluation Of A Nutrition Program Targeting Child Care Centers, Kendra Witt

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Color Me Healthy (CMH) is an interactive nutrition program designed for preschool aged children in child care settings. The current study examined if CMH increases the consumption of fruit and vegetables. Child care centers were randomly assigned to one of two conditions; children (n=165) in ten centers received CMH and children (n=98) in seven centers acted as controls. Consumption of fruit and vegetable snacks was assessed at baseline, one week post-intervention and 3 months post-intervention. Hierarchical linear modeling determined that group assignment was the only significant predictor of fruit and vegetable consumption. Children who were exposed to the CMH program …

The Effects Of Program Model And Language On Science Taks Scores Among Fifth Graders, Stephanie Leigh Zelenak

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

THE EFFECTS OF PROGRAM MODEL AND LANGUAGE ON SCIENCE TAKS SCORES AMONG FIFTH GRADERS

This study examined the conditions of learning allowing students in one classroom to succeed on the fifth grade science TAKS test whereas students in other classrooms on the same campus do not succeed. It focused on the relationship of program models, specifically as it pertains to the influence of language within the content area of science and student performance on the fifth grade science TAKS scores.

To compare the academic achievement, as measured by the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test, in grade five …

School Principal Profiles: Comparing China And The United States, Tak C. Chan, Ruiqing Du

Faculty Articles

By comparing principal profiles in China and the United States) this study would contribute to a better understanding of school leadership in the two countries. Participating principals included 144 from two states in the United States and 77 from seven provinces of China. A researcher designed Likert-scale questionnaire covered the principals) profiles in seven leadership areas: character) professional knowledge) professional skill) administrative style) administrative duties) personnel management) and student affairs management. This was supplemented by a survey of three open-ended questions on principal's responsibilities) challenges) and fulfillment. The findings of quantitative data were compared with those of qualitative data. Results …

Culture, Sovereignty, And Hollywood: Unesco And The Future Of Trade In Cultural Products, Christopher M. Bruner

Scholarly Works

On October 20, 2005, the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and CulturalOrganization (UNESCO) adopted a treaty - by a vote of 148-2, with 4 abstentions - that legitimates domestic legal measures aimed at the protection of local producers of cultural activities, goods and services. Opposed by the United States and Israel, the Convention represents a major diplomatic victory for Canada and France - its principal proponents - and a major blow to Hollywood and the United States, audiovisual products being among America's most lucrative exports. Both Canada and France, like many countries around the world, have long …

An Examination Of Self-Reported Parenting Practices Among First-Generation Spanish-Speaking Latino Families: A Spanish Version Of The Alabama Parenting Questionnaire, Melissa R. Donovick, Melanie M. Domenech-Rodriguez

Psychology Faculty Publications

The present study examined the applicability of the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire to a Spanish-speaking Latino population. Results of the reliability and concurrent validity testing suggest that the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire may be a valuable tool for use with Spanish-speaking Latino families. The Alabama Parenting Questionnaire in Spanish assessed parenting practices among 50 first-generation Spanish-speaking Latino families of primarily Mexican origin with a child between 4 and 9 years of age (n = 96 parents, n = 50 children). Mothers and fathers completed questionnaires in Spanish to assess parent and child behaviors. Results show that over 80% of parents included …

Christian Publishing: A Panel Discussion, Dennis Hillman, Mark Hunt, Jim Kinney, Jon Pott, Gregory A. Smith

The Christian Librarian

The 2007 conference of the Association of Christian Librarians convened in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on the campus of Cornerstone University. Conference planners invited representatives of four prominent Christian publishers headquartered there (Baker, Eerdmans, Kregel, and Zondervan) to participate in a panel discussion on June 13. The panelists’ 65-minute exchange is transcribed here in slightly abbreviated form. At the beginning of the discussion, panelists were asked to reflect on general trends in the Christian publishing industry. This led naturally to a lengthy conversation about the publishers’ involvement in the creation and licensing of ebooks and other digital products. Finally, panelists were …

Hidden Under A Bushel? Evangelical Journals In An Era Of Web-Based Communications, Gregory A. Smith

The Christian Librarian

Evangelicals face significant obstacles as they seek to make their publications accessible to potential readers. This study measures the extent to which evangelical scholarly journals have made their contents available in electronic form. Thirty-five journals – all active, refereed, evangelical in perspective, and published in English – were chosen for analysis. Two serials management tools and individual journal Web sites provided data regarding electronic accessibility. Twenty-six of the journals are available in some electronic form – most commonly in one or more aggregated databases. Evangelical information professionals could play a significant role in helping to make additional evangelical journal content …

Resource Reviews, Phyllis Fox

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Selective Cholinergic Lesion Of Medial Septum On Recognition Memory, Li Cai

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to clarify the role of septal-hippocampal cholinergic neurons in object and spatial recognition memory. Stereotaxic-surgical infusion of the selective cholinergic neurotoxin, 192IgG-saporin (SAP), into the medial septum (MS) of Sprague-Dawley rats was utilized to establish an animal model of cholinergic deficit of the septal-hippocampal tract, which had been expected as a pathologic model of memory impairment for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Three types of recognition memory were examined: retrograde object recognition, anterograde object recognition, and anterograde spatial recognition. These were examined with a modified version of a standard object recognition paradigm. For retrograde memory retention …

Amicus (Volume 6, Issue No. 2) (Winter 2008), Roger Williams University School Of Law

Amicus

No abstract provided.

Law Library Briefs, Roger Williams University School Of Law Library

Law Library Newsletters/Blog

No abstract provided.

Cover And Contents

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

No abstract provided.

Investigation Of Anti-Toxoplasma Gondii And Anti-Leishmania Infantum Antibodies Among Sivas Kangal Dogs, Selçuk Kiliç, Cahi̇t Babür, Ayşegül Taylan Özkan, Nuri̇ Mamak

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The present study was carried out to determine the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis and leishmaniosis among Kangal dogs on breeding farms in Sivas, Turkey. Serum samples from 50 Kangal dogs without clinical symptoms of disease were tested for anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies with the Sabin Feldman Dye Test (SFDT) and for anti-Leishmania antibodies with the Indirect Fluorescent Antibody Test (IFAT). Forty-six out of the 50 dogs were seropositive for Toxoplasma gondii, with titers ranging from 1:16 to 1:1024. Only 1 of the 50 dogs was seropositive for leishmaniosis (titer: 1:128) and 5 had anti-Leishmania antibodies with a titer of 1:64, which was …

Seasonal Frequency Of Ectoparasite Infestation In Dogs From Shiraz, Southern Iran, Sardar Jafari Shoorijeh, Abbas Rowshan Ghasrodashti, Amin Tamadon, Nasrin Moghaddar, Mohammad Amin Behzadi

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of canine ectoparasite infestation in pet dogs from the Shiraz area of southern Iran, with no known exposure to insecticides. In all, 160 dogs were examined for ectoparasites in each of the 4 seasons and samples were collected. The most common ectoparasite was Ctenocephalides canis, which infested 22 of the 160 dogs. Pulex irritans was identified on 2 of the dogs and 142 Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks were found on 13 dogs. Trichodectes canis was observed on 2 dogs and 8 dogs had Hippobosca flies, which were seen mostly in spring. …