Digital Commons Network^™

Amphetamine Sensitization And In Vivo Microdialysis Of The Nucleus Accumbens Core Of Adult Male And Female Rats D2-Primed As Neonates., Zackary Adam Cope

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Neonatal administration of quinpirole produces significant increases in D₂ receptor sensitivity that persists into adulthood. This phenomenon, known as D₂ receptor priming, is consistent with pathology in schizophrenia. Rats were administered quinpirole or saline postnatally and raised to adulthood. In adulthood, rats were administered d-amphetamine sulfate or saline every other day and were placed in a locomotor arena where activity was measured over 7 trials. Results showed that D₂-primed rats receiving amphetamine were higher in locomotor activity across all days of testing compared to other groups. This effect was more prominent in males than in females. …

The Evolution Of Feminine Loyalty Trends In Twentieth And Twenty-First Century Appalachian Literature., Candace Jean Daniel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Loyalty to the self, family, and husband create interesting tensions for feminine characters in Appalachian literature. Traditional views of loyalty dictate that the Appalachian woman chooses to be loyal to her husband and family while abandoning her self loyalty. Appalachian women writers define the terms of loyalty and the conflicts these three levels create. Furthermore, studying a progression of novels from 1926 to the present shows that feminine loyalty trends have changed. This argument focuses on examining loyalty trends of feminine Appalachian characters, studying the contentions among those loyalties, specifically showing how loyalty patterns have changed in literature, and offering …

College Student Vulnerability To Harmful Religious Groups Based On Perceptions., Kevin Clark Dreher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted in an attempt to understand which, if any, groups of college students are susceptible to cult influence based on false perceptions. Religion is a powerful practice that, if used for the wrong reasons, can influence a person to dissolve social and financial relationships with family, friends, and the surrounding community. Surveys were given to randomly selected cluster samples of students currently enrolled at the university. These surveys consisted of demographic questions and a scale designed to measure perceptions. Also devised was a scale to measure traits of depression. Both bivariate and multivariate analysis showed that the …

Teachers' Perceptions Of Empowerment In Their Work Environments As Measured By The Psychological Empowerment Instrument., Corey Ray Gardenhour

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate teacher perceptions of their empowerment. Six school systems in the Northeast Tennessee region were used in the study. Of the 600 teachers who were surveyed, 312 responded (52%). The Psychological Empowerment Instrument was used to survey the sample.

Research supported the notion that teacher empowerment could be influenced by organizational structure, relationships, communication, conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, motivation, job satisfaction, and transformational leadership. Teacher empowerment also involved servant leadership.

One research question guided the study. From this question, 12 null hypotheses were generated. Means were compared for the 4 dimensions of the …

An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Teacher Variables And Student Achievement Scores In Hamblen County, Tennessee., Anne Nelson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between teacher variables and the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) student annual scores in reading and mathematics for students in grades 3 through 8 in Hamblen County, Tennessee. The teacher variables included number of days absent, Praxis II Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) scores, and years of experience. The population of the study was limited to 3rd- through 8th grade reading and mathematics teachers employed by the Hamblen County school district during the 2006-2007 school year. Raw scores from the 2006-2007 TCAP criterion-referenced assessment were used as …

Reliability Generalization Of The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test., Chandni Patel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) is a brief screening instrument for assessing alcohol use problems among adults. This instrument is widely used and continued evaluation of its psychometric performance is needed. Reliability and validity are the primary psychometric characteristics of interest when evaluating psychological instruments. The focus of the present study is on reliability, which reflects the consistency or repeatability of the scores produced by a given instrument. Using meta-analytic methods, results showed that approximately 65% of previously published studies using the AUDIT did not appropriately report reliability estimates. Among the remaining studies, weighted reliability estimate centered on …

Family Structure And The Criminal Behavior Of Juveniles In Tennessee., Ronald D. Pickard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between family type and criminal behavior of juveniles in Tennessee who were referred to Juvenile Court in 2006. The population used in the study comprised the juveniles who were referred to the Tennessee Juvenile Courts as reported by the Tennessee Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges in 2006.

This investigation focused on the criminal behavior as indicated by number and type of referrals to the Juvenile and Family Court system in Tennessee. The data were analyzed by family-of-origin type, age group, and geographic region in Tennessee.

The findings of …

Comparing Science Instruction Methods In The High School Classroom Setting: A Case Study In Inquiry-Based Methods., Sarah Sawyers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The science education system currently in place in the United States does not adequately prepare students to compete well with international students. The development of new teaching methods is essential to ensure improvement of the system and provide its students with better scholastic achievements and employment opportunities. Various methods have been studied, with one implemented in a high school classroom to compare the results of the new method with the traditional method of instruction. Rather than the traditional lecture-based approach, Honors Chemistry students learned the theory of the gas laws using inquiry-based methods and hands-on activities. The students were then …

An Epidemiological Study Of Maternal Depression: Findings From The National Institute Of Child Health And Human Development Study Of Early Child Care And Youth Development., Liang Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined maternal depression status from month 1 to 36 after birth using data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. Maternal depression was assessed with the Center of Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. The prevalence of maternal depression was highest at 1 month, decreased at 6 months, and then kept fairly stable to 36 months. The prevalence was higher in blacks than other races, in 18-24 than 25-46 years old, and in single mothers than non-single mothers. Mothers with better physical health, social support, or employed had a lower prevalence than their counterparts. Mothers in …

The Role Of Community Values In Wind Energy Development: Exploring The Benefits And Applications Of Community Wind For Reducing Local Opposition To Wind Energy Systems, Amanda Vaccaro

Georgetown Law Student Series

Worldwide, wind energy generation is growing rapidly as a cleaner and less invasive alternative to traditional fossil-fuel energy sources. Yet, in the United States, the advancement of wind energy has been stunted by three factors: (1) the uncertainty of the federal Production Tax Credit; (2) the lack of transmission lines connecting wind projects to electricity grids; and (3) enduring local cultural and aesthetic objections to wind turbines. Frustrated with the imbalanced allocation of costs and benefits imposed by most wind energy projects, some individuals and municipalities have deployed zoning laws, nuisance claims, or environmentalist arguments to discourage wind energy development …

Community-Based Long-Term Care In Milwaukee: Wisconsin Still Ahead, Judith D. Moore, Carol O'Shaughnessy, Lisa Sprague

National Health Policy Forum

The National Health Policy Forum has made two site visits to Wisconsin in two years. The first, in August 2007, focused on an overview of Family Care, the state's managed long-term care program, and looking at service delivery in a rural setting. The August 2008 site visit focused on the operations of MCOs and Family Care service providers in the urban environment of Milwaukee. Issues examined included the link between housing and social services, care management, capitation and rate-setting, measuring quality, and integrating people with disabilities into a program that initially targeted the elderly.

Self-Esteem, Self-Efficacy And Gender In Social Class Reproduction, Spencer L. James

Theses and Dissertations

The observation that middle class parents tend to have middle class children is rather obvious. Why this is so has been the subject of less research than the fact that it is so. Using the National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH), I employ theories about social class reproduction to examine and evaluate a model that scrutinizes the influence of self-efficacy and self-esteem on college completion or current enrollment and investigate gender differences. I find that self-esteem and self-efficacy play a vital role in social class outcomes. However, I find no evidence of gender differences in the social class reproduction …

Application Of Case Studies In Education: Panel Presentation For Session 11, Friday, Aug 15, Peter Scharle

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Streamlining Case Studies For Education, Peter Scharle

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

Recent results of cognitive psychology seem to confirm that post secondary education in civil engineering can be conceived as introduction to the world of models, and to the model selection and application skills. From this perspective, case study analysis turns to be one of the most efficient approaches used worldwide by educators teaching geotechnics. BSc and MSc levels of knowledge and competency are easy to distinguish and characterize plausibly in this conceptual framework. Significance of the MSc level thinking in geotechnics proves to be a consequence. Plenty of case studies, in principle, can be selected to meet the educational purposes, …

Ground Vibrations Induced By Impact Pile Driving, K. Rainer Massarsch, Bengt H. Fellenius

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

The importance of vibration problems induced by pile driving is addressed and guidelines for establishing limiting vibration levels with respect to buildings with different foundation conditions are presented. Basic concepts of pile dynamics and stress-wave measurements, which were developed for the determination of driving resistance and bearing capacity of impact-driven piles, provide important information about ground vibration induced by pile penetration. Dynamic hammer properties and geometry as well as the driving process are important for ground vibration emission from the pile. It is shown that the energy-based, empirical approach, which is still widely used by practicing engineers, is too crude …

Patterns And Consequences Of Segregation: An Analysis Of Ethnic Residential Patterns At Two Geographic Scales, Kenneth N. N. French

Department of Geography: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

American cities are diverse, with people from various ethnic backgrounds calling the city their home. Instead of having numerous culturally mixed neighborhoods, many residential areas are segregated by ethnicity. Also, social opportunities, such as access to jobs and quality education, are not evenly distributed in urban space. In short, separate living spaces may not mean equal living spaces. What are the impacts of living in White or African American or Hispanic or Asian neighborhoods? Thus, it is worthwhile to investigate the patterns and consequences of ethnic residential segregation. This dissertation employs several cartographic, geographic information system (GIS), and statistical techniques …

Adequacy Of Labor Epidural Information For Informed Consent, Darla J. Adams

Theses and Dissertations

Legally and ethically, obtaining informed consent for labor epidural analgesia means that the patient has a substantial understanding of the risks and benefits of the procedure. The purpose of this study was to determine if labor epidural analgesia education provided by Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) to expectant women during antenatal childbirth education classes improved the recall of risks associated with labor epidural analgesia. This study also determined pregnant women's sources of labor epidural information and the perceived adequacy of that information. The role of the antenatal childbirth education class as an opportunity for labor epidural education from trained anesthesia …

Effect Of Motivation On Superlative Responding Among Aviation And Psychology Students On The Mmpi-2, Peter A. Schmutzer

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether highly motivating instructional conditions on MMPI-2 had a differential effect on the resulting MMPI-2 profiles of undergraduate aviation and psychology majors, particularly on the validity, clinical, and content scales. Of particular interest was the effect that instructional condition had on Superlative Self-Presentation (S) scale scores among aviation majors. One hundred and thirty-two upper-level undergraduate psychology and aviation majors at the University of North Dakota were randomly assigned to complete the MMPI-2 under one of two instructional conditions, "High Motivation" (HM) or "Standard Instructions" (SI). Results of the study showed that HM …

Deafdigest: Gold Edition, August 10, 2008, Barry Strassler

DeafDigest Gold 2008

No abstract provided.

Commencement Convocation Program, Usf, August 9, 2008, University Of South Florida

USF Graduation and Convocation Programs

King O'Neal Scholar - Shamik Dwivedi

Commencement Convocation Exercises - August 2008, Prairie View A&M University

Commencement and Convocation Exercises

No abstract provided.

Assessing Impact Of Instruction Treatments On Positive Test Selection In Hypothesis Testing, Daniel Wade Carruth

Theses and Dissertations

The role of factors previously implicated as leading to confirmation bias during hypothesis testing was explored. Confirmation bias is a phenomenon in which people select cases for testing when the expected results of the case are more likely to support their current belief than falsify it. Klayman (1995) proposed three primary determinants for confirmation bias. Klayman and his colleagues proposed that a general positive testing strategy leads to the phenomenon of confirmation bias. According to Klayman’s account, participants in previous research were not actively working to support their hypothesis. Rather, they were applying a valid hypothesis testing strategy that works …

Prediction Of Estuarine Morphological Evolution, Gaurav Savant

Theses and Dissertations

Estuaries are vital environmental and economic resources, providing habitat for thousands of species, absorbing runoff, and supporting recreation and commerce. Yet, despite their importance, estuaries are threatened by human activities. Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis and Cross Spectral techniques were used in the analysis and prediction of estuarine morphology. The estuaries selected for study were Suisun Bay, CA and Mobile Bay, AL. It was found that EOF is an effective and efficient technique to analyze morphology, a coupling with cross spectral methods such as Fourier Transformation (FFT) resulted in determination of forcing functions responsible for imparting variance to the bathymetry. …

Clemson Commencement Program, August 2008, Clemson University

Clemson Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Principal Salary, District Wealth, Student Socioeconomic Status And School Size On The Achievement Level Of Students In Selected Mississippi Public Schools, Michael Henry Mcneece

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of four variables, principal salary, district wealth, student socioeconomic status, and school size, on the achievement level of public school students in Mississippi. The first, principal salary, was found not to have been studied as a variable that may correlate with student achievement. One may have hypothesized that more effective principals would correlate with increased student achievement test scores and that those principals would have been rewarded with higher salaries. The results of this study did not support that idea. The data indicated that there was no meaningful correlation between …

The Use Of A Behavior Screener To Predict Outcomes On High Stakes Tests For Elementary School Students, Rebecca Anne Emens

Theses and Dissertations

Studies have consistently shown that teachers’ ratings of behavior were predictive of academic difficulties. While research has clearly indicated that behavior has a reciprocal relationship with academic achievement, there is a scarcity of research on the relationship between outcomes on high stakes tests and student behavior. Early identification of children at risk for academic difficulties is vital for successful intervention and remediation. Therefore, this researcher investigated use of a brief behavior screener as a predictor of students at risk for failing a high stakes test. Results from the Behavior Assessment System for Children–Teacher Rating Scale–Child Screener (BASC-TRS-C Screener) provided an …

Review Of Diagnostic Methods In The Most Cited Articles For Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, And Binge-Eating Disorder, Rebecca Chapman Roberts

Theses and Dissertations

Diagnostic practices utilized in studies of participants with Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge-Eating Disorder were investigated. A reliable coding system was used by two reviewers to analyze the diagnostic documentation practices in articles from the top-thirty most cited articles for each diagnostic category. Interrater agreements were all above .95. Results showed that many important diagnostic practices and criteria are either not being employed or not being documented. Uniform reporting procedures are necessary to help readers know how each article’s sampling procedure and subject pool differs from other samples used in the literature. Researchers reported the most details about sample …

A Survey Of Upward Bound Programs On The Achievement Of Rural High School Students, Dewayne Middleton

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of African American students on the impact of an Upward Bound Program on their academic performance, self-esteem, and the attitudes toward post-secondary educational success. Specifically, this study was concerned with the following variables: gender, family structure, and age as they related to the students aforementioned perceptions. A survey design was employed in this investigation to collect and analyze the data. Three hundred fifty-three (353) African American high school students participated in this empirical study. An instrument entitled “The Middleton Upward Bound Survey” was used to gather the data. The investigative …

Evaluation Of The Effects Of The Math To Mastery Intervention Package With Elementary School Students In A School Setting, Michael Douglas Mong

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to empirically evaluate the effects of the Math to Mastery intervention package in a school setting. The participants in this study were elementary school students who were performing at least one year below grade level in math. A between-series multiple baseline design across participants was used to evaluate the effects of the Math to Mastery intervention. Results revealed that the multi-component intervention was successful in addressing the student’s academic skill deficits on single skill intervention probes. Improvement was also observed on multiple skill grade level, generalization probes. However, the impact was not as strong …

Educational Video Impact On Preservice Teacher Knowledge, Opinions, And Referral Attitudes Regarding Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Brandon Shane Davis

Theses and Dissertations

Educators’ knowledge of and attitudes towards Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) vary. Still, teachers serve a crucial role in the diagnostic and referral processes regarding ADHD in children. Educational videos on ADHD aim to develop or alter viewers’ knowledge and attitudes. This study investigated the impact of two different videos on preservice teacher knowledge, opinions, and referral tendencies for ADHD children. One video was consistent with a medical model, multi-disciplinary approach to understanding ADHD while the other video provided a critical and ultimately negative review of the diagnostic category and its application. Results indicated that preservice teacher knowledge, opinions and referral …