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Developmental Asset Building In At-Risk Youth: A Mixed Methods Study, Kraig James Lofquist

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this mixed methods triangulation design study was to explore how “service learning” affects “at-risk” student’s overall level of Developmental Assets. Quantitative data were obtained by using a pre and post assessment. Specifically, the Developmental Asset Profile (DAP) was used to determine if “service learning” opportunities increased the overall levels of developmental assets experienced by the atrisk student group. Additionally, qualitative data were gained by interviewing service learning participants to supplement the quantitative data collected in the Developmental Asset Profile.

Participants included 37 “at-risk” youth who were selected to participate in a service learning program. The students selected …

Musicman Communications System, Dan Strengier

Electrical Engineering

The MusicMan portable music mixer is a solution for users who enjoy listening to music and would also like to communicate to friends on a walkie-talkie system. The MusicMan provides the user the ability to simultaneously listen to an MP3 player and operate a communications device, such as a walkie-talkie.

Punching Bag Trainer, Gian Delacruz

Electrical Engineering

Martial artists, such as boxers, kick boxers, and karate practitioners, use punching bags in training all the time to work on technique, speed and power but there hasn’t really been a good way to train reaction and combination speed (a combination is a string of strikes) without the aid of a training partner. Reaction and combination speed are important in competition because a faster competitor can attack successfully before his or her opponent has the time to react. This device aims to help martial artists increase reaction and combination speed through the use of randomly flashing targets attached to a …

Passivation Of Polymer Light-Emitting Diodes, Stephen A. Fehrman

Electrical Engineering

This senior project investigates various methods of packaging polymer LEDs. The polymer LEDs fabricated in the EE 422 Polymer Electronics lab use calcium cathodes. While calcium acts as an excellent low work function electrode, it quickly oxidizes in the presence of oxygen or water. Additionally, the intrusion of water can degrade the OC1C10-PPV electroluminescent polymer and the PEDOT polymer. Therefore, in order to use these devices outside the inert atmosphere of a glove box, we must first apply a passivation layer that inhibits the deterioration of these materials.

For this project I will test two packaging methods. The first method …

Perioperative Hyperglycemia Increases Risk For Deep Wound Infection After Major Orthopedic Surgery, Boris Mraovic, Md, Orhan Bican, Md, Javad Parvizi, Md, Jeffrey I. Joseph, D.O.

Department of Anesthesiology Faculty Papers

Total hip and knee replacement surgery are one of the most frequent major surgeries performed in the USA. In 2002, the number of primary hip and knee arthroplasty was 119,000 and 381,000, respectively. By year 2030 the number is projected to increase to 572,000 and 3,481,000 respectively.

Deep wound infection after major orthopedic surgery is one of the most serious complications causing increase in morbidity and mortality and health care costs. Various risk factors for developing infection after hip and knee replacement surgery were described including age, ASA PS status, obesity, patients' comorbidities and surgical technique factors.

Perioperative hyperglycemia may …

Outcome And Haemato-Toxicity Of Two Chemotherapy Regimens For Childhood Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma In A Kenyan Hospital, William Macharia

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Background: Effectiveness and toxicity of childhood cancer treatments have never been evaluated in Kenya since introduction of structured care in the early seventies.

Objective:To evaluate effectiveness and toxicity of two treatment protocols for Non- Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL).

Design: Historical cohort study using medical records.

Setting: Kenyatta National Hospital, a tertiary care and medical teaching hospital.

Subjects: Children ≤ 15 years with diagnosis of non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

Main outcome measures: Primary outcomes were median survival, event free survival and toxicity.

Results: Out of 101 records, only 26 (25.7%) met inclusion criteria. Baseline characteristics were similar in the two treatment arms. …

Disorders Of Extreme Stress, Not Otherwise Specified, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, And Borderline Personality Disorder: A Vignette Study Exploring Clinicians' Diagnostic Perceptions, Awen Knowles

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research suggests that some individuals who suffer invasive, early childhood trauma develop significant character pathology, and may meet the criteria for both Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Trauma researchers have proposed a new diagnostic category for these individuals, called Disorders of Extreme Stress, Not Otherwise Specified (DESNOS), also known as Complex PTSD. The present study compared clinicians’ symptom ratings for two case vignettes to determine if DESNOS was a better description of the cases than PTSD, BPD, or comorbid PTSD/BPD. Additionally, potential sex bias in diagnosis was examined by manipulating the sex of the client in …

Economic Investigation Of Community-Scale Versus Building Scale Net-Zero Energy, N. Fernandez, S. Katipamula, M. R. Brambley, T. A. Reddy

Publications (E)

The study presented in this report examines issues concerning whether achieving net-zero energy performance at the community scale provides economic and potentially overall efficiency advantages over strategies focused on individual buildings.

An Economic Development Paradox: The Impact Of Linkages And Synergies Among Local Agents In The Development Of An Emergent Bioscience Cluster And Associated Entrepreneurial Ecosystems, Francisco Montalvo

Student Scholarship

Although bioscience industrial clusters have been widely researched in the last decade, the role of knowledge creation, management, and transfer as driving forces for industrial cluster competitiveness remains unclear. A better appreciation of knowledge creation and retention as determinants of industrial cluster success, and the role of foreign direct investment may be of value to industry decision makers, policy makers, and researchers worldwide. Our research revealed a paradox regarding the intensity of foreign direct investment (FDI) by multinational companies (MNCs) and the limited development of a local entrepreneurial ecosystem in an emergent bioscience cluster. While cluster development seems a logical …

An Examination Of The Organizational, Social And Psychological Climate For Individuals Infected With Or Affected By Hiv/Aids, Rashone Scott-Williams

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

An examination of the organizational, social and psychological climate for individuals infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS. Enclosed is an identification of the organizational (household), social (family, spouse, friends, church, etc.) and psychological (mental health, thoughts, feelings etc.) press/environment effecting individuals diagnosed with the virus or disease. This project examines and applies the elements of Ekvall’s 10 dimensions of a creative environment for women who are infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS; the results are reflected in a Creative Climate Survey. The participants of the survey were anonymous and voluntary. The survey was distributed throughout an entire month to a …

A Study Of Current Practice Of Corporate Social Responsibility (Csr) And An Examination Of The Relationship Between Csr And Financial Performance Using Structural Equation Modelling (Sem), Lorraine Sweeney

Doctoral

There has been a significant increase in interest in CSR in recent years (Gulyas, 2009; McGehee et al, 2009) and it is regarded as an important topic for research (Burton and Goldsby, 2009). Not only has this topic received academic attention but it is becoming a mainstream issue for many organisations (Renneboog et al, 2008; Nijof and Brujin, 2008). However, it has been noted that research on CSR in SMEs is quite scant (Burton and Goldsby, 2008; Cilberti et al, 2008). A second area of literature that remains unresolved is the relationship between CSR and financial performance (Park and Lee, …

Dreams Deferred: Disability Definitions, Data, Models, And Perspectives, Barbara Barton

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

When Ed Roberts, who had polio, forged new ground for people with disabilities by developing the first Center for Independent Living in 1972, the stage was set for people with disabilities and advocates to join together in a new civil rights movement. 'Invisible' no more, the disability community started what was expected to be a stratospheric leap into community inclusion. There was substantial hope held in the anticipated impact of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990 (P.L. 101-336, 104 statute 327). For millions of Americans, it appeared that the ADA would provide avenues for increased …

Influences On Job Retention Among Homeless Persons With Substance Abuse Or Psychiatric Disabilities, Russell K. Schutt, Norman C. Hursh

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Job retention is an important psychosocial rehabilitation goal, but one that is not often achieved. We investigate facilitators of and barriers to employment retention among homeless individuals with psychiatric and substance abuse diagnoses who were re-interviewed eight or more years after participating in a traditional vocational rehabilitation program. Most program graduates who maintained employment had secured social support from a variety of sources; personal motivation was also a critical element in job retention and compensated in some cases for an absence of social support. Both the availability of social support contacts and personal motivation influenced likelihood of maintaining sobriety. Physical …

Connecting Youth And Communities: Customized Career Planning For Youth With Psychiatric Disabilities, Kim Brown

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Young people with psychiatric disabilities are significantly overrepresented in the juvenile justice system, tend to be employed sporadically if at all, and frequently have negative connections within and to their communities. Recent research conducted in Montana with youth who have developmental and/or physical disabilities demonstrates the effectiveness of using a customized career planning model to increase linkages to resources and access to community- based employment. Side benefits include improved self-esteem and positive community connections. The customization model holds promise as a way to reduce the risk factors young people with psychiatric disabilitiesf ace and increase the resiliency factors that can …

Review Of Autobiography And Decolonization: Modernity, Masculinity And The Nation State. Philip Holden. Reviewed By James Midgley., James Midgley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Philip Holden, Autobiography and Decolonization: Modernity, Masculinity and the Nation-State. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press, 2008. $55.00 hardcover.

Attempted Cloning Of A Wnt Gene From Botrylloides Violaceus, Manasa Chandra, James Tumulak

Biological Sciences

Botrylloides violaceus is a colonial ascidian with the ability to undergo sexual and asexual reproduction as well as regeneration. The canonical pathway starts with the extracellular protein Wnt and ends with β-catenin, a transcription factor, which also functions in cell adhesion. The Wnt signaling pathway is involved in embryogenesis and regeneration in a variety of other species. In our studies we attempt to isolate and sequence both a Wnt gene and from Botrylloides via degenerate primer design and PCR. Using bioinformatic methods we aligned sequences from other organisms, as the Botrylloides genome has not yet been sequenced. Using mouse, Ciona, …

Learning Condition-Specific Networks, Sushmita Roy

Computer Science ETDs

Condition-specific cellular networks are networks of genes and proteins that describe functional interactions among genes occurring under different environmental conditions. These networks provide a systems-level view of how the parts-list (genes and proteins) interact within the cell as it functions under changing environmental conditions and can provide insight into mechanisms of stress response, cellular differentiation and disease susceptibility. The principle challenge, however, is that cellular networks remain unknown for most conditions and must be inferred from activity levels of genes (mRNA levels) under different conditions. This dissertation aims to develop computational approaches for inferring, analyzing and validating cellular networks of …

Analysis Of Higher Education Employee Exercise Behaviors, Michele Linder

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

With the introduction of technology into our daily lives, the need for physical exertion has decreased, which has led to an increase in sedentary lifestyles. Sedentary lifestyles lead to the state of obesity, and nearly two-thirds of the Unites States’ adult population is considered overweight or obese. This has resulted in a reduced quality of life, adverse health effects that strain the health care system, and tension on the financial condition of American companies. Current literature indicates that organizations that had implemented exercise or wellness programs reported healthier and more productive employees, an improved morale within the company, and significant …

The Embodied Mind In Early Development: Sitting Postural Control And Visual Attention In Infants With Typical Development And Infants With Delays, Regina T. Harbourne

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

As infants learn to sit between the ages of 5 and 8 months, they undergo many changes in their bodies as well as in their minds, creating conditions for the emergence of skills that allow greater interaction with their environment. The present study focused on the interaction of developing postural control in sitting with cognition, exemplifying the concept of the embodied mind. Look time, or the time an infant looks at an object, served as a proxy for the construct of cognitive processing. Three experiments examined developmental changes in sitting postural control and looking. The first experiment examined archival data …

Addressing Behavior Needs By Disability Category, Cynthia Serfass

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this study was to determine whether students with identified behavioral needs were provided a different level of behavioral intervention based on their special education disability category verification. A second purpose of this study was to determine what caused potential differences as interpreted by individuals working in the field.

The participants in this study were school-aged students (K-12) verified in the special education categories of Behaviorally Disordered (BD), Autism, and Other Health Impaired (OHI) from four Nebraska school districts. Multidisciplinary Team (MDT), Individualized Education Plan (IEP), functional behavioral assessment (FBA), and behavior intervention plan (BIP) documents were analyzed …

Fully Exponential Laplace Approximation Em Algorithm For Nonlinear Mixed Effects Models, Meijian Zhou

Department of Statistics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Nonlinear mixed effects models provide a flexible and powerful platform for the analysis of clustered data that arise in numerous fields, such as pharmacology, biology, agriculture, forestry, and economics. This dissertation focuses on fitting parametric nonlinear mixed effects models with single- and multi-level random effects. A new, efficient, and accurate method that gives an error of order O(1/n²), fully exponential Laplace approximation EM algorithm (FELA-EM), for obtaining restricted maximum likelihood (REML) estimates in nonlinear mixed effects models is developed. Sample codes for implementing FELA-EM algorithm in R are given. Simulation studies have been conducted to evaluate …

A Medical Monitoring Claim For Asymptomatic Plaintiffs: Should Illinois Take The Plunge?, Herbert L. Zarov, Sheila Finnegan, Craig A. Woods, Stephen J. Kane

DePaul Journal of Health Care Law

No abstract provided.

Canon Law, American Law, And Governance Of Catholic Schools: A Healthy Partnership, Charles J. Russo

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Roman Catholic schools developed in the United States during the latter part of the 19th century partially in response to a significant wave of anti-Catholic sentiment that swept the nation. Consequently, Catholic schools were established as a kind of parallel system largely free from civil laws, as bishops, pastors, and other religious leaders were free to operate their schools largely under the Church's own internal juridical system, the Code of Canon Law. However, by the middle of the 20th century, due to a variety of demographic factors, the composition of Catholic schools began to change dramatically, particularly with regard to …

Necessary Subjects: The Need For A Mandatory National Donor Gamete Databank, Naomi Cahn

DePaul Journal of Health Care Law

No abstract provided.

Application Of Different Bioanalytical Workflows For Proteomics Of Prostate Cancer, Li Chen

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

In the current dissertation, we focused on the development and application of multiple mass spectrometry-based bioanalytical platforms for phosphoproteomic characterization in cell culture and clinical specimens of prostate cancer; and on the application of optimized methods to analysis of differential protein expression to reveal molecular mechanism of drug action in animal model of prostate cancer.

Characterization of the phosphoproteome in prostate cancer

Our study in phosphoprotein signatures on a large scale in prostate cancer focused on the LNCaP human prostate cancer cell line, and on human prostate cancer tissue.

For the LNCaP prostate cancer cell line, we applied a combination …

Stepped Care For Smoking Cessation: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis And Simulation Of Future Outcomes, Brandi E. Franklin

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

It has been well established that smoking is the leading avoidable cause of premature morbidity and mortality in the United States and abroad. Smoking is attributable to over 400,000 annual deaths, and $193 billion in healthcare costs and lost productivity. Despite the apparent dangers and tremendous costs of tobacco use and dependence, smokers find difficulty quitting. Recently, stepped care has been proposed as a viable intensive approach for achieving long-term cessation. This research sought to evaluate cost-effectiveness of stepped care in a diverse population of smokers and analyze future health outcomes of smoking cessation.

Cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted from an …

Illuminations, Fall Issue, December 2009, Ucf Libraries

Libraries' Newsletters

No abstract provided.

From Means To Ends: Artificial Nutrition And Hydration, Cheryl Monturo, Kevin Hook

Nursing Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Zoning And Land Use Law, Dennis J. Webb Jr., Marcia Mccrory Ernst, Davené D. Walker, Kelley B. Gray

Mercer Law Review

This Article provides a succinct and practical analysis of the significant judicial decisions in the area of zoning and land use law handed down by Georgia appellate courts between June 1, 2008 and May 31, 2009. The cases surveyed fall primarily within five categories: (1) zoning; (2) condemnation; (3) nuisance and trespass; (4) easements and restrictive covenants; and (5) miscellaneous.

Bridgewater Review, Vol. 28, No. 2, December 2009

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.