Digital Commons Network^™

Congregate Mealsite Participants’ Self-Reported And Functional Health, Participation In Activities And Attitudes Toward Aging In Wisconsin, Amy Ramsey

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The number of older Americans is increasing. Participation in activities is essential for maintaining health and functional independence, preventing or delaying chronic diseases and improving quality of life. Generally, as older adults age, prevalence of regular activity declines. Many older adults are not engaging in activities and are not receiving the health benefits that these offer.

This cross-sectional study used a self-administered survey to examine whether there is an association between attitudes toward aging, self-reported and functional health, and participation in activities among older adults aged 55 and older who attend congregate mealsites in Wisconsin. It was hypothesized that older …

An Improved Synthesis Of The Hdac Inhibitor Trichostatin A, Joseph Colombo

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDIs) have found a wide variety of medicinal uses and are most noted for their specific apoptotic action towards cancer cells. Several hydroxamate HDIs have since been moved on to phase 1 and 2 clinical drug trials, with one having already been approved for treatment of advanced cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Trichostatin A is one of the most potent known naturally-occurring inhibitors of histone deacetylase. Unfortunately for researchers, the syntheses that have been reported are both long and difficult, which leads to a low overall yield and therefore to a prohibitively expensive product, limiting its medicinal potential. This …

Effects Of Yoga On Physical Characteristics On Ncaa Division I Baseball Athletes, Julie Biernat Mclean

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Among baseball athletes, joint range of motion (ROM) is considered an important physical characteristic with respect to injury prevention and performance. Professional and intercollegiate programs employ various methods of flexibility training; however, to date, no literature exists with regard to the effect of a yoga-based training program. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effects of a sport-specific yoga program among NCAA Division I intercollegiate baseball players. Subjects (N=30, age 19.42 ±1.37 years) were assessed for shoulder joint (SH), hamstring (HS), and groin (GR) ROM and subsequently followed a 12-week, 2x/week yoga intervention. Post-test results indicated significant improvements …

The Effects Of Yoga On Children’S Self-Perceived Stress And Coping Abilities, Holly Smith-Vogtmann

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Stress is a problem for many children in our society. Previous research has shown how yoga can be used to help reduce stress levels. Twenty-seven fourth- and fifth-grade students from an urban elementary school participated in a three-week yoga unit during their physical education class, as a stress management unit. Using a repeated measures design, the participants’ self-perceived stress level, stress coping skills, and perception of yoga was measured. The current study found no significant change in the participants’ self-perceived stress level or stress coping skills after the yoga implementation. There was a significant change in student perceptions of yoga …

Differences In Food Intake, Nutrition Knowledge, And Fitness Assessment Measurements In High School Students Who Have Completed The Nutricise 4 Life Program And Students Who Have Not, Malorie Blake

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The Nutricise 4 Life Program (N4L) is a school-based physical activity and nutrition education program for adolescents. It was hypothesized that dietary intake, nutrition knowledge, fitness assessment measurements and motivation/confidence to make healthier lifestyle choices would be improved in students participating in the N4L group compared to a control group. Twenty-eight students in 10th to 12th grade from 2 high schools in Pennsylvania participated. This quasi-experimental trial collected data over 19 weeks to assess program impact on dietary intake, nutrition knowledge, fitness assessment measurements, and motivation/confidence levels. The N4L group saw no improvements in dietary intake. Students in the intervention …

Walk To Jerusalem: Facilitating Physical Activity In A Faith Community, Lisa Schmidt

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Obesity and physical inactivity are on the rise in our society today. Combined with poor eating habits, many Americans are overweight or obese. Churches have become important settings for providing health education programs, especially for African-American populations. There have been mixed results from faith-based physical activity studies, and few have been conducted with Caucasian populations. The present study used the Walk to Jerusalem program as a motivational tool within a Caucasian faith-based setting. The objectives were to increase physical activity, decrease blood pressure and weight, if needed, and improve attitude toward physical activity. The primary objective of the project was …

The Relationship Between Frequency Of Physical Activity And Stereotypical Behaviors Among Adolescents With Autism, Justin M. Keyes

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Principal Perspectives Toward Parental Involvement In Pennsylvania Public High Schools, Hollis Batista

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Historically, school systems have used their personnel, curricular, and fiscal resources to improve student performance. Faculty members in nearly every school have participated on committees focused on preparing school improvement plans to address the needs of their specific student populations. Nearly all have included a parent involvement component. The quality of design and implementation of annual school improvement plans has varied both across and within schools. The component that is more often "hoped for" than actualized has been parent involvement (Blank & Kershaw, 2001; Epstein, 2004). Rarely has the involvement of the community extended beyond fiscal support or the involvement …

An Examination Of Racial Differences In Anxiety Disorder Symptom Structure And Trajectories Among Pre-Adolescent Female Youth, Cynthia Altman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although the experience of anxiety among children and adolescents is well documented in the literature, relatively little empirical study has focused on this topic. Existing research is essentially void of studies into gender-specific aspects of anxiety development and maintenance or race-based differences in anxiety symptomatology. The current study sought to fill this gap by examining racial differences in anxiety disorder symptom structure and trajectories among pre-adolescent female youth. Symptom structure was examined among a sample of 570 girls (252 European American, 318 African American) who completed the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) at nine years of age …

A Study Of The Effects Of Parental Involvement On The Success Of Students On A High-Stakes Examination, Jill Ashbaugh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The United States federal government, through the No Child Left Behind Act, is holding schools accountable for students' proficiency on academic standards. However, standards-based curriculum and instruction, along with school-based support and remediation programs, are not enough to help 100 percent of students to reach proficiency. It is imperative that schools work with parents and communities to maximize each child's potential. Children of involved parents tend to exhibit higher educational goals and perform at academically higher rates than those of parents who do not get involved in their education.

The PSSA Parent Partnership is a program that involves parents, teachers, …

A Hermeneutic Exploration Of The Literature Of Technology: Prometheus Bound, Frankenstein And Battlestar Galactica, William Blais

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There are few phenomena in contemporary culture that are more dynamic and impactful than technology. That said the understanding of technology held by most therapists is overly simple or, at best, based on one-dimensional critiques of technological life. The present study endeavors to build a broader understanding of technology that allows for both a robust critique and a more accepting recognition of its potential contributions. The present study explores the archetypally invariant structure of technology as well as the more culturally and historically contingent elements of several of its historically specific expressions. It engages this material through a series of …

Anointing As The Iconic Interruption Of The Loving God, Ellen Cavanaugh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick has traditionally been conceived within pre-modern conceptual categories and the supporting structure or worldview of Aristotelian metaphysics. Postmodern sacramental theology suggests a reflexive reformulation, one that no longer sees the world as the transparent horizon of experiences within which the divine can be pointed out, but rather that the incompleteness and contingency of being human offers hidden glimpses of the divine. This reformulation expresses the sacrament of anointing as an experience of iconic interruption of the loving God within the context of the suffering, vulnerability, and dying of a member of the Christian …

Investigation Of The Interactions Between Selected Nanoparticles And Human Lung Carcinoma Cells At The Single Cell And Single Particle Level, Isaac Stayton

Doctoral Dissertations

"The recent advances in nanomaterials development and applications have sparked concerns regarding the safety of these materials in living organisms. This body of work investigates specific interactions between chosen nanoparticles and living human lung carcinoma (A549) cells"--Abstract, page iv.

Oxidative Stress, Calcium Homeostasis, And Altered Gene Expression In Human Lung Epithelial Cells Exposed To Zno Nanoparticles, Chuan-Chin Huang

Masters Theses

"The influence of 20 nm ZnO nanoparticles on oxidative stress, intracellular calcium homeostasis, and gene expression was studied in human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B). ZnO caused a concentration- and time-dependent cytotoxicity while elevating oxidative stress and causing membrane damage (cellular LDH release). There was a remarkably steep relationship between concentration and toxicity at concentrations from 5 to 10 μg/ml. Exposure to ZnO increased intracellular calcium levels in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Treatment with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine prevented cell loss and diminished the increase in intracellular calcium concentration, suggesting oxidative stress mediated cytotoxicity. Exposure to a sublethal concentration of ZnO …

Mental Health Care At The Margins: A Critical Ethnography Of Psychological Practice In An Inner City Mental Health Setting, Katy Sampson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Within the past several decades, the field of psychology has attempted to improve psychological services for a greater diversity of people. However, despite these attempts, research continues to document a "gap" when it comes to mental health care services for marginalized populations. Various studies have addressed the issue of this "gap" in mental health care; however, most adhere to positivist assumptions regarding sociocultural aspects of experience, understanding culture and identity as immutable qualities existing within individuals, rather than as an interpersonal phenomenon that is negotiated between and among people and institutions. As a result of these assumptions, many past studies …

They've Come A Long Way Since P.L. 94-142: Standards-Based Instruction And Its Impact On Increasing School Attendance Rates For Students With Disabilities, Lywinda Anne Siegler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students with disabilities have a higher rate of missed days of school as compared to their nondisabled peers. This dissertation will examine the effect Standards-based Instruction has on the school attendance rates of children with disabilities. The purpose is to determine whether rates of attendance will increase for students with disabilities who receive standards-based instruction over the period of the 2003 -2004, 2004 -2005, and 2006-2007 school years. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania implemented standards in mathematics and reading, writing, speaking, and listening in 1999. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has 500 public school districts. The Pennsylvania Department of Education has designated …

Examination Of The Reliability And Validity Of The Triage Assessment Form: Families, Leslie Slagel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluated the reliability and validity of the Triage Assessment Form: Families (TAF: F), a 33-item, 5-point Lickert summated rating scale. The study consisted of 152 college and technical school students. Each participant responded to the TAF: F after reading mild, moderate, marked and severe domestic violence scenarios. Statistical analysis using SPSS 12.0 was performed on the data to determine validity and reliability. Reliability was tested using an internal consistency model. Validity of the TAF: F was evaluated using exploratory factor analysis. In addition, this researched analyzed the capacity of the TAF: F to distinguish among mild, moderate, marked, …

Clients' Experience Of Effective Psychoanalytic-Psychodynamic Psychotherapy For Major Depression: An Empirical Phenomenological Study, Thomas Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although there is sufficient evidence that psychodynamic therapy for depression is effective, there is no research documenting the qualities of experience in effective psychodynamic therapy for depression. To address this lack, this study aimed to investigate clients' experiences of both the helpful processes and the therapeutic effects of psychodynamic therapy for depression.

Letters, emails, and flyers were distributed and advertisements placed through psychological associations at the local and state level, and letters were mailed to therapists in the greater Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Solicitation procedures yielded four participants of whom three were female and one was male. Participants completed a research …

A Transformational Model Of Legal-Claiming, B. M. Goldman, Elizabeth Layne Paddock, R. Cropanzano

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This paper proposes a model of legal-claiming based on the transformational approach to disputes detailed by Felstiner et al. The model suggest disputes evolve, with a number of areas of organizational behavior providing explanations for individual disputant actions at specific points in time, including self-categorization theory, attribution theory, social accounts, organizational justice, conflict escalation, and social information processing. Multiple propositions relating to legal-claiming were also developed that were inductively derived from in-depth interviews with 38 employees who filed employment-discrimination claims with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Propositions focus on various stages of the dispute, including naming, blaming, claiming, and …

Environmental Education In Small Business: The Owner-Manager's Perspective, Janice Redmond, Elizabeth Walker

Research outputs pre 2011

Traditionally, environmental education has been aimed at the community or in primary schools and governmental pressure to reduce environmental damage has focussed on large businesses. More recently, the role and importance of small business and how to engage them in the environmental debate has come under scrutiny. Researchers have identified education as one method of increasing the understanding of small business owner-managers’ role and knowledge of practices that, when implemented, will reduce the negative impacts of their businesses. However, there is little attention given in the literature to the perspective of the small business owner-manager and environmental education. This research …

Multipartite Entanglement In A Discrete Magnetic Bands Magnetic Lattice, Ahmed Abdelrahman, Peter Hannaford, Mikhail Vasiliev, Kamal Alameh

Research outputs pre 2011

An asymmetric multi-quantum state magnetic lattice is proposed to host entangled system formed by using Bose Einstein Condensate. Discrete magnetic bands magnetic lattice is devised to locate a controllable long-range entanglement of a many qubits well separated in space. Confinement of the system may improve the condition for long-range entanglement.

Performance Of Mobile Camera On Colour 2d Barcode, Siong K. Ong, Douglas Chai, Keng T. Tan

Research outputs pre 2011

In recent years, colour 2D barcodes have emerged to increase the data capacity of the 2D barcode. Similarly, camera-equipped mobile phones have became more popular and their camera could act as an input device for a barcode decoder. In this paper, three Windows Mobile (WM) operated mobile phones are used to test their camera performance in reading the colour 2D barcodes. From the results, recommendations are put forward to those who are developing colour 2D barcode reader for mobile phones.

Encouraging Hispanic Fathers To Become More Effectively Involved In Their Children's Lives, Enoch Aguilar

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

When Hispanic people immigrate to the United States, they come with their own traditions, ideas, and values. Many of these values and teachings are different from North American values, however, each system strives to achieve similar goals in forming functional families. Many of these values conflict with traditional North American values. This natural conflict can make the transition from their native countries to the United States difficult, especially when analyzing the different ways each country’s government intervenes on behalf of children. If parents are unable to modify the social norms of their native country to allow the child to …

Spiritual Coaching: Helping People Develop And Implement Their Own Growth Strategies, Jenny E. Mcbride

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

In spite of a plethora of discipleship programs and good preaching, the church in general has failed to empower believers who consistently re-present Jesus and His ministry in the earth today; nor are they reproducing other disciples. The limiting factor appears to be internal fears and beliefs within the disciples, rather than a lack of knowledge or skills. A more effective disciple making process whereby both pastors and congregants can move people of varying levels of maturity, knowledge and experience toward God is imperative if the church is to fulfill the Great Commission to “go and make disciples.”

Method …

A Lay Mobilization Program For The Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Zimbabwe, Cuthbert Machamire

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The church in Zimbabwe involves lay people in ministry, but the proportion of people involved is small compared to the total membership of the church. Further, while the church believes in the biblical teaching on spiritual gifts, this concept is not given enough emphasis in enlisting members for ministry. This results in some members experiencing frustration as they serve in ministries for which they are not gifted. Others stay uninvolved either because they are not personally invited to take part, or because they do not find a ministry in the church that matches their gifts.

Method

In this dissertation, …

Strategies Of Team Formation In A Multi-Staffed Church, Larry C. Becker

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

This project sought factors that bring about the formation of pastoral teams.

Method

Methods included the study of current literature, testing a hypothesis, administering a self-developed survey with pastoral teams in the Southeastern California Conference of Seventh day Adventists, and work with the Redlands Seventh-day Adventist Church pastoral team. Data was gathered from 30 churches, totaling 77 pastors and results were tabulated with SPSS software.

Results

Analysis of the teams in the main cohort and Redlands revealed both support for the hypothesis and factors of team formation. These pastoral teams formed in a culture, in relationship, with trust, mutual …

An Evaluation Of The Implementation Of Natural Church Development Within Seventh-Day Adventist Churches In The United States And The Resulting Church Growth, Rodney Jon Mills

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The Problem

Natural Church Development (NCD) is a church health paradigm that is being used in Seventh-day Adventist churches across the United States as a tool for increasing both church health and growth. One question that needs to be addressed is whether the implementation of NCD within Seventh-day Adventist churches results in church growth.

The Purpose

The purpose of this dissertation is to establish a validation of the NCD process by evaluating the church growth experienced at the Milwaukee Central Seventh-day Adventist Church and compare that growth with Seventh-day Adventist churches across the United States which have participated in taking …

Church Planting To Reach Postmodern Generations: Launching A New Church In Winnipeg, Manitoba, Jeffrey T. Potts

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Henderson Highway Seventh-day Adventist Church in Winnipeg, Manitoba, was failing to attract unchurched young adults (ages 18-35). Many of the young adults who had grown up in the church were lapsing into irregular worship attendance. Attempts were made to help the congregation become more relevant to postmodern generations. However, these attempts failed to create a church environment that truly engaged young adults.

Method

Under the direction of its senior pastor, the Henderson Highway Church decided to plant a new congregation to reach unchurched young adults. The church was designed to be relevant to the postmodern context. Launched at …

Bringing Home Our Adventist Prodigals: A Strategic Plan To Reclaim Youth In The Trans-European Division, Paul David Tompkins

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Seventh-day Adventist church is losing far too many of its young people. This trend is hurting the world-wide church, the local congregation, and individual families. Yet very little is being done about it! The purpose of this study is to address this issue and to specifically formulate a Strategic Plan for reclaiming inactive youth in the Trans-European Division (TED).

Method

The TED territory is extensive, covering over thirty-five countries, therefore, a local pilot project was conducted. This involved identifying young people who the local church listed as inactive, or non-attending, and then contacting them with a questionnaire as …

Challenging Class Action Bans In Mandatory Arbitration Clauses, F. Paul Bland Jr., Claire Prestel

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

After a brief summary of relevant Supreme Court doctrine, this article sets out the argument that exculpatory class action bans violate many states' generally applicable contract law and responds to several common corporate defenses offered in support of such bans.