Digital Commons Network^™

Factors Affecting Nurse Educators' Decision To Teach., Linda J. Thomas 1946-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The field of nursing currently faces a shortage of both nurses and nursing faculty. Yet, little is known about why clinical nurses opt to become nursing faculty. Qualitative investigations into this phenomenon are particularly rare. This study addressed these gaps in the context of career choice of faculty associate degree nursing (ADN) programs. The qualitative analysis was guided by Astin's (1984) psychosocial model of career choice. The central research question was, "What factors influence the career choice of nurse educators currently teaching in Kentucky associated degree nursing programs?" Faculty from the 20 ADN programs in public community colleges and 4-year …

Messianic Light : Utopian Discourse In The Work Of Theodor W. Adorno, Luce Irigaray And Giorgio Agamben., Heather Anne Thiessen 1956-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

What is the idea that "utopia" names? How can discourse represent that idea? Setting aside temporarily deeper problems with the idea of representation, and focusing on how a complex philosophical discourse might approach the problem of conveying or representing a large, only fairly precise, and important idea is the question of this dissertation. It ultimately answers that question obliquely, by focusing on the way the utopian discourse present in the work of three late 20th century philosophers, Theodor W. Adorno, Luce Irigaray, and Giorgio Agamben, addresses a subject position that can be named a "subject of possibility." How this subject …

Longitudinal Predictors Of Disciplinary Alternative School Placement And The Risk Of Subsequent Juvenile Detention In A Cohort Of Third Grade Children., Judi Elisa Vanderhaar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Alternative school settings for students who are identified as "disruptive or dangerous" are playing an increasingly prominent role in the world of public education, yet many gaps in the research literature are abound. This dissertation study is an effort to contribute to an understanding of the students placed in these alternative schools, identify longitudinal predictors of placement, and assess the risk of subsequent involvement of the juvenile justice system. The study sample consisted of an entire cohort of third grade children in a large metropolitan school district. Through the use of the methodological technique of discrete-time hazard analysis, time-constant and …

The Social And Cultural Constructions Of The Self-Identity Of White American Corporate Businesswomen In Historiography, Literature, And Popular Culture (1963-1985)., Qin Ma 1974-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this cross-disciplinary dissertation is to explore how the epistemic ruptures, such as WWII and the Second Wave Feminism, change the American society between 1963 and 1985. From a humanistic and historical point of view, it focuses on (l) the "self-identity" of modern white American corporate businesswomen (WACB) between 1963 and 1985, (2) the change of their self-identity in comparison with the historical period between 1920 and 1963, and (3) how their self-identity is socially and culturally constructed by analyzing evidence from 3 disciplines-historiography, literature, and popular culture. The major theories used for the hermeneutic interpretation of the …

The Four-Year Experience Of First-Generation Students At A Small Independent University : Engagement, Student Learning, And Satisfaction., David M. Mahan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explored the four-year college experience of first-generation and continuing-generation students at a small private institution. Using Astin's I-E-O model (1970), the following variables in the student experience were considered: precollege student characteristics (input); engagement in academic experiences, cocurricular activities, campus relationships (environment); and satisfaction, learning (outcome). The sample consisted of seniors participating in the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and/or a direct measure of general education learning, the ETS Measure of Academic Proficiency and Progress. Results of the analysis of learning indicated no difference in first-generation and continuing-generation students' measures (n = 342). One exception was found …

English Language Learners In Focus : Predictors Of English Proficiency And Academic Achievement., Yuliya Ardasheva

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Academic achievement of English language learners (ELLs), the fastest growing population in the U.S. schools, deserves greater attention. This non-experimental study investigated the unique contributions-above and beyond other individual difference and school characteristics-of language learning strategies (LLS) to student academic outcomes in a second language (L2). The sample comprised 1,057 ELLs (651 elementary, 275 middle, and 131 high school) attending 38 schools in one urban school district. Descriptive analysis results indicated that ELLs used a large array ofLLS; yet, except for metacognitive strategies, most LLS were reportedly used only at a medium level of frequency. The results also indicated a …

Low-Frequency Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Modulates Evoked-Gamma Power, Event-Related Potentials, And Behavior In Autism Spectrum Disorders., Joshua Matthias Baruth

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Evidence suggests that cortical minicolumns are reduced in size and increased in number in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), especially in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). More specifically minicolumns in individuals with ASD are narrower and contain less peripheral, neuropil space; this may cause an increase in the ratio of cortical excitation to inhibition and adversely affect the functional distinctiveness of minicolumnar activation. A lack of cortical inhibition may cause signal/sensory amplification which can impair functioning, raise physiological stress, and adversely affect social interaction in patients with ASD. Additionally, the DLPFC forms a circuit interconnected with many areas of …

Development Of A Simulation And Evaluation Environment For A Traffic Flow Analysis System., Peter Bernhardt 1973-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A system for analysis of the traffic flow on public streets and highways through the use of Floating Car Data (FCD) relies completely on the number of simultaneously contributing vehicles, a fact that is no barrier for the phases of conception and development but poses a serious issue for the testing of such a system. Especially for smaller institutions or companies where the ability and resources to field the required number of participants is not given which in turn leads to the need for computational support to substitute the use of real vehicles by simulation. This thesis focuses on the …

Social-Cognitive Predictors Of Physical Activity Initiation In Type 2 Diabetes Following Diabetes Self-Management Education : Application Of The Health Action Process Approach., Jason E. Bonner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Type 2 diabetes presents a public health crisis and a global pandemic. Successful management of diabetes requires engagement in a daily regimen of self-care behaviors to achieve optimal glycemic control and to reduce the severity of diabetes-related complications. Regular engagement in physical activity has been demonstrated to improve glycemic control and overall quality of life among patients with diabetes. Diabetes self-management education (DSME) has become the hallmark for instructing patients with diabetes to engage in physical activity, yet physical activity patterns of DSME patients remains largely unknown. Further, it is unclear what factors could account for such behavior change in …

The Trickster, The Griot, And The Goddess : Optimal Consciousness In The Works Of Ntozake Shange, Kara Walker And India. Arie., Tiffany D. Caesar 1985-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The creative expressions of three black women artists--Ntozake Shange, Kara Walker, and India. Arie--are explored using optimal consciousness-an Afrocentric framework by Linda James Myers. This concept advocates that the role of the artist is to provide art that raises the consciousness of the people. An illustration of optimal consciousness will be demonstrated in their works by using the following criteria presented in the theory: authenticity, the fusion of sacred and secular, and positive interpersonal relationships. The creative works utilized for this analysis are Shange's choreopoem For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow is Enuf, Walker's silhouette narrative …

How Fares The Selective Tradition? : Racial Representation Of Characters In Second Grade Classroom Libraries., Nancy Franklin Hulan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated teachers' inclusion of racially diverse literature within their classroom libraries, how the representations within the literature compared with the students in the classrooms, the inclusivity of students' book selections, and teacher thoughts concerning selection of literature. Individual classrooms were found to fall within categories of challenging, progressing against, or continuing the selective tradition, the tendency of teachers to favor literature that primarily features White, middle-class, male authors and subjects over works by and about women and other ethnicities or social classes (Luke, Cooke, & Luke, 1986). Of 22 classroom libraries, three were challenging, three were progressing against, …

The Role Of Muc1 Splice Variants In Dry Eye And Inflammation., Yoannis Imbert-Fernandez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mucin 1 (MUC1) is a plasma membrane-bound glycoprotein that plays a protective role in corneal epithelial cells. Two full-length splice variants of MUCl: MUCl/B and MUCl/A, that differ by the inclusion of 27 bp from intron 1 and a SNP in MUCl/A, but have identical C-terminal cytoplasmic domain (CD) sequences, were identified in human conjunctival tissue. I tested the hypothesis that MUC1 splice variants are key immunoregulators that act on the ocular surface to protect the ocular surface from inflammation and that their expression correlates with dry eye status. The expression of MUC1/A and MUCl/B splice variant was examined in …

Distributed Leadership As A Mediator Of Whole School Reform Strategies For Improvement Planning From Data., Jean Elizabeth Pickup 1954-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how two schools utilized elements of distributed leadership to implement strategies from a reform intervention for whole school and classroom improvement planning from data. The notion of distributed leadership was refined in a conceptual framework that includes mediating variables of procedures and processes, materials and tools, and norms and rules. Strategies were introduced through a specific intervention for reform, Effective Schools for the 21st Century, based on high reliability organizations and co-construction. It utilized professional development sessions and distributed leadership as a vehicle to implement reform strategies in the schools. This was a qualitative study, analyzed through …

Life History And Convervation Of Elliptio Crassidens From The Blue River, Indiana., Cassandra L. Hauswald 1975-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study assessed life history components for the elephantear freshwater mussel, Elliptio crassidens (Lamarck, 1819). The main focus of this study was to determine the suitability of various fish species as a host for E. crassidens and to determine the population status in terms of age structure, recruitment and reproduction of E. crassidens from the Blue River drainage of south-central Indiana. General observations on the life history of E. crassidens were made: brooding conditions for release of larvae, larval behavior, and larval shell dimensions. Ages of E. crassidens shells from the Blue River were also determined. A Geographic Information System …

The Content And Critical Metaphor Analysis Of Illustrated Print Advertisements In China., Chun Jiang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation takes Chinese advertisements as the research subjects to see in what way a quantifiable large number of advertisements with its metaphorical nature and instrumental mission can reflect social cultural change, in specifics, ideology and identity change of China in the last thirty years by combining four methods of research: content analysis, Critical Discourse Analysis, Conceptual Metaphor Analysis and Pictorial Metaphor Analysis. The dissertation goes through the sign or ad interpretation process of linguistic, semiotic and critical analysis of 300 sample illustrated print advertisements collected from popular and award-winning illustrated print advertisements in Chinese media in the three periods …

The Gorilla And The Cuttlefish., Nick Karl 1982-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The new work I have developed while pursuing my Masters in Art at the University of Louisville is strongly based on the narrative. I have always used the imagery in my work as social commentary. The stories and images I develop are to be viewed as a window on the world through my eyes, but for the first time I have focused on one clear concept. In this case, questioning how we developed from a group of hunter-gatherers scouring the land for survival, to modern consumers, destroying the world around us. In order to facilitate this narrative, I wrote a …

Cultivating Our Mosaic : Understanding The Language Choices Of Canadian Immigrant Students., Julia E. Kiernan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the competing views of multilingualism that shape U.S. and Canadian post-secondary literacy education. Drawing on education, English studies, globalization theory, applied linguistics, translation studies, multiculturalism, and second-language studies, this project engages in a study of multilingual students from writing courses at a Canadian university. The analysis focuses on the relationships between Canadian multilingualism and current U.S. scholarship surrounding English monolingualism in terms of eradicationism, language segregation, and language interaction. The findings challenge previous research and popular opinion, as well as Canadian government policy, all of which tend to designate Canadian classrooms and society as definitively accepting of …

Determination Of Variables Which Predict Success On The National Council Licensure Examination (Nclex-Pn)., Mary A. Kleber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nursing is one of the most frequently chosen programs by those entering postsecondary institutions in preparation for a career. This is in part due to the job opportunities available, interest in healthcare, and a pending shortage of nurses in healthcare. One strategy for meeting this shortage is the career pathway which encompasses the concept of lifelong learning and provides a mechanism for advancement of nurses along a continuum. Regardless of the level that a student enters the nursing education continuum, failure on the national licensure exam becomes a burden to both graduates and faculty in time and resources expended. Whereas …

Methods For Focusing On Customer Orientation In The Early Phases In The Innovation Process., Philipp Cimander 1978-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A constant flow of innovative products which meets the needs of customers and therefore is a monetary success for the inventing organization is important for the long term success of organizations, especially in modem dynamic markets. As resources for innovation projects in organizations are generally limited it is important to choose the right ideas which are followed and later brought to the market. Therefore it is important to integrate external people at the beginning of the innovation process. The following methods all meet this requirement: Models for Positioning compare different attributes of existing or potential products or applications, the Empathic …

Seeking A Spiritual Home For Women : A Comparative Study Of Chen Ran's And Amy Tan's Fictions., Jing He 1979-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With increasing cross-cultural infiltrations and accelerated interflows among people of all nationalities in this globalized world, the focus of comparative literature has experienced a shift from traditional Eurocentric cannons to a broader space incorporating literary works from marginalized cultures in its exploration of both particularities and commonalities. This dissertation aims to address the loss and reconstruction of women's self-identities as reflected in the fictions of contemporary Chinese woman writer Chen Ran and Chinese American woman writer Amy Tan. Drawing ideas from identity theories and postmodern feminist theories, the author compares the major motifs, rhetorical devices and writing strategies of the …

Representations Of Homelessness In Four Canadian Newspapers: Regulation, Control, And Social Order, Barbara Schneider, Kerry Chamberlain, Darrin Hodgetts

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article reports on a content analysis of homelessness representations in four Canadian newspapers: two city broadsheets, one city tabloid, and one national newspaper. Clear differences between the papers emerged showing that in general coverage of homelessness in Calgary was much more positive than coverage in Vancouver. It conveyed a stronger sense of crisis or urgency and a stronger sense of optimism that the problem should and can be solved. Experts dominate public discourse about homelessness, with people who experience homelessness themselves marginalized as speakers. Despite these differences, the four papers present a unified narrative of homelessness in which readers …

Housing For People With Serious Mental Illness: Approaches, Evidence, And Transformative Change, Geoffrey Nelson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The evolution of housing approaches for people with serious mental illness is described and analyzed. A distinction is made between three different approaches to housing: (a) custodial, (b) supportive, and (c) supported. Research evidence is reviewed that suggests the promise of supported housing, but more research is needed that compares supported housing with different supportive housing approaches. It is argued that the current move to a supported housing approach represents a fundamental shift or transformative change in mental health policy and practice. Strategies to facilitate this shift are discussed.

Evaluate Experiences Necessary To Achieve Proficiency In Advanced Fiberoptic Intubation Skills : Can We Accelerate The Learning Curve With Simulator Training?, Xinyuan Duan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fiberoptic intubation skills (FOI) are critical in reducing the anesthesia related morbidity and mortality in clinical settings. The purpose of the study was to prove that the simulator can train a novice to achieve the expert level in a relatively short time. The performance of the pre- and post-training of novice group and expert group was computer or video recorded. Three statistical methods were applied for data analysis. The number of airway collisions and the number of passes for oral and nasal were analyzed by a newly proposed maximum likelihood method. The development of this model is based on the …

The Role Of Genetic And Environmental Oxidative Stress Factors In Prostate Cancer., Nicole A. Lavender

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prostate cancer (PCA) development may be influenced by genetic variations within oxidative stress response (OSR) related mechanisms, such as antioxidation (e.g., carcinogen metabolism/detoxification), DNA repair, and apoptotic regulation. Excessive oxidative stress can produce DNA base changes, damage tumor suppressors, enhance proto-oncogene expression, and induce malignant transformation of cells. Persistent oxidative stress may even trigger apoptosis. Environmental reactive oxygen species (ROS) exposure attributable to lifestyle factors may exacerbate this situation by increasing oxidative stress. Therefore, it is likely that genetic variation resulting in compromised ROS capacity combined with increased environmental ROS exposure may increase PCA risk and disease aggressiveness. Consequently, this …

Adult Perceptions Of The Impact Of Kentucky Education Reform Act Initiatives On Achievement : Insights Of Rural Gifted Students., Jan Kathryn Weaver Lanham 1954-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study investigated perceptions regarding the impact of the tenets of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) on the self-reported achievement and underachievement among adults who had been identified and served as gifted students in a rural Kentucky school district between 1994 and 2004. Through a series of interviews of 30 young adults selected through purposive sampling, the study addressed three research questions relating to (a) the perceptions of the former students regarding each of six KERA initiatives--Portfolios [writing and mathematics], Ungraded Primary, KIRIS/CATS assessment, Proficiency as a performance goal, School Based Decision Making [SBDM] council policies--in fostering or …

The Oldham County Learning Institute : Strengthening High School And Middle School Teachers' Abilities To Teach Their Students Powerful Thinking Strategies., Lynda Emery Redmon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Oldham County Learning Institute (OCLI), a 3-day professional development experience for teachers, was provided during four sessions spanning two school years. The OCLI training focused on three interrelated strands: thinking strategies – what to do, gradual release of responsibility – how to do it, and building a classroom community of learners – in what context. This study investigated the impact of OCLI on teachers’ instructional practices with regard to implementation of the three strands. Participants were exposed to seven research-based thinking strategies: a) monitoring for meaning, b) determining importance, c) inferring, d) activating background knowledge, e) visualizing, f) questioning, …

Sex Education Decision Making At The Independent School District Of Boise, Annabeth D. Elliott

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

A needs assessment was conducted in Boise in 2008 to address pregnancy, abortion. and sexually transmitted diseases in teens. Key informants indicated students lacked knowledge about sexuality and agreed that comprehensive sex education was the best strategy for improving teen sexual health (Elliott, 2008). Because the Independent School District of Boise (ISDB) had an abstinence-only policy, the strategy could not be implemented until the policy was changed.

The purpose of this case study was to cultivate an in-depth understanding of the influences on sex education policy decisions at the ISDB and to add to the body of knowledge, which may …

Auto Dialer Wireless Smoke Detector/Alarm System, Manny Linhares

Electrical Engineering

Smoke Detectors/Alarms save the lives of over sixty percent of people each year in the United States. Most of the existing homes are still fitted with the normal smoke detectors either running out of the 120V ac wiring or out of a 9V dc battery. These alarms are perfectly fine to alert residents if there is a fire while they are home. But for people who are away from home when a fire occurs, it would be nice if they could be alerted automatically of such an occurrence and therefore be able to act upon the event by either calling …

December 1, 2010 Aasu Staff Advisory Council Minutes, Armstrong Atlantic State University

Armstrong Staff Council: Staff Advisory Council Minutes (Archived)

December 1, 2010 AASU Staff Advisory Council Minutes

Parallel Unmixing Of Hyperspectral Data Using Complexity Pursuit, Stefan Robila, Martin Butler

Department of Computer Science Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Accurate and fast data unmixing is key to most applications employing hyperspectral data. Among the large number unmixing approaches, Blind Source Separation (BSS) has been employed successfully through a variety of techniques, yet most of these approaches continue to be computationally expensive due to their iterative nature. In this context, it is imperative to seek efficient approaches that leverage the accuracy of the algorithms and the availability of off-the-shelf computationally performant systems such as multi-cpu and multi core. In this paper we tackle the spatial complexity based unmixing, a new technique shown to outperform many BSS solutions. We develop a …