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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 …

Role Of Eukaryotic Sel-1 Like Repeat Containing Genes In Helicobacter Pylori Evolution And Pathogenesis., Kalyani Putty

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Helicobacter pylori (Hp) establishes life-long gastric infection in billions of humans, and is often responsible for diseases such as peptic ulcer and gastric cancer. Cumulative actions of genetic drift and natural selection over several millennia sculpted the present Hp population structure, which is characterized by extreme genetic diversity and striking geographic clustering of genotypes. Natural selection is more commonly imprinted in DNA sequences of Hp proteins that interact with host components; however, in most instances biological relevance of selection during Hp infection remains unknown. Here, I attempted to elucidate the consequence of natural selection in two different contexts: (1) …

Direct Binding Of Parotid Secretory Protein To Phosphatidylinositol Phosphates., Dipti Goyal 1984-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Regulated secretion of protein by salivary and other exocrine glands requires correct trafficking of soluble cargo proteins into secretory vesicles. However, the molecular mechanism of sorting in the parotid salivary gland is unknown. Phosphatidylinositol phospholipids, such as PtdIns(3,4)P2, are present in the membrane of secretory granules. We have shown that crude preparations of native Parotid Secretory Protein (PSP) bind PtdIns(3,4)P2; however, it is unclear whether this is due to a direct interaction. HYPOTHESIS: We hypothesize that PSP directly binds PtdIns(3,4)P2 with high affinity. METHODS: Rat PSP cDNA with a C-terminal V5 tag was cloned into a glutathione-Stransferase (GST) expression …

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 …

Does Health Hoops Kentucky Improve The Health Of Children With Asthma?, Yu-Ting Chen 1982-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Asthma is the most common chronic disease among children aged 7 to 17 years of age in the United States. An average, one of every ten school-aged children has asthma, and 13 million school days are missed each year due to asthma. Interventions to prevent or reduce the severity of asthma and to improve the quality of life among children and their families include the implementation of clinical practice guidelines, asthma care quality improvement programs, community preventive services, and other community-based approaches. The Healthy Hoops platform was used to evaluate the quality of life of children with asthma. This was …

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 …

Review Of The Idea Of Justice. Amartia Sen. Reviewed By David G. Gil, David G. Gil

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Amartia Sen, The Idea of Justice. Harvard University Press, 2009. 468 pages, $29.95 hardcover.

The Economics Of Being Young And Poor: How Homeless Youth Survive In Neo-Liberal Times, Jeff Karabanow, Jean Hughes, Jann Ticknor, Sean Kidd, Dorothy Patterson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Based upon in-depth interviews with 34 youth in Halifax and seven service providers in St. John's, Montreal, Hamilton, Toronto, Winnipeg, and Calgary, the findings of this study suggest that labor occurs within a particular street context and street culture. Formal and informal work can be inter-related, and despite the hardships they experience, young people who are homeless or who are at-risk of homelessness can respond to their circumstances with ingenuity, resilience and hope. Often street-involved and homeless young people are straddling formal and informal work economies while mediating layers of external and internal motivations and tensions. The reality is that …

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.

Review Of Needed By Nobody: Homelessness And Humanness In Post-Socialist Russia. Tova Hojdestrand. Reviewed By Sviatlana Smashnaya., Sviatlana Smashnaya

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Tova Hojdestrand, Needed by Nobody: Homelessness and Humanness in Post-Socialist Russia. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2009. $59.95 hardcover, $22.95 paperback.

Review Of The War On Welfare: Family, Poverty, And Politics In Modern America. Marisa Chappell. Reviewed By John M. Herrick., John M. Herrick

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Marisa Chappell, The War on Welfare: Family, Poverty, and Politics in Modern America. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2010. $45.00 hardcover.

Review Of Work-Life Policies. Ann C. Crouter And Alan Booth, Eds. Reviewed By Marguerite G. Rosenthal., Marguerite G. Rosenthal

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Ann C. Crouter and Alan Booth, Eds., Work-Life Policies. Washington, D.C.: The Urban Institute Press, 2009. $32.50, paperback.

Review Of 'Til Death Or Distance Do Us Part: Love And Marriage In African America. Frances Smith Foster. Reviewed By Shannon Butler-Mokoro., Shannon Butler-Mokoro

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Frances Smith Foster, 'Til Death or Distance Do Us Part: Love and Marriage in African America. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010. $21.95 hardcover.

Passion For Little People : Personal Paths For Teaching Elementary General Music., Rebecca Dennis 1983-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study examines the experiences of current music teachers to determine what influences them to pursue a career teaching at the elementary level. Eight elementary music teachers from rural counties in Kentucky were interviewed during a two month period using open-response questions designed by the researcher. Participants recalled experiences from their childhood, collegiate career, and teaching career that influenced them prior to accepting positions in elementary general music. Results show that half of the participants decided to pursue elementary teaching during college and the other half decided they preferred elementary as a result of positive experiences while teaching in …

Assessment And Performance Of Vsn-Inv Normalization On The Nci-60 Microrna Expression Profiles., Martin T. Disibio

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Multiple normalization methods have been proposed for the analysis of microRNA microarray expression profiles but there is no consensus method. One of the more robust methods, quantile normalization, is commonly used in transcript (mRNA) studies and was therefore used for normalizing the first microRNA expression profiles of the NCI-60 cell panel, published in 2007. In this study the appropriateness of VSN-Inv, a recently proposed alternative normalization method, to the NCI-60 dataset is verified. VSN-Inv normalization results in much increased inter-sample correlations among control groups, and significantly higher intra-chip correlations of duplicate probes, versus quantile and no normalization. Furthermore, VSN-Inv normalization …

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 …

'Complementary' Immune Evasion By Oral Pathogen Porphyromonas Gingivalis., Jennifer Lynn Krauss

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Complement, an early recognition system of innate immunity that senses local tissue damage and infection, cross-talks with and regulates other signaling systems, including Toll-like receptor (TLR) pathways. In the context of periodontitis, destructive inflammation and disease promotion are associated with extensive and synergistic activation of TLRs and complement within the chronically inflamed periodontium. The virulence of the periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis is dependent, at least in part, upon its ability to use sophisticated stealth and sabotage tactics to undermine innate immunity. Intriguingly, although this pathogen can modulate TLR2 signaling and suppress specific aspects of complement activation (126), it proactively generates …

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 …

Wireless Sensing Of Epileptiform Activity, Wade Barnes

Electrical Engineering

No abstract provided.

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 …

A Comparative Study Of Diversity In Evolutionary Algorithms, Jayakanth Jayachandran, Steven Corns

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

For many evolutionary algorithms a key obstacle to finding the global optima is insufficient solution diversity, causing the algorithm to become mired in a local optimum. Solution diversity can be influenced by algorithm parameters including population size, mutation operator and diversity preservation techniques. This study examines the combined effect of population size, mutation value and the geography imposed by the combinatorial graphs on a set of five standard evolutionary algorithm problems. a tradeoff can be seen between the initial diversity of the population size, introduction of new diversity from mutation, and the preservation of diversity from combinatorial graph. with an …