Digital Commons Network^™

The Relationship Of Ethnicity And Familial Factors In The Expression Of School Refusal Behavior In Clinical And Community Samples, Courtney Marie Haight

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Failure to attend school can have a devastating impact on a child’s social, emotional, academic, and later career development. Psychologists, educators, and researchers from other disciplines have produced large bodies of literature regarding problematic absenteeism. This has led to varying terminology, divergent approaches, assessment, and treatment of nonattendance. Additional research on contextual, proximal, and distal variables, such as culture and family, has been encouraged. The present study involved contextual variables related to school refusal behavior and contained a more representative sample of youth with attendance difficulties than previous studies. Contextual variables included youth and parent ethnic identity, family environment, school …

Groundwater Contamination Potential In Northern Nevada From Mining, Associated Communities, And Agriculture As Forecasted By Two Vulnerability Methods, John L. Swatzell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Two methodologies, DRASTIC and the NDEP method, were used to compare the groundwater vulnerability of mining, associated towns, and agricultural areas in northern Nevada. The DRASTIC and NDEP methods were compared to determine which method produces a more accurate depiction of vulnerability. Vulnerability maps were created using the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) DRASTIC and Nevada Department of Environmental Protection (NDEP) methodologies. The DRASTIC map uses seven aspect layers of geologic and hydrologic information with assigned values and weights that are applied to a mathematical equation. The NDEP method uses field data collection for potential contaminant sources and well …

Historical Diversification Of Montane Herpetofauna Within And Between The Sierras Of Mexico, Robert William Bryson Jr.

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Mexican highlands consist of four major mountain ranges spanning most of mainland Mexico. The evolutionary history of the Mexican highlands has been shaped by various geological and climatic events over the past several million years. The relative impacts of these historical events on diversification in montane taxa, however, remains uncertain. I used mitochondrial DNA data from three widely distributed species complexes of lizards as a model system to exemplify the potential roles of Neogene mountain formation and Quaternary climate change on timing and tempo of diversification across the Mexican highlands. My results suggested strong geographic partitioning of genetic variation …

The Role Of Narrative In Multimedia Learning, Myrna Elyse Diamond

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This descriptive case study investigated the role of narrative in multimedia learning and teaching and observed how teachers applied their understanding of narrative, and new constructivist technologies, to design multimedia presentations for instruction. The study looked specifically at the cognitive strategies, visual narrative concepts, and techniques of representation three teachers used in the course of learning how to design a multimedia instructional presentation. The context of the study was a university graduate instructional design of educational software course. Data sources included visual and verbal elicitation techniques, participant observations, document collection, semistructured interviews, and videotapes in the graduate classroom. Data were …

Traffic Safety: Modeling, Analysis And Visualization, Puneet Lakhanpal

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Traffic Safety has always been one of the major issues of concern in United States. Every year, stringent efforts are made by the national agencies and safety offices to uplift the traffic safety standards and build systems which can guide them in policy making, reducing crashes and routing the financial resources in an optimal direction. This thesis studies the traffic safety from three different angles: modeling, analysis and visualization. In the beginning, these three components are explored in the domain of Injury Severity. Later on, the focus is shifted towards the Traffic Safety related to Safety Belts. Factors and models …

Assessing A Combined Theories Approach To Climate Change Communication, Ted Greenhalgh

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This research examines the complexities of communicating climate change risk information and the underlying individual attitudes and message content that affect message reception. Using climate change messages incorporating fear appeals and normative information subject's reactions to the messages were evaluated using the Theory of Planned Behavior model. The study found that fear appeals did increase behavioral intention to adopt a lower carbon lifestyle among test group subjects. The Theory of Planned Behavior model showed that attitudes and self-efficacy were significant predictors of the behavioral intent to adopt a lower carbon lifestyle, while community norms were only marginally predictive. However, not …

The Effect Of Endpoint Knowledge On Dot Enumeration, Alex Michael Moore

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study attempts to extend the principle tenets of the Overlapping Waves Theory (Siegler, 1996), a framework designed to explain the progression of trends in cognitive development, to adult participants’ performance in a dot enumeration task. Literature in the 0-100 number line estimation task (Siegler & Booth, 2004, Ashcraft & Moore, 2011) has revealed a pervasive trend in child estimation such that young children (especially those in kindergarten) respond with a logarithmic line of best fit, while children at the third grade and above overwhelmingly respond with linear estimates to this same range of numbers. A similar developmental trend is …

Constructive Engagement: Second Life In The Composition Classroom, Richard Nathan Samuelson

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The recent development of digital tools has spurred educators to think differently about how they teach and how they can use computers in their classrooms. The use of virtual worlds, in particular Second Life, in higher education has been the focus of quite a few studies, although few if any researchers have evaluated the value of Second Life in a hybrid implementation of a first year composition course. This thesis is based on such an experiment—in the fall of 2010, I taught 23 students in a hybrid English 101 course that included Second Life in the first three assignments. The …

Purchaser Preferences On Carbon Labels: Conventional Vs. Organic Milk, Mustafa Ozkan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over the past several years, there has been growing attention concerning global warming/climate change and how humans are contributors. It is known that agricultural production is a main contributor of greenhouse gas emissions and the livestock sector is particularly significant because it is quoted as having between 3 and 18% of greenhouse gas emissions measured in CO2 equivalent pending different assumptions. Due to this, carbon footprint labeling has been described as a potential tool to inform consumers about greenhouse gases associated with food products and assist them with the necessary information to purchase products that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. …

Biological Condition Of Money Pont Benthic Communities, Southern Branch Of The Elizabeth River (2010), Daniel M. Dauer

Elizabeth River Reports

Executive Summary

The subtidal macrobenthic communities off Money Point in the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River were quantitatively sampled in summer 2011. The designated Money Point study area will be a part of a sediment contaminant remediation effort. The primary objectives of this study were to: (1) characterize the biological health of the benthos of Money Point and (2) produce an historical data base that will allow an assessment of the effectiveness of the proposed sediment contamination remediation efforts with respect to Money Point benthos.

The most quantitative characterization of the benthos of the Elizabeth River watershed was the …

Application Of A Gene-Based Population Dynamics Model To The Optimal Egg Size Problem: Why Do Bivalve Planktotrophic Eggs Vary In Size?, Eric N. Powell, Jason Morson, John M. Klinck

CCPO Publications

The presumption is that egg quality influences larval survival and that egg size influences egg quality. Thus, larger eggs should be favored by selection. Counterweighing the tendency for egg size to increase is the number of eggs that can be produced if egg size remains small. We examine how egg size and egg number counterbalance in Crassostrea oysters, resulting in an average egg size near 50 mu m. Simulations imposing a diversity of ranges in larval survivorship-from little advantage for large eggs relative to small eggs to a great advantage-yield some anticipated outcomes in which genotypes generating larger eggs are …

Going Virtual: Delivering Nanotechnology Safety Education On The Web, Dominick E. Fazarro, Heshium R. Lawrence, Rochell R. Mcwhorter

Human Resource Development Faculty Publications and Presentations

The emergence of nanotechnology has created new challenges for the 21st century. Future development of Engineered Nano Materials (ENMs) will soon impact society in ways never imagined before. Most importantly, those who develop and work with ENMs must understand the importance of worker safety. Educators must use creative and innovative ways to educate Generation ‘Y’ to develop a competent nano workforce. We posit that the use of virtual environments in education may be the conduit between Generation ‘Y’s technology connectedness and the teaching of nanotechnology safety education effectively, and cite an example of teaching nanotechnology safety education in a virtual …

Félix Éboué: The Second Resister, Andrew Skabelund

Student Works

On July 14, 1944, The New York Times reported that French citizens in New York were celebrating both the liberation of Normandy and Bastille Day. The French consul general in New York, Guerin de Beaumont, expressed gratitude for what he called the first time since the beginning of World War II that the French were able to celebrate the holiday in recently freed Normandy without interference. He expressed the hope that "perhaps in another year all of France will be able to celebrate the day so..."

Strange Places, Alex James Morris

Dissertations

Strange Places is a collection of short stories and short shorts written during my time at The University of Southern Mississippi. Set primarily in Akron, Ohio, the stories in this collection explore a range of themes, such as trauma, death, alienation, social class, and the struggle to connect to others. This collection is preceded by a critical introduction.

Novel Irradiated Axial Rotational Flap Model In The Rodent, Adam J. Luginbuhl, Mara Modest, Bs, Kaiguo Yan, Joseph Curry, Ryan N. Heffelfinger

Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Faculty Papers

Abstract

Objectives: To design an easily reproducible rodent rotational skin flap and to evaluate the effects of radiation on flap viability.

Methods: Ten rats received 40 Gy irradiation to the abdominal wall. Following a recovery period of one month, a 3 X 8 cm fasciocutaneous flap based axially on the inferior epigastric vessel, was raised and rotated 60 degrees into a contralateral deficit. Five non-irradiated rats underwent the identical procedure as a control. Animals were sacrificed seven days postoperatively, areas of flap necrosis were documented, and histological specimens were taken to compare flap viability and vessel density.

Results: 60% of …

Effects Of Origanum Majorana L. On Cadmium Induced Hepatotoxicity And Nephrotoxicity In Albino Rats., Ali A. Shati

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of Origanum majorana L. (OM) against cadmium (Cd)-induced hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity. METHODS: This study was performed at King Khalid University, Abha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from September to December 2010. Thirty-six male albino rats were divided into 6 groups: control, Cd, OM, OM+Cd, OM pre-treated (received OM extract for 14 days followed by Cd for 14 days), OM post-treated (received Cd for 14 days followed by OM extract for 14 days). All treatments were orally administered once a day (Cd: 5 mg/kg by weight [b.w] and OM: 1 g/kg b.w) for 28 days. Changes in …

The Effects Of Hypothermia On Status Epilepticus-Induced Acquired Epilepsy, Kristin Phillips

Theses and Dissertations

Status epilepticus (SE) is a type of neurological injury characterized by continuous seizure activity and can lead to molecular and pathophysiological alterations leading to plasticity changes. SE can lead to the development of AE by the process of epileptogenesis, which is a phenomenon that describes the transformation of normal brain tissue into a hyperexcitable neuronal population. It has been demonstrated both in vivo and in vitro that calcium (Ca2+) dynamics are severely altered during and after SE, and these changes play a major role in the progression of epileptogenesis. It has also been reported that preventing the rise in intracellular …

Human Terrain Systems And The Moral Prosecution Of Warfare, Dan G. Cox

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between Middle School Students' College-Going Beliefs And Sense Of Belonging In School, Jamie L. Steiner

Education Doctoral

Although there is an abundance of research on middle school counseling, college readiness and belonging, there is a gap in the research regarding middle school students and attempts to correlate their sense of belonging to college-going beliefs. Research identifies eighth grade as a critical time in a student’s education in which they make important post-secondary decisions. The research stressed that a s tudent’s academic achievement was not only influenced by intellectual abilities, but by their school climate. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to identify a correlation between schoolbased factors, specifically a student’s sense of belonging, and college-going …

An Investigation Of Response To Intervention Implementation In 24 Middle Schools Located Throughout Westchester, Putnam, And Rockland Counties In New York State, Noreen Urso

Education Doctoral

Response to Intervention (RTI) was a major change to the way school districts across the country provided intervention to students at risk of lagging behind in the areas of reading, math, and behavior with a focus on early reading instruction, changing the way all school districts provided academic intervention to students and how they identified students with learning disabilities. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), 2004 provided legislative requirements that all public school districts across the country provide research based reading instruction prior to referring a student to be considered as having a learning disability. Although the federal government …

Transformational Leadership: A Tool To Manage The Complex Environment Of Nonprofit Organizations, Gilbert Louis

Education Doctoral

Nonprofit organizations, particularly within the field of mental retardation and developmental disabilities, are under pressure to perform differently than in years past. Funders currently demand more accountability, donors want results, clients crave evidence-based outcomes, and taxpayers are impatient with waste, abuse, and fraud. This empirical study explored , using Kouzes and Posner’s Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI), the presence of transformational leadership in a primarily urban nonprofit organi zation, as well as perception alignment within that organization’s supervisory ranks. The study outlines to the members of the supervisory group of this nonprofit organization areas of transformational leadership that could improve as …

An Examination Of The Management Practices And Perceptions Of Chief Advancement Officers And How They View The Relationship With Alumni, Kelly L. Brennan

Education Doctoral

Today, in the United States, there are more than 1.5 million nonprofit organizations (Urban Institute, National Center for Charitable Statistics, 2009). These n onprofits rely on people’s time and financial support in order to advance their organizations. The task of advancing organizations through financial and voluntary efforts is complicated. Given the unstable economy, this reliance on financial and voluntary efforts has become even more pronounced. One example of nonprofit organizations is American colleges and universities. Higher education, like most other industries, has been affected by the unpredictable economy, especially the financial crisis that began in the fall of 2008 (Council …

Effect Of Signage And Suggestive Selling On Sales Of Healthy Food Options In A University Setting, Ashley Lynn Hoffman

Theses

Making healthy eating choices as a college student can be challenging and the transition from adolescence to adulthood can be associated with an increased likelihood of obesity. Studies have shown that college students have poor eating habits and frequent consumption of fast food meals. Studies have reported menu labeling to be effective in influencing college students' purchasing decisions. During the fall 2009 semester, the Saluki Select Healthy Eating Program was implemented in the Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) Student Center to aid college students and the public in general to make healthier menu choices. The purpose of this research study …

Determining The Roles Of Dendritic Cells And Icam-1 In The Transpresentation Of Il-15 To Cd8 T Cells, Spencer W. Stonier

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The maintenance and generation of memory CD8 T cells is dependent on the cytokine IL-15. IL-15 is delivered by a novel mechanism termed transpresentation: IL-15 is presented by a cell expressing IL-15Ralpha to the CD8 T cell which responds via IL-2Rbeta/gamma_c. The identity of what cells transpresent IL-15 to support the survival and homeostatic proliferation of memory CD8 T cells is unknown. Using a transgenic mouse model that limits IL-15 transpresentation to DCs, I have demonstrated that DCs transpresent IL-15 to CD8 T cells. DCs transpresent IL-15 to CD8 T cells during the contraction of an immune response …

Developmental Deregulation And Tumorigenesis Inhibition In 14-3-3zeta Knockout Mouse, Jun Yang

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Cancer is second leading cause of death in the United States. Improving cancer care through patient care, research, education and prevention not only saves lives, but reduces health care cost as well. Breast cancer is the most leading cause of cancer incidence and cancer related death in women of the United States. 14-3-3s are a family of conserved proteins ubiquitously expressed in all eukaryotic organisms. They form complexes with hundreds of proteins by binding to specific phospho-serine/threonine containing motifs. In this way they regulate a variety of cellular processes and are involved in many human diseases especially cancer to our …

Brain Activation And Connectivity In Non-Disabled Multiple Sclerosis Patients, Rene A. Colorado

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common demyelinating disease affecting the central nervous system. There is no cure for MS and current therapies have limited efficacy. While the majority of individuals with MS develop significant clinical disability, a subset experiences a disease course with minimal impairment even in the presence of significant apparent tissue damage on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The current studies combined functional MRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to elucidate brain mechanisms associated with lack of clinical disability in patients with MS. Recent evidence has implicated cortical reorganization as a mechanism to limit the clinical manifestation of …

The Current Volume 22 : Issue 1, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.

The Current Volume 22 : Issue 1, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Crassostrea Virginica Hemocytes In Shell Formation: Ex Vivo Mineral Deposition By Cultured Hemocytes, Emily A. Untener, Douglas C. Hansen, Karolyn Hansen

Biology Faculty Publications

Abstract of Technical Paper Presented at the 103rd Annual Meeting National Shellfisheries Association Baltimore, Maryland March 27–31, 2011

Meatpacking Workers' Perceptions Of Working Conditions, Psychological Contracts And Organizational Justice, María Teresa Gastón

Student Work

What are Latino immigrants’ beliefs about the obligations of their employers in the meatpacking industry? How fairly do they feel they are treated as workers? This study explores these questions in the context of U.S. meatpacking history and theories of psychological contract and organizational justice. Perceptions of informational justice, interpersonal justice, procedural justice, safety, satisfaction, and psychological contract of 429 line workers in five Nebraska communities were assessed. Differences by union status, gender, and work site were explored. Evidence of low procedural justice and high injury rates confirm reports of dangerous working conditions for both men and women. Advantages of …