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Three Essays On The Influence Of Formal Institutions On Entrepreneurship., Michael David Crum

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is composed of three essays in which I examine the influence of formal institutions on entrepreneurs and new firms. In the first essay, "The Influence of Institutions on the Likelihood of Self-Employment: A Multilevel Analysis," I examine how institutions at the country-level are related to the likelihood that individuals in those country are self-employed. Country-level measures of formal institutions are paired with individual-level data on self-employment from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (Reynolds et al., 2005). Using the Fraser Institute's Economic Freedom of the World index and the Heritage Foundation's Index of Economic Freedom separately as measures of institutions, …

Nursing Educator's Experiences In Implementing The American Association Of Colleges Of Nursing's Accreditation Standards Related To Cultural Diversity Education, Molly Kuhle

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Preservice Teachers' Self Efficacy And Knowledge Of Emotional And Behavioral Disorders, Shani Shillingford

Dissertations

The extent of preservice teachers' knowledge of emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) and their self efficacy were examined in this research. The participants included a convenience sample of 230 (184 females, 46 males) undergraduate general education and special education preservice teachers enrolled in Fall 2011 teacher education classes in a mid-sized Midwestern university, located in a mid-sized city. The age of the participants ranged from 19 to 51 with a mean age of 23.37 years (SD= 6.8 years). The Teacher Self Efficacy Scale (TSES) (long form) and Knowledge of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders questionnaire were administered to the sample. The …

Using Geographical Information Systems To Investigate Spatial Patterns In Fossils Of Tapirus Polkenis From The Gray Fossil Site, Washington County, Tennessee, Winn Addison Ketchum

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Discovered in 2000, the Gray Fossil Site provides a snapshot of the flora and fauna that lived during late Miocene to early Pliocene time in eastern Tennessee. These fossils occur in sediments consisting of fine-grained clays and sands of lacustrine origin, which were deposited after multiple sinkholes formed in the underlying Knox Group basement carbonates. Three-dimensional nearest neighbor analysis has been applied to fossils of Tapirus polkensis, characterizing the spatial patterns exhibited. These analyses determined the importance of taphonomic and depositional processes that occurred during the sites formation. Six characteristics were analyzed, four at the bone level including carnivore …

Real Leadership And The U.S. Army: Overcoming A Failure Of Imagination To Conduct Adaptive Work, John B. Richardson Colonel

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

This monograph begins with a case study that provides a means for analyzing the complexity of organizational leadership in the contemporary security environment. As such, it presents a high stakes problem-set that required an operational adaptation by a cavalry squadron conducting combat operations in Baghdad. This problematic reality triggered the struggle to find a creative response to a very deadly problem, while cultural norms served as barriers that prevented the rejection of previously accepted solutions that had proven successful in the past, even though those successful solutions no longer fit in the context of the reality of the present. The …

The Saudi-Iranian Rivalry And The Future Of Middle East Security, W. Andrew Terrill Dr.

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

Saudi Arabia and Iran have often behaved as serious rivals for influence in the Middle East and especially the Gulf area since at least Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution and the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War. While both nations define themselves as Islamic, the differences between their foreign policies could hardly be more dramatic. In most respects, Saudi Arabia is a regional status quo power, while Iran often seeks revolutionary change throughout the Gulf area and the wider Middle East with varying degrees of intensity. Saudi Arabia also has strong ties with Western nations, while Iran views the United States as its most …

Impact Of Computerized “Sounding Out” On Spelling Performance Of A Child Who Uses Aac: A Preliminary Report, Jillian H Mccarthy, David R. Beukelman, Tiffany Hogan

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Spelling is a vital skill for people who rely on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). The ability to spell words provides an opportunity to create novel and spontaneous communication and increases educational, social, and employment opportunities for children and adults. However, many children and youth who rely on AAC struggle to gain functional spelling skills and written language. The purpose of this preliminary investigation was to develop a strategy to provide auditory letter-sounds using commercially available computer equipment and to evaluate how such a computerized “sounding out” strategy influences spelling accuracy for one child who required AAC support. The spelling …

Development Of A Flow-Based Ultrafast Immunoextraction And Reverse Displacement Immunoassay: Analysis Of Free Drug Fractions, John E. Schiel, Zenghan Tong, Chainarong Sakulthaew, David S. Hage

David Hage Publications

A flow-based method employing a reverse displacement immunoassay was combined with ultrafast immunoextraction and near-infrared fluorescence detection for the analysis of free drug fractions, using phenytoin as a model analyte. Factors considered in the design of this method included the sample application conditions, the design of the immobilized drug analog column, the utilization of antibodies or F_ab fragments as labeled binding agents, and the label application and column regeneration conditions. In the final method, sample injections led to the displacement of labeled binding agents from an immobilized phenytoin analog column. This displacement peak appeared within 20–30 s of sample …

Race-Ethnicity And Medical Services For Infertility: Stratified Reproduction In A Population-Based Sample Of U.S. Women, Arthur L. Greil, Julia Mcquillan, Karina M. Shreffler, Katherine M. Johnson, Kathleen S. Slauson-Blevins

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Evidence of group differences in reproductive control and access to reproductive health care suggests the continued existence of “stratified reproduction” in the United States. Women of color are overrepresented among people with infertility but are underrepresented among those who receive medical services. The authors employ path analysis to uncover mechanisms accounting for these differences among black, Hispanic, Asian, and non-Hispanic white women using a probability-based sample of 2,162 U.S. women. Black and Hispanic women are less likely to receive services than other women. The enabling conditions of income, education, and private insurance partially mediate the relationship between race-ethnicity and receipt …

Childhood Maltreatment, Parental Monitoring, And Self-Control Among Homeless Young Adults: Consequences For Negative Social Outcomes, Lisa A. Kort-Butler, Kimberly A. Tyler, Lisa A. Melander

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Although parenting factors have been found to contribute to self-control, little is understood about how experiences of maltreatment affect the development of self-control and whether self-control mediates the relationship between maltreatment and negative social outcomes, especially among homeless individuals. This study examined whether lower parental monitoring, physical abuse, and neglect affected the development of self-control and if self-control mediated the relationship between parenting factors and negative social outcomes among a sample of homeless young adults. Results from path analyses indicated that lower parental monitoring and earlier age at first abuse contributed to less cognitive self-control. The effect of monitoring on …

The Valuation Of User-Generated Content: A Structural, Stylistic And Semantic Analysis Of Online Reviews, Noi Sian Koh

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

The ability and ease for users to create and publish content has provided vast amount of online product reviews. However, the amount of data is overwhelmingly large and unstructured, making information difficult to quantify. This creates challenge in understanding how online reviews affect consumers’ purchase decisions. In my dissertation, I explore the structural, stylistic and semantic content of online reviews. Firstly, I present a measurement that quantifies sentiments with respect to a multi-point scale and conduct a systematic study on the impact of online reviews on product sales. Using the sentiment metrics generated, I estimate the weight that customers place …

The Effects Of Check In/Check Out On Levels Of Problem Behavior And Academic Engagement In Elementary School Students, Leila Mullooly Miller

Master's Theses

Previous studies have largely evaluated the effects of check in/ check out (CICO) using office discipline referrals (ODRs). However, ODRs are not always reliable measures of student behavior, and direct observation is known to be an accurate tool for behavioral measurement. Due to this, the current study used direct observations to evaluate the effects of CICO on levels of problem behavior and academic engagement for a group of elementary school students. One second, one fourth, and one sixth grade student served as participants. Results indicate CICO is effective in decreasing problem behavior and increasing academic engagement. Data from teacher ratings …

High Temperature Thermodynamic Properties Of Znte(S), Robert F. Brebrick

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

We have gathered the partial pressure, Knudsen cell, and emf measurements on ZnTe(s) from which the Gibbs energy of formation can be calculated. Published partial pressures of diatomic tellurium have been adjusted to take account of a subsequently published third law analysis of tellurium. The equation used to calculate the total pressure from the rate of mass loss from an extensive set of Knudsen cell measurements has been corrected to give a 5% increase in total pressure and the Gibbs energy of formation has been recalculated. A high temperature heat capacity for ZnTe(s) has been selected from the published data. …

Lead And Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Meta-Analysis, James Kenneth Goodlad Iii

Master's Theses

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is thought to have a significant neurological component, and several brain structures have been implicated. Environmental variables like lead have been shown to affect brain structures, which in turn impacts cognitive development and behavior. Some studies have begun to associate environmental variables like lead with the inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive symptoms of ADHD. This meta-analysis examined the association between different components of ADHD (including attention problems and hyperactivity/impulsivity) and level of lead exposure in children and adolescents. Articles focusing on the association between lead and inattention or hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms were gathered from the online databases PsycINFO and Medline. …

A Content Analysis Of Statutory Grounds For Involuntary Termination Of Parental Rights: The Impacts And Susceptibility Of Incarcerated Mothers And Their Children, Holly Marie Duke

Master's Theses

As the myriad of complex circumstances surrounding incarceration and foster care debilitate the parent-child relationship, the likelihood of legal severance between an incarcerated parent and their child increases. Despite the nation’s mounting prison population over the last three decades, the growing interaction between the prison and foster care populations has received minimal attention in the literature. To date, the influence of the statutory grounds for involuntary termination of parental rights on the legal severance between incarcerated parents and their children has been largely ignored. The purpose of this research is to determine the susceptibility of incarcerated parents to the involuntary …

Extreme Risks In Financial Markets And Monetary Policies Of The Euro-Candidates, Hubert Gabrisch, Lucjan T. Orlowski

WCBT Faculty Publications

This study investigates extreme tail risks in financial markets of the euro-candidate countries and their implications for monetary policies. Our empirical tests show the prevalence of extreme risks in the conditional volatility series of selected financial variables, that is, interbank rates, equity market indexes and exchange rates. We argue that excessive instability of key target and instrument variables should be mitigated by monetary policies. Central banks in these countries will be well-advised to use both standard and unorthodox (discretionary) tools of monetary policy while steering their economies out of the financial crisis and through the euro-convergence process.

Workplace Harassment: The Social Costs Of Bullying, Andra Gumbus, Bridget M. Lyons

WCBT Faculty Publications

Most research on workplace bullying uses survey results to understand working conditions, target and bully characteristics, and results of bullying situations. This study uses content analysis to determine themes emerging from a writing assignment that asks students to respond to questions about workplace bullying. The intent of the research is to enable bullying targets to better understand the situation, to help managers to learn how to mitigate possible bullying situations, and to assist witnesses to better react to workplace incidents.

A Network Based Theory Of Foreign Market Entry Mode And Post-Entry Performance, Jing'an Tang, Ben S. Liu

WCBT Faculty Publications

Foreign market entry through equity investment has been extensively studied and various theoretical lenses have been used. Most previous research also focuses attention on either the entry mode selection decision or the topic of post-entry performance, but rarely both. We build on existing research by developing a model of foreign market entry and post-entry performance that uses network theory and organizational ecology to provide a fuller explanation of this complex and critical multinational enterprise strategic behaviour. Four pairs of total eight propositions were developed and justified based on extent literature and sound logical reasoning. By focusing on both entry mode …

The Social Media Bubble: An Examination Of Social Media User Motivations And Their Implications For Future Users And Communication Technologies, Cary A. Bryant Ms.

Research Papers

This research project focuses on examining social media user motivations and their impact on future users. Analysis of previous communication technologies is included in this paper to show how human behavior has changed in the past century. A survey was conducted among current communication students to study social media behaviors and to help new developments for social media. Populations of social media users, such as small businesses and students, were also looked at to determine the strength of their social media presences. A website, TheSocialMediaBubble.com, was developed to accompany this project to provide free tips, advice and research to small …

Alumni Journal - Volume 82, Number 4, Loma Linda University School Of Medicine

Alumni Journal, School of Medicine

Features:
10 | A Life Well Lived - A look at the work of Dr. Heath Rowsell '54
16 | Todd Westra Takes Charge - Dr. Todd Westra '96 manages operations at the new Ontario Vineyard Medical Center
18 | Scheer Memorial Hospital - Celebrating 50 years of service in Nepal

News:
5 | New Executive Director
7 | School of Medicine News
28 | Alumni Activities
30 | In Memoriam

Regulars:
4 | Editorial
6 | The President's Page
9 | The Dean's Page
32 | They Walked These Halls
36 | Placement Ads

Analyzing The Construction Of The Medical Professional Identity: How Do Doctors Learn To "Do Doctoring?", Lauren Dougall

Honors Program Theses

This study is a qualitative analysis of how primary care physicians within the first five years of practice after residency construct their medical professional identity. An open-ended interview schedule was used to collect data which revealed the main themes of observational learning, dealing with uncertainty, and the importance of communication and education in patient interaction. Each doctor's professional identity was ultimately a refined version of the image they attributed to doctors as a lay-person.

Effect Of Toothbrush Abrasion On Frictional Resistance Of Aesthetic Orthodontic Archwires, Stephen Alexander Yamodis

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Fixed orthodontic appliances (braces) are one of the most widely used appliances to correct malocclusion, however many patients prefer less metal display. To meet this demand more esthetically pleasing brackets and archwires have been developed. These esthetic components are often clear, white or tooth colored. Coatings of various types are commonly used to produce an esthetic archwire. However, these coating materials tend to wear and degrade, which may cause binding and increased resistance to friction, thereby potentially reducing the efficiency of tooth movement. Therefore, in vitro testing of tooth brush abrasion on frictional resistance of various aesthetic archwires was tested. …

Four-Jet Final State Production In E+E- Collisions At Centre-Of-Mass Energies Of 130 And 136 Gev, D. Buskulic, M. Thulasidas

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The four-jet final state is analyzed to search for hadronic decays of pair-produced heavy particles. The analysis uses the ALEPH data collected at LEP in November 1995 at centre-of-mass energies of 130 and 136 GeV, corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 5.7 pb1 . An excess of four-jet events is observed with respect to the standard model predictions. In addition, these events exhibit an enhancement in the sum of the two di-jet masses around 105 GeV/c 2 . The properties of these events are studied and compared to the expectations from standard processes and to pair production hypotheses

Content Contribution Under Revenue Sharing And Reputation Concern In Social Media: The Case Of Youtube, Qian Tang, Bin Gu, Andrew B. Whinston

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

A key feature of social media is that it allows individuals and businesses to contribute contents for public viewing. However, little is known about how content providers derive payoffs from such activities. In this study, we build a dynamic structural model to recover the utility function for content providers. Our model distinguishes short-term payoffs based on ad revenue sharing from long-term payoffs driven by content providers’ reputation. The model was estimated using a panel data of 914 top 1000 providers and 381 randomly selected providers on YouTube from Jun 7th, 2010, to Aug 7th, 2011. The two different sets of …

Validation Of A Model Of Information Systems User Competency, Brenda Eschenbrenner, Fiona Fui-Hoon Nah

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

IS user competency, or the ability to realize the fullest potential and the greatest performance from IS use, is important for IS users. However, which factors contribute to IS user competency is unclear. Based on the findings of previous research, a model of IS user competency was developed that focuses on IS-specific characteristics: (i) domain knowledge of and skills in IS, (ii) willingness to try and to explore IS, and (iii) capability of perceiving IS value. The model was validated using the survey approach and the findings suggest that all three factors are pivotal to IS user competency, with willingness …

Patterns Of Gait Variability Across The Lifespan In Persons With And Without Down Syndrome, Beth A. Smith, Nikolaos Stergiou, Beverly D. Ulrich

Journal Articles

Background and Purpose: Greater gait variability has been observed in persons with Down syndrome (DS). An understanding of baseline patterns of variability, how these patterns relate to adaptive control of gait, and whether increasing or decreasing variability is better is necessary for physical therapists to determine whether and when to intervene. Our aim was to describe patterns of gait variability across the lifespan in persons with DS.

Methods: We examined differences in patterns of gait variability in new walkers, preadolescents, and adults with DS and typical development (TD). We collected kinematic data, while participants walked on a treadmill, and analyzed …

Identification Of Factors Involved In Dna Methylation Of Cpg-Island-Promoters, Yan Zhang

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Repression of many tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) in cancer is mediated by aberrantly increased DNA methylation levels at promoter CpG islands (CGI). About one-fourth of empirically defined human promoters are surrounded by or contain clustered repetitive elements. It was previously observed that a sharp transition of methylation occurs between highly methylated repetitive elements (SINE or LINE) and unmethylated CGI-promoters (e.g. P16, VHL, CDH and RIL) in normal tissues. The functions that lead to increased CGI methylation in cancer remain poorly understood. We propose that CGI-promoters contain cis-elements for triggering de novo DNA methylation. In the first part of our project, …

Annexin A5-Conjugated Polymeric Micelles For Dual Spect And Optical Detection Of Apoptosis, Rui Zhang

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Apoptosis, a form of programmed cell death, is critical to homoeostasis, normal development, and physiology. Dysregulation of apoptosis can lead to the accumulation of unwanted cells, such as occurs in cancer, and the removal of needed cells or disorders of normal tissues, such as heart, neurodegenerative, and autoimmune diseases. Noninvasive detection of apoptosis may play an important role in the evaluation of disease states and response to therapeutic intervention for a variety of diseases. It is desirable to have an imaging method to accurately detect and monitor this process in patients. In this study, we developed annexin A5-conjugated polymeric micellar …

Improving The Accuracy Of Radiation Pneumonitis Dose Response Models, Yevgeniy Vinogradskiy

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The prognosis for lung cancer patients remains poor. Five year survival rates have been reported to be 15%. Studies have shown that dose escalation to the tumor can lead to better local control and subsequently better overall survival. However, dose to lung tumor is limited by normal tissue toxicity. The most prevalent thoracic toxicity is radiation pneumonitis. In order to determine a safe dose that can be delivered to the healthy lung, researchers have turned to mathematical models predicting the rate of radiation pneumonitis. However, these models rely on simple metrics based on the dose-volume histogram and are not yet …

Development Of A Bayesian Joint Logistic Model To Better Study The Association Between Haplotypes And Disease, Anthony M. D'Amelio Jr

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

In 2011, there will be an estimated 1,596,670 new cancer cases and 571,950 cancer-related deaths in the US. With the ever-increasing applications of cancer genetics in epidemiology, there is great potential to identify genetic risk factors that would help identify individuals with increased genetic susceptibility to cancer, which could be used to develop interventions or targeted therapies that could hopefully reduce cancer risk and mortality.

In this dissertation, I propose to develop a new statistical method to evaluate the role of haplotypes in cancer susceptibility and development. This model will be flexible enough to handle not only haplotypes of any …