Digital Commons Network^™

Is The Policy Win All? A Framework For Effective Social-Justice Advocacy, Barbara Klugman

The Foundation Review

· This article offers a theory-of-change framework to help those engaged in social-justice advocacy to reflect on whether social-justice values are being retained in the process.

· A reproductive rights effort in South Africa provides an example of how social justice values can be lost in the advocacy process.

· The failure to sustain work on the ground pointed to the need to maintain a base of support even after a policy victory.

· Strategies must be revisited as social and political contexts change.

· One of the critical social-justice values that supports the establishment and maintenance of alliances is …

Federal Regulation And The Problem Of Adjudication, Marcia L. Mccormick

All Faculty Scholarship

After decades of deregulation, the United States seems to be entering a period of re-regulation, regulation to prevent harm that many activities might cause and also to create positive external benefits that those activities could yield, but might not without incentives. Most regulatory programs in the United States provide a blend of measures designed to create these positive external benefits, promote good practices in the industry, prevent harms, and provide those harmed with remedies. At a time in which we contemplate new ways to regulate to deal with the crises of the day and prevent the crises of tomorrow, this …

Leadership Development In The Social Sector: A Framework For Supporting Strategic Investments, Grady Mcgonagill, Claire Reinelt

The Foundation Review

· While much of the research on leadership and leadership development has historically studied private sector settings, recent work has begun to build knowledge about leaders in public and community settings.

· New models of leadership, including collective leadership, are being developed and implemented by foundations.

· A framework for identifying the level of intervention (individual, team, organization, network, or system) and the level of impact (individual, team, organization, community, or field of policy and practice) is proposed as a tool for more strategic investing in leadership development.

Achieving Foundation Accountability And Transparency: Lessons From The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’S Scorecard, David C. Colby, Nancy W. Fishman, Sarah G. Pickell

The Foundation Review

· The purpose of this article is to help foundations in their accountability and transparency efforts by sharing lessons from one foundation’s journey to develop a scorecard.

· A commitment to funding and sharing the results from rigorous evaluations set the tone for Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) accountability.

· The Scorecard is a powerful tool for RWJF to set goals, track organizational effectiveness, and motivate responses to shortcomings.

· Foundations can tailor their scorecard to include what best serves their needs.

· With its Scorecard, RWJF found that comparative and quantitative measures are the most powerful forces to motivate …

Consensus, Dissensus, And Enforcement: Legal Protection Of Working Women From The Time Of The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire To Today, Marcia L. Mccormick

All Faculty Scholarship

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory tragedy mobilized the labor movement and progressive reformers, and provided part of the political will to enact significant protective health and safety legislation for workers. And while the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire has been cited in legal literature as an important event in the movement for workplace safety standards, however, the gendered nature of the tragedy and its place in the development of laws protecting women as women, rather than as beneficiaries of laws protecting all workers, has not been as fully explored. This contribution to the New York University Journal of Legislation and Public Policy's …

Migration Conservation: A View From Above, Robert L. Fischman

Articles by Maurer Faculty

The extinction prevention focus of natural resources policy diverts attention from important issues of ecological integrity and adaptation to climate change. Animal migration conservation serves as a bridge from the imperiled species problem to the more spatially and temporally difficult problems surrounding climate change adaptation. Conserving abundant animal migrations both strengthens the resilience of the ecosystems in which they function and tests the resilience of social institutions responsible for adaptation. This essay synthesizes the findings of a two-year, interdisciplinary study of animal migration conservation. It also introduces the articles that follow in a symposium issue of the journal, Environmental Law.

Concurrent Uptake Of Lead, Zinc, Cadmium And Copper And Health Risk Assessments In A Smelter Contaminated Soil., Mimi Roy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The study area for this research was a smelter contaminated site in Harrison County, West Virginia. Soils in this site had elevated levels of lead, zinc, cadmium and copper. A multi-step chemical extraction study showed that zinc and cadmium were the most plant available elements while for Pb more than 75% was associated with the residual phase. Standard addition experiments showed readsorption rates less than 25 % for Pb and Cd, and less than 50% for Zn and Cu. Some common garden and residential plants were grown initially to study metal uptake in tissues. Radish, carrot, and chicory showed the …

Heavy-Duty Vehicles Modeling And Factors Impacting Fuel Consumption., Lijuan Wang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A conventional heavy-duty truck PSAT model was validated and incorporated into the Powertrain System Analysis Toolkit (PSAT). The truck that was modeled was a conventional over-the-road 1996 Peterbilt tractor, equipped with a 550 hp Caterpillar 3406E non exhaust gas circulation (EGR) engine and an 18-speed Roadranger manual transmission. A vehicle model was developed, along with the model validation processes. In the engine model, an oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions model and a fuel rate map for the Caterpillar 3406E engine were created based on test data. In the gearbox model, a shifting strategy was specified and transmission efficiency lookup tables …

Beyond Common Sense: A Social Psychological Study Of Iqbal's Effect On Claims Of Race Discrimination, Victor D. Quintanilla

Articles by Maurer Faculty

This article examines the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 129 S. Ct. 1937 (2009) from a social psychological perspective, and empirically studies Iqbal’s effect on claims of race discrimination.

In Twombly and then Iqbal, the Court recast Rule 8 from a notice-based rule into a plausibility standard. Under Iqbal, federal judges must evaluate whether each complaint contains sufficient factual matter “to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.” When doing so, Iqbal requires judges to draw on their “judicial experience and common sense.” Courts apply Iqbal at the pleading stage, before evidence has been …

Genetic Analysis Of Cortical Thickness And Fractional Anisotropy Of Water Diffusion In The Brain, Peter Kochunov, David C. Glahn, Thomas E. Nichols, Anderson M. Winkler, Elliot L. Hong, Joanne E. Curran, Rene L. Olvera, Matthew P. Johnson, Shelley A. Cole, John Blangero

School of Medicine Publications

Objectives: The thickness of the brain’s cortical gray matter (GM) and the fractional anisotropy (FA) of the cerebral white matter (WM) each follow an inverted U-shape trajectory with age. The two measures are positively correlated and may be modulated by common biological mechanisms. We employed four types of genetic analyses to localize individual genes acting pleiotropically upon these phenotypes.

Methods: Whole-brain and regional GM thickness and FA values were measured from high-resolution anatomical and diffusion tensor MR images collected from 712, Mexican American participants (438 females, age = 47.9 ± 13.2 years) recruited from 73 (9.7 ± 9.3 individuals/family) large …

Ethnic Identity And Personal Well-Being Of People Of Color: A Meta-Analysis, Timothy B. Smith, Lynda Silva

Faculty Publications

This meta-analysis summarized research examining the relationship between the constructs of ethnic identity and personal well-being among people of color in North America. Data from 184 studies analyzed using random effects models yielded an omnibus effect size of r = .17, suggesting a modest relationship between the two constructs. The relationship was somewhat stronger among adolescents and young adults than among adults over age 40. No differences were observed across participant race, gender, or socioeconomic status, which findings support the general relevance of ethnic identity across people of color. Studies correlating ethnic identity with self-esteem and positive well-being yielded average …

Work Adjustment Of Survivors Of Tbi: Subjective Reporting And Indicators Of Work Status., Laura Kay Artman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study investigated the use of self-reported functional limitations to indicate employment status of traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors after returning to work. This study used data from the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) to examine the utility of self-reported functional limitations in indicating the work status of survivors of TBI. The first research question concerned the most common functional limitation reported by survivors of TBI. The second question asked which functional limitations, if any, could correctly classify the work status of TBI survivors. Results of binary logistic regression suggested that the presence of medical symptoms and emotional dysregulation were reliably …

An Examination Of Subjective And Physiological Responses To Smoking Cues In Young Adult Smokers., Eric S. Grady

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study investigated subjective craving and physiological responses to a series of smoking-related and smoking-unrelated cues in a sample of young adult smokers. Fifty-six young adult smokers (29 female) who were deprived of cigarettes for at least two hours, completed five 90 s experimental tasks in counterbalanced order, during which they manipulated in vivo smoking cues (a preferred cigarette and lighter), and watched a picture slideshow of others smoking in naturalistic environments. In vivo and pictorial smoking-related tasks were compared to neutral in vivo and pictorial cues and a mental arithmetic challenge. Physiological measures (systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood …

Shy Toddlers' Responses To An Unfamiliar Social Setting: The Effect Of Encouragement Of Independence And High Warmth Behaviors., Jessica Stoltzfus Grady

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Toddlers who are shy may be at risk for poor peer relations, social withdrawal, and social anxiety. A large body of literature supports that parenting behaviors may mitigate this risk, however findings are seemingly mixed regarding whether high warmth parenting and encouraging parenting facilitate or hinder children's social behaviors. The present study employed an experimental design to determine the specific influence of high warmth maternal parenting and encouragement of independence maternal parenting on shy toddlers' approach and avoidance behaviors in a play session with unfamiliar peers. One hundred and nineteen mothers of toddlers between 21 and 27 months of age …

Minimally Invasive Approaches For The Management Of “Difficult” Colonic Polyps, Roberto A. Cruz, Madhu Ragupathi, Rodrigo Pedraza, T. Bartley Pickron, Anne T. Le, Eric M. Haas

School of Medicine Publications

Traditionally, patients with colonic polyps not amenable to endoscopic removal require open colectomy for management. We evaluated our experience with minimally invasive approaches including endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR), laparoscopicassisted endoscopic polypectomy (LAEP), and laparoscopic-assisted colectomy (LAC). Patients referred for surgery for colonic polyps were selected for one of three minimally invasive modalities. A total of 123 patients were referred for resection of “difficult” polyps. Thirty underwent EMR, 25 underwent LAEP, and 68 underwent LAC. Of those selected to undergo EMR or LAEP, 76.4% were successfully managed without colon resection. The remaining 23.6% underwent LAC. Nine complications were encountered, including two …

Progressive Trends And Impact Of The Journal Of Career Development: A Citation Analysis, Kawika Allen, Adipat Chaichanasakul, Yuhong He, Hsui-Hui Chen, Taleb S. Khairallah, Karina Ramos

Faculty Publications

As one of the four premier journals in vocational psychology, the Journal of Career Development (JCD) has published over 830 articles over the past three decades. This study examined the performance of JCD through a citation analysis and provided evaluative data for scholars publishing in the field of vocation psychology. Articles published by JCD between 1986 and 2007 were analyzed. Additional data pertaining JCD’s performance were also collected through the Journal Citation Reports. The analyses revealed a strong and growing impact of articles published by JCD on researchers and professionals. Specifically, results provided (a) the frequency and trends of JCD’s …

Religiosity, Coping, And Psychological Well-Being Among Latter-Day Saint Polynesian In The U.S., Kawika Allen, P. Paul Heppner

Faculty Publications

There is limited knowledge about coping and psychological adjustment in Latter-Day Saint (LDS) Polynesians. This study examined religiosity, collectivistic coping, and psychological well-being among 94 LDS Polynesians residing in the Midwest. As hypothesized, religiously committed LDS Polynesians were more likely to have a healthy psychological well-being and were also likely to use collectivistic coping styles, such that high helpfulness ratings on family support and religion-spirituality coping styles were significantly correlated with a positive psychological well-being. Family support also moderated the relationship between LDS Polynesians’ religious commitment and psychological well-being. Implications are discussed in terms of religiosity, culture, coping, and psychological …

Statistical Abstract, Fiscal Year 2011, Tennessee. Department Of Correction

Annual Statistical Abstract

This document is the annual statistical report for the Tennessee Department of Correction during the fiscal year.

Deconstructing Disparity: Examining Risk Factors Related To Smoking Among Sexual Minority Populations., John Rudolph Blosnich

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Despite a robust, concordant literature demonstrating that lesbian, gay, and bisexual (i.e., sexual minority) populations smoke more than their heterosexual peers, the factors contributing to this disparity are not well understood. Consequently, the main goal of this project and its three component studies was to enhance current understanding of risk factors that contribute to smoking disparities among sexual minority persons. Study 1 details a systematic review of the literature, synthesizing empirical investigations that tested associations of risk factors and correlates of smoking among sexual minority samples. Of the twenty-six studies included in the analysis, most used sexual identity to operationalize …

The Impacts Of An Outdoor Orientation Program On Participants' Self Evaluated Trait Emotional Intelligence, Coy James Belknap Iii

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In taking the applications of both emotional intelligence and outdoor orientation programs, this present study employed a quasi-experimental approach to study the change associated with first year students transitioning into a collegiate setting. In conveying multiple levels of University 101 curriculum in a dynamic outdoor setting, Adventure West Virginia (AWV) was utilized in order to gauge the elicited impacts associated with outdoor orientation upon students' emotional intelligence, most specifically trait emotional intelligence (TEI). Four individual programs (Explore, Habitat, Wilderness and Odyssey) were studied, with elements of each trip and student characteristics taken into account during analysis. Overall, this study sought …

Does Hydration Status Have An Effect On Wrestling Performance In High School Wrestlers?, Joseph M. Brausch

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Context. Hydration is important for all athletes not only for overall health, but for optimal performance during competition. Many studies have shown a relationship between a decrease in physiological function and performance as related to dehydration typically by measuring peak power output and aerobic capacity. But few studies have shown the relationship between hydration or dehydration and the performance of wrestlers throughout a competitive season. Objective. The purposes of this study were to determine: (1) if there is a difference between hydration levels over three time points between a high specific gravity group and a low specific gravity group; (2) …

Role Of "Caax" Protein Processing In The Retina, Jeffrey Rowan Christiansen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Prenylation is a posttranslational modification which adds a lipid, either a farnesyl or geranylgeranyl group, to the C-terminal cysteine of proteins ending in a "CAAX" motif. Two additional steps referred to as "CAAX" protein processing follow prenylation. First, the terminal three amino acids are cleaved by the endoprotease RAS converting enzyme1 (RCE1), then isoprenylcysteine methyltransferase (ICMT) adds a methyl group to the cysteine. While it is clear that the addition of the prenyl group is required for the association of proteins with membranes, the function of proteolysis and methylation is not obvious. Two lines of evidence suggest a critical role …

Parental Perception Of Their Child's Weight Status And Food Provision And Consumption Patterns In Appalachia, Jill Cochran

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Obesity rates have continued to accelerate in the pediatric population. The accompanying co-morbidities of obesity have been recognized, yet the long term complications are not fully understood. The Health Belief Model is utilized in this study to evaluate parental perception of their child's weight status, related demographic factors, and food provision and consumption patterns associated with parental perception.;The purpose of this cross-sectional descriptive study was to examine the accuracy of parental perception of their child's weight status and to describe characteristics of those who accurately and inaccurately perceive their child's weight status. Chi-square analysis was used to determine relationships between …

Development Of High Volume Fly Ash And/ Or Slag Modified Concrete And Geopolymer Concrete As Sustainable Construction Materials, Soumya Sundar Chowdhury

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Although cement constitutes only about 10% to 15% of the total weight of concrete, it accounts for 6% of global CO2 emissions. The other emissions from cement plants are: particulate matter, CO, NOx, SOx, total hydrocarbon, and the major wastes are cement kiln dust and water. Unfortunately cement is also an energy intensive material as 1 metric tonne of cement requires 1 million MJ of energy. Therefore, a large reduction in cement content in concrete by replacing it with other cementitious materials can make concrete a greener and sustainable material. Industrial by-products such as fly ash and ground granulated blast …

Childhood Obesity In Context: Examining The Role Of Ecological Factors Related To Childhood Obesity Among West Virginia's Youth, Stephanie S. Frost

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Nearly one third of youth in the United States are overweight or obese and rates are disproportionately higher among rural youth. These rates are cause for alarm given the many short- and long-term consequences of childhood obesity. A growing body of research has begun to explore how factors outside the individual might influence obesity and obesity-related behaviors. Guided by ecological frameworks, this research has demonstrated that factors such as the socioeconomic status of the community, access to physical activity opportunities, and quality of the community food environment may contribute to this epidemic. However, much of the research to date has …

Influencing Kidney Health And Function In Young Female Rats Through Dietary Alterations, Joseph Christopher Gigliotti

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The occurrence of kidney failure in the US has drastically increased over the past decade. The decline in health associated with chronic kidney disease can be prevented if detected early in disease progression. However, substantial damage has often occurred before detection of renal disease is possible. Therefore, disease prevention (as in all diseases) is the optimal treatment.;In regards to the kidneys, dietary habits can have a profound influence on the function and overall kidney health. This is particularly evident in female rats due to their susceptibility to diet induced renal disease. In female rats, the initiation of chronic kidney disease …

Diet Induced Alterations And Distribution Of Indices Of Lysine Catabolism, Stephanie K. Gatrell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Lysine is thought to be oxidized primarily by lysine alpha-ketoglutarate reductase (LKR) and saccharopine dehydrogenase (SDH), which are restricted to the mitochondrial matrix. Lysine is presumably transported through the plasma membrane by isoforms(s) of a cationic amino acid transporter (CAT). Although the mechanism(s) of lysine transport through the inner mitochondrial membrane is not known, it is presumptively transported by one or both mitochondrial "ornithine transporters" (ORC-1/ORC-2). Tissue distribution of LKR and the mechanism(s) responsible for alterations in hepatic lysine catabolism in swine are unclear. Also, the roles of the alternative pathways of lysine degradation, the L-amino acid oxidase-dependent (LAAO), in …

Effects Of A Worry Induction On Heart Rate, Emotion And Self-Reported Arousal In Younger And Older Adults, Christine E. Gould

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Anxiety disorders are the most frequently-diagnosed psychological disorder among older adults, with the exception of cognitive disorders. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is one of the most prevalent anxiety disorders of older adults. However, the actual experience of worry, the hallmark symptom of GAD, is not well-understood among older adults. In the present study, older and younger adults participated in an experimental induction of worry or pleasant recall. After controlling for baseline age differences, older and younger adults did not differ in their ratings of worry intensity during the worry induction. An age difference in the experience of worry was found …

Feeding Behavior Of Podisus Maculiventris (Say) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae): Implications For Mass Rearing And Biological Control, Sudan Gyawaly

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Spined soldier bug, Podisus maculiventris (Say) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), is a generalist predator feeding on more than 70 different insect species. P. maculiventris is noted for its potential for augmentative release against coleopteran and lepidopteran larvae. Successful mass rearing and determination of potential prey of a biological control agent are crucial factors that need consideration for success of a biological control agent in augmentative biological control. Firstly, study was conducted to investigate feeding behavior of P. maculiventris using yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). Using different life stages of T. molitor that P. maculiventris could potentially feed on in mass rearing …

Perceived Barriers To Persistence Related To Coping Strategies For Undergraduate Nontraditional Learners, Justin C. Griffith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Nontraditional learners experience a variety of barriers to degree completion. These barriers affect graduation rates and the time it takes to graduate. The method(s) in which the adult learner deals with each barrier will determine if they persist through their program of study or fail to graduate. This study took place at a collaborative campus involving six institutions of higher learning with both a male and female population. Investigation determined, and subsequently reported, internal and external barriers to education persistence for current nontraditional undergraduate learners enrolled in a variety of majors. The investigation then determined and reported coping strategies each …