Digital Commons Network^™

Factors That Contribute To Susceptibility Of The Placebo/Nocebo Effect In Experimentally Induced Ischemic Arm Pain, Steve T. Brewer

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Placebo’s (positive expectancies producing positive outcomes) and nocebo’s (negative expectancies producing negative outcomes) are real and measurable effects. Real as these effects may be, predicting individuals that may be susceptible to placebo/nocebo effects has been inconsistent. The present study examined whether measures designed to assess somatization (MSPQ), catastrophizing (PCS) and childhood trauma (CTQ) would predict placebo and nocebo membership. In addition, measures designed to assess anxiety (ASI) anxiety about pain (PASS) and depression (BDI) were evaluated to determine whether anxiety or depression mediates responsiveness. The Hargreaves Thermal Withdrawal test and the submaximal effort tourniquet technique were employed as pain vehicles …

Junior Faculty Perceptions Of Their Doctoral Level Teaching Preparation: A Cross Disciplinary Examination, Franz Reneau

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

It seems reasonable to assume that the realization of the doctoral degree denotes that one is proficient in college teaching. However, the literature indicates that doctoral programs are failing to adequately prepare doctoral students for teaching in collegiate settings. The seminal work on doctoral student experiences suggests that doctoral programs are adequately preparing doctoral students for their research function, but concerns emerge around teacher preparation. Four bodies of literature inform this study: (a) the literature on the teaching role in higher education (b) the literature on doctoral students’ experiences as it relates to their teaching preparation (c) the literature on …

Nonresponse Bias In Online Course Evaluations, Cassandra Jones

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Recently more universities have started administering course evaluations online. With the process no longer in the classroom, some students decide not to complete their course evaluations during their own time, resulting in concerns about online course evaluation results being biased because of lack of response. This study examined course evaluation results at a small diverse mid-Atlantic Catholic university. A cross-classified random effects model was used to capture student responses across all of their courses. Nonresponse bias was examined by determining predictors of online course evaluation ratings and participation. Variables predicting both participation and ratings were considered to be a potential …

Attachment And Resilience In Military Families Throughout The Deployment Cycle, Jason A. Kacmarski

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

The number of military deployments in the United States of America has been on the rise since the United States attacked Iraq in 2003 as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Ongoing combat operations over the last few years have meant a growing number of military families have experienced the deployment process. This research paper utilizes the concepts of attachment and resilience to explore the deployment process within the framework of the emotional cycle of deployment. Integrating current knowledge within the field of mental health related to attachment theory, resilience, and the deployment process, I explore the potential risks military …

Trust Betrayed: Counseling Girls Who Have Been Sexually Abused By Educators, Courtney Paige Boyd

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

Educator sexual abuse is rarely discussed, although literature shows that it occurs at an alarming rate. This paper discusses the literature that does exist about educator sexual abuse, as well as the prevalence of this type of sexual abuse. Aspects of the trauma are discussed including grooming, blaming the victim, and the guilt and denial associated with the abuse. The paper concludes with recommendations for counselors who are working with girls who have experienced educator sexual abuse. Inner child work, guided imagery, and trauma-focused cognitive behavior therapy are referenced.

Grief And Resilience In Children And Families: Resources For Counseling Professionals, Parents, And Children, Ashley Smith Hall

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

Ninety percent of children in the United States will have experienced the loss of a significant loved one by the time they are 18 years old (McClure, 2007). Parents and other family members can provide a significant amount of support, provided that they are equipped with the necessary resources. The purpose of this project was to identify and develop tools that provide parents and other family members with the opportunity to learn ways to incorporate themselves as a support system for a grieving child in their family. Children express their feelings by showing rather than telling. Creativity allows bereaved children …

Interscholastic Sports Academic Performance And Attendance Of Middle School Student Athletes And Nonathletes., Kenneth Huey Samuelson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if student athletes were more successful in school than nonathletes at 2 middle schools located in the same school district in Western North Carolina. Each school serves students in grades 6-8; however, data were only gathered from students in grades 7 and 8 because students in grade 6 are prohibited from participating in athletics at the middle school level. The testing variables included number of days absent from school, percentile score on Math End-of-Grade tests, percentile score on Reading End-of-Grade tests, final grade in math courses, and final grade in reading courses. …

The Influence Of Time Perspective On Physical Activity Intentions And Behaviors Among Adolescents Residing In Central Appalachia., Tauna Gulley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Obesity and inactivity are prevalent among central Appalachian adolescents. Appalachian residents have been labeled "fatalistic," a time perspective unsupportive of health-promoting behaviors such as regular participation in physical activity. The theory of planned behavior has been used extensively to explain the physical activity behaviors of adolescents. Constructs within the theory of planned behavior include attitudes toward the behavior, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intention to perform the behavior. The purpose of this study was to determine the time perspective of central Appalachian adolescents and examine the relationship between time perspective and the constructs within the theory of planned behavior. …

Genome-Wide Association Analysis Of Major Depressive Disorder And Its Related Phenotypes., Nagesh Ramarao Aragam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a complex and chronic disease that ranks fourth as cause of disability worldwide. Thirteen to 14 million adults in the U.S. are believed to have MDD and an estimated 75% attempt suicide making MDD a major public health problem. Recently several genome-wide association (GWA) studies of MDD have been reported; however, few GWA studies focus on the analysis for MDD related phenotypes such as neuroticism and age at onset of MDD. The purpose of this study is to determine risk factors for MDD, identify genome-wide genetic variants affecting neuroticism and age at onset as quantitative …

Use Of Isometric Mid-Thigh Pull To Determine Asymmetrical Strength Differences In Ncaa D-I Athletes., Ethan Monroe Owens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate the use of isometric mid-thigh pulls to determine lower-limb asymmetrical strength differences in NCAA D-I athletes. Sixty-six subjects (40 males and 26 females) performed 2 maximal effort isometric pulls over two force plates sampling at 1000 Hz each. Peak force was scaled for body weight, and rate of force development was examined from 0-200ms. Results of the study show subjects' produced significantly greater scaled force with the left leg as compared to the right leg; however, no significant differences existed for rate of force development (RFD). Men exhibited significant differences between both …

Perspectives Of Special Education Teachers On Implementation Of Inclusion In Four High Schools In East Tennessee., Lori Bellar Goodin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The terminology found in state educational policies coupled with congressional intent provides a supportive framework for integration of inclusion into public education (Duhaney, 1999; Heumann, 1994). The U.S. Department of Education declared that the required continuum of alternative placements reinforces the importance of the consideration of the individual versus programming for the masses in determining what placement is the LRE for each student with a disability (Heumann, 1994). This disagreement of what constitutes the best educational model affects political agendas and funding issues (Idol, 2006).

The purpose of this study was to examine special education teacher perceptions through a qualitative …

Does Ses Moderate The Relationship Between Temperament And Emotional And Behavioral Disorders?., Jessica L. Scott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored whether the relationship between temperament and emotional and behavioral disorders (EBDs) is moderated by socioeconomic status (SES) in a sample of 73 children ages 5 through 15 years. Caregivers completed the Rothbart temperament surveys and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Indicators of SES included total household income and occupational status, while indicators of EBDs included the Internalizing Problems, Externalizing Problems, and Total Problems scales of the CBCL. Temperament variables included Fear, Frustration, Sadness, and Shyness. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed 4 regressions significant for moderation. A conclusion gleaned from these results is that the relationship between particular temperament …

Neo-Raconteur: Allocating Southern-Gothic Symbolism Into Design Media., Mark Daniel Compton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I created the term Neo-Raconteur to convey my interest in medium theory to support the artistic custom of revealing cultural conventions for allocation into artistic genres. The term evolved from the French word "Raconteur," meaning: somebody who tells stories or anecdotes in an interesting or entertaining way. In the past a Raconteur's anecdotes were verbally volleyed, ever voluble, yet quip. Neo-Raconteurs may decide not to speak at all choosing their anecdotal expression to manifest itself through singular or multiple means, manners, or methods of design and technology as well as or involving more traditional techniques of extraction to convey the …

Statistical Spectral Parameter Estimation Of Acoustic Signals With Applications To Byzantine Music, Kyriakos Michael Tsiappoutas

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Digitized acoustical signals of Byzantine music performed by Iakovos Nafpliotis are used to extract the fundamental frequency of each note of the diatonic scale. These empirical results are then contrasted to the theoretical suggestions and previous empirical findings. Several parametric and non-parametric spectral parameter estimation methods are implemented. These include: (1) Phase vocoder method, (2) McAulay-Quatieri method, (3) Levinson-Durbin algorithm,(4) YIN, (5) Quinn & Fernandes Estimator, (6) Pisarenko Frequency Estimator, (7) MUltiple SIgnal Characterization (MUSIC) algorithm, (8) Periodogram method, (9) Quinn & Fernandes Filtered Periodogram, (10) Rife & Vincent Estimator, and (11) the Fourier transform. Algorithm performance was very precise. …

Contextual Risk And The Association Between Sensitive Parenting And Social Competence During Early Childhood, Moira R. Riley

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Both contextual risk and sensitive parenting have been associated with children’s social skills in early childhood (Brody, Stoneman, Smith & Gibson, 1999; Connell & Prinz, 2002; Oravecz, Koblinsky & Randolph, 2008, Trentacosta, 2008). However, it is not clear how sensitive parenting might impact children’s social skill development in the context of accumulation of risk. The current study tests two possible models. The first model, based on Rutters’ (1979) tests the theory that cumulative risk may moderate the relationship between sensitive parenting and social skills. The second model based on The Family Stress model (Conger, Conger, Elder, Lorenz, Simons & Whitbeck, …

Measuring Early Numeracy Of Kindergarten Students In A Group Setting, Stacy A. Winck

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Early identification practices in assessment are crucial to preventing academic failure as well as identifying students at-risk for later learning disabilities. The PAM Early Numeracy Screening is a set of subscales designed to measure early numeracy in kindergarten students in a group setting. Given that the existing early numeracy measures are individually administered, the purpose of the current study was to explore the psychometric properties of the PAM Early Numeracy Screening. Correlational analysis was the primary research design used to investigate the evidence of reliability, criterion-related validity, and construct validity of the PAM Early Numeracy Screening. Criterion measures …

Horizontal Violence In The Nursing Work Environment: Beyond Oppressed Group Behavior, Therese M. Mendez

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The United States has been experiencing a nursing shortage since the mid-1990s. The shortage is expected to deepen as the provisions of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act are enacted. Horizontal violence is a negative phenomenon in the nursing workplace that contributes to difficulty in recruiting and retaining nurses in hospitals. Horizontal violence has been described as a form of mistreatment, spoken or unspoken, that is threatening, humiliating, disrespectful or accusatory towards a peer. The effects of this nurse on nurse aggression can be devastating for the nurse involved and also for the patients under the nurse's care. …

Land Use Planning After A Natural Disaster, Walter E. Lundin

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Recovery from a natural disaster is difficult, expensive, and can take ten years or more. Many contend that recovery planning can be ordered, knowable, and predictable and that the destruction of buildings and displacement of the population provide an opportunity to build back better. This thesis examines the complexity of recovery through the lens of land use planning. Land use planning serves as the central focus because land provides an individual or family their livelihood and its use underlies the economy. The thesis considers two planning models -- rational comprehensive and incremental. The thesis concludes that incremental planning is more …

Predictors Of Recidivism In Adolescent Offenders, Sara Kathryn Lawing

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Adolescent offenders commit a significant number of physical and sexual assaults every year. A critical task for researchers and clinicians is to understand the distinct pathways that lead to these serious types of offending. The current study attempts to test the importance of these different pathways by comparing violent, violent sex, non-violent sex, and non-violent offenders based on SAVRY risk items, reoffending, and effects of treatment. A sample of 517 adolescents on probation was assessed for several risk factors (i.e., anger management, ADHD, low empathy/remorse) by probation officers. Recidivism over 12 months was assessed from official records. Results indicated that …

Nicotine Sensitization And Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Content In Adolescent Rats Neonatally Treated With Quinpirole., Addie Roberts

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Neonatal treatment of quinpirole in rats increases dopamine D2-like receptor sensitivity over the animal’s lifetime, a phenomenon referred to as D2 priming. Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were given quinpirole (1mg/kg, i.p.) or saline on postnatal days (P)1-21. After habituation to a locomotor arena on P29-31, beginning P33, animals were administered nicotine (0.3 mg/kg, 0.5 mg/kg, or 0.7 mg/kg, i.p.) or saline and placed into a locomotor arena for behavioral testing every second day for a total of 9 treatments. The results showed that adolescents neonatally treated with quinpirole produced more enhanced sensitization to nicotine than controls. Brains tissues were …

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels In D2 Receptor Primed Adolescent Rats Given Twice Daily Nicotine Administrations., Josie Minnigh

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Nicotine use is very prevalent in the schizophrenic population, which is a 2.5 fold greater than the general population. In the present study, the drug quinpirole (dopamine D2/D3 agonist) or saline was given neonatally to 25 Sprague-Dawley male and female rats. Rats were randomly assigned to condition. Beginning postnatal day 33 animals were given twice daily administrations of nicotine (0.5 mg/kg free base). After the first of the daily injections they were placed in a locomotor arena every other day for behavioral testing. One day after behavioral testing, the dorsal striatum and nucleus accumbens were removed for brain-derived neurotrophic factor …

Letters As Literature: Semantic And Discursive Features Of Irony In "Letters To Howard", Corinna Jo Cook

Arctic and Northern Studies

This thesis examines the literary features of the Letters to Howard, a series of letters to the editor of the Alaskan newspaper, the Tundra Times. Published over the course of several months in 1973, the letters were signed by two semi-fictional characters: an old Eskimo man, Naugga Ciunerput, and a lost VISTA volunteer, Wally Morton, the two lone inhabitants of the imagined Land's End Village, Alaska. Naugga and Wally had a pointed agenda: they were addressing editor Howard Rock and his readership with their concerns regarding the newly-passed Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, or ANCSA. In truth, Naugga and Wally's …

Pedometers Accelerometers And Observational Methods: A Comparison Of Measurements Of Physical Activity In Fourth-Grade Students., Amanda E. Greene

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years physical inactivity among students has become a matter of great concern. Nearly 65% of students do not meet the daily recommended level of physical activity, which is 60 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day, with 50% of that time being spent in moderate to vigorous levels of activity (CDC, 2010b). As a result, the 21^st century has shown to be a time of many health problems such as, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. In fact, nearly one third of all children are considered obese or overweight (Slawta & DeNeui, …

Healthy Eating, Activity, Reinforcement, And Training (Heart): A Program For The Meeting Place Clubhouse, Casey Nguyen, Alexis Rogriguez, Lindsey Treankler, Kristen Zucht

Program Design and Evaluation

An assessment of HEART program which includes...

- Program Design & Methodology

- Social Marketing Plan

- Evaluation Plan

- Budget

College Readiness Of African-American Student Athletes, Carol Bos, Grace Chaidez, Andrew Nunn-Miller, Daisy Rodriguez

Program Design and Evaluation

Research project of The Larry English Foundation- Leading Education to Athletes for their Dreams, focusing on African-American student-athletes.

Young Adults With Mental Illness In North San Diego County - Yami, Ellen Frudakis, Jessica Hanson York, Evan Holland, Colleen Kollar Smith, Vi Nguyen

Program Design and Evaluation

Research project on young adults with mental illness in North San Diego County for YAMI. Includes a needs assessment, program design, social marketing plan, evaluation plan and budget.

Illinois State University, One Hundred And Fifty-Second Annual Commencement, December 17, 2011, Illinois State University

Commencement Programs

Normal, Illinois
Illinois State University
One Hundred and Fifty-Second Annual Commencement
December 17, 2011

Concert Organist Jonathan Dimmock To Play Forbes Pipe Organ In January, Public Affairs Office

Press Releases

No abstract provided.

2011 Winter Boise State University Commencement Program, Boise State University Commencement Committee

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Usa V. Lassissi Afolabi

2011 Decisions

USDC for the District of New Jersey