Digital Commons Network^™

Teacher-Student Relationships And Student Writing Achievement, Jacqueline Hilary Blackmore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Past research has shown that learner-centered environments can improve students' self-esteem and increase their academic skills. The purpose of this study was to determine whether teaching the core curriculum within a caring classroom environment increases students ability to communicate effectively and perform at higher achievement levels in writing. The study addressed the experiences of teachers in implementing a new writing program with a strong emphasis on social skill development as a precursor to good writing. Guided by the social learning theories of Dewey, Rogers, and Vygotsky, who contended that social interaction is vital to the development of cognition, a qualitative …

An Examination Of Awareness Of Over-The-Counter Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs And Adverse Events, Michelle Popa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The elderly population is among the fastest growing populations in the United States. Finding and consuming medications safely and effectively are challenging endeavors for this population. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are a widely consumed class of medications among the elderly population, with 70% of individuals consuming over-the-counter (OTC) NSAIDs once a week and 34% using them daily. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether (a) patients are aware of the risks associated with the consumption of NSAIDs, and (b) there are differences in awareness based upon specific demographic characteristics and levels of patient-physician communication. The health belief …

Administering And Implementing The Singapore Mathematics Curriculum At A Learning Center, Hannah Colette Reaume

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A learning center in the southeastern part of the United States used the Singapore mathematics curriculum (SMC) to support student learning of a wide range of mathematics skills. However, a study had yet to be conducted to gain an understanding about the administration and implementation of the program. This case study was conceptually based on constructivist pedagogical theory, where learning is constructed between the teacher and students. The research questions explored how the learning center staff administered and implemented the SMC. Data for this study were collected through multiple in-depth interviews and observations of 2 educators at the learning center. …

Technology Strategies In The Classroom After Completing Professional Development, Peggy B. Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a school district, teachers and administrators found that students lacked the academic technology immersion necessary to ensure their technological preparation for the 21st century. Professional development was offered to prepare teachers to integrate 21st century technology into their instruction; however, teachers were not fully implementing technology. Administrators and stakeholders have indicated concern. The purpose of this study was to explore whether professional development was effective in increasing teachers' capacity to integrate student-directed technology into instruction. The study, guided by Prensky's transformation and Siemen's connectiveness theories, indicated that technology immersion was necessary within schools. The overarching research questions explored the …

The Effects Of Principal Leadership Behavior On New Teachers' Overall Job Satisfaction, Sherree L. Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teacher attrition has become a concern at local, state, and national levels. As a result, a number of researchers have examined the factors that affect teacher job satisfaction and retention. However, in spite of all the efforts in research to find a solution, problems associated with teacher attrition have not significantly improved. This study was developed to examine new teachers' job satisfaction as based on their perceptions of principals' transformational and transactional leadership behaviors. Hezberg, Maunser, and Snyderman's 2-factor theory and Burns's and Bass's transformational and transactional leadership theory guided the research questions. A convenience sample of 71 new teachers …

Evolution Of Physician-Centric Business Models Under Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act, Tanya Nix

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For several decades, the cost of medical care in the United States has increased exponentially. Congress enacted the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) of 2010 to ensure affordable healthcare to the citizens of the United States. The purpose of this case study was to explore physicians' perspectives regarding physician-centric business models evolving under the requirements of PPACA legislation. Complex adaptive systems formed the conceptual framework for this study. Data were gathered through face-to-face, semistructured interviews and e-mail questionnaires with a purposeful sample of 20 participants across 14 medical specialties within Northeast Texas. Participant perceptions were elicited regarding opinions …

Factors Influencing U.S. Army Personnel Meeting Body Mass Index Standards, Salma Theus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. Army Regulations require soldiers to be fit, as excessive weight negatively impacts their readiness, health, and morale. A quantitative study examined if personal, behavioral, and/or environmental factors predict a soldier's self-efficacy and body mass index. Data were obtained from 117 soldiers on 6 scales: the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, the Army Physical Fitness Test, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, the Stress Management Questionnaire, the Lifestyle Assessment Inventory, and the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine if personal (intellectual capabilities and physical fitness), behavioral (lifestyle and stress management), and/or environmental (supervisor leadership) factors predict self-efficacy and …

Academic Predictors Of National Council Licensure Examination For Registered Nurses Pass Rates, Maybeth J. Elliott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States continues to be affected by a severe, long-standing nursing shortage that is not projected to resolve within the next 10 or more years. Unsuccessful passage of the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) among graduate nurses remains one of several key contributors to the nursing shortage. The goal of this study was to identify if either cumulative fall semester GPA; the overall prenursing science, mathematics, and English GPA; type of high school background; TOEFL score; clinical pass or fail; and on-time program completion best predicted passage of NCLEX-RN. Archived records from the academic years of …

Students’ Perception Of Project Assisted Learning, Edward E. Osakue, Graham Thomas

Faculty Publications

The need to provide students with learning experiences that can help them develop the knowledge and skills relevant to the workplace has been consistently raised by businesses. Project-Assisted Learning (PAL) and Project-Based Learning (PBL) are effective learning methods that closely match workplace situations. Several studies have documented the benefits of PAL and PBL from the perspectives of the educators. This article presents cases of learning experiences in which project assignment, a case of PAL, was used to enhance the learning experiences of the students. The influence of the project on their experiences was captured using a survey instrument that involved …

A Narrative Inquiry Into The Learning Experiences Of Deaf Individuals In Tennis, Robbie Jane. Carmichael

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Deaf individuals do not have equal access to participating in sports as their hearing counterparts in the United States. Tennis is one sport to which this lack of access applies. The purpose of this qualitative, narrative research study was to add to the research literature by illuminating the learning experiences of Deaf individuals in tennis in the United States. This study was built on a tripartite conceptual framework consisting of motivation, interaction, and the flow experience. The study explored how tennis influenced other aspects in the lives of Deaf individuals. These other aspects included exposure to the game, learning opportunities, …

The Impact Of Industrial Technician Skill Losses At A West Tennessee Manufacturer, Kenneth W. Moten

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Business survival requires that decision makers understand the critical knowledge resources that support the business' core competencies, while also facing the challenges of current labor trends. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of the management staff at a west Tennessee manufacturing facility about industrial technician skill losses. This phenomenological design included semistructured interviews of 20 managers, supervisors, and engineers and was an exploration of the potential losses from skilled worker attrition. The foundations of labor theory; knowledge management; and accounting measurements of intangible assets in advanced technology, communications, and economic systems provided the key elements …

Authentic Instruction And Achievement Of Fifth Grade Charter School Students, Novea Mcintosh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students' performance on standardized tests continues to dominate the discourse in the educational arena as it reflects student growth and teacher performance. The low performance index scores of 5th grade students at 2 elementary charter schools in urban southwestern Ohio has been a major concern of the school district. Guided by social constructivism, the purpose of this research study was to identify curricular practices that influence student academic achievement. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 4 reading teachers and 2 administrators; curriculum maps, tests scores, and lesson plan documents were also reviewed. Interview, test score, and lesson plan documents were analyzed …

Discrete Trial Instruction: Comparing The Abbreviated Performance Feedback And Lecture Test Models, Tammy J. Dobbs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Growing media attention and a high diagnosis rate of autism places significant demand on the service industry to provide qualified staff to work with individuals who have autism. Discrete trial instruction (DTI) is one of the most sought-after treatment approaches for those individuals. However, there is a gap in research regarding the efficacy of training methods for those who train direct staff to implement DTI. This quantitative study used an applied behavior analysis basis, deriving from foundations of behavior theory, to compare the abbreviated feedback form (AFF) to the lecture test model (LTM) to understand which will improve direct staff's …

Nanomechanical Analysis Of Insulinoma Cells After Glucose And Capsaicin Stimulation Using Atomic Force Microscopy, Ruiguo Yang, Ning Xi, King Wai-Chu Lai, Bei-Hua Zhong, Carmen Kar-Man Fung, Chen-Geng Qu, Donna H. Wang

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Aim: Glucose stimulates insulin secretion from pancreatic islet β cells by altering ion channel activity and membrane potential in the β cells. TRPV1 channel is expressed in the β cells and capsaicin induces insulin secretion similarly to glucose. This study aims to investigate the biophysical properties of the β cells upon stimulation of membrane channels using an atomic force microscopic (AFM) nanoindentation system.

Methods: ATCC insulinoma cell line was used. Cell stiffness, a marker of reorganization of cell membrane and cytoskeleton due to ion channel activation, was measured in real time using an integrated AFM nanoindentation system. Cell height that …

Table Of Contents - Issue 1

Journal of Dispute Resolution

No abstract provided.

Alternative Dispute Resolution And The Rule Of Law In International Development Cooperation, James Michel

Journal of Dispute Resolution

This paper briefly reviews the concept of development and related international cooperation. It then examines how the rule of law has been addressed in development programs and offers some thoughts about the contribution of ADR for advancing the rule of law and, in turn, contributing to human security, wellbeing, and dignity.

Japan's Business Revitalization Adr: An Economic Savior Or A Convenient Excuse To Avoid Bankruptcy?, Naoko Okamoto

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

This Note analyzes Japan's newly enacted "Business Revitalization Alternative Dispute Resolution" (ADR) and its effectiveness in revitalizing the Japanese economy. Due to ADR's economic and procedural ease, Business Revitalization ADR has been employed by companies undergoing revitalization processes and negotiating with creditors in extending debt payments. Nonetheless, ADR proceedings, specifically mediation between creditors and debtors, create only short-term economic value. Because of cultural characteristics of mediation and the nature of mediation in the business context in Japan, Business Revitalization ADR may be subject to abuse by companies that should have gone bankrupt. In fact, many companies may save themselves from …

Review Of Timothy O'Leary And Christopher Falzon's (Eds.) Foucault And Philosophy, Ladelle Mcwhorter

Philosophy Faculty Publications

"Philosopher" was a label that Michel Foucault sometimes resisted, especially in the earlier decades of his career, but Timothy O'Leary and Christopher Falzon have assembled an excellent anthology of articles demonstrating Foucault's engagement with and contributions to contemporary philosophical practice throughout his life's work. The book examines and situates Foucault's work in relation to several major strands of philosophical tradition. It consists of an introduction and one paper each by the editors and an additional nine papers by well-known Foucault scholars including Gary Gutting, Jana Sawicki, Amy Allen, and Paul Patton, among others. There is no lack of interpretive disagreement …

Decapitating Power, Ladelle Mcwhorter

Philosophy Faculty Publications

In “Society Must Be Defended” Foucault examines 17th century race war discourse not so much in order to understand 20th century racism or concepts of race but primarily because it constitutes an historical example of an attempt to think power without a head or king. This essay examines his account of race war discourse and the sources he used to construct it. It then takes issue with his claim that early race war discourse can be separated from 18th and 19th century racisms. Finally, it returns to the question of power and argues that the effect of the 1976 lecture …

Is ‘Argument’ Subject To The Product/Process Ambiguity?, G. C. Goddu

Philosophy Faculty Publications

The product/process distinction with regards to “argument” has a longstanding history and foundational role in argumentation theory. I shall argue that, regardless of one’s chosen ontology of arguments, arguments are not the product of some process of arguing. Hence, appeal to the distinction is distorting the very organizational foundations of argumentation theory and should be abandoned

On A Duty Of Humanitarian Intervention, David Lefkowitz

Philosophy Faculty Publications

Perhaps the most discussed topic amongst just war theorists during the 1990s was the moral (and legal) justifiability of armed humanitarian interventions. Not surprisingly, that changed after the 9/11 terrorists attacks and the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, with topics such as the morality of terrorism, torture, and preventive war receiving the lion's share of attention. Nevertheless, for reasons both good, such as the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty's endorsement of a limited duty of intervention in its report, The Responsibility to Protect, and bad, such as the conflict in Darfur, the morality of humanitarian intervention remains …

Responsible Believing, Miriam S. Mccormick

Philosophy Faculty Publications

In most of our decisions as parents or educators concerning how we should talk to children about difficult subjects, the question turns to what degree we should withhold the truth, how much information we should provide, or what details are appropriate. We, as adults, know the answer to the child's question, and the difficulty arises in figuring out what to convey and how. Questions about death and the afterlife are not like this. We - and by "we;' I mean especially educated adults of the Western world - are often as confused about what we should believe about these matters …

Hemebind: A Novel Method For Heme Binding Residue Prediction By Combining Structural And Sequence Information, R. Liu, Jianjun Hu

Faculty Publications

Background

Accurate prediction of binding residues involved in the interactions between proteins and small ligands is one of the major challenges in structural bioinformatics. Heme is an essential and commonly used ligand that plays critical roles in electron transfer, catalysis, signal transduction and gene expression. Although much effort has been devoted to the development of various generic algorithms for ligand binding site prediction over the last decade, no algorithm has been specifically designed to complement experimental techniques for identification of heme binding residues. Consequently, an urgent need is to develop a computational method for recognizing these important residues.

Results

Here …

Gray-Market Goods And Copyright's Gray Area, James Gibson

Law Faculty Publications

Copyright law generally gives authors no control over the aftermarket for their goods. Suppose I write a book, and I sell you a copy of it. You are free to resell the book, or lend it to a friend, or give it away. That’s because as long as your copy is “lawfully made under this title” (that is, made with my authorization under U.S. law), then copyright has nothing to say about its further distribution – who owns it, who sells it to whom, etc.

This notion is known as the first sale doctrine. It is so named because at …

The Dmca And Repeat Infringers, James Gibson

Law Faculty Publications

The recent agreement between big media companies and big Internet service providers (ISPs) concerning online copyright infringement has the law and technology world abuzz. ISPs like Comcast, Verizon, and Time Warner Cable have agreed to implement a system under which subscribers who repeatedly and illegally download copyrighted content will have their Internet access impeded and maybe even terminated.

This is big news, and it will probably receive more attention in this IP Viewpoints series. But the purpose of this column is to put this agreement in context, because much of what the companies have agreed to do appears to be …

Higher Micronutrient Intake Is Associated With Human Papillomavirus-Positive Head And Neck Cancer: A Case-Only Analysis, Anna E. Arthur, Sonia A. Duffy, Gloria I. Sanchez, Stephen B. Gruber, Jeffrey E. Terrell, James R. Hébert, Emily Light, Carol R. Bradford, Nisha J. D'Silva, Thomas E. Carey, Gregory T. Wolf, Karen E. Peterson, Laura S. Rozek

Faculty Publications

No studies have investigated dietary differences between head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive tumors and patients with HPV-negative tumors. This study was designed to investigate the relationship between diet and HPV status in HNSCC patients. Cases of HNSCC were recruited from 2 clinical centers participating in the University of Michigan Head and Neck Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE). HPV tissue genotyping was performed, and epidemiological and dietary data collected. Multivariable logistic regression tested whether pretreatment consumption of 12 selected micronutrients was significantly associated with HPV-positive status in 143 patients newly diagnosed with cancer …

Effect Of Titanium Dioxide Supports On The Activity Of Pt-Ru Toward Electrochemical Oxidation Of Methanol, Roderick E. Fuentes, Brenda L. García, John W. Weidner

Faculty Publications

TiO₂and Nb-TiO₂ were investigated as stable supports for Pt-Ru electrocatalysts towards methanol oxidation. X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy (XPS) data for all these TiO₂-based supports show oxidation states of Ti⁴⁺, with no Ti³⁺, suggesting low electronic conductivity. However, the deposition of metal nanoparticles onto the supports at loadings of 60 wt% metal dramatically increased conductivity, making these electrodes (metal particles + support) suitable for electrochemistry even though the supports have low conductivity. For some of these TiO₂-based supports, the activity of Pt-Ru towards methanol oxidation was excellent, even surpassing the activity …

An Evidence-Based Toolkit For Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Education Of Female Adolescents In The School Setting, Nancy R. Kloha

DNP Projects

A new vaccine to prevent human papillomavirus infection was approved in 2006 in the United States (U.S.). Uptake of the vaccine has been less than optimal (CDC, 2010c). New venues for promoting vaccine acceptance are needed (Middleman & Tung, 2010). The goal of this capstone clinical project is to create an evidence based toolkit for use by school nurses in educating female adolescents, parents, communities and other healthcare providers about the HPV vaccine.

Schools nurses have daily access to young people in the target group for HPV immunization. A vital component of vaccine acceptance is education of those who are …

A Systematic Approach To Manage Clinical Deterioration On Inpatient Units In The Health Care System, Colleen H. Swartz

DNP Projects

The transformation of health care delivery in the United States is accelerating at unbelievable speed. The acceleration is a result of many variables including health care reform as well as the covariation occurring with adjustments in regulations related to resident work hours. The evolving care delivery model has exposed a vulnerability of the health system, specifically in academic medical centers of the United States. Academic medical centers have established a care delivery model grounded and predicated in resident presence and performance. With changes in resident work expectations and reduced time spent in hospitals, an urgent need exists to evaluate and …

The Complex Nature Of Asperger’S Syndrome: Assessing Knowledge And Perceptions Of School Psychologists, Kelly L. Herman

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The complex nature of Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) often results in difficulty effectively meeting the needs of individuals with this disorder. Despite advancements in research and increasing focus on this disorder, limited awareness and understanding often result in difficulty identifying and, therefore, adequately supporting individuals with AS. Inadequate or faulty treatment further results from inappropriate diagnosis or failure to recognize psychiatric disorders likely to coexist with AS. This paper provides a literature review of AS and problems resulting from limited awareness, failure to identify or diagnose the disorder, failure to recognize common comorbid conditions, and failure to provide the appropriate supports …