Digital Commons Network^™

Securing South Africa's Future Grandmothers Against Poverty And Aids As A Model For Social Development Change, Savannah Lynn Eck

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Focusing on the role of elder women in South Africa as a lens to understand the central connections among HIV/ AIDS, poverty and Human Security provides a distinct approach to analyze women's contributions to community development and social change. Drawing from the theories of Gender and Development and Human Security, this research aims to highlight HIV/ AIDS as a social and political security issue, while underscoring the vitality of the inclusion of women in the processes of peace building, reconciliation, education and social development. Furthermore, the influential role of elder women in South Africa will serve as a model in …

Anxiety In Children/Youth With Bowel And Bladder Dysfunction And Their Parents: Impact Of Medical, Educational, And Psychosocial Factors, Leslie Cristen Lavergne

Dissertations

Children and youth with special health care needs are impacted both physically and psychologically by their medical condition. Furthermore, parents of children with special health care needs experience increased symptoms of anxiety related to their child’s condition. Literature suggests the negative impact may be lessened by providing psychosocial family-centered supports. This study investigated the anxiety levels of children with bowel and/or bladder dysfunction and their parents, finding the relationships of anxiety among mothers and child/youth, as well as mothers and fathers. No significant relationship was found among fathers and child/youth. Further, it explored the impact of medical, educational, and psychosocial …

Classroom Management Styles: The Differences Among Traditionally-Licensed Teachers Who Were Formally Paraprofessionals And Alternatively-Licensed Teachers, Caterria Beasley Payton

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine ifthere was a difference in the attitudes and beliefs of traditionally certified teachers who were previously assistant teachers and alternatively certified teachers regarding classroom management. The instrument used in the study was the Attitudes and Beliefs on Classroom Control Inventory -Revised and Revisited (ABCC-R) (Martin, Yin, & Mayall, 2008). The sample included 171 participants. Seventy seven of those participants were traditionally certified teachers who were previously assistant teachers, and 94 alternatively certified teachers from four school districts across the state.

The study focused on two dimensions of classroom management: Instructional Management, tasks …

Ideological “Smackdown”: A Textual Analysis Of Class, Race And Gender In Wwe Televised Professional Wrestling, Casey Brandon Hart

Dissertations

The focus of this study is an in-depth intertextual examination of how the WWE in 2010 and by extension contemporary professional wrestling in general represents a microcosm of modern cultural ideology. The study examines three major areas in which this occurs. The first of these areas is that of class values. This section focuses on the establishment and extension middle-American values, defined as those values generally shared by the middle-class of the United States. The second section of this study focuses on how the WWE uses racial commodification in the treatment of people of color. Using concepts of Marxist power …

Complicated Conversations On The Dis/Ease Of Mental Illness: The Ebb And Flow Of Bipolar Disorder, Doreen Louise Williams

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This work is a conversation about mental illness, specifically bipolar disorder. It is a complicated, convoluted conversation that covers a broad spectrum of facets. The central theme is to uncover the role that bipolar disorder has played in impacting schools, communities, and families and how that role aggravates and perplexes students, teachers, parents, community leaders. This dissertation does not try to create any answers or solutions. It is an investigation, an exploration of why mental illness creates such confusion in our minds. How did this confusion develop and what perpetuates its continuation? Can or even should we, consider it a …

The Stares To Achievement: African American Youth Resist Risk And Rhetoric To Achieve Academic Success, Ch́E Yvette Wyatt

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

For African American students, academic achievement is often discussed in terms of student deficits and cultural deficiencies. Citing high dropout rates and the achievement gap, focus is often centered on understanding African American achievement in terms of school failures. As such, African American students are, at times, recognized negatively in terms of their academic abilities. Moving away from this deficit perspective of understanding African American students and their school achievement, this study examines the standpoint of six African American students who, despite possessing characteristics that complicated their school experiences, achieved success. Interrupting common discourse and recognizing these students as holders …

Using Archaeological Methods In Cemetery Surveys With Emphasis On The Application Of Lidar, Sarah L. Weitman

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Cemeteries are important components of history. Surveying cemeteries is a good way to not only keep track of the information that cemeteries contain, but it also can provide a professional, systematic and standardized way of recording information and presenting it to the public. The preservation of cemeteries through recording information from the gravestones remains an important task that needs to be undertaken. Preservation, in this context, refers to having a comprehensive record of the gravestone data and maps of the gravestone locations to aid those who seek to garner information from the cemetery as well as preventing the loss of …

An Analysis Of Rigid Image Alignment Computer Vision Algorithms, Rajeshree R. Joshi

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Computer vision is a field of computer science that includes methods for acquiring, processing, and analyzing images. Image registration is one of the methods used in the computer vision field to transform different sets of data into one coordinate system to align images. Registration is important in order to be able to compare or integrate the data obtained from multiple measurements. Rigid image alignment is a type of image registration technique used to align two two-dimensional images into a common coordinate system based on two transformation parameters, translation and rotation. Before any comparative studies can be performed on two images …

Home Field Advantage: Sprint Sensitivity To Ecologically Relevant Substrates In Lizards, Clint Edward Collins

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Effectively moving across variable substrates is important to all terrestrial animals. Much attention has been given to the effects of different substrates on locomotor performance in an attempt to link ecology and morphology. Sprint sensitivity is the decrease in sprint speed due to change in substrate. This study measures sprint sensitivity to substrate rugosity among six lizard species that occupy rocky, sandy, and/or semi-arboreal habitats. Lizards that use rocky habitats are less sensitive to changes in substrate rugosity, followed by arboreal lizards, and then by lizards that use sandy habitats. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that using rocks is highly correlated with …

Morphological Detection Of Genetic Introgression In Red Junglefowl (Gallus Gallus), Tomas Condon

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus) is generally considered to be the primary wild ancestor of the domestic chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus). Because they are common in much of the forested habitat of South and Southeast Asia, they have never been granted any formal conservation status. However, evidence suggests that genetic introgression from free-ranging, escaped, and feral domestic chickens might be so widespread and pervasive that Red Junglefowl may be endangered or even extinct in the wild. Because genetic markers have yet to be identified, detection of introgression has been limited to qualitative morphological traits. Thus, there is a need to …

Compensation Theory: Can Club Soccer Players Appropriately Balance Energy Intake And Output In And Out Of Season?, Marco Ruggiero

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Obesity is a worldwide epidemic affecting both adults and children. Obesity and overweight prevalence is increasing, with a corresponding decline in physical fitness and general physical activity level (McHugh, 2010). The college setting presents an important opportunity for health promotion during a critical developmental stage for weight gain (Nelson et al., 2007). While exercising and a balanced diet are the basis of most obesity-prevention campaigns, little research has been done on how physical exercise may increase food consumption. The purpose of this study was to examine whether college club soccer players can appropriately balance energy intake and output in and …

Analysis Of A Stormwater Pond For Stormwater Management On The Buffalo State College Campus – Year 1 Operation Conditions, Jessica Bakert

Multidisciplinary Studies Theses

Under U.S.EPA Phase II stormwater regulations Buffalo State was required to develop a stormwater management plan. This plan pursues both hard‐engineering and low impact development approaches for stormwater management. As part of the plan, a detention pond came on‐line in early summer, 2010, to collect flow before it discharges to Scajaquada Creek. The objective of this study was to assess the detention pond impact on water quantity and quality prior to discharge to the creek. A meter was installed in 2007 (pre‐construction) and 2010 (post‐construction) to record stormwater discharge to Scajaquada Creek. Regression analysis between rainfall and runoff characteristics showed …

Post-Conflict Governance In Nahr El Bared Palestinian Refugee Camp: The State's Technologies Of Control And Shifts In Unrwa Practices, Sheeraz Moujally

Theses and Dissertations

On the fifth anniversary of the Nahr El Bared War, this thesis seeks to historicize the re-establishment mechanisms of the post-conflict governance of the Nahr El Bared Palestinian refugee camp, almost razed to the ground following a fierce battle between the Lebanese Army and the Salafi multinational militia Fatah Al Islam in May-September 2007. In Lebanon, Palestinian camps are deprived of classical state-like governance, as Palestinian refugees are excluded from legal protection and civil rights and their spaces have been de-domesticated since 1969. In this context, this thesis captures the interplay of the competing sovereignties, each trying to impose its …

The Effect Of Classroom Structure And Practice On Transition To Middle School, Eric Paul Schexnaildre

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The passage from elementary school to middle school, along with physical, social, and emotional changes associated with adolescence, often results in personal and social, organizational, and academic declines. The classroom structure of elementary school varies between a team teaching setting and a self-contained setting, and each instructional environment has the potential to impact all areas of development for each student. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between fifth grade classroom setting (team teaching vs. self-contained) and sixth grade student behavior. The gender and the socio-economic status of transitioning students also served as variables of the study. …

The Eeoc Rules That Transgender Discrimination Is Sex Discrimination: The Reasoning Behind That Decision, Joanna L. Grossman

Hofstra Law Faculty Scholarship

In a recent adjudication, the EEOC concluded that discrimination against a transgendered individual is sex discrimination. To many readers, this conclusion may seem obvious, but in fact, most courts that have considered the anti-discrimination rights of transgendered employees have taken a narrower approach. ...

As I will argue in this column, the EEOC has the better of the argument. Its ruling takes an honest, straightforward look at the nature of transgender discrimination and the natural scope of Title VII’s broad prohibition of sex discrimination in employment.

May 2012, Volume 8, Number 2, Winthrop University Archives And Special Collections

Retrospect: News from the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections at Winthrop University

No abstract provided.

Silver Coated Bioactive Glass Particles For Wound Healing Applications, A. W. Wren, A. Coughlan, P. Hassanzadeh, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Bioactive glass particles (0.42SiO₂-0.15CaO-0.23Na ₂O-0.20ZnO) of varying size (<90 >μm and 425-850 μm) were synthesized and coated with silver (Ag) to produce Ag coated particles (PAg). These were compared against the uncoated analogous particles (Pcon.). Surface area analysis determined that Ag coating of the glass particles resulted in increased the surface area from 2.90 to 9.12 m²/g (90 μm) and 1.09-7.71 m²/g (425-850 μm). Scanning electron microscopy determined that the Ag coating remained at the surface and there was little diffusion through the bulk. Antibacterial (Escherichia coli - 13 mm and Staphylococcus epidermidis …

Repeatability Of In Vivo Parafoveal Cone Density And Spacing Measurements, Robert Garrioch, Christopher S. Langlo, Adam M. Dubis, Robert F. Cooper, Alfredo Dubra, Joseph Carroll

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose. To assess the repeatability and measurement error associated with cone density and nearest neighbor distance (NND) estimates in images of the parafoveal cone mosaic obtained with an adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscope (AOSLO).

Methods. Twenty-one participants with no known ocular pathology were recruited. Four retinal locations, approximately 0.65[degrees] eccentricity from the center of fixation, were imaged 10 times in randomized order with an AOSLO. Cone coordinates in each image were identified using an automated algorithm (with or without manual correction) from which cone density and NND were calculated. Owing to naturally occurring fixational instability, the 10 images recorded from …

Prelamin A Influences A Program Of Gene Expression In Regulation Of Cell Cycle Control, Christina N. Bridges

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The A-type lamins are intermediate filament proteins that constitute a major part of the eukaryotic nuclear lamina—a tough, polymerized, mesh lining of the inner nuclear membrane, providing shape and structural integrity to the nucleus. Lamin A (LA) filaments also permeate the nucleoplasm, providing additional structural support, but also scaffolding numerous tethered molecules to stabilize, organize, and facilitate molecular interactions to accomplish critical functions of cellular metabolism. Over the past 2 decades, much attention has been focused on roles of LA in maintenance of nuclear structural integrity. Only since the late 1990s have scientists discovered the devastating effects of LA gene …

Interaction Of Environmental B. Cenocepacia Strains With Cystic Fibrosis And Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchial Epithelial Cells In Vitro., Annamaria Bevivino, Luisa Pirone, Ruth Pilkington, Noemi Cifani, Claudia Dalmastri, Máire Callaghan, Fiorentina Ascenzioni, Siobhan Mcclean

Articles

Burkholderia cenocepacia is an important human pathogen in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Non-clinical reservoirs may play a role in the acquisition of infections, so it is important to evaluate the pathogenic potential of environmental B. cenocepacia isolates. In this study, we investigated the interactions of two environmental B. cenocepacia strains (Mex1 and MCII-168) with two bronchial epithelial cell lines,16HBE14o- and CFBE41o-, which have a non-CF and a CF phenotype, respectively.

The environmental strains showed a significantly lower level of invasion into both CF- and non-CF cells in comparison with the clinical B. cenocepacia LMG16656^T strain. Exposure of polarized …

A Comparative Analysis Of Stress And Anxiety Reduction Between Working With Clay And Mandala Design Coloring, Sara Julsrud

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

One aim of this study was to help scientifically quantify many art therapists’ belief that artmaking is intrinsically healing. This study explored the effects of mindful art therapy processes (guided clay work meditation and mandala coloring) on stress and anxiety through measurements of blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Data were collected from 20 undergraduate students from Virginia Wesleyan College and Old Dominion University, both of Norfolk, VA. Ages of subjects ranged from 18 to 40 years old. Through use of repeated measures analysis, the posttest measurements from each subject were compared to their …

Exploring Hope And Quality Of Life: A Proposal For A Group Art Therapy Hope Intervention For Individuals Diagnosed With Lupus, Paige Scheinberg

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

As a result of the importance of hope and quality of life in disease management for individuals who have been diagnosed with lupus, there is support in the literature for the need for an effective intervention that targets these constructs with this population. The efficacy of art therapy in meeting the physical, mental, and emotional needs of diverse populations is also supported in existing research, making this an ideal form of treatment for lupus patients. In an effort to fill a gap in the literature on the relationship(s) between lupus, hope, and art therapy, this study was created. The original …

Gpu-Accelerated Molecular Dynamics Simulation Of Rigid Water, Byron Alexander Tasseff

Honors Program Theses

All simulations of physical systems employ the use of numerical algorithms and approximations to accurately mimic a system's behavior. In classical molecular dynamics (MD), there exists an important tradeoff between the desired accuracy and time scale of a simulation. To decrease computational load and preserve long time scales, MD simulations have often ignored long-range physical interactions among particles after some arbitrary cutoff distance. In many cases, as this cutoff distance is decreased, the accuracy of a simulation significantly degrades.

In biochemical systems with relatively large amounts of polar water molecules, the error introduced through the use of cutoff distances or …

Gender Differences In Computer Literacy Among Clinical Medical Students In Selected Southern Nigerian Universities, V. E. Ikolo, R. B. Okiy

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Introduction

Information Technology (IT) has had a positive impact on health care delivery system worldwide, particularly in the areas of disease control, diagnosis, patient management, teaching and learning. Anuobi (2004) pointed out that man has scientifically placed himself in an environment that is global and digital, which predisposes him to constant use of information, its location notwithstanding. Shanahan (2006) believes that the health care industry is in a state of constant and rapid change and due to the increase in scientific knowledge and rapid technological advances, there has been a growing emphasis on the physicians need to efficiently access, retrieve, …

Pittsburg State University Annual Commencement, May 2012, Pittsburg State University

Commencement, 1903-Present

Program of undergraduate and graduate commencement exercises at Pittsburg State University on May of 2012

A Web Gaming Facility For Research And Teaching, Martin Shubik

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

This essay considers the potential for utilizing web games for research and teaching. It discusses a specific gaming facility that has been constructed and utilized. The gaming facility can be made available for use for those interested in utilizing it for teaching and/or research purposes. The goal is to have this facility be of use for both single play and repeated matrix games. Much of the discussion here is aimed at single play games as a desirable benchmark preliminary to the study of repeated games. Properties of the one stage games are discussed and instructions for the use of the …

Rules Of The Game: Effects Of A Game-Based Metaphor On Instructional Activity Design And The Use Of Student Mentors On Learning Outcomes In A Middle School General Science Class, Angie Dowling

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study investigated the effects of a game-like environment on instructional activity design and the use of student mentors on learning outcomes in a middle school general science class. The participants for this study were 165 students, ages 13-14 years old, who were enrolled in 8th grade at a mid-Atlantic middle school. Two research questions were used to conduct the research:;1. Can science content be designed and successfully delivered instructionally using a game-like learning environment?;2. Does the use of student mentors/assistants help direct and maintain the flow of the class away from the technological issues toward the necessary learning outcomes …

The Relationship Between Temperament And Facets Of Creativity, Clark Daniel Pinson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purported association between mental illness and creativity has been most heavily researched in individuals diagnosed with a bipolar disorder. The bipolar disorders have been conceptualized as a spectrum of disorders that range from problematic and labile affect to different types of temperament. Temperament has classically been defined as elements of personality that are heritable, stable, based on emotion, and uninfluenced by socio-cultural learning. Contemporary literature suggested that at least some aspects of creativity may be enhanced by an affective range that has been best characterized by the milder part of the bipolar spectrum of disorders. The primary inquiry of …

Coyote Diets In West Virginia, Geriann Albers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Coyotes were not present in the mid-Atlantic region until the 1950s and little is known regarding their ecology in this region. My objective was to examine the diets of coyotes in West Virginia and to compare diets among regions and seasons as well as between age and sex. I also analyzed the occurrence of livestock in coyote diets and used logistic regression and Akaike's Information Criterion to analyze potential factors influencing livestock consumption by coyotes. In cooperation with the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, USDA APHIS Wildlife Services, and hunters and trappers, I collected coyote scat and stomachs throughout …

Characterization Of Terrelysin, A Potential Biomarker For Aspergillus Terreus, Ajay Padmaj Nayak

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Exposure to fungi can lead to diverse conditions from allergy to colonization to invasive and disseminated infection, depending on the status of the host immune system. Recent data suggests that fungal infections and especially Aspergillus species has been on the rise. Though mostly affecting immunocompromised individuals, more recent reports have identified infections in immunocompetent populations as well. Aspergillus terreus is of particular interest, since it causes rapid disseminating infections with high mortality rates, owing to its natural resistance to antifungal drugs and production of vegetative aleurioconidia during infection. These attributes coupled with poor current diagnostics and increasing costs involved with …