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Outcome Comparison Of An Evidence-Based Nurse Residency Program To Other Orientation Models, Debra A. Harrison

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this evidence-based project was to compare one-year outcomes for newly licensed Registered Nurses (NLRNs) in three organizations within the same healthcare system. All three have lower than nationally reported turnover and strategies for NLRN retention. Only one is using a Nurse Residency Program (NRP).

NRPs are recognized as an effective strategy to retain newly licensed registered nurses (NLRNs) in their first year of employment (Institute of Medicine [IOM], 2010; The Advisory Board, 2007; Spector, 2007). The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) (2008) defines an NRP as a series of learning sessions and work experiences that occur …

Nutrient Transport By Shrimp Hepatopancreas, Tamla A. Simmons

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Purified brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV) were isolated to characterize primary cellular transport mechanisms for white shrimp. The ultimate goal is to determine the effective components of a shrimp’s diet, thereby enhancing growth, as well as nutrient content. Juvenile shrimp are dependent on plant material as a food source. Potassium is a key component of plants, thus it may play a role in nutrient transport. In addition, divalent metals have been shown to act as co-transporters in several other organisms, thus they may serve as a transport mechanism for shrimp.

Fresh, live, white or brown shrimp were obtained, and from …

A Multiple Case Study Analysis Of The Positive Deviance Approach In Community Health, Piroska Bisits Bullen

Harold L. Hodgkinson Award for Outstanding Dissertation

The positive deviance (PD) approach involves finding individuals who have solved a problem and spreads their unique solutions to others. While there have been calls for PD to become a standard tool in community health, there has been little research on the approach. This study investigated how PD is used in practice and evidence of its effectiveness by analyzing case studies of 40 PD programs and 32 PD inquiries implemented in a range of high, middle, and low income countries by both national and international organizations. Case studies were developed using data from publicly available documents. Qualitative within-case and cross-case …

The Effects Of Interpersonal Violent Imagery Upon Short Term Memory Recall, Stacilyn Chananie-Hill

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In today's world media are omnipresent. Over the last decade an individual's exposure to media has increased at an exponential rate. Additionally, the levels of violence in media available for public consumption have also increased. A good deal of research has been conducted on media violence, television violence, televised sexual content and amount of television watched by those in their respective studies. Researchers are beginning to understand that exposure to violent media is associated with problematic memory recall. Given that most individuals that live in homes in first world countries are consistently exposed to multiple media sources it is of …

Modelling Interruptions Of Human-In-The Loop Tasks, Muhammet Servet Gulum

Doctoral Dissertations

"Interruptions are a part of our everyday experience and are increasingly becoming a part of our work. Systems are typically not designed with consideration of the effects of interrupting a user during a task sequence. Research is being done in the field of interruptions and its effects. There have been various claims about the effects of interruptions on human task performance. It has been shown that interruptions may not only increase the time to perform a task but also decrease the performance. It has also been analyzed that the effect of interruptions depends on many parameters including task complexity, point …

Analyses Of Alternative Energy Deployments, Mathew Thomas

Doctoral Dissertations

"Energy use around the world is rising drastically. Fossil fuels, including liquid fuels, natural gas, and coal, are expected to supply 80% of the world's energy need in 2035. As a result, the world's energy-related carbon dioxide emission is expected to increase from 30.2 billion metric tons in 2008 to 43.2 billion metric tons in 2035. Significant steps are necessary to reduce the dependence on fossil fuel and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Renewable and alternative energy technologies can assist in reducing the use of fossil fuels and can reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, most of the renewable energy technologies …

Characterization Of Wave Transport In Non-Conservative Media With Random And Correlated Disorder, Benjamin Henry Payne

Doctoral Dissertations

"Passive quasi-one-dimensional random media exhibit one of the three regimes of transport - ballistic, diffusive, or Anderson localization - depending on system size. The ballistic and diffusion approximations assumes particle transport, whereas Anderson Localization occurs when wave self-interference effects are dominant. When the system contains absorption or gain, then how the regimes can be characterized becomes unclear. By investigating theoretically and numerically the ratio of transmission to energy in a random medium in one dimension, we show this parameter can be used to characterize localization in random media with gain. Non-conservative media implies a second dimension for the transport parameter …

Updated Eor Screening Criteria And Modeling The Impacts Of Water Salinity Changes On Oil Recovery, Ahmad Aladasani

Doctoral Dissertations

"Developing technologies for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) from existing oil fields would supply the world's energy needs for several decades. The application of EOR in many major oil-producing countries remains in its conceptual stage. Thermal and gas EOR methods achieve high incremental rates; however, their application range has not broadened significantly as they have matured, while the rate at which new, promising EOR methods such as Low-salinity water flooding (LSWF) are being implemented is alarming. Despite, the potential of LSWF its development and application has been hindered by the lack of consensus concerning its recovery mechanism(s). Every oil reservoir has …

Periodic Q-Difference Equations, Rotchana Chieochan

Doctoral Dissertations

"The concept of periodic functions defined on the real numbers or on the integers is a classical topic and has been studied intensively, yielding numerous applications in every kind of science. It is of importance that the real numbers and the integers are closed with respect to addition. However, for a number q > 1, the so-called q-time scale, i.e., the set of nonnegative integer powers of q, is not closed with respect to addition, and therefore it was not possible to define periodic functions on the q-time scale in an obvious way. In this thesis, this important open problem has …

Complex Oxides As Novel Transparent Conductors, Altynbek Murat

Doctoral Dissertations

"Ab-initio density functional approach is employed to investigate the structural, optical, and electronic properties of twelve undoped (non)stoichiometric multicomponent oxides with layered structure RAMO₄ [R³⁺ =In or Sc, A³⁺ =Al or Ga, and M²⁺ - Ca, Cd, Mg, or Zn], as candidates for novel transparent conducting oxides. The compositional complexity of RAMO₄ leads to a wide range of band gaps varying from 2.45eV for InGaCdO₄ to 6.29 eV for ScAlMgO₄. We find that despite the different band gaps in the constituent binary oxides, namely, 2-4 eV in CdO, In₂O₃, or AnO; 5-6 eV for Ga₂O₃ or Sc₂O₃; and 7-9 eV …

Lyapunov Based Optimal Control Of A Class Of Nonlinear Systems, Hassan Zargarzadeh

Doctoral Dissertations

"Optimal control of nonlinear systems is in fact difficult since it requires the solution to the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equation which has no closed-form solution. In contrast to offline and/or online iterative schemes for optimal control, this dissertation in the form of five papers focuses on the design of iteration free, online optimal adaptive controllers for nonlinear discrete and continuous-time systems whose dynamics are completely or partially unknown even when the states not measurable. Thus, in Paper I, motivated by homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine dynamics, a neural network-based infinite horizon robust optimal controller is introduced for uncertain nonaffine nonlinear …

A Socio-Technical Analysis Of Widespread Electric Vehicle Adoption, Onanwa Nneka Egbue

Doctoral Dissertations

A combination of high fuel costs, concerns about petroleum availability, and environmental issues associated with conventional vehicles powered by fossil fuels are driving interests in electric vehicles (EVs). Large-scale deployment of EVs can play a significant role in addressing some of these problems. In spite of the benefits of EVs, several obstacles need to be overcome before EVs will be widely adopted. This research focuses on two socio-technical issues that affect widespread adoption and sustainability of EVs, consumer attitudes and perceptions, and supply chain risks of raw materials for EV battery technology. A major barrier is that consumers tend to …

Chelating Compounds As Potential Flash Rust Inhibitors And Melamine & Aziridine Cure Of Acrylic Colloidal Unimolecular Polymers (Cups), Jigar K. Mistry

Doctoral Dissertations

Waterborne coatings on ferrous substrates usually show flash rusting which decreases the adhesion of the coating and the corrosion products can form a stain. Chelating compounds were investigated as potential flash rust inhibitors. Compounds being evaluated include amine alcohols, diamines and sulfur containing amines. A new corrosion inhibitor 2,5-bis(thioaceticacid)-1,3,4-thiadiazole (H2ADTZ) was synthesized and its performance characteristics were evaluated. It was noted that the observed structure of 1,3,4-thiadiazolidine-2,5-dithione (also known as 2,5-dimercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole (DMTD or DMcT)) has been previously reported in three different tautomeric forms including -dithiol and -dithione. The relative stability of each form as well as the synthesis and characterization …

Densification And Thermal Properties Of Zirconium Diboride Based Ceramics, Matthew Joseph Thompson

Doctoral Dissertations

"The research presented in this dissertation focuses on the processing and thermomechanical properties of ZrB₂ based ceramics. The overall goal was to improve the understanding of thermal and mechanical properties based on processing conditions and additives to ZrB₂. To achieve this, the relationships between the thermal and mechanical properties were analyzed for ZrB₂ ceramics that were densified by different methods, varying amounts of carbon, B₄C, or TiB₂ additions. Four main areas were investigated in this dissertation. The first showed that decreased processing times, regardless of densification method, improved mechanical strength to >500 MPa. This study also revealed that lower oxygen …

Space, History And Law: Rethinking Canadian Territorial Claims In The Arctic, Michael Graham

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The aim of this thesis is to assess the Canadian territorial claims in the Arctic in relation to the UNCLOS III, by linking this contemporary legal framework for managing change in the Arctic region with historical processes pertaining to the "use" of the Arctic space by the Canadian society. Canada has a long history of association with its Arctic territory and recent Russian claims over the rights to extract resources of the North Pole area have stirred new tensions around the region. The receding Arctic ice pack has opened up the possibility of the Northwest Passage becoming a viable trading …

Free-Radical Maleation Of Poly(Butylene Adipate-Co-Terephthalate) In Supercritical Carbon Dioxide And Its Effect On The Percolation And Deformation Mechanism Of Layered Silicate Nanocomposites, Alexandria Niemoeller

Doctoral Dissertations

The utilization of compostable polymers such as poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) in single-use packaging applications can mitigate the water, solvents, and energy required for processing plastic waste. PBAT exhibits exceptional elongational properties, but its moderate water vapor permeability and low tensile modulus limit the applications in which PBAT can be employed. In this work, PBAT nanocomposites were produced at various loadings of organically-modified montmorillonite. The secondary structure of nanoparticles formed within the PBAT matrix was evident in the terminal region of the linear viscoelastic response under oscillatory shear, and a percolation threshold was determined to occur at 3.88% clay by weight. …

A Master Of Music Recital In Violin, Michaela Lauren Gansen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Michaela Lauren Gansen presented a graduate violin recital on Monday March 5, 2012 at eight o'clock in the evening in Davis Hall of the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center. This recital was given in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Master of Music degree with an emphasis in violin performance. Ms. Gansen was assisted by pianist Serena Hou. The program opened with J.S. Bach's Sonata No. 1 in G Minor, BWV 1001 for unaccompanied violin, followed by Sergey Prokofiev's Five Melodies for Violin and Piano, op. 35 bis. The recital concluded with the Second Violin Sonata for violin and piano …

Thermal Properties Of Spinel Based Solid Solutions, Kelley R. Wilkerson

Doctoral Dissertations

"Solid solution formation in spinel based systems proved to be a viable approach to decreasing thermal conductivity. Samples with systematically varied additions of MgGa₂O₄ to MgAl₂O₄ were prepared and thermal diffusivity was measured using the laser ash technique. Additionally, heat capacity was measured using differential scanning calorimetry and modeled for the MgAl₂O₄-MgGa₂O₄ system. At 200⁰C thermal conductivity decreased 24% with a 5 mol% addition of MgGa₂O₄ to the system. The solid solution continued to decrease the thermal conductivity by 13% up to 1000⁰C with 5 mol% addition. The decrease in thermal conductivity ultimately resulted in a decrease in heat flux …

The Effects Of Goal-Setting On Performance In An Industrial Painter Training Program, Bradley Gerber

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This field study investigated performance in an industrial painter training program for goal-setting, "do your best," and no goal conditions using three measures of performance. Participants were 64 professional, industrial painters. Contrary to expectations, the goal-setting condition did not perform significantly better than the "do your best" condition and no goal condition. Consistency of thickness goals may not have been effective because the tasks associated with the measure were overly complex and the goals may have been too difficult. The proximity to target thickness measure had a ceiling effect, so no support could be found for the measure. Transfer efficiency …

Stroke-Related Changes In Neuromuscular Fatigue Of The Hip Flexors And Functional Implications, Allison S. Hyngstrom, Tanya Onushko, Robert Heitz, Anthony Rutkowski, Sandra K. Hunter, Brian D. Schmit

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare stroke-related changes in hip flexor neuromuscular fatigue of the paretic leg during a sustained isometric submaximal contraction with those of the nonparetic leg and controls and to correlate fatigue with clinical measures of function.

Design: Hip torques were measured during a fatiguing hip flexion contraction at 20% of the hip flexion maximal voluntary contraction in the paretic and nonparetic legs of 13 people with chronic stroke and 10 age-matched controls. In addition, the participants with stroke performed a fatiguing contraction of the paretic leg at the absolute torque equivalent to 20% …

Bullying Policies In Iowa Schools, Terri A. Buettell

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This review examines research on bullying. Bullying is defined, along with the various roles filled by children, including bully, assistant, reinforcer, defender, outsider, or victim. The outcomes for participants and the systems in which they interact are cause for action. Bullying usually occurs in the school setting, making it an appropriate environment for intervention. Components of successful programs are discussed, specifically, the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS), and Bully Busters, highlighting the successes associated with them and the importance of the teacher's role, along with increasing awareness in the school, organizational strategies, and rewards and consequences …

Literacy, Autism, And Inclusion, Bridgett L. Hodges

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Young children with significant developmental disabilities can be taught sophisticated literacy skills and many interventions have been shown effective in the research. However, there is a lack of research that looks at the effect of inclusion on literacy with respect to a single student. This study will investigate the influence of an inclusive, general education classroom on the literacy learning of a student with autism. A participant observer approach will be employed in order to collect the following data: in depth interviews and observations of a single individual over a fifteen hour period, and a qualitative case study design will …

Comparing Freshmen And Transfer Student-Athletes To Returning Student Athletes On Stress, Social Support, Anxiety, And Injury Risk, Emily Link

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of transitioning to Division I collegiate athletics on the stress-injury relationship and perceptions of social support. The secondary purpose of this study is to compare entering freshman and transfer student athletes to returning student athletes (sophomore, juniors, seniors, and 5th year seniors) on life and sport stress, sport anxiety, and injury occurrence. The injury stress relationship has been examined since Andersen and Williams designed the stress injury model suggesting that many factors occur that could increase the risk of injuries. Some of these factors include an increase in negative life …

Disordered Eating Habits And Extreme Weight Loss Techniques In Collegiate Wrestlers: A Qualitative Analysis, Jaime Marie Mayer

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Eating disorders are a common concern for the general public, especially with adolescent teenagers, however the difficulty with eating disorders is the diagnosis. Eating disorders have been classified into three different types, which can also be broken down further into sub-types. Diagnoses were originally based on clinical observation and were then refined by expert opinion, and the review of research (Grilo, Devlin, Cachelin & Yanovski, 1997). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM; American Psychological Association, 2000; First, Frances & Pincus, 2002) labels the three types of eating disorders as anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN) and eating …

Perceptions Of The Motivational Climate, Athletic Identity, And Sport Ethic In Relation To Athletic Injury, Katie Lynn Luzum

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Context: A mastery motivational climate is created when coaches create an environment high in individualized challenges, help is encouraged and given often, athletes help each other learn new skills, and improvement is based on self-referenced goals. In contrast, a performance motivational climate is created when coaches emphasize out performing others, promoting competitiveness, and high ability rather than high effort. Athletes with higher perceptions of a performance climate believe that their teammates are sources of distress and tend to participate in sport for competition while relying solely on ability and high rewards status. Objective: To explore the differences in perceptions of …

Knowledge, Attitudes, And Beliefs About Hiv/Aids Among Central African Immigrants Who Live In Cedar Rapids, Ia, Natalie M. Sugira

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of the study was to elucidate and understand the HIV/ AIDS knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes among selected Central African immigrants who live in Cedar Rapids, IA. Included in the study was the identification, availability, and accessibility of HIV/AIDS health services tailored to meet the needs of the African immigrants. A convenience sample of20 (10 males and 10 females) African immigrants originally from Burundi and Rwanda were individually interviewed at their homes. The interview instrument was modeled after and utilized questions from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) of the Center for Disease Control (CDC),which were adjusted to …

Gender Differences In Maximal Aerobic Capacity In Trained Junior Triathletes, Carson Elliott Christen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The major purpose of this thesis was to determine if there are gender differences in maximal aerobic capacity (V02 max) in trained elite junior triathletes. The study analyzed V02 max data on a treadmill and cycle ergometer to determine potential differences in V02 max. A secondary purpose was to determine if significant differences existed in V02max when determined on a treadmill and cycle ergometer. Previous research has identified males have significantly greater V02 max values compared to females for both absolute (ml°min-1) and relative (ml°kg-1min-1) units. Little information is available on whether or not the gender difference in V02 max …

An Investigation On In-Process Spc Sampling Frequency For Shaft Bearing Turning Process, Jiaxu Chu

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The machining processes have the uniqueness of discrete production and flexible scheduling as cellular manufacturing design. To ensure the quality of machining products, control charts for Statistical Process Control (SPC) has been implemented in the company to monitor the machining process. Sampling is an essential part of data collection for SPC control charts and sampling should be done for machining processes becomes an issue in the company.

This study focused on the investigation of SPC sampling frequencies for shaft bearing turning process using the technique of Average Production Length (APL). The purpose of the study was to identify the SPC …

The Role Of Animal-Assisted Therapy In Initial Psychotherapy Sessions With Adolescents, Erin B. Stromberg

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is defined as "a goal directed intervention in which an animal, meeting specific criteria, is an integral part of the treatment process" (Nebbe, 1995, p. 40). Since its first introduction into the scientific community in the 1960s, AAT has grown in both recognition and application. This is primarily attributable to the characteristics of AAT that allow it to be appropriate for a wide range of populations. These qualities are shown to be especially effective in research with children (Menzies Inc., 2003). Interventions that exercise the advantageous qualities of AAT, and its service in promoting the well being …

Assistive Technology For Students With Disabilities: Resources And Challenges Encountered By Teachers, Dawn Larae Jacobsen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Assistive technology may be a solution for students with disabilities who are struggling to achieve academic growth; however, the consideration for assistive technology process is not prevalent in schools.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to take an in-depth look at the processes and factors that teachers of students with disabilities used in considering, adopting, and utilizing assistive technology to meet the needs of their students. Three teachers in one rural school shared the resources and challenges they encountered in the assistive technology process. Furthermore, using Rogers's Diffusion of Innovation Theory and Davis's Technology Acceptance Model as theoretical frameworks, …