Digital Commons Network^™

Critical Issues For Administrators Of Specialized Schools, Amanda Thomas Kirk

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The current call for accountability in education increases the need for an understanding of best practices for administrators of specialized schools that serve students with special needs, including residential and day treatment programs. The literature revealed issues in curriculum planning and resource allocation to meet the complex and interrelated needs of students in specialized schools, and in effective program design for students with specific low incidence disabilities. No literature could be identified that addressed the challenges of administering specialized schools that integrate educational, therapeutic, and transitional and vocational programs in one setting. A survey of administrators of specialized schools in …

A System For Automated Disassembly Of Snap-Fit Covers, Paul Schumacher, Musa Jouaneh

Mechanical, Industrial & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper reports on a prototype automated system for the disassembly of batteries from a family of electronic devices whose plastic, snap-fit covers house AA or AAA batteries, such as remote controls and calculators. Included in the development of the prototype system was the design of a disassembly tool that uses three force-sensing resistors to provide force feedback information. A pneumatically actuated vacuum gripper and electromagnet system was also developed for recovering the snap-fit cover and batteries once they were released by the disassembly tool. The disassembly module was mounted on the tool head of a three-axis translational motion robot, …

Storied Lives In A Living Tradition: Women Rabbis And Jewish Community In 21st Century New Mexico, Miria Kano

Anthropology ETDs

Between 2001 and 2012, I collaborated with Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb, Rabbi Malka Drucker, Rabbi Shefa Gold, Rabbi Min Kantrowitz, and Rabbi Deborah Brin to investigate the challenges and opportunities afforded by womens recent attainment of rabbinic ordination. As members of the first and second generations of women rabbis, they offer unique perspectives on the recent histories of both American and Jewish cultures. This dissertation is a narrative exploration of how these rabbis came of age, cultivated self-understanding, chose careers as spiritual leaders, crafted public identities, and formed communities in 20th/21st Century American Jewish societies. This research focuses on the role …

Lack Of Innovation In Sugar Packaging, Kaitlyn Friedel

Graphic Communication

No abstract provided.

In Vitro Simulation Of Pathological Bone Conditions To Predict Clinical Outcome Of Bone Tissue Engineered Materials, Duong Nguyen

All Dissertations

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the geriatric population of ≥65 years of age will increase to 51.5 million in 2020; 40% of white women and 13% of white men will be at risk for fragility fractures or fractures sustained under normal stress and loading conditions due to bone disease, leading to hospitalization and surgical treatment. Fracture management strategies can be divided into pharmaceutical therapy, surgical intervention, and tissue regeneration for fracture prevention, fracture stabilization, and fracture site regeneration, respectively. However, these strategies fail to accommodate the pathological nature of fragility fractures, leading to unwanted side effects, implant failures, …

The Mediating Effect Of Contextual Characteristics On Collectivist Dynamics And Entity Based Creativity Among Faculty In Higher Education, Anthony Olalere

All Dissertations

This study examines the mediating effect of the entity based creativity on the interaction between complexity theory and creativity among faculty members in higher education organizations. The purpose of study was to investigate how mechanisms for intellectual productivity and creativity foster intellectual and disciplinary interactions among faculty members in higher education. The theoretical framework of complexity theory and KEYS model constructs were employed in order to examine how complexity dynamics, motivation, stimulants and inhibitors foster faculty creativity in higher education.

The Partial Least Square of Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze data using the PLS algorithm, bootstrapping and …

Designing Complex, Interactive, Architectural Systems With Cias-Dm: A Model-Based, Human-Centered, Design & Analysis Methodology, Joe Manganelli

All Dissertations

The built environment increasingly contributes to improving human health, well-being, and performance in measurable, predictable, and tailorable ways. Achieving high-performance environmental systems requires real-time-interactive sensing, monitoring, actuation, and communication subsystems, as well as real-time interactions of these environmental systems with their users and other internal and external systems. Developing theories, constructs, methods, and tools necessary for designing such high-performance, complex, interactive systems is an active area of research.

This dissertation focused on methods and tools for representing the cognitive and physical affordances of complex, interactive, architectural systems (CIAS). The Complex, Interactive, Architectural Systems Design Methodology (CIAS-DM) was proposed as a …

Recent Competition Policy Developments In Hungary – Unfair Commercial Practices, Cartels And Abuse Of Dominance, Pál Szilágyi, Tihamér Tóth

Yearbook of Antitrust and Regulatory Studies

No abstract provided.

Sociocultural Influences On Diabetes Self-Management Behaviors In Older African Americans, Barry W. Rovner, Robin J. Casten, Lynn Fields Harris

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Faculty Papers

Objective. The purpose of this observational study was to describe the associations between cultural beliefs that are prevalent in older African Americans and adherence to diabetes self-management (DSM) behaviors.

Methods. In a community population of 110 older African Americans with type 2 diabetes, the investigators administered surveys that assess present time orientation (PTO), future time orientation (FTO), and religiosity, as well as exercising habits, reading food labels, and checking blood glucose.

Results. Participants who reported regularly exercising had significantly lower PTO scores and higher FTO and religiosity scores than participants who did not regularly exercise. Similarly, participants who reported reading …

The Update, December 2013, University Of Northern Iowa. College Of Humanities, Arts And Sciences.

Update

Inside this issue...

-- Milkweed Seed Harvesting and Prairie Restoration
-- Department News
-- Environmental Science B.A. Degree
-- James Davis Presentation at National Convention
-- School of Music Events
-- UNI Women's & Gender Studies Presents CROW Forum
-- Alumni Spotlight: Physics: Cary Pint
-- Student Spotlight: Philosophy & World Religions: Corey Cooling
-- Featured Organization: UNI Interpreters Theatre
-- Interpreters Theatre Productions Schedule
-- Iowa Teachers Named Finalists for Math, Science
-- UNI Marching Band

Thermal Modeling And Validation Testing Of A Miniature Xenon Ion Thruster, Samuel R. Parker

Master's Theses

To support the research of miniature ion propulsion, Cal Poly's Miniature Xenon

Ion (MiXI) thruster has been modeled and tested. Using ANSYS Fluent, a two-

dimensional model of the transient thermal environment of MiXI-CP-V3 was

created. Validation testing was conducted in order to assess the accuracy of the

thermal model. During testing, temperature was measured at eight locations

across MiXI. From the test data it was determined that the thermal model did a

poor job of predicting temperature due to incident radiation at the four locations

nearest the keeper electrode. The four remaining locations were affected mostly

by conduction and …

Analysis Of An Inflatable Gossamer Device To Efficiently De-Orbit Cubesats, Robert A. Hawkins Jr.

Master's Theses

There is an increased need for spacecraft to quickly and efficiently de-orbit themselves as the amount of debris in orbit around Earth grows. Defunct spacecraft pose a significant threat to the LEO environment due to their risk of fragmentation. If these spacecraft are de-orbited at the end of their useful life their risk to future spacecraft is greatly lessened. A proposed method of efficiently de-orbiting spacecraft is to use an inflatable thin-film envelope to increase the body's area to mass ratio and thusly shortening its orbital lifetime. The system and analysis presented in this project is sized for use on …

Special Remarks At The Cbn Executive Seminar On Global Capital Flows, Financial Markets And Macroeconomic Stability, Sarah O. Alade

Economic and Financial Review

This is a special remark delivered at the Seminar on Global Capital Flows, Financial Markets and Macroeconomic Stability. The seminar provided the opportunity for Executives of the Bank, to engage in productive exchange of views and ideas on the subject, and to reflect on both the positive impacts and the inherent risks.

Exile And Compassion: The Management Of Leprosy In The Cook Islands, 1925-95, Raeburn Lange

Pacific Studies

After its introduction to the northern Cook Islands in the nineteenth century, leprosy (Hansen's disease) gradually spread throughout the group and became a public health problem. This article traces the history of the disease and its management from the time when the colonial government ceased to rely only on the isolation of leprosy sufferers on islets with in the Cook group and began to supplement its internal control measures by sending many of the patients to Makogai in Fiji. The authorities' changing approaches to the control of leprosy in the group throughout the period are examined as a way of …

On Spanish Loanwords And Loanblends In Hawal'i Creole English, Robert N. Smead

Pacific Studies

Hawai'i Creole English (HCE) has been the object of much linguistic research. Virtually all researchers agree that its principal lexical sources include English, Hawaiian, and Japanese. Other languages, such as Chinese and Portuguese, have also contributed. To elate, however, few sources have considered Spanish as an important lexical source for HCE. The research reported herein attempts to remedy that oversight by considering ten putative loanwords and loanblends thought to derive from Spanish. These include ethnic markers associated with and local dishes brought by Filipino and Puerto Rican immigrants in the early twentieth century. By documenting cultural traditions and consulting authoritative …

Food Choice Is A Fundamental Liberty Right, David J. Berg

Journal of Food Law & Policy

"[P]laintiffs do not have a fundamental right to obtain any food they wish." "When did we lose our right to buy whatever food we want directly from farmers and assorted food producers, outside of the regulatory system of permits and inspections?" For millennia, humans either caught or raised their own food or purchased it from local farmers or shopkeepers; however they obtained their food, they knew where it came from. In fact, obtaining one's food directly from the farmer who grew it is one of the most traditional economic practices that there can be. But with the industrial age came …

The Effectiveness Of Using Digital Movies As A Form Of Reflection, Taralynn Hartsell

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Digital videos can be effective authentic assessment tools to help students reflect on their learning acquisition. Using digital video reflections to synthesize learning of abstract concepts and theories such as instructional design can be a method to evaluate how students perceive, understand, and arrive to certain conclusions. This paper describes the process of creating digital videos as part of a reflection assignment that graduate students in an instructional design course had to complete. Benefits and limitations of using this form of assessment are addressed, including some recommendations. The purpose is to help readers understand how digital videos can aid students …

A Case Study Of Applying Blended Learning In An Accelerated Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Education Program, Ying Wang Shen, Thomas H. Reynolds, Curtis J. Bonk, Thomas A. Brush

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Blended learning has potential to improve teacher education in terms of accessibility and quality. This paper reports findings from a case study with mixed methods data collection analysis to examine the application of blended learning in accelerated post-baccalaureate teacher education at the program level. One hundred and sixty-seven recent graduates from a chosen teacher education program participated in the study by completing an online survey. Eight of the survey participants and six faculty members were interviewed. Findings from this study support the viability and benefits of applying blended learning in teacher education at the program level. On the other hand, …

An Analysis Of The Perceptions Of The Legal Profession Through The Eyes Of Dissatisfied Consumers Of Legal Services In Manhattan, Ny: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Caprice A. Alves

Education Doctoral

In the past, research on consumer dissatisfaction with legal services tended to be quantitative in nature, and focused primarily on consumer opinion of the legal profession. These quantitative studies have been valuable in gaining a basic understanding of consumer consensus of legal services and the legal profession. However, a qualitative understanding of the complexity of the personal dissatisfaction experience with legal services, as well as the psychological and social meanings and consequences of these experiences, is an important contribution to the literature. This dissertation provides a qualitative view of the experience of consumer dissatisfaction with legal services in Manhattan, NY. …

Foreign Aid Effectiveness: Three Essays On Aid-For-Trade And Export Performance Of Developing Countries, Shanka Prasad Ghimire

Dissertations

This dissertation examines the effectiveness of foreign aid in enhancing international trade in developing countries. In that light, it presents three essays that focus on foreign aid targeted towards improving trade capacity of developing countries (Aid-for-Trade or AfT) and analyzes its impact on export performance of 121 AfT-recipient countries over a period of 16 years [1995-2010].

The first essay examines whether aggregate AfT helps aid recipients improve their aggregate export performance. The analysis using System-GMM shows a positive and significant impact of AfT on the level and growth of exports as well as export volume relative to GDP. These findings …

Cultural Adaptations Of American Teachers In International Schools, David J. Alban

Dissertations

Global competition of academic aptitude between countries has sparked policymakers’ concerns with the performance of the United States educational system leading to many educational reforms that direct educators to diversify their instruction to meet the needs of all students. Advances in technology and travel allow people to interact with other cultures creating more globalized societies. These two converging issues place a greater significance on educators to understand the interplay between culture and their teaching practices.

Literature reveals that the influence of home and community cultures affects the learning behaviors of students (Davis-Kean, 2005: Wang, Beras, & Eberhard, 2005; Sigel, Stinson, …

Development Of Polarization Analysis Of Resonant Inelastic X-Ray Scattering, Xuan Gao

Dissertations

Resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) is a powerful technique in condensed matter physics for studying the electronic excitations in novel materials of interest. In currently operating hard x-ray RIXS instruments the energy and momentum transfers are measured while the outgoing polarization is not measured due to significant technical challenges. But the outgoing polarization of the scattered photons provides valuable information (excitation symmetry) about the states involved in the scattering which is difficult to determine without polarization analysis. Polarization analysis has proved extremely valuable in soft x-ray RIXS, and so a polarization analysis system is being developed to fill the technical …

Special Education Leadership And The Implementation Of Response To Intervention, Derek Ryan Cooley

Dissertations

Response to Intervention (RTI) is a process by which schools identify students with disabilities using research-based interventions. As schools across the United States struggle to redefine district structures and processes required for RTI, special education administrators have become primarily responsible for implementation. Research describing special education administrators’ perceptions about the implementation of RTI is limited, however.

Framing RTI as an educational change initiative, this study uses survey methods to determine special education administrators’ 1) perceptions of leadership and change, 2) the extent to which they determine a structured plan to implement RTI as important, and 3) how frequently they encountered …

Quantifying Value In Public Health: Using Economic Methods To Analyze System Change, Theresa M. Green

Dissertations

In this time of economic downturn, it is becoming increasingly important for organizations, including those in public health, to “prove their worth,” to show the value in improvement strategies. Health agencies have learned to discuss impact in terms of health outcome and mortality/morbidity measures. However, it is critical that these impacts are also expressed in a way that shows cost-efficiency and economic benefit especially for promising, evidence-based public health interventions. Although several methods of economic evaluation including cost-effective analysis, cost-utility analysis, or cost-benefit analysis and return on investment (ROI) have been used in social sciences and health research, fewer examples …

Client-Based Qos Monitoring And Evaluation Architecture For Network Infrastructure And Services, Ammar Mohammed Kamel

Dissertations

Providing an efficient Quality-of-Service (QoS) measurement model is a challenging problem in today’s mobile computing and telecommunications networks. Currently, most of QoS techniques utilize service measurements that are collected by the network elements (i.e., network-side monitoring) to evaluate the network performance. However, this process does not take into account the service performance from the clients' perspective and might contradict with the Service Level Agreement (SLA). In order to overcome the limitations of service-side QoS monitoring, a number of research studies have been conducted to present alternative architectures and algorithms for client-side QoS service assessment in computer networks. The client-side QoS …

Mixed Methods Analysis Of Counselor Views, Attitudes And Perceived Competencies Regarding The Treatment Of Internet Pornography Addiction, Bradly K. Hinman

Dissertations

The Internet offers unprecedented opportunity for individuals to have anonymous, inexpensive, and unrestricted access to an essentially unlimited range of sexually explicit materials. Counseling clients are increasingly presenting with problematic issues regarding Internet pornography use. The purposes of this mixed-method study were (a) to examine the current status of counselors’ attitudes and self-efficacy about treating clients with Internet pornography addiction, and (b) to ascertain the opinions of counselor educators who are experts in the field of Internet pornography addiction on the current status of counselor training and best practices for preparing counselors.

The quantitative data was obtained from a 90-item …

Hurting Leaders: The Lived Experiences Of African-American Clergy And Their Views, Attitudes, And Barriers To Help-Seeking, Bernice Suzette Patterson

Dissertations

The help-seeking tendencies of African-Americans, as a whole, have long been a source of confusion to the field of counseling. Moreover, in the available literature on help-seeking, in the African-American community there is an apparent deficit of information on the help-seeking habits of its clergy members. Current literature focuses primarily on African-American clergy and their roles in facilitating the development of professional counseling relationships for their parishioners rather than on their ability to seek out professional counseling relationships for themselves.

The focus of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the lived experiences of African-American clergy related to …

A Qualitative Study Of Counselors Who Work With Spanish-Speaking Clients: Implications For Counselor Training And Practice, Daniel Rolando Romero

Dissertations

The Spanish-speaking population in the United States is growing. As the population grows, need for competent mental health services may also expand. Counselors are currently underprepared to provide these services (Furman, 2006; Lebrón-Striker, 2012). The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the experiences of counselors who work with Spanish-speaking clients, focusing on their motivations, preparation and work experiences, and recommendations for counselor education.

Two groups were selected for this phenomenological study: Counselors who use interpreters (CWUI) and counselors who do not use interpreters (CWDNUI). Themes that emerged related to motivation included helping others, inspirational and affirmative experiences, vocational …

Simo: Modeling And Measuring The Relationships Between Strategy, It/Mission Alignment Maturity And Nonprofit Organizational Outcomes, Kelly Ann Trusty

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to adapt Croteau and Bergeron’s (2001) Information Technology Trilogy model and Luftman’s (2000) Strategic Alignment Maturity Model to the nonprofit sector and (2) to combine the adapted models with Miles and Snow’s (1978) strategy typology model and organizational performance measures based on McLaughlin and Jordan’s (2010) logic model to test a proposed model that examines the relationships between strategy typology, IT alignment maturity and organizational performance in nonprofit organizations. A cross-sectional survey design was implemented. One thousand, eight hundred and six organizations that had received grants from Indiana Community Foundations between 2009 …

Student Conceptions Of Learning And The Approaches To Learning Adopted In An Introductory Science Course: A Q Methodology Study, Kelly Marie Sparks

Dissertations

The conceptions of learning, guiding students’ primary beliefs about their experiences of learning as well as their interpretations of learning itself, have been found to be related to their approaches to learning and learning outcomes. This study examined the subjective beliefs of students about learning science in an undergraduate college setting. Q methodology was used examine student perceptions about learning and the approaches to learning they employed. Thirty six students completed Q-sorts of their perspectives on learning and the approaches they took to achieve that learning in an introductory physical geography course. Centroid factor analysis and varimax rotation of these …