Digital Commons Network^™

Challenges And Potential Of Technology Integration In Modern Ship Management Practices, Suresh Bhardwaj

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

This thesis explores the challenges and potential of technology integration in current ship management practices. While technology advancements were designed to be contributing to minimising task complexity, issues such as fatigue, increased administrative burden and technology assisted accidents still plague the industry. In spite of the clearly recognisable benefits of using modern technology in the management of ships, in practice its application appears lacking by a considerable margin. The main driver of the study was to appreciate the cause of this disparity. The study first reviewed a wide body of literature on issues involving the use of technology which included …

Public Attitudes Towards Crime And Punishment In Greece And The Factors Underlying Their Construction, Magdalini Pipini

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

Public opinion regarding crime-related issues is a challenging matter for researchers and politicians alike. An ill-informed public with regards to crime, punishment and other aspects of the criminal justice system leads to discontent and demands for harsher policies to strengthen public safety. Politicians harness public opinion to secure votes, and this can result in punitive policies that are founded on erroneous beliefs. The objective of this study is to look more deeply into people’s attitudes towards crime and punishment, and to consider why Greek people hold the views that they do and how these views are constructed. A multi-method approach …

Extended Notation. The Depiction Of The Unconventional, Christian Dimpker

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

Most extended instrumental playing techniques are still deprived of a conventional method of notation. In order to facilitate the utilisation of these unconventional musical elements, a coherent and consistent notation system is developed in this thesis. It comprises chapters on string instruments, wind instruments, percussion instruments, plucked instruments and keyboard instruments. A systematic notation of unconventional instrumental playing techniques has not yet been attempted, nor have all tech-niques subject to this work yet been explained in detail. In order to coherently depict unconventional playing techniques, a set of criteria is defined. These criteria postulate that all developments are supposed to …

Sayre: Undergraduate Catalog 2013-2014, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Undergraduate Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Weatherford: Undergraduate Catalog 2013-2014, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Undergraduate Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Parents’ Attitudes Toward Their Children’S Heritage Language Maintenance: The Case Of Korean Immigrant Parents In West Michigan, Duckyoung Jung Becker

Masters Theses

Research shows that many immigrant parents in the United States struggle with heritage language maintenance as their children start school in the dominant society. Many studies also reveal that immigrant parents value heritage language maintenance highly and wish their children to maintain home language. Although heritage language research has increased in the recent years, there is still a dearth of research among immigrants who reside outside of large metropolitan cities in the United States. By taking the case study approach, the present study identifies Korean immigrant parents who reside in West Michigan towns and, through interview and observations, explores their …

El Círculo Familiar Bilingüe De Libros / The Bilingual Family Book Club: Creating Translanguaging Spaces With Latin@ Picture Books, Kelli Edenfield Criss

Theses and Dissertations

The study employed a bilingual family book club framework to group parents and children together during bilingual literature discussion and response. Employing a qualitative design and constant comparative analysis, the researcher examined what happened when a bi-monthly bilingual family book club, involving seven emergent bilingual children, their parents, and a researcher/facilitator, was initiated and sustained over a five month period. The study's context was a Florida panhandle elementary school's media center and a public library branch. Through analysis of book club session and interview transcripts, the researcher discovered that students and parents employed their repertoires of linguistic and cultural practices. …

Transitioning From Caregiving To Widowhood, Michelle Digiacomo, Joanne Lewis, Marie T. Nolan, Jane Phillips, Patricia M. Davidson

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

Context

Older women commonly assume a caregiving role for their husbands at the end of life and are more vulnerable to poorer health, well-being, and social and economic challenges.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to ascertain older women's experiences of spousal caregiving at the end of life and the ways in which this experience impacts on the transition to widowhood.

Methods

Longitudinal, in-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted with older women three times over a one-year period after the death of their husbands. This report focuses on the initial interviews that examined the transition from caregiving to widowhood. Transcripts …

The Impact Of A Brief Lifestyle Intervention Delivered By Generalist Community Nurses (Cn Snap Trial), M Harris, B Chan, R Laws, A Williams, G Davies, U Jayasinghe, M Fanaian, N Orr, A Milat

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

Background: The risk factors for chronic disease, smoking, poor nutrition, hazardous alcohol consumption, physical inactivity and weight (SNAPW) are common in primary health care (PHC) affording opportunity for preventive interventions. Community nurses are an important component of PHC in Australia. However there has been little research evaluating the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions in routine community nursing practice. This study aimed to address this gap in our knowledge.

Methods: The study was a quasi-experimental trial involving four generalist community nursing (CN) services in New South Wales, Australia. Two services were randomly allocated to an ‘early intervention’ and two to a ‘late …

An Evaluation Of Check-In/Check-Out With Accountability Tracking For At-Risk Students In A High-Need Elementary School, Ashley Lauren Barber

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A multi-tiered system of supports offers a comprehensive model for the prevention of academic and behavior problems in schools. To date, research has emphasized the impact of universal and intensive interventions. However, the need for research on secondary or targeted group interventions (Tier 2) for those students who do not respond to the universal level of support is growing. This study evaluated CICO, a Tier 2 intervention, in improving student behavior when it is used with three elementary students from a high-need population and in conjunction with student accountability tracking, designed to promote parental involvement. Functional assessments indicated that all …

Utilizing Tagteach To Enhance Proficiency In Dance Movements, Mallory Joanne Quinn

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate TAGteach as a training procedure to increase the fluency of three dance movements in a multiple baseline across behaviors design with 4 students of dance. Target behaviors included a pirouette/turn, kick, and a leap/jump, respective of the level of the class. A dance instructor was trained to implement the TAGteach procedure by the primary researcher. The targeted dance movements remained at a stable level during baseline and improved sequentially for each participant following the introduction of the TAGteach training. Implications for future research are discussed.

User-Based Filter Utilization For Multicarrier Schemes, Zekeriyya Esat Ankarali

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Multicarrier modulation is a transmission technique that is quite convenient for high data rates in wireless communication. Information symbols are partitioned and parallelly sent over multiple narrowband subchannels. Pulse shaping filters are critically important in multicarrier

modulation for determining the characteristics of signal in time and frequency domains. In this thesis, we propose a new pulse shaping approach for multicarrier schemes to increase spectral efficiency in multi-user scenarios. Conventionally, the time-frequency lattice and the prototype filter are designed considering the worst-case of time-varying multipath channel. However, this approach ignores to make use of multi-user diversity and leads to excessive spacings …

An Evaluation Of A Parent Implemented In- Situ Pedestrian Safety Skills Intervention For Individuals With Autism, Bethany Ann Harriage

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluated a parent implemented in-situ pedestrian safety skills intervention for three individuals with autism. Specifically, this study examined the utility of using a behavioral skills training (BST) to help parents implement the most-to-least prompting procedures in training their children with autism pedestrian safety skills in community settings. A multiple baseline design across participants was used to assess parent implementation of in-situ pedestrian training as well as child participants' independently performed correct skills. Results indicated that parents implemented most-to-least prompting procedures with high levels of accuracy across streets during intervention and fading of BST. All child participants improved their …

Reflections On Problem Solving Theory And Practice, Alan H. Schoenfeld

The Mathematics Enthusiast

In this article, the author reflects on the current state of mathematical problem solving, both in theory and in instruction. The impact of the book Mathematical Problem solving (Schoenfeld, 1985) is also discussed, along with implications of problem solving today with the advent of 21st century technologies.

Cognitive Processes Developed By Students When Solving Mathematical Problems Within Technological Environments, Fernando Barrera-Mora, Aarón Reyes-Rodríguez

The Mathematics Enthusiast

In this paper we document and discuss how the use of digital technologies in problem solving activities can help students to develop mathematical competences; particularly, we analyze the characteristics of reasoning that students develop as a result of using Cabri Geometry software in problem solving. We argue that the dynamical nature of representations constructed with Cabri, and the availability of measure tools integrated to it are important elements that enhance students’ ability to think mathematically and foster the implementation of several heuristic strategies in problem solving processes.

Mathematical Problem Solving In Training Elementary Teachers From A Semiotic Logical Approach, Martín Socas, Josefa Hernández

The Mathematics Enthusiast

The aim of this article is to consider the professional knowledge and competences of mathematics teachers in compulsory education, and to propose basic tasks and activities in an initial training programme in the framework of a global proposal for “Immersion” in the curriculum of the educational phase which the trainee teacher would go on to work in. Problem-solving, in this context, is considered as being an inherent part of mathematics and this is described in terms of problem-solving, establishing connections between concepts, operations and implicit processes in the mathematical activity (conceptual field) and their relationships problem-solving; and it is assumed …

Thoughts About Research On Mathematical Problem- Solving Instruction, Frank K. Lester Jr.

The Mathematics Enthusiast

In this article, the author, who has written extensively about mathematical problem solving over the past 40 years, discusses some of his current thinking about the nature of problem-solving and its relation to other forms of mathematical activity. He also suggests several proficiencies teachers should acquire in order for them to be successful in helping students become better problem solvers and presents a framework for research on problem-solving instruction. He closes the article with a list of principles about problem-solving instruction that have emerged since the early 1970s.

Problems Of English For Specific Purpose Course For Medical Students In Iran, Alireza Boniadi, Morteza Ghojazadeh, Neda Rahmatvand

Khazar Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

It is now widely accepted that the English language has become the language of international communication. The widespread need for English as a second or foreign language puts a great pressure on the educational resources of many countries. ESP courses require specific language and skills that are related to communities of practice and disciplines. Careful examination of the attitudes and perceptions of learners and instructors is seen to be important in determining the problems of ESP courses. This study focuses on an ESP course offered at Tabriz faculty of Medical Sciences in Iran. The instruments used in this study were …

Seeking Modernity, Brain Gain, And Brain Drain: The Historical Evolution Of Chinese Students' Overseas Education In The United States Since Modern China, Di Luo

Master's Theses

This thesis is an historical research project that examines major waves of Chinese students studying in the United States since the mid-nineteenth century, as well as the impact of returned, American-educated Chinese students to the modernization of Chinese society. It also discusses the trend and pattern of the current wave after 1978 and compare it with previous waves. The analysis and examination of this thesis is based on a wide variety of written documents in both Chinese and English, including historical literatures, academic articles, dissertations, surveys, government publications, statistical data from both primary and secondary sources, as well as educational …

Login To Learn: A Content Analysis Of Southeast Asian Policies On Technology And Education, Laura D. Pasley

Master's Theses

In the following thesis, using Aucoin's (2011) theoretical framework, I juxtapose the discourses neoliberalism and humanitarian "access" as they relate to describing the potential outcomes of ICT adoption in education. Through a content analysis, I sought to answer the research question: To what extent have the discourses of neoliberalism and "access" used in regional ASEAN policies influenced ICT policymaking at the national level of its member states? The findings demonstrated a slight difference between ICT policies published prior to the 2011 ASEAN policy, but those published "after" were all also published in 2011 which may point to forces outside of …

The Effect Of Work-Related Programs On Dropout Rates: A Meta-Analysis, Jill Young

Master's Theses

One in four students drop out of school, which has long-lasting implications for the individual, employers, and society at large. Work-related programs, such as those that include career exploration or vocational training, are often employed by schools and communities to reduce school dropout rates. This thesis provides an update to a meta-analysis of experimental and quasi-experimental evaluations of dropout prevention programs conducted by Wilson, Tanner-Smith, Lipsey, Morrison, and Steinka-Frey in 2011, focusing on work-related dropout prevention programs. This study determined through meta-analysis of the logged odds-ratios that work-related programs have an odds-ratio of 1.66, indicating that work-related programs significantly reduce …

Snail Induces Mesenchymal Transition And Promotes Egfr Tki Resistance In Nsclc Cells Harboring Efgr Kinase Domain Mutations, Rutu Gandhi

Master's Theses

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer related death, accounting for one third of all deaths from cancer worldwide. About 85-90% of lung cancers are non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs). Molecular targeted therapies such as epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR TKIs) provide an effective treatment option for oncogene addicted NSCLC. However, the development of resistance to EGFR TKIs continues to be the major limitation in the treatment of NSCLC. Resistance to EGFR TKIs has been associated with the loss of canonical epithelial protein E-cadherin, suggesting involvement of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in conferring EGFR TKI …

Development Of Cell Based Reporter Assay To Measure Pkc-Delta Promoter Activity, Kushal Prajapati

Master's Theses

Protein kinase C- δ (PKC-δ) acts as a tumor suppressor in skin cancer and is lost in 30% of human Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC). This loss is at the transcriptional level and involves the pathway leading to PKC-δ promoter repression after activation of Ras,PI3K,Fyn, and NF-κB. We proposed development of a high throughput, cell-based luciferase reporter assay on Ras transformed keratinocyte cell line, HaCaT-Ras to screen compounds having potential to inhibit this pathway and re-induce PKC-δ expression. First we developed a stable, PKC-δ promoter-reporter transfected HaCaT-Ras cell line. Next, we tested 13 compounds for their abilities to induce PKC-δ …

Social-Environmental Predictors Of Health-Related Quality Of Life In Youth With Spina Bifida, Caitlin Beth Murray

Master's Theses

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is a multidimensional construct including an individual's physical and mental health and psychosocial well-being (De Civita et al., 2005), and the measurement of HRQOL has been recognized as a key marker of health outcomes in pediatric populations (Eiser & Jenney, 2007). Due to medical and technological advances, an increasing number of individuals with chronic illnesses are living longer. As such, research that investigates improvements in HRQOL in youth with chronic illnesses has become essential. Indeed, the number of studies examining HRQOL in pediatric populations has increased markedly; spina bifida (SB) is one among several chronic …

Conspiratorial Thinking: How Worldview And Mortality Salience Affect Belief, Eric James Anderson

Master's Theses

Conspiratorial thinking is widespread throughout the world, though the major social sciences have thus far chosen not to study them for a variety of reasons. This study attempts to understand what, in fact, makes individuals believe in conspiracy theories. Using aspects of terror management theory, Kruglanski's theory of lay epistemology, participants' political worldviews, and conspiracy type, this paper will explore what triggers conspiracy-prone individuals to see the world the way they do. It is anticipated that individuals who have thoughts of their death primed in their consciousness will structure the world more rigidly, cling to their worldviews and respond to …

Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Response To Invasion And Subsequent Removal Of Typha × Glauca From Great Lakes Coastal Marshes, Kimberly Anne Greene

Master's Theses

Aquatic macroinvertebrates are important in wetland ecosystems; many fish and wildlife species depend upon them for food resources and they aid in nutrient cycling. Wetland macroinvertebrate communities are influenced by plant community composition; as such, this study examined two implications of invasive hybrid cattail, Typha × glauca (Typha), on aquatic macroinvertebrate communities in northern Great Lakes coastal wetlands: 1) how the presence of nearly monotypic stands of Typha alters wetland aquatic macroinvertebrate communities and 2) how manual removal of Typha, via mowing and manual tilling, impacts these invertebrate communities along with wetland plant communities. I found that …

I Am Relieved To Discover My Symptoms Are Normal For My Condition: An Analysis Of Two Irritable Bowel Syndrome Support Communities, Erin Hvizdak

Master's Theses

Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), a "medically unexplained illness," are present in up to 20% of the United States population. Individuals experiencing symptoms of IBS often report that physicians dismiss their experiential and embodied knowledge, leading to a sense of isolation and frustration. Many of these individuals attempt to diminish isolation and also exchange their knowledge in a community setting. In order to enable a more complete understanding of IBS, a survey about community participation was sent to members of a large online support group for IBS located on Facebook, with 81 completed surveys received. Further, an open-ended questionnaire …

Exosomes: Antiviral Agents In The Human Lung, Jennifer Alexandra Novak

Master's Theses

Hundreds of interferon effectors comprise the immediate host response to virus infection. One family of interferon stimulated genes is the IFITM (Interferon-Induced Transmembrane) proteins. IFITM3, in particular, has been shown to block virus cell entry of Influenza A Virus, SARS Coronavirus, and West Nile Virus, among others. IFITM3 has also been identified as an essential factor for host protection against Influenza A Virus in mice and humans. However, the mechanism by which IFITM3 functions remains unclear.

IFITM3 may function both intracellularly and extracellularly to block virus infection in the human lung. The extracellular milieu contains microscopic vesicles termed exosomes which …

Spanish Women Remembered In Elena Quiroga's Tristura, Escribo Tu Nombre And A Enferma, Ellen Patricia Brugliera

Master's Theses

The Silenced Women in Spain

Through three novels written by Spanish author, Elena Quiroga (1921-1995), this thesis intends to develop a better comprehension of women's role and identity during the Second Republic in Spain (December, 1931-1936), and under Franco's almost 40 year reign between 1936 and 1975.

Although the Republic sought to initiate change for women via constitutional and legislative reforms, the forms of mobilization occurred under male tutelage, and the Republic's lack of strategy combined with organizational fragmentation led, in some ways, to the immobilization of women. Because the society was in flux, these attempts at reform were also …

Unpacking The Study Of Instructional Improvement: Issues, Outcomes, And Implications Of Three Comprehensive School Reform Efforts, Gabriella Silva Gorsky

Master's Theses

There is a long history of educational reform efforts in the United States. Current literature on school reform suggests that a comprehensive approach that involves implementing instructional change across many instructional domains is more effective at producing the types of far-reaching improvement desired compared with mono-focal approaches focusing on a single new strategy. This study explored the impacts and outcomes of the Accelerated Schools Project (ASP), America’s Choice (AC), and Success for All (SFA) within the Study of Instructional Improvement (Ball, Cohen, & Rowan, 2010) schools to answer three primary questions: Are student outcomes on TerraNova mirrored by outcomes on …