Digital Commons Network^™

Long Jog, Joshua Matthews

Pro Rege

No abstract provided.

Going The Distance: Themes Of The Hero In Disney's Hercules, Amy Elizabeth Burchfield

Theses and Dissertations

Disney's Hercules is an apt modern reception of the ancient mythology of Herakles, acknowledging ancient and modern sources surrounding three types of classical hero: the archetypal hero, influenced by the ideas of Joseph Campbell; the Pan-Hellenic hero, distilled from ancient Greek exempla of heroism from epic and other genres of ancient literature; and the tragic hero, inspired by the heroic criteria presented in Aristotle's Poetics. By adapting these heroic types from their traditional ancient source myths, Disney's Hercules produces a new, contemporary definition of heroism—one informed by modern, Western family values. This adaptation renews the power of the myth of …

Followership, Leadership And Social Influence, Burak Oc, Michael R. Bashshur

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Traditional research in leadership has largely relegated followers to the role of passive recipients or, at best, moderators of leader influence and behaviors. However, recent work in the area of followership has begun shifting this focus and emphasizing the possibility that followers actively have an influence over leaders, in particular leader behavior. This paper revisits traditional areas of the leadership literature and builds on the emerging followership literature to reintroduce followers as part of the social context of leaders. In an attempt to build theoretical rationales for how followers influence leader behavior we draw on the social influence (e.g., Social …

Behind The Hijab, A Narrative On The Muslim Presence In Britain In The Postwar Era, Cassidy Alexandra Von Springer

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

A Phenomenological Study Of The Factors Leading Low Socioeconomic Status Urban Students To Enroll In A University, Luke D. Schultheis

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Low socioeconomic urban students do not attend universities at a rate proportional to other populations. This perpetuates a cycle of recurrence and diminished potential benefits associated with degree attainment. The commonly ascribed Theory of Student Choice (Hossler, Braxton & Coopersmith, 1989) does not apply to this population.

The purpose of this study was to identify factors which motivated low socioeconomic urban students to enroll in a university. Three interviews, each up to two hours, were conducted with students of this population. The participants identified why they chose to enroll in a university.

The participants were not motivated to attend a …

The Costs Of Ambient Cultural Disharmony: Indirect Intercultural Conflicts In Social Environment Undermine Creativity, Roy Y. J. Chua

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Intercultural tensions and conflicts are inevitable in the global workplace. This paper introduces the concept of ambient cultural disharmony—indirect experience of intercultural tensions and conflicts in individuals' immediate social environment—and demonstrates how it undermines creative thinking in tasks that draw on knowledge from multiple cultures. Three studies (a network survey and two experiments) found that ambient cultural disharmony decreases individuals' effectiveness at connecting ideas from disparate cultures. Beliefs that ideas from different cultures are incompatible mediate the relationship between ambient cultural disharmony and creativity. Alternative mechanisms such as negative affect and cognitive disruption were not viable mediators. Although ambient cultural …

Financial Reporting Quality Of Chinese Reverse Merger Firms: The Reverse Merger Effect Or The China Effect?, Kun-Chih Chen, Qiang Cheng, Ying Chou Lin, Yu-Chen Lin, Xing Xiao

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

In this paper, we examine why Chinese reverse merger (RM) firms have lower financial reporting quality. We find that while U.S. RM firms have similar financial reporting quality as matched U.S. IPO firms, Chinese RM firms exhibit lower financial reporting quality than Chinese ADR firms. We further find that Chinese RM firms exhibit lower financial reporting quality than U.S. RM firms. These results indicate that the use of RM process is associated with poor financial reporting quality only in firms from China, where the legal enforcement is weaker than U.S. In addition, we find that compared to Chinese ADR firms, …

Institutional Presence, Johan Sulaeman, Chi Shen Wei

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

We propose an Institutional Presence (IP) measure to capture the latent role of non-owner institutional investors who nevertheless may be observing a firm. We employ this measure to examine whether the ‘presence’ of institutional investors reduces information asymmetry in the market. Firms in areas with high institutional presence experience higher liquidity, faster information incorporation, lower costs of equity capital, and less financing frictions relative to firms in low IP areas. The results hold after controlling for firm and geographical characteristics including institutional ownership and urban locality. Our findings indicate that being in the presence of institutional investors brings tangible benefits.

In Search Of The Impactful And The Interesting: Swings Of The Pendulum?, Timothy Adrian Robert Clark, Steven W. Floyd, Mike Wright

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

In this article we reflect on our time as editors of JMS during the period 2003-09. First we describe the context as we saw it on assuming editorship of the Journal and the actions that we took to improve the quality of scholarship published in the journal in order to set JMS on the trajectory to become a world-leading Journal. We articulate our view of what quality means in this context and observe that we eschewed the USA-Europe divide. Rather, to be publishable, all papers had to meet the highest standards relative to their epistemological assumptions. Finally, we address two …

Contrasting Perspectives On China's Rare Earths Policies: Reframing The Debate Through A Stakeholder Lens, Leslie Hayes-Labruto, Simon J.D. Schillebeeckx, Mark Workman, Nilay Shah

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This article critically compares China's rare earth policy with perspectives upheld in the rest of the world (ROW). We introduce rare earth elements and their importance for energy and present how China and the ROW are framing the policy debate. We find strongly dissonant views with regards to motives for foreign direct investment, China's two-tiered pricing structure and its questionable innovation potential. Using the metaphor of "China Inc.", we compare the Chinese government to a socially responsible corporation that aims to balance the needs of its internal stakeholders with the demands from a resource-dependent world. We find that China's internal …

Sowing Seeds For The Future To Honor Tigua History And Tradition: Diabetes Prevention And Management At Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo, Sean Patrick Bruna-Lewis

Anthropology ETDs

This dissertation examines type 2 diabetes management and prevention at Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, a federally recognized American Indian tribe in El Paso, Texas. Type 2 diabetes is a serious and growing concern at the Pueblo, and while the incidence is not as high as it is in other tribes in the United States, it is still much higher than the national average. Despite excellent biomedical research that shows how individuals can prevent diabetes, and countless translated diabetes prevention programs targeted to individuals and families to prevent the disease, the incidence of diabetes continues to rise. This dissertation argues that …

The Household Poverty Dimensions Infuencing Forest Dependence In Protected Area Neighboring Communities In Africa And The Mitigation Potential Of Tourism: The Case Of Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda, Ian Munanura

All Dissertations

Volcanoes National Park (VNP) in Rwanda is one of the important protected areas for conservation in the Albertine Rift ecoregion. It inhabits some of the most rare and endemic wildlife species including mountain gorillas. Despite such importance, it continues to be threatened by forest dependence practices of local residents such as, poaching for bush meat and the harvest of non-timber forest products. These practices have been attributed largely to high levels of poverty among park neighboring residents. It is believed that poor residents rely on forest resources to supplement their subsistence livelihoods. The relationship between poverty and forest dependence behavior …

Predicting Surgical Flow Disruption Recovery In Cardiothoracic Operating Rooms, Gary Palmer Ii

All Dissertations

Disruptions are common occurrences in a variety of healthcare settings and early research has shown that they are likely contributors to medical errors. For this reason, healthcare researchers have focused on studying and understanding the nature of Surgical Flow Disruptions (SFDs) to increase patient safety and quality of care within the operating room (OR). Many researchers have used simplistic taxonomies to collect and categorize the types of SFD that occur within the OR. Others have gone further to study SFD recovery and have link unrecovered and recovered SFD to minor and major adverse events experienced by patients. This dissertation, focused …

A Phenomenological Study Of College Seniors In A Performing Arts Music Program, Eric Lapin

All Dissertations

Music has been an integral component of higher education dating back to the Middle Ages. As higher education developed in American institutions a traditional degree program began to emerge. Students in American higher education music programs focused on either performance or music education. However, a review of the literature has shown that these traditional programs are rife with limitations, and in many cases are not properly preparing students. As a result, Performing Arts style undergraduate degree programs are gaining popularity. These Performing Arts programs seek to offer a more comprehensive music and arts experience that more adequately prepares graduates for …

Association Of Individual And Combined Metabolic Risk Factors With Cancer, Ruchi Bhandari

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction: The prevalence of metabolic risk factors (MRFs), individually and in the aggregate, is growing rapidly. There is limited biologic and epidemiologic evidence indicating an association between MRFs and cancer. The goal of this dissertation was to examine the association between individual and combined MRFs with subsequent risk of overall and site-specific cancers of the breast, digestive system, and lung.;Methods: A systematic review with meta-analysis on the association between metabolic syndrome (a cluster of MRFs) and breast cancer was conducted. In addition, associations between MRFs and risk of overall and site-specific cancers were assessed by multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression …

Effects Of Trauma Induced Stress On Attention, Executive Functioning, Processing Speed, And Resilience In Urban Children, Antoinette Welsh

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Brain development, and particularly structures involved in executive functioning, occurs at different rates in children, leading to differential performance in school. Due to neuroanatomical changes secondary to the stress response, children who have experienced stress as a result of poverty and traumatic events may be at increased risk for cognitive difficulties, including attention, executive functioning, and processing speed (Blair, Granger, & Razza, 2005; DeBellis, Hooper, & Sapia, 2005). Prevalence rates among urban children suggest that 70-100% have been exposed to trauma (Dempsey, Overstreet, & Moely, 2000; Macy, Baryry, & Noam, 2003). Some of these children develop posttraumatic stress disorder and …

Response To Intervention Implementation: The Successes And Challenges In The Mid Appalachian Counties, Tammy J. Samples

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Education reform has been on a new path over the last 15 years; a path that leads to more accountability, more choice for students and parents, highly qualified teachers, as well as, best practices in instruction. In an effort to move along the path of reform and as a result of previous reform, the 2004 reauthorization of IDEA reviewed the field of literacy instruction and disability determination.;They found that the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) discrepancy model was problematic and often put students in a position of waiting to fail due to the fact that placement often did not occur until students …

Museum And P-12 School Collaborations And The Role Of A Third-Party Facilitator, Katherine Somerville

Museum Studies Theses

This paper will trace a brief history of museum and P-12 school collaborations in the United States including recent reforms in formal education and the marketization of museums. It will explore different models of collaboration exemplified by national and local programming in a variety of school and museum settings. Details about collaborations between Western New York museums and schools were gleaned through personal interviews with museum personnel, mainly museum educators. This paper will also include criteria for successful collaborations and challenges to overcome in creating and sustaining collaborations between two structurally different organizations.

Finally, this paper will explore the role …

Preserving Artifacts: A Survey And Research Into The Struggle Of Smaller Institutions' Need For Budgeting, Emily Busch

Museum Studies Theses

This paper will discuss the budgeting and preservation problems that are prevalent in institutions specializing in historical collections. The sizes of the institutions that will be reviewed include small and medium-sized specialized museums along with local and regional historical societies, based on research and a survey sent to these kinds of institutions. Three types of artifacts that are commonly found in these institutions – paper, photographs, and textiles- will be examined to get a clear understanding of their preservation problems and needs. This is followed by reviews of proper storage techniques for artifacts and descriptions where the institutions can acquire …

Something To Talk About:Lessons Of Language And Literacy From A Tutorial Pilot Program, Joanna Neel

Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article describes a study conducted to determine evidence of key variables of literacy development and language acquisition, based on tutor’s lessons focusing on books and conversations about books and tutee’s questions. During one semester, university students tutored students from third to fifth grade, creating learning communities incorporating language and literate conversations, discussions about learning, and thinking/ comprehension strategies into each tutorial session, based on the needs of each student, as determined by the homeroom teacher. Conversations about books and topics were determined by student interest. Tutors were prepared with eight preparation sessions. Tutors noted student literacy behaviors in journals, …

Human Action Switching In Hiv, Chinonyere Nzerem

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

We evaluated switching in human action/verb fluency to examine how it associates with other measures of executive functioning and with difficulties in the performance of IADLs in a HIV+ sample. Our sample was comprised of 29 HIV+ participants. All the participants completed measures of phonetic fluency (FAS) and semantic fluency [Animals, Human Actions (HA)] in addition to the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT), Stroop Color-Word Test (Stroop), Trail-making Test Part B (TMT B), Letter-Number Sequencing (LNS), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, and the Boston Naming Task (BNT). The first regression model with phonetic and semantic switching produced R2 = .260, …

Caveolins And Njks Influence Brain Endothelial Permeability After Juvenile Tbi, David Olufemi Ajao

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Disruption of blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a key secondary event that exacerbates brain damage following traumatic brain injury (TBI). BBB disruption is particularly damaging to the developing brain – which is highly vulnerable to various stress stimuli, resulting in increased brain swelling, disrupted cerebral blood flow (CBF) autoregulation, long-term disabilities and death following TBI in young demographic. Unsurprisingly, BBB disruption and the resultant cerebral edema have emerged as therapeutic targets in juvenile TBI. It is therefore important to understand the molecular players and mechanisms involved in TBI-induced BBB disruption in the juvenile brain. To this end, the endothelial caveolins and …

Investigating Denial Of The Harmful Effects Of Corporal Punishment In A Religious Context, Stephanie Grace Cox

Theses

Corporal punishment continues to be a controversial topic. Many people who experienced spanking as children feel that they were not harmed by the corporal punishment and go on to believe that using corporal punishment on their children will not harm them, especially if it is administered calmly. This study looked at the attitudes of 203 parents in the context of religion using Holden's "Attitudes Toward Spanking a Child" questionnaire. The results of this study showed that parents that said religion guided their parenting were more likely to view corporal punishment positively and were more likely to believe that corporal punishment …

Sustainability Curriculum Inventory And Literacy Assessment: The Influence Of Values On Knowledge Of And Perceived Importance Of Sustainability Components, David James Drogos

Theses

The incorporation of sustainability education and sustainable practices in higher education serves several purposes. It prepares students for work in sustainability-focused professions, fosters environmentally responsible behavior in individuals, and helps to reduce the ecological impacts of the operational aspects of educational institutions. However, contemporary definitions of sustainability, which consider social, political, ecological, and economic influences on the environment, complicate educational initiatives. Distinct educational departments often consider sustainability through their specialized lens. Trans-disciplinary initiative must be enacted in order for sustainability education to reach its full potential. This paper outlines the results of an electronically administered faculty sustainability curriculum inventory as …

The Thin Line Between Propaganda And Persuasion, Ryan Daniel Jenkins

Theses

In this paper, I discuss the line that divides propaganda and persuasion in relation to my thesis work, The Thin Line Between Propaganda and Persuasion. My intention is to show how easily images can transfer between propaganda and persuasion. I analyze this division between propaganda and persuasion by discussing propaganda as one-way communication process and persuasion as a two-way communication process. Then I discuss my relationship to photography, graffiti, and how my own work furthers the conversation of propaganda and persuasion in relation to other artists. In the next section, I contextualize my use of the database in parallel to …

Soy Mi Cuento: Latina Students Bridging Multiple Worlds In Independent Schools, Lillian Díaz-Imbelli

Education Doctoral

The dissertation explores the hybrid identity, mestiza consciousness (Anzaldúa, 1999), of Latina graduates of independent schools. Latinas currently represent one of the lowest performing, fastest growing, youngest ethnic minority groups in the United States (United States Census, 2010), and the smallest demographic in independent schools (Torres, 2012). Education offers Latinas academic and social capital for economic advancement and college opportunity (Gándara & Contreras, 2009; Santiago, 2013); independent schools are an important entry to gaining this capital. Latinas attending independent schools often enter heterogeneous educational environments for the first time and find the need to explore their identity more salient (French, …

The Effect Of Service Dog Partnership On The Mental Health Status Of United States Veterans: A Quantitative Analysis Using The Sf-36v2 Mental Health Survey, Colleen Mclaughlin

Education Doctoral

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a historically significant problem for soldiers and Marines in the United States military. A host of recent research supports this claim, and lends itself to the question of why more is not being done to help those who suffer from combat related stress (Friedman, 2011; Kuehn, 2012; Marlantes, 2011; Sher, Braquehais, & Casas, 2012). When considering what effect service dogs might have on the mental health status of United States veterans, this study focused on the following research questions based on the SF-36v2 Mental Health Survey: What effect does partnership with a service dog …

Nature Of Deaf Mentoring Dyads: Role Of Subjugated Knowledge, Jason D. Listman

Education Doctoral

Research has indicated that the United States is lagging behind the rest of the world in producing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) majors and career professionals. The National Science Foundation has launched one particular initiative to address this need which is centered on underrepresented communities. Matching mentoring dyads based on similar social identities may provide necessary role models (Davidson & Foster-Johnson, 2001) and unlock subjugated knowledge (Collins 2000) about how to be both deaf and scientist. Among their underrepresented counterparts, deaf individuals are disproportionately underrepresented in STEM careers (NSF, 2011). The leakage in the STEM pipeline between undergraduate enrollment …

Oxidation Of Dibenzothiophene To Dibenzothiophene Sulfone Using Tungsten (Vi) Oxide, Alejandrina Rivera

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The oxidation of dibenzothiophene (DBT) to dibenzothiophene-sulfone has been considered as an alternate method to remove sulfur from crude oil. This study demonstrates that the oxidative desulfurization (ODS) of DBT to DBT-sulfone occurs using WO3 as a catalyst. WO3 was synthesized and characterized using X-ray diffraction to determine the phase of WO3. Each reaction was refluxed and run for four hours using WO3 as a catalyst, dibenzothiphene, and four different solvents: decahydronapthalene, n-dodecane, decalin, and dodecane. The reactions were performed at temperatures ranging from 120 oC to 150 oC. Aliquots were taken at 30 minutes for up to four hours …

The Llano Grande Grant: The Transformation Of Land Ownership In The Rio Grande Valley, 1749-1910, Maria G. Vallejo

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The history of the Llano Grande is an important part of Rio Grande Valley life. The thesis presented will analyze the legal ownership of a single land grant from 1749-1910. The modern land tenure in the Rio Grande Valley has its roots in the Spanish land grants. By studying a micro-history of a single land grant we can understand how the land ownership of the Llano Grande and the Rio Grande Valley changed throughout an entire century. The land ownership of the Llano Grande addresses how land was transferred Spanish to Mexican and to Anglo land owners. Also, the rise …