Digital Commons Network^™

Poem On The Occasion Of Pastor Herm Van Niejenhuis’S Retirement, David Schelhaas

Pro Rege

No abstract provided.

2013 Performance Horse Sale At The Cal Poly Equine Center, Jennifer Rauch

Animal Science

No abstract provided.

Yea Or Neigh? The Economics, Ethics, And Utility Of The Horsemeat Filet, L. Leon Geyer, Dan Lawler

Journal of Food Law & Policy

While staying surprisingly low profile amongst the general populace, the issue of horse slaughter has become hotly contested in the last decade, evolving into a multifaceted controversy that intertwines questions regarding ethics, international commerce, and contemporary law and politics. Horses were slaughtered in the U.S. in United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulated plants until 2007, when an appropriations bill suspended funding for federal inspections of horsemeat. The U.S. was home to three domestic slaughterhouses - two in Texas and one in Illinois - that slaughtered an average of about 115,003 horses per year from 1990 to 2007. Currently, American …

Tuberculosis Affecting The Nervous System: Can We Trace The Source Of Infection?, Naila Shahbaz, Saima Kashif, Hina Mushtaq

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

No abstract provided.

The Broadsheet- Issue 4, Merrimack College

The Broadsheet

Merrimack College's English Department newsletter.

This issue features:

• Senior Seminar Editorial
• Why Literature Matters
• Writers House Coffee House
• Seamus Heaney Memorial
• Upcoming Events
• Student Profile: Jackie Bagley
• New Courses 2014

Treatment Goals For Patients Who Elect Surgical Vs. Pessary Treatment For Symptomatic Pelvic Organ Prolapse, Mamta Muralidhar Mamik

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Objective: The objective of this study is to assess differences in self-described goals for treating symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse for women that choose surgery compared to women who choose pessary. Methods: Women who had symptomatic stage 2 prolapse or greater presenting for care of pelvic organ prolapse to the Urogynecology Clinic at the University of New Mexico were recruited. These patients listed up to three goals they had of their treatment and rated the goals from 0 to 10, with 10 being the most important. In addition, patients completed the short forms of the established Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory (PFDI-20), …

Delivering Access: Home Birth For Women Of Families Of Color In New Mexico, Micaela Lara Cadena

Architecture and Planning ETDs

This thesis examines the access that low-income women of color have to home birth in New Mexico through qualitative research with home birth providers, New Mexico Licensed Midwives. New Mexican women and families have been birthing their children in homes and community settings for generations. In contemporary New Mexico, pregnant women can birth at home, in a free-standing birth center, or in a hospital setting. This thesis seeks to explore: 1) The central tenets of home birth, as explained by Licensed Midwives; 2) The factors that impact access to home birth in New Mexico as perceived by Licensed Midwives; 3) …

Narcotic Administration And Fall-Related Injury In The Hospital: Implications For Patient Safety Programs And Providers, J Rush Pierce Jr, M Shirley, E F. Johnson, H Kang

Hospital Medicine

Objective: Identify factors that predict fall-related injury in hospitalized adults. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: 435-bed university hospital. Participants: Inpatients with reported falls in 2010. Results: Medical records were available for 286/293 (98%) of reported falls in 251 patients. 25% (63/286) of falls were associated with injury, 4% (11/286) with serious injury. Compared to all fallers, patients with injury did not differ by gender or age. In univariate analysis, patients who reported hitting their head, had pre-fall confusion, or who received narcotics within 24 hours before falling were more likely to suffer injury (estimated odds ratios 6.04, 2.00 and 5.1, …

Agricultural Productivity In Mercosur, Preeti Bharati

Department of Agricultural Economics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis applies econometric methods to investigate reported decline in productivity in the countries of Mercosur in Latin America. While non-parametric methods in general claimed thus, more recent studies using parametric approach exhibited mixed results. We show that the results are contingent to the estimation method employed, the dataset used and the degree of diversity in socio-political and economic environment prevailing in the countries analysed. Our results indicate that the region is experiencing 2.24% productivity growth dominated by technical growth (1.97%) and marred by low efficiency (0.24%), the latter being explained primarily by the quality of human capital in agriculture, …

Hearing-Aid Safety: A Comparison Of Estimated Threshold Shifts For Gains Recommended By Nal-Nl2 And Dsl M[I/O] Prescriptions For Children, Teresa Y. C. Ching, Earl E. Johnson, Mark Seeto, John H. Macrae

ETSU Faculty Works

Objective: To investigate the predicted threshold shift associated with the use of nonlinear hearing aids fitted to the NAL-NL2 or the DSL m[i/o] prescription for children with the same audiograms. For medium and high input levels, we asked: (1) How does predicted asymptotic threshold shifts (ATS) differ according to the choice of prescription? (2) How does predicted ATS vary with hearing level for gains prescribed by the two prescriptions? Design: A mathematical model consisting of the modified power law combined with equations for predicting temporary threshold shift (Macrae, 1994b) was used to predict ATS. Study sample: Predicted threshold shift were …

The Underlying Physiology Of Arterial Pulse Wave Morphology In Spatial Domain, Nzerem F. Egenti, Alozie H. Nkechi

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

Cardio-vascular events are among the world’s leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Most postulates suppose that culinary delights can be implicated in incidences of cardio-vascular diseases. This school of thought holds well in many respects. Much as the truistic value of the said school is acknowledged, we conceived of physiological disposition as an endogenous dominant factor in the events being considered, whereas culinary measures constitute an exogenous contributory factor. In this work we aimed at studying the effects of distance (stature) on pulse waveforms. Certain elements of our study showed that pulse wavelength was dominant in prescribing cardio-vascular physiology.

Textbook Aliteracy In Teacher Education: Information Everywhere, But How Much Do They Read?, Rosalind R. Gann, L. Kathryn Sharp, Scott Mcilquham

ETSU Faculty Works

This article explores the problem of textbook aliteracy, i.e. the failure to read assigned texts despite the ability to do so. Constructivism is its theoretical frame. Teacher education students at a medium-sized university in the Southern Appalachian Mountains were surveyed on their textbook reading practices. Ninety percent of the 116 students completing the survey reported studying instructors’ power points in preference to completing assigned readings, at least some of the time. All were readers, though a majority (68%) reported at least some difficulty reading assigned texts. Often, they appeared to be avoiding the challenges posed by demanding text. The authors …

Assessment Management System Occupational Health And Safety According To Specification Ohsas 18001 Case Study In Midland Refineries Company Session, Sabah M. Al-Najjar, Nedaa Mahdi Salih

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

The emergence of OHSAS 18001 represents one of the most modern and international response to the problems associated with the industrial and technological progress in the business environment. The relationship among safe and sound work environment, costs, productivity, and competition have forced organizations to think seriously in adopting the OHSAS standards. The objectives of OHSAS standards are: to provide a framework to control the risks, to reduce the injuries and work accidents, and to improve the work environment. Despite the international orientation towards the occupational health and safety standards, the searcher has noticed that the nationalorganizations are still far away …

Early Interventions And Student Achievement, Alana S. Hillman

Dissertations

Educating children is a costly endeavor; however, when children with special needs enter kindergarten unprepared emotionally, socially, or academically, the increased costs and support systems have to be absorbed by the schools and communities. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a significant difference between the academic achievement of students participating in Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) compared to students without ECSE services with DIAL-3 scores ranked in the 20th percentile or below. Achievement scores for second and third graders in one urban school district were utilized to compare the scores of ECSE and non-ECSE students. …

Atg Interviews Kurt Sanford, Ceo, Proquest, Katina Strauch, Tom Gilson

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

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Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of Teacher Perspectives On The Mississippi Alternative Assessment Of Extended Curriculum Framework, Greerlynn Myrtice Bezue-Tull

Dissertations

For more than a decade, federal legislation has been characterized by increasing standards of accountability for learning for all students. With the passage of No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and the reauthorization of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) of 2004, schools are now accountable for special education students, even students with severe cognitive disabilities, in every aspect of education, including increased student achievement through access to the general education curriculum. Moreover, IDEIA (2004) mandated that students with severe cognitive disabilities participate in high-stakes accountability testing through individual state-developed alternate assessment measures.

This study investigated whether …

An Examination Of Referral And Eventual Placement Of African American Students And English Language Learners In Special Education, Eneas Ruel Deveaux

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that educators in a large, suburban, public school district in the southeastern United States believe contribute to African American and English Language Learners (ELL) being referred to special education at a higher rate than traditional students by exploring the attitudes and perceptions of teachers, administrators, and psychologists using surveys. Data were analyzed to test for difference in perceptions by educator demographics (i.e., age, race, gender, experience, and educational level). The second purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of educator’s perception of referral to Response to Intervention (RTI) …

Multi-Group Invariance Of The Conceptions Of Assessment Scale Among University Faculty And Students, Melanie Anne Diloreto

Dissertations

Conceptions are contextual. In the realm of education, conceptions of various constituent groups are often shaped over a period of a number of years during which time these groups have participated in educational endeavors. Specifically, conceptions of assessment are influenced by beliefs, actions, attitudes, understandings, and past experiences. These conceptions can impact both teaching and learning, and ultimately student achievement. Based on the past work of Gavin T. L. Brown (2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, & 2011) and Fletcher, Meyer, Anderson, Johnston, and Rees (2011) concerning conceptions of assessment held by educators and students in environments with a low-stakes assessment culture, …

The Journey To Becoming-Authentic From The Voices Of Nursing Students Living With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Sheryl Lynn Allen

Dissertations

Research and literature on nursing students living with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in higher education is deficient in supporting the needs of a growing population. The aim of this study sought to uncover the essence of nursing students’ experiences through a hermeneutic phenomenological approach and promote deeper understanding of the meaning of lifeworld experiences through the lens of critical social theory (CST). CST sustains freedom from ideological restraints to allow exploration into individual experiences. The voices of student participants provide the medium for articulating meaning. An integrative approach using van Manen’s (1990) and Munhall’s (2012) methods guided this study. …

Adult Learning In A K-12 Setting; Job-Embedded Professional Development: Teacher Identity And Self-Efficacy, Deidra Maclellan Gammill

Dissertations

This two-phase sequential mixed methods study examined the relationship between professional development, whether in the form of traditional professional development, a professional learning community and/or lesson study, and teacher self-efficacy and self-directed learning in order to gain a greater understanding of the role professional development plays in teacher identity and efficacy as they relate to adult learning theory.

The qualitative case study method was used to interview 22 teachers, half of whom participated in a professional learning community known as lesson study. The interview data indicated that collaboration was simply one of the variables that influenced teacher efficacy and identity. …

Group Empowerment Capacity And Capability In Schools Of Nursing, Mary Louanne Friend

Dissertations

Nursing education is experiencing rapid changes as nurses are expected to transform and lead health care delivery within the United States. The ability to produce graduates who can promote a culture of safety, and provide patient centered care in collaboration with others will require nursing administrators and faculty who are empowered and able to achieve goals. The Sieloff Theory of Group Empowerment within Organizations (Sieloff & Bularzik, 2011) provided the theoretical basis for this exploratory correlational study examining group empowerment capacity and empowerment in administrators and faculty within the United States. Empowerment was conceptualized as the ability of the group …

A Study Of Federal Academic Earmarks And Research Funding In Relation To The Institutional Research Culture Of Research University/High (Ru/H) Institutions In Mississippi, James Hubert Young Iii

Dissertations

Nationally, reductions in public funding for higher education, a stagnate economy, looming sequestration, and a divisive political culture present a complex and challenging dynamic for research universities in pursuit of external funding for their research programs and infrastructure needs. These universities and their research initiatives have relied on significant federal investment in research and development as a source of competitive research funding for more than half a century.

Over the last thirty years, congressionally directed funding for research, referred to in the study presented here and throughout the literature as academic earmarks, emerged as an alternative means to achieve research …

The Challenges Of Inclusion: Perceptions Of Superintendents, Principals, And Teachers In Mississippi Alternative Schools, Gary Lynn Tune

Dissertations

Alternative schools serve a population of students who have come in conflict with the codes of conduct of their home school district. Students with disabilities are subject to the same codes of conduct and occasionally are referred to alternative schools. These referrals constitute a change in placement mandating alternative schools to provide academic and educational services and supports commensurate to the home school. This includes educating students with disabilities in regular classes. This research sought to ascertain perceptions of superintendents, alternative school principals, and regular and special education teachers regarding how well alternative schools in Mississippi meet the challenges of …

Endocannabinoid-Dependent Long-Term Depression Of Ventral Tegmental Area Gaba Neurons, Jared Mark Weed

Theses and Dissertations

GABA neurons in the ventral tegmental area of the midbrain are important components in the brain's reward circuit. Long term changes in this circuit occur through the process of synaptic plasticity. It has been shown that high frequency stimulation, as well as treatment with endocannabinoids, can cause GABA neurons in the ventral tegmental area to undergo long term depression, a form of synaptic plasticity that decreases excitability of cells. The present study elaborates on the mechanism whereby high frequency stimulation can result in long term depression of ventral tegmental area GABA neurons. Using the whole cell patch clamp technique in …

Defining Critical Thinking For The 21st Century World Language Classroom, Bethany Rae Daniel

Theses and Dissertations

Critical thinking has long been recognized as a valuable skill, both in education in general and within the world language teaching field specifically. In recent years, critical thinking has been identified as one of the 21st century skills that students need to succeed in modern society (Partnership, 2009). However, there is no clear, unifying definition of the term itself (Paul, 2004), and the definition of critical thinking is debated in many different fields without support from empirical data (Kuhn, 1999). Similarly, critical thinking has been often discussed in the literature as having great potential to facilitate language learning, and particularly …

Panorama December 2013, Southern Adventist University

Panorama Parent Newsletter

This issue of the Panorama parent newsletter provides advice for maintaining a spiritual life in college, announces the planning of the Sabbath Trail, contains a profile on Chaplain Brennon Kirstein, and highlights the Renewal and AfterGlow services.

From Privacy To Publicity: The Tort Of Appropriation In The Age Of Mass Consumption, Samantha Barbas

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Water Fat Separation With Multiple-Acquisition Balanced Steady-State Free Precession Mri, Michael A. Mendoza

Theses and Dissertations

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an important medical imaging technique for visualizing soft tissue structures in the body. It has the advantages of being noninvasive and, unlike x-ray, does not rely on ionizing radiation for imaging. In traditional hydrogen-based MRI, the strongest measured signals are generated from the hydrogen nuclei contained in water and fat molecules.Reliable and uniform water fat separation can be used to improve medical diagnosis. In many applications the water component is the primary signal of interest, while the fat component represents a signal which can obscure the underlying pathology or other features of interest. In other …

Editorial, R Manchanda

Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy

No abstract provided.