Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Urbanicity On Student Engagement At Small, Residential, Liberal Arts Colleges, Todd Clark

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

This study analyzed the impact of urbanicity on student engagement at small, residential, liberal arts colleges. Data from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) were analyzed from 29 schools (14 rural and 15 urban) using five scalets developed by Pike (2006) and six demographic variables from the NSSE survey. This analysis determined how urbanicity impacts student engagement and which group of students is particularly affected from among the demographics studied. The effects of urbanicity were measured in three ways: aggregate student data, school level data, and within-school data. These analyses showed that urbanicity does significantly impact student engagement, though …

Hermiston School District Enrolment Forecasts 2014-15 To 2023-24, Portland State University. Population Research Center, Charles Rynerson, Vivian Siu

School District Enrollment Forecast Reports

This report presents the results of a demographic study conducted by the Portland State University Population Research Center. The study includes analyses of population, housing and enrollment trends affecting the Hermiston School District (HSD) in recent years, and forecasts of district‐wide enrollment by grade level for the 2014‐15 to 2023‐24 school years.

Refugee Health In Montgomery County: A Retrospective Descriptive Study Of Refugee Health Screening Results From April 2007 - April 2008, Marjan Lyons

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Introduction: The top refugee health concerns characteristically are associated with parasitic infections, infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, and parasites, as well as nutritional deficiencies such as anemia, and malnourishment. Understanding the specific health needs of the refugee population will not only improve the transition of the refugees within the United States healthcare systems, but also improve public health within the community.

Methods: Health records from Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery Country were used to obtain the prevalence of both acute and chronic health conditions within the newly resettled refugee population. There were a total of 193 refugees included …

To Get Or Not To Get The Kaust Library E-Resources Acquisition Experience, Rindra M. Ramli, Ola A. Kabli

Proceedings of the IATUL Conferences

In the challenging times of budget cuts and reviews, libraries are faced with issues such as justifying acquisition, negotiating deals and reviewing current subscriptions (pertaining to electronic resources) among others. With the rapid growth of electronic resources, libraries have to continuously assess their acquisition models and policies to constantly ensure that they are balancing their budget and users’ needs as well. This paper highlights the role played by Technical and Digital Services (TADS) section of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) library (Saudi Arabia) in acquiring the electronic resources (electronic books, electronic journals, databases, image and reference) for …

How Hackers Think: Understanding The Mental Models And Cognitive Patterns Of High-Tech Wizards, Timothy C. Summers

Student Scholarship

Hackers seek out weaknesses in computers and networks that can be used to steal data or impact the functionality of the Internet. In the general sense, a hacker is a technologist with a love for computers and a "hack" is an inventive solution executed through non-obvious means. Hackers speak the language of code which propels the evolution of our information technology. This makes hackers the solvers of our largest, most complex issues facing technological systems. In consequence, they are experts at solving poorly understood and challenging technical problems in a variety of settings requiring deep understanding of technical detail and …

Lessons From The Dolphins/Richie Incognito Saga, Kerri Lynn Stone

Nevada Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Ethnicity, Perceptions Of Family Environment, And Schizophrenia Symptoms, Kayla Krystal Gurak

Open Access Theses

The family environment is an influential psychosocial factor that can either play a detrimental or a protective role in patient symptom severity. While previous studies have tended to examine family environmental constructs separately, the current study comprehensively examined both risk and protective factors of the family environment in a large, ethnically diverse sample of 221 patients with schizophrenia. Building upon prior research, we hypothesized that family environments characterized by high levels of expressed emotion, criticism, low warmth, and low family cohesion would predict greater symptom severity for the overall sample. We also assessed whether ethnicity moderated the hypothesized relationships between …

Middle School Transition: Faculty And Parent Perceptions Of The Academic, Procedural, And Social Changes That Occur Between Elementary And Middle School, Barbara Mckeon

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of parents and faculty regarding the transition from a private special education school to the middle school environment. Research was conducted using a mixed methods design to investigate the attitudes and perceptions of those directly involved with the transition process. Seventeen participants, nine parents and eight faculty participated in both the interviews and questionnaire processes. Social competence, academic competence, procedural challenges, maturational readiness and program planning were dominant themes in this study. The study examined the academic, procedural and social changes that occur in middle school from the stage-environment fit …

Correlates Of Maternal Mortality: A Cross-National Examination, Amanda Blasingame

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Maternal mortality is an important issue that has persisted around the world; specifically in developing countries. According to the World Health Organization (2012), about 800 women die from pregnancy or childbirth related complications around the world every day with 99 percent of maternal deaths occurring in developing countries. Previous research has linked a number of other social factors to increased rates of maternal mortality including education, socioeconomic status, access to health care, autonomy, and cultural beliefs. This secondary qualitative research study looks further into rates of maternal mortality in a selection of thirty different countries and what other factors may …

Parallel Sessions (Advertising): Growth Of Business Schools On Social Media: A Comparative Analysis With Focus On Iba Karachi A Case Study, Erum Hafeez

International Conference on Marketing

When the Institute of Business Administration Karachi established a presence on various social media platforms in 2009, its audience and followers grew dramatically. Face book, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn all proved to be useful tools to disseminate information for its target audience including prospective and current students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents and industry. By 2012, however, social media activity became somewhat stagnant, as it was observed that content on various interfaces, although informative, lacked engagement and interaction with the audience. After several months of close monitoring, a number of issues were identified; for example, content only consisted of program and …

The Role Of Youth Arts: Providing Opportunity And Intervention For At-Risk Populations, Tania M. Mccamy

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Role of Youth Arts: Providing Opportunity and Intervention for At-Risk Populations considers the positive outcomes of arts experiences during childhood and adolescence. The benefits of arts education include cognitive, social, and emotional growth. The arts are also seen to improve student learning, achievement, and engagement on many levels. Childhood arts participation directly affects adult arts engagement in which individuals gain the cultural capital that allows for social ascent. As well as being a means for opportunity, art can be used as a means of intervention for at-risk youth populations. Through art, children and teens find meaning, belonging, and success …

David Douglas School District Enrollment Forecasts 2014-15 To 2033-34, Portland State University. Population Research Center, Charles Rynerson, Kevin Christopher Rancik, Ryan Dann

School District Enrollment Forecast Reports

This report presents the results of a demographic study conducted by the Portland State University Population Research Center (PRC) for the David Douglas School District (DDSD). The study includes analysis of population, housing and enrollment trends affecting the District in recent years, estimates of the impacts of housing development on DDSD enrollment, and forecasts of district‐wide and individual school enrollments for the 2014‐15 to 2033‐34 school years.

Lgbt Parents On American Television, Heather Kahn

Honors Theses

Television is an ever changing medium used in mass communication, and people often rely on this medium for knowledge about different subjects. This study demonstrates how television depictions of marginalized groups can change over time. Focusing specifically on a subset of the LGBT community – parents – this study documents the evolution of LGBT parents on American television. A total of 14 television shows were selected for a qualitative analysis. The parents depicted in these shows were analyzed according to gender, race, class and sexuality. The results were then summarized and put into historical context. This study contributes to the …

Is ‘How’M I Doin’?’ A Universal Question? Unpackaging Cultural Differences In Feedback Seeking, Rana Gaby Moukarzel

Theses and Dissertations

The feedback literature is based on the premise that given a favorable context and a drive to reduce uncertainties, all individuals should seek self-relevant performance information. However, this framework has only been empirically examined using Western samples and has failed to consider the influence of the broader context, with the exclusion of Sully de Luque and Sommer’s (2000) cultural framework. The purpose of this project was to integrate extant culture theory into the feedback seeking literature for a more comprehensive framework, and a more global understanding of cultural contingencies surrounding the feedback seeking process. Findings revealed the universality of feedback …

Merging Educational Technology Into Routine Care For Patients Living With Fibromyalgia, Toni Sparks

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Fibromyalgia is a complex and challenging disorder of unknown etiology; however the management of patients with fibromyalgia is becoming facilitated more often by Advance Practice Registered Nurses (APRN). Unfortunately, the lack of clarity in diagnosis, variances in practice guidelines, time constraints and the resources required for APRNs to adequately manage fibromyalgia can be extensive. The evidence supporting nonpharmacological strategies is strong; yet implementation of these strategies into routine care has not been sufficient.

Substantial research in the past five years has resulted in new diagnostic criteria intended to simplify the fibromyalgia diagnosis. Moreover, new clinical practice guidelines stress the importance …

The Use Of Joint Mobilization On Mechanical Instability Deficits For A Lateral Ankle Sprain: A Systematic Review, Kathleen M. Kerecman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Context: The use of manual therapy in the athletic training setting is becoming more common place. While there is information on joint mobilizations, there are few systematic reviews that examine the use of joint mobilizations on mechanical deficits in chronic ankle instability and lateral ankle sprain. Objective: To understand the benefits of joint mobilization in the lateral ankle sprain (chronic and acute) and determine common parameters/techniques used in practice. Data Sources: Pub Med (1950-2013), CINAHL with full text (1982-2013), MEDLINE (1950-2013), SPORTDiscus with full text (1800- 2013), Science Direct(1950-2013), Google Scholar (1950-2013), and PEDro (1929-2013) were searched using the terms …

Accessible Self-Service: A Driver For Innovation In Service Design, Jenny S. Darzentas, John Darzentas

ServDes Conference Series

Increasingly; services are being delivered via self-services technologies; where customers interact with technology; rather than the service provider. If the technology is not accessible; these self-services are unusable. Frustration and dissatisfaction make vulnerable customers abandon tasks or refuse to use these services. This paper takes the view that such cases should not be regarded as unfortunate or irrecoverable situations; but as opportunities for inspiring new types of services; including hybrid ‘technology/person based’ ones. Such thinking moves beyond user interface and ergonomic design approaches for designing self-service technologies; to designing ‘smarter services’; supporting customers in their use of self-service technologies; as …

Greenhouse Gas Emissions And Climate Policy In Florida's State And Local Governments (2000 To 2010), Sandra Jo Garren

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to assess the current state of climate policy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission trends in the state Florida and its local governments. The research is guided by three research questions 1) What has been the policy response from state and local governments to the threat of climate change; 2) What were the GHG emission trends from 2000 to 2010 in Florida and its local governments and what were the drivers of change?; and, 3) what were the issues related to the data and methodologies to quantify GHG emissions at the local government level? Policymakers …

The Nfl’S Highly And Lowly Identified Fans: Who Are They?, Daniel Cusato

Sport Management Undergraduate

While there is a plethora of literature on fan identification, specifically high or lowly identified fans, there is no literature on who these highly and lowly identified fans actually are. The goal of this research paper is to fill the void in that section of NFL fan literature and discover what demographics of fans are the most highly and lowly identified. In order to find out who is a highly or lowly identified fan, a survey must be administered that will effectively test the characteristics of each participant. This will make the respondents classifiable as either a highly or lowly …

Harnessing Complexity: Analysis Methodology And Ethical Framework To Facilitate Utilization Of Video Data In Evaluations, Kurt A. Wilson

Dissertations

Most evaluations in the nonprofit and international development sectors are conducted in contexts of complexity; the specific intervention being evaluated is but one of many interrelated factors influencing the desired outcome. Video data, especially when directly generated by program participants, can provide both exceptionally rich qualitative data as well as contextually-relevant feedback within complex systems. Despite these unique strengths and opportunities, video data is underutilized in the field of evaluation. This dissertation addresses specific barriers associated with video data through three inter-related papers: Papers one and two (Chapters II and III) present the findings from two interrelated studies of an …

Gender: Shaping Personality, Lives And Health Of Women In Pakistan, Narjis Rizvi, Kausar S. Khan, Babar T. Shaikh

Community Health Sciences

Background: Gender norms determine the status of Pakistani women that influence their life including health. In Pakistan, the relationship between gender norms and health of women is crucial yet complex demanding further analysis. This paper: determines the reasons for reiteration of gender roles; describes the societal processes and mechanisms that reproduce and reinforce them; and identifies their repercussions on women's personality, lives and health especially reproductive health.
Methods: As part of a six-country study titled 'Women's Empowerment in Muslim Contexts', semi-structured group discussions (n = 30) were conducted with women (n = 250) who were selected through snowballing from different …

Gender: Shaping Personality, Lives And Health Of Women In Pakistan, Narjis Rizvi, Kausar S. Khan, Babar T. Shaikh

Community Health Sciences

Background: Gender norms determine the status of Pakistani women that influence their life including health. In Pakistan, the relationship between gender norms and health of women is crucial yet complex demanding further analysis. This paper: determines the reasons for reiteration of gender roles; describes the societal processes and mechanisms that reproduce and reinforce them; and identifies their repercussions on women's personality, lives and health especially reproductive health.
Methods: As part of a six-country study titled 'Women's Empowerment in Muslim Contexts', semi-structured group discussions (n = 30) were conducted with women (n = 250) who were selected through snowballing from different …

Determination Of The Ecological Condition Of Benthic Communities Affected By Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons In The Elizabeth River, Chesapeake Bay, Usa, Adam M. Webb

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River, a tributary of Chesapeake Bay, has historically been polluted with hydrocarbon based industrial by-products. My study compared benthic community condition from two locations in the Southern Branch: the subtidal region near Money Point, historically affected by pollution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), to a subtidal region near Blows Creek on the opposite shore that is putatively designated as unimpacted by P AH contamination. Samples from both study sites in the Southern Branch were compared to the benthic community condition of samples from the same habitat type designations collected as part of the Chesapeake …

The Effects Of Active Shooter Resilience Training Programs On College Students' Perceptions Of Personal Safety, George Snyder

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The effects of active shooter resilience training programs on university students' perceptions of personal safety should be understood through evidenced-based research. A quasi-experimental post-test only control-group design study was conducted to assess this potentially lifesaving educational activity. A convenience sample of 136 randomly assigned undergraduate students at a large private university participated in the study. One group completed a U.S. Department of Homeland Security active shooter resilience training program, a second group completed a private active shooter resilience training program, a third group completed both training programs, and a fourth control group received no training before the assessment. The Student …

18th Street Corridor Study Report, Lauren Heberle, C. Norton, W. Bland-Tunstul, A. Smith, R. Fenwick

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

In October 2011, the U.S. Environment Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) awarded Louisville Metro Department of Economic Growth and Innovation (LMEGI) two Brownfield Assessment Grants for hazardous substances and petroleum. As part of these grants, LMEGI partnered with the University of Louisville Center for Environmental Policy and Management (CEPM) to collect and update existing data and obtain community input through public meetings about past and future uses of properties along the 18th Street Commercial Corridor in Louisville, KY. The boundaries of the 18th Street Commercial Corridor extend from West Broadway south to Algonquin Parkway including the two parcels to the east …

Unexpectedly Low Rangewide Population Genetic Structure Of The Imperiled Eastern Box Turtle Terrapene C. Carolina., Steven J.A. Kimble, O.E. Rhodes Jr., Rod N. Williams

Department of Forestry & Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Rangewide studies of genetic parameters can elucidate patterns and processes that operate only over large geographic scales. Herein, we present a rangewide population genetic assessment of the eastern box turtle Terrapene c. carolina, a species that is in steep decline across its range. To inform conservation planning for this species, we address the hypothesis that disruptions to demographic and movement parameters associated with the decline of the eastern box turtle has resulted in distinctive genetic signatures in the form of low genetic diversity, high population structuring, and decreased gene flow. We used microsatellite genotype data from (n = 799) …

A Reference System For Animal Biometrics: Application To The Northern Leopard Frog, D. Petrovska-Delacrétaz, A. Edwards, J. Chiasson, G. Chollet, D. Pilliod

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Reference systems and public databases are available for human biometrics, but to our knowledge nothing is available for animal biometrics. This is surprising because animals are not required to give their agreement to be in a database. This paper proposes a reference system and database for the northern leopard frog (Lithobates pipiens). Both are available for reproducible experiments. Results of both open set and closed set experiments are given.

Social Adjustment In Old Age: A Research Planning Report, Otto Pollack, Glen Heathers

Sociological Practice

This article is a reprint of a planning report prepared by the Social Science Research Council in 1948. It represents one of the first earliest reports on the implications of the changing demographic structure of society in the United States.

Section: Setting The Stage: Past And Future, Sociological Practice Editors, Harold Cox, Richard Newtson, Otto Pollack, Glen Heathers, Matilda White Riley

Sociological Practice

No abstract provided.

Predicting The Organizational Response To Employee Tobacco Use: An Environmental Model, Susan Penner, Maurice Penner

Sociological Practice

The control of risk behaviors to reduce morbidity and mortality is a leading concernin public health, as is the protection of the public from hazardous exposure to tobaccosmoke and fires caused by smoking. Measures to restrict tobacco use are increasinglypopular in society and in the workplace as a result. This paper discusses cultural,economic, legal, and ethical factors in the external environment and the organization'sinstitutional and technical environment to predict organizational responses toemployee tobacco use.

Opportunities flourish to test this environmental model, as organizations ban tobaccouse or institute policies such as discrimination in hiring, cessation programs,and differential health benefits. Organizational responses …