Digital Commons Network^™

Correcting For Measurement Error In Latent Variables Used As Predictors, Lynne Steuerle Schofield

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Works

This paper represents a methodological-substantive synergy. A new model, the Mixed Effects Structural Equations (MESE) model which combines structural equations modeling and item response theory, is introduced to attend to measurement error bias when using several latent variables as predictors in generalized linear models. The paper investigates racial and gender disparities in STEM retention in higher education. Using the MESE model with 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth data, I find prior mathematics proficiency and personality have been previously underestimated in the STEM retention literature. Pre-college mathematics proficiency and personality explain large portions of the racial and gender gaps. The …

Letting Go: Ncaa Reform As An Alternative To The Unionization Of College Athletes, Kevin Demaio

Seton Hall Law Review

No abstract provided.

Public Trust Doctrine Implications Of Electricity Production, Lance Noel, Jeremy Firestone

Michigan Journal of Environmental & Administrative Law

The public trust doctrine is a powerful legal tool in property law that requires the sovereign, as a trustee, to protect and manage natural resources. Historically, the public trust doctrine has been used in relationship to navigable waterways and wildlife management. Despite electricity production’s impact on those two areas and the comparatively smaller impacts of renewable energy, electricity production has garnered very little public trust doctrine attention. This Article examines how electricity production implicates the public trust doctrine, primarily through the lens of four states—California, Wisconsin, Hawaii, and New Jersey—and how it would potentially apply to each state’s electricity planning …

Gender Inequity In The Representation Of Women As Superintendents In Mississippi Public Schools: The "No Problem Problem", Deidre Joy Seale Smith

Dissertations

This qualitative study investigated the phenomenon of continuing underrepresentation of female superintendents in Mississippi K-12 public schools. The study was conducted during the 2014-2015 school year. At the time of the study, women represented 23% of the overall population of superintendents in Mississippi public schools. Fourteen women who were serving as superintendents in Mississippi during the 2014-2015 school year participated. Interviews were conducted, and the qualitative data were analyzed using the constant comparative method. The data were analyzed using constructs associated with feminist theory, feminist postsructural and feminist standpoint theoretical frameworks. Two primary themes emerged as a result of this …

Investigating The Impact Of Reflexive Practices On College Students In A Science Laboratory Course, Chandrani Mishra

Dissertations

Emphasis on professional practices to develop students’ professionalism is currently a major focus of higher education. Studies have shown the benefits of reflexive practices in classroom to facilitate the development of students’ professional attitude or identity in some fields. Reflexive practices involve students in self-reflection where he/she reflects on his/her own actions. Little investigation about the benefits of reflexive practices in the development of students’ scientific identity in a science class led to my investigation. Development of a scientific identity of students and their overall interest and motivation in science is deemed essential for retaining students in STEM fields.

My …

Academic Support Staff As Servant Leaders And The Relationship To Student Satisfaction, Joan M. Arrington

Dissertations

This study examined servant leadership practiced by academic support staff of academic departments within four-year, post-secondary institutions. These support staff include employees within academic departments such as secretaries, administrative assistants, and coordinators that do not have managerial responsibilities and are not instructional faculty. The target population for this study was all full-time and part-time students, both undergraduate and graduate, eighteen years of age or older, and enrolled at post-secondary four-year higher education institutions in Mississippi. Results based on the data collected suggested a majority of academic support staff rated at four of the seven institutions exhibited the characteristics of servant …

Associations Between Hereditary Breast Cancer Susceptibility Gene Alterations And Aggressive Tumor Phenotype In Women Diagnosed With Breast Cancer, Sourat Darabi

All Dissertations

The first chapter of this dissertation serves as an overview of the background and significance of this study, the associations between hereditary breast cancer susceptibility gene alterations (GA) and aggressive tumor phenotypes in women with breast cancer. The body of work in all chapters focuses on the topics of breast cancer genomics, inflammatory breast cancer, the application of Protection Motivation Theory to guide prevention strategies for women with breast cancer diagnosis and positive genetic alteration, and the associations between hereditary breast cancer susceptibility GAs and aggressive tumor phenotype. The second chapter is a review of literature to discuss breast cancer …

Nurses’ Perceptions Of Best Practices To Assess Pediatric Patients And Educate Their Families Experiencing Effects Of Cancer Chemotherapy: “Chemo Brain” A Pilot Study, Jennifer A. Tapping

Senior Theses

With more advanced and more aggressive chemotherapy cancer treatment leading to higher survival rates, complications with quality of life are becoming more prominent. Of these complications, delayed cognitive processing, commonly known as “chemo brain,” is becoming a topic of interest. Cognitive changes are some of the most common as well as the most challenging complications associated with central nervous system (CNS) directed treatment, such as chemotherapy. The term “chemo brain” is often used to describe self-reported or observed cognitive processing delays in patients who receive chemotherapy as a form of cancer treatment (Raffa, 2009). Although these cognitive delays have the …

Bed Rest And Its Continued Use In Women With High-Risk Pregnancy: A Review Of Literature, Irene De Los Reyes

Senior Theses

Bed rest is defined as confinement to bed and restriction of activity. In the clinical setting bed rest includes strict bed rest, strict bed rest in Trendelenburg position, bed rest with bathroom privileges, and up ad lib (Irion, Irion, Lewis & Giglio, 2012). Bed rest has been the standard treatment for over the past 30 years in preventing preterm birth and complications arising from high-risk pregnancy despite the lack of evidence to support its safety and effectiveness for the mother and fetus (Maloni, 2010). The purpose of this literature review and critique is to provide information about the adverse physiologic …

Hollywood & Media Portrayals Of Veterans Who Suffer From Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Francesca C. Katafias

Senior Theses

According to the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs: National Center for PTSD, it’s recorded that, “approximately 11-20 out of every 100 Veterans (or between 11-20%) who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom have PTSD in a given year”. In my research study, my focus is to better understand Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, how prevalent it is in military veterans, and how the media (Hollywood) projects our veterans to be to the public. There are three important questions I have put together to further explore my topic without losing direction on my prime focus. The three questions I …

Post Operative Fungal Endopthalmitis Due To Geotrichum Candidum, Thein Myint, Matthew J. Dykhuizen, Carolyn H. Mcdonald, Julie A. Ribes

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

Geotrichum species have been rarely reported as the cause of sepsis, disseminated infection in immunosuppressed patients. The patient we describe developed indolent endophthalmitis four months after her routine right eye cataract surgery. The intraoperative sample from right vitreous fluid grew Geotrichum candidum. The patient underwent vitrectomy, artificial lens explantation and intravitreal injection of amphotericin B followed by oral voriconazole. Despite these interventions, she underwent enucleation. This is the first published case of Geotrichum candidum endophthalmitis.

The United Methodist Church And The Willingness To Embrace Change: Attracting Members Of The Emerging Generation And A Return To Vitality, Jody Glenn Ray

Doctor of Ministry

Christian culture within the United States has been experiencing phenomenal change related to shifts in the larger U.S. culture, as well as shifts taking place in the Church. As such, five sets of research questions were presented in this phenomenological study. These consisted of - What is the current state of the Church? Is the Church divided doctrinally, theologically, and in areas regarding polity? If so, what is causing this division? What are the primary causes of the decline in membership currently being experienced by the United Methodist Church? What are the greatest challenges facing the Church? What are the …

Financng Government Programmes During Economic Downturn: Policy Options, E.M. Abolo

Economic and Financial Review

The author discussed various policy options that can be adopted to finance government programmes during economic downturn. He explained in details the concept as it affects the economic growth and development.

Governments' Options For Financing The Sustainable Development Goals (Sdgs) In A Period Of Economic Downturn, Robert C. Asogwa

Economic and Financial Review

The paper reviews the strategies for strengthening the existing sources of traditional finance in Nigeria and also, introduces new sources of innovative finance that will be suitable for funding government development programmes, as well as, the SDGs Agenda 2030. Furthermore, the possible role of the central bank vis a-vis the government fiscal authorities in the management of some sophisticated financial instruments which is increasingly gaining momentum as part of innovative development finance is discussed.

Ipulse: December 2015, Lynn University

Student Newspapers

Issues:

• December 2, 2015
• December 7, 2015
• December 11, 2015
• December 16, 2015

Marketizing Social Change: Social Shareholder Activism And Responsible Investing, Leslie King, Elisabeth Gish

Sociology: Faculty Publications

This article examines social shareholder advocacy and socially responsible investing (SRI) to better understand the marketization of activism and the intersection of business and social justice. We use archival, interview, and participant observation data to explore how social shareholder activism has increasingly come to be practiced for profit. We show how the movement's history in social justice activism of the 1960s and 1970s continues to shape the practice today, even while it is increasingly commodified, marketized, and shaped by the ideals and practices of business and finance. Shareholder activists and other SRI advocates have created a new market and a …

Treatment Of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia And Ventilator-Associated Tracheobronchitis In The Intensive Care Unit: A National Survey Of Clinicians And Pharmacists In Saudi Arabia, Awad Al-Omari, Masood Mohammed, Waleed Alhazzani, Hasan M. Al-Dorzi, Mohammed S. Belal, Ali O. Albshabshe, Maha F. Al-Subaie, Yaseen M. Arabi

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To assess current practices of different healthcare providers for treating extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Acinetobacter baumannii (AB) infections in tertiary-care centers in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed in tertiary-care centers of Saudi Arabia between March and June 2014. A questionnaire consisting of 3 parts (respondent characteristics; case scenarios on ventilator-associated pneumonia [VAP] and tracheobronchitis [VAT], and antibiotic choices in each scenario) was developed and sent electronically to participants in 34 centers across Saudi Arabia. Results: One-hundred and eighty-three respondents completed the survey. Most of the respondents (54.6%) preferred to use colistin-based combination therapy to treat VAP caused …

Spontaneous Achilles Tendon Rupture In Alkaptonuria, Omar A. Alajoulin, Mohammed S. Alsbou, Somayya O. Ja’Afreh, Heba M. Kalbouneh

Saudi Medical Journal

Alkaptonuria (AKU) is a rare inborn metabolic disease characterized by accumulation of homogentisic acid (HGA). Excretion of HGA in urine causes darkening of urine and its deposition in connective tissues causes dark pigmentation (ochronosis), early degeneration of articular cartilage, weakening of the tendons, and subsequent rupture. In this case report, we present a rare case of a patient presented with unilateral spontaneous rupture of Achilles tendon due to AKU. The patient developed most of the orthopedic manifestations of the disease earlier than typical presentations. Alkaptonuria patients should avoid strenuous exercises and foot straining especially in patients developing early orthopedic manifestations.

Platelet Changes In Healthy Male Smokers: Scientific Views, Nik Kosai, Reynu Rajan, Srijit Das

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Hero, Savage, Or Equal? Representations Of The Moral Personhood Of Pacific Islanders In Hollywood Movies, David Lipset

Pacific Studies

This essay explores the theme of moral agency in cinematic representations of Pacific Islanders. Drawing on anthropological theories, the essay argues that moral personhood is a socially conferred status. Hollywood films often strip Pacific Islanders of moral agency, portraying them as passive or incapable of ethical discernment, while reserving such agency for Western characters. This cinematic imbalance is framed as a form of cultural dispossession and colonial narrative control. The essay thus critiques the broader implications of how moral accountability and personhood are distributed across cultural lines in film.

Vol. 38 No. 3 (2015): Pacific Studies Full Issue, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies

Pacific Studies

Pacific Studies is published two times a year by The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies, Brigham Young University Hawai‘i #1979, 55–220 Kulanui Street, Lāʻie, Hawai‘i 96762, but responsibility for opinions expressed in the articles rests with the authors alone. Subscription rate is US$40.00 yearly, payable to The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies. The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies (formerly The Pacific Institute) is an organization funded by Brigham Young University Hawai‘i. The Center assists the University in meeting its cultural and educational goals by undertaking a program of teaching, research, and …

Fiji’S Electoral Strategies: A Comparative Perspective, Sanjay Ramesh

Pacific Studies

This article analyzes Fiji’s electoral projects by comparing Fiji’s electoral experiences with those of South Africa, Namibia, Guyana, and Suriname. I argue that Fiji’s electoral project of the 1990s was fraught with difficulty because it failed to reconcile competing communal and reformist positions within the democratic framework established by the 1997 Fiji Constitution. As a result, the electoral project of the 1990s failed, resulting in further coups in 2000 and 2006, with the political designers reframing the political agenda and adopting a proportional system of governance to promote national identity and interethnic collaboration following the 2006 coup. However, I contend …

Sickeningly Sweet: Analysis And Solutions For The Adverse Dietary Consequences Of European Agricultural Law, Emile K. Aguirre

Journal of Food Law & Policy

Sixty-nine percent of adults in the United States, sixty-four percent in the United Kingdom, and over one-third worldwide are overweight or obese. These staggering figures continue to grow, with accompanying emotional, physical, and economic consequences, both for individuals and society as a whole. The role law plays in facilitating this global trend is significant, and yet puzzlingly, little recognized or understood The current food system is profoundly structurally flawed: it establishes unhealthy dietary behaviors as the default option for consumers. This Article is the first to examine how agricultural law has facilitated these unhealthier diets for the past fifty years, …

Chew On This: Learning From Colorado's Edible Marijuana Market, Christina Cole

Journal of Food Law & Policy

Arguably, not since the repeal of Prohibition has there been a scenario in which a change in public opinion resulted in the legalization of a previously unlawful product, in this instance marijuana, resulting in a significant positive economic impact, as well as a financial windfall for governmental entities. On the surface, it may seem like a win-win situation, but, in reality, for an unsuspecting, uninformed consumer, like the nineteen-year-old student from Wyoming and the New York Times columnist, it could become a no-win situation.

Journal Of Food Law & Policy - Fall 2015, Journal Editors

Journal of Food Law & Policy

No abstract provided.

Man's Best Friend? Fda Adopts New Rule In Wake Of Pet Deaths, But Will It Have A Significant Impact On The Pet Food Industry?, Amanda Paige Marcum

Journal of Food Law & Policy

Eight years after the largest pet food recall in U.S. history,' pet owners are still grappling with mysterious pet illnesses and deaths associated with commercial pet food. This comment discusses a number of issues related to the Food Safety Modernization Act ("FSMA") . First, it looks at a brief history of pet food industry regulation. Second, it examines the mystery of pet deaths related to jerky treats made in China. Third, it discusses recent developments in the law in response to those pet deaths. Fourth, it considers the implications of the rule and how it will affect the standards applicable …

Mediating The Gm Foods Debate: Lessons From The Enduring Conflict Framework, Lisa F. Clark, Michaela J. Keet, Camille D. Ryan

Journal of Food Law & Policy

Critics of the commercialization of Genetically Modified (GM) foods in Canada and the United States oppose the economic and political forces that create and approve the technology: the industry that develops it and the governments that approve its use. The conventional narrative pits the concerned public, labeled "anti-GM," against the "pro-GM" interests of industry supported by business-friendly governments. Based on this binary view of the interests and motivations of stakeholders, conflict between government and industry appears minimal and regulatory frameworks for genetically engineered crops look as though they are primarily designed to facilitate those technologies. This paper refocuses the current …

Results Of The 2015 Immunization Status Survey Of 24-Month-Old Children In Tennessee, Tennessee. Department Of Health.

Immunization Rates

No abstract provided.

Anesthesia Implications Of Pediatric Obesity, Jency Jacob

Theses and Dissertations

Title: Anesthesia implications of pediatric obesity

Background: Pediatric obesity is becoming an epidemic nationally and internationally. It poses several challenges to anesthesia providers because of the comorbidities associated with it. Anesthesia challenges posed by a 3-year-old obese patient led this author to do an independent study on pediatric obesity and anesthesia management.

Purpose: The purpose of this independent study is to review the current literature, epidemiology, comorbidities and practice recommendation regarding the anesthetic management of pediatric obese patients.

Process: A comprehensive literature review was conducted utilizing the University of North Dakota's Harley. E. French library web~i.te. …

Mis-Institutionalization: Accounting Information Systems (Ais) And Decision Making In Higher Education, Cory Allen Campbell

Student Scholarship

The state of higher education is moving from a slow rate of change to a faster rate of change because external expectations are rising. External forces are influencing sources of funding that impact both public and private schools and schools need to react. As institutions of higher learning adapt to change in the external environment, schools must adopt more efficient ways to use information to make strategic decisions. Schools recognize the need to create better use of data and are striving to achieve that, but this study demonstrates that the degree of decentralization prevalent in institutions of higher learning hinders …