Digital Commons Network^™

A Qualitative Study Of The Massage Therapy Foundation's Best Practices Symposium: Clarifying Definitions And Creating A Framework For Practice, Ann Blair Kennedy

Theses and Dissertations

Large numbers of individuals seek massage therapy for wellness/disease prevention purposes and research supports consumer reported benefits including physical and psychological improvements. However, challenges within the profession may be hindering the advancement of the field. To better understand the process and outcomes and ultimately develop best practices for massage therapy as well as better inform education, policy and research, it is necessary to investigate how massage and/or massage therapy are defined and operationalized in practice. This study entailed qualitative analysis of cross-sectional data using a grounded theory approach to examine the data gathered from a two-day symposium held in 2010 …

Statistical Power In Meta-Analysis, Jin Liu

Theses and Dissertations

Statistical power is important in a meta-analysis study, although few studies have examined the performance of simulated power in meta-analysis. The purpose of this study is to inform researchers about statistical power estimation on two sample mean difference test under different situations: (1) the discrepancy between the analytical power and the actual power and (2) the influence of unequal sample size and unbalanced design on the power. Results indicated that there are noticeable discrepancies between the estimated power and actual power under certain conditions. In general, unbalanced design decreases the statistical power in the meta-analysis. Recommendations are provided for researchers …

Individual- And Neighborhood-Level Determinants Of Emergency Department Utilization Among Patients With Diabetes In South Carolina, Charity B. Breneman

Theses and Dissertations

AIM: The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the geographic variation in emergency department (ED) use in South Carolina using geographical information systems (GIS) and to examine the effects of both individual- and neighborhood-level characteristics on frequent ED use among patients with diabetes. METHODS: ED discharge data for 2013 was geocoded based on patients’ residential ZIP code using GIS. Frequent ED use among patients with diabetes was defined as three or more ED visits between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2013. The boundaries for each neighborhood were defined by the U.S. Census Bureau ZIP Code Tabulation Areas …

Preparation And Characterization Of Pt-Ru Bimetallic Catalysts Using Electroless Deposition Methods And Mechanistic Study Of Re And Cs Promoters For Ag-Based, High Selectivity Ethylene Oxide Catalysts, Weijian Diao

Theses and Dissertations

Pt-Ru bimetallic catalysts are widely used for direct methanol fuel cells, biomass upgrading and hydrocarbon refining and offer unique properties compared to Pt or Ru monometallic catalysts due to ensemble effects, electronic effects, and/or bifunctional effects. To achieve better performance, strong metal-metal interactions and true bimetallic surface are needed. Electroless deposition (ED) methods are used in our laboratory to synthesize such bimetallic catalysts. In this study, two series of Ru@Pt/C (Pt deposited on Ru surfaces) and Pt@Ru/C (Ru deposited on Pt surfaces) catalysts have been synthesized. Characterization data from temperature programmed reduction (TPR), selective chemisorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and …

Metabotropic Receptor Modulation Of Kainate Receptors In The Hippocampus, C'Iana Patrice Cooper

Theses and Dissertations

Kainate receptors (KARs) are glutamate-gated ion channels that mediate synaptic transmission, modulate transmitter release, and mediate excitation in the brain. Potentiation in their function predisposes the hippocampus to hyperexcitability and seizures. These receptors are widely expressed throughout the central nervous system as tetramers composed of various combinations of GluK1-5 subunits. In the hippocampus (a brain region commonly associated with seizure initiation), GluK2-, GluK4-, and GluK5-containing receptors are highly expressed in the CA3 pyramidal cell layer, whereas GluK1 is barely detectable. The lack of pharmacological tools hinders identifying the functional contribution of each kainate receptor subtype in normal CA3 synaptic transmission. …

Support For Comprehensive Sexuality Education And Adolescent Access To Condoms And Contraceptions In South Carolina, Sarah H. Kershner

Theses and Dissertations

A statewide random-digit dialed telephone survey was administered to residents of a historically conservative southern state to 1) assess the level of support for comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) in public schools, 2) assess the support for availability to condoms and contraception as an effective strategy for reducing unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted (STIs) among adolescents and 3) assess the perceived view of reproductive health as a moral or public health issue. Survey data were obtained from 841 South Carolina residents May through June 2013. Findings from the study revealed that the majority (90%) of South Carolina residents support CSE in …

Community-Level Factors Associated With Health-Related Quality Of Life Among Older Adults, Yu-Hsiu Lin

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and well-being is a new topic area for Healthy People 2020 in the U.S. In a broad-based literature review, more research explored individual level factors of HRQOL, and few focused on older adults. Multilevel analysis was seldom adopted to investigate the relationship between area-level socioeconomic or social environment factors and HRQOL. In lieu of the traditional Chapter 4 (Results) and Chapter 5 (Conclusion), two manuscripts representing the two specific research aims are included. The main aim of first manuscript was to explore the association between area deprivation, area health resources and older adults’ HRQOL. …

Promoting Hpv Vaccination For Male Young Adults: Effects Of Social Influence, Wan Chi Leung

Theses and Dissertations

HPV vaccination is an important public health issue, but past research has mostly been done on the HPV vaccination for females. This study explores promotions of the HPV vaccination for men, focusing on how social influence plays a role in influencing young male adults’ attitudes toward the HPV vaccine. An online survey was conducted on Amazon Mechanical Turk, and responses from 656 males aged 18-26 in the United States were analyzed. Results indicated that exposure to messages were associated with perceived effects of the messages on others, which related to the perceived descriptive norm of vaccine uptake among other males. …

Improving Bedside Shift-To-Shift Nursing Report Process, Nina Herceg

Master's Projects and Capstones

The aim of the bedside shift-to-shift nursing report project is to increase patient satisfaction, improve patient safety and strengthen team work by improving the process of communication during shift change on the orthopedic unit. The goal is to put in place a standardized approach to hand-over communication between the staff at the change of shift. The project includes staff education sessions consisting of video, role playing, various print materials such as articles and a guide that includes key components of the bedside report. It will be implemented on a 48 bed orthopedic unit in a West Los Angeles hospital. Microsystem …

Survival: A Teach For America Memoir, Christopher Neal Schumerth

Theses and Dissertations

“I grab Franklin and pull him upright, standing in between him and the smaller student. I spread my arms in each direction. That second of new life gives the smaller student renewed vigor. His fists shoot around and even into me. Franklin, whose punches actually hurt, gladly obliges in kind. Suddenly, I am the main, albeit incidental, object of both children’s rage. A sharp, stabbing pencil glances off my wrist, drawing blood. I look at the two cafeteria workers, dressed in white and protected by a shield of glass and the food they are distributing. They look the other way.” …

Lanthorn, Vol. 50, No. 31, December 14, 2015, Grand Valley State University

Volume 50, July 13, 2015 - June 6, 2016

Lanthorn is Grand Valley State's student newspaper, published from 1968 to the present.

Outing Privacy, Scott Skinner-Thompson

Northwestern University Law Review

The government regularly outs information concerning people’s sexuality, gender identity, and HIV status. Notwithstanding the implications of such outings, the Supreme Court has yet to resolve whether the Constitution contains a right to informational privacy—a right to limit the government’s ability to collect and disseminate personal information.

This Article probes informational privacy theory and jurisprudence to better understand the judiciary’s reluctance to fully embrace a constitutional right to informational privacy. The Article argues that while existing scholarly theories of informational privacy encourage us to broadly imagine the right and its possibilities, often focusing on informational privacy’s ability to promote individual …

The Sustainable Development Goals: One-Health In The World’S Development Agenda, Lawrence O. Gostin, Eric A. Friedman

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by the UN General Assembly in September 2015, embody a One-Health strategy—healthy people living on a habitable planet. Extending beyond the social development emphasis of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which accelerated progress globally, though unequally, the SDGs also encompass a range of environmental and economic goals, with a health goal that is far more comprehensive than the infectious diseases and maternal/child health focus of the MDGs.

To be achieved, the SDGs require resources and political commitment that is yet to be demonstrated. With a cost that could reach $5 trillion for the SDGs …

My News

My News (2014-2020)

• Get your tickets to the GoDaddy Bowl
• Georgia Southern hosts renowned educator Dr. Steve Perry for annual MLK Celebration
• Donate your toys to 'Toys for Tots' at campus locations now through Dec. 18
• Georgia Southern faculty continue excellence in 2015
• MyNews returns in 2016, submit your news items now!
• Del McGee named Eagles Interim Coach for Bowl Game
• University Holiday Hours

Mitigation Of Disagreement In Peer Review Among L2 Learners And Native Speakers In A College Writing Class (Mitigación Del Impacto De Las Opiniones De Desacuerdo En El Proceso De Revisión Por Pares Entre Estudiantes De Una Segunda Lengua Y Hablantes Nativos En Una Clase De Escritura A Nivel Universitario), Katherine Christoffersen

Writing and Language Studies Faculty Publications

Peer review is now a commonplace practice in process-oriented writing instruction. A crucial aspect of peer review is assessing another classmate’s work, which encompasses the act of disagreement. Given its prevalence in the classroom, it is necessary to analyze how L2 learners mitigate disagreement in the context of peer review with other L2 learners and native speakers. The present paper presents a qualitative analysis of action research from an introductory English writing class at the university level including native speakers of English and international students from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. The conversation-based peer review sessions were analyzed for various …

Newsroom, Georgia Southern University

Newsroom (2006-2023)

• Georgia Southern faculty continue excellence in 2015

Custom In The Courts, Lisa Bernstein

Northwestern University Law Review

This Article presents an empirical study of the trade usage cases decided under the Uniform Commercial Code from 1970 to 2007. It then draws on the study’s findings to revisit the debate over the desirability of the trade usage component of the incorporation strategy—the interpretive approach that directs courts to look to course of dealing, course of performance, and usage of trade to interpret contracts and fill contractual gaps. Although the strategy is generally defended on the grounds that, as compared to a more formalistic adjudicative approach, it will reduce specification costs without unduly increasing interpretive error costs, the study …

Ensuring Insurance: Adequate And Appropriate Coverage For Brady Claims In Illinois, Joe Delich

Northwestern University Law Review

The increase in wrongful conviction litigation has engendered a number of new doctrinal problems. This Note examines the existing rules governing insurance coverage for wrongful-conviction-related torts, in particular, due process claims for Brady violations. It then explores the rationale for the continuous trigger doctrine in the asbestos context, and argues that wrongful conviction claims call for a similar approach due to comparable latency concerns. There is a particular focus on Illinois law due to the state’s prevalence of wrongful conviction litigation and recent shifts in the law governing insurance triggers for malicious prosecution.

Antitrust Arbitration And Merger Approval, Mark A. Lemley, Christopher R. Leslie

Northwestern University Law Review

In a string of recent opinions, the Supreme Court has made it harder for consumers to avoid arbitration clauses, even when businesses strategically insert provisions in them that effectively prevent consumers from being able to bring any claim in any forum.

Arbitration differs from litigation in ways that harm the interests of consumer antitrust plaintiffs. For example, arbitration limits discovery and has no meaningful appeals process. Furthermore, defendants use the terms in arbitration clauses to prevent class actions and to undercut the pro-plaintiff features of antitrust law, including mandatory treble damages, meaningful injunctive relief, recovery of attorneys’ fees, and a …

The Use And Misuse Of Patent Licenses, Jonathan S. Masur

Northwestern University Law Review

Patents are becoming an increasingly large business with ever greater resources devoted to litigation and enforcement. At the center of that business lie the damages that courts award at trial and the ways in which courts go about calculating those damages. Yet the legal standards meant to govern patent damages are notoriously ambiguous and unhelpful. In the face of these difficulties, courts have sought a market mechanism that would aid them in calculating patent damages. The solution they have seized upon is to use existing licenses, typically granted by the plaintiff to third parties, as evidence of the proper measure …

Under School Colors: Private University Police As State Actors Under § 1983, Leigh J. Jahnig

Northwestern University Law Review

Under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, individuals may sue those who violate their constitutional rights while acting under color of state law. The Supreme Court has held that private actors may act under color of state law, and may be sued under § 1983 in some circumstances. However, courts have not been consistent in determining whether private university police forces act under color of state law. Private universities often maintain police forces that are given extensive police powers by state statutes but are controlled by private entities. Some courts have looked directly to the state statutes that delegate police power, but …

The Value Of Uncertainty, Cathy Hwang, Benjamin P. Edwards

Northwestern University Law Review

In recent years, federal courts have heard, without clear subject matter jurisdiction, contract disputes involving billions of dollars worth of securitized financial instruments (SFIs). These SFI disputes are litigated in federal court under the federal interpleader statute, which specifies that a federal court has subject matter jurisdiction over these cases only when parties deposit the disputed amount with the court. SFI litigants have ignored this requirement, so courts have, at best, uncertain jurisdiction over these cases. Why have no parties raised the jurisdictional defect, even though some would stand to gain from raising it? This Essay advances game theoretical explanations …

Renormalization Constants Of The Lattice Energy Momentum Tensor Using The Gradient Flow, F Capponi, Debbio L Del, A Patella, A Rago

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

No abstract provided.

Finding A Place To Belong: The Role Of Social Inclusion In The Lives Of Homeless Men, Meaghan Bell, Christine A. Walsh

The Qualitative Report

This study explores the role of informal social support networks of male homeless shelter residents. Authors utilized ethnographic methods, relationality and reflexive research approaches and key informant interviews with 10 shelter residents to investigate perceptions of belonging in overcoming social exclusion and countering the stigmatization cast onto as a result of their condition of homelessness. Study findings challenge our normative conceptions of homelessness by discerning between “rooflessness” and “rootlessness” suggesting that homelessness is more than the absence of shelter, but rather denotes the absence of support and inclusion in one’s community. This research highlights a community within the shelter characterized …

The Unwrinkled Heart, Nancy Purcell

Valparaiso Fiction Review

No abstract provided.

When A Derelict Angel Speaks, Michael K. Bourdaghs

Valparaiso Fiction Review

No abstract provided.

The Crash, Teresa Milbrodt

Valparaiso Fiction Review

No abstract provided.

Income Tax Workshop For Child Care Providers: A University-Community Partnership, Trish Isaacs

PRISM: A Journal of Regional Engagement

A community agency in Southeastern Kentucky partnered with a credit union and an income tax class to address the needs of child care providers in its service region. The agency provided training and a financial literacy curriculum for constituent child care centers. With the credit union, it provided financial literacy support for families served by the child care centers. With the income tax class, it provided an income tax workshop tailored for child care providers. The tax workshop for child care providers is the focus of this article. Background information on the region is given, followed by a review of …

Predicting Volunteer Motives Among University Faculty And Staff: A Functional Approach, Richard J. Harnish, K. Robert Bridges

PRISM: A Journal of Regional Engagement

Anchor institutions tend to be non-profit organizations that are spatially immobile and are an economic engine for their communities. Because of pressures on institutions of higher education to generate new revenue, it may be more difficult for such institutions to meet the criteria or maintain their status as an anchor institution. In this article, we argue that volunteerism may be one means to strengthen partnerships in the community thereby assisting the university or college in their attempts to meet the criteria or maintain their status as an anchor institution. Volunteerism is an other-oriented prosocial behavior in which one’s self is …

The Relationship Between Enrollment In Service Learning Courses And Deep Approaches To Learning: A Campus Study, Thomas W. Hahn, Julie A. Hatcher

PRISM: A Journal of Regional Engagement

Utilizing 2012 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) data for both freshmen and senior students on a college campus, this study isolates the influence of participation in service learning courses on freshmen and senior students’ application of deep approaches to learning. Deep learning, as compared to surface learning, describes the extent to which a student engages in the learning process. Students who use deep learning strategies make more robust connections to course material by emphasizing learning activities such as integration, synthesis, and reflection. By making deeper connections, students focus on both the substance and the underlying meaning of their studies. …