Digital Commons Network^™

Empowering Early Childhood Teachers: A Community Based Participatory Research Approach, Kourtney Denise Jones

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Despite a significant increase in the demands for teachers’ professional development, the work environments of teachers have not developed at a comparable rate. Due to research on inequity in teacher work environment, the purpose of this case study was to explore the role of empowerment in the early childhood education (ECE) workforce, using Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) as a framework. This project was done with 5 educators in a for‑profit ECE center. Over the course of five weekly sessions, the educators completed questionnaires, interviews, and engaged in weekly focus groups geared towards providing the teachers with an opportunity to …

Effects Of Repeated Aripiprazole Treatment On The Camp And Akt Pathways In The Dorsal Striatum Of Preadolescent And Adult Rats, Megan Leigh Becker

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The positive symptoms of schizophrenia primarily result from an excess of high affinity D2-like receptors (i.e. D2^High receptors). First-generation antipsychotics, such as haloperidol, are D2-like antagonists that can cause severe extrapyramidal effects. Aripiprazole, a dopamine and serotonin partial agonist, has fewer side effects, making it tolerable for adults and children. Extrapyramidal effects (e.g. Parkinsonism, dystonia, and akathisia) are among the most problematic side effects produced by antipsychotic compounds, which likely result from an excess of D2-like receptors in the dorsal striatum. In order to examine the effects of repeated antipsychotic treatment on dopamine system functioning, this thesis compared the …

The Academic Library And Social Justice: A Q-Study Of Librarian Attitudes, Risa Maureen Lumley

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study took place on the campus of a Hispanic-serving institution, and used Q methodology to assess the attitudes and perceptions of academic librarians toward a social justice role for the university library. Among librarians and others in higher education, there is a great deal of confusion around social justice as a concept because over the past forty years, it has often been subsumed under, or diverted by the neoliberal discourse of multicultural education, which conflates social justice with providing equal opportunities for under-represented students primarily as a means of enabling them to obtain jobs and become consumers in our …

Military Contingencies In Megacities And Sub-Megacities, Phil Williams Dr., Werner Selle Mr.

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

Urbanization is one of the most important mega-trends of the 21st century. Consequently, the possibility of U.S. military involvement in a megacity or sub-megacity is an eventuality that cannot be ignored. After elucidating the nature of urbanization and developing a typology in terms of smart, fragile, and feral cities, we give consideration to the kinds of contingencies that the U.S. military, especially the Army, needs to think about and prepare for. Understanding the city as a complex system or organism is critical and provides the basis for changes in intelligence, recruitment, training, equipment, operations, and tactics.

One of the key …

If This Heart Had A Mouth: A Forbidden Romance Narrated Through Mimesis: Poems, Julieta V. Corpus

Theses and Dissertations

If This Heart Had a Mouth consists of forty-two poems where love is the catalyst for a multitude of emotions, ranging from falling in love, to hopelessness, to a begrudging kind of acceptance at losing the beloved to somebody else. To create all forty-two poems, 23 written in Spanish, and 19 poems written in English, I employed the literary device called Mimesis which entails deriving an original poem from someone else's work.

To create each poem, I followed another poet’s original work, line by line. I imitated that poet’s rhythm through their use of meter. I counted the number of …

Router Security Effect On Performance Of A Network, David L. Leal

Theses and Dissertations

Recently many of the devices that create a computer network offer security to help protect networks from hackers, such as computers, servers, firewalls and even routers. In most cases when protecting a network from hackers having more security is not always the best, because the more resources of the device is used by the security in inspecting connections, and it can compromise performance of the network.

This thesis investigates performance benefit of having security on a router and its impact on the connection rate of the network when it is under security attacks. In this thesis, different security features and …

False Positives On Neuropsychological Measures Of Effort Among Bilingual Neurologically Intact Mexican Americans, Arnoldo Amador Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The present study examines the performance of bilingual Mexican Americans on neuropsychological measures of effort in language and visual-perceptual formats. Optimal/suboptimal effort cutoff scores derived from monolingual English Speakers were used to test participants divided by language of administration and bilingual groupings based upon Spanish-English difference scores on the Woodcock Munoz Language Survey-Revised Picture Vocabulary subtest. Participants produced more false positives (misidentification of suboptimal effort) on the Reliable Digit Span, a language formatted measure, and similar rates of false positives on visual-perceptual effort measures: Test of Memory Malingering and the Dot Counting Test as compared to established rates using monolingual …

A Study Of The Perceptions Of Racial Equity In One Early Childhood Education Program, Dawn M. Meskil

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although public education in the United States has had remarkable growth and improvement since its beginning, significant inadequacies concerning racial equity continue to cast a shadow on the system. Despite desegregation efforts and specific attention to providing integrated school settings there has been little progress in establishing educational justice. The purpose of this case study was to uncover perceptions about racial inequity within Asheville City Schools as well as potential facilitators of equity. A qualitative case study using 10 guiding research questions was conducted to evaluate the perceptions of parents as well as educators at Asheville City Schools Preschool regarding …

Transition And Integration Experiences Of First-Year College Students: A Phenomenological Inquiry Into The Lives Of Participants In Outdoor Orientation Programs, Lynn Nester

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A qualitative phenomenological study was conducted to understand the transition and integration experiences of first-year freshmen who participated in an outdoor orientation program at 2 higher education institutions in the Southeastern United States. Student attrition from the first year to the second year and increased time to degree completion are challenges for a number of higher education institutions in the United States (Hamilton & Hamilton, 2006; Pascarella, Terenzini, & Wolfle, 1986; Tinto, 2006). First-year to second-year attrition and lack of persistence to degree completion may be due to an unsuccessful transition to college, the inability to integrate into the campus …

Restoring Relationship: How The Methodologies Of Wangari Maathai And The Green Belt Movement In Post-Colonial Kenya Achieve Environmental Healing And Women's Empowerment, Casey L. Wagner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The effects of the colonial project in Kenya created multi-faceted damages to the land and indigenous people-groups. Using the lens of ecofeminism, this study examines the undergirding structures that produce systems such as colonization that oppress and destroy land, people, and other beings. By highlighting the experience of the Kikuyu people within the Kenyan colonial program, the innovative and ingenious response of Wangari Maathai's Green Belt Movement proves to be a relevant and effective counter to women's disempowerment and environmental devastation in a post-colonial nation. The approach of the Green Belt Movement offers a unique and accessible method for empowering …

Social Identities And Meanings In Correctional Work, Caitlin C. Botelho

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on correctional officers’ values and perceptions of their workplace, the people they work with and for, and members of the general public. Although prior research has investigated correctional staff members’ feelings about their occupation, far fewer studies have implemented a comprehensive qualitative, microsociological approach. The author conducted 20 in-depth interviews with current and former correctional officers (COs) in public-supported facilities. Additional data were collected through two public Facebook pages designated for COs and citizens interested in the criminal justice system. The study offers insights about the significance of COs’ feelings about their work and how the correctional …

Reconciling The Past In Octavia Butler's Kindred, Haley V. Manis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis uses the observations of Nancy J. Peterson on historical wounds as a springboard to discuss Octavia Butler’s novel Kindred and its use of both white and black characters to reexamine the origins of the historical wounds and why they are so difficult to deal with even today. Other scholarly works will be used to further investigate the importance of each character in the story and what they mean to the wound itself. Specifically, Dana is analyzed alongside the other main characters: Rufus, Alice, and Kevin. Though Dana’s relationships with these characters, Kindred’s version of the past can be …

The Army's Identity Crisis, Gates Brown

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

Ends+Ways+Means=(Bad) Strategy, Jeffrey W. Meiser

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

Book Reviews, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

J Mich Dent Assoc Dec 2016

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Archival issues of the Journal of the Michigan Dental Association may include reports on the activities of the association and its members, clinical articles, information on legal and ethical practice considerations, and perspectives of interest to MDA members and those in the oral health profession.

Comparing Multiple Methods Of Eye Tracking For Packaging, David Bradford Cottrell

All Theses

The technology to understand consumer behavior through eye tracking is becoming more affordable and accessible. When eye tracking is applied within a retail environment, packaging can be evaluated based on the amount of attention obtained. For companies developing products or designing packages, the results of eye tracking could help estimate the likelihood a package will be selected over competitors, what design attributes attract the most attention or how shelf placement impacts sales. Using a physical retail environment with tangible stimuli allows participants to be fully immersed and follow normal shopping behaviors. However, many eye tracking studies are conducted in a …

Why Didn’T I Know? Perspectives From Adult Children Of Elderly Parents With Dementia, Debbie Conner, Julie Postma, Catherine Van Son

All Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Purpose: Approximately 27 million adults are living with undiagnosed dementia worldwide. The purpose of this study was to learn about the experiences of adult children of elderly parents who were ultimately diagnosed with dementia.

Data sources: A descriptive qualitative design was used for identifying if there were prodromal signs or symptoms that preceded the more commonly known warning signs of dementia. Twelve, 60-min interviews were conducted over the telephone.

Conclusions: The overarching theme was: “Why didn't I know?” Subthemes were “We ignored it because we didn't want it to be,” “We thought it was grief,” and “They wouldn't diagnose dementia.” …

Quantifying Parkinson's Disease Symptoms Using Mobile Devices, Charles R. Aylward

Master's Theses

Current assessments for evaluating the progression of Parkinson’s Disease are largely qualitative and based on small sets of data obtained from occasional doctor-patient interactions. There is a clinical need to improve the techniques used for mitigating common Parkinson’s Disease symptoms. Available data sets for researching the disease are minimal, hindering advancement toward understanding the underlying causes and effectiveness of treatment and therapies. Mobile devices present an opportunity to continuously monitor Parkinson’s Disease patients and collect important information regarding the severity of symptoms. The evolution of digital technology has opened doors for clinical research to extend beyond the clinic by incorporating …

Nanoindentation Techniques For The Evaluation Of Silicon Nitride Thin Films, Weston T. Mangin

Master's Theses

Silicon nitride thin films are of interest in the biomedical engineering field due to their biocompatibility and favorable tribological properties. Evaluation and understanding of the properties of these films under diverse loading and failure conditions is a necessary prerequisite to their use in biomedical devices. Three wafers of silicon nitride-coated silicon were obtained from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and used to create 96 samples. Samples were subjected to nanoindentation testing to evaluate the mechanical properties of the film. Samples were subjected to nanoimpact testing to compare the damage resistance of the film to separate nanoimpact types. Samples were subjected to …

The Importance Of The Multicomponent Display In Sexual Selection Of Black Morph Girardinus Metallicus (Pisces: Poeciliidae), Erin M. Wojan

Master's Theses

Multicomponent displays are composed of traits, such as coloration, structural ornaments, and behavior, that become integrated and signal information to conspecifics. Estimation of multicomponent displays in fishes often involves measurement of color traits. Fish color measurements are often obtained following immobilization via chemical anesthesia; however, the anesthetics may alter the resulting measurements, for example by darkening the skin. Girardinus metallicus, a poeciliid fish endemic to Cuba, has a multicomponent courtship and aggressive display. Black morph males exhibit black ventral coloration including the gonopodium (copulatory organ) and yellow in the non-black areas of their bodies. I investigated the effects of …

Native Cryptography In The Browser, An Exploratory Approach, Joseph A. Wilson

Master's Theses

As applications move from the desktop to the web browser, security needs to be taken into consideration. The new Web Crypto API provides native support for web applications to perform cryptographic operations and key management functions. Client side cryptographic support is a critical component in the future development of secure web based applications. This thesis presents an exploration of the Web Crypto API. The aim of this research was to determine the feasibility of developing complex cryptographic applications in the browser. This evaluation was performed by building an end to end encrypted messaging system that implements the off the record …

Crossing Borders: Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations Influence On Interstate Gang Structure, Stacey Michelle Goldberg

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Not only has gang membership been expanding, but the formation of cooperative ties with Mexican drug trafficking organizations (MDTOs) has been increasing as well. Collaborative relationships with MDTOs appear to be the driving force behind the continuing gang expansion and its subsequent effects. Using social network analysis, this study examines the linkage between MDTOs and American-based gang activity and the potential influence that MDTOs may have in U.S. drug market through their associations with American street gangs. Findings show the MDTOs to be extensively linked to each other by their affiliations with U.S. gangs, and a high level of connectivity …

Scholarship On Robert Burton's The Anatomy Of Melancholy, Matthew Bishop

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The history of scholarship on Robert Burton’s The Anatomy of Melancholy will be explored in this thesis, beginning with a biographical background of Robert Burton and a brief description of The Anatomy of Melancholy. The overall arc of scholarship on Burton’s text began with a wave of early popularity in the seventeenth century, followed by a period of critical neglect in the eighteenth century when no new editions of the book were published. A renewed interest in the Anatomy in the nineteenth century led to a flurry of Burton studies in the twentieth century. The major trend in Burton …

Mycobacterial Contamination Of Bronchoscopes: Challenges And Possible Solutions In Low Resource Settings, Dania Khalid Saeed, Sadia Shakoor, Seema Irfan, Rumina Hasan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

The use of bronchoscopes has increased in tuberculosis (TB) diagnostics to circumvent the diagnostic challenges that are associated with low sputum volume and smear-negative TB. In healthcare facilities situated in low income countries that have a high burden of TB, adequate decontamination of bronchoscopes is a challenge and often overlooked to save on time and costs. This amplifies the risk of outbreaks and pseudo-outbreaks due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis and nontuberculosis mycobacteria. In this minireview, we review published literature of contaminated bronchoscopes causing pseudo-outbreaks of M. tuberculosis and nontuberculosis mycobacteria in an effort to determine common sources, and possible mitigation strategies …

The Reflection Of Lean Management Approach On Human Resource Management Practices A Field Research In Telecom Companies In Iraq (Zain-Asia Cell), Ghani Dahham Alzubaidi, Raghad Jamal Abbas

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

The current research is attempt to test the reflection of the lean management on the human resources management practices of two of the most important communication companies operating in Iraq (`Zain & Asia cell), The research aims to Determine the extent of adoption of the lean management approach in the two researched companies, as it improving human resource management practices. The research problem represented in the existence of lack of in some aspects of the application the lean management approach in service sector and neglecting the impact of its tools on the human resource management practices. For this purpose three …

Strategic Agility Dimensions And Adapted In Business Organizations: Field Research Analytical In Asiacell Mobile Telecommunications, Sana Abdul Saeed Abadi, Ola Fadhil

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

This reaserch seeks To answer Wondering :(Is there a possibility employ strategic agility In companies sample Serving in Iraq ?). This aims is to explore Strategic Agility rely upon Dimensions that interact with each other to form the intcllectual frame Strategic Agility, These dimensions are: (Clarity of vision, Selected Strategic Targets , Core capacities, Shared responsibility, Taking action, Empowerment, Organic Structure, Planning Strategy, Organizational learning, Information technology, Human resourse management , Organized). The study was based on the case study method for mobile communications sector in my company) Zain and Asiacell (and has been used questionnaire to collect data, hypotheses …

Organizational Health, Organizational Commitment, Tarek Tume Atua, Amenah Abdul Kareem Mahdi

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

Due to increased interest on organizations and the human element, organizational and environmental aspects of the organization Has been analyzed, and behavioral aspects of the members and what is the impact of each on the other, To give the recipe interaction between the organization and its environment, in order to bring about change in behavior appeared the concept of organizational health as a concept in a modern organizations, Either the organization to be stimulating good, healthy, and then called healthy organization Or that the situation be frustrating it is not good and unhealthy, so the cause of tension and anxiety, …

Coyotelab - Linux Containers For Educational Use, Michael D. Korcha

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

CoyoteLab is an exploration in the use of Linux container technology as a means to simplify the way students in computing fields access and complete laboratory work in their educational career. This project provides two main benefits: creating a simple way for students to log in and access their coursework without anything more than their web browser, and providing course instructors a way to verify that assigned work is completed successfully. Thanks to advances in container technology and the advent of WebSockets, this becomes a middle layer between a WebSocket opened up on the client’s browser and the SSH daemon …

3rd Annual Sustainability Report, Saint Mary's College Of California

Sustainability Report

No abstract provided.