Digital Commons Network^™

Why Teens Today Wear The Brands They Wear And How This Is Affected By Reference Groups, Moriah Houser

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper describes and reports the results of a study that examines how teenagers choose to purchase and wear different brands. I wanted to find out if they would be affected positively or negatively towards different brands when they were associated with their membership, aspirational, or dissociative reference groups as well as how a teenager decides what brands are relevant to them or convey what they want to convey about themselves. Through the exploration of friends, hobbies, advertising, social media, situational factors, parents, through interviews, along with the help of many scholarly articles, I was able to find out what …

Rod Library Annual Report 2016, University Of Northern Iowa. Rod Library.

Library Documents & Reports (entire collection)

What an amazing year! We opened the new Makerspace and ScholarSpace funded by external grants. Our instruction sessions and research consultations were at an all-time high. Rod Library joined the Open Textbook Network, supporting the development of free online textbooks to reduce student debt. We moved to Alma, a new system which will allow us to work more collaboratively with Iowa and Iowa State and improve library workflows and patron information discovery. And we were the winner of the 2016 Gale Cengage Learning Financial Development Award for our successful crowdfunding campaign which resulted in the purchase of a Microsoft Surface …

Effectiveness Of Video-Assisted Teaching On No-Scalpel Vasectomy On Knowledge And Attitude Of Married Men In Rural Nagaland, India, Arhoni Tungoe

Journal of Asian Midwives (JAM)

This study assessed whether video-assisted teaching increased the knowledge of,and resulted in a more favourable attitude among married men regarding No-Scalpel Vasectomy (NSV) in a selected village of 17,000 people,bordering Assam, in Nagaland, India. The study used a one group,before-and-after design. The participants were 30 married men who were selected through purposive sampling. Pre-tested and validated tools to assess knowledge and attitudes were used for data collection. The mean post-test scores, on both the knowledge and attitude scales,showed a significant increase from pretest scores (knowledge pre-test mean 11.53±3.41; post-test 21.23±2.18;attitude pre-test mean 20.87±2.64, post-test35.2±1.66).Thus we conclude that the video-assisted teaching …

Adolescent Pregnancies: The Case Of Pakistan, Kiran Mubeen, Marina Baig

Journal of Asian Midwives (JAM)

Early motherhood not only causes poor health outcomes, but often also deprives adolescent girls of educational, social, and economic development opportunities for the rest of their lives. Evidence suggests that although the burden of adolescent pregnancies is less in Pakistan than in Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Nepal, the pregnancy outcomes continue to be devastating in this country. This paper discusses the social barriers in addressing this issue in Pakistan and proposes recommendations for targeted interventions to reduce the high birth rate amongst adolescents in the country. The role of midwives asfrontlinegatekeepers can be pivotal for prevention ofteenagedpregnancies in Pakistan. Unfortunately, the …

Heroin Addiction And Recovery: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Julia C. Rossini

Social Work Theses - Archive

This study is an interpretative phenomenological analysis of the human experience of heroin addiction and recovery. Literature on heroin addiction suggests that those who struggle with addiction are likely to also struggle with impulsivity, self-efficacy, and mood. The literature also finds that group membership is a common factor in recovering from addiction, whether that be in an Alcoholics Anonymous/Narcotics Anonymous group or harm-reduction community. Two theories were explored, the social learning theory and self- medication theory. The study was shaped by the ideas and findings of previous literature and theories and narrowed down to one specific research question not yet …

Resilience In Seeking Refuge: Religious Coping Strategies In Muslim Refugees From Syria, Nabiha Hasan

Social Work Theses - Archive

The recent shift of attention onto Syrian refugees has resulted in much media coverage and discussion regarding this population. This study delved into the religious coping strategies of Muslim refugees from Syria. Participants were derived through a DFW-based nonprofit organization. Questions asked of participants were including but not limited to resiliency and religious coping mechanisms. Major themes developed from this study included: religious ideologies, challenges as new religious minorities in the United States, resettlement issues, and benefits of resettlement. Results showed high correlation between resilience and religious beliefs.

African And Afro-Caribbean Immigrant And Diaspora Perspectives Of Police Violence “It’S About Culture, Not Race”, Bemnet Tadesse Meshesha

Social Work Theses - Archive

Police violence with minority communities in the U.S. is a growing problem and has gained a lot of national attention in recent years. While the issue seems to be prevalent in the country, the current means to track the data on excessive use of force or deadly encounters by police is lacking because police departments report voluntarily. The Justice Department has announced recent initiatives to better track this information but news agencies like The Guardian and The Washington Post have taken on the role of documenting these encounters and keeping the public and even federal agencies informed thus far. While …

Guided Reading And How It Affects Reading Comprehension In Struggling, Middle Level, And High Level Readers, Kathryn E. Hansen

Education Masters

This action research study was conducted to determine the effects of guided reading on the reading comprehension of struggling, average, and accelerated readers. Twenty two 5th grade students in an Integrated Co-Taught class were involved. The student’s reading levels were assessed and they were placed into struggling, average, and accelerated reading groups. The three themes that emerged from the data were that educators are aware of the benefits of guided reading instruction but inconsistent application hinders student results, students need to be equal partners in their learning, and guided reading increased the reading comprehension in average readers, but not struggling …

The Right Stuff? Selective Exposure And Political Misinformation On Facebook, Amanda Jordan

Communication Theses - Archive

For a democracy to function optimally, its citizens must arrive at election booths armed with factual and complete information. If the voting public is equipped with misinformation, it is just as detrimental as if they are uninformed. Misinformation can be caused and exacerbated by a variety of causes but as online selective exposure increases along with political polarization, the possibility that individuals who gather news on their favorite Facebook platforms will be deceived by political misinformation increases. This false news has the ability to cause more and more voters to formulate beliefs and opinions based on false information. Expanding on …

Social Media: The Impact Of Imagery And Engagement In Athletic Social Media, Michael W. Eldridge

Communication Theses - Archive

As the athletic communication field enhances its practices on social media in order to have the highest reach, the impact of visual content and its role in increasing social media engagement cannot be overstated. This study explores social media patterns, specifically the use of visual content within professional sports, and how the role of semiotics influences the viewer. As social media moves forward in athletics, the practice of two-way communication has become vital. This study of social media across the NFL provides insight on specific content that engages sports fans. Findings suggest both the type of content and the timing …

The Risk Of Memory, The Cost Of Forgetting, M. Shawn Copeland

Journal of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium

This article, a revision of the Raymund Schwager, S.J., Memorial Lecture, given at the Colloquium on Religion and Violence, July 10, 2015, St. Louis University, focuses on the risk of memory and the cost of forgetting. Memory, and the act of remembering both individually and collectively as a society, involves risk to a society’s present, past, and future. Forgetting comes at a price exacted by the past, but paid in the present for the future, even as nations sometimes choose to forget. This thesis is developed in three parts – common meaning and memory as grounding a community; the cost …

Doppler Temperature Coefficient Calculations Using Adjoint-Weighted Tallies And Continuous-Energy Cross Sections In Mcnp6, Matthew A. Gonzales

Nuclear Engineering ETDs

The calculation of the thermal neutron Doppler temperature reactivity feedback co- efficient, a key parameter in the design and safe operation of advanced reactors, using first order perturbation theory in continuous energy Monte Carlo codes is challenging as the continuous energy adjoint flux is not readily available. Traditional approaches of obtaining the adjoint flux attempt to invert the random walk process as well as require data corresponding to all temperatures and their respective tem- perature derivatives within the system in order to accurately calculate the Doppler temperature feedback.

A new method has been developed using adjoint-weighted tallies and On-The-Fly (OTF) …

A Shrine For President Lincoln: An Analysis Of Lincoln Museums And Historic Sites, 1865-2015, Thomas D. Mackie Jr.

Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to analyze how communities and special interest groups have presented Abraham Lincoln in historic sites and museums with significant Lincoln collections and interpretive themes. Commemoration of Abraham Lincoln began during the murdered president’s funeral trip and extended throughout the later nineteenth century with statues, biographies, Decoration Day oratories, historic sites, special exhibits, and museums. These sites devoted to the 16th president are among the earliest public historic museums and preserved sites. They include galleries, research exhibits, interactive galleries, pioneer villages, outdoor museums, and historic houses. After continued expansion in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, …

African American Men’S Health: Regulating Race-Related Stress Through Cognitive Flexibility, Brian P. Littleton

Dissertations

African American men have one the highest preventable mortality and morbidity rates in the United States (Rich, 2000; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2015). Moreover, there is substantial health disparity between African American men and White men in the United States (Smedley, Stith, & Nelson, 2003). It has been stated that pervasive racism and discrimination are the most significant contributors for the disparity. Studies have shown race-related stress, which is derived from experiencing racism, discrimination or having internalized feelings as the result of an individual’s racial status, has been associated with blood pressure, emotional distress, and physical health …

Transitioning Children With Autism From One-On-One Discrete-Trial Settings To Special Education Classrooms, Jennifer L. Freeman

Dissertations

The goal of an early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) program is to teach each child the skills necessary to make meaningful progress in less-restrictive environments (Fox, Dunlap & Crushing, 2002). However, few studies have detailed the steps necessary for a “successful” transition into these educational settings. We transitioned two children, who received 20 hours a week of one-on-one discrete-trial therapy and attended a half-day special education pre-school classroom, to a full-time educational setting. With the goal of aiding each during his/her transition, this study used the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP) (Sundberg, 2008), particularly the barriers and …

La Sexualidad Como Vehículo De La Identidad De Género, Sexual Y Nacional En La Novelística Panhispánica Del Siglo Xxi, Leticia Isabel Espinoza

Dissertations

The search for identity in twentieth-century Spanish-language literature has primarily been seen through the rewriting of history to better suit new generations. For instance, One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel García Márquez’s novel about the origins of Colombia and Latin America, fictionalizes historical facts and rewrites history to question the very identity of Latin American countries. However, the search for identity in twenty-first-century Spanish language novels is unique in the sense that it does not look for identity through history, but through sexuality. Due to the lack of research in this area, the purpose of this study is to demonstrate …

Factors Affecting Community Participation In Young Adults With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Molly Bathje

Dissertations

Young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) participate less frequently in communities than other disabled and non-disabled peers (Verdonschot, de Witte, Reichrath, Buntinx, & Curfs, 2009) even though they express a desire to participate (Kampert & Goreczny, 2007) and federal policy mandates community inclusion (Haertl, 2014). Participation in one’s community is linked to health and quality of life (World Health Organization, 2002). The broad goal of this three paper dissertation is to contribute to a deeper understanding of what facilitates and impedes community participation for young adults with IDD by (1) developing a new conceptual model, (2) evaluating a …

Joe Henderson: A Biographical Study Of His Life And Career, Joel Geoffrey Harris

Dissertations

This study provides an overview of the life and career of Joe Henderson, who was a unique presence within the jazz musical landscape. It provides detailed biographical information, as well as discographical information and the appropriate context for Henderson's two-hundred sixty-seven recordings. His life is presented in the following categories: Early Years; Blue Note Period; Milestone Period; Intervening Years; and Verve Period. Thorough study and collation of published materials produced the framework of this document, while original interviews with those knowledgeable of Henderson's life and career provided insight into his personality and career decisions. The resulting body of research is …

Co-Teaching In Secondary Field Experience Practica, Stephanie A. Fanselow

Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine the impact on students, teacher candidates, and classroom teachers of applying a co-teaching model to the field experience practica prior to student teaching compared to traditional field experience practica in one secondary teacher preparation program. Participating partner schools were randomized either to receive professional development on co-teaching with a teacher candidate or to the control group. A total of 43 cooperating teachers and 30 teacher candidates participated in the study. The co-teaching treatment group consisted of 18 cooperating teacher-teacher candidate pairs. Quantitative data collection included limited student achievement data from …

Construction And Validation Of An Analytic Critical Thinking Scoring Rubric For Healthcare Students And Providers, Pan-Fu Kao, Ya-Huei Wang, Hung-Chang Liao

Journal of Medical Education

Purpose: The study attempted to construct and validate a systemized evaluation for critical thinking performance in the Taiwanese medical cultural context. Methods: Literature related to critical thinking and rubric development was reviewed and discussed in expert panels in order to set up a theoretical framework for the proposed Analytic Critical Thinking Scoring Rubric for Healthcare Students and Providers (ACTSR‒HSP). Three experts used the index of Item Objective Congruence (IOC) for the critical thinking and scoring rubric to evaluate the congruence between the qualitative scoring items and the objectives. Percent exact agreement and percent adjacent agreement were applied to examine the …

Servant Leadership And Cultural Characteristics As Predictors Of Follower Engagement, George Bovenzi

Education Doctoral

Servant leadership theory, introduced in the 1970s, has gained in popularity in recent years. Servant leadership’s roots in serving, caring, and behaving ethically makes it a leadership model that is timely and relevant in light of today’s global, organizational, and political challenges. Additionally, an engaged workforce is considered to be a key lever that organizations utilize to gain an advantage in the marketplace while disengaged employees present a significant cost to companies. Nevertheless, servant leadership’s impact on organizations and specifically its ability to engage employees has received limited research. This quantitative study was undertaken in a multinational manufacturing organization and …

Reforming The Contested Convention: Rethinking The Presidential Nomination Process, Michael T. Morley

Fordham Law Review

The presidential nomination process could be substantially improved through a few minor tweaks that would reduce unnecessary uncertainty, bolster its democratic underpinnings, and improve the connections among its various components. First, certain fundamental rules governing national conventions should be determined well in advance of the presidential nominating process, before any primaries or caucuses are held or delegates selected, and not be subject to change or suspension at the convention itself. Second, parties should enhance the democratic moorings of their national conventions by requiring presidential candidates to win a greater number of presidential preference votes to be placed into nomination. Third, …

Development Of A Semi-Interpenetrating Network Hydrogel To Study The Effects Of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury On Astrocyte Remodeling, Amanda Ederle

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are a widespread public health concern affecting over 2.5 million people in the United States alone (1). TBIs are the leading cause of death and disability in children (ages 0-14), and their devastating effects can also be seen in vast population subsets such as professional athletes and combat soldiers (1).

Damaged astrocytes, the specialized glial cells associated with the maintenance of the brain’s environment, respond to injury by altering regulation of certain proteins and ion channels in an attempt to maintain homeostasis (3). Studies have also shown that following a TBI, astrocytes seek to regenerate, a …

Is Cyberattack The Next Pearl Harbor?, Lawrence J. Trautman

North Carolina Journal of Law & Technology

No abstract provided.

Is This Going To Be On The Test? Reconciling The Four-Way Circuit Split Over Handling Nominative Fair Use, Christian Ferlan

North Carolina Journal of Law & Technology

No abstract provided.

Trial To Perdition: The Ninth Circuit’S “Emission” Omission Disposition, Jordan Luebekemann

North Carolina Journal of Law & Technology

No abstract provided.

Requiring Mutual Assent In The 21st Century: How To Modify Wrap Contracts To Reflect Consumer’S Reality, Matt Meinel

North Carolina Journal of Law & Technology

No abstract provided.

Are Gray Skies Clearing Up? Shedding Light On Nonprofit Governance In The Wake Of Revamped Irs Form 990, Jordan C. Hilton

North Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

Informed Consent For The Use And Storage Of Residual Dried Blood Samples From State-Mandated Newborn Genetic Screening Programs, Tufik Y. Shayeb

Buffalo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Two-Way Symmetric Communication Between Public Utilities And The Public, Maria Willacy

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This paper presents a multi-disciplinary examination of literature from the fields of public policy and participation, media and public relations, and technical communication as it relates to two-way symmetric communication and how it applies to public utilities and the public. Differences between two-way symmetric communication and other communication/public relations methods are examined, as well as the specific merits of two-way symmetric communication, including its ethical benefits, and criticisms and constraints. Current forms of communication between public utilities and the public are examined, including whether these forms are two-way symmetric. Planning events and those that involve public participation are highlighted as …