Digital Commons Network^™

Joint Dedication To Professor Charles M. Thatcher & Justice Lori S. Wilbur, Christine Hutton, Frank Pommersheim, Pamela Reiter, Eric C. Schulte, Jonathan Van Patten, Barry R. Vickrey, Rob Anderson, Neil Fulton, Glen A. Severson, Kathleen F. Trandahl, Steven L. Zinter

South Dakota Law Review

No abstract provided.

Objection: Psychological Perspectives On Jurors' Perceptions Of In-Court Attorney Objections, Krystia Reed, Brian H. Bornstein

South Dakota Law Review

No abstract provided.

Aguilar V. Aguilar And Third-Party Custody Determinations: Examining The Definition Of Parent From The Eyes Of The Child, Rachel E. Mairose

South Dakota Law Review

No abstract provided.

Non-Nursing Courses' Impact On Nclex-Rn Pass-Rates In Associate Degree Nursing Programs, Nicole A. Garner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nurse educators make decisions regarding the inclusion or exclusion of non-nursing courses in a curriculum. The current literature lacks research regarding which courses have the most impact on first-time nursing licensing examination pass-rates. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to investigate if there is a specific combination of courses that enhance first-time licensing examination pass-rates, using 161 randomly selected accredited associate degree nursing programs. General systems theory applied to nursing education was the framework for the study. ANOVA and independent t-tests were used to address the questions of non-nursing courses or discipline-specific set of non-nursing courses' impact on first-time …

Strategies For Hiring Managers In Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics Fields, Elizabeth Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One-third of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) jobs are unfilled, resulting in less revenue for companies. The purpose of this qualitative single case study, grounded in the human capital theory, was to explore strategies that 2 hiring managers used to recruit STEM professionals in an organization in central Virginia. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, member checking, and company documents on STEM recruitment. The 4 themes that emerged from the data, analyzed using Yin's 5-step process, were as follows: partnerships with state government and local colleges, leadership and employee development programs used as recruitment incentives, competitive compensation package and …

Instrumental Music And Reading Achievement Of First Graders, Loralie Heagy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Prior research studies point to a correlational relationship between music instruction and academic achievement studies, but varying results and confounding factors prevent causality. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study is to test Vygotsky's sociocultural cognitive theory that playing a musical instrument is significantly associated with academic achievement in reading for 1st graders who attend 1 of 2 schools in Alaska. Using Analysis of Covariance, this study investigates the relationship between instrumental music and academic achievement on measures of academic progress (MAP) reading scores of 1st graders (n = 76) who received at least 90 minutes per week of string instruction …

Assessment Of Evidence-Based Practice Readiness And Plan For Implementation Of Clinical Practice Guidelines In A Tertiary Hospital, Linda Keller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Using evidence-based practice (EBP) to deliver patient care in a hospital setting improves patients' care and their outcomes. The use of clinical practice guidelines (CPG) enables nurses and other healthcare professionals to translate current evidence into bedside care. However, there continue to be barriers for hospitals in adopting and implementing evidence-based care using CPGs, including a lack of understanding about EBP by nursing staff. The purpose of this project was to explore readiness of registered nurses in a tertiary hospital to use EBP and provide recommendations for a plan to implement CPGs successfully. Melnyk's research identified EBP as an approach …

Impact Of Increased Learning Time On Economically Disadvantaged Students At An Urban Elementary School, Scott M. Larkin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

At an urban school district, administrators were concerned about the English language arts (ELA) achievement gap between economically disadvantaged (ED) students and non-economically disadvantaged (NED). To address this gap in performance, district administrators instituted an extended day program (EDP) for ED students that included additional learning time and individualized strategies in ELA. The purpose of the study was to determine the extent of the impact that the EDP had on ED students in ELA achievement. The quasi-experimental quantitative design was guided by Carroll's model of school learning and explored the difference in ELA Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College …

Perceptions Of Obese African American Women Regarding Altering Traditional Soul Food Preparation, Patricia Young

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

The obesity epidemic continues to be a major concern in the United States. The World Health Organization reported that 1.4 billion adults were either obese or overweight African American (AA) women have the highest incidence of obesity worldwide. A qualitative descriptive study was used to explore the perceptions of obese AA women about altering how they prepare soul food to make it healthier. The empowerment model and the health belief model were used to frame this study. Data were collected using a nonprobability purposeful sampling strategy. The sample for this study consisted of four focus groups with six to seven …

Trajectories Of University Of Ibadan Undergraduates’ Exposure To Cyber Pornography, Haleemah B. Adebayo, Usman A. Ojedokun

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Cyber pornography is fast gaining ground in the Nigerian cyber environment with undergraduate students among its major consumers. Against this background, this study investigated the trajectories of University of Ibadan undergraduates’ exposure to cyber pornography. Containment theory was used as a theoretical framework. Data were collected from 250 respondents through surveys and in-depth interviews. Respondents’ selection was achieved through a multistage sampling technique. Findings revealed that browsing for academic materials (37.0%) and Internet surfing (35.0%) were the major online activities predisposing respondents to cyber pornography. The majority of the respondents (78.3%) identified sex videos and nude pictures as the most …

Altered Myelination As A Proposed Mechanism For Neurocognitive Dysfunction Observed In Mice With Tyrosinemia Type 1, Marissa E. Moore

Theses

The exact mechanism behind the recent reports of impaired neurocognitive function in individuals with the rare genetic disorder Hereditary Tyrosinemia Type I (HT1) has yet to be determined. This disorder stems from lack of expression of the gene fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase (FAH), which is responsible for tyrosine catabolism. This subsequently leads to a buildup of tyrosine and associated harmful metabolites that will cause sever liver dysfunction and cancer if treatment is not provided. The drug 2-[2-nitro-4-(trifluoromethylbenzoyl) cyclohexane-1,3-dione (NTBC) has proven to be effective in stopping the negative consequences on the liver and kidneys by inhibiting an enzyme upstream in the metabolic …

Contextualized Queries Over Heterogeneous Data With A Property-Graph-Based Knowledge Space, Michael P. Grenon

Theses

Data integration is a problem often solved by imposing a standardized context with which all data sources in the system are mapped. If subgroups in an organization have a different point of view than the standardized context, then they may find usage of this integrated system difficult. Knowledge Spaces (KS) are a recently proposed architecture that allows for multiple, even contradictory, contexts to be built with conceptual graphs (CG). Little guidance exists in regard to constructing a KS that is capable of utilizing the graph operations CGs are able to support. This work introduces an approach to KS construction that …

Significant News Detection, Diwas Sharma

Theses

Social media platforms nowadays have a large number of fake or false news which have been misleading and negatively impacting viewers. In order to combat the problem, being able to differentiate important news stories which need to be verified from unimportant news stories which need not, would be a decent starting point. In this thesis, we introduce “significant news” and define it as news that affects a large number of people, changes the routines of daily life, and needs verification on the information presented. This thesis then explores if it is possible to construct a classifier for detecting the significant …

Using Nor Flash Memory In Microcontrollers For Generating True Random Numbers, Prawar Poudel

Theses

This thesis introduces a new technique for generating true random numbers that exploits read noise of perturbed cells in NOR Flash memories. The existing techniques for generating true random numbers rely on additional hardware resources that serve as a source of entropy or exploit memory components such as SRAM or NAND Flash memories. The proposed technique utilizes NOR Flash memories that are readily available in modern microcontrollers. We characterize behavior of the NOR Flash memories, introduce an algorithm for inducing a perturbed state of Flash memory cells, and introduce an algorithm for extracting randomness from these cells and generating true …

Ambiguity Of High Prf Waveforms In Time Difference Of Arrival Passive Detection Systems, Mark Thomas Fleming

Theses

This thesis documents the research on ambiguity in target position measurements by a time difference of arrival passive detection system when receiving waveforms with a high pulse repetition frequency. The thesis includes a detailed derivation of a set of multilateral equations used to compute target position estimates. A pulse correlation algorithm designed to mitigate the ambiguity incurred with high pulse repetition frequency waveforms is discussed. Simulation is used to analyze the performance of the pulse correlation algorithm.

Method And Results From Characterization Of Atmospheric Properties With Differential Temperature Methods, Alex Clark

Theses

As engineers and scientists work to refine free-space optical systems that operate over long terrestrial ranges, there is a need to better understand, characterize, and quantify the atmospheric properties of the environment. One such atmospheric property of interest is the refractive-index structure coefficient, or 〖Cn〗^2, which describes small changes in the base atmospheric refractive index. Over very short distances, small index of refraction changes usually cause negligible problems to all but the most demanding optical systems, such as interferometric systems, but can have a large effect on Optical Path Length (OPL) as short as 1 km. This thesis presents a …

Sankofa : Framing Afrofuturistic Dialectical Utopias In N.K. Jemisin's The Fifth Season, Nisi Shawl's Everfair, And Nnedi Okorafor's Binti, Jasmine A. Moore

Theses

This project explores a variety of utopian constructions via the work of N. K. Jemisin, Nisi Shawl, and Nnedi Okorafor in order to demonstrate that Afrofuturism’s hopeful optimism is a lesson for present and future realities. Each vision of utopia performs a necessary critique and evaluation of time in relation to historical constructivism that is insightful for all readers who must understand, in full, the myriad ways that Afro-centered narratives have enhanced the genres of Speculative and Science Fiction. In earnest, Afrofuturism offers to the world an attempt to think globally through excavations of the past, and, therefore, joins other …

The Motivation To Learn : Engaging Students In Pre-Modern Western Education, James Putman

Theses

Apathy among learners in secondary education classrooms is a modern problem but it has an interesting past. This paper assumes that unmotivated learners have always been a difficulty and uses a historical analysis to investigate how educators in the pre-modern world effectively motivated and engaged students. Using primary sources from scholars and educators of the pre-modern era a comparison is made to what modern pedagogical experts consider to be effective engagement strategies. Historical context for this comparison is provided within a chronological education narrative of Western civilization beginning with Ancient Greece and concluding with the Early Modern Period. The evidence …

Storytelling Elements In Nasa Case Studies, Giulia E. Palma

Theses

The goal of this thesis is to improve communication in engineering by understanding how storytelling elements are being used in engineering and how they could be used. Storytelling is an effective communication mean since it is a natural way in which humans think and verbalize their thoughts. For this reason, the author explores the possibility of introducing storytelling elements to engineering communication. Storytelling elements are identified to be used as metrics in the analysis of a case studies collection. The case studies collection was studied for patterns in the content. A human experiment was conducted using the backstory structure element …

Is Deliberate Knowledge Sharing Useful? Impacts Of Reflexivity, Diversity, And Motivation On Team Decision Making, Jeffrey Edmund Dyas

Theses

Knowledge sharing has been shown in studies to positively impact team performance. Understanding methods that could lead to deliberate knowledge-sharing could be beneficial for teams. Reflexivity is the degree to which team members communicate the team’s objectives, strategies, and limitations in order to mitigate unexpected situations. Reflexivity was examined with a motivational theory of goal orientation to test how team motivation influenced reflexivity’s impact on knowledge sharing and team performance. Furthermore, diversity in goal orientation was studied to gauge how diverse motives of team members influenced team performance. Results indicated no support for reflexivity improving knowledge sharing; however, the experiment …

The Miseducation Of Irie Jones In Zadie Smith's White Teeth, Amanda S. Medlock

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In this essay, I will discuss Carter G. Woodson’s notion of the “mis-education” black Americans face and its applicability in British novelist, Zadie Smith’s, debut novel, White Teeth. This novel shows how mis-education affects four generations of female Caribbean migrants. My analysis emphasizes how this mis-education shapes the life of Smith’s character, Irie Jones. Throughout the text, Irie suffers from low self-esteem due to her cultural rootlessness. I attribute this rootlessness to the mis-education inherited from her female predecessors. Ultimately, I explore how instead of defeating this familial baggage, she falls victim to it.

A Georgia's School Districts Grades 3-5 Teachers' And Principals' Perceptions Regarding On-Line Georgia Milestones Testing, Doriastino Cheely Brown

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Georgia Milestones, High stakes testing, On-line testing grades 3 – 5 teachers’ and administrators’ perceptions of online Georgia Milestones testing on (a) curriculum, (b) teaching, (c) accountability, and (d) stress. Data were collected via survey. Sixty teachers and eight administrators completed the survey. Surveys were analyzed by school, administrator, and domain. Open-ended questions at the end of the survey were analyzed individually by question for teacher and administrator themes. Survey analyses found that teachers and administrators, in the curriculum domain, believed that on-line high-stakes testing led teachers to reassess beliefs about subject matter that is important to teach. The survey …

The Real Winner Of The Second World War: Patriotic Consumption And The Formation Of A Society Of Spin, Jordan T. Thomas

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The unique circumstances in the United States during the Second World War allowed for business to continue as usual on the home front. Advertisers, public relations experts, and big business all worked for the government to promote the war effort. For a period of time major companies in the United States were producing advertisements that persuaded citizens to support rationing, buy war bonds, hate the enemy, and keep their brand names in mind in the post-war years. Companies who supported the war effort had their brands connected with ideas of patriotism and enjoyed the success of brand loyal consumers in …

Aspects Of The Preoperative Pathway In Pancreatic Head Malignancy, Bassem Ismail Metwaly Ismail Amr

Peninsula Medical School Theses

Malignancy within the pancreatic head can arise from pancreatic duct, distal bile duct, ampulla or duodenum. Since September 2000, surgery for all pancreatic head malignancy (PHM) has been centralised into regional pancreatic centres where assessment of preoperative imaging and subsequent surgery is undertaken. As part of this guidance, surgery must be performed within 62-days of referral. This project will assess four aspects of the pre-operative pathway in PHM: 1) Potential variation in outcome of patients referred from different sites within a Cancer Network 2) Potential variation in outcome associated with different intervals to surgery within the 62 day guideline 3) …

Assessing Teams In Endoscopy: Does Good Non-Technical Skills Performance Correlate With Good Clinical Outcomes?, Charlotte Ruth Hitchins

Peninsula Medical School Theses

Background Failures in non-technical skills (NTS) contribute to adverse events in healthcare. Previous research has explored the assessment and training of these skills, and yet there is a lack of evidence for their impact on clinical outcomes. Gastrointestinal endoscopy is a high-pressure specialty, but to date there is little on the role of NTS in this area, or a method for their assessment. This MD project aims to measure NTS in endoscopy, explore their relationship with clinical outcomes, and identify those specific to this area of healthcare. Methods An observational study of endoscopy teams in real time, using the Oxford …

Concert Recording 2018-04-24a, John Lackey, Ann Rye

Concert Recordings & Programs

[00:00]. Magnificat, BWV 234. Quia fecit mihi magna / Johann Sebastian Bach -- [01:39]. Ich habe genug, cantata no. 82. Schlummert ein / Johann Sebastian Bach -- [10:21]. Vier ernste Gesänge, op. 121. 1. Denn es gehet dem Menschen wie dem Vieh ; 2. Ich wandte mich, und sahe an alle ; 3. O Tod, wie bitter bist du ; 4. Wenn ich mit Menschen - und mit Engelszungen / Johannes Brahms -- [24:13]. Prison / Gabriel Faure -- [26:02]. Dirait-on / Morten Lauridsen -- [30:03]. Dover beach / Samuel Barber -- [37:01]. Le Nozze di Figaro. Non piu andrai …

The Globalisation Of Tax Good Governance, Christiana Panayi

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

This is a unique era where the international tax community, most vocally represented by developed countries mainly through the OECD/G20 is engaged in a global fight against tax evasion/avoidance. It is thought that lack of tax cooperation increases the risk of cross-border tax evasion and avoidance. Apart from the traditional notions of cooperation/assistance and exchange of information commonly viewed as instrumental in the fight against tax evasion/avoidance, another concept has emerged – that of good tax governance or tax good governance or fiscal good governance.

Notwithstanding the uncertainties surrounding tax good governance, it is acquiring increasing importance and institutional backing, …

Eagle Executive Magazine, Georgia Southern University

College of Business: News & Publications

• College news
• Department news
• City center news
• Graduate programs
• Alumni news
• Annual report
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Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis And A ‘‘Death With Dignity’’, Jennifer A. Andersen

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

The Oregon ‘‘Death With Dignity’’ Act (DWD Act) allows a terminally ill patient with 6 months to live to ask a physician for medication to end their life. To receive the medication, the DWD Act requires the patient to verbally request the prescription twice 2 weeks apart as well as in writing. Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis have three main barriers to using DWD: (a) the ability to communicate their informed consent as the disease progresses further, (b) the possibility of dementia which may affect their decisional capacity, and (c) given the nature and speed of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, limited …

Framing And Cultivating The Story Of Crime: The Effects Of Media Use, Victimization, And Social Networks On Attitudes About Crime, Lisa Kort-Butler, Patrick Habecker

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

The current study extended prior research by considering the effects of media, victimization, and network experiences on attitudes about crime and justice, drawing on the problem frame, cultivation, real-word, and interpersonal diffusion theses. Data were from a survey of Nebraska adults (n = 550) who were asked about their social networks; beliefs about media reliability; use of newspaper and news on TV, radio, and the Internet; and exposure to violence on TV, movies, and the Internet. Results indicated that viewing TV violence predicted worry and anger about crime. Believing the media are a reliable source of information about crime predicted …