Digital Commons Network^™

#Socialworkadvocacy, Angela N. Bullock, Alex D. Colvin

Journal of Social Work in the Global Community

What separates social work from other fields of human services is the underlying need to work toward equality and social justice for every population. This is often accomplished by working on behalf of those who are oppressed, marginalized, or disenfranchised. For that reason, it can be argued that advocacy is at the foundation of social work practice (Belluomini, 2014). The growth of social media and availability of low-cost and user-friendly innovations have changed the way people engage in advocacy. Social media has become an emerging tool for electronic advocacy. In the 21st century, social workers have engaged in electronic advocacy …

Cyberbullying, Relational, And Social Aggression, Latitia Lattanzio

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cyberbullying is a relatively new phenomenon that has only begun to be significantly investigated within the last decade. To date, researchers have failed to develop a uniform definition or determine appropriate terminology. These deficits have inhibited a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon. Although a comprehensive conceptualization of cyberbullying has yet to be established, the phenomenon has been recognized as a significant problem affecting our youth. Many of the existing studies are descriptive in nature and emphasize the need for more research. In an effort to drive future studies, many have postulated on the possible similarities between cyberbullying and traditional indirect …

Community Pharmacists And Substance Use Disorders: Attitudes, Knowledge And Practices, Deepika Rao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Substance use disorder (SUD) is a serious health concern affecting a large proportion of the US population. Community pharmacists are well-positioned to prevent, screen, and provide appropriate treatment for SUD. Stigma towards these patients and SUD results in reduced quality of care as well as poor treatment outcomes. It is imperative that pharmacists have the appropriate knowledge of and attitude towards prevention, harm reduction and treatment to develop therapeutic relationships and improve their delivery of pharmacy services

Objective: To assess knowledge, practices (with an emphasis upon screening), stigma and general attitudes of community pharmacists towards SUD and evaluate the …

A Disability Theology Of Limits For Responding To Moral Injury, Lisa Hickman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The lament of Jeremiah, “they dress the wound of my people as if it were not serious,” reverberates today as veterans return home from a decade of war, ridden by PTSD and moral injury, only to discover lethargy, lack of seriousness and complacency in societal response. The seriousness of our soldiers’ wounds, to body and spirit alike, demand ethical, societal and theological responsibility. Failure to address the seriousness of these wounds results in distress, depression and even suicide for the soldier. Statistics may describe a portion of the reality, but the degree to which soldiers suffer in silence and the …

Harnessing The Anopheles Microbiome To Conditionally Express Anti-Plasmodial Effectors During The Blood Meal, Jackie Shane

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The control of vector-borne diseases such as malaria has been an extremely important research subject for hundreds of years. Because of the complex lifecycles of the pathogens that cause these diseases, finding a comprehensive treatment or preventative strategy has proven extremely difficult. Malaria alone is responsible for almost half a million deaths annually, most of them children under 5 years old. This disease is caused by parasitic protists in the genus Plasmodium that are transmitted to humans from Anopheles sp. mosquitoes. Most preventative strategies that are in use today revolve around controlling the vectors, including bed nets, insecticides, and larval …

Brief Amici Curiae, Rhode Island School Of Design

Advocacy | Amicus Briefs + Comments

No abstract provided.

An Investigation Of Civilian Implicit Attitudes Toward Police Officers, Rikki Hope Sargent

Theses - ALL

This research investigated implicit attitudes toward police among civilians. Two preliminary studies served as an empirical foundation for the current study, as both assessed the implicit construct activation of safety and fear when participants were primed with police using a modified version of the Word Fragment Completion Task (e.g., Johnson & Lord, 2010). The findings were counter-intuitive, such that in a college sample safety construct activation increased and fear decreased when primed with police, whereas in an online sample safety and fear construct activation increased. The current study sought to clarify these trends by utilizing four modified versions of the …

Mary In The News: Dec. 21, 2018, Michael Duricy

Marian Library Blog Archive

Read recent items about Mary in both Catholic and secular news. Also, see International Marian Research Institute news and updates.

Report Of The N|150 Commission, Donde Ashmos Plowman, William G. Thomas Iii

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Administration: Reports, Papers, Publications, and Presentations

As the campus prepares to mark its 150th year, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln is poised to chart a bold and distinctive course for the next generation. UNL Chancellor Ronnie Green appointed more than 150 stakeholders of the university – faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members – to the Nebraska Commission of 150 to envision how the university can best serve Nebraska and the world for the next 25 years.

The university’s inaugural charter in 1869 as a land-grant institution offered a sweeping vision for our founding:

To afford the inhabitants of this state with the means of acquiring a …

Discarnation: Expounding On Marshall Mcluhan's Critique Of Modern Subjectivity, Amanda Sevilla

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project presents Marshall McLuhan’s work as an explication of discarnate subjectivity in mediated environments, with special focus on the consequences of technological environments in society. The first and second chapters focus on McLuhan’s ground, sensibilities, and practice to shed light on his intricate discussions of social perceptions emerging in modern times—i.e., communal awareness propels perceptual and cultural shifts. The third chapter attends to people’s perceptual compass, or their ability to interpret the world around them. Chapter four considers some of the phenomenological aspects of McLuhan’s probes. The ideas show disconnects between time and space that contribute to discarnation in …

Identity Negotiation, Saudi Women, And The Impact Of The 2011 Royal Decree: An Investigation Of The Cultural, Religious, And Societal Shifts Among Women In The Saudi Arabian Public Sphere, Maha Alshoaibi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Historically, Saudi Arabian culture has been deeply rooted in tradition, religious customs, family-oriented structures, and gender derived expectations for men and women alike. Saudi Arabian culture emphasizes a patriarchal family structure where men financially provide for their family whereas women are expected to manage internal household duties such as raising children, upholding household affairs, and working within a limited scope of employment. The concept of Saudi Arabian women integrating into the public workforce has been a source of contention and debate for the last several hundred years. Due to recent changes in political and economic events, a royal decree issued …

Parent-Teacher Relationships In Cyber Charter Schools: 
Investigating The Quality Of The Parent-Teacher Relationship And Its Impact On Student Achievement, Theresa Henderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

K-12 online and blended learning initiatives have experienced unprecedented growth in the past decade and are fast becoming a mainstream option for today’s generation of learners. In 2016, over five million students were enrolled in K-12 full-time state virtual schools and all 50 states and the District of Columbia offered some form of online learning for K-12 students with even greater growth projections by 2020. While K-12 online learning has grown in popularity and demand, research-based investigations into successful teaching, learning and student support developments are limited.

There is reason to believe that the quality of the parent-teacher relationship in …

Turkish Male Viewers’ Perceptions Of Female Sportscasters: A Chair Reserved For Men?, Hamide Demet Akat

Theses - ALL

This research explored perceptions of female sportscasters. More specifically, this study aimed to better understand how Turkish male television viewers perceive female sportscasters. Male hegemony established the theoretical basis to understand male domination that is prevalent in sports, media and also heavily in Turkish culture. Sexual objectification of women was also helpful to better understand the status of women working in the media industry. Semi-structured, qualitative in-depth interviews were used to gather data. Twenty-one interviews were done, transcribed, and analyzed. The findings of this research indicated the male hegemonic environment of sports and also sports media, in the eyes of …

Differences In Social Media Profile Picture Selection Motivation: A Comparison Between Chinese And U.S. Users, Ruochen Jiang

Theses - ALL

The goal of this research is to explore the differences in the motivation of profile picture selection on social media using survey methodology. Prior research regarding profile pictures has focused on the reception of users, but the motivations behind choosing profile pictures remain unanswered. The study focuses on the profile pictures selecting process, which is the process behind users’ choice of pictures that appear with their name and biography on social media accounts. The study will compare social media users in China and the United States to explore whether users from different cultural backgrounds (i.e., independence or interdependence) report different …

Machine Learning Methods For Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy, Danushka Sandaruwan Bandara

Dissertations - ALL

Identification of user state is of interest in a wide range of disciplines that fall under the umbrella of human machine interaction. Functional Near Infra-Red Spectroscopy (fNIRS) device is a relatively new device that enables inference of brain activity through non-invasively pulsing infra-red light into the brain. The fNIRS device is particularly useful as it has a better spatial resolution than the Electroencephalograph (EEG) device that is most commonly used in Human Computer Interaction studies under ecologically valid settings. But this key advantage of fNIRS device is underutilized in current literature in the fNIRS domain.

We propose machine learning methods …

Adapting Proteins For Clinical And Industrial Use, Michelle Takacs

Dissertations - ALL

Enzymes are powerful tools that are capable of catalyzing reactions with high specificity and efficiency. Many naturally occurring enzymes are used as tools in industry and medicine, from food additives to pharmaceuticals to biofuel production. Protein engineering is used to make enzymes more readily available, to gain new or improved catalytic function, or optimize properties such as thermostability and enantioselectivity. In this thesis we will discuss the variety of ways proteins can be modified to one day be able to be put to use in industrial and clinical settings.

My goal has been to optimize proteins for industrial and clinical …

Photolysis Kinetics Of Aromatic Pollutants In Liquid And Solid Environmental Condensed Phases, Alexa Stathis

Dissertations - ALL

Condensed phases in the environment are often chemically complex. Reactivity can differ significantly depending on the physical state (i.e. solid or liquid) and composition. Many laboratory studies that investigate reaction kinetics in condensed phases are done under simplified conditions that do not accurately reflect the complexity found in the environment. I have measured photolysis rate constants of the aromatic pollutants toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes (TEX) and anthracene under environmentally-relevant conditions in order to improve fate predictions. The photolysis kinetics of TEX in water, ice and at ice surfaces were investigated using environmentally-relevant wavelengths. Previously, photolysis has not been considered a viable …

Tennessee Comprehensive Annual Financial Report For The Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2018, Tennessee. Department Of Finance & Administration.

Annual Comprehensive Financial Reports

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Ipad Instruction On Capital Letter Recognition Of Preschoolers, Jessica Adkins

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this study is to look at the effect of iPad instruction on capital letter recognition in preschool children between the ages of four and five. The study divided participants into two groups. One group received capital letter instruction with an iPad. The second group received capital letter instruction using letter manipulatives. Letter manipulatives were wooden puzzle letters. Baseline data was taken on capital letter recognition of all participants before this study began. At the end of the study, data was taken on capital letter recognition of all participants. Baseline and final data was compared to show growth. …

Effectiveness Of Visual Cues During Transitions In A Third Grade Classroom, Tory Gaard

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this research was to investigate the impact of using visual cues during transition periods vs. verbal cues. The visual cues are a Google Slide with a list of the required materials and an embedded timer. The investigation employed ongoing monitoring of students during their transitions throughout the school day. The ongoing monitoring was documented using the attached data table. The data table tracked the time it takes students to transition, the # of students in attendance, number of students with all required materials, and the number of students in the correct location. Outcome analysis includes a comparison …

The Effect Of A Weekly Social Presence In Online Classes, Cindy Salfer

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This study involved looking at the effect that providing a visual presence in online classes had on the students’ success on tests, overall achievement in the class, and retention. The instructor provided a weekly visual video to review weekly outcomes, summarize weekly expectations, and provide clarification on content and assignments. The literature on the importance of including engagement by the instructor and adding a human component to online classes for the most part supports the positive effects it can have on students completing online courses successfully. This research included comparing the results of two exams given in a Methods and …

Lindenwood Digest, December 21, 2018, Lindenwood University

Lindenwood Digest

The Lindenwood Digest has been a digital employee newsletter since 2009.

An Ethical Model For Mandatory Reporting To Avoid Preventable Adverse Harm In Health Care, Kate A. Molchan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of the dissertation is to undertake an analysis in healthcare ethics that focuses upon organizational ethics to resolve problems related to medical error in the U.S. The ethical argument focuses upon justifying a model of mandatory reporting nationally. While countless others have argued in favor of the implementation of a mandatory reporting system, this dissertation presents its model through the lens of organizational theory; arguing first that healthcare organizations are ethically required to invest in patient safety. This premise frames the foundation for this dissertation's central argument; namely, that U.S. healthcare organizations have an ethical imperative to protect …

Constructions Of Masculinity In Bollywood Promotional Content, Alyssa Grace Lobo

Theses - ALL

Following a growing public discussion on violence against women in India, some commentators have turned their eye upon Bollywood. The film industry’s role in perpetuating models of courtship based on the stalking and harassment of women has drawn criticism from several quarters. While there has been much said about the depiction of women in Bollywood film, there has been relatively less said on portrayals of masculinity. The research that does exist focuses on textual analyses of films, or looks at masculinity through the lens of global capital flows. This thesis instead, analyzes trailers, posters, promotional pictures and social media for …

Exploring Specificity And Stability Of A Molecularly Imprinted Polymer, Stephen Robert Shepherd

Theses - ALL

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have numerous practical applications, including integration with quartz crystal microbalances to make specific, stable, chemical sensors, but most published research literature does not provide details concerning the specificity or stability of such an imprinted polymer. A polymer made from polyacrylic acid monomers, templated with benzoic acid, was tested for specificity with solutions of benzoic acid, acetic acid, phenol, and terephthalic acid passed through samples of uniform size under vacuum filtration. Additionally, MIP samples were also stored for extended periods of time in varied microclimates and then tested for performance, and consequently, stability. Initial conclusions indicate that …

Interaction Between Students’ Motivation And Physics Teachers’ Characteristics: Multiple Case Study, Fikret Korur, Ali Eryilmaz

The Qualitative Report

This study identified the process of interaction between students’ motivation and characteristics of two physics teachers: one who exhibited effective physics teacher characteristics frequently and one who exhibited the characteristics rarely. The two case teachers were selected to predict contrasting and comparable results. The data gathered from the semi-structured interviews, follow-up interviews, direct observation, video recordings, and field notes were analyzed both by single case and by cross-case analysis to strengthen the findings from two case teachers. Findings indicated that teachers’ characteristics like enthusiasm and giving examples from daily life increased students’ motivation by increasing their attention and willingness to …

Mobilizing The Vietnamese Body: Dance Theory, Critical Refugee Studies, And The Aftermaths Of War In Andrew X. Pham’S Catfish And Mandala, Quynh Nhu Le, Ying Zhu

Asian American Literature: Discourses & Pedagogies

Mobilizing the Vietnamese Body: Dance Theory, Critical Refugee Studies, and the Aftermaths of War in Andrew X. Pham’s Catfish and Mandala

Through analysis of Andrew X. Pham’s Catfish and Mandala: A Two-Wheeled Voyage through the Landscape and Memory of Vietnam, this collaboration between a literary scholar and dance scholar joins methodologies from their respective fields to explore the politicized dimensions of the Vietnamese body-in-motion. Published in 1999, Pham's memoir documents his journey, as a Vietnamese refugee living in the U.S., as he travels throughout Vietnam on a bicycle. We argue that through the literal and theoretical mobilization of his …

Religion And Progressive Politics In The United States, Ruth Braunstein, Todd N. Fuist, Rhys Williams

Sociology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

In recent decades, scholars interested in the role of religion in American public life have largely focused on the Christian Right or the role of religion in civic life. Compared to these extensive literatures, relatively little attention has been paid to the role of religion in liberal/progressive politics. Progressive religious voices are more widespread and more racially, socioeconomically, and religiously diverse than is typically recognized. Moreover, while these actors seek influence within the most visible political realms of elections and policymaking, they also focus on shaping the cultural identities, narratives, and discourses that undergird democratic life. This article offers a …

Gaseous State: A Historical Geography Of Natural Gas And The Capitalist State In An Age Of Climate Change, Carlo Sica

Dissertations - ALL

In the 1930s U.S., a set of social forces and crises pushed forward state energy regulation. As states struggle to end greenhouse-gas emissions from fossil fuels, the threat of climate change demands new explanations for how energy policy emerges. In this dissertation, I explain the period of U.S. natural gas regulation between 1938 and 1978 from critical political economy and Marxist state theoretical perspectives. My main conclusion is that the capitalist state stabilizes markets for energy to serve capital with an auxiliary means of production. Based on that conclusion, I recommend that Marxist state theory be class-centered, i.e., recognize that …

Three Essays On Labor And Public Economics, Fabio Augusto Rueda De Vivero

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation consists of three chapters in the area of applied microeconomics. Using a variety of quasi-experimental research designs, they study the labor market effects of a wage subsidy in a highly informal economy, the impact of a tax-breaks program on small formal firms' entrance decision and the probability of survival, and the impact of exposure to neighborhood crime on school absenteeism, respectively.

The first chapter studies the labor market effects of a wage subsidy introduced in Colombia's First Job Act. It exploits changes in the labor earnings distribution to measure how the policy change affected net employment, the relative …