Digital Commons Network^™

A Framework For Improving Software Reusability Within Quality Constraints., Shawkat Guirguis

Mansoura Engineering Journal

In this paper seven of the most important issues in software systems development have been investigated. These issues address two aspects, namely: software development productivity and the final overall quality. For the productivity aspect, an approach has been devised relying on using scripts. Built as a result of an analyst-user collaboration, these scripts, upon interpretation, transform given user requirements into code. This prototyping approach, in addition to being rapid, involves the user in order to ensure his overall satisfaction with the final product. For the quality aspect, a two-layered repository of thoroughly tested and verified reusable software components has been …

Many Words, Many Turds: Middle English Proverbial Wisdom And The Alleged Incontinence Of Female Speech, Mary C. Flannery

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

In a passage from The Castle of Perseverance, the reprehensible Malus Angelus dismisses the speech of the personified virtues who are attempting to lead mankind to salvation: ‘Ther wymmen arn, are many wordys. (…) Ther ges syttyn are many tordys’ (2649-51). As the quotation illustrates, likening someone’s words to turds is both an effective brush-off and a colourful insult. This particular insult derives its force from the familiar anti-feminist trope of the voluble woman: like women, the wicked angel implies, the female personifications of virtue talk too much, and the incontinence of their speech is presented in terms that …

Women’S Acts Of Childbirth And Conquest In English Historical Writing, Emma O. Bérat

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

This essay explores how female characters in historical literature written in high to late medieval England shape land claims, political history, and genealogy through their acts of childbirth. Recent scholarship has shown how medieval writers frequently imagined virginal female bodies – religious and secular – in relation to land claim, but less work exists on how they also used the non-virginal bodies of mothers and vivid descriptions of childbirth to assert rights to land and lineage. This essay examines three birth stories associated with conquest or claims to contested lands from Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae, William of …

Effects Of Nature Play In Early Childhood Education, Alicia Joy Chaney

Masters Projects

There has been much research conducted recently on outdoor education as it gains popularity. Nature play and the construction of playscapes instead of playgrounds has become focal at the early childhood level. This project examines the research on the benefits that nature-based outdoor play provides to children and the outcomes of play space makeovers. The research also examines the role that teachers have in providing children with nature play. Western Michigan is lacking in nature-based early childhood education programs. This project focuses on providing professional development to licensed childcare programs in Michigan, specifically family and group home daycares. The professional …

Cross Evaluation Of Experience Level And Teaching Approaches In College Table Tennis Physical Education Students, Denise Anne M. Maso, Marie Toni A. Salangsang

Journal Article

This study was conducted to determine which approach is more effective between Random and Blocked practice in teaching Physical Education. It also focused on the effect of Random practice in motor-learning and memory capacity of individuals in learning a sport. The two approaches were used to teach the forehand and backhand skills of Table Tennis. Sixty-four students of the University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB) taking the course PE 2 Table Tennis were chosen as subjects and they were classified as Beginners, Intermediate and Advance players. These students were assigned into two training groups; the Blocked Practice and the Random …

Rediscovering A Legacy Of A Lost Voice: A History Of Radyo Dzlb's School-On-The-Air, Mark Lester M. Chico

Journal Article

The school-on-the-air (SOA) is a pioneering broadcast program developed by Radyo DZLB in the University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines. Its history dates back to 1967 when the first SOA and dairy farming was launched. Over the years, SOAs were redesigned until a formal structure was arrived at. Radyo DZLB faced challenges that compelled SOA continuously find its rightful place in the airwaves. Now that it is off the air, how can Radyo DZLB sustain its advocacy of educating farmers, homemakers, and children, among others, through SOA? As the voice development, how can Radyo DZLB recover its lost …

Achievement Growth In K-8 Catholic Schools Using Nwea Data, Julie W. Dallavis, Megan Kuhfeld, Beth Tarasawa, Stephen Ponisciak

Journal of Catholic Education

Using a national sample of kindergarten to eighth grade students from Catholic and public schools who took MAP Growth assessments, we examine achievement growth over time between sectors. Our findings suggest that while Catholic school students score higher in math and reading than public school students on average, they also enter each school year at a higher level. Public school students close this gap to some degree during the school year. Additionally, these patterns varied by age and subject. Catholic school students in the earlier grades show less growth in both reading and math during the academic year compared to …

Catholic Education And The Idea Of Curriculum, Leonardo Franchi, Robert Davis

Journal of Catholic Education

Critical reflection on the curriculum offered in the Catholic school is a valuable addition to wider dialogue on the nature of education and schooling. It enables the Church’s educational agencies to offer a distinctive vision of education to the diverse range of students who freely participate in its educational ventures. In Catholic thinking, education is the study of humanity and its achievements. The curriculum of the Catholic school speaks to internal and external audiences and is a bridge uniting the Catholic worldview with other intellectual traditions.

Mission, Faith, And Values - A Study Of 94 Voices From Rhode Island Catholic Secondary School Graduates, Thomas E. Keefe

Journal of Catholic Education

While the mission statements of Catholic schools include strong language on faith formation, Catholic schools are more often identified with high-quality academics and less for the development of faith. A qualitative descriptive study was designed to understand how Rhode Island Catholic secondary school graduates described the influence of the Catholic educational mission on the formation of faith and personal life values. The results of the study indicate the graduates of Catholic secondary schools in Rhode Island recognized the strength of the academic programs at the four identified Catholic secondary schools. Participants also profusely described the influence of the Catholic educational …

Utilizing Comparative Education As A Platform For Deepening Student Engagement With Catholic Social Teaching: An Exploratory Case Study In Study-Abroad, Bryan Meadows

Journal of Catholic Education

Central to the mission of Catholic higher education are the themes of Catholic Social Teaching (CST). This contribution to the Education in Practice section recounts a 15-week undergraduate course that deepened student engagement in CST themes through comparative education studies and a study abroad experience to Japan. A detailed description of the course main segments draws on artifacts of student coursework and post-interviews. The contribution of comparative education is that students are provided a platform upon which they can explore deeper, underlying principles to individual CST themes. This contribution further provides practitioners step-by-step guidance in how to develop similar learning …

'It Is A Disease Which Comes And Kills Directly': What Refugees Know About Covid-19 And Key Influences Of Compliance With Preventive Measures, Adelaide Lusambili, Michela Martini, Faiza Abdirahaman, Asante Abena, Joseph Guni, Sharon Ochieng, Stanley Luchters

Population Health, East Africa

Background: Refugees are at increased risk for COVID-19 infection in part due to their living conditions, which make it harder to adopt and adhere to widely accepted preventive measures. Little empirical evidence exists about what refugees know about COVID-19 and what they do to prevent infection. This study explored what refugee women and their health care workers understand about COVID-19 prevention, the extent of their compliance to public health recommendations, and what influences the adoption of these measures.

Methods: In October 2020, we conducted 25 in-depth interviews with facility and community health care staff (n = 10) and refugee women …

Validity, Reliability, And Measurement Invariance Of An Adapted Short Version Of The Hiv Stigma Scale Among Perinatally Hiv Infected Adolescents At The Kenyan Coast, Stanley W. Wanjala, Derrick Ssewanyana, Patrick N. Mwangala, Carophine Nasambu, Esther Chongwo, Stanley Luchters, Charles R. J. C. Newton, Amina Abubakar

Population Health, East Africa

Background: There is a dearth of instruments that have been developed and validated for use with children living with HIV under the age of 17 years in the Kenyan context. We examined the psychometric properties and measurement invariance of a short version of the Berger HIV stigma scale administered to perinatally HIV-infected adolescents in a rural setting on the Kenyan coast.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 201 perinatally HIV-infected adolescents aged 12-17 years between November 2017 and October 2018. A short version of the Berger HIV stigma scale (HSS-40) containing twelve items (HSS-12) covering the four dimensions of …

How Might The Pandemic Change Medical Education?, Pete M. Ellis

Journal of Medical Education

Despite high expectations of change in medical education post-pandemic, a historical review suggests that, at best, pandemics are associated with acceleration of existing trends in medical education rather than creating new changes per se. However, the advent of medical education units, information technology and considerable research in the last fifty or so years may provide more potential for change now than in the past. Seven key issues in medical education are identified (clinical experience; communication skills; pedagogical approaches; learning environment; course objectives; national/local assessment; assessment for learning vs assessment of learning) and the impact of the pandemic on each of …

The Comparison Of Health Literacy Between Standardized Patients And Laypersons, Mei-Mei Li, Ming-Chin Yang, Yen-Yuan Chen, Yu-Chi Tung

Journal of Medical Education

In order to facilitate objective structured clinical examinations (OSCE), some hospitals recruit laypersons to receive medical education and training to become standardized patients. It is worthwhile to examine whether laypersons can improve their health literacy by taking part in medical education and training, and consequently reduce utilization of medical resources. Purpose: There were two objectives: (1) to investigate the current status of health literacy of standardized patients and laypersons; and (2) to compare the difference of health literacy of standardized patients and laypersons. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study where the study population was standardized patients (SPs) and the laypersons …

Exploring The Effectiveness Of Interprofessional Demonstration Meeting In A Teaching Hospital In Taiwan, Yu-Chih Lin, Jo-Chu Yen, Yu-Shan Cheng, Chia-Lun Lee

Journal of Medical Education

Purpose: The demonstration meetings are the most common interprofessional education (IPE) method. However, the effectiveness of the demonstration meetings is still unknown. This study tries to explore the effectiveness of the interprofessional demonstration meeting. Methods: This was a descriptive correlational study. We attempted to develop the ＂scale for the effectiveness of interprofessional demonstration meetings＂ based on the four core competencies of IPEC. The average CVI value scored by experts was 0.93. Two factors were extracted by exploratory factor analysis (EFA), including Interprofessional observation (IPO) subscale and Interprofessional application (IPA) subscale, and their total explanation variation was 68.61%. Cronbach's α coefficient …

The Predictability Of Selected Academic Demographic And Family Related Factors On The Academic Achievement Of Middle School Students., Demetria Westmoreland

Dissertations (2016-Present)

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship and predictability of selected demographic, academic and family related factors on the academic performance of middle school students. Specifically, this study will be concerned with the predictability of the variables gender, ethnicity, standardized mathematics scores, standardized reading scores, family income, type of household, socioeconomic status and primary language spoken in the home on the academic performance of middle school students as measured by their STAAR’s social studies scores. A quantitative correlational research design was employed in the current investigation. A linear relationship was not found between the demographic factors of …

Examining Arrests For Possession Of Marijuana Among Students Attending Minority Serving Institutions And Non-Minority Serving Institutions, Andre Spence

Dissertations (2016-Present)

This study examined on-campus drug arrests made in 2018 and 2019 at 20 non-minority serving and minority serving institutions located in Texas. The on-campus drug arrest data included a total of 1693 possession of marijuana arrests. The purpose of the study was to determine if racial arrest disparities existed among Blacks and Whites arrested for possession of marijuana on college campuses in Texas. Furthermore, the study employed the racial threat theory to determine if the racial composition of the neighborhood a college is located in influenced the percentage of Black arrests for possession of marijuana. Results revealed that Blacks were …

The Impact Of Demographic Factors On The Persistence, Study Habits, And Motivation Of African American And Latino Male Community College Students, Martin Perez

Dissertations (2016-Present)

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship and predictability of demographic factors on the persistence, study habits and motivation level among African American and Latino male community college students. Specifically, this study was concerned with the predictive power of demographic (socio-economic status, age, ethnicity, and family support) factors on the persistence, study habits, and motivation level among minority male community college students. A predictive correlated research design was utilized in the current study. Eighty-three (83) minority male college students were selected to participate in the study. An instrument entitled The Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) …

The Predictability Of Types Of Mentoring Relationships On The Perceived Performance Behaviors Of College Undergraduate Students, Jeffery Lindsey

Dissertations (2016-Present)

The purpose of this study was to examine the predictability of types of mentoring relationships on the perceived academic success, retention status, graduation status, and progression status of undergraduate students in the United States. Specifically, this study focused on the predictable relationship between types of mentoring relationships such as peer mentorship, faculty mentorship, e-mentorship, and group mentorship on the perceived academic success, retention status, graduation status, and persistence status of undergraduate students. For this study I utilized a correlational design. A survey was used to collect quantitative data from undergraduate students. A purposive sample of the population was necessary for …

The Impact Of Selective Cognitive And Non-Cognitive Factors On Academic Performance And Persistence Rate Of First-Year College Students: Implications For Counseling., Tanya Sharneek Jones

Dissertations (2016-Present)

The issue of first-year college students academic performance and persistence rate has recently become a focal point for policy discussions because researchers, administrators, counselors, and policymakers are increasingly interested in understanding why some students succeed while others fail. To help incoming freshmen accomplish their academic and career goals, college and universities must gain the necessary insight on how to retain these students and assist them in matriculating on their campuses. Selective cognitive and non-cognitive characteristics associated with incoming freshmen will have a significant impact on them remaining in school and graduating. The purpose of this study was to examine the …

Urbanization And Climate Change Impacts: A Comparative Analysis Of Adaptability Of Us Coastal Cities, Olaniyi David Olaleye

Dissertations (2016-Present)

The quest to address human and societal developmental requirements has caused urban cities to grow and expand (Zhao, Gao, & Cuo, 2016). Urbanization is a term associated with the physical development of metropolitan cities. The word relates closely to the developmental approach utilized in the formation of urban societies (Fishman, 2017). According to researchers, urbanization contributes to the impacts of climate change and associated natural disasters. Climate change is closely related to societal and environmental carbon footprints and greenhouse gas emissions (Brody, Zahran, Maghelal, Grover, & Highfield, 2007). Development activities and growth of municipal settings have substantial impacts on the …

Investigation Of Toxic Chemicals In Plant-Based Milk Alternatives, Chukwunonso A. Anakwue

Dissertations (2016-Present)

Milk is a dietary component consumed all over the world and is known to be essential for development in children. Despite all the nutritional advantages associated with milk consumption, several issues like lactose intolerance, and high lipid content, etc., negatively affects the perception of cow milk consumption, and has grown into general health concerns. Issues with cow milk consumption drove for a healthier alternative and this led to plant-based milk alternatives (PBMA). Several studies have linked consumption of these PBMAs with other negative effects such as: allergy, poor nutrient profile and the presence of other foreign chemicals. This study’s main …

The Effects Of Socio-Personal, Job-Related, And School-Related Factors On The Level Of Financial Support By Alumni Of Higher Education Institutions, Bosede Ozavogu Airhia

Dissertations (2016-Present)

This study presents an examination of the relationship and predictability of selected socio-personal, job-related, and school-related factors on the level of financial support by alumni at an historically black college and university (HBCU). In this study, the researcher specifically examined the predictive power of socio-personal, job-related, and school-related factors. These factors consisted of gender, ethnicity, marital status, age, income, occupation, years on the job since graduating, sense of belonging to university, engagement in student activities, and interaction with faculty and staff on the financial support of alumni of an historically black college and university by reviewing data from a modified …

Limitations Of Available Blood Products For Massive Transfusion During Mass Casualty Events At Us Level 1 Trauma Centers, James Williams, Michael Gustafson, Yu Bai, Samuel Prater, Charles E Wade, Oscar D Guillamondegui, Mansoor Khan, Megan Brenner, Paula Ferrada, Derek Roberts, Tal Horer, David Kauvar, Andrew Kirkpatrick, Carlos Ordonez, Bruno Perreira, Artai Priouzram, Juan Duchesne, Bryan A Cotton

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Exsanguination remains a leading cause of preventable death in traumatically injured patients. To better treat hemorrhagic shock, hospitals have adopted massive transfusion protocols (MTPs) which accelerate the delivery of blood products to patients. There has been an increase in mass casualty events (MCE) worldwide over the past two decades. These events can overwhelm a responding hospital's supply of blood products. Using a computerized model, this study investigated the ability of US trauma centers (TCs) to meet the blood product requirements of MCEs.

METHODS: Cross-sectional survey data of on-hand blood products were collected from 16 US level-1 TCs. A discrete …

Defining The Epidemiology Of Safety Risks In Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Patients Requiring Surgery, Daniel J France, Jason Slagle, Emma Schremp, Sarah Moroz, L Dupree Hatch, Peter Grubb, Timothy J Vogus, Matthew S Shotwell, Amanda Lorinc, Christoph U Lehmann, Jamie Robinson, Marlee Crankshaw, Maria Sullivan, Timothy A Newman, Tamara Wallace, Matthew B Weinger, Martin L Blakely

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine the incidence, type, severity, preventability, and contributing factors of nonroutine events (NREs)-events perceived by care providers or skilled observers as a deviations from optimal care based on the clinical situation-in the perioperative (i.e., preoperative, operative, and postoperative) care of surgical neonates in the neonatal intensive care unit and operating room.

METHODS: A prospective observational study of noncardiac surgical neonates, who received preoperative and postoperative neonatal intensive care unit care, was conducted at an urban academic children's hospital between November 1, 2016, and March 31, 2018. One hundred twenty-nine surgical cases in …

Profile Of Autism Spectrum Disorder In Tuberous Sclerosis Complex: Results From A Longitudinal, Prospective, Multisite Study, Jamie K Capal, Marian E Williams, Deborah A Pearson, Robin Kissinger, Paul S Horn, Donna Murray, Kristn Currans, Bridget Kent, Martina Bebin, Hope Northrup, Joyce Y Wu, Mustafa Sahin, Darcy A Krueger, Tacern Study Group

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is highly associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Objectives of the study were to characterize autistic features in young children with TSC.

METHODS: Participants included 138 children followed from ages 3 to 36 months with TSC from the Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Autism Center of Excellence Research Network (TACERN), a multicenter, prospective observational study aimed at understanding the underlying mechanisms of ASD in TSC. Developmental and autism-specific assessments were administered, and a clinical diagnosis of ASD was determined for all participants at 36 months. Further analyses were performed on 117 participants with valid autism assessments based …

What Do We Know About Business Strategy And Environmental Research? Insights From Business Strategy And The Environment, S Kumar, R Sureka, Wm Lim, S Kumar Mangla, N Goyal

Plymouth Business School

Business Strategy and the Environment (BSE) is a premier journal dedicated to interdisciplinary research that advances business practice leading to improvements in environmental performance. Using big data analytics, this review examines the intellectual structure and the drivers of research impact of BSE in the scholarly domain. The bibliometric results suggest three major findings. First, the top three countries contributing to BSE are the United Kingdom, the United States, and China. Second, BSE's research manifests through five thematic clusters, namely, business strategy and sustainability; corporate governance and sustainability reporting; green marketing and pro-environmental behavior; innovation and environmental policy; and environmental management …

Preparation To Performance: A Conductor’S Journey To The Podium, Geoffrey B. Neuman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The journey to the podium for a successful music educator that conducts performing ensembles requires a strong methodology steeped in score study, rehearsal planning, repertoire selection, musicianship skills, performance skills, and administrative duties. At the beginning of a career, educators often find themselves lacking the high level skills necessary to become a successful educator on the podium. This is often due to the many non-conducting requirements needed to complete the degree. Once a position is secured and professional life begins, these skills are often not fully developed. This then results in the music educator lacking the qualities needed to prepare …

Designs And Outcomes Of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (Tms) And Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (Rtms) Circuits, Daniel Senda

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This thesis reports the design and outcomes of several circuits intended for transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) research. In simple terms, TMS circuits are composed of four main blocks: high voltage power source, energy storage bank, control switch, and coil. Each one of these blocks has characteristics that influence how well the circuit will perform for TMS procedures. A successful TMS research circuit must have the ability to emit controlled electromagnetic pulses through a coil connected to it. For the first block, voltages ranging from 50 V to 2 kV were used. In the second …

Ab-Initio And Empirical Simulations Of Aluminum And Copper Metal, William Wolfs

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In this work, I perform detailed calculations on the bulk and electronic properties of aluminum and copper metal. Originally, I was motivated by experimental work on the solidsolid phase changes in pure aluminum. These phase changes were well predicted by density functional theory(DFT) but difficult or impossible to predict using embedded atom method potentials(EAM). EAM potentials are in wide use to describe many properties of bulk materials, and it seemed worrying that something so basic as a phase change could not be predicted. I began running high precision calculations with DFT and compared the results to EAM potentials which had …