Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

2016

Discipline
Institution
Keyword
Publication
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 10651 - 10680 of 10866

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Automatically Processing Tweets From Gang-Involved Youth: Towards Detecting Loss And Aggression, Terra Blevins, Robert Kwiatkowski, Jamie C. Macbeth, Kathleen Mckeown, Desmond Patton, Owen Rambow Jan 2016

Automatically Processing Tweets From Gang-Involved Youth: Towards Detecting Loss And Aggression, Terra Blevins, Robert Kwiatkowski, Jamie C. Macbeth, Kathleen Mckeown, Desmond Patton, Owen Rambow

Computer Science: Faculty Publications

Violence is a serious problems for cities like Chicago and has been exacerbated by the use of social media by gang-involved youths for taunting rival gangs. We present a corpus of tweets from a young and powerful female gang member and her communicators, which we have annotated with discourse intention, using a deep read to understand how and what triggered conversations to escalate into aggression. We use this corpus to develop a part-of-speech tagger and phrase table for the variant of English that is used, as well as a classifier for identifying tweets that express grieving and aggression.

Go to article

Socioeconomic And Environmental Assessment Of Woody Biofuels In Southern United States, Bernabas T. Wolde Jan 2016

Socioeconomic And Environmental Assessment Of Woody Biofuels In Southern United States, Bernabas T. Wolde

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Although the emergence of woody bioenergy offers several energy, economic, social, and environmental benefits, forestland owners’ willingness to participate in a biomass supply market, how it affects land use choices, and forestland owners’ sustainability concerns are not well understood. In addition to these gaps, how much residual biomass forestland owners are willing to retain on site for soil fertility and other environmental benefit purposes and forestland owners’ tendency to enroll in public incentive programs are not fully documented. Because private forestland owners manage two thirds of the 214 million acres of forest cover in the southern United States, understanding their …

Go to article

Assessment Of Her2-Neu In Breast Cancer Lines Upon Differential Exposures To Xenoestrogens, Abha Aggarwal Jan 2016

Assessment Of Her2-Neu In Breast Cancer Lines Upon Differential Exposures To Xenoestrogens, Abha Aggarwal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Synthetic xenoestrogens have differential estrogenic properties. Research has shown that exposures to xenoestrogens could promote breast cancer by disrupting normal function of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her2) gene. Although animal models demonstrated a connection between xenoestrogen exposure and Her2 activity, no study using human cells has systematically examined their carcinogenic potential influencing the Her2 gene expression. Furthermore, breast cancer cells are phenotypically disparate (ER+, Her2+), with some phenotypes (Her2+), leading to more aggressive disease. This study aimed to dosimetrically assess the carcinogenic potential of commonly used xenoestrogens influencing Her2 gene expression, and delineate cellular phenotypes at greater …

Go to article

Strategies Affecting The Sustainability Of Small Businesses, Malissa A. Bush Jan 2016

Strategies Affecting The Sustainability Of Small Businesses, Malissa A. Bush

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small business owners bolster the emergence and growth of local communities. However, many small businesses do not survive beyond 5 years. Based on systems theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies used by small business owners to develop and maintain viable and long-lasting businesses. Using a multiple case study design, semistructured interviews were conducted with 6 retail business owners in DeKalb County, Georgia who were able to develop and maintain viable and long-lasting businesses. These small business owners provided detailed information on strategies used to sustain their businesses. Semistructured interviews allowed for in-depth conversations …

Go to article

Assessing Information Technology And Business Alignment In Local City Government, Leslie Milbourne D'Anjou Jan 2016

Assessing Information Technology And Business Alignment In Local City Government, Leslie Milbourne D'Anjou

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Top executives are interested in more transparent and formalized structures, applicable measurements, and clear justification of alignment. Limited or improper information technology governance (ITG) affects the business strategy that will ultimately influence the overall business alignment in local city government agencies (LCGAs). The problem addressed in this study was the lack of information regarding LCGAs IT/business strategic alignment maturity model (SAMM) level and the LCGAs' employment size. The purpose of this survey study was to evaluate 48 LCGA participants in the Southwestern part of the United States and compare their alignment perceptions with their cities' employment size. The theoretical framework …

Go to article

Methylmercury Exposure Via Canned Tuna Fish Consumption And Breast Cancer, Jennifer Bodenrader Jan 2016

Methylmercury Exposure Via Canned Tuna Fish Consumption And Breast Cancer, Jennifer Bodenrader

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Widespread consumption of canned tuna fish since the 1950s may explain some of the increase in breast cancer prevalence in the United States and Europe. Although canned tuna is the primary source of human exposure to methylmercury, its role as an estrogen activating metalloestrogen has been overlooked in the etiology and incidence of breast cancer. Carcinogenic theory asserts that increased exposure to estrogen elevates the risk of breast cancer. The purpose of this population-based, case control study was to examine the association between canned tuna consumption, total blood mercury, and breast cancer in the NHANES 2003-2006 surveys. A multivariable logistic …

Go to article

Falls And Related Injuries Based On Surveillance Data: U.S. Hospital Emergency Departments, George K. Quarranttey Jan 2016

Falls And Related Injuries Based On Surveillance Data: U.S. Hospital Emergency Departments, George K. Quarranttey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Falls can lead to unintentional injuries and possibly death, making falls an important public health problem in terms of related health care cost, incurred disabilities, and years of life lost. Approximately 1 in every 3 Americans ages 65 years and older is at risk of falling at least once every year. Children, young adults, and middle-aged adults are also vulnerable to falls. The purpose of this study was to examine the epidemiology of falls and fall-related injuries using surveillance data from nationally representative samples of hospital emergency departments in United States. The study was guided by a social-ecological model on …

Go to article

Social Influence And Organizational Innovation Characteristics On Enterprise Social Computing Adoption, Vincent Di Palermo Jan 2016

Social Influence And Organizational Innovation Characteristics On Enterprise Social Computing Adoption, Vincent Di Palermo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ample research has been conducted to identify the determinants of information technology (IT) adoption. No previous quantitative researchers have explored IT adoption in the context of enterprise social computing (ESC). The purpose of this study was to test and extend the social influence model of IT adoption. In addition, this study addressed a gap in the research literature and presented a model that relates the independent variables of social action, social consensus, social authority, social cooperation, perceived relative advantage, perceived compatibility, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and organizational commitment to the dependent variables of social embracement and embedment. A …

Go to article

Exploring Knowledge Management Models On Information Technology Projects, Alan Richard Foote Jan 2016

Exploring Knowledge Management Models On Information Technology Projects, Alan Richard Foote

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One way an organization manages the knowledge of its people is in information technology (IT) projects. Organizations develop IT projects for many socially responsible reasons, including improved health care services and better community services. IT projects do not always achieve the goals of the organization when the knowledge of the stakeholders is not managed for these objectives. For this study the purpose was to address the use of knowledge management (KM) in project management (PM) to improve the success of IT projects in achieving the organizational goals. The research questions were based on KM including its tools and techniques to …

Go to article

Empirical Examination Of User Acceptance Of Enterprise Resource Planning Systems In The United States, Rohan Oldacre Jan 2016

Empirical Examination Of User Acceptance Of Enterprise Resource Planning Systems In The United States, Rohan Oldacre

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are complex software packages that support an integrated real-time setting among the various business functions in an entire organization. ERP systems improve productivity, but only to the extent that employees accept and use the systems extensively to perform their duties. The leaders of many organizations have not been able to realize the expected benefits because of a lack of user acceptance. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional survey study was to examine the factors that influence user acceptance of ERP systems in the United States. Davis's technology acceptance model was the theoretical foundation used to …

Go to article

Evaluating Federal Information Technology Program Success Based On Earned Value Management, Mae Moy Jan 2016

Evaluating Federal Information Technology Program Success Based On Earned Value Management, Mae Moy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the use of earned value management (EVM) techniques to track development progress, federal information (IT) software programs continue to fail by not meeting identified business requirements. The purpose of this logistic regression study was to examine, using IT software data from federal agencies from 2011 to 2014, whether a relationship between schedule variance (SV), cost variance (CV), and actual cost (AC) could predict the success of IT software program, as operationalized by meeting the identified business requirements. The population of interest was 132 IT software programs developed between 2011 and 2014 for federal agencies. The sample source was an …

Go to article

Teachers' Perceptions Of Manipulatives During Middle School Math Instruction, Angela L. Vizzi Jan 2016

Teachers' Perceptions Of Manipulatives During Middle School Math Instruction, Angela L. Vizzi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a Colorado school district, school personnel and parents were concerned that middle school math proficiency levels were low for 2011-2014 and math teachers were not using manipulatives in their classes to increase math performance. The district's math coordinator did not foresee providing specific professional development (PD) for math manipulative use to address these concerns. Without this PD, math teachers may be ill-quipped to teach math concepts when using manipulatives, which, in turn, could lead to further poor math performance. The purpose of this qualitative bounded collective case study was to explore middle school teachers' perceptions of PD and perceived …

Go to article

Effect Of An Interactive Component On Students' Conceptual Understanding Of Hypothesis Testing, Sarah Anne Inkpen Jan 2016

Effect Of An Interactive Component On Students' Conceptual Understanding Of Hypothesis Testing, Sarah Anne Inkpen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Premier Technical College of Qatar (PTC-Q) has seen high failure rates among students taking a college statistics course. The students are English as a foreign language (EFL) learners in business studies and health sciences. Course delivery has involved conventional content/curriculum-centered instruction with minimal to no interactive components. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to assess the effectiveness of an interactive approach to teaching and learning statistics used in North America and the United Kingdom when used with EFL students in the Middle East. Guided by von Glasersfeld's constructivist framework, this study compared conceptual understanding between a convenience sample …

Go to article

Information Technology Adoption By Small Businesses Owners, Soha Elaskalani Ragab Jan 2016

Information Technology Adoption By Small Businesses Owners, Soha Elaskalani Ragab

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small business owners need effective strategies to increase profitability. One such strategy is the adoption of information technology (IT). The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies used by small business enterprise (SBE) owners to implement IT solutions for increased profitability within 3 years of opening their business. The population consisted of 3 small business owners in Orange County Southern California who were profitable by their third year of business. The conceptual framework for this study was based upon general systems theory. Data for this study were collected through semistructured interviews and a review of company …

Go to article

Small Retail Business Owner Strategies Needed To Succeed Beyond 5 Years, Colonel Jaime Solis Jan 2016

Small Retail Business Owner Strategies Needed To Succeed Beyond 5 Years, Colonel Jaime Solis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses accounted for 99% of the firms in private industry, provided 38% of the goods and services sold in the United States, and hired 55% of the labor force each year between 2012 and 2015. From 1993 to 2013, small firms accounted for 63% of new work generated while more than 50% of U.S. small businesses failed inside of 5 years and at least 20% failed during the first year. The purpose of this multiunit case study was to explore the strategies small retail businesses used to achieve sustainability beyond 5 years in a purposefully selected county in Virginia. …

Go to article

Understanding The Relationships Among Students' Goal Orientations, Self-Efficacy, Anxiety, And Accelerated Academic Success In The Redesign Of Developmental Mathematics, Kelly Ann Hogan Jan 2016

Understanding The Relationships Among Students' Goal Orientations, Self-Efficacy, Anxiety, And Accelerated Academic Success In The Redesign Of Developmental Mathematics, Kelly Ann Hogan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The low success rates of increasing numbers of underprepared students taking developmental mathematics classes 'often minority and economically disadvantaged' are challenging community colleges across the United States. These students, who must start in the lowest levels of precollege mathematics courses, are unlikely to pass the first course and earn a credential. Using a mastery goal orientation theoretical framework, a quantitative, survey research design was used to ascertain any correlations between students' goal orientations, self-efficacy, test anxiety, and success in a new model of learning. Survey data were used to answer 3 research questions: (a) the relationship between success and students' …

Go to article

Decision-Making On Technology Deployment For Online Programs At Historically Black Institutions, Shirley M. Mcclellan Jan 2016

Decision-Making On Technology Deployment For Online Programs At Historically Black Institutions, Shirley M. Mcclellan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) lag behind predominantly White institutions in their production of online courses and degree programs because of nonexistent or inadequate technology training for faculty members and limited financial resources. The purpose of this qualitative comparative case study was to obtain insight into how decisions are made on technology deployment and integration of online programs at HBCUs. Guided by Donaldson's contingency theory, this case study addressed how decisions are determined at HBCUs to integrate online learning programs into the curriculum and how the individuals who make these decisions perceive online learning programs. Survey responses were collected …

Go to article

A Quantitative Quasi-Experimental Study Of An Online High School Mathematics Remediation Program, Terry Meehan Jan 2016

A Quantitative Quasi-Experimental Study Of An Online High School Mathematics Remediation Program, Terry Meehan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The local problem that drove this study is that a high school in an upper middle class suburban city in Pennsylvania wants to improve its student scores on its end-of-course Algebra 1 Keystone Exam. The purpose of this study was to conduct a quantitative, quasi-experimental assessment of an online high school mathematics remediation program to determine if the remediation program was successful in its endeavor to remediate students. This research study, informed by the self-efficacy and the behaviorist learning theories, attempted to determine whether students who (a) scored below proficient on the May algebra exam and were placed in the …

Go to article

Strategies For E-Commerce Platform Adoption In The Manufacturing Sector In Western India, Neeraj Parikh Jan 2016

Strategies For E-Commerce Platform Adoption In The Manufacturing Sector In Western India, Neeraj Parikh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While 95% of Indian SME leaders have not adopted an e-commerce platform, the few SME leaders having adopted such platforms reported 64% higher sales and 65% higher profits. The purpose of this multi-case study, guided by the diffusion of innovation (DOI) theory, was to explore the strategies that Indian SME leaders used to adopt e-commerce platforms to expand their businesses. Data for this study emerged from conducting face-to-face, semistructured interviews with 3 SME leaders who operated in the manufacturing industry in western India. The data analysis process included validating, coding, interpreting, and summarizing data and generating themes. Methodological triangulation of …

Go to article

Examining Data Privacy Breaches In Healthcare, Tanshanika Turner Smith Jan 2016

Examining Data Privacy Breaches In Healthcare, Tanshanika Turner Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Healthcare data can contain sensitive, personal, and confidential information that should remain secure. Despite the efforts to protect patient data, security breaches occur and may result in fraud, identity theft, and other damages. Grounded in the theoretical backdrop of integrated system theory, the purpose of this study was to determine the association between data privacy breaches, data storage locations, business associates, covered entities, and number of individuals affected. Study data consisted of secondary breach information retrieved from the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights. Loglinear analytical procedures were used to examine U.S. healthcare breach incidents and …

Go to article

Environmental Leadership: Exploring Environmental Dissonance Involving Natural Resource Consumption And Ecosystem Degradation, Thomas L. Tochterman Jan 2016

Environmental Leadership: Exploring Environmental Dissonance Involving Natural Resource Consumption And Ecosystem Degradation, Thomas L. Tochterman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As the corporate world, communities, and individuals become more globalized and demands on natural resources increase, a new emphasis on environmental leadership including a new pragmatic environmental ethos is needed to meet certain basic human needs of future generations. The research problem addressed in this study was the lack of knowledge concerning how environmental cognitive dissonance influences consumption practices related to inefficient resource utilization and ecosystem degradation. The purpose of this study was to provide an understanding of the breadth and depth of environmental cognitive dissonance among visitors to the Kruger National Park in South Africa. The research questions addressed …

Go to article

Effects Of Information Technology Risk Management And Institution Size On Financial Performance, Shaun D'Olene Kecia Barrett Jan 2016

Effects Of Information Technology Risk Management And Institution Size On Financial Performance, Shaun D'Olene Kecia Barrett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A negative relationship exists between unmanaged IT risk and financial performance of institutions of varying sizes. The purpose for this quantitative correlation study was to examine the relationship between IT risk management, institution size, and the financial performance of credit unions in Jamaica. Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) risk IT model provided the theoretical framework for the study. Audited financial statements and a web-based survey provided data for this study. One hundred and thirty employees from 13 credit unions in Jamaica participated in the study. Results of the multiple regression tests confirmed a statistically significant relationship between IT …

Go to article

Developing Sustainable Leadership Strategies To Increase Corporate Revenue, Linda Goulet Crosby Jan 2016

Developing Sustainable Leadership Strategies To Increase Corporate Revenue, Linda Goulet Crosby

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The business environment is in constant flux where stakeholders encourage organizational leaders to consider sustainable business tactics alongside corporate profits. While most business leaders recognize the importance of including sustainability into corporate goals, evidence suggested that only 10% have sustainable action plans in place. Using the honeybee leadership model as the conceptual framework, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the sustainable leadership strategies that business leaders from small- and medium- sized companies integrated to increase corporate revenue. These companies were B Corp certified which ensures a third party endorsement of sustainable practices. The data were collected …

Go to article

Epistemic Skills Deficiency In The Project Management Body Of Knowledge, Alex Hosch Jan 2016

Epistemic Skills Deficiency In The Project Management Body Of Knowledge, Alex Hosch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Information Technology (IT) projects continue to fail despite being managed by certified Project Management Professionals (PMP) and professionally trained non-certified Project Managers (PM). This study addressed PMPs and qualified PMs who continue to experience IT project failure at a high rate. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore perspectives of PMs and their understanding of project management best practices in the Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). There were 5 research questions focused on IT project failures, lessons learned, trends, deficiencies in project management framework, and adherence to standard PM practices. This study …

Go to article

Effects Of An Integrated Electronic Health Record On An Academic Medical Center, Kenneth E. Koppenhaver Ii Jan 2016

Effects Of An Integrated Electronic Health Record On An Academic Medical Center, Kenneth E. Koppenhaver Ii

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The debate about healthcare reform revolves around a triple aim of improving the health of populations, improving the patient experience, and reducing the cost of care. A major tool discussed in this debate has been the adoption of electronic health record (EHR) systems to record and guide care delivery. Due to low adoption rates and limited examples of success, the problem was a lack of understanding by healthcare organizations of how the EHR fundamentally changes an organization through the interactions of people, processes, and technology over time. The purpose of this case study was to explore the people, processes, and …

Go to article

Adoption Of Information And Communication Technology In Nigerian Small- To Medium-Size Enterprises, Kessington Enaye Okundaye Jan 2016

Adoption Of Information And Communication Technology In Nigerian Small- To Medium-Size Enterprises, Kessington Enaye Okundaye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small- to medium-size enterprises (SMEs) play a vital role in a dynamic economy through job creation, poverty alleviation, and socioeconomic development in developed and developing countries. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore how SME leaders in Lagos, Nigeria, adopted information and communication technology (ICT) as a business strategy to increase profitability and compete globally. Organizational leaders have adopted ICT so that their organizations can become more efficient, effective, innovative, and globally competitive. This study involved 4 SMEs that had successfully implemented ICT. The participants included 5 SME leaders from each of the SMEs. The data collection …

Go to article

Challenges And Implications Of Implementing Strategic Intelligence Systems In Mexico, Hector De Jesus Rivera Ochoa Jan 2016

Challenges And Implications Of Implementing Strategic Intelligence Systems In Mexico, Hector De Jesus Rivera Ochoa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Business intelligence (BI) allows companies to make faster and better-informed decisions. Unfortunately, implementing BI systems in companies in developing countries is minimal. Limited and costly access to the technology, coupled with the cultural background affecting how people perceive BI, has restricted such implementations. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and describe the lived experiences of chief executive officers (CEOs) in northern Mexico to obtain insight into the challenges of implementing BI systems. Research questions focused on the reasons behind the lack of BI systems implementation and the challenges faced by these officers when implementing a new system. …

Go to article

Innovation Difussion Of Smartphone In Nigeria, Olukunle Ariyo Iyanda Jan 2016

Innovation Difussion Of Smartphone In Nigeria, Olukunle Ariyo Iyanda

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Rapid diffusion and use of smartphones in Africa are challenging, given the state of its infrastructural facilities. The problem addressed was a lack of information on the adoption behavior and the sociodevelopmental effect of smartphone acceptance among rural and urban users in Nigeria. The purpose of this study was to examine the adoption behavior and the sociodevelopmental effect of smartphone acceptance among rural and urban residents. Research questions examined the relationship of performance expectancy, social influence, price value, and habit on adopters' intentions to use smartphones, continued use of smartphones, and the sociodevelopmental effect on smartphone users lives and standard …

Go to article

Health Information Technology Implementation Strategies In Zimbabwe, Nixjoen Mandaza Mapesa Jan 2016

Health Information Technology Implementation Strategies In Zimbabwe, Nixjoen Mandaza Mapesa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The adoption rate of health information technology (HIT) remains low in developing countries, where healthcare institutions experience high operating costs and loss of revenue, which are related to systems and processes inefficiency. The purpose of this case study was to explore strategies leaders in Zimbabwe used to implement HIT. The conceptual framework of the study was Davis's technology acceptance model (TAM). Data were gathered through observations, review of organizational documents (i.e., policies, procedures, and guidelines), and in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of 10 healthcare leaders and end-users from hospitals in Zimbabwe who had successfully implemented HIT. Transcribed interview data …

Go to article

Exploring Maintenance And Facility Operations Strategies For California Community Colleges, Virginia Parras Grande Jan 2016

Exploring Maintenance And Facility Operations Strategies For California Community Colleges, Virginia Parras Grande

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

California community college leaders are looking for strategies to sustain facilities and maintenance operations because the governor only approved the allocation of $87.5 million in the 2014-2015 Budget Act for facilities maintenance operations. Guided by the change and strategy theories, the purpose of this multicase study was to explore the strategies that a select group of college leaders have used to sustain or improve their facilities maintenance operations. The data collection process included a review of college planning documents and semistructured interviews with 10 senior administrators from 3 large California community colleges who have used strategies to address sustaining or …

Go to article

First Prev Next Last