Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Harnessing Knowledge To Ensure Food Safety: Opportunities To Improve The Nation's Food Safety Information Infrastructure, Michael R. Taylor, Michael B. Batz

Health Policy and Management Faculty Publications

Those working in the food industry face an abundance of information generated by diverse institutions and individuals.

Ensuring the safety of food is critically important to the public's health and a challenge for policy-makers seeking to enhance the government's role in this arena. Although the food industry has an inherent duty to make food safe, the effectiveness of what they do is highly dependent on the quality of the information they receive on potential hazards and good practices.

In this context, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funded a project under the auspices of the Food Safety Research Consortium to examine …

University Of Texas At El Paso Capital Improvements: Economic Impact On El Paso, Texas, David A. Schauer, Carlos Olmedo, Dennis L. Soden

IPED Technical Reports

No abstract provided.

Cd. Juárez Manufacturing And El Paso Industry Linkages, Carlos Olmedo, Roberto Tinajero, Mario E. Caire

IPED Technical Reports

The City of El Paso Economic Development Department views the development of strategies to enhance industry recruitment and retention as a key initiative to promote the regional economy. In an effort to identify opportunities for El Paso industries to become suppliers to the high demand for inputs by the Cd. Juárez manufacturing base, the Institute for Policy and Economic Development (IPED) at the University of Texas at El Paso has undertaken an input-output (I-O) study to examine customer-supplier linkages between Cd. Juárez manufacturing and El Paso industry. Analysis built on strongly associated linkages among industries (via I-O sales and purchasing …

Human–Wildlife Conflict And Gender In Protected Area Borderlands: A Case Study Of Costs, Perceptions, And Vulnerabilities From Uttarakhand (Uttaranchal), India, Monica V. Ogra

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

Human–wildlife conflict (HWC) is a growing problem for communities located at the borders of protected areas. Such conflicts commonly take place as crop-raiding events and as attack by wild animals, among other forms. This paper uses a feminist political ecology approach to examine these two problems in an agricultural village located at the border of Rajaji National Park in Uttarakhand (formerly Uttaranchal), India. Specifically, it investigates the following three questions: What are the “visible” and “hidden” costs of such conflict with wildlife? To what extent are these costs differentially borne by men and women? How do villagers perceive any such …

Seeing Is Perceiving: The Influence Of Race As A Peripheral Cue On The Stereotypical Perception Of A Spokesperson In An Advertisement, Siobhan Denise Flowers

Communication Theses - Archive

Due to the vast amount of stimuli individuals come in contact with daily, people often tend to look for easy-to-process cues to help them make quick judgments about what they are seeing (Petty & Cacioppo, 1986). While this can sometimes be helpful, it is not always so. For example, if someone makes a snap judgment about another person based on the color of their skin, it is possible they will fall prey to stereotypes. In the case of African-Americans, a number of negative stereotypes have been perpetuated through the years, contributing to prejudice (Devine, 1989). This study sought to answer …

Russia's Portrayal In The Western Media: A Quantitative Analysis Of Leading Media Agency News Stories In 2007, Mihai Moscovici

Communication Theses - Archive

This study examined Western media news coverage about Russia. Representative samples from the leading Western wire and international broadcasting services - the AP, BBC and DW - were selected and analyzed using content analysis methodology. The research is grounded in the theoretical frameworks of the agenda-setting and framing theories - considering the reality constructed by mass media and the determinants on foreign news coverage. Findings about Russia's portrayal in the Western media are discussed. A quantitative content analysis was used in identifying the main topics, tones and frames used in Western media news coverage about Russia. This research concluded that …

Public Management Reform In Developing Countries: An Empirical Investigation Of Operational And Financial Efficiency Of Private Versus Public Airports In Latin America And The Caribbean, Alvin H. Brown

Public Affairs Dissertations - Archive

Public enterprises in Latin American and Caribbean developing nations (LACDNs) are constantly struggling to make their public infrastructures in sectors such as banking, energy; telecommunications, trade, and aviation operate more efficiently and effectively. Public management reform is used to analyze the problems of government and provide solutions. The problems encountered are the growing cost of the public sector in conjunction with inefficient and unresponsive bureaucracies in LACDNs. Accordingly, the solutions involve governments focusing on ensuring that public enterprises are performing efficiently and effectively by adopting a holistic market approach for operating public enterprises. The purpose of this study is to …

The Irony Of Proving Discrimination, Rosalyn Wilson-Green

Public Affairs Dissertations - Archive

Currently America courts require plaintiffs alleging discrimination to not only prove the existence of present day discrimination but to also prove the "discriminatory intent." This dissertation contains two applications of the theory of unconscious discrimination as it reveals the difficulty of prevailing in discrimination cases. The assumption applied is that policy-makers use theories that dismiss or render invisible the presence of subtle discrimination. This perpetuates the problem and hinders its adequate address. Since so many people suffer because of discrimination's invisible-yet present existence, measures must be taken to unveil the remedy this subtler form of discrimination. In this dissertation, I …

Public Management Reform In Developing Countries: An Empirical Investigation Of Operational And Financial Efficiency Of Private Versus Public Airports In Latin America And The Caribbean, Alvin H. Brown

Public Affairs Dissertations - Archive

Public enterprises in Latin American and Caribbean developing nations (LACDNs) are constantly struggling to make their public infrastructures in sectors such as banking, energy; telecommunications, trade, and aviation operate more efficiently and effectively. Public management reform is used to analyze the problems of government and provide solutions. The problems encountered are the growing cost of the public sector in conjunction with inefficient and unresponsive bureaucracies in LACDNs. Accordingly, the solutions involve governments focusing on ensuring that public enterprises are performing efficiently and effectively by adopting a holistic market approach for operating public enterprises. The purpose of this study is to …

You Gotta Have Faith, Randy Borum

Mental Health Law & Policy Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Writing A Business Plan For A School Of Creative Music Education, Pamela Szalay

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This project was about writing a business plan for a unique school of music thatfosters creativity and promotes fun in learning. It synthesized knowledge from the fields ofbusiness, education, creativity and music. The result was a forty-eight page document that Resources for teachers were included. Additionally, a PowerPoint presentation was developed to present key concepts and features of the School of Creative Music Education to potential investors, partners, employees, teachers or clients. A highlight was the video clips of group piano lessons and student performances.

The Effects Of Combining Reduced Luminance And Increased Blur On Older Driver Speed And Visual Acuity, Nathan Klein

All Theses

Drivers may be at more risk to themselves and other roadway users when vision is blurred or when luminance levels are reduced. Past research has investigated these visual conditions separately, finding that each degrades acuity without severely impairing steering ability. However, it is unknown how reduced luminance in combination with increased blur will affect driving performance. This study sought to quantify this combined effect on older adults' comfortable driving speed and visual acuity by testing 10 participants in a driving simulator. The majority of the luminance and blur conditions are comparable to those the driving population may realistically encounter. Participants …

Ddasaccident600, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The primary cause of this accident is listed as a Field Control Inadequacy because the Victim was working in a way that was unsafe and his error was not corrected. The secondary cause is listed as “Unavoidable” because there is not enough detail available to determine what really happened and it may be that the deminer was working as instructed when the accident occurred. If this is the case, the Field Managers bear considerable responsibility for not having learned from a similar accident involving this demining group only a few weeks previously. The repetition of the deminer working well outside …

Counting The Cost: The Economic Impact Of Cluster Munition Contamination In Lebanon, Greg Crowther

Global CWD Repository

This report seeks to estimate and project the economic cost of cluster munition contamination resulting from the 2006 conflict in Lebanon.

It focuses on three areas:

• The cost of lost agricultural production specifically caused by cluster munition contamination;
• The cost of responding to cluster munition contamination through internationally assisted clearance and risk reduction operations;
• The economic cost of deaths and injuries directly resulting from this contamination.

Different methodologies and assumptions have been used in approaching these issues – resulting in upper and lower estimates of the cost. The methodologies and assumptions adopted are explained in detail in the report and …

Representation Of English Language Learners In Special Education: An Overview, Rachel M. Morley

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Possible misrepresentation of English Language Learners (ELLs) in special education is a concern for many school districts across the U.S. This paper discusses language and cultural factors that affect assessment and classification of ELL students, focusing on classifications of Learning Disability (LD) and Mental Retardation (MR). Empirical studies and review articles regarding representation of ELLs in special education are summarized. Methods of avoiding inappropriate placement are presented, and implications for school psychologists are discussed.

The Creative Economy In Small Places: Eight Cases And A Developmental Model, Jennifer L. Hutchins

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

Eight case studies across New England offer understanding of the role of the creative economy in the community and economic development of rural towns and small cities. The cases include Providence and Pawtucket, RI; Burlington, VT; and Portland, Bangor, Norway, Dover-Foxcroft, and the St. John Valley, ME. Ten elements or “building blocks” are observed to be important, leading to an explanatory model for the development of the creative economy in small communities. These elements include creative people, education centers, cultural and natural amenities, business engagement, infrastructure, leadership, networks, strategies, time, and money. The creative economy in the eight communities has …

Vol. 30, No. 3/4 (2007): Pacific Studies Full Issue, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies Brigham Young University–HawaiʻI

Pacific Studies

Pacific Studies is published two times a year by The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies, Brigham Young University Hawai‘i #1979, 55–220 Kulanui Street, Lāʻie, Hawai‘i 96762, but responsibility for opinions expressed in the articles rests with the authors alone. Subscription rate is US $26.00 yearly, payable to The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies. The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies (formerly The Pacific Institute) is an organization funded by Brigham Young University Hawai‘i. The Center assists the University in meeting its cultural and educational goals by undertaking a program of teaching, research, …

The Jefferson Digital Commons. Starting An Institutional Repository At An Academic Health Sciences Library, Ann Koopman, Daniel G. Kipnis

The Selected Works of Dan Kipnis

In 2005, Thomas Jefferson University started an

institutional repository (IR) and named it the

Jefferson Digital Commons (JDC). Intended as

a showcase for faculty scholarship, it has evolved

to also serve as the University Press for original

journals and newsletters, and as an institutional

archive.

Since its creation, the JDC has accepted and

archived more than 1,500 documents from

faculty, students, departments and Library

collections in our academic health sciences

setting. We share the lessons we’ve learned

about marketing techniques, common IR issues,

and advantages for a library.

Practitioner Perceptions And Experiences With Evidence-Based Practice In The Practice Setting, Stephanie J. Hamm

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

Evidence-based practice (EBP) in the profession of social work is a current concern in the response to a need to be accountable to the profession, clients, and the broader society. This approach to practice, introduced by the medical profession, includes researching and seeking research on interventions for practice that have been supported in previous findings. The purpose is to create the opportunity to offer the best practice interventions to client systems, in micro or macro practice. The current focus in social work is the question of implementation into practice and higher education, if indeed, EBP is a shift in the …

Examining Ecological Factors To Form A Macro Model For Working With Impoverished African American Neighborhoods, Ebony Ladawn Hall

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

This social science study examines three ecological factors (geographical, institutional, and social) of impoverished African American neighborhoods, while also assessing the differences of poor neighborhoods with lower amounts of poverty and those with higher amounts of poverty. Twelve of the poorest neighborhoods in Mobile and Prichard, Alabama were included in the study. The ecological factors included 1) geographical variables determined by the average age of the homes in neighborhood, number of hazardous areas, the number of unoccupied units, and the structural integrity of the neighborhood, 2) institutional variables determined by the number of operating businesses, churches, medical facilities, social organization, …

The Roles Of Ingroup Identification, Prior Commitment, And Group Needs In Predicting Reactions To Group Defection, Melisa A. Holovics

Psychology Theses - Archive

Three experiments were conducted to explore the effects of group member defection (versus control) on reactions by ingroup members. In Study 1, emotional reactions were less positive toward defectors than toward controls, especially as a function of Ingroup Identification. In Studies 2 and 3, target Commitment level (low or high) to the group was added as a factor in the experimental design, and participants were led to believe that they would be having a discussion with either a highly or less committed ingroup member, or with either a (previously) highly or less committed defector. In Studies 2 and 3, Ingroup …

Representation Without Taxation : China's Rural Development Initiatives For A New Millenium, Minzi Su

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this research is to assess the prospects for China's rural revitalization programs now in their initial stages of formulation and implementation. The study seeks to discover, primarily on the basis of field research in several different rural locations, what capacities and political-economic conditions seem to hold the greatest promise for success. The research was occasioned primarily by two key factors: First, China's party and government are now engaged in a massive program to create nothing less than a harmonious society, a key element of which is a "new socialist countryside." The second factor is that despite numerous …

To Watch Or Not To Watch? That Is The Question. Identifying The Common Characteristics Of The Reality Television Viewing Audience, Laura Sipple

Masters Theses

Reality television shows are increasingly appearing on network and cable outlets each sea¬son. Not only are they advancing in number, they are consistently dominating the weekly Nielsen’s Top 10 ratings as well. This study seeks to identify the reality television show viewing audience, why captivated their interest to begin watching these shows and what kept them watching week-to-week. By identifying participants who consistently watched these programs, it was believed that various themes would arise out of this study for further analysis and comparison. In-depth qualitative interviews were utilized to further explore the following areas: (1) Who are the consistent viewers …

The Creativity Issue: Putting The Spotlight On Creative Work In Urban Libraries, Steven J. Bell

Urban Library Journal

No abstract provided.

Growing Adult Readers: Promoting Leisure Reading In Academic Libraries, Renée Bosman, John Glover, Monique Prince

Urban Library Journal

This article provides an introduction to the recreational reading promotion tools at VCU Libraries, including a book review blog, book swap, and bulletin board, as well as the libraries’ involvement with VCU’s summer reading program and Richmond’s citywide “One Community One Book” initiative. Policies and operating procedures will be examined, and these services will be discussed in the context of other libraries’ offerings. We will also discuss why there is a need for these services–which have traditionally been the purview of the public library–on a college campus. Reading among American adults is in dramatic decline, and the academic library is …

Grandparenting Styles In An Urban/Rural Borderland In New Zealand, Sally Keeling

Pacific Studies

This paper on grandparenting styles draws on ethnographic interviews with old-old (80 and older) Anglo-Europeans living in a small-town community in New Zealand. The interviews were collected as part of the social content of a lon tudinal study of the epidemiology of a ng in an urban/rural borderland setting. Analyses indicate that grandparent status and role are both central to and contingent upon how old-old people negotiate and sustain independence and autonomy in the context of family and friendship networks. Diversity is examined using a typology developed from research on American Indian grandparents in an urban/rural situation as a framework, …

Changing Contexts For Grandparent Adoption On Raivavae, French Polynesia, Jeanette L. Dickerson-Putnam

Pacific Studies

This paper examines change in grandparent adoption and care of grandchildren on the Austral island of Raivavae in French Polynesia. The focus is on how Raivavaens have utilized the flexible, negotiable, and contingent institution of grandparent adoption as a strategy for coping with changing global/local linkages, out-migration for employment, and introduction of nonindigenous institutions and processes. The inherent flexibility of the adoptive relationship is apparently enabling Raivavaens to mold it in ways that serve a new set of needs and circumstances, most of which reside with the grandchild's parents rather than the grandparents. Grandparents appear to have extended and otherwise …

The Role Of Head Movements In Simulator Sickness Generated By A Virtual Environment, Alexander Walker

All Theses

Virtual environments (VEs) are being used in a variety of applications, including training, rehabilitation and clinical treatment. To effectively utilize VEs in these situations it is important to try to understand some of the effects of VE exposure. The purpose of this study was to investigate head and body movements in virtual and real environments during building clearing and the relationship between these movements and simulator sickness. The data for the current study were drawn from a larger team training study which investigated the use of VEs for training building clearing. The goal of the first part of this study …

The Effects Of Children's Gender On Living Arrangements And Child Support, Kristin Mammen

Publications and Research

Previous evidence suggests that the gender composition of a family's children--specifically, the presence of sons--affects a number of parental behaviors, including marriage formation, marriage disruption, and living arrangements. Using the March Current Population Survey from 1988 to 2006, this paper examines whether girls are at a double disadvantage in terms of living in single mother homes, and in the likelihood of receiving child support from absent fathers. The findings show that girls are indeed more likely to live in single mother homes and boys are overrepresented in married parent homes with a father or stepfather, and in single father families. …

"Instant Karma": How Globalization Contests China's Abuses, Alison Brysk

Human Rights & Human Welfare

China’s rise from impoverished backwater to prospective superpower has been accompanied by the repression of tens of millions of its own people, at the hands of a nationalist, developmentalist government. Under contemporary conditions of globalization, suppression of civil liberties, domination of ethnic minorities, and unholy alliances with resource-rich dictatorships are no longer plausible requisites of this model—if they ever were. The broadening and deepening of economic globalization towards a more sustainable complex of political influence involves “soft power,” including international reputation and norms. Thus, China’s Olympian reach for true hegemony provides the best chance for human rights advocates to weave …