Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Effect Of Anchoring On Perceived Amniocentesis Related Miscarriage Risk Within A Latina Population, Laura E. Panos

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Most recognized pregnancies are completed without difficulty, yet there is always a 3-5% background risk to have a child with a birth defect. Amniocentesis, the most common type of prenatal diagnostic test, is used to detect chromosomal abnormalities, such as Down syndrome. Amniocentesis is associated with a risk of complications that can lead to a miscarriage, which is typically quoted to be between 1 in 300 and 1 in 500. Amniocentesis uptake rates are typically lowest within the Latina community, and although the factors related to this have been studied before, no specific conclusions have been reached.

The general population …

The Experience Of Counseling The Terminally Ill And The Best Counseling Practices, Helen Jackson Bleicher

Student Work

As people approach the end of their lives, many experience anxiety throughout the dying experience. This research investigated the death experience of terminally ill patients and the best counseling practices among licensed mental health practitioners. The questions developed by the researcher served as the measure, which was developed specifically for this research. The questions were given to a small purposive sample of counselors (N=10) who work in hospice settings, private practice, and oncology clinics. This research found that counselors focus on the psychosocial and spiritual aspects of dying, and observe patients having less death anxiety when they are comfortable with …

An Evaluation Of The Succession Law Changes Introduced By The Civil Partnership And Certain Rights And Obligations Of Cohabitants Act 2010, Niamh Dennehy

Dissertations

The Succession Act 1965 introduced a curb on a person‘s freedom of testation and gave protection to spouses and children on the death of a husband/wife, mother or father. As a result, certain relationships took precedence over others in the distribution of an estate, e.g. a surviving spouse‘s legal right share to a deceased spouse‘s estate is absolute. Since that legislation was enacted Irish society has changed greatly with a new variety and complexity of family structures. The provisions introduced by the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010 are an attempt to keep pace with …

Floyd Gibbons: A Journalistic Force Of Nature In Early 20th Century America, Andrew J. Nelson

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Theses

“Floyd Gibbons: A Journalistic Force of Nature in Early 20^th Century America” examines some of the key journalistic work of dashing newsman Floyd Gibbons and his status as one of the top reporters to ever file a news story. This thesis will look at the world in which Gibbons inhabited 85 to100 years ago, what made him the man and journalist he was and his work as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune compared to what his competitors at national newspapers wrote.

As a reporter, Gibbons was remarkably aggressive and could be counted upon to get the story, no …

Leustean's "Eastern Christianity And The Cold War, 1945-91" - Book Review, James R. Payton Jr.

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

Factors That Inhibit Or Enhance Maternal Coping With Stillbirth In Chhattisgarh, India, Lisa R. Roberts

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background: Over half of the known stillbirths occur in four highly populated countries—India among them. While acknowledged as a significant public health issue in western societies, little is known about maternal coping with stillbirth in developing countries. The purpose of this mixed methods study is to explore how issues of gender and power, social support, coping efforts, and religious beliefs influence perinatal grief outcomes among poor women in rural Chhattisgarh, India.

Methods: In Phase 1 of this mixed methods study, grounded theory methods were used to explore perceptions regarding stillbirth. A de-identified medical records review of 536 deliveries at Christian …

Volume 18, Number 1 (Spring 2011), Peace And Conflict Studies

Peace and Conflict Studies

No abstract provided.

Nigeria’S Niger Delta: Militia Violence, Amnesty, And Energy Security, Ibaba Samuel Ibaba

Peace and Conflict Studies

This paper discusses the interface between violence in the Niger Delta, global energy security and amnesty granted to armed groups by the Nigerian government. The author notes the impact of the violence on energy infrastructure and brings to the fore how the violence endangers energy security. Thus far, a major concern is that the amnesty program will fail because it was not preceded by negotiations between the government and combatants. The author questions this view and points outs that before the amnesty proclamation, several negotiations through committees and commissions involving stakeholders had been done. The paper thus argues that it …

The Coalition Of The Unwilling: Contentious Politics, Political Opportunity Structures, And Challenges For The Contemporary Peace Movement, Victoria Carty

Peace and Conflict Studies

The Bush Doctrine, which was installed after the 9-11 attacks on the United States under the guise of the war on terrorism, postulated a vision of the United States as the world’s unchallenged superpower and the invasion of Iraq became one of the central fronts of this war. After failing to get approval by the United Nations for the invasion, the Bush Administration’s attempt to assemble a coalition of the willing became critical to the battle for public opinion to back the war. While the administration was able to garner some support, the coalition eventually unravelled and all troops are …

London, Libel Capital No Longer? The Draft Defamation Act 2011 And The Future Of Libel Tourism, Thomas Sanchez

The University of New Hampshire Law Review

[Excerpt] “In the past decade, London emerged as the forum of choice for “libel tourists”—strategic, often foreign, plaintiffs who bring defamation actions in a jurisdiction with plaintiff-friendly libel laws, even if they and the defamatory material at issue lack a substantial connection with that jurisdiction. England’s defamation laws and procedures make it significantly easier for claimants to commence and prevail in libel actions than do the laws and procedures of many other countries, particularly the United States. As a result, English courts have entertained several high-profile defamation cases involving foreign parties who have only tenuous connections to England, such as …

It’S A Beautiful Day In The Gayborhood, Cori E. Walter

Master of Liberal Studies Theses

This thesis project discusses the evolution of gay districts in urban centers from the late 1800s to present day. These gay districts transformed as American society and culture changed over the decades. The project begins by looking at the gay ghettos of the late 1880s through the 1910s as places of containment for the “unwanted” populations of a city. The 1920s and 1930s see the rise of the gay village, a place of sexual exploration and entertainment where the gay population found safety and a source of income. Gay districts then became unsafe to frequent during the Red Scare of …

Corruption And Confidence In Public Institutions: Evidence From A Global Survey, Bianca Clausen, Aart Kraay, Zsolt Nyiri

Department of Political Science and Law Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Well-functioning institutions matter for economic development. In order to operate effectively, public institutions must also inspire confidence in those they serve. We use data from the Gallup World Poll, a unique and very large global household survey, to document a quantitatively large and statistically significant negative correlation between corruption and confidence in public institutions. This suggests an important indirect channel through which corruption can inhibit development: by eroding confidence in public institutions. This correlation is robust to the inclusion of a large set of controls for country and respondent-level characteristics. Moreover we show how it can plausibly be interpreted as …

Women’S Sexual Orientations And Their Experiences Of Sexual Assault Before And During University, Sandra L. Martin, Bonnie S. Fisher, Tara D. Warner, Christopher P. Krebs, Christine H. Lindquist

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Purpose — We sought to examine relationships between women’s sexual orientations and their sexual assault experiences before and during university.

Methods — Self-reported responses on a web-based survey of 5,439 female undergraduates who participated in the Campus Sexual Assault study were analyzed to compare three groups: bisexuals, lesbians, and heterosexuals. Groups were compared in terms of the prevalence of sexual assault before and during university, and the extent to which sexual assault before university predicted sexual assault during university.

Findings — The prevalence of sexual assault before and during university was higher among bisexuals and lesbians compared with heterosexuals (25.4% …

Growing The Urban Ecosystem In Detroit, Michigan, Sean Basalyga

Social Sciences

Many views of the future are seen as bleak and devoid of the life where once stood beauty and abundance. However, the Living Cities Design Competition challenges these views and calls for a vision of the future that inspires hope, biodiversity, and a healthy interaction between human and natural systems. We chose to redesign the city of Detroit, Michigan to be a living city by the year 2035. As the earth scientist on an interdisciplinary team, I acted as an ecological consultant. By developing the urban ecosystem of Detroit, a number of social, economical, and environmental problems can be solved. …

Preserving Louisiana’S Investments In Affordable Housing: Housing Project Profiles And Policy Recommendations, Department Of Planning And Urban Studies, University Of New Orleans

Planning and Urban Studies Reports and Presentations

This report analyzes current data on Louisiana LIHTC projects as well a as national preservation practices to attempt to provide a basis for advancing preservation policies in Louisiana.

Greater New Orleans' Small Business Lending Landscape: Recommendations For Seedco Financial-Louisiana, Department Of Planning And Urban Studies, University Of New Orleans

Planning and Urban Studies Reports and Presentations

Small businesses play a vital role in stimulating the economy, bringing investment into disadvantaged communities, and helping women and minority business owners to become financially independent. While access to capital is a long‐standing problem, due to the recent recession there have been tighter restrictions nationally on lending criteria, reducing the access small businesses have to capital and services. Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), as mission‐oriented organizations, help to fill these gaps and increase access to capital. In the six years, Southeast Louisiana has endured destructive hurricanes, a national economic downturn and the largest oil spill in US history. These community‐altering …

A Grammar Of Signwriting, Stuart M. Thiessen

Theses and Dissertations

Signed languages have not enjoyed the benefits of writing for lack of an effective writing system. Writing systems designed for spoken languages are not easily adaptable to signed languages because signed languages are not based on sound. A successful writing system for sign languages must convey a different set of articulators, namely the configurations and movements of the hands, head, and body to convey meaning. This necessarily means that writing systems for signed languages must find a way to express those articulators, reducing a three-dimensional event to a written representation.

One such writing system is SignWriting, a system developed by …

Serving Hands: A Profile Of The Access Services Department, Susan Hamilton

Law Library Staff & Faculty Works

Learn about the Circulation Desk crew:

• Carmela Kinslow, Librarian and Head of Access Services
• Mary Cowsert, Daytime Supervisor
• Anita Lutz, Evening and Weekend Supervisor
• Janet Rose, Library Specialist

Replacement Alternatives For Beef Cow Herds: An Analysis Of Retaining Non-Pregnant Cows, Trenton T. Bohling

Department of Agricultural Economics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

A non-pregnant cow is a liability to a producer. Over the last four years, cow-calf producers have had an increased number of non-pregnant cows due to factors like environmental conditions and diseases like trichomoniasis. While most research has indicated that culling a non-pregnant female and replacing the cow with retained heifers, purchased heifers, or purchased cows are the only economic alternatives, recent trends in the cattle market have suggested that keeping a non-pregnant cow may also be an alternative.

Annual beef cow budgets were created based on typical Nebraska Sandhills conditions. Revenues and costs in these budgets vary according to …

Aversive Racism And Implicit Biases In Civil Rights Workers, Anne N. M. Hobbs

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of implicit mechanisms that perpetuate inequality. The vast majority of claims of discrimination in this country are filtered through the lens of a civil rights investigator. It is critical to our understanding of civil rights enforcement, and inequality overall, to assess the potential for implicit bias processes of non-judicial government employees to impact the outcome of discrimination cases.  Social psychologists have long established that the human brain processes information in highly effective ways that may make it prone to stereotyping and error. I used a vignette methodology to assess …

Be A Part Of The Plan - Engaging People - Linking The World, Charlotte Narjes, Rebecca J. Vogt, Connie Hancock

Cornhusker Economics

Broadband is transforming the economy and society. Businesses are using telecommunications to speed up transactions, reduce costs and expand their markets. New technologies such as cloud computing are allowing businesses to further reduce costs, and increase flexibility and mobility. Students at all levels are taking courses via distance learning technologies. eHealth technologies are making complete patient information available at the point of care, eliminating the need to run redundant tests and reducing the risk of dangerous drug interactions. Broadband technologies are also opening significant opportunities for the agricultural sector to increase accuracy of production and profits, and stay abreast of …

Rural - Urban Interdependencies: What Can We Learn From Minnesota?, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel

Cornhusker Economics

In the current era of political hard choices driven by government austerity, it is not surprising to see a change in emphasis from statewide community collaboration and partnership to “every community for itself.” When tough choices at the state and regional level need to be made, one of the key issues is often where to put those limited resources . . . is it in rural areas or urban areas?

But what if we stepped back and approached this in a different way . . . instead of considering resource allocation in terms of rural or urban, what if we …

Out Of The Mouths Of Babes: Vocal Production In Infant Siblings Of Children With Asd, Rhea Paul, Yael Fuerst, Gordon Ramsay, Kasia Chawarska, Ami Klin

Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

Background: Younger siblings of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are at higher risk for acquiring these disorders than the general population. Language development is usually delayed in children with ASD. The present study examines the development of pre-speech vocal behavior in infants at risk for ASD due to the presence of an older sibling with the disorder. Methods: Infants at high risk (HR) for ASD and those at low risk, without a diagnosed sibling (LR), were seen at 6, 9, and 12 months as part of a larger prospective study of risk for ASD in infant siblings. Standard clinical …

Anonymity And Democratic Citizenship, James A. Gardner

Journal Articles

Many aspects of modern democratic life are or can be performed anonymously – voting, financial contributions, petition signing, political speech and debate, communication with and lobbying of officials, and so forth. But is it desirable for citizens to perform such tasks anonymously? Anonymity frees people from social pressures associated with observation and identifiability, but does this freedom produce behavior that is democratically beneficial? What, in short, is the effect of anonymity on the behavior of democratic citizens, and how should we evaluate it?

In this paper, I attempt a first pass answer to these questions by turning to both democratic …

Coping Methods Of Female Correctional Officers, Kathryn Flannery

Justice Studies Theses

A huge population increase has happened in the last 39 years for females working in the correctional field. Unfortunately, the research has barely kept up with such gender progress in the workforce. A much needed study on stress and the female correctional officer was conducted to evaluate three certain hypotheses: it is hypothesized that years of service are associated with different stress levels, that years of service is associated with different coping strategies, and that stress and coping are negatively related. Independent T-tests, multiple ANOVAs, and one-way ANOVAs found that there were not any correlational relationships for years in service …

The Effects Of Yoga And Aerobic Exercise On Concentration And Feeling-States, Elyse J. Dolde

Honors Senior Capstones and Theses

The impacts of yoga and aerobic exercise on level of concentration and change in feeling-states were examined in this study. They hypothesis was that concentration and feeling-states would improve over a yoga and aerobic exercise session, but yoga, a combination of exercise and meditation, was expected to produce greater positive changes than aerobic exercise. Participants included 70 students from Roger Williams University, 27 male and 43 female. 34 took part in 30 minutes of yoga and 36 took part in 30 minutes of aerobic exercise. Concentration levels and feeling-states improved significantly over sessions of both yoga and aerobic exercise sessions …

The Utility Of The Savry In Predicting Recidivism Among Juvenile Sex Offenders, Timothy Owens

Psychology Theses

The identification of high-risk juvenile sex offenders has become one of the most controversial tasks of forensic mental health professionals today. Courts rely on clinician assessments when attempting to differentiate between youth who are low risk versus youth that are high risk to recidivate. The present study will examine the effectiveness of the Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth (SAVRY) in predicting sexual and nonsexual recidivism in a sample of juvenile sex offenders. Participants are 100 male juvenile sex offenders who were evaluated by a forensic evaluation service regarding their risk to reoffend. Archival case information, which contains forensic …

The Presidency Of George W. Bush: A First Historical Assessment, Ed. Julian E. Zelizer, Michael A. Genovese

Political Science and International Relations Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Hypertext, Narrative, And The Future Of News Writing, Holly Cowart

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis considers how the narrative context in which hypertext has developed offers a solution for transforming print media into an online form. It defines the qualities of the hypertext narrative and looks specifically at how hyperfiction has utilized these qualities. It outlines the aspects of hypertext relevant to shaping an online narrative and then considers how those aspects of hypertext could be applied to one of the forms of narrative, the online news story, that up to this point has not effectively utilized screen-based text. The online news story is an example of words on a screen functioning in …

The Effects Of Body Characteristics On Perceived Competence, Courtney Michelle Kneip

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of different body characteristics on perceived competence; specifically, height, weight, and physical appearance. Participants were asked to login to their online school accounts and were then directed to a specific survey. All surveys consisted of the same questions, but included a different photograph. Participants then listened to a pre-recorded speech after being told that the individual in the photograph was the individual giving the speech. All surveys asked participants to rate judgments of height, weight, and physical appearance, compared to the average American. The speech provided the basis for the …