Examining the Cultural and Historical Impact of the National Historic Site Designation in Nicodemus, Kansas

America\u27s National Historic Preservation Act promotes the conservation of irreplaceable sites such as Nicodemus, Kansas, an African American town founded by former slaves in 1877. The collaboration of the National Park Service (NPS) and civic partners is essential to meet the goal of preserving historic properties in Nicodemus and other minority communities. Although the NPS designated 5 Nicodemus buildings as a National Historic Site (NHS) in 1996, the few remaining residents struggle to preserve the site and attract visitors. The purpose of this ethnographic study was to explore the effects of NPS policies related to African American historic and cultural preservation. Research questions focused on the consequences of the NHS designation in Nicodemus and options for NPS policy improvement. This study was inspired by Innes and Booher\u27s theory of complex adaptive systems and consensus building. Data were collected through interviews with 11 residents, educators, and representatives of the NPS. These data were inductively coded and then subjected to thematic analysis. Key findings indicate concerns about limited resources, NPS open competition hiring policies that do not promote the long-term employment of Nicodemus descendant-residents in spite of their ability to recount oral histories, a need for cross-cultural training in the NPS, and the inadequate promotion of the Nicodemus NHS. This study may lead to positive social change by emphasizing the need for the NPS to collaborate with the descendants and long-term residents of rural communities to preserve the historical legacy of African Americans and emphasize the strength of our nation\u27s diversity

The Relations Between Children's Comprehension Monitoring and Their Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary Knowledge: An Eye-Movement Study.

Poor reading comprehension may be due to having ineffective comprehension monitoring, the metacognitive process of evaluating and regulating comprehension. When comprehension breaks down due to an inconsistency either at the word-level (e.g., due to an unfamiliar word) or at the sentence-level (e.g., due to contradictory information), readers may identify the misunderstanding and take steps to regulate their comprehension. In the current study, we utilized two eye-movement tasks (one newly developed) to examine comprehension monitoring in third through fifth grade students (n = 123), when confronted with word- and sentence-level inconsistencies, by measuring the amount of time they read (gaze duration) and reread the target inconsistent words. We investigated how this skill may be associated with individual differences in age, reading comprehension ability, and vocabulary knowledge. The results showed that generally, all students detected the word-level inconsistencies, indicated by longer gaze durations, and attempted to regulate their comprehension after detecting both word- and sentence-level inconsistencies, as indicated by more time spent rereading. Students with stronger reading comprehension (when controlling for their vocabulary), and stronger vocabulary knowledge (when controlling for their reading comprehension) were more likely to attempt regulating their comprehension. In general, the difference between the control words and the inconsistent words was smaller for third graders and larger for fourth and fifth graders, which we argue indicates greater levels of comprehension monitoring - specifically employing repair strategies. With eye-tracking technology becoming more accessible, these tasks may be useful in assessing children's reading processes to better understand at which level of comprehension monitoring they may be struggling, which in return will allow us to develop more individualized instruction for all readers

Cultivate Conscious Kids: Unique Youth Leadership Development Programming

Regardless of what divides us as a global community, whether it be location, religion, ethnicity, politics, etc., it is generally agreed upon that the future of our increasingly complex world lies in the hands of our youth. As we, the current decision makers in society, continue to add to the complexities of this world, we also have the responsibility to empower the youth of today with the proper tools to navigate not only their current realities but also the complex local, national, and global concerns they will quickly inherit as they grow into adulthood. Developing young people’s ability to tap into their own leadership potential, regardless of their role in a given situation, is the key to their success as they mature and take on the complexities at hand. This paper explores the work of the Cultivate Conscious Kids to provide a platform for the generation of future meaningful, impactful, and sustainable youth leadership development programming. This framework takes into account the following: the Five Cs of positive youth development (Zarrett & Lerner, 2008), the definition of leadership with its foundation of adaptive leadership supported by Cultivate Conscious Kids organization, a particular approach to facilitation, the curriculum followed in the past programs as well as the feedback received from those events

Dairy cow management systems: handling, health, and well-being

2012 Summer.Includes bibliographical references.Dairy cows are handled more regularly than other forms of livestock. Besides the daily milking routine, reasons for handling dairy cattle so frequently include routine veterinary checks, reproductive management, and vaccinations. Regardless of the reason for handling cows, a working facility that meets the needs of a particular dairy is necessary. An ideal facility allows for all aspects of cow management to be accomplished in one spot, with minimal risk of injury to either the handler or the cow, as efficiently as possible. The main objectives of this survey were: 1) to determine if there is a need for a new type of handling facility for working dairy cows, similar to that of a management rail, that would allow all injections to be administered according to Dairy Beef Quality Assurance (DBQA) standards; 2) to establish if Colorado dairy producers were concerned with DBQA; and 3) to assess the differences in responses by dairy owners and management/herd-personnel. Additionally, the survey was designed to enhance our current understanding of the Colorado dairy industry by improving knowledge on demographics, record keeping, culling decisions, synchronization programs, and cull cow marketing options. Of the 95 dairies contacted via electronic mail and telephone, 20 agreed to participate in the survey, for a response rate of 21%. The median number of cows per herd was 1177.50, with 90% of the respondents representing conventional dairy herds. The most common type of working facility was determined to be headlock stanchions, with 95% of the dairies using them as a form of restraint while handling cows. Just over half of those surveyed (55%) indicated that they would be willing to install a management rail when building a new handling facility. When asked to rank, in order of importance, 7 traits to consider when designing a new handling facility, 75% of producers ranked having the ability to administer injections as per Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) standards as last or second to last, illustrating the lack of concern for BQA protocols on Colorado dairy operations. When considering the actual drug administration practices, the majority (79%) of dairy producers stated that the preferred location for administering all intramuscular (IM) injections is in the neck, although only 20% confirmed that all IM injections are given in that area 100% of the time. The results of the survey in Chapter II demonstrate a vast difference in the ideal situation versus what is actually carried out in practice. These findings support the theory that, while producers may be aware that all IM injections should be given in the neck region, most dairy producers are not concerned enough about BQA to ensure that all injections are actually given in that location. By implementing stricter BQA protocols dairy owners could prevent the risk of discounts, potentially increasing the amount of revenue gained by the sale of these animals, ultimately increasing the percentage of income derived from cull cows. Survey results indicate a need for better DBQA practices on many Colorado dairies, and handling facilities that allow the safe and consistent administration of all medications in the neck area of dairy cows. More effective educational programs are needed in order to make the incentives tied to high quality dairy beef more apparent to dairy producers. These educational opportunities should also focus on the responsibility of providing a wholesome product to the consumer, free of lesions and drug residues. An additional study was carried out investigating associations between increases in body temperature and common production diseases of dairy cattle, which is presented in Chapter III. Body temperature monitoring is a common practice employed on dairy farms as a way of detecting disease in dairy cows. Common production disorders of dairy cows that can result in a deviation of the animal's body temperature from normal include metritis, mastitis, some causes of lameness, and pneumonia. The objective of the study was to investigate associations between increases in core body temperature in cows and the diagnosis of metritis, mastitis, lameness, and pneumonia by dairy personnel. A prospective case-control study was completed on a 2175-cow dairy operation in Colorado from May 2010 to April 2011. Each cow received an orally administered temperature sensing reticular bolus after parturition and reticular temperature measurements were recorded 3 times per day as lactating cows exited the milking parlor. A cow was identified as having an increased core body temperature when a deviation of 0.8°C above baseline (average of readings of previous 10 days) was recorded by the TempTrack® Sofware. During the same study period, dairy personnel without access to reticular temperature data, recorded health events and classified them according to clinical signs observed. A total of 201 health events (cases) were included in the data analysis. Cows with clinical mastitis and pneumonia had significantly higher odds (6.7 and 7.5 times higher, respectively) of having an increased core body temperature within 4 days preceding diagnosis when compared to control cows. No significant difference in core body temperature was found for cows diagnosed with lameness or metritis. Results of the study in Chapter III suggest that reticular temperature monitoring can be a useful tool in the early detection of mastitis and pneumonia in dairy cows

Missing. . . A Story of Ambiguous Loss

There are two forms of ambiguous loss. Type one occurs when there is a physical absence, but a psychological presence, such as the loss one feels towards the grandparent that passed away before their birth. Type two occurs when there is a psychological absence, but a physical presence, such as the loss one feels towards a spouse with Alzheimer’s or dementia (Morris). The opportunity to create, direct, and star in my own one-woman show inspired me to explore the form of ambiguous loss my family and I endure each and every day due to the disappearance of my aunt, Sharon “Shebby” Wills. In Chapter one, I will be discussing the research process of developing the script. In Chapter two, I will speak on the creation of the script, the rehearsal process, and the final performance. Chapter three is a reflection on my experience and what it taught me about myself as a theatre artist. I will conclude with what I hope for the future of my piece and what it taught me about writing, directing, and acting

Oops I Drank It Again: Predictors Of Emerging Adults’ Unplanned Drinking

Heavy alcohol consumption in college increases risk for sexual assault, decreases academic performance, and can lead to future development of alcohol-related problems or negative developmental outcomes. Given these potential negative consequences, it is critical to investigate ways emerging adults at colleges are using and abusing alcohol. Previous research has shown that unplanned drinking is related to negative outcomes; therefore, examining predictors of unplanned drinking is important for determining at-risk groups. The current study investigated variables that are established predictors of alcohol use and misuse in emerging adults, including impulsivity, caregiver problem drinking, and age of onset alcohol use. These variables served as predictors in a model of unplanned drinking. Unplanned drinking was captured through participation in a 10-day daily diary study. Heaviest alcohol consumption day during the 10-day period was examined for each participant. This day chosen as it represents a participant’s riskiest day of consumption. An unplanned drinking score was computed by subtracting a participant’s planned consumption from reported actual consumption. By controlling for age and gender in a sample of emerging adult alcohol consumers, I sought to identify predictors of unplanned drinking that can be characterized as unplanned overconsumption, planned alcohol use, and unplanned drinking moderation (i.e., drinking less than planned). Results did not support hypotheses; however, descriptive statistics revealed characteristics specific to the unplanned overconsumption group. Participants consumed more alcohol than planned when they began drinking regularly at an earlier age. Gender differences were evident with respect to patterns of overconsumption, met alcohol plans, and unplanned moderation. The current study attempted to fill a gap in current alcohol use literature by focusing on unplanned alcohol consumption, capitalizing on data from an intensive longitudinal design. Although findings were not consistent with hypotheses, other results demonstrated differences in how emerging adults were consuming alcohol on their riskiest day of consumption. These differences have the potential to educate emerging adults of risks associated with unplanned drinking and support alcohol prevention strategies at Universities

Developing Executive Functions through Mindfulness Training in School-Aged Children

Well-developed executive functions are necessary for successful classroom functioning. Students with executive function deficits can fall behind academically as well as socially and emotionally, relative to their same-aged peers. Effective interventions for developing executive functions within the school environment are essential for addressing this issue. This study examines changes in students’ executive functions as a result of their participation in a mindfulness training intervention. Participants included four ten-year old elementary school boys who took part in a ten-week mindfulness training intervention. The data were generated through pre and post assessments with an executive function teacher rating scale and a Goal-Attainment Scale completed by the participants. Results suggest that all four participants demonstrated self-perceived increases in executive functions as indicated by reaching their self-set goals. Teacher reports indicated an increase in some measured executive function capacities; however, results were not consistent across subjects

EXAMINING SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH OF FORMERLY INCARCERATED CALIFORNIA STUDENTS WHO GRADUATED FROM PROJECT REBOUND

Project Rebound is an educational based program that supports justice impacted individuals in obtaining higher education. The purpose of this study is to explore specific social determinants of health for these justice impacted students, and how these social determinants may improve after graduation. Specifically, this study will examine participants’ housing, mental health, substance use, employment, and finances during and after their participation in Project Rebound. This study is important, as there is little research on Project Rebound, their alumni, and how social determinants of health may be impacted by enrollment. This study is quantitative, and uses online surveys to gather results. Between-subjects t-tests were used to determine significance, and a priori power analysis was conducted for each variable. The survey found that there was a significant difference between the alumni’s first year of enrollment at Project Rebound and their last year after graduation in housing quality, housing stability, stress levels, general mental health, alcohol use, general substance use, financial strain, and financial stability. However, the obtained sample size was only adequate to test the study hypothesis in housing quality and housing stabilit

Parental Problem Drinking and Adolescent Substance Use: The Moderating Role of Sibling Relationships

Families are complex systems with each member influencing all others (Cox & Paley, 1997). Family factors like parental problem drinking have been consistently shown to predict a range of adverse adolescent adjustment outcomes, including alcohol and other substance use (Caspi et al., 2018; Park & Schepp, 2014). However, other family factors, such as sibling relationships, may serve as protective or additive risk factors in influencing adolescent behavior. Limited extant research has investigated the role of sibling relationship characteristics in the context of parental problem drinking (Rueter et al., 2015).Therefore, the current study examined if hostility and warmth in sibling relationships served as risk or protective factors in the relationship between maternal and paternal problem drinking and adolescents’alcohol and drug use.Data were drawn from the Adolescent Adjustment Project (Ohannessian, 2009), which survey adolescents from seven Mid-Atlantic State public high schools in Spring 2007 (Mage=16.08; SD=.69;55% female). Only adolescents who reported having a single sibling were included (N=373). Adolescents were asked how often in the last 6 months they (a) used marijuana, sedatives, stimulants, inhalants,hallucinogens, cocaine or crack, and opiates (drug use frequency) and (b) how much and how often theydrank beer, wine, and liquor (alcohol use quantity and frequency). The Short Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (Crews & Sher, 1992) measured adolescents’ perceptions of their mother’s and father’salcohol use problems. Scale items were summed such that greater scores represented greater maternal(MPD; α=.60) and paternal (PPD; α=.84) problem drinking. Finally, the Sibling Relationship Questionnaire (Slomkowski et al., 2001) was used to assess adolescents’ perceptions of warmth (α=.89)and hostility (α=.87) with their sibling.Regression analyses were used examine associations between sibling relationship characteristics, parental problem drinking, and adolescents’ substance use. Separate models were conducted for MPD and PPD,and structural elements of sibling relationships were controlled (Table 1). Only PPD was positivelyassociated with adolescents’ alcohol use (Model-2). However, sibling hostility and MPD (Model-3) and sibling hostility and PPD (Model-4) were positively associated with drug use. Further, sibling hostility and PPD interacted to predict drug use (B=.14, phttps://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/urspsych/1002/thumbnail.jp

The Influence of Faith on Women in Leadership Positions

Women are still underrepresented in leadership roles and still suffer from gender stereotypes and injustice. Women of faith are frequently stigmatized by both their faith and place of employment. This study is about women of faith who held leadership roles in rural communities. The objective of this study is to examine the experiences of women of faith in leadership, their qualities, and knowledge as effective leaders. The data used in this study is secondary and it was obtained from a parent study entitled, “Women Ascending to Leadership Positions in Rural Nonprofit Organizations.” This parent study used a snowball approach to interview 32 women who were serving in leadership roles in rural nonprofit organizations. The current study used a phenomenological qualitative approach to determine how their faith influenced their leadership ascension. It is necessary to investigate the journey of women’s leadership development to identify how to best develop future female leaders in nonprofit organizations in rural communities. There is limited research regarding women’s leadership experiences in rural organizations and faith