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Developmental Disabilities And Family Dynamics, Meghan Murray

ETD Archive

Typically developing (TD) siblings of children with an Intellectual or Developmental Disability (IDD) are among those most influenced by their sibling’s diagnosis. Factors such as increased family stress, lack of family communication, and negative sibling perception can play a role in leading to internalizing and externalizing problems from the TD child. A limit to the existing sibling relationship literature is that the relationships in families with a child with IDD have only been collected via self-report measures through which respondents have been found to fake their responses to avoid being perceived in certain ways. Conversely, implicit measures, such as the …

The Utilization Of Eyetracking To Understand Attention Switching In Socially Anxious And Depressed Individuals, Allison E. Griesmer

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Individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) have demonstrated differences in attention bias processing, leading to a differential processing of the world around them. As such, there is a pressing need to further understand these hypothesized attentional biases to lend to improved therapeutic deliveries. The present study utilized a novel eye-tracking paradigm to understand attentional biases in individuals with disorder-specific symptomology of SAD and MDD. A sample of 103 undergraduates completed measures of social anxiety, depression and a novel eye-tracking paradigm. Results showed that a combination of elevated SAD and MDD symptoms lends to a slower …

Testing Emotion Regulation And Parasympathetic Nervous System Deficits As A Mechanism For The Transmission Of Borderline Personality Disorder, Julia R. Richmond

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The present study explored the role of parental physiological state and parental emotion regulation (ER) deficits on the relationship between parent borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptoms and child BPD symptoms. Participants were 110 adolescents aged 11-13 years and their legal guardians who completed measures of BPD symptom severity and emotion dysregulation before engaging in an interpersonal conflict discussion task while being monitored for peripheral psychophysiological signals (i.e., respiratory sinus arrhythmia; RSA). Multiple mediation analyses were conducted to examine the model proposed in this study. The results revealed that parent BPD symptoms predicted lower parent baseline RSA at trend level, but …

Change Detection Of Emotional Information Across The Adult Lifespan, Maria J. Donaldson-Misener

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Visual change detection ability is necessary for successful interaction with the environment, yet few studies have been conducted on change detection with older adults, and whether their use of top-down and bottom-up processing differs from younger adults, especially with emotional processing. Emotions can be motivating and guide the scope of attention using top-down processing and can capture attention in an automatic, bottom-up fashion. Theories of socioemotional aging suggest that younger and older adults may be differentially motivated to process positive and/or negative aspects of the environment, and these tendencies may have implications for age-related trajectories in well-being. Change detection efficacy …

Identity And Career Experiences Of Muslim Immigrant Women: The United States Context, Basak Kacar Khamush

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Muslim women's sense of self is at stake due to prevailing stigma and oppression toward Muslims. Employment and workplace have emerged as primary settings for encounters of negative bias, prejudice, and discrimination. Muslim immigrant women face multiple disadvantages on the basis of their various intersecting identities. The purpose of this study was to explore identity and career experiences of first generation immigrant Muslim women in American society, particularly in work and career settings. Informed by relational approaches to career development and social identity perspective, and grounded on the constructivist paradigm, a phenomenological qualitative analysis using consensual qualitative research (CQR) was …

Gender Role Prescriptions And Apologies, Molly Fuller

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Malpractice litigations in the medical field are common occurrences. In fact, across specialties, 7.4% of physicians annually have a malpractice claim. Malpractice risk exists for all physicians regardless of their medical training, gender, specialization, or severity of damage caused to patients. Data from nearly 20 years of research revealed that male physicians face malpractice claims at a significantly higher rate than female physicians, but that female physicians pay more in malpractice settlements than their male counterparts. To date, we have found no research that investigates why this gender discrepancy among malpractice settlements occurs. This study examines Social Role Theory and …

Self-Regulated Learning Prompts In The Enhancement Of Critical Thinking Skills, Patricia A. Pawlak

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Critical thinking has been recognized as an essential concept in nursing curricula, as well as an important outcome for nursing students. The process of journaling has been used as an educational tool within nursing education to evaluate the critical thinking skills in nursing students. Despite its vigorous use, there is no specific format or conceptual model that is used consistently in nursing education to guide the journaling process or to evaluate if critical thinking is or has indeed occurred. This study will introduce the concept of using self-regulated learning (SRL) theory to prompt Basic BSN students in the development of …

Bilingualism Across The Adult Life-Span: Age And Language Usage Are Continuous Variables, Sara Incera Burkert

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The purpose of this dissertation research was to analyze the effects of bilingualism and age on cognitive function. Specifically, I investigated the impact of bilingualism and age on two measures of executive control. The Stroop task is a measure of response inhibition, and the Flanker task is a measure of attention selection. Participants responded using a computer mouse. The mouse-tracking paradigm allowed me to examine the continuous dynamics of the responses as participants completed each trial. A better understanding of the impact of bilingualism and age on cognitive function has the potential to minimize cognitive decline in older age. The …

Student Perceptions Of Faculty's Social Presence In Online Health Science Courses, Samantha J. Mencini

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With continued surges in enrollment in the various online health science programs, especially nursing programs, there is a great need for additional research to be conducted regarding how students perceive their professors social presence in an online learning environment through the use of Computer-Mediated Communications - CMCs. The objectives of this descriptive phenomenological qualitative study were to: 1) illustrate how students perceive their professors’ social presence as used in various types of CMCs; 2) identify emotions which the students have experienced in response to their professor’s CMCs; 3) unveil common themes regarding student perception of their professors’ social presence; and …

The Effects Of The Menstrual Cycle On Agility, Kheniser G. Karim

ETD Archive

It has long been speculated that the menstrual cycle affects athletic performance. Whether athletic performance is impacted by menstrual cycle phase is dependent upon an array of factors: the type of activity (i.e., aerobic or anaerobic); oral contraceptive (OC) use; and, possibly, if mental processing is required during the execution of the task. Prior research has indicated that alterations in estradiol (E2) affects cognitive performance. However, there is a paucity of information about whether E2 modulates the speed of cognitive processing in a sports setting, which may cause alterations in sport performance throughout the menstrual cycle. Additionally, variations in E2 …

The Voice And Cystic Fibrosis: A Descriptive Case Study, Veronica Smitley

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Cystic fibrosis is a common autosomal recessive disease with severe effects on the respiratory, digestive, and endocrine systems. Symptoms include chronic cough and wheezing, frequent upper respiratory tract infections, and reflux disease. While most treatments for cystic fibrosis aim to mitigate the respiratory and gastrointestinal dysfunction, the potential adverse effects on an individual’s voice has not been researched in a systematic manner. We hypothesized that individuals with cystic fibrosis may show physical signs of vocal fold damage, as well as common dysphonic symptoms. Given the impact voice disorders have an overall quality of life, identification and management of cystic fibrosis-related …

Development Of A Testicular Cancer Vaccine, Roberto Aguilar Iii

ETD Archive

Testicular cancer mainly affects men between the ages of 20 and 35 but is the most common male neoplasm between the ages of 15 and 34. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) states that localized testicular cancer has a recurrence rate of 15-20% and tumors that are Sertoli or Leydig cell derived fail to respond to chemotherapy or radiation treatments. The recurrence rate may increase to 32% if at diagnosis the tumor is greater than 4 cm in size with invasion of the rete testes. To improve therapy for testicular cancer, we examined the usefulness of a testicular cancer vaccine. We …

A Survey Of Speech Sound Production In Children With Visual Impairment, Shannon L. Zeszut

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Few studies have explored the characteristics of speech sound productions in children with visual impairments. Similarly, there is little research on how speech- language pathologists provide therapy to improve speech sound productions in children with visual impairments. This study addressed the need for research evidence upon which speech-language pathologists might base their clinical practices. The intent of this report is to contribute to the available information on successful speech-language therapy for speech sound productions in children with visual impairments.

Fifteen speech-language pathologists responded to a survey that inquired about speech sound productions in the children with visual impairments on their …

The Psychosocial Effects Of Dysphagia, Allison Dawn Lotter

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The purpose of this study is to determine the psychosocial effects of dysphagia in adults with a non-terminal, non-progressive medical condition. Additionally, this study aims to provide potential differences in the psychosocial effects of dysphagia given gender and age range. This information is crucial for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to better understand the psychosocial consequences of dysphagia and provide a more comprehensive and appropriate approach to therapy. This study is a pseudo-qualitative design that includes adults, age 20-90 years old, diagnosed with dysphagia secondary to a non-progressive, non-terminal medical condition. Descriptive statistics revealed that there are psychosocial effects of dysphagia, which …

Communicative Behaviors Of Sibling Dyads With A Child With Autism, Ashley Marie Hodge

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The puropse of this study was to document the communicative behaviors exhibited by sibling dyads comprised of one typically developing child (TDC) and their sibling diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (SibA). Six families (five families were Caucasian and one family was African American) participated in one 45-minute home observation, one semi-structured interview with the TDCs, and one semi-structured interview with the parents. Sibling dyads varied across birth order, ages, and genders. Observations revealed that the sibling dyads produced a variety of communicative behaviors. Observational data were coded to provide information on the types of communicative behaviors produced and their frequency …

Metal Containing Nucleosides That Function As Therapeutic Diagnostic Agents Against Brain Cancer, Jennifer Nicole Williams

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Nucleoside transporters are essential components for the hyperproliferative capabilities of brain cancer cells. These transporters play important roles to increase nucleoside metabolism which is necessary for higher levels of DNA and RNA synthesis. The goal here is to use a series of metal containing nucleoside (MCN) analogues as novel chemical agents to study how nucleosides are imported into cells. In addition, we expect that these MCNs will ultimately function as therapeutic and/or diagnostic agents for brain cancer. Concentrative nucleoside transporters (CNTs) and equilibrative nucleoside transporters (ENTs) represent the two classes of transporters that allow MCNs to travel in (and out) …

Acoustic And Respiratory Measures As A Function Of Age In The Male Voice, Mark Selent

ETD Archive

The purpose of this study was to extend understanding of the effects of aging on the male voice by obtaining and analyzing both acoustic and respiratory measures across the aging continuum. Aerodynamic measurements such as vital capacity (VC), maximum phonation time (MPT) and the acoustic measurement Speaking Fundamental Frequency (SFF) are used commonly in Speech-language Pathology to aid in the assessment and treatment outcomes of vocal dysfunction. However, current research lacks analysis of the interaction across these parameters within males and younger ages. This information may be important in understanding the normal changes in the speech mechanism with age and …

Determining The Relationship Between Language And Attention In Elders With Nonfluent Aphasia, Amanda Wadams

ETD Archive

Researchers have questioned whether the occurrence of aphasia creates executive function deficiencies that result in cognitive-linguistic deficits. Aphasia is a breakdown in language comprehension and production caused by a focal lesion in the left hemisphere of the brain (Papathanasiou, Coppens, & Potagas, 2013). Executive function refers to a set of "higher order component functions required to control and coordinate performance on complex problem solving tasks" (Dick & Overton, 2010). Researchers have speculated that attention, an important part of executive function, may be compromised in addition to language deficits in persons with aphasia. The purpose of this exploratory multiple case comparison …

Sports Sponsorship: Fan Loyalty And Perception Of The Lake County Captains Minor League Baseball Team, Mark Daniel Weissman

ETD Archive

Sports sponsorship is a multi-billion dollar industry that takes place at all levels of sport. Each sponsorship comes with a different level of exposure for the sponsoring company. In most cases, the cost of the sponsorship has a significant relationship to the level of exposure received. Numerous studies have been conducted to assess fans' perception of sponsorship in sport. However, the majority of these studies were conducted at the professional or intercollegiate level. More than 41 million people attended Minor League Baseball games in 2012, and this number was higher than both the National Basketball Association and National Football League …

Aerodynamics And Dysphagia, Mariam Baig

ETD Archive

This study investigated the influence of aerodynamic measures of Maximum Phonation Time (MPT) and the S/Z ratio on swallowing. Twelve individuals were examined, six with a diagnosis of dysphagia, and six as a control group. The study hypothesized that (1) there would be a reduced MPT in the dysphagic group compared to the control (2) there would be an S/Z ratio greater than 1.0 in the dysphagic group. The rationale for this study was that since MPT and S/Z measures are easily administered, they may prove to be useful, non-invasive, inexpensive tools to predict a patient's potential risk for aspiration. …

Public Awareness Of Aphasia, Sarah Jane Jenkins

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Aphasia is an acquired communication disorder that affects portions of the brain responsible for language processing and production. It is a disorder that occurs secondary to strokes and other traumatic brain injuries. It is estimated that almost 1 million people in the United States have aphasia. However, there has been very little research regarding public awareness of aphasia, particularly among service-industry workers. The purpose of this study was to analyze the level of public awareness of aphasia in Cleveland, Ohio. This study investigated 100 individuals' knowledge of aphasia by way of a questionnaire, with a focus on respondents who were …

Acoustic And Perceptual Analyses Of The Fundamental Frequencies Of African American And Caucasian Males And Females, Rose A. Vargo

ETD Archive

Normative data compiled by Hixon and Abbs (1980) continue to serve as guidelines for fundamental frequency (F0). These normative data were collected solely from Caucasian participants and may not accurately reflect norms for other ethnicities. According to published literature regarding pitch differences among racial groups, African Americans are believed to have a lower F0 than their Caucasian counterparts.This study investigated differences in F0 between African American and Caucasian young adults. Twenty adults between the ages of 18 and 30 were examined along three vocal parameters: sustained vowel phonation, a speaking task, and a reading task. Three experienced speech-language pathologists and …

Comparison Of Prototype Bicycle Pedal Vs Traditional, Fixed Pedal And It's Effect On Efficiency And Power Output, Renee B. Goldstein

ETD Archive

Purpose: To determine the prototype pedal's effect on efficiency and power output when compared to a traditional pedal. Methods: Forty cyclists, aged 37.03 years, completed a 15-minute efficiency ride and 30 second Wingate power test on the prototype pedal and traditional bicycle pedal. Efficiency was calculated from a 15-minute ride at a set workload of 150W for females and 175W for males. The subjects rode at a cadence of their choice that represented their training speed. Heart rates were continually monitored during the ride and exercise post oxygen consumption (EPOC) was measured during the 10 minutes of recovery. Energy expenditure …

Effect Of Lower Body Negative Pressure On Cardiovascular Responses In Males, Michele A. Barton-Verdi

ETD Archive

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess cardiovascular responses in young males when exposed to three (-10 mmHg, -20 mmHg and -40 mmHg) lower body negative pressures (LBNP). Methods: The study was limited to 20 healthy, young adult males, ages 18 - 35 years. The protocol involved five, 10 minute phases all at supine rest, 1) LBNP, 0 mmHg 2) LBNP, -10 mmHg 3) LBNP, -20 mmHg 4) LBNP, -40 mmHg 5) Recovery 0 mmHg. Blood pressure was taken every 3 minutes and EKG was taken every 2 minutes. Cardiac Output, Stroke Volume and heart rate were continuously …

Comparing Garmin Forerunner 405cx Ggp And Nike + Ipod To Accurately Measure Energy Expenditure, Distance, And Speed Of Overground Running, Christine L. Mallula

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Accurate measurement of energy expenditure, distance, and speed are desired by many runners. There are many commercially available devices for measuring these components in overground running. Purpose: The purpose of this research study was to compare the accuracy of distance, speed, and energy expenditure of overground running with two different devices: the Garmin Forerunner 405CX GPS and the Nike + iPod. Methods: Subjects consisted of 15 runners recruited from the Cleveland running community. The subjects were composed of 9 males and 6 females ranging in age from 18-55 years old. After a quarter mile calibration, the subjects ran a 3 …

The Relationship Between Perceived Stress And Smoking: Focusing On Schizophrenia And Comparative Sub-Groups Diagnosed With Mental Illness, Wanda K. Savioli

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The context for this research project is a population of individuals diagnosed with a mental illness schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depressive disorders, or other diagnosis as specified by participant. Research has shown that 87 of individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia are smokers and 65-75 of those diagnosed with bipolar or depressive disorders smoke compared to 20 from the general population. The purpose of this study is to determine if perceived stress is positively associated with cigarette dependence among a study sample of non-psychiatric participants and those diagnosed with a mental illness. A correlational survey based design was used to test five hypotheses …

The Effect Of Surya Namaskara Yoga Practice On Resting Heart Rate And Blood Pressure, Flexibility, Upper Body Muscle Endurance, And Perceived Well-Being In Healthy Adults, Kristine Marie Fondran

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Surya Namaskara (SN) is a yoga practice(routine) that consists of a series of 12 physical postures made up of a variety of forward and backward bends. The series of movements stretch the spinal column and massage, tone and stimulate vital organs through alternately flexing the body forwards and backwards. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of a twice daily SN yoga practice on resting heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP), flexibility, upper body muscle endurance, and perceived well-being in low to moderately active adult males and females. Methods: Participants (24 females, 6 males mean …

Prevalence & Rationale Of Creatine Use In Diii Ncaa Athletes, Raquisha Lynnette Bailey

ETD Archive

Athletes often seek out ergogenic aids to improve sport performance. Creatine is one of the most popular supplements consumed among young athletes. At the Division III level of collegiate sports, certain perceptions or influences have led to or have sustained creatine use in this athletic population and needs to be examined. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of creatine supplementation among Division III collegiate athletes and to summarize educational resources, attitudes, and rationale for its use across gender and sport. In the Spring of 2007, 61 Division III varsity athletes football (39/61), basketball (10/61), baseball (4/61), …

Validation Of The Sensewear Hr Armband For Measuring Heart Rate And Energy Expenditure, Manuella Barbosa Crawley

ETD Archive

The purpose of this study was to determine the validity of the SenseWear HR Armband in measuring heart rate and energy expenditure. The SenseWear HR Armband was compared to an electrocardiogram (ECG), the Actiheart Mini Mitter and the Polar Heart Rate Monitor. Energy expenditure estimations were compared to indirect calorimetry (Cosmed's K4 b2) measurement and the Actiheart Mini Mitter's estimations. Thirty healthy adults (18-59 years old) participated in the study. The protocol consisted of 5-minute stages, starting with two resting stages (sitting and standing), followed by four walking stages (1.5, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0 mph) and ending with a standing …

Effect Of External Counterpulsation (Ecp) On Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (Doms) In Long Distance Runners, Carly Catanese

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External counterpulsation (ECP) has previously been used in treating cardiac patients. Compression of the lower extremities during diastole increases venous return and coronary perfusion. Purpose: To determine if ECP affects delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and markers of muscle inflammation and skeletal muscle damage. Methods: Ten trained runners, 5 males and 5 females, aged 30.5 ł 12.8 years ran 20 miles at 70 of their VO2 max on a pre-determined course on two different occasions, once under control conditions and once under ECP treatment conditions. Conditions were randomly assigned to eliminate order effect. Perceived leg pain and blood markers (creatine …