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The Addition Of Melatonin To 17beta-Estradiol And Progesterone Modulated Markers Relevant To Mammary Tumor Development And Modulated Steroid Receptors Relevant To Uterine Protection In A Mouse Model Of Breast Cancer, Corry Dominic Bondi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is important to relieve menopausal symptoms. However, HRT use declined after an increased risk of breast cancer was reported by the Women's Health Initiative. With the ultimate goal of developing a novel replacement therapy to relieve menopausal symptoms without increasing the risk of breast cancer, we postulated that a novel replacement therapy containing 17β-estradiol (E2) and half the recommended dose of progesterone (P4) along with nocturnal melatonin supplementation (EPMRT) would be protective against mammary tumor development. Previously, in a mouse model of HER2+ breast cancer, our laboratory demonstrated that EPMRT was protective against …

Survey Of Well Water Contamination In A Rural Southwestern Pennsylvania Community With Unconventional Shale Gas Drilling, Shyama Karen Alawattegama

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The recent increase in unconventional shale gas extraction (USGE) using hydraulic fracturing and associated claims of ground water contamination has raised awareness of ground water issues. The Woodlands, a community that relies on well water, reported changes in water quality and yield concurrent with USGE activities. In an effort to determine the extent of the issues and if a correlation existed, residents participated in a survey and well water samples were collected and analyzed. Base maps of the study area were created identifying current horizontal wells, legacy operations (e.g., gas and oil wells, coal mining), and topography. Fifty-six out of …

Traditional Apologetics In A Postconciliar Church: From Scholasticism To Combinationalism And Beyond, Glenn B. Siniscalchi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recognizing that Christians cannot adequately understand the mysteries of faith from a single vantage point, Catholic theologians have been keen on emphasizing the multidimensional nature of theological understanding since Vatican II. The advantage of such a method has helped believers to understand the rich, in-depth quality of Catholic faith.

One of the fields of theology which has not been discussed in the models approach, however, is apologetics&hibar;which includes as one of its aspects the art and science of defending the doctrines and practices of the Catholic Church. When all of the relevant passages in the documents of Vatican II are …

Exploring Predictors Of Professional School Counselors' Ability To Accurate Recognize And Likelihood To Appropriately Report Child Sexual Abuse, Richard Joseph Behun

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate predictors related to personal characteristics (i.e., level of moral reasoning and personal attitudes toward reporting child sexual abuse) and professional characteristics (i.e., experience, and training) of the professional school counselor influencing ability to accurately recognize and likelihood to appropriately report child sexual abuse. This study used the Defining Issues Test, Version 2 to measure moral reasoning and a modified version of the Teacher Reporting Questionnaire to measure accuracy to recognize and likeliness to report child sexual abuse. A multiple regression analysis was used examine personal and professional predictors. The results of the …

The Effect Of L-Dopa And Natural Products On Age-Related Motor Deficits And Dopaminergic Cell Survival, Erika Nicole Allen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With age, there is a loss of motor coordination leading to an increase in falls. Currently, there are limited therapeutic regimens for age-related motor deficits. However, L-DOPA is used for motor dysfunction in Parkinson's disease (PD). Therefore, we investigated the effect of L-DOPA on motor deficits in young (2 mo) and old (20 mo) mice. We found that L-DOPA reversed age-related motor decline.

Chronic L-DOPA use produces involuntary movements or dyskinesias. Interestingly, natural foods, such as wild blueberries (WBB), and isolated compounds, such as resveratrol and pinostilbene, have beneficial effects on several physiological processes with few side effects. Therefore, to …

Relational Aggression, Social Aggression, And Antisocial Personality Features: An Investigation Of Bullying Behavior In A Sample Of Juvenile Offenders, George Ronald Bell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bullying is a destructive subtype of aggression that can take direct and indirect forms. This study investigated relationships between two indirect forms of bullying (relational aggression and social aggression), the aggressor's level of interpersonal maturity, and antisocial personality features (narcissism and callous-unemotional traits). Participants included 58 male and 21 female offenders between the ages of 13 and 18 from an urban school serving youth who were adjudicated through the juvenile justice system. Data were obtained from a de-identified data set that contained responses to questions from three self-report rating scales: the Young Adult Social Behavior Scale (YASB), the Antisocial Process …

A Transition Program: Students' Experiences And Perspectives, Donna Marie Burns

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The intent of this study was to investigate student perceptions of participation in a transition program the summer before their ninth grade year. Studies have shown that students who have an unsuccessful transition from middle school to high school are more likely to fail ninth grade, which may ultimately lead to dropping out of high school. However, the implementation of a transition program may help ease this transition and provide the student with the tools necessary to acclimate to the changes of the high school and be successful.

A purposive sample was comprised of eight students who participated in the …

Effects Of Semantic + Multimodal Communication Program For Switching Behavior In Severe Aphasia, Shannon A. Carr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Treatment for severe aphasia includes teaching alternative modalities to improve communicative effectiveness by circumventing deficits in verbal expression. Traditionally, alternative communication modalities are trained separately to augment or replace verbal output. However, adults with aphasia often have executive function deficits, specifically deficits in cognitive flexibility, which affect the communicative flexibility of the individual. The result is an inability to switch to a previously learned alternative modality when a communication breakdown occurs. This study explored a combined semantic + multimodal communication program (S+MCP) for an individual with severe aphasia and coexisting semantic deficits. The effect of S+MCP on his ability to …

The Crack Room: A Study Of Therapeutic Techniques And The Response To Drug-Related Cues, Hallie Smith Carlton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Drug addiction is a disorder frequently associated with chronic relapse. An individual's return to use is a fairly prevalent topic in the literature, but receiving less examination is the significance of drug-related stimuli as they apply to drug-seeking behaviors. It cannot be ignored that triggers and cues are a prominent feature in everyday life. Although many non-addicted people fail to become aroused by common stimuli, individuals who are addicted to alcohol and other drugs see depictions of use in unlikely places. In the eyes of an addict, a light bulb may prompt a desire to smoke methamphetamines, and a simple …

Effect Of Acupuncture On Menopausal Memory Changes In Women With Breast Cancer, Elizabeth Cole Collins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Menopausal symptoms are a concern for peri- and postmenopausal women, and for women who have been treated for breast cancer. Changes in memory are a commonly reported menopausal symptom which can interfere with daily activities, occurring in women who experience natural menopause as well as in women who have an abrupt onset of menopause following treatment for breast cancer. Menopause hormone therapy may be contraindicated or unacceptable for many women, reinforcing the need for well-tolerated, non-hormonal treatments for menopausal symptoms. The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of acupuncture to improve the menopausal symptom of memory changes …

The Rhetorical Turn In United States Diplomacy Praxis: Public Diplomacy 2.0, Randy Edward Cole

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While discourse and rhetoric has always been a part of traditional diplomacy, rhetoric and communication theory has not enjoyed an active voice in the scholarship of foreign relations, and more specifically, public diplomacy. This project argues that a postmodern turn in public diplomacy was formalized in the State Department's 2010 Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR) and that two specific directives laid out therein--to expand and strengthen relationships between individuals and steer the narrative--can find theoretical ground in communication scholarship. After examining the mid-to-late 20th century shift from specialized modern policy training to a rhetorical public diplomacy that views diplomats …

"Individual Yet As One": Performing Deafness And Performing Community In Mark Medoff's Children Of A Lesser God, Mariah Crilley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, I examine the relationship between deafness, women, and performance in Mark Medoff's Children of a Lesser God. The play was a massive popular success, both in its run on Broadway and its movie adaptation. Deafness and deaf people had never been so visible in American hearing culture. More importantly, the play coincided with civil rights movements by people with disabilities, which culminated in the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Disabilities, including deafness, were called into being as part of a national identity. These movements posited self-determination but ultimately relied and thrived on a communal and …

Encountering Eucharistic Presence Within A Postmodern Context: A Dialogue Among Chauvet, Schmemann And Zizioulas, Jason Gary Delvitto

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Roman Catholic and the Orthodox Churches, as well as other Christian communities, are faced with the challenges of postmodern thought, which calls into question some of the foundational theological and philosophical constructs through which Christianity has articulated the mystery of Eucharistic presence. Louis-Marie Chauvet, Alexander Schmemann and John Zizioulas, the interlocutors presented in this dissertation, recognize that for centuries, Eucharistic theology has been shaped within a metaphysical/Scholastic framework which confines, in many respects, the experiential/relational aspects of the divine/human dynamic as mediated in the Eucharistic celebration. An appeal for a paradigmatic shift is made evident in their respective works …

Black Aggie: A Tale Of American Folklore, Gabrielle O'Rean Elliott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Black Aggie: A Tale of American Folklore italic is a musical work written for wind symphony and synthesizer. The piece has the possibility to be performed in two different ways. It can either be performed by a live wind symphony or can be played as an electronic realization with media. The piece was inspired by the legend of Black Aggie - a peculiar grave statue with a series of fantastical stories surrounding her existence. The media presentation is to be played along with the live or synthesized performance. The media consists of photographs and footage of key elements in Black …

The Collaborative Problem-Solving Approach With Traumatized Children: Its Effectiveness In The Reduction Of Locked Seclusion In An Inpatient Psychiatric Setting, Halana M. Finnie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Aggressive or explosive behaviors in children typically occur within the context of a variety of psychiatric diagnoses and pose additional challenges when children present with histories of abuse. These behaviors are often interpreted as deliberate or noncompliant and management of these extreme behaviors often results in locked seclusion in most inpatient psychiatric settings. Locked seclusion remains controversial at best and raises legal and ethical issues regarding its safe and therapeutic use.

This retrospective quantitative study evaluated the effectiveness of the Collaborative Problem-Solving (CPS) approach as a less restrictive behavioral intervention on an inpatient child psychiatric unit with children ages 5-12 …

Catholic Social Teaching And The Capability Approach To Human Development: A Critical Analysis And Constructive Proposal, Mary E Filice

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This aim of this dissertation is to present the argument that Catholic Social Teaching's focus on integral human flourishing can offer theoretical input to the field of Human Development as well as practical contributions to social and political initiatives currently underway. The most powerful vehicle of communication for reporting the global position on poverty is the Human Development Report produced by the United Nations Development Programme, which adopts the Capability Approach as its evaluative framework for measuring individual well being. I propose that Catholic Social Teaching can protect the Capability Approach from its potential to lean towards individualism through the …

Stunted Growth: Institutional Challenges To The Department Of Homeland Security's Maturation, Dana James Fronczak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Scholars have proposed numerous explanations as to why the Department of Homeland Security has struggled to mature as an organization and effectively conduct its core mission. We propose an alternative viewpoint that the department lacks key legal authorities and necessitates key organizational transfer in order to rationalize its portfolio. We examine these points through review of legal authorities in select mission areas and through a resource analysis of activities conducted throughout the federal government to execute the homeland security mission. The analysis leads to specific recommendations for transfers and authorities and suggestions as to how the political environment might coalesce …

Collaborative Justice: An Analysis Of The Use Of "Justice" In The Writings Of Lisa Sowle Cahill, Dennis W. Feltwell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the role of justice in the writings of Catholic ethicist Lisa Sowle Cahill. Since 1990, Cahill has supported theological voices participating in the public forum, which she describes as a meeting ground for diverse intellectual and religious traditions. Good argumentation is necessary but not sufficient to resolve ethical dilemmas within the politically liberal context in which Cahill makes her claims. Instead, her commitment to justice underwrites those narratives and practices which demand one's fullest possible participation in contributing toward the common good. Cahill's notion of justice develops correlatively to the degree that she integrates the principles of …

Characterization Of An Evolving Serotonin Transporter Computational Model, Laura Marie Geffert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A major obstacle for developing new antidepressants has been limited knowledge of the structure and function of a central target, the serotonin transporter (SERT). Established SERT inhibitors (SSRIs) were docked to an in silico SERT model to identify likely binding pocket amino acid residues. When mutated singly, no one of five implicated residues was critical for high affinity in vitro binding of SSRIs or cocaine. The in silico SERT model was used in ligand virtual screening (VS) of a small molecule structural library. Selected VS "hit" compounds were procured and tested in vitro; encouragingly, two compounds with novel structural scaffolds …

The Metalogicon Of John Of Salisbury: Medieval Rhetoric As Educational Praxis, Brian Gilchrist

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation addresses the following question: what are the implications of John of Salisbury's rhetorical theory for his approach to education? The Metalogicon, John's defense of the trivium, represents the primary text analyzed throughout the project. John's medieval rhetorical theory explicated the reciprocal relationship between rhetoric and education. The art of rhetoric acquired educational elements by providing ethical-theoretical frameworks to inform the practices of students and teachers. Experiences from the practices of students and teachers influenced the art of rhetoric. John called for an approach to medieval rhetorical education that could be placed into the service of all people living …

Exploring Learning Of Pediatric Burn Patients Through Storytelling, Maryann Godshall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This purpose of this study was to explore if pediatric burn patients learned from an age appropriate discharge teaching book. The Pediatric Burn Book© contained coloring pages and seven main teaching points; taking care of my body, bathing, eating right, exercise, sleep, going to school, and keeping follow up appointments. The children were admitted to a pediatric trauma and burn center in northeastern Pennsylvania over a two year period. Twenty children aged five through ten who had second or third degree burns participated in this study. The children were read the discharge teaching book, asked to draw a picture of …

Cognitive And Affective Empathy As Predictors Of Proactive And Reactive Aggression, Gina Marie Gordon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined cognitive and affective empathy as predictors of proactive and reactive aggression. This study also explored whether levels of cognitive and affective empathy differed among children who use proactive and reactive aggression. Cognitive and affective empathy were measured by the Basic Empathy Scale (Jolliffe & Farrington, 2006a). The two types of aggression, proactive and reactive, were measured by the Reactive and Proactive Aggression Questionnaire-Child (Raine, 2006). Both instruments are self-report questionnaires that reveal children's perceptions about empathy and aggression. Sociodemographic information, such as age, grade, and gender were also included in the data. The sample of convenience in …

Changing The Paradigm In Strengthening School-Community Partnerships: Culturally Relevant Afterschool Programs Providing Professional Development To Classroom Teachers, Tyra Good

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research study focused on culturally responsive teaching instruction supported and developed through less formal learning and teaching environments. Eight in-service teachers shared their beliefs, personal narratives, and culturally responsive teaching practices in educating African American youth attending a quality afterschool program in an underserved community. Three research questions guided this qualitative case study and the results were discussed according to the three themes that emerged through the theoretical frames of culturally responsive pedagogy (Erickson, 1987, Gay, 2000, 2002) and Ecological Systems Theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). The themes that emerged as a result of the analysis are as follows: (a) Afterschool …

Time (Chronos) In Aristotle's Natural Philosophy And Of Time's Place In Early Naturphilosophie (1750-1800), Chelsea Cathern Harry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In what sense, if any, is time related to nature? In this dissertation, I argue that Aristotle's Treatise on Time (Physics iv 10-14) must be read in light of his foregoing discussion of nature (phusis) in Physics i-iv 9. Thus, Aristotle's definition of time (chronos) in Physics iv 11, that time is the number (arithmos) of motion (kinesis) with respect to before and after (219b1), is highly contextualized and as such must be understood as not only derivative of both Aristotle's definition of nature, as the inner capacity for motion and rest (192b13-22), and of his explanation of kinêsis, but …

Stereotypes And Their Consequences For Women As Leaders In Higher Education Administration, Kimberly Jean Hoeritz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Women are underrepresented as leaders in most facets of American work life. While present in fields that are traditionally feminine, there is a scarcity of women leaders in all other occupations including business, government, science and technology, agriculture, education in general and higher education in particular. While women currently comprise the majority of our enrolled college students as well as our graduates, they are not present as leaders among those responsible for running our colleges and universities. Women hold 23% of presidential positions, 31% of executive vice president roles, 38% of chief academic officer positions, and 36% of deanships. Women …

The Struggle For Balance: Culture Care Worldview Of Mexican Americans About Diabetes Mellitus, Jesus Antonio Hernandez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe, explain, and interpret perspectives, perceptions, meanings, symbols, and lifeways to explicate the culture care worldview about Diabetes Mellitus (DM) for Mexican American participants. Leininger's Culture Care Diversity and Universality Theory served as an organizing framework Interviews were conducted with thirty Mexican American key participants without DM. Four phases of analysis of ethnonursing method revealed thirteen categories, five patterns and three themes. The categories were: Health; faith and religion; natural living; tranquility and stress; strong emotions; susto; immigration; life in US; family advice and support; cultural beliefs; treatments of diabetes; care; and communication. …

Humanlife And The Advent Of Philosophy: A Theory Of Philosophical Autobiography, David Frank Hoinski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a theory of philosophical autobiography. It includes studies of the autobiographical writings of Plato, Augustine, Descartes, Vico, and Nietzsche. I argue that philosophers write autobiographies in order to present and give an account of philosophical first principles. I also argue that Plato invented philosophical autobiography.

Treatment Efficacy Of Combined Dialogic Reading And Scripting For A Child With Moderate To Severe Communication Impairment, Brittany Marie Horvath

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Even though children with moderate to severe communication impairments develop some spoken language, they have difficulty using multiple utterances that are connected by a unitary thought or discourse. Dialogic reading and scripting interventions have previously been shown to be separately effective in increasing the semantic and syntactic skills of children with language impairments. This single-subject study evaluated the use of an intervention that incorporated elements of both of these approaches, using adapted books that included sequenced activities of daily living, to increase the use of procedural discourse by a twelve-year-old child with Down syndrome. The intervention was successful in increasing …

Scenes Of Reading: Forgotten Antebellum Readers, Self-Representation, And The Transatlantic Reprint Industry, Marianne Mallia Holohan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

"Scenes of Reading: Forgotten Antebellum Readers, Self-Representation, and the Transatlantic Reprint Industry" argues that African-American and white working-class people participated in transatlantic antebellum literary culture in a far more central and sophisticated manner than has been assumed. Employing "scenes" of reading--self-representations of what, where, how, and why African Americans and the white working classes read--as primary texts, this dissertation asserts that these groups, in differing degrees and under distinct circumstances, were able to learn to read, to appropriate reading materials from mainstream literary culture, and, most importantly, to transform their acts of reading into acts of politicized self-representation. Their literary …

Discovering The Culture Care Meanings And Care Expressions Of Men With A Spinal Cord Injury From The Appalachian Region Of West Virginia: An Ethnonursing Study, Helen Susan Berry Imes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this ethnonursing study was to discover and describe the culture care meanings and care expressions of men with a spinal cord injury from the Appalachian region of West Virginia. Spinal cord injury is a sudden, traumatic, and life altering event. The impact of this type of injury on the person and their family is devastating. The literature review revealed studies primarily focused on quality of life and life satisfaction. The nature of the phenomena required an open discovery method and the researcher selected the ethnonursing qualitative research method. The guiding framework, research method, and plan for data …