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Investigating The Health Profile And Quality Of Life Of Adult Marijuana Users In The United States: Analysis Of Self-Reported Nhanes 2007-2010 Data, Crystal A. Lane

Public Health Theses

Background: Marijuana is the most widely used illicit substance in the United States. Public approval of marijuana has driven its legalization in twenty states and the District of Columbia for medical use; and, this year alone (2013), two states have legalized recreational use of the drug. Despite the nation’s growing trend towards marijuana acceptance, the evidence regarding the health effects of its use remains vague. This study was designed to evaluate the health profile of marijuana users by determining the association of marijuana use with quality of life, defined in terms of perceived overall health and as self-reported medical conditions. …

Designing The Primary Care Assessment Tool For Physician Performance Tracking In Indonesia; A Program Planning, Donni -. Hendrawan Don

Public Health Theses

Designing the Primary Care Assessment Tool for Physician Performance Tracking in Indonesia;

A Program Planning

Primary care within the Indonesia health care system is key to maintain health of Indonesians. To ensure its function, it is very important to know how Indonesian primary care providers are meeting minimal standards of performance based on key health indicators. This can be measured by using the transcultural adapted tool known as Primary Care Assessment Tool (PCAT). The focus of this capstone is to design a program plan to establish a culturally-sensitive PCAT tool for use in Indonesia. The program plan will include an …

An Evaluation Of Pregnancy-Associated Morbidity Among Georgia's Usda Designated Food Deserts, 2009-2010, Yonte Burnam, Dajun Dai, Lisa Casanova

Public Health Theses

Objective: To assess the affect of pregnant women residing in a USDA designated food desert on the development of pregnancy-associated morbidities

Results: Living in a USDA food desert is not significantly associated with the development of pregnancy-associated morbidity [OR=0.973; CI: 0.835-1.134; p-value=0.728]. Backward stepwise regression showed all proposed potential confounders were significantly associated with the development of pregnancy-associated morbidity. These potential confounders include maternal age, regular exercise routine or previous diagnosis of diabetes or hypertension (p-values < 0.02).

Conclusion: Residing in a USDA designated food desert is not associated with the development of pregnancy-related morbidity. This analysis suggests other sociodemographic risk factors, …

Trends In Vibriosis Transmission Among The Top Four Vibrio Species, United States, 1988-2012, Amanda Conrad

Public Health Theses

Background

Vibrio infection (vibriosis) results from consuming contaminated seafood or exposing skin directly to marine waters or raw seafood. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 80,000 illnesses occur each year in the United States. Four species, V. parahaemolyticus, V. vulnificus, V. alginolyticus, and V. cholerae (excluding toxigenic O1 and O139), are responsible for most cases. Understanding foodborne and non-foodborne transmission routes is important for describing epidemiological trends and for directing prevention efforts.

Methods

Demographic, clinical, and epidemiological data for cases reported between 1988 and 2012 were extracted from CDC’s Cholera and Other Vibrio …

Negotiating The Faculty Journey: Technology, Teaching, And Tenure, Joseph Horne

Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology Dissertations

This phenomenological study examined the lived experience of five (5) tenured university faculty members over a ten-year span of their professional lives. The purpose of this study was to better understand the lived experience of tenured university faculty, particularly how they negotiated experiences related to the combined influences of technology, tenure, and teaching. While some have suggested that university faculty do not have the necessary skills to transition to this emerging technological era (McKee & Tew, 2013), this study did not attempt to make judgments about whether or not college faculty were prepared to shift their approach to teaching, nor …

Study Of The Surface Morphology Of Thermally Annealed Copper Foils And Various Transfer Methods For Graphene, Olesya Sarajlic

Physics and Astronomy Theses

The surface morphology of thermally annealed copper foils utilized for graphene growth by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) has been studied by Optical microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) as a function of heat treatment. This study reports on the surface roughness and relative grain size before and after thermal annealing. The main results are that (a) the graphene covered foil exhibits reduced surface roughness, and (b) the graphene film preserves an imprint of the Cu grain structure. In the second part of the work, the transfer of CVD graphene is experimentally investigated using Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), …

Practicing Work, Perfecting Play: League Of Legends And The Sentimental Education Of E-Sports, Neal C. Hinnant

Communication Theses

A growing force in the culture of digital games fandom, e-sports represents the profes-sionalization of digital games play. This thesis examines League of Legends, a prominent game in e-sports, to understand the relationship between e-sports and the ideology of neoliberal economics. Using Clifford Geertz’s descriptions of sentimental education as a model, the author argues that League of Legends and other e-sports texts create an environment where neoliberal economic values can be practiced and explored in a meaningful space. The game as text, the culture of e-sports fandom, and the e-sports broadcasting industry are all examined to reveal the ways …

Public Housing Relocation Of Older Adults In Atlanta: Challenging The Aging In Place Concept., Laquanda Jackson

Sociology Theses

In 2007 AHA demolished two senior high-rise buildings causing the forcible removal of older African American residents who may have wanted to age in place due to community attachment. Aging in place and community attachment are concepts that describe the strong social-psychological attraction to a specific location among older long-term residents (McAuley 1998). This thesis examines if community attachment differ for residents who were forced to relocate and those who were able to age in place. Using longitudinal data from the GSU Urban Health Initiative, I looked at relocated and non-relocating senior public housing residents' community attachment as it relates …

Synthesis Of Novel Heterocyclic N-Oxide Glycosides: Glycosylation Of Myxin Analogs, Jarin Joyner

Chemistry Theses

Phenazines and heterocyclic N-oxides have proven to be interesting classes of antitumoral as well as antibiotic agents . The natural product myxin (1-hydroxy-6-methoxyphenazine- N5, N10-dioxide) which belongs to both of these unique classes of molecules, has been found to cause bio-reductively activated, radical-mediated DNA strand cleavage via a de-oxygenative mechanism, making it a potential anti-tumoral as well as anti-bactierial candidate. In order to investigate as well as improve the bioactive properties of myxin, the following study was designed to synthesize glycosylated myxin analogs. A small catalog of these compounds were synthesized, some of them exhibiting comparable biological …

Diversity Within Discrimination: Does Victim Nativity And Discriminator Race Matter For The Mental Health Of Blacks?, Aja Simpson Zulfiqar

Sociology Theses

The current study focuses on the variations in mental health effects due to the race of discriminators and the heterogeneity of the Black racial group. Using NSAL data, this study seeks to determine whether skin color discrimination has differing mental health impacts if it originates from a Black perpetrator versus a White one. The study examines these effects on both foreign-born and native-born Blacks to determine similarities and differences in their experiences in distress. The findings can provide a unique insight into diversity within the discrimination experience and inform interventions and policies that seek to improve the mental health among …

Generalized Confidence Intervals For Partial Youden Index And Its Corresponding Optimal Cut-Off Point, Chenxue Li

Mathematics Theses

In the field of diagnostic test studies, the accuracy of a diagnostic test is essential in evaluating the performance of the test. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the area under the curve (AUC) are widely used in such evaluation procedures. Meanwhile, the Youden index is also introduced into practice to measure the accuracy of the diagnostic test from another aspect. The Youden index maximizes the sum of sensitivity and specificity, assuring decent true positive and negative rates. It draws one's attention due to its merit of finding the optimal cut-off points of biomarkers. Similar to Partial ROC, a …

Jackknife Empirical Likelihood-Based Confidence Intervals For Low Income Proportions With Missing Data, Yanan Yin

Mathematics Theses

The estimation of low income proportions plays an important role in comparisons of poverty in different countries. In most countries, the stability of the society and the development of economics depend on the estimation of low income proportions. An accurate estimation of a low income proportion has a crucial role for the development of the natural economy and the improvement of people's living standards. In this thesis, the Jackknife empirical likelihood method is employed to construct confidence intervals for a low income proportion when the observed data had missing values. Comprehensive simulation studies are conducted to compare the relative performances …

Re-Discovering Ethan Allen And Thomas Young's Reason The Only Oracle Of Man: The Rise Of Deism In Pre-Revolutionary America, Benjamin Kolenda

English Theses

In 1784, Ethan Allen (1738-1789), the leader of the Green Mountain Boys and legendary Revolutionary War hero, and his friend Thomas Young (1731-1777) published Reason the only Oracle of Man. In their opus, America’s premier text formally introducing Deism, Allen and Young systematically dismantle the ecclesiastical foundations of New England by specifically targeting the undemocratic principles of the Congregational Church. Allen and Young wrote Reason as a revolt against the encroaching ecclesiastical domination. The duo focused upon many topics central to the European Enlightenment: substance and matter, formation versus creation, immortality, the soul, the nature and motives of prophecy, …

A Phrenological Assesment Of Rebecca Harding Davis's Sketch, 'Blind Tom', Leanne M. Davis

English Theses

In this essay, I examine how the nineteenth-century cultural phenomenon of phrenology is made apparent in the abolitionist arguments of Rebecca Harding Davis’s “Blind Tom” (1862), a nonfiction character sketch of the popular blind slave and idiot savant-musician. The first portion of my argument constructs a probable reality that allows for the influence of Davis’s exposure to phrenology first as a student, then later as a writer. I then perform a critical assessment of “Blind Tom,” revealing how Davis relies upon phrenological terminology, such as that employed by famous phrenologist Orson Squire Fowler, in her descriptions of the musician’s physical …

Centrosomal Profile Status Of Bladder Carcinoma In African-Americans And Caucasians: A Comparative Analysis, Rutugandha Deepak Paranjpe

Biology Theses

Urothelial carcinoma of bladder (UCB) in African-Americans (AA) presents as more advanced disease at diagnosis and has lower 5-year survival rate, compared to Caucasians. The clinical diagnosis of higher grade and stage can be attributed to a more aggressive disease course in AA. Given the clear association between CA and aggressiveness, we hypothesized that AA have a higher incidence and severity of CA in bladder tumors as compared to Caucasians. To test this hypothesis, we developed an innovative method to quantitate the degree of CA (both numeric and structural) within tumor samples and defined a measurable index called the Centrosome …

A Classification Framework For Imbalanced Data, Piyaphol Phoungphol

Computer Science Dissertations

As information technology advances, the demands for developing a reliable and highly accurate predictive model from many domains are increasing. Traditional classification algorithms can be limited in their performance on highly imbalanced data sets. In this dissertation, we study two common problems when training data is imbalanced, and propose effective algorithms to solve them.

Firstly, we investigate the problem in building a multi-class classification model from imbalanced class distribution. We develop an effective technique to improve the performance of the model by formulating the problem as a multi-class SVM with an objective to maximize G-mean value. A ramp loss function …

Eating Behaviors And Supplement Use Of College Upperclassmen Athletes Versus Lowerclassmen Athletes, Marissa F. Wertheimer

Nutrition Theses

Background: Past studies have shown that optimal nutrition can enhance physical activity, athletic performance, and recovery from exercise. It is important for college athletes to incorporate positive eating behaviors into their daily lives, such as consuming breakfast, eating frequently throughout the day, and not skipping meals in order to maintain energy levels and reach their sports performance potential.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the eating behaviors and dietary supplement use of underclassmen and upperclassmen student athletes at Georgia State University.

Methods: Underclassmen (freshmen, sophomores) and upperclassmen (juniors, seniors, fifth-year seniors) athletes (n=255) completed …

Structural And Kinetic Studies Of Drug-Resistant Mutants Of Hiv-1 Protease, Hongmei Zhang

Biology Dissertations

The employment of HIV-1 protease (PR) inhibitors (PIs) in antiviral therapy has been successful in reducing mortality of HIV/AIDS patients. However, the long-term efficacy of PIs is challenged by the rapid emergence of drug-resistant mutants of PR. To understand the underlying mechanism of drug resistance, structures and activities of HIV-1 PR and its drug resistant mutants have been extensively studied. Here, PR mutants PR_R8Q, PR_D30N, PR_I47V, PR_I50V, PR_I54M, PR_V82A, and PR_N88D/S bearing single substitutions have been investigated by crystallography and kinetics.

GRL-0519 is a potent new antiviral …

Real-Time Physics Based Simulation For 3d Computer Graphics, Xiao Chen

Computer Science Dissertations

Restoration of realistic animation is a critical part in the area of computer graphics. The goal of this sort of simulation is to imitate the behavior of the transformation in real life to the greatest extent. Physics-based simulation provides a solid background and proficient theories that can be applied in the simulation. In this dissertation, I will present real-time simulations which are physics-based in the area of terrain deformation and ship oscillations.

When ground vehicles navigate on soft terrains such as sand, snow and mud, they often leave distinctive tracks. The realistic simulation of such vehicle-terrain interaction is important for …

The Mental Health Consequences Of Losing A Parent: Does Culture Moderate The Impact Of Parental Death?, Daisuke Ito

Sociology Dissertations

The death of a parent represents a potential traumatic life event that has been linked to depression in both Japan and the United States. Yet experiences surrounding death and ways of grieving are framed differently across cultures. At the individual level, the majority of the bereaved people in both Japan and the United States attempt to maintain bonds with the deceased family members. Being complementary to the individual-level desire, Japanese death-related beliefs and practices seem to provide a tool to maintain bonds. In contrast, American death-related beliefs and practices may be at odds with the individual desires by encouraging the …

“Fifty Years Of Our Whole Voice”: An Examination Of The History And Culture Leading To The Publication Of Fire!! Devoted To Younger Artists And Aiiieeeee!: An Anthology Of Asian American Writers, Joni Louise Johnson Williams

English Dissertations

According to African American literary theorist Henry Louis Gates, “the slave wrote not primarily to demonstrate humane letters, but to demonstrate his or her own membership in the human community” (128). Two efforts at this demonstration of community membership exist in the publication of the literary journal, Fire!!, written and published by African American artists and writers in 1926 and in the anthology AIIIEEEEE!, compiled and edited by Asian American writers and published in 1974. These compilations, published not quite fifty years apart, are direct responses and reactions to the efforts of the larger society to influence and/or …

Responses To Caregiver Violations Of Communication In Typically Developing Children, Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, And Children With Down Syndrome, Ann Grossniklaus

Psychology Theses

Examining responses to violations of communication may provide insight into children’s communicative competencies not apparent during reciprocal interactions. In this study, the caregivers of 18-month-old typically developing children, 30-month-old children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and 30-month-old children with Down syndrome followed our suggestion to playfully violate communication with their children in two contexts: requesting and social interacting. Caregivers of children with ASD made fewer bids and violations, which their children accepted less often than typically developing children; they also used instrumental behaviors more often when responding. Children with Down syndrome responded to their caregivers similarly to typically developing children, …

Heterojunction Structures For Photon Detector Applications, Don Duleepa P. Pitigala Kankanakage

Physics and Astronomy Dissertations

The work presented here report findings in (1) infrared detectors based on p-GaAs/AlGaAs heterojunctions, (2) J and H aggregate sensitized heterojunctions for solar cell and photon detection applications, (3) heterojunctions sensitized with quantum dots as low cost solar energy conversion devices and near infrared photodetectors.

(1)A GaAs/AlGaAs based structure with a graded AlGaAs barrier is found to demonstrate a photovoltaic responsivity of ~ 30mA/W (~ 450mV/W) at the wavelength of 1.8 mm at 300K. Additionally the graded barrier has enhanced the photoconductive response at 78 K, showing a responsivity of ~ 80mA/W with a D*=1.4×10⁸ Jones under 1V bias …

Mixed Methods Analysis Of Undergraduate Quantum Mechanics: An Exploratory Case Study, Christopher A. Oakley

Physics and Astronomy Dissertations

One key goal of Physics Education Research is providing research-based instructional techniques and tools to help assess the complex learning goals associated with a mature understanding of physics. Characterizing faculty expectations is important to produce a comprehensive understanding of knowledge students should acquire before and during a quantum mechanics course (QMC). Semi-structured interviews have been conducted with faculty members and students entering a QMC in the Physics Program at a Large Public Research University (LPRU) in the Southeast. The interviews examine perspectives of different evaluation techniques, ideal preparation, course content, and expected conceptual models of students. A post-course survey was …

Molecular Probe Designs For Nucleic Acid Based Detection, Manindar Kaur

Chemistry Dissertations

Nucleosides and nucleotides are powerful building units for creating functional molecules with novel properties. The structural and functional variations of these biomolecules have caused a renaissance of nucleic acid chemistry and biology, and paved the way for fresh avenues in nucleic acid research, including therapeutics, nucleic acid biology, structure-function studies, catalytic and mechanistic analysis, and material science and nanotechnology.

Modified nucleic acids are instrumental in discovering functional oligonucleotides as signif-icant biochemical and therapeutic agents. A variety of synthetic strategies have been developed to design novel analogs with tunable physico-chemical properties, such as enhanced duplex stability, binding affinity, nuclease resistance, bioavailability, …

Modulating Calcium Signaling By Protein Design And Analysis Of Calcium Binding Proteins, You Zhuo

Chemistry Dissertations

Transient change of cytosolic calcium level leads to physiological actions, which are modulated by the intracellular calcium stores, and gated by membrane calcium channels/pumps. To closely monitor calcium dynamics there is a pressing need to develop calcium sensors that are targeted to high calcium environment such as the ER/SR with relatively low binding affinity and fast kinetic properties to complement the current calcium indicator toolkits. In this dissertation, the development of fast red florescent calcium binding protein using the protein design is reported. The results show the calcium dependent fluorescence increase of mCherry mutant MCD1 (RapidER) and MCD15 (RapidER’) is …

Cellular Responses To Rubella Virus Infection Of Neural Progenitors Derived From Human Embryonic Stem Cells, Jie Xu

Biology Dissertations

Rubella virus (RUBV) is a significant human pathogen. RUBV infection takes an enormous toll due to congenital rubella syndrome (CRS), a constellation of birth defects including blindness, hearing defects and mental retardation. Little is known about RUBV-induced teratogenesis due to the absence of useful models. This research is now enabled by the availability of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and hESC-derived precursor cell lines. Human neural progenitor cells (hNPCs) serve as a particularly relevant model due to the symptoms and complications of CRS related to neural system development. The overarching question addressed in this dissertation is: what is the mechanism …

Crystallographic Study Of Hiv Protease Drug Resistant Variants And Green Fluorescent Protein Based Calcium Sensor Catcher, Ying Zhang

Chemistry Dissertations

HIV-1 protease is an important enzyme for the maturation of infectious virions and has been an effective drug target for HIV/AIDS. Protease inhibitors were successfully designed based on the structural data for AIDS therapy. Nonetheless, the drug resistant PR variants are selected rapidly during therapy. Mutation L76V is associated with drug resistance and shows opposite effects on different protease inhibitors. Kinetics and stability of PR_L76V were studied and high-resolution crystal structures of PR_L76V with inhibitors were solved to identify structural changes. HIV-1 PR_P51 variant is a multiple mutant selected for resistance to darunavir in the laboratory in …

Further Analysis Of The Interaction Of The Cellular Protein Tiar With The 3' Terminal Stem-Loop Of The West Nile Virus (Wnv) Minus-Strand Rna, Hsuan Liu

Biology Dissertations

Cellular T-cell intracellular antigen-1 related protein (TIAR) binds to the 3' terminal stem-loop of the West Nile virus minus-strand RNA [WNV 3'(-) SL RNA]. TIAR binding sites were previously mapped on loop 1 (L1) and loop 2 (L2) of the 3' (-) SL RNA and mutations of these sites in a WNV infectious clone inhibited virus replication. In the present study, data from in vitro binding assays suggested that multiple TIAR proteins bind to each WNV 3′ (-) SL RNA in a positively cooperative manner. The tertiary structure of WNV 3′ (-) SL RNA was predicted and it was …

An Examination Of Effort: An Experimental Approach, Alexander P. Brumlik

Economics Dissertations

This dissertation studies issues associated with various topics related to a worker’s effort. For example, I explore how different wage incentives affect a worker’s productivity. I explore how exogenous shocks, what we often refer to as “luck,” can affect a worker’s motivation. In addition, I explore how different wage contracts destroy cooperation and can lead to destructive activities such as cheating and sabotage, as well as how these activates, in turn, affect productivity. Finally, in the last chapter, I analyze behavioral issues related to fairness and altruism in tournaments, and how these behaviors affect worker’s effort.