Digital Commons Network^™

“Hard To Rememeber, Then Hard To Forget:” A Qualitative Exploration Into The Attitudes And Lived Experiences Of Black People With Black Names, Destin L. Mizelle

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Naming practices within the Black American community are vibrant and deeply rooted in cultural traditions and shared values. Much like other ethnic groups, these names tell stories, reflect heritage, and connect individuals to their community, making each choice meaningful and significant. However, due to the systemic effects of anti-Blackness, Black Americans often have a complex relationship with their names. While previous research has primarily utilized quantitative methodologies focusing on the negative associations and consequences of having a Black name, this study aims to amplify the voices of Black people who possess Black names. Using reflexive thematic analysis, this qualitative study …

The Impact Of Whiteness Among Black College Students' Racial Identity, La'quida Reneé Smith

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Although the impact of racism is well-documented in both conceptual and empirical research on the experiences of Black college students, some scholars have pointed out that many of the negative, race-based experiences these students face on college campuses extend beyond overt acts of racism (e.g., individual racism, institutional racism; Gusa, 2010; Hargons et al., 2022; Ingram & Wallace, 2019; Le et al., 2020; Smith et al., 2011; Tyler et al., 2022). Whiteness has been identified as an overt factor shaping the lived experiences of Black individuals (Leonardo, 2009; Matias, 2016; Tyler et al., 2022) and is, therefore, believed to impact …

Chemoproteomic Profiling Of A Carbon-Stabilized Gold(Iii) Macrocycle Reveals Cellular Engagement With Hmox2, Sailajah Gukathasan, Chibuzor Ngozi Olelewe, Libby Ratliff, Jong H. Kim, Alyson M. Ackerman, J. Robert Mccorkle, Sean Parkin, Gunnar F. Kwakye, Jill M. Kolesar, Samuel G. Awuah

Chemistry Faculty Publications

In this work, we discovered a novel organometallic gold(III) macrocycle, Au-Mac1, that demonstrates anticancer potency in a panel of triple-negative breast cancer cells (TNBC), and based on this complex, a biotinylated-Au-Mac1 probe was designed for target identification via chemoproteomics, which uncovered the engagement of HMOX2 of the heme-energy metabolism pathway. Using orthogonal chemical biology and molecular biology approaches, including immunoblotting, flow cytometry, and cellular thermal shift assays, it was confirmed that Au-Mac1 engages HMOX2 in cells. Downstream effects of Au-Mac1 on the depletion of mitochondrial membrane proteins and bioenergetics point to the potential role of HMOX2 in cancer. Importantly, Au-Mac1 …

Caspase-11 And Nlrp3 Exacerbate Systemic Klebsiella Infection Through Reducing Mitochondrial Ros Production, Yuqi Zhou, Zhuodong Chai, Ankit Pandeya, Ling Yang, Yan Zhang, Guoying Zhang, Congqing Wu, Zhenyu Li, Yinan Wei

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Introduction: Klebsiella pneumoniae is a Gram-negative bacterium and the third most commonly isolated microorganism in blood cultures from septic patients. Despite extensive research, the mechanisms underlying K. pneumoniae-induced sepsis and its pathogenesis remain unclear. Acute respiratory failure is a leading cause of mortality in systemic K. pneumoniae infections, highlighting the need to better understand the host immune response and bacterial clearance mechanisms. Method: To investigate the impact of K. pneumoniae infection on organ function and immune response, we utilized a systemic infection model through intraperitoneal injection in mice. Bacterial loads in key organs were quantified, and lung injury was assessed. …

Iodinated Disinfection Byproduct Formation From Iohexol In Sunlit And Chlorinated Urban Wastewaters, Reagan Patton Witt, Marcelo I. Guzman

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Iodinated disinfection by-products (I-DBPs) are of growing concern due to their elevated toxicity compared to their chlorinated counterparts, with links to adverse health effects such as bladder cancer and miscarriages. Medical imaging agents like iohexol, commonly used in healthcare facilities, introduce iodine into wastewater systems. This study investigates the photodegradation of iohexol and the subsequent formation of products, including I-DBPs, during simulated final wastewater treatment under chlorination and sunlight exposure. Experiments were conducted with solutions containing 30 μM iohexol, 3 mg L⁻¹ humic acids, and 5.5 mg L⁻¹ hypochlorite. Samples were irradiated at λ ≥ 295 nm and …

The Optimization And Manufacturing Scale-Up Of Polymeric Membranes Using Eco-Friendly Solvents, David Lu

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Polymeric membranes have become a prominent technology applied in water filtration due to the lower cost, energy input, and simpler manufacturing process relative to other separation technologies. However, the environmental impact of polymeric membrane fabrication remains a hindrance due to the use of hazardous solvents derived from fossil fuels (e.g., DMAc, NMP, DMF) that pose a risk to the environment and human health. Whereas recent studies have demonstrated the proof-of-concept of polymeric membrane derived from eco-friendly solvents, the next steps of optimizing and upscaling the production of these membranes remains understudied and a gap between lab-scale studies and the path …

Combinatorial Thin Film Approach To Accelerate Materials Discovery: Development Of Nanoporous And Bulk Multi-Principal Element Alloys, Tibra Das Gupta

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Multi-principal element alloys (MPEAs) have garnered significant attention in materials science due to their potential for exhibiting a combination of desirable properties stemming from their unique configurational entropy. While early research focused on equiatomic compositions, recent studies have indicated that non-equiatomic MPEAs may offer superior mechanical performance. However, the identification of optimal non-equiatomic compositions remains challenging due to the vast compositional space and the reliance on time-consuming and computationally expensive methods. This dissertation presents a combinatorial thin film approach as a rapid and efficient strategy for discovering two types of materials: nanoporous and bulk MPEAs.

The first study explores the …

Shifting The Paradigm: Empowering School Social Workers As Leaders In Family Engagement Policy And Practices In K-12 Education, Amber Onkst

DSW Capstone Projects

This capstone examined the school social worker’s role in family engagement in K–12 education. It consists of three products that collectively review the current literature, conceptualize a gap in practice, and provide a tangible application to school social work in Kentucky. The first product, the systematic literature review, critically examines literature related to the school social worker’s role in family engagement policy and practices to inform an understanding of increasing engagement at the macro level. A narrative review was conducted to assess common themes. There was substantially limited research regarding this topic, showcasing a knowledge gap. The literature primarily revealed …

Bacteria-Engineered Vesicles For Cancer Immunotherapy: From Immunomodulation In Vitro To Anti-Tumor Effects In Melanoma Models, Lan Li

Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry

Bacterial vesicles hold immense potential in various biomedical fields. Among these, outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) produced by Gram-negative bacteria are the most extensively studied. While the exact mechanism of OMV production remains unclear, numerous environmental factors have been shown to influence both their yield and composition. In this study, we investigated the effect of three different antimicrobial families on OMV production by E. coli. Interestingly, antimicrobials within the same family did not provide the same effects on OMV yield, suggesting that OMV production may not directly correlate with the antimicrobial mechanism of action. OMVs have demonstrated tumor-inhibitory activity in multiple …

Insights Into Factors Influencing Radical Coupling Chemistry Of Monolignols During Lignification And Induced Changes In Plant Secondary Metabolism, Rachel Poornima Sutherland

Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry

Lignin is a complex aromatic biopolymer and an important constituent in plant cell walls. The process of lignin biosynthesis, known as lignification, is poorly understood and challenging to study but has important implications in a variety of fields including sustainable energy, bioengineering, and materials science and is therefore of interest to pursue. In the final stage of lignification, H-, G-, and S-monolignols are oxidized by laccase and peroxidase enzymes to generate radical species that couple to form dimers and further oligomeric species to ultimately produce the lignin polymer. Biomimetic lignin model systems utilize in vitro oxidative coupling reactions as an …

Impact Of Catastrophic Brain Injury Guidelines On Organ Donation Rates, Kristen D. Nordham, Danielle Tatum, Abdallah S. Attia, Mayur B. Patel, Anil Paramesh, Juan C. Duchesne, Jeffry Nahmias, Amelia W. Maiga, Allan B. Peetz, Pascal O. Udekwu, Anquonette Stiles, Chloe Shell, Joshua D. Stodghill, Taneen Maghsoudi, Erin Iacullo, Bryant Mclafferty, Erin Coonan, Ryan M. Boudreau, Steven A. Zimmerman, Berje Shammassian, Tanya Egodage, Isabella Aramento, Patrick Morris, Jacob Metheny, Michael S. Farrell, Matthew D. Painter, Owen T. Mccabe, Philomene Spadafore

Surgery Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND One third of organ donors suffer catastrophic brain injury (CBI). There are no standard guidelines for the management of traumatic CBI prior to brain death, and not all trauma centers have institutional CBI guidelines. In addition, there is high variability in management between institutions with guidelines. Catastrophic brain injury guidelines vary and may include various combinations of hormone therapy, vasopressors, fluid resuscitation, and other practices. We hypothesized that centers with CBI guidelines have higher organ donation rates than those without. METHODS This prospective, observational EAST-sponsored multicenter trial included adult (18+ years old) traumatic-mechanism CBI patients at 33 level I …

Redox Control In A Fused Electron Transfer Flavoprotein From A Thermophilic Archaeon And Expanded Significance Of A Hydrogen Bond From A Conserved Histidine Residue That Contributes To Flavin Redox Tuning And Activation For Covalent Modification, Debarati Das

Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry

In absence of O₂ as terminal electron acceptors in anaerobic bacteria and archaea, carbohydrate metabolism is 15 times less efficient compared to aerobic energy metabolism resulting in energy deficit conditions. Despite their meager resources these anaerobes were able to generate H₂ and a chemiosmotic potential able to drive energy demanding reactions such as CO₂ or N₂ fixation. These observations raised concerns as production of high energy reductants (H₂) from mediocre fuels (NADH) defied the laws of thermodynamics.

In 2008, a known mechanism “electron bifurcation” but with flavins as redox mediators instead of quinones was …

Targeted Mitigation Strategies To Reduce Secondary Emissions In Co2 Capture Systems, Keemia Abad

Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry

Global CO₂ emissions from industrial, power generation and transportation sources has led to the call for increased implementation of carbon capture strategies. The most developed of these is point source carbon capture, which refers to the process of capturing CO₂ directly from large (point) source emitters, before the CO₂ is released into the atmosphere. The challenge becomes separating CO₂ from the other components of the emitted gas, mainly nitrogen. These CO₂ capture processes typically involve the use of aqueous solutions of amines to absorb (capture) CO₂ from the gas stream, where the CO₂ and the …

Effects Of A-Site Cation Structure And B-Site Metal On Optical And Electronic Properties Of 2d Ruddlesden-Popper Phase Tin-Based Hybrid Perovskites, Henry Pruett

Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry

Organic metal halide perovskites (HPs) are attractive materials for a variety of electronic applications due to their low cost, tunable band gaps, excellent charge transport properties, and high photoluminescence efficiency. As such, HPs are being investigated for use in solar cells, photodetectors, X-ray detectors, light emitting diodes, field effect transistors, lasers, resistive random-access memory, etc. Currently the most popular metal used in HPs is lead, but the use of lead comes with the potential for heavy metal exposure. Tin-based perovskites offer a less hazardous alternative, but their optoelectronic properties lag behind those of lead and less work has been done …

The Physiology Of Exercise, Rosie Lanphere

Open Educational Resources

The Physiology of Exercise (3rd Edition) is an essential resource for upper-level undergraduates studying exercise science. Written by Rosie Lanphere, PhD, CSCS, this text provides a clear and comprehensive exploration of how the human body responds and adapts to physical activity.

Covering metabolism, energy expenditure, and the integrated roles of the nervous, cardiovascular, endocrine, muscular, and respiratory systems, this edition reflects the latest research and practical applications in the field.

Designed with students in mind, each chapter includes learning objectives, key terms, and scholarly questions to reinforce understanding. Whether preparing for a career in exercise science or professional certification, this …

Trace Level Benzoylecgonine Detections In Equine Plasma/Serum – A Proposed Interim Plasma Level Regulatory “Cut-Off“, Andreas F. Lehner, Kimberly Brewer, Levent Dirikolu, Abelardo Morales Briceñod, Robert Holland, George Maylin, Clara Fenger, Thomas Tobin

Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center Faculty Publications

Cocaine is a widely used human recreational substance routinely transferring at pharmacologically irrelevant trace level amounts to non-user humans and horses. Horses and humans rapidly demethylate cocaine to benzoylecgonine which is excreted in urine at concentrations approaching two thousand times higher than the corresponding plasma cocaine concentrations. In human workplace drug testing, these usually pharmacologically irrelevant trace level urinary detections of benzoylecgonine are handled by application of a 100 ng/ml urinary “cut-off“, as presented by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). In horse racing several American states have long used published urinary “cut-offs“ for benzoylecgonine of from …

Secondhand Tobacco Smoke Exposure And Sleep Disturbance In School-Aged Children In Appalachian Ohio, Ketrell Mcwhorter, Christine Kim, Timothy J. Hilbert, Danielle E. Mcbride, Anthony A. Mangino, Patrick J. Parsons, Kurunthachalam Kannan, Erin N. Haynes

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Introduction: Secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) exposure remains a major public health concern for children and has been implicated in sleep disturbances through biological and behavioral mechanisms. Different methods of measuring SHS exposure have yielded inconsistent results. This study examined the relationship between SHS exposure and sleep among rural Appalachian 7–9-year-olds, utilizing three SHS measurements: natural log-transformed (ln) serum cotinine concentrations, dichotomized serum cotinine levels (≥0.05 vs. <0.05 ng/ml), and parent/caregiver report of ≥1 smoker in the home. We hypothesized SHS-exposed children would have a significantly higher prevalence of sleep disturbance—e.g., short sleep, frequent snoring, night awakenings—compared to unexposed, regardless of measurement method. Methods: We used data from the Marietta Community Actively Researching Exposure Study, a cohort of 404 children in Marietta and Cambridge, Ohio. Sleep disturbances were parent/caregiver-reported. Linear models were used for continuous outcomes to estimate beta coefficients; log-binomial models with generalized estimating equations (exchangeable correlation) were applied for dichotomized outcomes to estimate prevalence ratios (PR), each with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Twenty-six percent of children had a parent/caregiver report of ≥1 sleep disturbance. There was a 35% increased prevalence of short sleep [PR = 1.35 (95%CI:1.02–1.80), p =.04] with each unit increase of ln serum cotinine levels, adjusting for age, sex, parent education, BMI percentile, and history of breathing difficulties in the past two years. Increasing ln serum cotinine levels were associated with a significant 5.5-min decrease in average sleep duration in age-adjusted models. Conclusions: Higher SHS exposure was associated with poorer sleep outcomes, with serum cotinine emerging as the only measure linked to short sleep, underscoring the importance of smoke-free environments, particularly in rural communities, and objective exposure assessment.

Impact Of Feeding Different Fat Sources And Levels Of Vitamin E Isoforms To Heavy Slaughter Weight (150 Kg) Pigs: Ii. Belly And Bacon Quality, Marlee Kelley, Ding Wang, Ana Paula A.A. Salim, Merlin D. Lindemann, Gregg Rentfrow, Surendranath P. Suman

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Two independent experiments were performed to evaluate the effect of dietary fat sources and vitamin E supplementation on the characteristics of belly and bacon from heavy slaughter weights (150 kg) pigs. In experiment 1, 64 individually fed pigs (32 barrows and 32 gilts) were randomly assigned to 1 of the 8 dietary treatments in a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement. Four fat sources included cornstarch (CS), tallow (TW), corn oil (CO), and coconut oil (CN). Vitamin E supplementation included alpha-tocopheryl acetate (ATA) at 11 and 200 ppm. In experiment 2, individually fed pigs (n = 72; 36 barrows, 36 gilts) …

Impact Of A 24 H Feed Withdrawal On Active Nutrient Transport, Intestinal Morphology, And Gene Expression In The Equine Small And Large Intestine, Blaire E. Aldridge-Dean, Timothy B. Lescun, John Scott Radcliffe

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Horses are often subjected to short-term feed withdrawal (FW) pre- or post-surgery to reduce anesthetic complications. However, removing nutrients from the intestinal lumen may negatively impact intestinal health. Thirteen horses were used to determine the effects of a 24 h FW on gut barrier function, active nutrient transport, transporter gene expression, and intestinal morphology. Following 0 or 24 h FW (0FW or 24FW, respectively), horses were euthanized via overdose of sodium pentobarbital and sodium phenytoin, and segments of proximal jejunum (PJ), mid jejunum (MJ), ileum (Il), and right ventral colon (RVC) were harvested for histology (PJ and Il), gene expression, …

Piglet Nursing Location Along The Sow’S Udder Line Affects Piglet Weight Gain And Subsequent Weaning Weight, Shannon Dierking, Harold J. Monegue, Merlin Lindemann

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: There is a linear correlation between piglet weaning weight and average daily gain during the post-nursery period. A key factor that influences piglet weight gain during lactation is milk intake. Thus, the variation in piglet weaning weight is hypothesized to be, to some extent, a result of differences in milk production among individual mammary glands. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of piglet nursing location throughout lactation on piglet weaning weight, with a secondary objective of determining the impact of piglet birth weight on nursing location selection. Methods: Teat pairs were labeled from anterior …

Post-Weaning Weight Gain In Pigs Is Not Affected By Moderate Duration Transport At 20 Days Of Age, Isabel B. Walpole, Alyssa A. Smith, Kaylyn G. Rudy, Dayeon Jeon, Sarah M. Innis, Brian T. Richert, J. Scott Radcliffe, J. Alex Pasternak

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Transportation at weaning is an integral component of the American swine industry. However, the long-term effects on growth performance have not been well characterized. Previous research suggests transportation causes weight loss immediately following weaning, but few studies have followed this effect further than 7 d post-weaning, with transport causing decreased body weight in those that have. In experiment 1, average weight pigs at 20 ± 1.3 d of age were weaned and either 1) transported for 9 hour without feed and water (TR), 2) had their feed and water restricted for 9 hour (FR), or 3) were weaned and provided …

Impact Of Feeding Different Fat Sources And Levels Of Vitamin E Isoforms To Heavy Slaughter Weight (150 Kg) Pigs: I. Carcass Characteristics And Fresh Pork Quality, Marlee Kelley, Ding Wang, Gregg Rentfrow, Merlin D. Lindemann, Ana Paula A.A. Salim, Surendranath P. Suman

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of supplementing α-tocopheryl-acetate (ATA) and γ-tocopherol (GT) vitamin E isoforms with corn oil (CO) and tallow (TW) on carcass characteristics and meat quality characteristics of pigs grown to heavy weights (150 kg). Individually fed pigs (n = 72; 36 barrows, 36 gilts) were randomly assigned to 12 dietary treatments in a 2 × 6 factorial arrangement. Fat treatments were 5% TW and 5% CO. The vitamin E treatments included 4 levels of ATA (11, 40, 100, and 200 ppm) and 2 levels of mixed tocopherols (primarily GT; 40 and 100 …

Effects Of Ethanol And Neuropeptide-Y Signaling On Neurogenic Markers In The Hippocampus, Cassidy Taylor Leibold

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

According to the National Survey of Drug Use and Health in 2023, 28.9 million people over the age of 12 in the United States meet criteria for an Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). AUDs result in a range of both social and behavioral consequences, caused by damage to the central nervous system. The hippocampus is a brain structure that undergoes cellular changes in the presence of ethanol, thus causing structural and functional damage. Impairments in neurogenesis, or the production of new neurons, due to ethanol exposure result in decreased plasticity and consequently memory impairments. The mechanisms of these ethanol-induced decreases in …

A Comparison Of Fecal Output Determined By Total Fecal Collection Or Titanium Dioxide In Horses, Ashley L. Fowler, Morgan B. Pyles, Susan H. Hayes, Andrea D. Crum, Laurie M. Lawrence

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Total fecal collection studies to determine digestibility of nutrients are costly and laborious. The use of externally dosed indigestible markers, such as titanium dioxide (TiO₂), to estimate digestibility using spot samples could be advantageous, but studies validating their use in horses are inadequate. Two experiments were conducted to determine if TiO₂ in fecal spot samples effectively estimated fecal output in horses. In Exp. 1, four mature horses were fed a forage-based diet (85:15 forage: concentrate) split into two equal meals with 1.75±0.03g TiO₂/kg DM (10g TiO₂) per day top-dressed on their daily ration. …

Effects Of Feeding Varying Levels Of Mycotoxin-Containing Corn Fines On Diet Choice And Growth Performance Of Nursery Pigs, Duncan B. Paczosa, Tyler B. Chevalier, Sunday A. Adedokun, Lan Zheng, Merlin D. Lindemann

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Mycotoxins in feed are known to negatively affect growth and other physiological processes in pigs. Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of feeding diets with varying levels of mycotoxins and boron (a nutrient reported to mitigate some aspects of mycotoxicosis). Screenings from the 2020 crop year corn contained mycotoxin levels of 23,038 ppb total fumonisins (FUM), 1,446 ppb zearalenone (ZEA), and 5,032 ppb total deoxynivalenol (DON). The corn fines were added to a corn-soybean meal diet formulated to meet or exceed NRC (National Research Council. 2012. Nutrient requirements of swine. 11th Revised Edition. Washington, DC: The National Academies …

Evaluation Of Increasing Levels Of Mycotoxin-Containing Corn Fines And Mitigants On Nursery Pig Growth Performance, Duncan B. Paczosa, Tyler B. Chevalier, Sunday A. Adedokun, Lan Zheng, Merlin D. Lindemann

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

The effects of feeding corn fines (screenings) containing mycotoxin levels greater than the FDA guidance (fumonisins) and advisory (deoxynivalenol) levels were evaluated using 150 crossbred pigs (initial BW: 6.42 ± 0.06 kg; 90 barrows and 60 gilts) in an 8-wk study by adding contaminated corn fines to create six diets. The corn fines used contained prestudy analyzed mycotoxin levels of 20,334 ppb total fumonisin, 1,499 ppb zearalenone, and 5,075 ppb total deoxynivalenol. The corn fines were added into a corn-soybean meal basal diet at 0%, 20%, 40%, and 60% corn fines (Diets 1 to 4, respectively). Diet 5 was created …

Factors Of Willingness To Pay For Equine Veterinary Services, Olivia Gibson, Shuoli Zhao, C. Jill Stowe

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

This study estimates correlates of willingness-to-pay (WTP) for routine, elective, and urgent equine veterinary services in the United States. Through a nationwide online survey of US horse owners aged 18 and older, a payment card approach was utilized to elicit WTP for annual vaccinations, a lameness exam, and emergency colic surgery. Based on the results from an interval regression model, we found that financial capacity, income level, and the number of horses owned were significant predictors of WTP across all three service types. These findings have implications for equine veterinary practice management and client communication regarding treatment costs.

Resilience After Prenatal Substance Exposure: Exploring The Role Of Cumulative And Specific Protective Factors In Predicting Toddlerhood Temperament Profiles, Anjeli Elkins

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Objective

Prenatal exposure to common substances, including nicotine, marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, opiates, and alcohol, has been linked to a wide range of psychiatric disorders and neurodevelopmental impairments. Identifying protective factors that may improve temperament profiles in toddlers who have experienced prenatal substance exposure may protect against these adverse outcomes and is crucial for developing targeted early interventions.

Methods

Participants (n=92; Mage = 28.7 years; 47.0% White) were biological mothers of toddlers (Mage = 22.6 months) with prenatal substance exposure. Mothers responded to an online survey that gathered information on substance use during pregnancy, proposed perinatal protective factors, and child temperament. …

Responses To Tobacco Use Screening And Tobacco Cessation Assistance Offers Among Rural And Ubran Cancer Survivors At An Nci-Designated Comprehensive Cancer, Abigayle Feather

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Smoking after cancer diagnosis is associated with poor outcomes while smoking cessation can improve quality of life and promote survival. Although there are calls for equitable tobacco treatment delivery in cancer and other healthcare settings, disparities in tobacco-related disease burden persist. In the context of an outpatient cancer center’s population-based tobacco treatment program, this study examines the association between cancer survivors’ rural and Appalachian residence and 1) current tobacco use status, 2) decision to decline cessation assistance, and 3) reason for declining assistance. A cross-sectional, retrospective analysis was conducted using electronic health record data from 16,839 adults (64.04% female, 88.49% …

Multidimensional Health Outcomes In Lgbtq+ Older Adults In The United States: Individual And Community-Level Protective Factors, Emily P. Lapidus

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Despite a lifetime of systematic barriers, LGBTQ+ individuals age into late adulthood, likely due to various protective factors. Guided by the Iridescent Life Course Framework (ILCF; Fredriksen-Goldsen & Muraco, 2019), I analyzed unique protective factors at two levels: (1) individual psychological factors (i.e., resilience, identity management) and (2) community-level factors (i.e., LGBTQ+ community connectedness, social support). Health was operationalized as mental health, physical health, and health-promoting behaviors. The present study accounted for covariates (i.e., financial barriers to healthcare, felt subjective age discrepancy, lifetime discrimination). I hypothesized that both stronger individual and community factors would be associated with better physical and …