Digital Commons Network^™

Nurse Manager Transformational Leadership Practices And Patient Outcomes Among Magnet And Non-Magnet Hospitals, Bridgett Byrd Sellars Phd, Msn, Ma, Rn

Dissertations

In 2004 the Institute Of Medicine called for healthcare leaders to embrace and adopt transformational leadership practices to promote quality of care and favorable patient outcomes. Nurse managers are accountable for 24-hour operations of their departments and influence patient outcomes. The purpose of this research was to examine the relationships among nurse manager transformational leadership practices, patient outcomes and hospital types (Magnet, On The Journey, and Non-Magnet). A correlational study examined relationships between self-reported transformational leadership practices of nurse managers and patient outcomes by hospital types. The study was conducted using a purposive sample of Association of California Nurse Leader …

Contribution Of The Mnr2 Protein To Magnesium Homeostasis In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Nilambari Prafulla Pisat

Dissertations

Magnesium is an essential metal nutrient with diverse roles in biology. To maintain the optimal function of key biological processes, intracellular Mg2+ concentration is tightly regulated. Despite the importance of this process however, relatively little is known about mechanisms of Mg2+ homeostasis in eukaryotic cells. An understanding of homeostasis starts with defining the function of key transport proteins that allow the passage of Mg2+ ions across the membranes. Yeast geneticists have identified four proteins from Bakers' yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) involved in regulating the accumulation of Mg2+ within the cell (Alr1 and Alr2) and within the mitochondrial compartment (Mrs2 and Lpe10). …

Identification And Characterization Of Suppressors Of Hopm1; A Plant Pathogen Effector Of Pseudomonas Syringae Pv. Tomato Dc3000, Vanessa Revindran

Dissertations

We have created a yeast model system to study the action of the plant pathogen effector HopM1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Pseudomonas syringae, causative agent of bacterial speck in tomatoes, utilizes the type III secretion system to shuttle the effector proteins into the host cell.

When expressed in yeast, HopM1 is lethal on solid media at 21°C, but not at 30°C and 37°C. The same temperature sensitive ability of HopM1 to cause death on solid media is also observed in liquid. As demonstrated by SDS PAGE-Western blot analysis, HopM1 protein is present at 21°C, 30°C and 37°C. At 21°C, a full-length …

Optical And Electrochemical Sensors For The Detection Of Metal Ions And Nerve Gas Mimics Via Fluorescein And Coumarin Derivatives, Fasil Adefris Abebe

Dissertations

Trace element detection of metals, for example, iron, Copper and zinc, are important in biological systems and in the environment. Many of us are aware that our cells contain metal ions that are “tied” up in proteins. However, chelatable or “free” trace elements can also be found in small quantities, and can have a negative impact on our bodies. Despite the increasing surge in developing sensors for metals and nerve gas agents, efficient detection still remains a challenge. Among the various sensors developed so far, fluorescence sensors play an important role due to their simplicity. I design fluorescein-based chemosensors for …

Patterns Of Interaction And Mathematical Thinking Of High School Students In Classroom Environments That Include Use Of Java-Based, Curriculum-Embedded Software, Karen L. Fonkert

Dissertations

This study analyzes the nature of student interaction and discourse in an environment that includes the use of Java-based, curriculum-embedded mathematical software. The software CPMP-Tools was designed as part of the development of the second edition of the Core-Plus Mathematics curriculum. The use of the software on laptop computers in small groups of students, and in whole-class interactive lessons with a single computer at the front of the classroom was explored. Data were collected through observations, interviews, and selected items from the students’ regular assessments. During the observations, classroom discussion was audio-taped and videotaped, and field notes were taken. The …

A New Non-Parametric Test For Umbrella Alternatives, Gilbert Ngwa Muma

Dissertations

The Mann-Whitney statistics have commonly been used as a building block for many tests involving ordered and umbrella alternatives. Such tests are based on pair wise information that is obtained from all Ck 2 pairs of samples. This dissertation introduces a new nonparametric test for testing umbrella alternatives in a completely randomized one way design. This test is based on information obtained from a subset of the Ck 3 trios of samples. Unlike most existing tests for umbrella alternatives, the new test lays emphasis on the importance of testing across the peak of the umbrella, thereby rendering the new test …

Cerebral Spasticity Modeled As Disorded Equilibrium Point Control, Darnell Simon

Dissertations

Spasticity is a highly complex phenomenon, which has not been defined in precise and quantifiable terms. Although the muscle stretch reflex is thought to play an important role in spasticity generation, the pathophysiologic basis of spasticity is not completely understood. A valid measure of spasticity is one that is chosen within the context of a theory describing the physiological mechanisms underlying the control of posture and movement in healthy individuals and possible impairments of these mechanisms leading to motor disorders. This research’s goal was to determine the role of stretch reflex threshold in the regulation of impaired motor control through …

Approximate String Matching Methods For Duplicate Detection And Clustering Tasks, Oleksandr Rudniy

Dissertations

Approximate string matching methods are utilized by a vast number of duplicate detection and clustering applications in various knowledge domains. The application area is expected to grow due to the recent significant increase in the amount of digital data and knowledge sources. Despite the large number of existing string similarity metrics, there is a need for more precise approximate string matching methods to improve the efficiency of computer-driven data processing, thus decreasing labor-intensive human involvement.

This work introduces a family of novel string similarity methods, which outperform a number of effective well-known and widely used string similarity functions. The new …

Biochar From Agricultural Byproducts For Improved Soil Quality And Carbon Sequestration, Djaafar Rehrah

Dissertations

Soil carbon sequestration has emerged as an innovative approach that may offer a low-risk and an efficient way to mitigate climate change and replenish soil fertility. In various agricultural production systems, byproducts are produced in significant amounts from crop residues such as pecan shells (PC), peanut shells (PS), and cotton gin (CG) that can be used to produce biochar and applied to agricultural soil first to sequester C and second to enhance plant growth by supplying and retaining nutrients, improving soil physical and biological properties. The objectives of this study were to (a) produce biochars from different byproducts (PC, PS, …

Hear3d: A Study Of Spatial Sounds Effect On Language Learning, Brendan Cregan

Dissertations

Spatial sound is the manipulation of audio to add the illusion of position to the source of the sound, i.e. making sounds seem to originate from behind you or from different points around a room. Headphones must be used to achieve the optimum level of 3D sound. At any time over half a billion people are learning languages with the aide of audio which is why and the study of the effect or potential effects that the spatial sounds have on language learning is particularly interesting. If the application of spatial sounds to educational audio clips could be shown to …

Analytical Strategies For Drug Residues In Various Matrices In A Regulatory Laboratory., Geraldine Dowling

Dissertations

Abstract

Today, in modern farming practices veterinary drugs are given to food-producing animals. The generic term “veterinary drugs” covers a broad variety of classes of chemical compounds and the list of drugs is enormous and it is a significant analytical challenge in regulatory control to provide monitoring programmes. The major concerns in veterinary drug usage are the presence of harmful residues that may be introduced into the human food chain. The aim of this research is the development of analytical methods capable of screening and confirming increased numbers of these residues in target matrices by Gas Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry …

Serine 910 Phosphorylation Of Focal Adhesion Kinase Is Critical For Costamere Assembly, Miensheng Chu

Dissertations

Tyrosine-phosphorylated FAK is required for the hypertrophic response of cardiomyocytes to growth factors and mechanical load, but the role of FAK serine phosphorylation in this process is unknown. Endothelin-1 (ET-1; 1-100nM, 2-30min) and other hypertrophic factors induced a time- and dose-dependent increase in FAK-S910 phosphorylation in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVM). FAK-S910 phosphorylation required ET_AR-dependent activation of PKCδ and Src via parallel Raf-1→MEK1/2→ERK1/2 and MEK5→ERK5 signaling pathways. Using co-immunoprecipitation, TIRF-microscopy and FRAP, ET-1 stimulation of NRVM expressing a nonphosphorylatable, S910A-FAK mutant decreased the interaction of paxillin and vinculin within costameres. This interaction was important in stabilizing α-actinin within …

Image Slavery And Mass Media Pollution: Examining The Sociopolitical Context Of Beauty And Self Image In The Lives Of Black Women, Jennifer Richardson

Dissertations

The ways in which African American women negotiate the intersections of popular media, dominant discourses of beauty, and identity are rarely explored. This work brings into focus how African American women consume, understand, and make meaning of mediated images and representations of African American women. In order to inform this particular research project, this study engages a constellation of literature and theoretical perspectives and explores historical representations of African American women and beauty messages they contain. Throughout this process I examine concepts of identity formation; discuss connections between sexuality and the politics of imagery; and investigate linkages between structural racism, …

An Investigation Of The Phospholamban-Serca Regulatory Interaction With Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer, Philip Adam Bidwell

Dissertations

With Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET), we are able to detect changes in the structure and affinity of the PLB-SERCA regulatory complex in live cells. Using this approach, we have detected a high level of PLB-SERCA interaction even at Ca2+ concentrations known to fully relieve PLB inhibition of SERCA, suggesting that dissociation is not required for relief of inhibition. We also detect no real-time change in PLB-SERCA binding over the course of a single Ca2+ transient in paced myocytes. The effect of Ca2+ on the PLB-SERCA interaction is best described as a reduced affinity with no change in the structure …

Receptor-Mediated Hypertrophic Signaling Via Protein Kinase D And Histone Deacetylase 5 In Adult Myocytes, Chia-Wei Jenny Chang

Dissertations

Hemodynamic stress and neurohumoral signaling are common causes of cardiac hypertrophy. These extrinsic stress stimuli typically act on GPCR and induce a cascade of signal transduction to re-program terminally differentiated myocytes to grow in length or width. The compensatory hypertrophic response can enhance cardiac output briefly due to increased work load. However, prolonged stress results in maladaptive changes in the heart and gradually deteriorates ventricular function to supply blood throughout the body. Sustained hypertrophic signaling can also progress toward heart failure.

My dissertation research focuses on the hypertrophic signaling in adult cardiac myocytes in response to neurohumoral stimuli, ET-1 and …

Superintendent's Perceptions Of Adequacy In Illinois School Finance, Mark Alan Cohen

Dissertations

This qualitative research study investigated superintendents' perceptions of school finance in the State of Illinois. An online survey instrument, distributed via email, was used to collect the results. Superintendents that chose to participate answered questions about themselves as well as the demographic variables of the district they represent. The participants then went on to answer the finance survey questions. Responses to the finance survey were triangulated with the particular demographic information, much of which was separated into quartiles. The study sought to determine the answers to the following questions: (1) Do public school K-12 superintendents believe that they have sufficient …

Effects Of Functional Communication Training (Fact) On The Communicative, Self-Initiated Toileting Behavior For Students With Developmental Disabilities In A School Setting, Jinnie Kim

Dissertations

Far less is known about the effects of functional communication-based toileting interventions for students with developmental disabilities in a school setting. Furthermore, the currently available toileting interventions for students with disabilities include some undesirable procedures such as the use of punishment, unnatural clinic/university settings as opposed to more natural school/home settings, and prompt-based as opposed to communicative, self-initiating skills. The current study examined the effectiveness of FCT on the incidence of communicative, self-initiated toileting and of toileting accidents without any punishment components, which were often considered as necessary in traditional toileting procedures. A multiple baseline design was used for the …

Statin-Mediated Attenuation Of Chemokine Expression In Peripheral Nerve Vascular Endothelial Cells, Kelly Ann Langert

Dissertations

Pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), a debilitating autoimmune disorder that affects the peripheral nervous system. By up-regulating endothelial expression of chemokines and cell adhesion molecules (CAMs), TNF-α facilitates the recruitment and trafficking of autoreactive leukocytes across the blood-nerve barrier and into peripheral nerves, an early pathological hallmark of GBS. Literature indicates that TNF-α, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) are locally increased in patients with GBS, correlating with disease severity. Similar findings have been demonstrated in an animal model of GBS, experimental autoimmune neuritis …

Effects Of Binge Alcohol Exposure On Canonical Wnt Signaling During Fracture Repair, Kristen Leigh Lauing

Dissertations

Excessive alcohol consumption is associated with increased fracture risk, delayed bone healing and fracture non-union. Binge alcohol consumption has occurred in 25-40% of all orthopaedic trauma cases. The canonical Wnt pathway, through tight regulation of stabilized beta-catenin, plays an essential and pivotal role in the formation of new bone and cartilage to initiate bone repair. We sought to determine the molecular mechanisms behind alcohol-related fracture complications by testing the hypothesis that binge alcohol exposure deregulates canonical Wnt signaling in the fracture callus, leading to impaired healing.

To test this, C57BL/6 or beta-catenin/TCF-reporter male mice were exposed to intraperitoneal alcohol or …

The Things That Remain: People, Objects, And Anxiety In Thirties British Fiction, Emily O'Keefe

Dissertations

This dissertation analyzes the appeal of things in thirties British literature. I argue that in a time in which a catastrophic and world-changing war seemed to be on the way, many writers saw seemingly unshakable material things as a source of comfort. Drawing on thing theory, I explore thirties writers' recognition of the duality of things, their alienness to human society even as people invest great significance in them. Therefore, I show that despite this frequent appeal to the material world as a place of stability and comfort, many of these writers also recognized conflicting aspects of things, knowing (and …

The Road To Virtue And The Road To Fortune: The Scottish Enlightenment And The Problem Of Individualism In Commercial Society, Sarah Ramirez

Dissertations

As commercial society began to emerge in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Europe, it was widely thought to be inherently individualistic--whether such individualism was viewed as a strength, in the Mandevillean view, or as a weakness, by the civic humanists. Five thinkers from the Scottish Enlightenment--Francis Hutcheson, David Hume, Adam Smith, Adam Ferguson, and John Millar--confronted this problem. First, they questioned whether some aspects of individualism constitute genuine problems at all. For instance, their analysis of conspicuous consumption or luxury indicated that it could inspire an individual's virtue by sensitizing him to the beautiful and the fitting. Second, they pointed out that …

Reification And The Closed Mind, Mark D. Rockwell

Dissertations

What does it mean to have an open mind? Is it desirable? Are we therefore to avoid its opposite, a closed mind? How shall we proceed in producing an open mind or avoiding its opposite a closed mind? The terms open and closed are commonly used as if the meanings of the terms were clear and the expectant goods associated with being open preferred. This project examines the current literature regarding the above problem and then suggests an alternative exploration of the concept of reification as closed-mindedness. Reification will be defined in its traditional sense with the addition that it …

Bullying (1950 - 2010): The Bully And The Bullied, Steven Arthur Provis

Dissertations

This study investigates the bully and the bullied from 1950 to 2010. It begins by presenting a historical background of each decade with the major historical events that defined our culture. Each decade can be characterized by a particular zeitgeist, or spirit of the times. During each decade, popular movies and television programs that provided bullying as entertainment will be examined. This study will explore how popular culture was concurrent with bullying. This study through Barbara Coloroso's (2008) explicit characteristics of the bully and the bullied will describe the characteristics of the bully and the bullied from each decade from …

A Case Study: The Impact Of An Immersion Experience On The Vocation Of Lay Teacher-Leaders In American Jesuit High Schools, Martin Joseph Schreiber

Dissertations

The purpose of this case study explores the impact of an immersion experience to a least developed country on the vocation of lay teacher leaders in American Jesuit High Schools. Nine lay teacher leaders engaged in a four stage process of immersion from November 2009 to August 2010. The study employed the conceptual framework of Edward Hahnenberg's, "Awakening Vocation" to develop a self-understanding of a lay teacher leader's call. The writings of Paulo Freire, Fredrick Buechner and Parker Palmer informed the study's exploration of vocation. Poetry from Mary Oliver and William Stafford functioned as a method for articulating a lay …

A Qualitative Exploration Of The Influence Of Racism On Identity Development For African American Adolescent Males, John Corey Steele

Dissertations

The life circumstances facing African American adolescent males are reported with a fair amount of frequency by numerous media outlets in our society. Reports generally communicate negative circumstances facing African American adolescent males in the educational, economic, social, and political arenas. These sorts of life experiences have the potential to have a tremendous impact on the lives and development, particularly identity developmental process of young African American men; however, few research efforts have been devoted to specifically exploring the identity development process of African American adolescent males. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the meaning of being …

The Effects Of Smooth Muscle Cells On Engineered Microvasculatures In Fibrin Hydrogels, Areck A. Ucuzian

Dissertations

Capillaries are comprised of two cell types: the endothelial cells (ECs) which line the lumen of the capillary, and the supporting pericytes which are closely apposed to the abluminal surface of the capillary wall (sometimes called mural cells). These pericytes are phenotypic derivations of mesenchymal organ stromal cells (from smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts in blood vessels, for example), are recruited and incorporate into the neocapillaries, and are known to mediate reciprocal interactions with ECs during angiogenesis. The overall purpose of this project is to determine how smooth muscle cells (SMCs) affect angiogenesis during microvascular development in fibrin hydrogels using …

Cell Biology Of Foxp3+ Regulatory T Cells, Mariko Takami

Dissertations

T cells play a central role in the immune response to fight against pathogens and orchestrate other immune cells. An overreactive immune response can lead to autoimmune diseases, therefore the immune system must possess negative regulation mechanisms. In the periphery, naturally arising regulatory T cells (nTregs) negatively regulate immune responses and play an important role in maintaining immune homeostasis. When antigens are present, conventional CD4+ T cells recognize their cognate antigen and proliferate. After pathogen clearance, expanded effector T cells eventually decline in number due to activation induced cell death (AICD) to terminate immune response. However, it is not understood …

Compositional Determinants Of The Pharmacological Actions Of Heparins, Angel Lee Gray-Shah

Dissertations

This dissertation primarily focuses on how differences in molecular weight (MW) and structural composition affect the pharmacological activity of heparin and its derivatives. Heparins are a mixture of glycosaminoglycans chains which are used to prevent thrombosis in a number of clinical indications. Heparins promote the inhibition of blood coagulation via their plasmatic cofactors antithrombin (AT) and heparin cofactor II (HCII).

In these studies, various heparins with molecular weights ranging from 2.6 to 16.5 kDa were investigated. Not only the molecular weight but also the oligosaccharide composition greatly varied in these agents. One of the major objectives of this research was …

The Mystery Of God In Situations Of Suffering: Toward The Universality Of Christ And A Reconstruction Of African Identity, Leocretia L. Muganda

Dissertations

During the patristic era, theology dealt with the problem of how to explain the union of the two natures in Christ without losing the impassible nature of God. Today, the understanding of God as impassible is no longer absolute in light of present human suffering. To gain a better understanding of God as passible, the following areas will be examined: the patristic view and the contemporary critique of divine impassibility, the African context and the reconstruction of African Christology via inculturation and liberation. The concept of God as passible can make a significant difference in the lives of Christians. This …

Forebrain Noradrenergic Alterations And Anxiety After Myocardial Infarction, Jaimee Glasgow

Dissertations

Thirty to 45% of patients who suffer a myocardial infarction (MI) develop anxiety disorders and/or depression, and the development of mood and anxiety disorders following MI is a major risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Depressed post-MI patients have an increased risk of fatal arrhythmias, which are often precipitated by emotional stressors. However, the central nervous system mechanisms that contribute to post-MI anxiety and arrhythmia susceptibility are unknown. Therefore, the studies reported in this dissertation were designed to test the hypothesis that alterations in noradrenergic transmission in the forebrain contribute to the development of anxiety disorders and arrhythmia susceptibility …