Digital Commons Network^™

Prescription Drug Abuse And Provider-Patient Communication: A Qualitative Analysis Of The Perspectives Of Prescribers And Patients, Stephanie M. Mathis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prescription drug abuse is a public health problem of epidemic proportions in the United States. Provider-patient communication underpins many initiatives aimed at preventing and reducing the public health burden of prescription drug abuse. The characteristics of and factors contributing to this interpersonal process, however, have not been fully explored.

The purpose of this research was to examine: 1) the overall problem of prescription drug abuse and provider-patient communication about prescription drug abuse from the patient perspective; and 2) provider-patient communication about prescription drug abuse from the prescriber perspective. In 2014-2015, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 patients from primary care …

Online Learning In Biology: An Investigation Into Designing Online Learning Resources, William Ford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As technology continues to advance, many instructors are incorporating online activities into their courses. While online learning has several benefits, there is still debate on how instructors can best develop and utilize these resources in their classroom. This study is split into two smaller projects that both aim to provide further insights on how to develop online activities that target undergraduate biology students. The first project revealed that elaborative feedback in a phylogenetic activity was more useful for students who had some exposure to phylogenetics prior to completing the activity. The results of the second project revealed that the appearance …

Design And Validation Of A Scale For Preschoolers: Measuring Nutrition Knowledge, Beliefs, And Behaviors, Michelle E. Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The literature indicates a lack of validated scales to measure nutrition knowledge, attitudes and behaviors in preschool-aged children. Reliable and valid assessment tools are critical in the development of nutritional interventions for young children; careful design, including psychometric evaluation of reliability and validity, is the best approach to scale development. Best practice points to an efficient, yet comprehensive look at the constructs of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. This multi-phase study included 298 preschool children ages 2-6 years (151 girls, 147 boys; mean age 3.936). A 45-item scale was created, with 4 subscales to measure the nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors …

The Effects Of A Supermarket Tour On Improvement Of Nutrition Knowledge And Eating Behavior, Elizabeth Hall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if participation in a supermarket tour improves nutrition knowledge and eating behavior in adult participants. Participants were recruited in communities surrounding Food City stores, a local supermarket. Prior to completing a standardized tour, participants completed a survey to assess nutrition knowledge and eating behavior. This survey was given to participants again three months later. A program evaluation was given one time at the end of the tour. Data analysis revealed no significant findings, other than the behavior-based question: “How many meals or snacks on most days included vegetables”. Vegetable consumption appeared to …

Examining The Understanding Of Inquiry-Based Learning And Teaching Among Undergraduate Teachers And Students, Maren Hudson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One of the main aims of inquiry is to engage students as active, not passive, participants in science. The purpose of this study is to describe science educators’ and students’ views about inquiry-based instruction in order to better understand and improve implementation of evidence-based teaching strategies. Inquiry-based techniques have been shown to improve student understanding of scientific concepts, yet, there continue to be challenges in implementing these techniques. This research project utilizes Q Methodology, a research method that captures both common and disparate measures of subjectivity, to identify commonalities and defining viewpoints about inquiry-based teaching and learning. Three significantly different …

Predicting And Promoting Health-Related Quality Of Life For Parents Of Children With Autism: A Mixed-Methods Approach, Laura Delustro

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study used a mixed methodology approach to understand factors that predict and promote health related quality of life (HRQOL) for parents of youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The first component of the study used quantitative analyses to determine the extent to which study variables predict HRQOL for parents of youth with ASD (N = 365). Findings show that HRQOL is positively impacted by increased total annual household income, increased age of the child with ASD, male gender, and tangible support. HRQOL was negatively impacted by increased age of the parent, increased parental perceptions of burden, and …

Conceptualization And Measurement Of Spirituality: Towards The Development Of A Nontheistic Spirituality Measure For Use In Health-Related Fields, Valerie M. Hoots

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Relationships between spirituality and health outcomes are well supported in research; however, measurement of spirituality often reflects a Judeo-Christian framework and is predominantly theocentric, neglecting the increasing religious pluralism and non-traditional expressions of spirituality in the United States. A new measure of spirituality was based on a conceptualization of nontheistic spirituality that is understood to be a relatively stable motivational process entailing a search for sacred connection, with “sacred” being defined by individual perceptions and not necessitating divine association. Item development for the current instrument included an initial pool of 65 items and two phases of revision and content validation. …

The Pulpit And The People: Mobilizing Evangelical Identity, Tim Moser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Using ten sermons from five prominent and politically active evangelical megachurch pastors taken from the 2016 presidential campaign season, this case study utilizes frame analysis to understand the political relevance of modern evangelical sermonizing. An inductive frame analysis allows the concept of a collective action frame to be observed as a process and for patterns to emerge from the source text. Within these sermons, ministers offer self-identifying evangelicals a vocabulary with which to understand and describe their own identity. In this context, the Bible is a powerful cultural symbol that represents an allegiance to traditions that are framed as the …

The Effect Of Periodized Strength Training And Periodized Concurrent Training On Running Performance, Nicholas Fiolo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this dissertation was to evaluate the changes in preparedness over the course of training for a marathon in two well-trained runners. The athletes completed periodized strength training or a periodized concurrent training. This dissertation consisted of two separate investigations:

Study 1 – The purpose of this study was to monitor changes in force production ability and running performance in one sub-elite marathon runner before, during, and after undertaking a short-term block periodized strength training program. The athlete ceased strength training during the off-seasons and resumed testing after 10. The athlete experienced likely true, meaningful changes in force …

Approachability Of Nursing Clinical Instructors: Psychometric Assessment Of A Scale Development, Angela Collier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Approachability of nursing clinical instructors is largely unknown and misunderstood, yet critical for millennial students which currently comprise 82% of nursing students (National League for Nursing, 2014). Nursing education consists of both a didactic and a clinical component. Clinical education is dynamic and allows the student an experiential learning opportunity. Therefore, clinical nursing educators are vitally important. Approachability has been identified in many studies as a leading characteristic of an effective instructor. Although the importance of approachability of the instructor is established, currently no scale exists to measure this concept. The purpose of this study was to examine the validity …

Role Of Cannabinoid Receptor Type 2 (Cb2) In Late Stage Atherosclerosis, Makenzie Fulmer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disorder of medium and large vessels. Immune signaling and dyslipidemia are two of several processes which influence lesion development in atherosclerosis. Cannabinoids, such as those found in marijuana, exert their effects through two cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2. Recent studies using CB2 knockout mice and CB2-selective ligands have shed light on a protective role of CB2 in early stages of atherosclerosis. However, the role of CB2 in advanced stages of atherosclerosis remains unclear. To determine if CB2 plays a role in advanced atherosclerotic lesion composition and progression, we investigated the effects of systemic CB2 gene …

Nurse Perspectives On The Work Impacts Of Decentralized Nursing Unit Design, Susan Mcdevitt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated nurse perspectives on the work impacts of a decentralized inpatient unit model. The study involved two rural acute-care hospitals in rural Nebraska that moved from a centralized to a decentralized inpatient unit design. The researcher conducted focus group discussions with staff and nursing management at both facilities with a total of 28 participants. In addition, the participants completed a 12-item questionnaire using a five-point Likert scale for responding. Focus group discussion and questionnaire were designed to investigate the areas of quality of care, communication, documentation, stress and wellbeing, and transition. Data gathered revealed that on all survey …

Evaluating Work Place Wellness In Greater Louisville's Technology Organizations : A Case Study., Andrew L. Mccart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Employers in the Southern Indiana and Greater Louisville region are looking for strategies to help them become a healthier workplace. Many employers see the expense of paying for an unhealthy workforce and they are looking to limit these expenses. The purpose of the study is to determine the state of workplace wellness activities in organizations in Southern Indiana and Greater Louisville. Due to the poor health statuses of Indiana and Kentucky, 39th and 45th, respectively, this study is significant for a number of stakeholders in our area. The purpose of this case study was to understand the state of health …

Moving Mountains : A Study Examining Long-Term Impacts Of Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining On Mortality In The Appalachian Region Using Geographic Information Sciences Techniques., James Howard Kent Pugh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the last hundred years, the Appalachian region has been dominated by the coal industry. It has also been and currently is one of the unhealthiest regions in the United States. Recent scholarship has examined the relationship between coal mining and health and mortality rates in the Appalachian region. The first study incorporates air quality and pollution data to examine if coal mining counties have higher levels of pollution and if this pollution contributes to mortality disadvantage. In the second study, I construct a population-based coal-exposure measure to better evaluate the relationship between coal mining and health I find that …

A Novel Approach To Assess Minimally Invasive Surgical Device Failure Utilizing Adverse Event Outcome Severity And Design Complexity., Marie K. Riggs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Medical device failure and misuse have the potential to cause serious injury and death. Given the intricate nature of the instruments utilized specifically in minimally invasive surgery (MIS), users and manufacturers of surgical devices share a responsibility in preventing user error and device failure. A novel approach was presented for the evaluation of minimally invasive device failures, which involved assessing the severity of adverse event outcomes associated with the failures modes and investigating aspects of the devices’ design that may contribute to failure. The goals of this research were to 1) characterize the design attributes, failure modes, and adverse events …

Role Of Human Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase 1 In Tumorigenesis And Cancer Biology., Marcus William Stepp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human arylamine N-acetyltransferase 1 (NAT1) is a well-known phase II metabolic enzyme that has been associated with carcinogenesis. Its role in the biotransformation of aromatic and heterocyclic amine carcinogens has been investigated for many years, but more recent investigations focus on a possible endogenous role of human NAT1 in cancer initiation and progression. To further explore and understand possible endogenous roles for NAT1, we conducted in vitro enzymatic reactions, in vivo studies using homozygous high (rapid) or low (slow) NAT2 activity congenic F344.WKY rats, and genetically modified human breast cancer cell lines. Human NAT1 and rodent NAT2 hydrolyzed acetyl-coenzyme …

Self-Management As A Mediator Of The Relationship Between Social Support And Health Outcomes Of African American Adults With Type 2 Diabetes., Tariq N. Al-Dwaikat

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is often associated with serious complications. African American adults have higher rates of diabetes-related complications than other ethnicities. Diabetes self-management reduces the risk of developing biological and psychological symptoms. Social support promotes positive behavior change and self-management that leads to improved biobehavioral and psychosocial outcomes. Few studies explored the relationship between social support dimensions and self-management behaviors, diabetes biomarkers, and psychosocial outcomes of African American adults with T2D. The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the relationships of various dimensions of social support with self-management behaviors and diabetes biomarkers and psychosocial outcomes of African American …

Targeting The Major Regulator Of Mitosis., J. Mason Hoffman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mitosis-inhibiting chemotherapeutics (e.g. taxanes) are frequently used to treat multiple cancer types. Recently, there has been much concern about the limited success of these drugs due to resistance and a lack of molecular targets. Thus, there is high demand for new drugs with diverse cellular targets. Targeting the regulators of mitosis is a promising approach. The anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that controls cell cycle progression at multiple points. The interaction of ANAPC2 and ANAPC11, catalytic core subunits, is necessary for APC/C function. An in silico approach was used to identify compounds predicted to prevent assembly …

The Relationship Of School-Community Partnerships With Act Benchmark Scores In Rural Tennessee Schools, Kari Eubanks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if a relationship existed between the quality of school-community partnerships and the average score of each ACT subtest for rural Tennessee high school students. Specifically, the researcher examined the following school-community partnerships: business partnerships, university partnerships, service learning partnerships, school-linked service integration, and faith-based partnerships (Sanders, 2006). Administrators from 62 rural Tennessee high schools rated the partnerships present in their schools using the Improving Community Partnership Quality rating scale developed by Sanders (2006). Each of these ratings was compared to the participating school’s mean score for each ACT benchmark to determine …

Design, Development, And Characterization Of Breathforce : A Respiratory Training System For Patients With Spinal Cord Injuries., Kevin L Tran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pulmonary and cardiovascular dysfunction are consistently reported as the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among the 1,275,000 people who are living with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) in the United States. Respiratory-cardiovascular complications from neurological disorders (primarily COPD and sleep apnea) are currently the number one cause of death and disability in the US.

The main goal of this project is to develop an inspiratory-expiratory training device for use in the rehabilitation of patients with respiratory motor and cardiovascular deficits that incorporates existing technologies and promotes successful training methodologies performed at the clinic and at home.

An embedded microprocessor …

A University's Student Care Team : 5 Year Case Summary., Laura Elizabeth Ulmer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

At universities, the responsibility for safety falls on teams of professionals who collect information, assess risk, and provide appropriate resources for referrals of concerning behavior (Randazzo & Plummer, 2009). This dissertation describes the demographic profile and nature of referrals to the Student Care Team (SCT) at the University of Louisville during 2010-2015. Using Astin’s (1991) Input-Environment-Output model, this research analyzed the demographic profile of referred students (input) and the nature of incidents that comprise the student care caseload such as incidents of self-injurious behavior, medical hospital transportation and violence (environment). To measure the prediction of academic advancement (output), the dichotomous …

Chemoselective Reagents For Derivatization Of Trace--Level Volatile Carbonyl Compounds Using A Microreactor Approach., Mumiye A. Ogunwale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Detection and analysis of trace level volatile aldehydes and ketones has become a significant research frontier because of the applicability for environmental monitoring and assessment, noninvasive diseases diagnosis, and in food safety assessment for the US Food and Drug Administration. The number of derivatization reagents for detection of aldehydes and ketones has increased considerably over the last decade. However, the majority of these derivatization reagents are not efficient in derivatizing unsaturated carbonyl compounds due to the presence of electron withdrawing groups adjacent to the reactive functional moieties making them insufficiently nucleophilic. The analysis of trace-level carbonyl compounds challenges existing analytical …

An Investigation Of Relationship Correlates And Predictors Of Cultural Adjustment Among Missionaries., Sarah Warren

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While research on the cultural adjustment of expatriates has existed for decades, information related to the cultural adjustment of missionaries is considerably lacking (Kimber, 2012). Information on missionary cultural adjustment often has been extrapolated from the greater expatriate population, in spite of differences existing between missionaries and other expatriates (Navara & James, 2002; 2005). This study examined the extent to which missionary relationships (with God, individuals from one’s host culture, individuals from one’s home culture, and other missionaries) correlate with and predict cultural adjustment among missionaries. Participants were recruited from the Church of the Nazarene’s Global Mission Department to complete …

Queue Stability Analysis In Network Coded Wireless Multicast., Nadieh Mohamadi-Moghadam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation queue stability in wireless multicast networks with packet erasure channels is studied. Our focus is on optimizing packet scheduling so as to maximize throughput. Specifically, new queuing strategies consisting of several sub-queues are introduced, where all newly arrived packets are first stored in the main sub-queue on a first-come-first-served basis. Using the receiver feedback, the transmitter combines packets from different sub-queues for transmission. Our objective is to maximize the input rate under the queue stability constraints. Two packet scheduling and encoding algorithms have been developed. First, the optimization problem is formulated as a linear programming (LP) problem, …

Since The Time Of Eve : La Leche League And Communities Of Mothers Throughout History., Joanna Paxton Federico

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

La Leche League International (LLL) is the oldest and largest breastfeeding support group in the world. This thesis examines how, beginning in 1956, seven Catholic housewives from suburban Chicago built up the institutional knowledge to sustain a cohesive global network of breastfeeding mothers. It also explores how LLL managed this knowledge over time in response to developments in scholarship and changing social conditions. Based on a narrative analysis of LLL publications, this thesis argues that the League’s founders drew selectively from existing bodies of knowledge and from their own cultural perspectives to establish a sense of community among breastfeeding women. …

Age-Related Host Factors Regulate Lung Cancer Progression., John Caleb Greenwell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cancer is largely a disease of the elderly. In the United States alone, 87% of all cancers in 2017 will be diagnosed in individuals aged 50 years or older. Among them, lung cancer is the deadliest, accounting for 1 in 4 cancer deaths. The 5-year survival rate is below 20%, a number which has not changed substantially over the past several decades. This underscores a desperate need for new strategies in prevention, early detection and treatment of this deadly disease. While tobacco use is unquestionably the number one risk factor for the development of lung cancer, the majority of diagnoses …

Type Ix Secretion System: Characterization Of An Effector Protein And An Insight Into The Role Of C-Terminal Domain Dimeration In Outer Membrane Translocation., Lahari Koneru

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Porphyromonas gingivalis and Tannerella forsythia are two of the primary pathogens that are associated in the etiology and progression of chronic periodontitis. In T. forsythia, KLIKK proteases are the recently identified group of proteolytic enzymes that are secreted through Type IX secretion system (T9SS). Among, these KLIKK proteases a synergistic relationship was observed between karilysin and mirolysin in invading the host complement system for the survival of the bacteria. Since, karilysin has been already characterized, in this study we propose to study about mirolysin through structural, biochemical and biological characterization. The obtained results from the experiments has shown the …

Sample Size Calculations And Normalization Methods For Rna-Seq Data., Xiaohong Li

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

High-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) has become the preferred choice for transcriptomics and gene expression studies. With the rapid growth of RNA-seq applications, sample size calculation methods for RNA-seq experiment design and data normalization methods for DEG analysis are important issues to be explored and discussed. The underlying theme of this dissertation is to develop novel sample size calculation methods in RNA-seq experiment design using test statistics. I have also proposed two novel normalization methods for analysis of RNA-seq data. In chapter one, I present the test statistical methods including Wald’s test, log-transformed Wald’s test and likelihood ratio test statistics for …

Southern Veils : The Sisters Of Loretto In Early National Kentucky., Hannah O'Daniel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes the experiences of Roman Catholic women who joined the Sisters of Loretto, a community of women religious in rural Washington and Nelson Counties, Kentucky, between the 1790s and 1826. It argues that the Sisters of Loretto used faith to interpret and respond to unfolding events in the early nation. The women sought to combat moral slippage and restore providential favor in the face of local Catholic institutional instability, global Protestant evangelical movements, war and economic crisis, and a tuberculosis outbreak. The Lorettines faced financial, social, and cultural pressures—including an economic depression, a culture that celebrated family formation …

The Knowledge Economy : Increasing Human Capital On The U.S. I-65 Corridor., Brandon S. Mcreynolds

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In economics, the term growth often refers to the increase in economic activity between two points in time. Within the context of the United States of America, the language of growth has permeated beyond just economics and into other societal institutions due to spillover. As a result, growth is not just an economic term but rather a part of the culture of capitalism which impacts every area of society. The dissertation using growth machine theory and the global cities literature examines how in the knowledge economy, cities play a growing role in mediating the supply and demand for …