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The Use Of Space At The Late Woodland Shady Grove Site (22-Qu-525), Stephen George Harris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Very little previous work has been done at the Late Woodland Shady Grove site. This thesis will examine and reconfirm some of the previous conclusions about this site's placement within the temporal framework of the Northern Yazoo Basin. The Late Woodland and Mississippian occupations of the site used the same space in decidedly different ways. How the use of space has changed through time will be examined from several different perspectives, including geophysical survey and the intra-site distribution of artifacts.

The Impact Of The Symphonological Approach To Ethical Decision Making On Advanced Level Nursing Students, Megan Ann Mraz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Problem: The literature revealed two major gaps; the first gap is the lack of current knowledge about ethical decision-making abilities of the advanced level nurse. A second gap is the need to investigate specific models and theories to support the profession of nursing in making ethical decisions.

Purpose: The purpose was to explore the following research questions: What is the effect of a Symphonology-based educational intervention on the ethical decision-making performance of advanced level nursing students, as measured by the JAND? What is the effect of a Symphonology-based educational intervention on the ethical decision-making performance of advanced level nursing students, …

Association Between Obesity And Therapeutic Goal Attianment In Patients With Concomitant Hypertension And Dyslipidemia, Ishveen Chopra

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective: A retrospective study was conducted to examine the variations in therapeutic {blood pressure (BP) and lipid} goal attainment and medication utilization pattern in patients with concomitant hypertension and dyslipidemia, specifically comparing obese versus non-obese patients. Methods: GE Centricity EMR database containing data from 2004-2011 was utilized. 9,086 patients diagnosed with concomitant hypertension and dyslipidemia were evaluated. Goal attainment and treatment pattern for BP and lipid levels was assessed based on JNC 7 and NCEP ATP III guidelines, respectively. Results: Substantial proportion of patients with concomitant hypertension and dyslipidemia failed to attain BP and lipid goals. Further, in patients with …

Antimicrobial Activity, Cytotoxicity And Phytochemical Analyses Of Rhus Aromatica, Rhus Glabra And Sanguinaria Canadensis Native To South Dakota, Gitanjali Nandakafle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A total of twenty five South Dakota native medicinal plants were screened against enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli using a disk diffusion assay. Out of these 25 plants, three plants Rhus aromatica, Rhus glabra and Sanguinaria canadensis demonstrated the highest bacterial inhibition. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of these plant extracts were determined using a bacterial enumeration assay. Alamar Blue in vitro cytotoxicity test showed that all extracts have some toxic effect to porcine intestinal epithelial cell lines. Phytochemical analysis of these plant extracts indicated the presence high concentration of flavonoids and condensed tannins in R. aromatica and that R. glabra contained …

Mais Bonito Da Região: The Cacao-Producing Region Of Cachoeira Alta, Bahia, And The Transition From Wage Labor To Small Farming, Rodney D. Parker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The support needed for upward social mobility within the field of agriculture, from a laborer to a self-sufficient, small farmer, requires an agricultural and market-based knowledge to which few wage laborers are privy. Small-scale farmers suffer shortcomings within regional and global markets because of their inability to respond to increased demand due to a lack of access to assets and capital. Despite such difficulties, in some agricultural sectors wage laborers have successfully made the transition to small landholders. In this thesis I seek to answer what factors led to the emergence of a smallholding cacao-producing population from a wage-laboring class …

Comparison Of Exercise And Eating In Collegiate Athletes Vs. Non-Athletes Active In High School Sports, Laura Leighton Blair

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Numerous studies have been conducted on eating disorders (ED) in collegiate athletes. Many studies conclude that collegiate athletes are more at risk of developing an ED compared to non-athletes, while some report the opposite. Purpose. To determine if collegiate athletes are more likely to exhibit ED characteristics compared to those who only participated in high school sports. Method. Each participant completed The Eating Attitude Test-26 (EAT), The Eating Disorder Inventory subscales Body Dissatisfaction (EDIBD), Drive for Thinness (EDIDFT), and Bulimia (EDIBUL) and The Body Shape Questionnaire-34 (BSQ). Group differences were examined for males (N=101), females (N=189), collegiate athletes (N=107), non-athletes …

The Effects Of A Multi-Component Wellness Program On Employee Biometrics, Jennifer Erin Patrick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Corporate wellness initiatives are gaining momentum as a critical indicator of business performance. Metabolic Syndrome is commonly used within corporations to assess the health of their employees and estimate potential healthcare costs. Using five risk factors (blood pressure, high density lipoprotein (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), fasting blood glucose, and waist circumference) individuals with three or more risk factors are classified as having Metabolic Syndrome. Voluntary pre and post health screenings were conducted at a rural manufacturing plant. A multi-component wellness program was conducted over six months to determine if the program would have significant beneficial effects on employee biometrics and Metabolic …

The Underrepresentation Of English Learners In Mississippi's Intellectually Gifted Education Program: A Framework For Change, Vicki Patterson-Davidson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

School districts have been struggling with the challenges of educating English learners for decades, long before the enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Yet, considering the abundance of research on English learners, relatively few studies have examined specific methods or efforts of districts and schools to identify English learners for participation in an intellectually gifted education program. The purpose of this study was to determine if particular gifted education programming, or programming criteria, impacts this student population's identification for participation in Mississippi's intellectually gifted education program. Specifically, this study aimed to investigate the district- and school-level …

An Evaluation Of Medicaid Programs Using Medication Use-Related Quality Measures, Vennela Thumula

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To assess quality of care provided to Medicaid beneficiaries using medication use-related quality indicators. Methods: This study is a retrospective analysis of 2006 & 2007 Medicaid administrative claims data from 45 states and DC. Eleven medication use-related measures (adherence/persistence and standard of care) from the AHRQ initial core set were included. A composite measure of medication use-related quality was also created. Patient case-mix adjusted measure scores were computed using hierarchical logistic regression models. States were ranked on both case-mix adjusted and unadjusted scores and categorized into top (?20%), medium (60%) and bottom (?20%) performers. Agreement in rankings and groups …

Fret Studies Of Dna Binding By Lambda Cro Variants, Lei Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Proteins bind to DNA to form switches and circuits that control the flow of genetic information from DNA sequence to the physical components of cells and organisms. The dynamic performance of genetic switches depends on the coupling of the comprocesses of transcription and translation to protein-specific folding, assembly and binding reactions. For many model circuits protein dimerization and DNA binding are fast relative to the time scale of transcription and translation and thus amenable to modeling by statistical thermodynamics. In these cases, the distribution of proteins between monomers and dimers and between nonspecific and specific DNA complexes can be simply …

Isolation, Structure Elucidation And Biological Evaluation Of Natural Products From Plants And Fungi, Xiaoning Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Natural products have provided considerable value for drug discovery over the past half-century. Nearly four fifth of drugs were natural products or inspired by natural compounds. Bioactive secondary metabolites isolated from natural source, either fungal or terrestrial, are relatively safer for human health and the environment and can serve as drug or as drug leads for the development of synthetic or semi-synthetic analogs. Natural products have also been successfully used in agriculture as plant growth regulators, signal transductions, fungicides, herbicides and tranquilizers. In our continued efforts to identify bioactive compounds, seventy-seven plant and fungal extracts were evaluated using a direct-bioautography …

Geographic And Host-Microbe Symbiotic Influence On Secondary Metabolism, Samuel Hamed Abbas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is composed of studies that regard the advancement to the Arctic region and the importance of host-microbe interactions in natural product discovery. Bioactive metabolites have been reported from a myriad of marine and terrestrial organisms around the world including plants, insects, sponges, tunicates, bacteria, and fungi among others. Many macroorganisms, of which the metabolites are found, depend on the symbiotic relationship of microorganisms for metabolite production. The scope of this work is to investigate secondary metabolism of both marine and terrestrial organisms from different areas of the world as well as search for the importance of host-microbe symbiosis …

The Lived Experience Of Parenting A Child Adopted From An Institution In Eastern Europe, Kimberly A Curry-Lourenco

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to explore the lived experience of parenting a child adopted from an institution in Eastern Europe. A hermeneutic, phenomenologic method following the Utrecht School was used. The setting for this study was a southern state on the east coast of the United States. The sample consisted of 11 participants, nine mothers and two fathers, self- identified as adoptive parents to children from institutions in Eastern Europe. Semi-structured interviews, with thematic analysis of transcriptions were conducted. Five major themes were identified: choosing-being chosen, weaving the fabric, the importance of doing, remaining mindful, and looking-in, looking out. Conclusions were …

Interpreting Material Cooperation As A Function Of Moral Development To Guide Ministry Formation, Steven Squires

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While not exactly back room political bargaining, the traditional use of cooperation has been by moral theologians attempting to define the level of cooperation for a particular situation. This chosen definition, in turn, may help focus the range of appropriate actions in response to the situation's circumstances. In this customary usage, an organization's associates (employees) may assist the implementation of relevant responses to a cooperation analysis, whether the issue is clinical or organizational in nature. They have not been integral to the decision-making process - until now. Cooperation has been the proverbial candle under the bushel (Matthew 5:15). This paper …

The Ethical Significance Of The Virtuous Organization Inspired By Catholic Mission For The Delivery Of Health Care, Theadora Krause

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Virtuous organizations are those displaying behaviors and works consistent with social norms, organizational core values, and mission. Through relationships and behaviors, organizations formulate character for which they are known. This dissertation has proposed three secular components essential to the character of a virtuous organization: agency, social responsibility and ethical environment. When Catholic mission is the impetus to organizational purpose, the secular components of the virtuous organization are deepened from that faith perspective's mission related religious teachings. A discussion of the secular and religious discourse pairs agency with sanctity of human person, social responsibility with common good, and ethical environment with …

The Role Of Forensic Nurses In Communities Experiencing Environmental Contamination, Wendy Robinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to provide an understanding of the self-perceived physiological and psychosocial needs of persons living in communities which have been exposed to environmental contamination, and to provide an understanding of how forensic nurses can be utilized in these communities.

Background

This study was conducted to provide an opportunity for forensic nurses to advance their profession by finding ways that they can move beyond their traditional roles. Dixon and Dixon's Integrative Environmental Health Model was the theoretical framework.

Research Design

This cross-sectional triangulated study used quantitative and qualitative methods. The Community Environmental Health and Rights …

The Effect Of Resveratrol On Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Dopaminergic Deficits And Bv-2 Cell Activation, Katherine Marie Rose

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Neuroinflammation is a common pathology found in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). PD involves a loss of dopamine (DA) neurons and an increase in activated microglia with subsequent proinflammatory cytokine secretion in the substantia nigra (SN) and striatum. A loss of DA neurons is found in the offspring of animals exposed prenatally to the bacteriotoxin, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (Ling et al., 2002). Activation of the extracellular regulated kinases, ERK1/2 and ERK5, the downstream targets in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, has been shown to be involved in the dysregulation of the inflammatory process (Cuschieri and Maier, 2005). Consequently, LPS-induced activation …

Medication Expenditure And Resource Utilization Among Patients With Musculoskeletal Disorders: Analysis Of 2007 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Data, Nipun Atreja

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To estimate the national prevalence and direct incremental expenditures of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD's) using the 2007 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data.

Methods: A retrospective database analysis was conducted and individuals with MSD's (ICD-9-CM codes 274.00; 710.00-738.00) were identified. Dependent variables were total health care and other service category expenditures. The study utilized descriptive and regression analyses.

Results: In 2007, the national prevalence of MSD's was 33 million with incremental costs of $886.49 per person. The inpatient expenditures ($33,461.85) were the highest cost component in MSD's and the predictors of total health care expenditures were age, marital status, and presence …

Chromate Reduction By Desulfovibrio Desulfuricans Atcc 27774, Ning Zhang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chromium has been used extensively in the industry process of metal refinishing and electroplating. It is also a byproduct of the processing of fissionable materials at United States Department of Energy facilities. Chromate (Cr (VI)) is soluble and readily absorbed by cells, while the reduced form of chromium, Cr (III), is insoluble. Thus means of reducing Cr (VI) to Cr (III) in the environment is a potential means of remediation. Desulfovibrio desulfuricans strain 27774 is a sulfate reducing bacterium that can reduce Cr (VI). It also can respire nitrate to ammonia. As some sites of chromium contamination also contain high …

Synthesis Of Furo[2,3-D]Pyrimidines, Thieno[2,3- D]Pyrimidines, Pyrrolo[2,3-D]Pyrimidines As Classical And Nonclassical Antifolates, Receptor Tyrosine Kinase (Rtk) Inhibitors And Antimitotic Agents, Xin Zhang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An introduction, background and research progress in the areas of antifolates, receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) inhbitors and anti mitotic agents has been discussed. Thymidylate synthase (TS), dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) and glycinamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase (GARFTase) are important folate dependent enzymes that are targets for cancer chemotherapy and the treatment of infectious diseases. Classical antifolates, in most cases, are substrates for folypoly - γ - glutamate synthase (FPGS) and rely on folate transporter systems to enter cells. As a part of this study, twenty - eight compounds were designed on the basis of existing clinically active compounds and crystal structures, synthesized and …

Synthesis Of Bicyclic Thieno[2,3-D]Pyrimidines, Tricyclic Thieno[2,3-D]Pyrimidines And Thieno[3,2-D]Pyrimidines As Classical And Nonclassical Antifolates, Xilin Zhou

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An introduction, background and research progress in the areas of antifolates and antimitotic agents has been reviewed and discussed. Thymidylate synthase (TS), dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) and glycinamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase (GARFTase) are important folate dependent enzymes that are targets for cancer chemotherapy and the treatment of infectious diseases. As a part of this study, thirty-five novel compounds were designed and synthesized on the basis of existing clinically active compounds and their crystal structures. These compounds were synthesized and evaluated as single and/or muliple targeted classical and nonclassical antifolates to decrease toxicity and improve the antitumor activity and selectivity of existing therapeutic …

Exposure Of Breastfeeding Education To Ob/Gyns Currently Practicing In The State Of Mississippi And Its Effect On Confidence In Providing Breastfeeding Support To Expectant Mothers, Brandi Lee Pigg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There are several well documented benefits of breastfeeding for the mother and child, however, Mississippi breastfeeding rates are lacking when compared to the rest of the United States. It is believed that breastfeeding encouragement and support from prenatal healthcare providers can play a major role in mothers choosing to initiate breastfeeding. OB/GYNs should be at the forefront of this initiative because they have repeat prenatal contact with many mothers. In order to provide breastfeeding encouragement and support to expectant mothers, OB/GYNs must have adequate breastfeeding education and the confidence to support these mothers. This study analyzed the amount of breastfeeding …

Mixing It Up: Multiple Symbiont Acquisition Strategies As An Adaptive Mechanism In The Coral Stylophora Pistillata, Kristen A. Byler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In obligate symbioses, the host's survival relies on the successful acquisition and maintenance of symbionts, which can be transferred from parent to offspring via direct inheritance (vertical transmission) or acquired anew each generation from the environment (horizontal transmission). Vertical transmission ensures progeny acquire their obligate symbionts, but progeny encountering an environment that differs from that of their parent may be disadvantaged by hosting a suboptimal symbiont. Conversely, horizontal symbiont acquisition provides hosts the benefit of acquiring symbionts well suited to the prevailing environment, but progeny may fail to acquire their obligate symbionts. Here I show that the coral Stylophora pistillata …

A Production And Cost Modeling Methodology Of 2nd Generation Biofuel In The United States, David A. Poole

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The use of biofuels in the United States has increased dramatically in the last few years. The largest source of feedstock for ethanol to date has been corn. However, corn is also a vitally important food crop and is used commonly as feed for cattle and other livestock. To prevent further diversion of an important food crop to production of ethanol, there is great interest in developing commercial-scale technologies to make ethanol from non-food crops, or other suitable plant material. This is commonly referred to as biomass. A review is made of lignocellulosic sources being considered as feedstocks to produce …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Trade Liberalization And Human Development In Sub-Saharan Africa's Least Developed Countries, Stephanie A. Rash

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between trade liberalization, measured using the Heritage Foundation’s Trade Freedom indicator, and human development, measured using the United Nations Development Program’s Human Development Index, in subSaharan Africa’s Least Developed Countries between 1990 and 2011 as data allows. In addition to exploring the relationship between these two variables, alternative factors that influence human development are examined in bivariate correlations with human development as well as used as control variables in a multiple regression analysis. Namely, this study includes government effectiveness, the percentage of the labor force employed in the agricultural sector, …

Impact Of Cancer-Specific Advance Care Planning On Anxiety, Decisional Conflict, And Surrogate Understanding Of Patient Treatment Preferences, Lynn Waser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Patients with life-limiting cancer and their families face unique challenges that interfere with their ability to make decisions or adequately express their health care preferences about end of life (EOL) treatment. As a result, patients at EOL often receive aggressive unwanted treatment that nationally costs billions of dollars and results in surrogate distress about not honoring patient wishes. Respecting Choices® DS-ACP is a disease-specific Advance Care Planning (ACP) intervention that is designed to overcome barriers associated with ACP and potentially decrease the incidence of unwanted, overly aggressive treatments at EOL. The intervention is delivered to patient-surrogate dyads by a trained …

Iron Molybdenum Cofactor: Catalyst In Dihydrogen Production And Nifen's Role In The Femo-Co Biosynthetic Pathway, Deborah Bolin Maxwell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Humankind’s tremendous industrial and technological progress over the last two centuries has been driven by the natural abundance and availability of fossil fuels. As those reserves deplete, the prudent course of action would be to develop other readily available fuel sources. Some research efforts using biomolecules involve the hydrogenases and nitrogenases with the goal of evolving dihydrogen. At the nitrogenase active site, the iron-molybdenum cofactor (FeMo-co) catalyzes the reduction of dinitrogen and protons to form ammonia and dihydrogen. Toward the goal of producing dihydrogen passively as an alternative fuel, a novel advanced material has been developed. CdSe nanoparticles complexed with …

Postcranial Osteometric Assessment Of Korean Ancestry, Elizabeth Carol Okrutny

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The determination of ancestry is an important part of an individual's identification when creating a biological profile. This thesis scrutinizes postcranial variation using over 65 osteometric sorting measurements in an attempt to identify those measurements that display the most significant differences among Koreans, Africans, and Europeans. Data was collected from four American skeletal collections and one South Korean skeletal collection for a total sample population of 306 individuals: 24 of Korean ancestry, 66 of African ancestry, and 216 of European ancestry. In an effort to minimize the number of measurements needed for ancestral assessment, stepwise discriminant analysis was performed for …

Maternal Nutrition During Mid-Gestation Influences Gene Expression Essential For Intramuscular Adipose Tissue And Muscle Development In Bovine Fetuses, Tracy D. Jennings

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Given the potential variation in forage quantity and quality available to gestating cows, it is possible to encounter periods of nutrient restriction, while supplementation decisions could lead to periods of over-nutrition. Maternal nutrition during mid-late gestation has shown to influence adipose development and myogenesis in the fetuses of various species; however, bovine research is limited. The objective of this experiment was to determine whether maternal nutrition during mid-gestation alters genetic expression of fetal adipogenic and myogenic regulatory factors, resulting in differences in adipose development and muscle characteristics of the bovine fetus. Twenty-two bred Angus crossbred heifers (BW = 527.73 ± …

The Meaning And Experiences Of Healthy Eating In Mexican American Children: A Focused Ethnography, Alicia Kay Ribar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose

The purpose of this focused ethnography is to understand the meaning and cultural influences of healthy eating and the role of nursing in the promotion of healthy eating practices from the Mexican American child's point of view.

Background

No current studies directly measure the meaning of healthy eating from the Mexican American child's perspective. Mexican American children have a unique perspective and understanding of the meaning of healthy eating and can help identify cultural norms and other factors that may be vital in directing culturally appropriate health promotion interventions.

Research Design

A focused ethnography method using Leininger's four phases …