Digital Commons Network^™

Efficacy Of An Audio-Based Biofeedback Intervention To Modify Running Gait In Female Runners 2020, Sarah Rothstein

Master's Theses

Introduction: Gait retraining interventions are used to modify foot strike parameters associated with musculoskeletal injuries. Such interventions may prove beneficial if gait modifications are maintained long-term and provide a physiological performance benefit. Purpose: The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether female recreational runners can use a smartphone decibel app to self-modify gait mechanics associated with injury. The secondary purpose was to determine if such gait modifications are retained beyond the initial training session. The tertiary purpose was to determine if such gait modifications were associated with improved running economy. Methods: The peak vertical ground reaction force (vGRF), …

The Relationship Between Sport Commitment With Off-Season Training Time And Previous In-Season Playing Time In College-Aged Soccer Players 2020., Luke Zuber

Master's Theses

Sport commitment is defined as “…the desire and resolve to continue sport participation” (Scanlan, Carpenter, Schmidt, Simons, & Keeler, 1993, p. 6). Since the first definition, the concept has been further refined to reflect a more multidimensional paradigm. Overall, sport commitment is thought to be comprised of the dimensions of enthusiastic commitment and constrained commitment (Scanlan, Chow, Sousa, Scanlan, & Knifsend, 2016). Those constructs can be broken down further to 12 subconstructs that are represented in the Sport Commitment – 2 (SC; Scanlan, Chow, Sousa, Scanlan, & Knifsend, 2016), in order to evaluate the source and level of an individual’s …

The Effect Of Attentional Focus Instructions On Single Leg Balance Performance 2020., Cory Monahan

Master's Theses

Balance and postural control exercises are often a part of exercise programs. During exercise programs, movement practitioners can provide instructions to facilitate performance and learning. Instructions can be used to direct attentional focus, which has been found to affect the performance and learning of motor skills, including balance and postural control tasks. However, no known studies to date have investigated the effect of both internal and external attentional focus instructions on static single leg balance performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of attentional focus instructions on static single leg balance performance as reflected by the …

A Comparison Of Reasons For Breastfeeding Cessation In Preterm And Term Infants During The First Year Of Life, Rebecca Robert

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to compare factors that may affect breastfeeding duration or cessation in preterm and term infants during the first year of life. A 50- question survey was administered using SurveyMonkey™ and distributed through social media platforms. Participants were able to enter a drawing for an Amazon gift card as incentive. SPSS was used for statistical analysis. Participants included mothers over the age of 18, with a child between the ages of 12 and 24 months, born in the U.S., and who provided human milk to their child at any point during the first year of …

Mindful Eating Behavior In Post Surgical Bariatric Patients, Megan Mabery Filer

Master's Theses

Emotional eating and binge-eating behavior in obese individuals and post-surgical bariatric patients are both linked to decreased ability to identify and cope with stress (Mitchell et al., 2016; Urquhart & Mihalynuk, 2011). In turn, obese patients who exhibit greater rates of stress-eating behavior show reductions in levels of mindfulness (Ouwens et al., 2015). The purpose of the study was to investigate the association between mindful eating component scores and selected weight loss outcomes in post-surgical bariatric patients.

Patients from a private bariatric clinic in Shreveport, Louisiana who underwent gastric sleeve or gastric bypass were invited to participate based on specific …

Adverse Childhood Experiences: The Influence Of Poly-Victimization On Adolescent Delinquency And Adult Criminality, Samantha Qualkenbush

Master's Theses

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are under-researched and a large part of unrecognized child victims. Although there is considerable research on trauma and adverse experiences in children, there are gaps in research concerning specific types of offending and specific ACEs. The purpose of this study is to determine if specific types of ACEs, or combinations of ACEs, influence children in differing ways related to adolescent delinquency and adult criminality. Analyses of previously collected data, specifically considering information on differences in the average number and likelihood of offenses for both juveniles and adults provides intriguing results. In concurrence with previous research, this …

Small Universe: Exploring Microorganisms In Water From An Artistic Perspective, Jingying Zhen

Master's Theses

The scope of this thesis was based on an artistic desire to explore and display microorganisms in water and present the viewers with an opportunity to discover an invisible world. This included research on three artists who have taken interest in unusual life forms. It also included my observation of real microorganisms under a microscope in biology lab. I found the beauty within the details of this miniature world; it was a different perspective. The purpose of this study was to combine biology and art, traveling in the real and imaginary world, researching, exploring, and then showing microorganisms using multiple …

Camagu: A Multimovement Work Exploring The Isixhosa Culture Of South Africa, Nkululeko Zungu

Master's Theses

The IsiXhosa language of South Africa is a rich historic language that has been preserved aurally through generations. The distinct clicks in this language, made in the mouth, are a characteristic spoken feature. Although IsiXhosa follows the Roman alphabet, individual letters require the pronunciation of different clicks, each having a different sound quality. These particular sounds will change depending on the interaction of the tongue and teeth within the mouth. Alongside this rich historic language is the practice of herbal healing, performed by individuals called Sangomas. A Sangoma’s primary goal is to communicate with the ancestors and to provide spiritual …

Does Population Density Affect The Singing Behavior Of Female Canyon Wrens (Catherpes Mexicanus)?, Lorraine Dargis

Master's Theses

Bird song has historically been considered from the perspective of temperate males despite females in many bird species being prolific singers. In this study, I investigated one species with female song, the canyon wren (Catherpes mexicanus). Canyon wrens do not duet like many other species with female song or other wrens. Instead, males and females sing sex-specific songs. The resource defense function of male canyon wren song is well-described, and males sing often during the breeding season. Females have only been observed to sing sporadically during the breeding season but sing reliably and often when exposed to playback of other …

Implementing Support Materials For Students With Special Needs In An Inclusive Classroom, Ana Vazquez

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to help dance educators enhance their curriculum by implementing four support instruments designed to help students with special needs. This study aimed to answer the following questions: Q1 In what ways does the implementation of support materials designed for students with special needs help support an inclusive classroom? Q2 In what ways do these support materials help dance teachers enhance their lessons for students with special needs, hence maximizing student response, participation and engagement and student-teacher relationship? Five dance educators participated in this study where they completed an entrance and post-survey, and an implementation …

Maturation Spawning And Larviculture Of Atlantic Croaker (Micropogonias Undulatus) At Low Salinity, Edithrose Fairweather

Master's Theses

Atlantic Croaker is a popular baitfish among anglers targeting a variety of gamefish in the Gulf of Mexico. Aquaculture of this species could help meet the demand for Croaker, especially during winter when wild-caught Croaker are unavailable. Currently, Croaker aquaculture involves broodstock maturation, spawning, and larval culture at high salinity. This protocol prevents the direct use of coastal water for culture along the Mississippi Gulf coast where salinity is low. This study examined the feasibility of performing hatchery production of Atlantic Croaker at low salinity.

Culture of Croaker broodstock at 10, 20, and 30 psu during the maturation period was …

Characterizing Erad And Antioxidant Response In Ixodes Scapularis Ise6 Cells During Borrelia Infection, Latoyia Downs

Master's Theses

Ticks are hematophagous ectoparasites that transmit a multitude of diseases to humans. Borrelia burgdorferi (BB) and Borrelia miyamotoi (BM) are both tick-borne pathogens that cause disease in humans and are transmitted by the black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis). A byproduct of blood digestion generates reactive oxygen species that are toxic and cause oxidative stress which promotes cellular damage and dysfunction. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is especially affected by oxidative stress, resulting in a buildup of improperly folded proteins in the ER lumen called ER stress. To prevent cellular damage, the tick utilizes an antioxidant system to neutralize ROS and mechanisms …

Dna Methylation Analysis For Tissue And Age Determination For Forensic Human Identification, Lauren Satcher

Master's Theses

Forensic Science is a vital aspect of criminal investigations and new techniques that could be used to advance this field are constantly being investigated. There are current forensic techniques to identify relevant tissues, but tissue specific methylation markers are being examined as a new way for identifying tissue type. In addition, methylation markers are being investigated as a method to determine other relevant information about donors, such as the age of the individual.

In this study, methylation markers were investigated to determine tissue specific markers to differentiate sperm from blood, saliva, and vaginal epithelial cells, and age specific markers to …

Using Modern Portfolio Theory To Analyze Virgil's Aeneid (Or Any Other Poem), David Patterson

Master's Theses

This paper demonstrates that it is possible to use mathematics to study literature as it has been used to study the social sciences. By focusing on mathematically defining economic and literary terms, it can be shown that the underlying mathematical structure behind key concepts in economics and literature are analogous. This opens the possibility of applying economic models in literature. Specifically, it is demonstrated that the economic mathematical model of modern portfolio theory can answer long standing questions around the Roman epic Aeneid by Virgil. The poet died before completing his poem. The relative completeness of the books of the …

Willingness To Seek Professional Help For Suicidal Thoughts: The Role Of Masculine Norms And Self-Stigma In Service Members, Samantha E. Daruwala

Master's Theses

Given the high rate of suicide, it is important to understand what barriers are preventing service members from seeking professional help for suicidal thoughts. Self-stigma and conformity to masculine norms, which are evident in the military culture, have been demonstrated as barriers to care in civilians. This study sought to better understand how these two factors are related to willingness to seek professional help for suicidal thoughts and a personal-emotional problem among service members. Specifically, we (1) identified service members’ willingness to seek help from a variety of sources for suicidal thoughts and a personal-emotional problem, (2) examined how conformity …

Thiol-Ene Click Chemistry For Solid State Triplet-Triplet Annihilation Upconversion And Parts-Per-Billion Pyrophosphate Sensing In Artificial Seawater, Abagail K. Williams

Master's Theses

Thiol-ene click chemistry is a robust approach to molecularly engineering polymers for many applications. Within this work, thiol-ene click chemistry is used to fabricate thiol-ene networks for TTA-UC and to synthesize a conjugated polyelectrolyte (CPE) used as a pyrophosphate (PPi) sensor in complex aqueous media. Chapter I focuses on the synthesis and upconversion performance of rubbery networks fabricated using thiol-ene click photopolymerization. The advancement of triplet-triplet annihilation based upconversion (TTA-UC) in emerging technologies necessitates the development of solid-state systems that are readily accessible and broadly applicable. We demonstrate that thiol-ene click chemistry can be used as a facile cure-on-demand synthetic …

Nursing Students' Awareness About Effective Teamwork And Related Factors, Vi Thi Thuong Nguyen

Master's Theses

This study surveyed the awareness level of nursing students about the effectiveness of teamwork and related factors. At Hong Bang International University (HIU), teamwork training for nursing students at HIU has been applied but it has been difficult for all students to achieve high results and confidence in practicing teamwork skills. The effectiveness of self-study and group activities depends on many factors. The effectiveness of teaching approaches has not been measured and has needed to be addressed to result in the best learning experience for students. The results of this study provided recommendations to improve the quality of training as …

Effects Of Exercise On Myogenic Regulatory Factors In Cancer Cachexia-Induced Skeletal Muscle Wasting, Kelsey Daehlin

Master's Theses

Cancer cachexia is a complex multiorgan syndrome that affects bodily systems such as liver, brain, fat tissue, and skeletal muscle. It is a major factor that decreases quality of life in cancer patients and is related to about 20% of cancer deaths, however exercise has shown to be effective in helping combat the muscle wasting effects that cancer cachexia has on the body. Cachexia characterized by skeletal muscle wasting which may be caused by downregulation of positive myogenic regulatory factors such as MyoD and myogenin, and upregulation of negative myogenic regulatory factors such as myostatin and MuRF-1. While it is …

Effects Of Omega-3 Fatty Acids And Hypoxia On Progesterone Biosynthesis And Mitochondrial Morphology In The Corpus Luteum, Brian Krum

Master's Theses

The corpus luteum is a transient steroidogenic endocrine gland that forms from the remnants of the ovulatory follicle. This gland is responsible for the synthesis and secretion of the hormone progesterone, which is critical for the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy. In a non-pregnant cow, PGF2a is released from the uterus to regress the corpus luteum. However, in the case of pregnancy, the embryo must mitigate PGF2a synthesis to prevent corpus luteum regression. If the embryonic signal is either too late or too weak, uterine PGF2a secretion may result in corpus luteum regression and termination of pregnancy. Omega-3 fatty acids …

Mosquito Communities And Insect-Specific Viruses In A Heterogenous, Urban Landscape In Puerto Rico, Nicole Scavo

Master's Theses

The goal of my thesis was to investigate the relationships between mosquito diversity, Aedes aegptyi populations, and socioeconomic factors (SEF) in an urban setting and to characterize the virome of Ae. aegypti in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Mosquitoes were collected in three periods during late 2018 and early 2019 and were identified to the species level. Socioeconomic factors were measured using foot surveys and U.S. Census data. Some Ae. aegypti females were processed for sequencing and sent to Quick Biology for RNA sequencing to identify viruses. Results showed a link between SEF and Ae. aegypti abundance as well as between …

Sustainable Wastewater Treatment In The American South, Caroline Miles

Master's Theses

Aging infrastructure and changing social and environmental conditions are two factors that are currently pushing wastewater treatment towards more sustainable methods. This thesis investigates what sustainable treatment technologies are being used in the American South through a focused sample of six cities across the region: Austin, Texas; Fayetteville, Arkansas; Hattiesburg, Mississippi; Memphis, Tennessee; Ocean Springs, Mississippi; and Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The study assesses the types of sustainable treatment technology utilized at each facility, the perspectives of wastewater professionals about the technology, and the economic and environmental sustainability of each facility. Data was collected through direct observations on tours of the facilities, …

Quality Of Life Among Colorectal Cancer Patients During Chemotherapy, Chau Minh Than

Master's Theses

This study had the general goal of surveying the quality of life (QoL) and related factors affecting the QoL of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients participating in cancer chemotherapy at University Medical Center (UMC) in Ho Chi Minh City. The study also had the following specific objectives: (a) determining the demographic and clinical characteristics of CRC patients and (b) determining health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and related factors affecting HRQoL of CRC patients receiving cancer chemotherapy. A descriptive cross-sectional design was used. Sixty CRC patients being treated at the UMC participated in this study. The research used the European Organization for …

Stressors And Coping Styles Among Chronic Hemodialysis Patients In Vietnam, Linh Thi Ngoc Nguyen

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to understand stressors experienced and coping styles used by 30 hemodialysis patients in Vietnam and to examine the relationship among stressors, coping styles, and demographics (age, gender, and length of treatment). A quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted. Data collection took place in a government hospital in Ho Chi Minh City. The hospital has 60 hemodialysis machines. The hemodialysis department serves 450 scheduled hemodialysis patients and 60 emergency cases per day. Stressors were divided into two groups: physical and psychosocial. Differences between physical and psychosocial stressors were obtained by dividing raw subscale scores by …

The Effect Of Music On Anxiety Of The Endoscopic Client In A Private Hospital In Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam, Hanh Thi Hong Nguyen

Master's Theses

Gastrointestinal tract cancer is one of the fifth most common cancers in Vietnam and has a high mortality rate in Vietnamese people based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2018) global cancer statistics. One-third of adults aged 50 or older, the age group at greatest risk of developing colorectal cancer, have not been screened because endoscopy is considered a stressful procedure. The endoscopic patient sometimes refuses to have the procedure. Therefore, using music to ease the anxiety of endoscopic clients has been examined in various studies but the results have been inconclusive. The aim of this study was …

Evaluation Of Patient Identification Practices By Nurses Working At Saigon Ent Hospital, My Thi Phuong Ngo

Master's Theses

Recently, patient misidentification has been identified as a common error in healthcare systems. Six patient safety recommendations from the World Health Organization (2007) have resulted in research and improvements to increase patient safety. However, patient misidentifications continue and are a challenge to patient safety. Failure to correctly identify patients continues to result in errors with medications, transfusions, diagnostic testing, and wrong person procedures. In the hospital, patient identification is performed throughout the hospitalization stay: at admission, before a treatment procedure or general nursing care, medication administration, and handover from provider to provider. In some hospital settings, this task is supported …

Zebrafish Eye Development: Rac And The Creepy Crawlers Of The Eye, Zvi Murry

Master's Theses

During vertebrate eye development the optic vesicles protrude from either side of the brain and form the optic cups. As an optic cup starts to surround the lens a groove on the ventral side of the eye forms, known as the choroid fissure (CF). Normally, the CF will close around the optic nerve and hyaloid vasculature. If this process does not occur properly it results in a keyhole opening in the eye known as coloboma. This results in blindness and affects nearly 1 in 4-5,000 births. Zebrafish were utilized as a model for eye development to study CF closure (CFC) …

Type 3 T Helper Cell And Myeloid Derived Suppressor Cell Population Dynamics In A Mammary Carcinoma Model, Viva Rase

Master's Theses

Immunotherapies that augment Type I immunity show robust responses in diffuse blood cancers yet remain relatively ineffective in breast and other solid tumor malignancies. Breast tumor resistance to immunotherapies is associated with polarization towards pro-tumor Type 2 immunity, as well as the expansion of a myeloid derived suppressor cell (MDSC) population that inhibits Type 1 T helper (Th) and CD8+ cytotoxic T cells. Does polarization toward Type 3 immunity play a role in mammary tumor formation? This question had not been investigated prior to these studies despite established relationships between MDSCs and Type 3 Th cells in other inflammatory pathologies. …

The Role Of Gibberellic Acid In Aphid-Plant-Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus Interactions, Drew Olson

Master's Theses

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi form beneficial associations with the roots of most terrestrial plants, which is mostly characterized by increased plant nutrient acquisition (phosphate and nitrogen) by the fungi in exchange for carbon and lipids from the plants. These associations can also enhance plant coping mechanisms to abiotic and biotic stresses. However, insect herbivores, such as aphids, can benefit from AM fungi-plant symbioses by altering plant defenses that are driven mainly by the phytohormones jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA). Nevertheless, other phytohormones can modulate plant defenses by altering the balance of the JA and SA signaling pathways, such …

The Synthesis And Characterization Of Gold Nanoparticles Prepared With Novel Thioether-Ionic Liquids, Joie Games

Master's Theses

Gold nanoparticles have found a broad range of applications in the biomedical field including in drug delivery and biosensor development.The latter applications take advantage of a unique optical property called surface plasmon resonance. Easily accessible “bottom-up” synthesis methods are commonly used for the preparation of metal nanoparticles, in which a metal precursor is reduced in the presence of a stabilizing agent to prevent aggregation. Ionic liquids have been used in “bottom up” metal nanoparticle syntheses as stabilizing agents and as a means to functionalize metal nanoparticles’ surface. Due to the strength of gold-sulfur interactions, thiol-stabilized gold nanostructures are of great …

Historical And Contemporary Variables Affecting The Range And Distribution Of Aedes Aegypti, The Yellow Fever Mosquito, In The United States, Nicole Mackey

Master's Theses

Aedes aegypti, the primary mosquito vector of the yellow fever virus, threatens global health by passing on this virus, as well as chikungunya, dengue, and Zika viruses. Through its natural tendency to live in highly urban areas and bite human hosts; understanding the factors that affect the historical and current range of the pest is invaluable (Gubler, 1998). Although these viruses are not normally found in the United States, lack of vaccinations and wide-spread presence of the mosquito could lead to these diseases being reintroduced with potentially devastating effects (Monath, 2001). To determine a partial historical range of A. aegypti …