Digital Commons Network^™

Opioid Misuse Detection In Hospitalized Patients Using Convolutional Neural Networks, Brihat Sharma

Master's Theses

Opioid misuse is a major public health problem in the world. In 2016, 11.3 million people were reported to misuse opioids in the US only. Opioid-related inpatient and emergency department visits have increased by 64 percent and the rate of opioid-related visits has nearly doubled between 2009 and 2014. It is thus critical for healthcare systems to detect opioid misuse cases. Patients hospitalized for consequences of their opioid misuse present an opportunity for intervention but better screening and surveillance methods are needed to guide providers. The current screening methods with self-report questionnaire data are time-consuming and difficult to perform in …

A Crt Analysis Of Teach Like A Champion 2.0, Kayla Stewart Valenti

Master's Theses

African American and Latinx students in the United States continue to academically perform at lower levels than their White peers as indicated by standardized testing results. While many educational efforts have attempted to close the achievement gap that exists between White students and students of Color, disparities in academic outcomes persist. The prominent discourse regarding the achievement gap emphasizes cultural deficiencies within the individual student rather than acknowledge structural and institutional factors that uphold systemic racism and White supremacy. As a result, many new instructional approaches and teaching techniques used in schools and teacher preparation programs focus on correcting the …

Zero Tolerance And Self Image: A Systematic Literature Review, Caitlyn Todd

Master's Theses

The use of zero tolerance disciplinary policies in schools have numerous, lasting impacts on children, particularly African American students. This study relies on the use of a systematic literature review to analyze prior data on what these effects are. The study found that the effects include, but are not limited to, destruction of self confidence, increased recidivism, and lastly further psychological issues, all of which contribute to the likelihood of having a poor self image. These findings play are role in the discussion of other, more equitable, styles of discipline, such as restorative justice, as a way to help remedy …

Perceived Appropriateness Of Sexual Misconduct In Hookup Culture: Roles Of Power And Motives, Milan Alexandra Tvardek

Master's Theses

This study used hypothetical depictions of hookup scenarios to assess the perceptions of 388 participants for whether specific interactions between third-party characters involved sexual misconduct and the perceived appropriateness and wrongfulness of those behaviors. The current research examined the role of three independent between-subject variables in perceptions of sexual misconduct perpetration: a) Sex Motive (Low, High); b) Chronic Power (Low, High); and c) Acute Power (Low, High, Control). Results showed that individuals high in sex driven motivation, compared to those who less often hookup for sex driven reasons, perceived some perpetrators to be more wrongful but also expected these perpetrators …

Do Enforcement Actions By Us Federal Banking Regulators Against Banks For Unsound And Unsafe Banking Practices Deter Further And Future Wrongdoing? A Way Forward., Ikem Onyiliogwu

Master's Theses

“Wells Fargo fined $1 billion for ‘reckless unsafe or unsound practices.”1 The story behind this headline in the Washington Post on April 20, 2018, set out the problem. Wells Fargo engaged in “unsafe or unsound practices”2 by charging customers for services that Wells Fargo should have absorbed and administering a compulsory insurance scheme that unnecessarily increased borrowers auto loans financial obligation without approval. 3 According to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), “Since at least 2011, the Bank4 (Wells Fargo) has failed to implement and maintain a compliance risk management program commensurate with the Bank’s size, complexity …

A Possible Role Of Clostridium Difficile Association With The Gi Tract In Relapsing Clostridium Difficile Infection, Asiyya Ashraf

Master's Theses

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), caused by the anaerobic spore-former C. difficile, is a major cause of health-care associated morbidity. CDI occurs in individuals that have a disrupted GI tract microbiota, typically in patients who are on antibiotic therapy. After recovery from an episode of CDI, approximately, 15-30% of patients experience relapse of disease. The mechanism of relapse is not well understood. It is plausible for relapse to occur if C. difficile cells and spores associate with the GI tract mucosa during infection and persist after infection. However, little is known about the association of cells and spores with the GI …

Assessing The Role Of A Putative Peptidase In The Processing And Transport Of Aip In The Agr Quorum Sensing System Of Staphylococcus Aureus, Chance Joseph Cosgriff

Master's Theses

Staphylococcus aureus infections are a global burden on human health. The wide rangeof infectious diseases caused by S. aureus stem from the production of myriad virulence factors that manipulate host immune responses and promote bacterial survival. These virulence traits, coupled with the rise in antibiotic resistance, demonstrate a need for novel therapeutics to control infection. Many current therapeutic initiatives focus on targeting the virulence factors produced by S. aureus or the regulatory systems that control their expression such as the Accessory gene regulatory system, Agr.Initial characterization of a putative S. aureus peptidase MroQ indicates a major role in regulation of …

Modulation Of Coxsackievirus Protease Activity By Polyamines, Courtney Noelle Dial

Master's Theses

Coxsackievirus type B (CVB3) is one of the six serotypes of the Coxsackievirus family of non-enveloped, linear, and positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses. It is a pathogenic enterovirus that belongs to the same genus as the notable pathogen poliovirus. CVB3 can cause a range of illnesses from a fever to gastrointestinal distress but is most noteworthy for the ability to cause viral myocarditis, a swelling of the heart muscle. Coxsackievirus, like all RNA viruses, tends to develop mutations rapidly due to its error prone polymerase and lack of proofreading activity. These mutations can be advantageous for the virus, allowing it to …

Role Of Daxx As A Predictive Biomarker In Breast Cancer, Michelle Lucia Fernandez

Master's Theses

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer in women, besides skin cancer, and second only to lung cancer for cause of mortality. It is divided into three subtypes, depending on different molecular or pathologic characteristics, including estrogen or progesterone receptor-positive (ER/PR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor-2-positive (HER2+) and triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). There are several therapies used to target these subtypes, but there is still a chance that the cancer will recur into a more aggressive, resistant form even if the therapies were successful before. This recurrence is believed to be due to the Cancer Stem …

Molecular And Biochemical Phenotypes Underlying Reactive Astrocytosis In Primary Optic Nerve Head Astrocytes, Anita Kirti Ghosh

Master's Theses

Glaucoma is a progressive optic neuropathy that manifests in a pathological triad of optic nerve head remodeling, damage to optic nerve axons, and retinal ganglion cell death. Optic nerve head astrocytes (ONHAs) are the primary cell type in the optic nerve head. ONHAs undergo reactive astrocytosis, an activated phenotype characterized by altered gene and protein expression and increased cell migration and proliferation, early in the disease pathology. Reactive astrocytosis is thought to underlie optic nerve head remodeling. The first goal of this thesis was to determine if exposure of primary adult rat ONHAs to hyperbaric pressure (25-30 mm Hg above …

Longitudinal Urinary Microbiome Studies: A Need To Transition To Voided Urine, Baylie Hochstedler

Master's Theses

It is now established that the bladder is not sterile; it contains communities of microbes (microbiota). While the healthy bladder microbiota have been defined using expanded quantitative urine culture (EQUC) and urines obtained by transurethral catheterization (TUC), longitudinal and population studies have not previously been possible. These studies cannot be done using TUC urines, as it would be impractical to catheterize participants daily. Instead, we must transition to using voided urines.In order to make this switch, we have addressed three main issues raised by using voided urine. First, we showed that EQUC out performs standard urine culture on voided urines …

"Si Tú No Fueras Tan Poco, Yo No Sería Tanto": El Catolicismo Español, El Fanatismo Religioso Y El Atraso Intelectual, Karl Douglas Groneman

Master's Theses

The question of Spain's stagnation with respect to other European countries has intrigued academics for centuries. In this thesis, I will be focusing on the intellectual stagnation of Spain. Some blame said stagnation on the monarchy, on economic policies, or on a lack of standardized education. Despite all of these are contributing factors, one area that is worth investigating further is intellectual stagnation due to religious fanaticism.This thesis examines 9 texts from the late 1800s until the early 1900s (1870-1930). Many themes are present in this study: censorship, ideological exaggeration, clerical corruption, Church authority, the family, and spiritual consolation. I …

A Comparison Of The Relationship Between Gender Adherence, Sex, And Attitudes Toward Individuals With A Mental Illness, Brooke Reimer

Master's Theses

Attitudes toward persons with a mental illness consist of four main dimensions: Authoritarianism, benevolence, social restrictiveness, and community mental health ideology. Attitude differences on these dimensions have been found among many types of groups, including age, race, and educational attainment. Sex and gender adherence have been cited as other such factors, but two major issues are present: past researchers have reported inconsistent findings regarding attitude differences and the terms are used interchangeably in research literature despite conceptual differences. Using data from 187 individuals from a survey, the current study tested sex differences and gender adherence differences in attitude toward mental …

The Internal Wave Dynamics Of Barkley Submarine Canyon, Drew Arlen Burrier

Master's Theses

Submarine canyons are prominent bathymetric features in the ocean and in addition to being interesting geological regions, submarine canyons are associated with important physical processes in the ocean. Internal wave reflection from sloping boundaries can cause strong mixing in the turbulent boundary layers near sloping topography. Boundary mixing driven by internal waves may account for a significant portion of the overall oceanic vertical mixing. By observing internal waves using three cabled ADCPs at three sites in and around Barkley Submarine Canyon in spring pre-upwelling, and summer upwelling periods, this thesis has established a strong canyon effect on the internal wave …

Phreatomagmatic Eruption Deposits On The Seafloor Record Cataclysmic Caldera Formation On Axial Seamount, Juan De Fuca Mid-Ocean Ridge, Jacob Danielsen

Master's Theses

The physical and compositional characteristics of a unique ash-rich hydrothermal sediment, hydrothermal muddy tuff (HMT), on Axial Seamount, Juan de Fuca Ridge, suggest that it formed by phreatomagmatic eruptions during caldera formation. Deposit thickness trends away from the seamount summit and the presence of 68% primary volcaniclasts and 32% secondary lithics suggest a source from along caldera ring-faults deep in the crust. Lithic geothermometry indicates that the source was subject to low-temperature (<150 >°C) alteration, consistent with a provenance as deep as 600 – 800 m below the seafloor. At this depth, just above the critical point of seawater, the …

Synthesis And Evaluation Of Novel Silica Hydride-Based Stationary Phases For Bioanalytical Applications, Seiichiro Watanabe

Master's Theses

Most HPLC columns are packed with silanol (Si-OH)-rich type-B silica that often participates in undesired electrostatic interactions with sample solutes and produces a poor analyte peak shape. These silanols are also known to facilitate the surface hydration required for HILIC mode to retain polar analytes. However, the hydrated surface composition can easily fluctuate, which results in poor reproducibility and requires a lengthy equilibration step. In this study, four novel stationary phases have been developed by using the TYPE-C™ silica material, in which up to 95% of the surface silanols have been replaced with Si-H group. One of the advantages of …

Servant Leadership: A Study About Organizational Health, Leadership Styles And Practices In Missao Bahia Sudoeste Of The Seventh-Day Adventist Church And The Possible Relation Between The Ministerial Areas Low Engagement Level In The Small Groups Program, Osmar Borges Lima

Master's Theses

Problem

Due to the low engagement of the pastors of Missão Bahia Sudoeste (MBSo) in the Small Groups program as compared to other field within the União Leste Brasileira (ULB) it was decided to investigate the organizational health, the leadership practices and styles, as well as the job satisfaction on the part of the MBSo’s pastors.

Method

The study was conducted among 52 pastors who represented the three levels of leadership designated by the OLA research instrument (Top Leadership, Management and Work Force) which analyses the perception of the participants six key areas of leadership, as well as six levels …

Towards A Biblical Spirituality: Dwelling With God Through The Exodus Sanctuary-Covenant Structure, Silvia Canale Bacchiocchi

Master's Theses

Problem

Biblical spirituality was challenged from the very start of the Christian church by competing spiritual ideologies of philosophical origins. Because the interpretation of spirituality has focused on exegetical and doctrinal approaches (micro and mesohermeneutical levels), the grounding biblical macro-hermeneutical level of its basic presuppositions has been ignored. Yet this is the level that gives ultimate meaning to the meso and micro levels. This oversight constitutes a giant roadblock to understanding and experiencing true biblical spirituality, the consequences of which are devastating both for the individual believer (Matt 7:23), as well as for the mission, unity, and growth of the …

God's Mercy And Justice In The Context Of The Cosmic Conflict, Romero Luiz Da Silva

Master's Theses

Problem

When it comes to the right balance concerning God’s character of mercy and justice in relation to His dealings with sin in its different manifestations, a number of theologians, as well as Christians in general, have struggled to harmonize the existence of these two attributes in all God’s actions toward sinners. This difficulty has led many to think of divine mercy and justice as attributes that cannot fit together in what is called the cosmic conflict between good and evil. This, therefore, demands a theological study based on Scripture as a whole to draw solid findings in response to …

Interpreting Philippians 2:12, 13 Using The Great Controversy Metanarrative, Sikhululekile Daco

Master's Theses

Problem

Philippians 2:12, 13 present two paradoxical statements in direct juxtaposition. Verse twelve is an appeal to work out one’s own salvation, whereas verse thirteen acknowledges that it is God who does the work. How could Paul comfortably hold both views and present them in such close juxtaposition? How can this apparent contradiction of concepts be reconciled?

Method

While specialization in any given discipline affords the opportunity for greater depth of understanding, each theological discipline may augment one’s interpretation of a text. Philippians 2:12, 13 poses some interpretive challenges that can be mitigated by broadening one’s exegetical methodology to incorporate …

Synthesis And Screening Of Novel Hybrid Benzothiazoles In U-87 Mg Glioblastoma Cell Line, Priscilla Kyi

Master's Theses

Benzothiazole is a heteroaromatic compound known for its wide range of bioactivities including anti-cancer, anti-viral, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anti-convulsant, anti-diabetic, anti-helminthic, and anti-tubercular activities. Research has shown that derivatives of benzothiazole exhibit inhibition of proliferation via apoptosis in various human cancer cell lines, such as liver cancer (Wang, et. al., 2011). In this study, a series of novel hybrid benzothiazole α-cyanostilbene derivatives and styrylbenzothiazole derivatives containing boronic acid and non-boronic acid pharmacophores were synthesized. The anti-cancer and anti-invasive properties of selected benzothiazole α-cyanostilbene derivatives on U-87MG glioblastoma cells were investigated in vitro.

U-87MG cells were incubated with synthesized novel hybrid compounds …

The Mission And Role Of Women In Graeco-Roman And Judeo-Christian Contexts, Fabienne Liana Maslet

Master's Theses

The place of women in the world has changed and progressed in the past decades. When I was a young girl, women were not really valued in the Church and in the service for God. There were always excuses not to allow them to serve God and they were rejected in a lot of areas in the Church service. However, the worse thing is that frequently women are the ones who are belittling themselves, who denigrate themselves, who undermine themselves or the capacities that God gave them to be used in Church. This occurs because they had been educated this …

When Archaeology Interacted With The Bible: A Study Of The Search For The City Of Raamses Of Exodus 1:11 In The Searcher's Socio Political Context, Georg Filippou

Master's Theses

The purpose of this thesis is twofold. First, I will research what a selected group of authors and scholars has stated regarding their search for the biblical city of Raamses. 3 This step will involve research of the motive of those researchers who attempted to match Raamses of Exod 1:11 with geographical locations in Egypt, to follow their search within the social and political context of these scholars. Second, based on these scholars’ research, I will attempt to discover what happened when Bible and archaeology interacted in the search for the city of Raamses.

The study begins with some pages …

Assessment Of Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnakes (Sistrurus Catenatus) In Berrien County Historical Sites, Roshelle M. Hall

Master's Theses

The Eastern Massasauga rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus; EMR) is a small robust pit viper currently found in nine states and the province of Ontario, Canada. Wetland habitats have experienced significant destruction and fragmentation by humans; as a result, the current distribution of the EMR is a fraction of its historic distribution. For this reason, the EMR has been federally listed as threatened. In general, little is known about the current distribution of this rattlesnake (in the southwest corner of Michigan, the size of local populations or their stability and genetic diversity. Much of this knowledge is based upon historical data. My …

Microcredits, Use By Gender, Amounts, Second Credit And Return Status: A Comparative Study In Parana And Chajari City, Entre Rios, Argentina 2016-1918, Daniel Emanuel Stempelatto

Master's Theses

Problem

This research seeks to determine if the microcredits delivered in the city of Chajari present a significant difference compared to the city of Paraná during the period 2016 to 2018, in the use by gender, in the amount of the microcredits and re-credits delivered, their amount and the level of debt cancellation.

Method

Secondary data loaded in the Provincial System and database of the Microcredit Program of Entre Ríos, Argentina were used to analyzed 454 microcredit records of which 383 correspond to the city of Paraná and 71 to the city of Chajari during the 2016-2018 period. For data …

A Narrative Analysis Of Genesis 3:1-7 And The Theological Significance Of The Serpent, Milton Gonzalez

Master's Theses

Problem

The Christian tradition of the Fall as it relates to Gen 3 is an interpretive construct that is foreign to the text and its immediate context. While scholars continue to view humanity and its fallen state as the central theme of the narrative, I suggest that such are but second to an even greater narrative—namely, a cosmic conflict between Elohim—the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and the serpent.

Method

The first chapter of this study considers the traditional view of the temptation narrative (i.e. Gen 3:1-7) as the Fall of Man and suggests that the story of …

A Biblical Overview Of The Concept Of Fruit With An Emphasis On The "Fruit Of The Spirit" In Galatians 5, Timothy Selinger

Master's Theses

Problem

The topic of the Holy Spirit and especially the meaning of "being filled with the Spirit" is a relevant topic. Generally, it is thought to be related to miracles, healings, and explosive church growth among Adventists or to speaking in tongues and other manifestations, especially among Charismatic Christians. Few identify the fullness of the Spirit with holiness of character. In Paul, the presence of the Spirit in the life of the believer results in the presence of the "fruit of the Spirit" (Gal 5:22). Just like an apple tree produces apples, a person filled with the Spirit will produce …

The Impact Of Environmental Degradation On The Analysis Of Manufactured Fibers, Alexis R. Weber

Master's Theses

The analysis of fiber evidence involves the ability to link a questioned fiber back to its known source. But before the collection and analysis of questioned fibers, they could be potentially exposed to various environmental conditions for an extended period of time. There has been little research on how manufactured fibers are affected by various environments and if this interaction affects the ability to link a questioned fiber back to its known source. Changes to the manufactured fibers are essential to be aware of, in order to avoid the possibility of erroneous exclusions when performing fiber comparisons. A six-month time …

Assay Development For The Identification Of Species And Bioactive Compounds Of Morinda Citrifolia (Noni) In Dietary Supplements By Rt-Qpcr, Dna Sanger Sequencing And Spectroscopy (Uv-Vis/Ftir), Ricardo L. Fernandez Walker

Master's Theses

Regulation standards for dietary supplements lack greatly. Due to this, fraud during the manufacturing of these products might be committed. Previous investigations on herbal dietary supplements have shown that the main ingredient was not present in most of the herbal supplements tested and that these products also contained other substances not stated in the label The purpose of this study was to develop a fluorescent qPCR assay for the identification of Morinda citrifolia herbal species in dietary supplements. Primers for genetic regions rbcL and matK of M. citrifolia were designed. The potential of novel matK primer showed discrimination potential …

Infection Control In Total Knee Replacement Prosthesis Using Nitric Oxide Releasing Biomaterials, Ashley Widing

Master's Theses

Replacing a weight-bearing joint is accompanied by long procedures, even longer recovery times, and intensive monitoring. This burden increases after infection; a complication requiring revision surgeries and therefore extensive additional recovery time. Infection can present itself at any time during the process, making it hard to predict. Currently, a two-part revision surgery is completed by removing all infected tissue and implanting an antibiotic spacer. The spacer fills the joint gap and is removed prior to the revision total knee replacement. A revision total knee replacement follows the same procedure as the initial surgery. Not only is this detrimental to patient …