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Comparison Of Targeted Lower Extremity Strengthening And Usual Care Progressive Ambulation In Subjects Post-Liver Transplant: A Randomized Controlled Trial, David Walter Mandel
Comparison Of Targeted Lower Extremity Strengthening And Usual Care Progressive Ambulation In Subjects Post-Liver Transplant: A Randomized Controlled Trial, David Walter Mandel
Open Access Dissertations
Individuals with chronic liver disease experience progressive muscle wasting, weakness, fatigue, and decreased quality of life. Liver transplantation is the only treatment for end-stage liver disease with cirrhosis; however, muscle wasting, strength impairments, activity limitations, and health related quality of life do not return to the level of healthy adults. Currently there is no plan of care for rehabilitation of individuals post-liver transplantation. These individuals are only instructed to gradually increase walking and activity. Walking may increase lower extremity muscle strength; however, walking at a self-selected pace is less effective than resistance exercise. The purpose of this dissertation was to …
The Blog Election: An Analysis Of The Source Interaction Between Traditional News Media And Blogs In Their Coverage Of The 2006 Congressional Midterm Elections, Marcus Messner
Open Access Dissertations
Political blogs have emerged as a new journalistic format that has gained influence on the political discourse in the United States. Previous research has shown that this influence stems mainly from attention given to blogs by traditional news media. Based on the concepts of intermedia agenda setting and agenda building, this study explored the source interaction between 10 elite traditional news media and 10 political filter blogs during the 2006 Congressional Midterm Elections. An analysis of 2587 sources used in the election context found that traditional news media frequently cited blogs in their election coverage, but that the source attributions …
Heitor Villa-Lobos's Mômoprecóce Fantasy For Piano And Orchestra (1919-1929): An Historical, Stylistic, And Interpretative Study, Simone Azevedo Leitão
Heitor Villa-Lobos's Mômoprecóce Fantasy For Piano And Orchestra (1919-1929): An Historical, Stylistic, And Interpretative Study, Simone Azevedo Leitão
Open Access Dissertations
The life and works of the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959) have been well documented. However, a comprehensive study concerning any of his nine works for piano and orchestra has not been undertaken. Among this prolific output, the Mômoprecóce, fantasie pour piano et orchestra, stands as a faithful representation of the composer's skillful orchestration, descriptive piano writing through the observation of a childhood universe, and his multi-faceted approach to nationalism. The fantasy is a through-composed arrangement of a previous solo piano suite by Villa-Lobos entitled, Carnaval das crianças brasileiras (Brazilian Children's Carnival, 1919). This research aims to investigate the historic, …
Associations Between Asd Symptomatology And Cognitive Functioning In Siblings, Susan Ivette Acosta
Associations Between Asd Symptomatology And Cognitive Functioning In Siblings, Susan Ivette Acosta
Open Access Dissertations
Siblings of children with autism (ASD-sibs) often exhibit deficits in social reciprocity and cognitive deficits similar to those of their affected siblings. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between degree of autistic symptomatology and degree of cognitive functioning in sibling pairs seen as part of a longitudinal ASD-focused sibling study. Both cognitive functioning and autistic symptomatology were assessed using continuous measures in sibling pairs. Three sets of bivariate correlations were conducted to examine the relationships between autistic symptomatology and cognitive ability. One ANCOVA and 6 ANOVAS were also conducted to identify possible group differences between younger …
The Effects Of Yoga On Symptoms Associated With Conduct Disorder With Callous Unemotional Traits As A Moderator, Kym M. Mccabe
The Effects Of Yoga On Symptoms Associated With Conduct Disorder With Callous Unemotional Traits As A Moderator, Kym M. Mccabe
Open Access Dissertations
The purpose of this research was to investigate the additive therapeutic effects of a yoga intervention on the anxiety, depression and behavioral problems of conduct-disordered male adolescents in residential treatment. In addition, the moderating effects of callous-unemotional (CU) traits on outcome measures were assessed. The program consisted of a four-week intervention program in which participants were randomly assigned to either the yoga group (n=25), in which they practiced yoga with an instructor, or the control group (n=19), in which they met for a supervised study hall. The study included pre-testing on symptoms of anxiety, depression and CU traits, and post-testing …
The Effects Of First-Generation Status And Race/Ethnicity On Students' Adjustment To College, Cornelia T. Splichal
The Effects Of First-Generation Status And Race/Ethnicity On Students' Adjustment To College, Cornelia T. Splichal
Open Access Dissertations
Little is known about the college adjustment of first-generation students, particularly those from various racial/ethnic groups. This study sought to describe the college adjustment of first-generation students from three different racial/ethnic backgrounds (White/non-Hispanic, Black and Hispanic) and to determine whether generational status and race/ethnicity jointly or separately affect college adjustment as measured by responses to the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ). A sample of 418 students (208 first-generation, 210 non-first-generation; 140 White, 138 Black, and 140 Hispanic) was drawn from a population of 4,718 degree-seeking, self-identified undergraduates at a research university in the Southeast. A 2 X 3 factorial …
A Pedagogical And Educational Examination Of The First Month At The Piano By Mana-Zucca, Laura Helene Keith
A Pedagogical And Educational Examination Of The First Month At The Piano By Mana-Zucca, Laura Helene Keith
Open Access Dissertations
The First Month at the Piano by Mana-Zucca, published in 1935, is a pioneering piano method to be taught by rote, supporting sound before sight learning theories, to the pre-school student. It differs from the Suzuki method in that The First Month at the Piano uses short, repetitive patterns, intrinsic to the Edwin Gordon Music Learning Theory. The First Month at the Piano has been compared to educational theories and has been found to follow Lev Vygotsky's theory of scaffolding and Jerome Bruner's principles of structure, readiness for learning, and motivation. The First Month at the Piano has been shown …
Genetic Variations In Three Interacting Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms And The Risk Of Preterm Birth In Black Families, Margaret Steinbach
Genetic Variations In Three Interacting Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms And The Risk Of Preterm Birth In Black Families, Margaret Steinbach
Open Access Dissertations
Preterm birth, defined as birth prior to 37 completed weeks gestation, is a serious health concern. Despite advances in health care screening and interventions, the rate of preterm birth in the United States has risen more than 30 percent since 1981. In 2006, Menon and associates reported the first multilocus genetic interaction in three single nucleotide polymorphisms predictive of spontaneous preterm birth in a population of White mothers. A gene association study using a case-control design was conducted to determine whether the results of the Menon study were also true for Black women and their infants. The case group included …
Basic Preparation For Oboe Auditionsby Using Selected Oboe Excerpts, Shen Wang
Basic Preparation For Oboe Auditionsby Using Selected Oboe Excerpts, Shen Wang
Open Access Dissertations
This essay describes basic preparation techniques for oboe auditions through examples demonstrated in selected oboe excerpts. The application of these methods in the selected oboe excerpts will help to reinforce the objective of each outlined preparation technique. Three aspects regarding preparation techniques are discussed. Technical Preparation describes different practice methods intended to increase technical performance consistency for an audition. Performance Internalization details the mental approach to accurately prepare a solo audition before an audition committee. Critical Factors Involving Reed Preparation describes effective processes in reed preparation through the analysis of reed-making sources. Basic Preparation for Oboe Auditions by Using Selected …
Development And Testing Of A Questionnaire: Beliefs About Cervical Cancer And Pap Test In Chilean Women, Maria Teresa Urrutia Soto
Development And Testing Of A Questionnaire: Beliefs About Cervical Cancer And Pap Test In Chilean Women, Maria Teresa Urrutia Soto
Open Access Dissertations
Every year 33,000 women die of cervical cancer in Latin American and the Caribbean. Cervical cancer has been the leading cause of potential years of life lost in Chile. Identifying factors that increase Pap test adherence will be extremely useful for developing interventions to increase the use of the Pap test and to reduce the prevalence of cervical cancer. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a questionnaire to examine women's beliefs about cervical cancer and the Pap test in Chilean women. The questionnaire, developed following the guidelines by Robert de Vellis, is based on the Health …
'I Just Wanted You To Know': War Testifies Through The Camera, Seyda Aylin Gurses
'I Just Wanted You To Know': War Testifies Through The Camera, Seyda Aylin Gurses
Open Access Dissertations
This work is a textual analysis of selected documentary films whose common theme is the inevitable discrepancy between the realities of the Vietnam and the 2003 Iraq War from the perspectives of the veterans and soldiers, and the assumed reality that is constructed in the media. It is at this point that the inextricable link between documentary cinema and reality proved fundamental to the developing discourse of the entire study ahead. Since the manner in which the world is both transformed and depicted strongly depends upon the tools available to the director, the technological innovations and the emergence of portable …
The Roles Of Attachment, Depression, And The Working Alliance In Predicting Treatment Outcomes In Chronic Pain Patients Seeking Physical Therapy Services, Ethan L. Bliss
Open Access Dissertations
Psychosocial variables such as attachment style, depression and the working alliance were examined as predictors of treatment outcomes in the context of chronic pain patients receiving physical therapy. Four treatment outcomes were examined: change in pain severity, change in pain interference, patient satisfaction with physical therapy services and patient compliance with treatment recommendations. A model of the interplay between depression and chronic illness presented by Katon (2003) was used as a framework for the current model. Two main hypotheses were suggested. (1) The working alliance is positively related to treatment outcomes. (2) Depression is negatively associated with treatment outcomes. Data …
General Religiosity And Use Of Religious Coping As Predictors Of Treatment Gains For Patients With Schizophrenia And Their Relatives, Eugenio A. Duarte
General Religiosity And Use Of Religious Coping As Predictors Of Treatment Gains For Patients With Schizophrenia And Their Relatives, Eugenio A. Duarte
Open Access Dissertations
While research on religion and severe psychopathology is mixed, the majority of evidence suggests that greater religiosity and greater use of religious forms of coping relate to beneficial psychosocial outcomes for both patients with schizophrenia (Huguelet et al., 2006; Moss et al., 2006) and their family members (Pearce et al., 2006; Roff et al., 2004). However, this data is generally cross-sectional. To date, scant research has longitudinally examined how religious beliefs and practices relate to key indicators of psychosocial outcomes for patients with schizophrenia and their relatives. This study used a White and Hispanic sample of 41 patients with schizophrenia …
Cbsm Effects On Sickness Behavior And Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine Mechanisms In Breast Cancer Survivors, Orit Birnbaum-Weitzman
Cbsm Effects On Sickness Behavior And Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine Mechanisms In Breast Cancer Survivors, Orit Birnbaum-Weitzman
Open Access Dissertations
The concept of sickness behavior offers a framework to view both the neurovegetative and psychological symptoms that accompany illness as a common entity that results from increased inflammatory activation. Despite the prevalence of sickness behavior in medical populations, to our knowledge this study provides the first attempt to develop a standardized measure to assess sickness behavior using standard self-report questionnaires commonly used with cancer patients. The set of items included in the measure match theoretical conceptualizations of sickness behavior and target symptoms that comprise anhedonia, depressed mood, cognitive dysfunction, social disinterest, fatigue, low libido, poor appetite, somnolence, sensitivity to pain, …
Relatedness As An Indicator Of Group Cohesion And Its Relationship To Outcomes Of A Group-Based Cbsm Intervention For Women Who Have Completed Treatment For Breast Cancer, Maria Del Rosario Morillo-Falero
Relatedness As An Indicator Of Group Cohesion And Its Relationship To Outcomes Of A Group-Based Cbsm Intervention For Women Who Have Completed Treatment For Breast Cancer, Maria Del Rosario Morillo-Falero
Open Access Dissertations
Group delivered empirically supported therapies have been reported to have beneficial effects for cancer patients. However, little is known about the relationship between group cohesion and outcomes of these interventions. This study tested the hypothesis that group cohesion relates to the effects of a group intervention. Participants included 56 women with Stage I to II breast cancer who had completed a 10-week CBSM intervention 3 to 12 months after undergoing surgery and adjuvant therapy. Groups of 3 - 5 participants met weekly for sessions of approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes duration. All participants were assessed at baseline (2 weeks …
The Invisible Black Woman In The Title Ix Shuffle: An Empirical Analysis And Critical Examination Of Gender Equity Policy In Assessing Access And Participation Of Black And White High School Girls In Interscholastic Sports, Moneque Walker Pickett
Open Access Dissertations
There has been considerable progress in women's sport participation opportunities since the enactment of Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972. These opportunities have allowed women and girls to participate in sports at the primary and secondary school level, as well as at the collegiate level in considerable numbers. Institutions have been adding new, emerging, or growth sports to their sports lineup. Despite this progress, much remains to be done to achieve true equity in women's access to sports. Indeed, recent evidence suggests that women of color may not have benefited from the array of new sports and …
Relationships Among Cynical Hostility, Metabolic Syndrome, And Cardiac Structure And Function In Multi-Ethnic Post-Myocardial Infarction Patients: A Structural Modeling Approach, Paul Stephen Wachowiak
Relationships Among Cynical Hostility, Metabolic Syndrome, And Cardiac Structure And Function In Multi-Ethnic Post-Myocardial Infarction Patients: A Structural Modeling Approach, Paul Stephen Wachowiak
Open Access Dissertations
BACKGROUND: Risk factors associated with Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) have been implicated in cardiovascular disease (CVD) development and outcomes. Few studies have investigated relationships between psychological variables, MetS factors, and indices of cardiac structure and function (CSF) among healthy individuals in a single conceptual model. No studies to date have analyzed such relationships in patients with CVD. METHODS: The present study examined associations between cynical hostility (CynHo), MetS factors, and CSF in 186 multi-ethnic post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients. Structural equation modeling was used to test a theory driven model of MetS that had good statistical fit. Primary MetS variables included waist …
Executive Functions And Approaches To Learning: Relationships To School Readiness In Head Start Preschoolers, Virginia E. Vitiello
Executive Functions And Approaches To Learning: Relationships To School Readiness In Head Start Preschoolers, Virginia E. Vitiello
Open Access Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to determine whether the effects of executive functions on school readiness outcomes were mediated by approaches to learning in Head Start preschoolers. Executive functions are cognitive skills, including inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and working memory, that are involved in learning as well as regulating behavior (Blair, Granger, & Razza, 2005; Espy, McDiarmid, Cwik, Stalets, Hamby, & Senn, 2004). Approaches to learning include important learning-to-learn skills such as persistence, initiative, and motivation (Fantuzzo, Perry, & McDermott, 2004). Based on previous literature, it was hypothesized that strong executive functions would support the development of positive approaches to …
Individual Differences In Anterior Eeg Asymmetry In Children With High Functioning Autism, Anne Pradella Inge
Individual Differences In Anterior Eeg Asymmetry In Children With High Functioning Autism, Anne Pradella Inge
Open Access Dissertations
This study examined the moderating role of motivational tendencies for social approach and avoidance behavior, as measured by anterior EEG asymmetry, on symptom expression. In particular, this study aimed to replicate and extend previous findings that measures of anterior EEG asymmetry provide an important marker of subgroups of HFA children that significantly differ from each other, and controls, on measures of social communication impairment. EEG data were collected across two occasions on 51 HFA and 44 non-HFA children. EEG asymmetry was computed for homologous electrode pairs (e.g., lnF4-lnF3). More positive scores were indicative of relative left frontal asymmetry. Data on …
Acculturation, Enculturation, And Symptoms Of Schizophrenia In Ethnic Minority Patients: An Examination Of Sociocultural Mediators Underlying These Relationships, Vamsi K. Koneru
Open Access Dissertations
The preponderance of evidence from large-scale studies shows a detrimental association between greater acculturation (to mainstream U.S. values and beliefs) and mental health. Prior research also suggests that greater acculturation may be associated with a breakdown of adaptive behaviors and values (e.g., religiosity/spirituality) thereby negatively impacting mental health. In addition, literature generally suggests that enculturation (retention of culture of origin customs and values) is associated with better mental health. However, few studies have examined potential mediators between acculturation/enculturation and mental health; and research on this topic with patients with schizophrenia is particularly scarce. Using a sample of 44 Hispanic and …
Modeling The Parasympathetic Nervous Response To An Emotional Task: The Interaction Of Heart Rate Variability, Personality And Emotion Regulation, Lindsey Marie Root
Modeling The Parasympathetic Nervous Response To An Emotional Task: The Interaction Of Heart Rate Variability, Personality And Emotion Regulation, Lindsey Marie Root
Open Access Dissertations
Heart rate variability (HRV), a physiological marker of autonomic nervous system (ANS) engagement, has been associated with a wide variety of clinical and psychological processes. High frequency (HF) HRV power, specifically, has been linked with the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) and self-regulation. The current inquiry used a random effects growth model to study the HF HRV response to an emotional task and to predict individual differences in HF HRV as a function of trait hostility, neuroticism, and emotion regulation strategies (e.g., positive reappraisal, positive refocusing). Results indicated that the task engaged both branches of the ANS. HF HRV was not …
The Oxytocinergic Anti-Inflammatory Pathway In Atherosclerosis, Daniel Addison Nation
The Oxytocinergic Anti-Inflammatory Pathway In Atherosclerosis, Daniel Addison Nation
Open Access Dissertations
Background. Social deprivation or isolation accelerates the progression of atherosclerosis in several animal models of the disease. Conversely, stable social environment has been associated with reduction in the extent and severity of atherosclerosis. While positive social interactions are thought to be related to this protective effect, little is known about the physiological mechanisms responsible. Recently, the neurohypophyseal peptide, oxytocin (OT), has been found to play a role in both positive social interactions and cardiovascular homeostasis, suggesting that this neuropeptide may be responsible for mediating the beneficial effects of positive social environment on atherosclerosis. The first aim of the current study …
Uncanny Periphery: Existential(Ist) Latin American Narratives Of The 1930s, Edwin Murillo
Uncanny Periphery: Existential(Ist) Latin American Narratives Of The 1930s, Edwin Murillo
Open Access Dissertations
This dissertation investigates the narrative practice of Latin American Existentialism. My project tracks the structures, themes, and interpretations of Existentialism across national borders in the belief that a common expression exists which is distinctly Latin American. I begin this philosophical cartography, with four Existential(ist) novels produced in Latin America during the 1930s. Specifically, I will examine the Existentialist quality of Enrique Labrador Ruiz's El laberinto de si mismo (1933), Maria Luisa Bombal's La ultima niebla (1934) and La amortajada (1938), and Graciliano Ramos's Angustia (1936). These narratives are analyzed in relation to the core thematic of Existential philosophy. I read …
Emotional Communication And Attachment Security In Infants At Risk For Autism Spectrum Disorders, John D. Haltigan
Emotional Communication And Attachment Security In Infants At Risk For Autism Spectrum Disorders, John D. Haltigan
Open Access Dissertations
Thirty-two infants and their parents were observed at 6 months in the Face-to-Face/Still-Face (FFSF) paradigm. Attachment security was assessed in the Strange Situation Paradigm (SSP) at 15 months. Eighteen of these infants had an older sibling with a clinically diagnosed ASD (ASD-siblings) and 14 had older siblings with no ASD (comparison-siblings). Results suggested that at fifteen months, before diagnostic outcomes are available, ASD-sibs are no more likely to evidence insecurity in attachment, or attachment disorganization, than are COMP-sibs. Additionally, 15-month secure and insecure infants differed with respect to 6-month gazing at their parent's face during the still-face (SF) and reunion …
Ontogeny- And Sex-Dependent Contributions Of The Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase (Nnos) Gene To Rewarding And Psychomotor Stimulating Effects Of Cocaine, Mara A. Balda
Open Access Dissertations
Multiple interactions between dopamine (DA), glutamate, and nitric oxide (NO) in mesolimbic and corticostriatal circuits suggest that NO may play a critical role in cocaine-induced behavioral and neural plasticity. Clinical and preclinical studies have revealed that females and adolescents display unique vulnerabilities to the behavioral and neurochemical effects of cocaine as a result of sex-dependent and ontogeny-dependent differences in dopaminergic systems. Thus, my research objectives were to investigate the contributions of the neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) gene, ontogeny, and gender on the rewarding and sensitizing effects of cocaine. I found that nNOS significantly influences the rewarding aspects of cocaine …
Sexuality Related Social Support Among Same-Sex Attracted Youth, Nathan D. Doty
Sexuality Related Social Support Among Same-Sex Attracted Youth, Nathan D. Doty
Open Access Dissertations
Supportive relationships with parents and peers are thought to be important in helping gay, lesbian, bisexual, or questioning youth cope with stressors related to their sexual identity. However, studies of same-sex attracted youth have yielded only minimal evidence for the link between social support and mental health. The lack of empirical findings may relate to inadequate measurement of the types of social support most relevant for same-sex attracted youth. Using matching theory as a theoretical framework, the present study examined same-sex attracted youth's perceptions of support for coping with problems specifically related to their sexuality. Ninety-eight same-sex attracted young people …
Relationships Among Student Leadership Experiences And Learning Outcomes, James Richard Walker
Relationships Among Student Leadership Experiences And Learning Outcomes, James Richard Walker
Open Access Dissertations
The relationships among students' reports of learning outcomes based on leadership experiences in various types of student organizations and various roles within organizations were investigated. Relationships between demographic variables (i.e., ethnicity, gender, age, and type of housing) and type of organization, role within an organization, and learning outcomes, were also examined. A new instrument, the Student Leadership Learning Outcomes Assessment (SLLOA), was created to measure student generated learning outcomes; it has good internal consistency and validity. The SLLOA was completed by 328 student leaders at a private southeastern university. SLLOA scores indicated student leaders in cultural and service groups reported …
Adipose Tissue Cytokines: Effects Of Social Condition, Lawrence G. Brooks
Adipose Tissue Cytokines: Effects Of Social Condition, Lawrence G. Brooks
Open Access Dissertations
Social support has been demonstrated to reduce cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality; however, the mechanisms by which social support reduces disease progression are still unclear. Oxytocin (OT) is a neuropeptide commonly associated with positive social interactions. This series of studies investigated the ability of oxytocin to attenuate atherosclerosis and its putative mediators, pro-inflammatory cytokines. Oxytocin receptors were identified by Western Blot on rat adipose tissue and rat adipocytes. OT receptor mRNA was identified in human adipocyte cDNA. In primary culture of rat abdominal adipocytes, oxytocin (10 pM) decreased LPS-induced IL-6 release by 24.9% after a six hour incubation. Adipose tissue, …
Impact Of Two Sessions Of Mindfulness Training On Attention, Emily L. Polak
Impact Of Two Sessions Of Mindfulness Training On Attention, Emily L. Polak
Open Access Dissertations
The effect on two sessions of mindfulness training on attentional efficiency was examined. 150 novice meditators were randomly assigned to mindfulness training, relaxation training, or a neutral task and were tested before and after participation. They were evaluated with performance measures of attentional efficiency and short-term memory as well as self-report measures of mindfulness and affect. Results indicated that mindfulness training was not related to better performance on any attention measure or a verbal memory measure as compared to relaxation and control groups. Possible reasons for the failure to find attentional benefits are explored and directions for future research are …
Predicting Variation In Social Outcome Among Adolescents With High-Functioning Autism, Caley Bryce Schwartz
Predicting Variation In Social Outcome Among Adolescents With High-Functioning Autism, Caley Bryce Schwartz
Open Access Dissertations
Even among the most high-functioning individuals with autism, there is a wide range of variation in outcome. This study examined within-child factors, such as temperament, that contribute to variation in social outcomes, the most salient area of deficit among individuals with high-functioning autism (HFA). Approach/withdrawal tendencies and effortful control were used to predict variation in symptoms and social skills. A unique multi-method approach employing self- and parent-report measures, physiological assessment, and social observation was used to determine whether temperament could be used to predict variation in social skills and symptom presentation. Results indicated that compared with an age- and gender-matched …