Digital Commons Network^™

U.S. Women Bullying Women In The Pharmaceutical/Biotechnology/Medical Device Industry, Sharon L. Liu

Theses and Dissertations

This empirical study investigated bullying among adult U.S. women in the Pharmaceutical/Biotechnology/Medical Device (PBMD) Industry. A concurrent triangulation mixed method was used. An online survey was sent out consisting of : (a) a modified Einarsen, Hoel, & Notelaers (2009) Negative Acts Questionnaire; (b) open-ended questions about being bullied, witnessing bullying, and how the respondent coped with bullying; (c) demographic questions of the respondent and the bullying perpetrator (if applicable); and (d) questions on whether the respondents had been bullied, witnessed bullying, or perpetrated bullying. Bullying in the PBMD industry is a problem as evidenced by the fact that 61% of …

Minorities In Leadership And Financial Performance Of Their Fortune 500 Companies, Damineh Mycroft

Theses and Dissertations

While the minority population of the U.S. is on the rise, minority leaders of Fortune 500 companies, especially in the CEO position, remain underrepresented. Notably, in 2010, fewer than 4% of Fortune 500 CEO positions were filled by minorities. The research on the relationship between diversity in leadership and organizational performance has yielded equivocal findings. To further our understanding of the impact of minorities in leadership ranks, this study was conducted to (a) determine whether there is a relationship between minority leadership and financial performance of the firm; and (b) identify commonalities among career strategies of minority CEOs. Such research …

Exploring Cultural Intelligence: An Exploratory Study Of The Impact Of Cultural Intelligence On Team Effectiveness In A Multinational, Organization Development Graduate Program, Jack P. Schlafer

Theses and Dissertations

This exploratory study focused on the impact of cultural intelligence (CQ) on team effectiveness (TE) in a multinational, organization development graduate program. This field study included preliminary measures of both CQ and TE, an educational and focus group intervention for enhanced CQ skills, and post-CQ and TE reassessment. The results suggest that CQ skills, specifically Metacognitive CQ and Behavioral CQ, had a positive relationship on a team's ability to meet objectives and satisfy customers' needs in cross-cultural engagements. Curiously, Metacognitive CQ seemed to have diminished a team's ability to deliver results in a timely manner. Demographics such as age negatively …

Examining Trainee Therapists' Responses To Client Discussions [Of] Trauma In Psychotherapy: A Qualitative Analysis, Christopher J. Howells

Theses and Dissertations

Current psychology literature offers several definitions for trauma as well as recommended psychotherapy approaches. As trauma presentation and impact can vary greatly across individuals, choosing a specific treatment approach can be quite challenging, especially for training therapists whose clinical judgment and experience to guide decision-making is limited. As such, little is understood about how novice clinicians reconcile definitional and treatment model conflicts when providing trauma treatment. This exploratory qualitative study analyzed the trauma treatment sessions of 5 training therapists. The process and content themes that emerged from the training therapists' responses were categorized as follows: (a) establishing a mutual understanding …

Psychology And People Living With Hiv/Aids: A Critical Review Of The Literature, David Fischer

Theses and Dissertations

The implications of living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) have evolved over the last 30 years. The view of HIV infection as an imminent death sentence has largely disappeared. From a practical perspective, HIV positive status is now medically treated as a chronic illness rather than as a terminal diagnosis. In response, the focus of psychological research and therapeutic practice has evolved to reflect the changing implications of living with HIV. This study documents how psychological literature regarding people living with HIV has changed over the course of the epidemic.

A Mindfulness-Based Art Therapy Curriculum For Parents In Underserved Communities, Jennifer Brown

Theses and Dissertations

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) an empirically effective method of promoting psychological health and wellbeing. But access to MBSR is lacking in underserved urban communities. This is due in part to the limited research focus on urban communities - MBSR studies have primarily focused on measuring symptom reduction in middle-class - and in part to cultural concerns that diverse urban communities tend to have about mindfulness. To address the needs of diverse urban communities, this dissertation develops a culturally responsive mindfulness-based art therapy curriculum (MAT-C) as a resource for clinicians to teach adapted MBSR techniques to parents. Developing MAT-C had …

The Development Of Self-Care Workshop To Prevent Vicarious Traumatization In Training Therapists Working With Sexually Exploited Children, Krystle K. Madrid

Theses and Dissertations

Trainees who treat sexually exploited children are helpless witnesses to long term psychological, social and physical effects of physical and sexual abuse trauma narratives. Trainees and those with limited training and self-care practices are at a greater risk for vicarious traumatization. Unfortunately little attention has been given to the experience of vicarious traumatization in trainees who treat sexually exploited children. In addition, there has been limited research on self-care training resources as a primary prevention tool against vicarious traumatization. The purpose of this study was to develop a self-care PowerPoint workshop to help prevent vicarious traumatization in trainees working with …

Exploring Ways In Which Trainee Therapists Address Autonomy When Working With Culturally Diverse Clients Who Have Experienced Trauma: A Qualitative Analysis Of An Aspect Of Posttraumatic Growth, Ani Khatchadourian

Theses and Dissertations

A positive psychological approach to trauma involves acknowledging the distress that often results from traumatic experiences, while also focusing on trauma as an opportunity for posttraumatic growth. Organismic valuing theory posits that the social environment may serve as a facilitator of posttraumatic growth to the extent that it supports the survivor's basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Of these needs, autonomy has been the most debated, particularly by cross-cultural researchers noting that autonomy is equivalent to independence and therefore not a universal need. Although there is increasing literature on the importance of autonomy across cultures and its use …

Selective Mutism And Art Therapies, Dalene Erickson

Theses and Dissertations

Selective Mutism (SM) is a social anxiety disorder characterized by a child's inability to speak in selected social situations, usually school. The causes of SM are multi-factorial. Affected children often have a history of anxiety, linguistic and motor disorders. Current therapies include a mix of anti-anxiety medication, behavioral modification therapy and anxiety reduction techniques.

Art therapy, (dance, drama and theater), has been shown to be beneficial in reducing anxiety and encouraging communication through forms other than speaking. Art therapy could be a valuable modality, benefitting children with SM.

I surveyed parents, teachers, former teachers of children with SM, and adults …

Biochemical Actions Of A Novel Cis-Terpenone, Lin Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract BIOCHEMICAL ACTIONS OF A NOVEL CIS-TERPENONE By Lin Zhang, Ph.D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2012 Director: Qibing Zhou, Ph.D Assistant Professor Department of Chemistry

Quinone methides are reactive species due to their electrophilicity, and natural quinone methide analogs have broad biological activities. Based on known actions of cytochrome P450 enzymes, we hypothesized that trans-terpenones can be metabolized in cells to form a cascade of metabolite products, which may be biologically active due to the generation of quinine and quinone methide …

Role Of Lysophosphatidic Acid In Regulation Of Cancer Cell Metabolism, Abir Mukherjee

Theses and Dissertations

The simplest phospholipid, lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), is a heat stable component of serum known for its proliferative and migratory activities in cancer cells. Strong evidence suggests that LPA production and expression of its receptors are dysregulated in multiple human malignancies. The mechanism behind LPA-mediated tumor cell growth and oncogenesis remains poorly understood. In this thesis project I used ovarian and other cancer cells as a model system to examine the hypothesis that LPA present in the tumor microenvironment is a pathophysiological determinant of hyperactive de novo lipogenesis and aerobic glycolysis, two hallmarks of cancer cells. We demonstrated that LPA induced …

Cns Neural/Glial Progenitors As Targets Of Hiv-1 And Opiates: Effects On Proliferation And Population Dynamics May Alter Behavior Outcomes., Yun Kyung Hahn

Theses and Dissertations

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients with a history of injection opiate abuse have higher incidences of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and neurological dysfunction. The use of combined anti-retroviral therapy has significantly reduced the prevalence of mortality and progression to AIDS. Due to extended life expectancy, these patients are still at a great risk for HIV-associated neurological disorders and impairment in their later life. Neural progenitor cells (NPCs) play critical roles in brain growth and repair after injury and insult. Pediatric HIV patients whose glial populations are still developing are especially at risk for central nervous system (CNS) damage. Our …

Crosstalk Between Lysophospatidic Acid (Lpa) And Transforming Growth Factor Beta (Tgfβ) In Breast And Ovarian Cancer Cells, Jinhua Wu

Theses and Dissertations

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) are platelet-derived intercellular mediators of cell proliferation and motility. LPA is a general growth, survival and motility-stimulating factor in mammalian cells. TGFβ prevents proliferation of normal epithelial cells. However, the growth-inhibitory effect of TGFβ is lost or reduced in most malignant cells. Instead, TGFβ promotes migration and invasion of advanced cancer cells. Since LPA and TGFβ are both present in the blood and tumor microenvironments, we were interested in signal integration and functional outcomes in malignant epithelial cells in an LPA and TGFβ co-stimulatory context. In a subset of breast and …

Adam10: A Novel Regulator Of Mast Cell Function And Activation, Travis Faber

Theses and Dissertations

In this study we show, to our knowledge, the first description of the role ADAM10 plays on mast cells. ADAM10 is abundantly expressed on mast cells both in vitro and in vivo. Its expression is inhibited by IL-10, a suppressive cytokine. siRNA depletion of ADAM10 on bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMC) caused decreased IL-6 production following IgE cross-linking and also impaired BMMC stem cell factor (SCF)-induced migration through collagen IV. Mast cells and T helper cells (Th cells) in the peritoneum were reduced in ADAM10 KO mice. In addition, ADAM10 KO BMMC produced significantly less of all cytokines measured following …

Neuroglial Mechanisms Involved In The Anti-Inflammatory Effect Of Acetate Supplementation, Mahmoud Lotfy Soliman

Theses and Dissertations

Acetate supplementation increases brain acetyl-CoA and attenuates lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced neuroinflammation in vivo. To explain the anti-inflammatory effect of acetate treatment, we proposed that acetate treatment disrupts inflammatory signaling in microglia and astrocytes, and induces histone hyperacetylation known to be correlated with anti-inflammatory properties. To test this hypothesis, we measured the effects that LPS and acetate treatment had on histone acetylation, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), and eicosanoid signaling. A single oral dose of acetate treatment (6 g/kg) in normal animals induced a time- and site-specific pattern of histone hyperacetylation, associated with reduction of histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity …

Intimate Partner Violence: Implications For Northern Plains And Upper Midwest American Indian Mother-Daughter Dyads' Attachment Relationships, Julii Monette Green

Theses and Dissertations

An established body of research focused on family violence captures the experiences of women impacted by intimate partner violence (IPV), the implications for child witnesses of IPV, and the predictive risk factors of violence toward women. In an attempt to understand the unique experiences of American Indian women and children this study examined the intersection of American Indian identity, attachment relationships, and traumatic experiences to comprehend the short and long-term impact of IPV.

The current research study included 30 American Indian mother-daughter dyads who had a history of IPV. The findings suggested that participants' substance use during IPV episodes was …

Transitioning Organizations For Sustainability: Exploring The Intersection Of Sustainability, Worldview, And Organization Development, Jessica Bartenhagen

Theses and Dissertations

Transitioning Organizations for Sustainability (TOS) is the practice of holistic organizational transformation in response to complex social, ecological, and economic challenges. This study examined the relationship between the worldview of organization development (OD) practitioners and their professional identity, particularly those practicing TOS. The study compared professional data with levels of agreement with the NEP Scale (Dunlap, Van Liere, Mertig & Jones, 2000). Data were collected through a survey of Pepperdine University MSOD affiliates and interviews with TOS practitioners. Current TOS practice, a future desire for TOS practice, a Master's level education, and a future-oriented outlook were shown to have some …

A Needs-Assessment For The Development Of Out-Of-School Time Program For A Middle School, Samir Elmoghrabi

Theses and Dissertations

Communities that fall in the category of middle to low class economics are in critical need for Out-of-School Time (OST) programs to supervise students while parents are working; however, these numerous communities do not qualify for OST government funding. The purpose of this study is a needs-assessment for a middle school that does not qualify for government funding. Of 974 parents, 325 participated in a comprehensive survey. Eleven school personnel--including top administrators, teachers, and staff--and 6 community members including the city mayor, director of an OST program, president of school board of education, a business leader, and 2 library administrators …

Standard Of Care For Forensic Personal Injury Evaluations, Laura Troolines

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the current practice procedures and recommendations for conducting forensic personal injury evaluations. This 2-pronged phenomenological approach examined current practice procedures for conducting personal injury evaluations via a literature review and recommendations from experts to gather information regarding their current practice procedures and recommendations for conducting personal injury evaluations. This dissertation was completed along with another study to explore the development of a standard of care in forensic psychological evaluations. Both studies discussed general issues related to the development of a standard of care in forensic psychological evaluation. However, each study also focused …

Factors Associated With Abstinence Among Older Opiate Users, Julie Ann Snyder

Theses and Dissertations

Factors associated with the achievement of abstinence were examined among 343 opiate addicted older adults (average age 56.5 years old) who were participants in longitudinal studies conducted by Anglin and colleagues. Participants' responses to survey questions on factors such as physical health status, mental health status, gender, social support, and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) involvement were investigated to examine their association with achievement of short-term abstinence (defined as no illicit substance use within the past 30 days) and long-term abstinence (defined as no illicit substance use within the past year). Logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the nature and strength …

Transitioning Organizations For Sustainability: Exploring The Intersection Of Sustainability, Worldview, And Organization Development, Jessica Bartenhagen

Theses and Dissertations

Transitioning Organizations for Sustainability (TOS) is the practice of holistic organizational transformation in response to complex social, ecological, and economic challenges. This study examined the relationship between the worldview of organization development (OD) practitioners and their professional identity, particularly those practicing TOS. The study compared professional data with levels of agreement with the NEP Scale (Dunlap, Van Liere, Mertig & Jones, 2000). Data were collected through a survey of Pepperdine University MSOD affiliates and interviews with TOS practitioners. Current TOS practice, a future desire for TOS practice, a Master's level education, and a future-oriented outlook were shown to have some …

Factors Influencing Pharmacists’ Decision To Report Adverse Events Related To Dietary Supplements, Ali M. Alhammad

Theses and Dissertations

Background: The increasing consumption of dietary supplements (DS) has drawn the attention of regulatory agencies, researchers and healthcare professionals. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not require premarketing assessment of DS considering them safe unless proven otherwise. However, the reporting rate of DS adverse events (DS-AE) is low. Objective: To describe pharmacists’ attitudes and knowledge of DS and DS information resources, and to determine the importance of selected attributes in pharmacists’ decisions to report a DS-AE. Methods: A convenience sample of practicing pharmacists in Virginia was surveyed using a web-based self-administered questionnaire. A conjoint analysis exercise was developed …

Syntheses And Characterization Of Homo- And Heterometallic Tert-Butoxides/Cyclopentadienides Of Group 4/14 Metals And Mixed Ligand (Tert-Butoxides/Cyclopentadienides) Coordination Polymers Of Group 1/14 Metals, Edmond Yong Njua

Theses and Dissertations

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Analysis Of The Role Of Amphetamine In The Induction Of Changes In Histone Modifications Of Dopaminergic Pathway Genes, Amritendu Chakraborty

Theses and Dissertations

Amphetamine and cocaine has long been known as drug of abuse. These drugs impart their physiological manifestations by regulating the reward circuitry of the brain which is controlled primarily by the dopaminergic pathway where they control the release of dopamine. It has been found that repeated cocaine administration changes histone acetylation patterns at the promoter sequences of several important genes. Sirtuin proteins are histone deactylases that regulate important biological functions have also been found to be elevated in the nucleus accumbens after cocaine administration. Although there have been several studies that have tried to elucidate the mode of action of …

Multisexual Identities And Mental Health: Mitigating Factors Of Minority Stress, Kimberly Marie Jorgensen

Theses and Dissertations

Much of the current literature about sexual minorities examines the experiences of lesbian- and gay-identified individuals. The current study was designed to facilitate increased understanding of sexuality for people who have multi-gendered attractions and sexual identities (e.g., bisexual, queer). This work extends beyond discrete binary categories and labels for sexual orientation, such as straight, gay, and lesbian. In the current examination of this expanded category, labeled as multisexual, it becomes important to shift not only the conceptualization of sexual orientation but also the nature of minority stress, from examining homophobia and heterosexism, to biphobia and monosexism. Under circumstances when an …

Role Of Extracytoplasmic Function Sigma Factors In Porphyromonas Gingivalis, Suhasini Yanamandra Sai

Theses and Dissertations

Porphyromonas gingivalis is a major etiological agent that is responsible for the cause and progression of periodontal diseases. The bacterium is exposed to various environmental conditions and oxidative stress conditions while it is in the oral cavity. So, P. gingivalis should have an efficient regulatory system in order to adjust and survive in the oral cavity. But little is known about the regulatory mechanisms that help the bacteria to survive in the oral cavity. So, it is essential to understand and characterize these regulatory mechanisms. The response and adaptation of P. gingivalis to environmental stress conditions occur at the level …

The Role Of R7 Regulators Of G Protein Signaling In The Retina, Hoon Shim

Theses and Dissertations

The R7 regulators of G protein signaling (R7 RGS), namely RGS6, RGS7, RGS9 and RGS11, are expressed in the retina along with its binding partner Gβ5. The RGS9-1 isoform is expressed only in retinal photoreceptors and rate-limits the recovery of rod phototransduction by acting as a member of the transducin GAP complex (RGS9-1/Gβ5L/R9AP). The Gβ5L isoform is also only expressed in retinal photoreceptors and acts by stabilizing the GAP complex. The Gβ5S isoform differs from Gβ5L by the absence of exon 1 due to alternative splicing and is expressed in many other retinal cells. Gβ5L is barely detectable in RGS9-/- …

Designing Direct And Indirect Factor Xa Inhibitors, Rami Al-Horani

Theses and Dissertations

Anticoagulants are the basis for treatment and prevention of thrombotic diseases. The currently available medicines are associated with a wide range of adverse reactions that mandates developing new anticoagulants. Several lines of evidence support the superiority of factor Xa (FXa) as a promising target to develop novel anticoagulants. This work focuses on the design of direct and indirect FXa inhibitors using an interdisciplinary approach. As indirect FXa inhibitors, a focused library of tetrasulfated N–arylacyl tetrahydroisoquinoline (THIQ) nonsaccharide allosteric antithrombin activators was designed, synthesized, and biochemically evaluated to establish their structure–activity relationship (SAR). An N–arylacyl THIQ analog having carboxylate at position–3, …

Investigating The Role Of Α6 And Α4 Containing Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors In Nicotine And Cocaine Conditioned Place Preference Tests In Mice., Sarah Sanjakdar

Theses and Dissertations

Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors modulate both cholinergic and non-cholinergic synaptic transmission. Our research concerns α6 and α4 neuronal nicotinic subunits because they often co-assemble with the β2 subunit, which has abundant expression in the CNS and previous work has demonstrated that β2* nAChRs are involved in nicotine and cocaine reward. α6β2* and α4β2* nAChRs are highly expressed in midbrain, which is known to be critical for the incentive salience associated with natural and artificial (drug) reward. Our goal was to assess the role of α6β2* and α4β2* nAChRs in nicotine and cocaine reward using an unbiased conditioned place preference (CPP) …

Identifying Sortase A Variants With Higher Catalytic Effeciency, Muna Suliman

Theses and Dissertations

In the past two decades, the field of protein engineering has evolved rapidly to include new genetic and chemical techniques to alter protein function. Protein engineering seeks to improve enzyme properties through powerful methods that specifically incorporate novel or improved function in proteins. One such method is protein ligation, which is used to selectively link synthetic and recombinant polypeptides. Due to the limitations of current protein labeling techniques, simple site-specific modification methods remain in high demand. Use of enzyme-based labeling has been the focus of various studies because of its substrate specificity. Sortase-mediated transpeptidation is one approach that has been …