Digital Commons Network^™

A Mechanistic Evaluation Of How Melatonin Enhances Alkaline Phosphatase Activity In Human Adult Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Nicholas Radio

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Current osteoporosis therapy is directed toward inhibiting the activity of bone-resorbing osteoclasts. Decreased bone producing osteoblast efficiency however, is largely responsible for osteoporosis development. Therefore, novel osteoporosis treatments should stimulate osteoblast formation and activity. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to determine melatonin's role and subsequent mechanism(s) involved in differentiating human adult mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSCs) into osteoblasts as assessed by alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP) and determine whether receptor compartmentalization facilitates these signaling mechanisms. Melatonin significantly increased osteogenic medium-induced alkaline phosphatase activity, an enzyme associated with functional osteoblasts, indicating melatonin enhances osteoblast differentiation. The mitogen activated protein kinase signaling …

Culture Care Meanings, Beliefs And Practices Of Rural Dominicans In A Rural Village Of The Dominican Republic: An Ethnonursing Study Conceptualized Within The Culture Care Theory, Gretchen Schumacher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this ethnonursing study was to discover, describe and analyze the meanings, beliefs and practices of care for Dominican people living in a rural village of the Dominican Republic. Leininger's Culture Care Diversity and Universality Theory and ethnonursing method was utilized as an organizing framework for studying the domain of inquiry. Interviews were conducted with nineteen general informants and ten key informants, all of whom were rural Dominicans living in the village of Villegas 60 miles northwest of Santo Domingo. Exhaustive analysis of audio-taped interviews revealed eighteen categories and nine patterns from which three main themes emerged. The …

Does Caring Matter?: A Qualitative Study Of Urban African American Alternative School Students Perceptions Of Their School Experiences, Past And Present, Victoria Berger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A cultural mismatch among African American school students and their teachers, due to diverse values, norms, and expectations, often provokes inappropriate teacher response to student conduct, thereby inciting disruptive student behavior. The management of this diversity when the environment is devoid of a teacher's sensitivity to the student's life can impact students' behavior, and ultimately, initiate an alternative school referral. This study examines such student-teacher interactions through the lens provided by the analogous dynamics of iatrogenic harm, wherein an intervention by a medical or other specialist results in additional impairment or disease. This study intends to reveal, through the voice …

"Doing The Right Thing": A Study Of Cross-Generational Eldercare Decision-Making In Community And Disease Context, Jeannie Baron-Yenerall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Utilizing the sociology of knowledge perspective, as well as elements of structural-functional theory this study examined the decision-making process as it relates to eldercare. Specifically, how does the knowledge of available resources, community context, and caregiving beliefs affect the caregiving alternative one chooses? Furthermore, what role does family social milieus play in the decision-making process? This research used a 20-item interview schedule developed specifically for this study; and the unit of analysis was the individual responsible for making decisions about the care received by an elder. The survey used both closed and open-ended questions, designed to capture data related to …

A Comparison Of Quality Of Life In Adult Patients With Heart Failure In Two Medical Settings: A Heart Failure Clinic And A Physician Practice, Janet Bischof

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Heart Failure (HF), a major chronic disease that affects 4.8 million Americans, traditionally is medically managed by a primary care physician, with acute treatment at hospital emergency rooms often followed by inpatient admission. Ongoing support (prevention, diagnosis, treatment, intervention, symptom management, and end of life care), education, and intervention over the continuum are important to manage HF. The Modeling Role Modeling theory (Erickson, Tomlin, and Swain), is the study's conceptual framework. When an individual knows about their illness, they mobilize internal/external resources to gain, maintain, or promote equilibrium. These resources affect daily activities. The purpose of this descriptive study is …

Forecasting Short Term Trends In Prices Of U.S. Stock Market, Benjamin Ward

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores a cubic model to forecast short term trends in stock prices. Specifically, this model recognizes the limited applicability of instantaneous rate of change indications from the current stock price of an individual corporation. Discussed first is the nature of share price as a data vector and derivations of linear and non-linear mathematical operators. A proposed methodology demonstrates market entry and exit techniques that comprise a trading system and prediction range is evaluated with emphasis on error analysis.

The "Christian Faith Factor" And The African American Child During The Early Childhood Years, Julia Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine if African American children progressed through developmental faith stages in the same manner as the subjects described by Fowler in his seminal work on faith development (1981). In Developmental Psychology, many theories with stages have been developed and many studies conducted in the areas of cognitive, psychosocial, creative, and moral development. These studies have explored Erickson's stages of psychosocial development, (1963); Kohlberg's stages of moral development, (1969); and Piaget's stages of cognitive development (1967). There remains, however, limited research examining faith development and faith experiences with African American children during the early …

On The Day You Were Born: A Phenomenological Study Of Fathers' Experience Of Being Present At Their Children's Birth, Nick Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a qualitative investigation into the lived experience of becoming a father through witnessing the event of childbirth. I analyze transcripts of conversations between five fathers and myself using a phenomenological method to distinguish meaningful and psychologically significant statements. I then weave these statements into a series of thematically and structurally consistent narratives that reflect the fathers' attitudes and experiences concerning becoming and being a father. From these narratives, I draw together themes that appeared across multiple fathers' stories. These themes consist of the father's relationship with the social world, including fathers in relation to other fathers and …

Growing Old On The Farm: An Ethnonursing Examination Of Aging And Health Within The Agrarian Rural Subculture, Diane Witt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this Ethnonursing study was to discover and explore the elder agrarian rural subculture in regard to well-being, health beliefs, values and practices. In depth interviews utilizing a semi-structured interview guide were carried out with eleven key and 23 general informants in a rural county in south-central Minnesota. A snowball method was utilized to recruit informants. Concurrent analysis was carried out utilizing Leininger's phases of Ethnonursing analysis for qualitative data.

Data management and analysis was facilitated through the use of QSR NVivo software for qualitative data analysis version 6. Sixteen categories, ten patterns and three themes emerged from …

Assessing The Effect Of A Learning Organization On Change In Levels Of Developmentally Supportive Care In The Newborn Intensive Care Unit, Barbara Zapalo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study assessed the effect of a learning organization of clinical nurse leaders on an increase in levels of developmentally supportive, family-centered care (DSC). The intervention occurred in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Magee-Womens Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA. Clinical nurse leaders (N = 9) were encouraged to model research-based, developmentally supportive techniques. The "Checklist for Observing Developmentally Supportive Care in the NICU" was developed to assess the levels of DSC in 17 measurable techniques in three conceptual areas: environmental support, individualized support, and family-centered care. The checklist includes adaptations for infants with medical or familial issues. Infants and caregivers …

Crawford V. Washington: Bright Line Rules To Identity Testimonial Statements, Jenny M. Kim

UC Law Constitutional Quarterly

The Confrontation Clause of the Sixth Amendment gives a defendant in a criminal prosecution the right to "be confronted with the witnesses against him." The Constitution's text alone does not resolve the meaning of the Confrontation Clause and its application to the admissibility of an unavailable witness' statements. Thus, in determining whether admission of an unavailable witness' tape-recorded statement to a police officer was a Confrontation Clause violation, the Crawford Court looked to the history of the Confrontation Clause from its inception at English common law. The Court determined that the Framers of the Constitution were particularly concerned about the …

Control, Co-Optation And Co-Operation: Managing Religious Harmony In Singapore's Multi-Ethnic, Quasi-Secular State, Li-Ann Thio

UC Law Constitutional Quarterly

The governors of a multi-ethnic, multi-religious state which is based on political authority derived from secular laws, rather than theocratic mandate, are aware of the paradoxical quality of Religion as a force for peace and conflict. Indeed, the root word re (to bind) legare (what is broken) suggests that Religion is something which is redemptive in its healing quality. However, pragmatism informed by history reveals the need to maintain ethnic and religious cohesion as religious conflicts can tear plural societies apart. Religion is too potent a force to disregard or attempt to coercively eliminate, in a manner reminiscent of totalitarian …

Densities Of Fecal Indicator Bacteria In Tidal Waters Of The Ballona Wetlands, Los Angeles County, California, John H. Dorsey

Center for Urban Resilience Scholarship

Densities of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) represented by total coliforms, E. coli and enterococci were measured within tidal channels of the Ballona Wetlands (Los Angeles County) to see if the wetlands act as a sink or source for these bacteria and to measure increases in FIB densities during wet weather. Samples were collected on 10 days over a 1-yr period beginning February 2003 at four sites within the wetlands and one site in Ballona Creek opposite the west tide gate. Incoming flood and outgoing ebb tides were sampled during each sampling event at each station. Water from Ballona Creek may …

The Impact Of In-Service Training On Burnout At The Institute Of Public Administration, Maghram M. Al-Amri

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to assess the effects of training on burnout and job satisfaction by conducting pre- and post-tests of participants in various training programs provided by the Institute for Public Administration (IPA). This study used a Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) modified survey. The results suggested that the burnout levels among trainees after the professional in-service training program were not significantly different from the burnout level before the professional in-service training. At the organizational level, the findings supported a relationship between burnout and promotion, departmental and organizational tenure, age, and changing jobs and organizations. This study provided some valuable …

Towards New Bodies And New Biologies: Life As Code, Body As Protocol, Carlos Castellanos

SWITCH

This article explores how advancement in technology has given rise to new ideas about the relationship between the human body and technology. The author examines bioart and interactive art practices to assess how bodies are shaped and controlled by information systems and, in return, how biological systems might influence technology.

The Relationship Between Self-Efficacy And Health Promoting Behaviors, Illness Severity, Mental Health, And Perceived Quality Of Life In Multiple Sclerosis Patients, Anna Finn

Modern Psychological Studies

Multiple sclerosis is an incurable, debilitating, nervous system disease, which causes are largely unknown, and which affects hundreds of thousands of people across the United States. Early research suggests the impact that psychological factors can have on a patient's physical and mental health status. Self-efficacy, the belief in one's ability to cope with a situation, has been found to offer beneficial and protective effects in patients suffering from conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, sickle cell disease, and fibromylagia. This comprehensive literature review sought to look at psychological research that has considered the relationship between self-efficacy and health promoting behaviors, symptom …

2006 Annual Reports And Resolutions, American Dental Association

ADA Transactions

This item is part of the Annual Reports and Resolutions subtitle of the ADA Transactions, a serial publication of the annual activities of the ADA House of Delegates (HOD)/Board of Trustees (BOT) made up of three separate subtitles: Annual Reports and Resolutions, Supplements, and Transactions. Generally, the ADA Transactions are published in multiple volumes throughout the year. Older versions include reports from all departments as subsections, while more recent versions include only those of councils, commissions, and committees.

2006 Supplement Vol. 2, American Dental Association

ADA Transactions

This item is part of the Supplements subtitle of The ADA Transactions, a serial publication of the annual activities of the ADA House of Delegates (HOD)/Board of Trustees (BOT) made up of three separate subtitles: Annual Reports and Resolutions, Supplements, and the Transactions. Generally, The ADA Transactions are published in multiple volumes throughout the year. The Supplements function like an appendix and are, in more recent editions, numbered separately with page numbers determined by HOD reference committee assignation. Items are described variously as "Supplement #", "Volume #", etc. throughout the series but have been labeled here as Vol. # for …

Decision-Making Styles In A Real-Life Decision: Choosing A College Major, Kathleen M. Galotti, Elizabeth Ciner, Hope E. Altenbaumer, Heather J. Geerts, Allison Rupp, Julie Woulfe

Cognitive Science Faculty Work

Undergraduate students were surveyed at the beginning stages of a potentially life-framing decision: choosing a college major. We investigated the relationships among individual difference variables (decision-making styles, planning proclivities, and epistemological orientations), cognitive measures of performance (e.g., amount of information gathered and considered); and affective reactions to, and descriptive ratings of, the decision-making process. There were few significant relationships between individual differences and performance measures. However, there were significant relationships found between individual differences measures and affective reactions to, or descriptive ratings of, the decision-making process. We suggest that stylistic measures have their effects in the way individuals frame the …

Integrating Bibliographic Software, Database Searching, And Molecular Modeling In An Introductory Biology Course, Charles Priore, John Giannini

Staff and Faculty Work

Librarians instruct students where to find information, but rarely demonstrate its management, while faculty have difficulty incorporating real-time laboratory experience with library research. This paper focuses on the development of a hands-on biology laboratory experiment in an introductory course that integrates bibliographic software into the lab. The pedagogical and technical issues involved are discussed.

Global And Local Processing In Adult Humans (Homo Sapiens), 5-Year Old Children (Homo Sapiens), And Adult Cotton Top Tamarins (Saguinus Oedipus), Julie J. Neiworth, Amy J. Gleichman, Anne S. Olinick, Kristen E. Lamb

Psychology Faculty Work

This study compared adults (Homo sapiens), young children (Homo sapiens), and adult tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) while they discriminated global and local properties of stimuli. Subjects were trained to discriminate a circle made of circle elements from a square made of square elements and were tested with circles made of squares and squares made of circles. Adult humans showed a global bias in testing that was unaffected by the density of the elements in the stimuli. Children showed a global bias with dense displays but discriminated by both local and global properties with sparse displays. Adult tamarins’ biases matched those of …

Generalized Geologic Map For Land-Use Planning: Clark County, Kentucky, Daniel I. Carey, Emma Witt

Map and Chart--KGS

This map is not intended to be used for selecting individual sites. Its purpose is to inform land-use planners, government officials, and the public in a general way about geologic bedrock conditions that affect the selection of sites for various purposes. The properties of thick soils may supercede those of the underlying bedrock and should be considered on a site-to-site basis. At any site, it is important to understand the characteristics of both the soils and the underlying rock.

Generalized Geologic Map For Land-Use Planning: Bourbon County, Kentucky, Daniel I. Carey

Map and Chart--KGS

This map is not intended to be used for selecting individual sites. Its purpose is to inform land-use planners, government officials, and the public in a general way about geologic bedrock conditions that affect the selection of sites for various purposes. The properties of thick soils may supercede those of the underlying bedrock and should be considered on a site-to-site basis. At any site, it is important to understand the characteristics of both the soils and the underlying rock.

Beached Bird Surveys On Shell Key, Pinellas County, Florida, Gabriel A. Vargo, Karen Atwood, Michelle Van Deventer, Rebecca Harris

Florida Field Naturalist

No abstract provided.

Industrial Areas Foundation, Helena Lynch

NYLS Law Review

No abstract provided.

Can Less Mean More In International Aid: Public Opinion Of International Assistance In Ghana, Michael Bena

Master's Theses and Capstones

This study examines public opinion of international aid in Ghana with a focus on a multivariate ordinary least squares regression model. It first examines the country of Ghana and the events that led to involvement with the International Monetary Fund under the Economic Recovery Program. After analyzing existing literature on satisfaction with government and economic programs, the study goes on to suggest what might drive citizen satisfaction with these programs. Using information from the Afrobarometer survey, this thesis proposes that public opinion of international aid programs is related to the tangible benefits they provide and the publics' perceptions of inequality …

Aiding Foster Children In Their Construction Of Self: Clinical Intervention Strategies For Children In Care, Cheryl Regal

Master's Theses and Capstones

This thesis looks at the development of the self within foster children and examines clinical intervention strategies that focus on the internal world of the child. Using architectural metaphors, this thesis aims to change the perspective within which clinicians think about the experience of the foster child and their view of self. Within this framework, the counseling experience works to bring the foster child out from behind their protective walls and journeys with the child through their past and present histories. Throughout this journey, the clinician joins with the child and allows an attachment bond to develop in order for …

Early Identification Of Children With Asperger Syndrome: Communication Characteristics, Lynda D. Chouinard

Master's Theses and Capstones

Diagnosis of children within the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) category varies significantly but children with Asperger Syndrome (AS) are typically diagnosed at a much older age than those with Autism (AD). The late childhood diagnosis of AS means a possible lapse in years that the child receives appropriate intervention and support. The purpose of this retrospective study was to gain further insight into what early communication and behavior characteristics can be identified in children from birth to three years who are later diagnosed with AS.

Parents of ten children with AS and under nineteen-years old were identified to participate in …

Annual Faculty Senate Minutes October 2006 - June 2007, Portland State University Faculty Senate

Annual Compilations of the Faculty Senate Minutes (Minutes Only)

Minutes of the Faculty Senate for October 2006 to June 2007.

Alumni Journal

Syracuse University Magazine

No abstract provided.