Digital Commons Network^™

Safety Net System: A Case Study Of Primary And Specialty Care For Uninsured Residents In Cobb County, Georgia, Kacie A. Dougherty

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects (Full IR Collection)

The purpose of this study is to analyze data from Cobb County safety net facilities to determine primary and specialty care accessibility for low-income patients as evidenced by the availability of resources, affordability of services, accountability of quality care, and policies for the uninsured. The study provides insight for assessing the circumstances in Cobb County and supplies information on services that may need evaluation and expansion. Data for safety net facilities were obtained through interviews with a questionnaire that consisted of 13 dichotomous questions, 10 closed-ended questions and 2 open-ended questions. All the executive administrative staff or chief executive officers …

Forecasting Science And Technology For The Department Of Defense, John W. Lyons, Richard Chait, James J. Valdes

Defense and Technology Papers

This paper discusses recent trends in S&T, particularly how various disciplines have converged to produce new capabilities, and considers how a new series of studies might be conducted taking into account such convergences.

Cellular Biophysics During Freezing Of Rat And Mouse Sperm Predicts Post-Thaw Motility, Mie Hagiwara, Jeung Hwan Choi, Ramachandra V. Devireddy, Kenneth P. Roberts, Willem F. Wolkers, Antoine Makhlouf, John C. Bischof

Faculty Publications

Though cryopreservation of mouse sperm yields good survival and motility after thawing, cryopreservation of rat sperm remains a challenge. This study was designed to evaluate the biophysics (membrane permeability) of rat in comparison to mouse to better understand the cooling rate response that contributes to cryopreservation success or failure in these two sperm types. In order to extract subzero membrane hydraulic permeability in the presence of ice, a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) method was used. By analyzing rat and mouse sperm frozen at 5°C/min and 20°C/min, heat release signatures characteristic of each sperm type were obtained and correlated to cellular …

Comparison Of The Differential Roles Of Sphingosine Kinase (Sk) Isoenzymes In Tumor Cells And Characterization Of Sk-Isoenzyme Selective Inhibitors, Peng Gao

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Sphingosine kinases (SK) are promising therapeutic targets for cancer because they regulate the balance between pro-apoptotic ceramides and mitogenic sphingosine-1 phosphate (S1P); however, the functions of the two isoenzymes (SK1 and Sk2) in tumor cells are not well defined, and the systemically comparison of the anti-cancer effects from SK isoform selective inhibitors is elusive. Therefore, firstly, RNA interference was used to assess the individual roles of SK1 and SK2 in tumor cell sphingolipid metabolism, proliferation and migration/invasion. Treatment of A498, Caki-1 or MDA-MB-231 cells with siRNA specific for SK1 and SK2 effectively suppressed the expression of the target mRNA and …

Effects Of Aggregate Angularity On Mix Design Characteristics And Pavement Performance, Leonardo T. Souza, Yong-Rak Kim

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Star–Tides And Starfish Networks: Supporting Stressed Populations With Distributed Talent, Linton Wells Ii, Walker Hardy, Vinay Gupta, Daniel Noon

Defense Horizons

The Department of Defense increasingly is involved in postwar stabilization and reconstruction, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions, capacity-building of partner nations at home and abroad, and other such complex operations. To provide sustainable support to stressed populations in these environments, an international, networked, knowledge-sharing research project called Sustainable Technologies, Accelerated Research–Transformative Innovation for Development and Emergency Support (STAR–TIDES)¹ encourages innovative approaches to public-private collaboration, whole-of-government solutions, and transnational engagement. It leverages a distributed network of people and organizations to conduct research, support real world contingencies, and bridge gaps among disparate communities.

End-Of-Life Issues In The Acute And Critically Ill Patient, Eric A. Savory, Catherine A. Marco

Emergency Medicine Faculty Publications

The challenges of end-of-life care require emergency physicians to utilize a multifaceted and dynamic skill set. Such skills include medical therapies to relieve pain and other symptoms near the end-of-life. Physicians must also demonstrate aptitude in comfort care, communication, cultural competency, and ethical principles. It is imperative that emergency physicians demonstrate a fundamental understanding of end-of-life issues in order to employ the versatile, multidisciplinary approach required to provide the highest quality end-of-life care for patients and their families.

Major Trends In Digital Magazines, Kaitlin Jue

Graphic Communication

The purpose of this study was to analyze and determine the current trends in digital magazines. Digital magazines are a growing vehicle of communication, and an active supplement to the traditional print magazine. With the help of growing technology, many trends seen in digital magazines help engage readers further and offer more substantial means of advertising.

This study investigated the different trends in digital magazines. The study began with descriptive research through a questionnaire formulated and distributed through the Internet to a substantial audience. This audience included both those who have read and those unfamiliar with digital magazines. This survey …

Pharmaceutical Direct-To-Consumer Advertising And Print Media, Vanessa Khim

Graphic Communication

The purpose of this study was to determine which type of pharmaceutical direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising would be the best marketing strategy for pharmaceutical companies to use. The main argument was that one-to-one marketing in the forms of print media and the Internet was the best strategy over mass media marketing in the forms of television and radio.

The study researched various literary sources on the different marketing strategies which facilitated in examining the positive and negative aspects of each. One hundred surveys were distributed to medical personnel and pharmaceutical prescription consumers in both the Bay Area and San Luis Obispo …

Bridging The Operational Divide: An Information-Processing Model Of Internal Supply Chain Integration, Ana Rosado Feger

All Dissertations

Supply Chain Management, the coordination of upstream and downstream flows of product, services, finances, and information from a source to a customer, has risen in prominence over the past fifteen years. The delivery of a product to the consumer is a complex process requiring action from several independent entities. An individual firm consists of multiple functional departments, each responsible for one aspect of customer service. In the traditional corporate structure of functional silos, there is little communication between Purchasing, Manufacturing, and Logistics, and yet these departments comprise three core supply chain processes of a firm. Ironically, managers report that it …

Reaching Beyond The "Moron": Eugenic Control Of Secondary Disability Groups, Gerald V. O'Brien, Meghan E. Bundy

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

While much has been published about the American eugenics movement, few authors have considered the relative status of various disability populations as targets of eugenic control. While many writers focus on persons diagnosed as feeble-minded as the central focus of control, little has been written regarding the status of additional disability groups. This is important since, as described here, a central component of coming to understand past social injustices against marginalized groups and the contemporary relevance of such injustices is gaining an awareness of why specific populations were accepted by control authorities as appropriate or viable targets for control measures.

Growing Ambulatory Care Nurse Leaders In A Multigenerational Workforce, Beth Swan, Phd, Crnp, Faan

College of Nursing Faculty Papers & Presentations

Executive Summary:

Ambulatory care faces challenges in sustaining a nursing workforce in the future as newly licensed nurses are heavily recruited to inpatient settings and retirements will impact ambulatory care sooner than other areas.

Building a diverse team by recruiting nurses of different ages (generations) and skills may result in a more successful and robust organization.

Knowledge about generational characteristics and preferences will aid nurse leaders and recruiters in attracting high-quality, talented nurses.

Nurses of Generations X and Y can increase their likelihood of success in ambulatory care by better understanding intergenerational issues.

Techniques For Triggering Germination Of Adenostoma Fasciculatum In Revegetation Projects At Rocky Canyon Quarry, Stephanie B. Scolari

Master's Theses

Rocky Canyon Quarry is a granite mine located in the Santa Lucia Mountains about 5 miles southeast of the city of Atascadero. The Surface Mining and Reclamation Act (SMARA), which passed in 1975, dictates that California mines must rehabilitate lands disturbed by mining operations. Dr. V. L. Holland and his students in the Biological Sciences Department at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) have been working on restoration and revegetation of the Rocky Canyon Quarry since the early 1990’s.

Adenostoma fasciculatum (chamise) dominates the chaparral communities (chamisal chaparral) found in Rocky Canyon. Chamise is the most common …

Point-Of-Use Water Treatment Device For Disaster Relief, Patricia Marie Compas

Master's Theses

A point-of-use water treatment device and an optimal method for its use were developed. The specially-designed vessel is to be used with flocculation and disinfection agents, while also providing for clean water storage. Possible applications would be disaster relief, emergency preparedness, and outdoor recreation.

Cross-Border Banking: Issues In Corporate Governance In Nigeria, Oladimeji Alo

Economic and Financial Review

The article discussed the role of corporate governance in cross-border banking as well as the structure and composition of the board of banks in Nigeria

Recommendations For National Action Plans On Victim Assistance, Hi

Global CWD Repository

Handicap International has drawn up these recommendations to support stakeholders involved in creating and updating National Action Plans on Victim Assistance throughout the period 2010-2014 in accordance with the Cartagena Action Plan and other international humanitarian and human rights standards. These stakeholders include countries affected by mines/explosive remnants of war (ERW), survivors, disabled persons’ organizations (DPO) and other civil society representatives, international organizations and countries committed to international cooperation.

H1n1 Influenza A. Preliminary Evaluation In Hospitalized Patients In A Secondary Care Facility In Saudi Arabia., Tarig S. Al-Khuwaitir, Adnan S. Al-Abdulkarim, Abdullah A. Abba, Amin M. Yousef, Mustafa A. El-Din, Kazi T. Rahman, Mohammed A. Ali, Mohamed E. Mohamed, Nidal E. Arnous

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVES: To assess the epidemiologic and clinical manifestations of the first wave of H1N1 influenza A patients. METHODS: This study is a retrospective chart review of all patients admitted in King Saud Medical Complex, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, from 22nd May to 31st August 2009, with a proven diagnosis of H1N1 influenza A. Only patients with a positive nasopharyngeal swab were included, and excluded when the swab was negative. Charts were then analyzed for epidemiological and clinical data. RESULTS: A total of 153 patients with proven H1N1 infection were admitted, with a predominance of male patients (108 [71%]). Most …

Prevalence Of Symptoms And Risk Of Sleep Apnea In Middle-Aged Saudi Women In Primary Care., Ahmed S. Bahammam, Mohammed S. Al-Rajeh, Fatimah S. Al-Ibrahim, Maria A. Arafah, Munir M. Sharif

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of symptoms and risks of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in a sample of middle-aged Saudi women in a primary care using a validated questionnaire. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, trained medical students administered the Berlin Questionnaire to a consecutive random sample of Saudi women in the age group 35-60 years, attending the primary health care center in King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, between January and July 2007. Based on the questionnaire, individuals were classified into high-risk and low-risk groups for OSA. RESULTS: Four hundred women with a mean body mass index …

Results Of The 2009 Immunization Status Survey Of 24-Month-Old Children In Tennessee, Tennessee. Department Of Health.

Immunization Rates

No abstract provided.

Creating Sustained Collaborations: Do Rule-Breaking, Rule-Making, And Appreciative Behaviors Foster Member Ownership?, Nonie Brennan

Student Scholarship

Non profit collaboration has long been identified as an effective approach to meeting community needs. It is particularly recognized as a solution to the challenges encountered by non profits during periods of economic duress. This study examines the relationship between the sense of ownership felt by non profit collaborative partners and their intent to sustain collaboration. We posit that three particular behaviors: rule breaking, rule making, and appreciative behavior encourage participants to develop a sense of ownership leading to collaborative sustainability. Our findings indicate that rule breaking and rule making behavior reinforces a sense of collaboration ownership which contributes to …

Factors Influencing Collaboration Of Western Business Practitioners And Ngos Who Assist Small To Medium Sized Enterprises In Developing Countries: A Qualitative Analysis, William J. Oliver

Student Scholarship

We examined how Western Business Practitioners (WBPs) and Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs) interact to assist Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries. Interviews with North American WBPs, and NGOs in ten developing countries provided the data for the study. Findings suggest that partnership form (on a continuum from transactional to collaborative) has a direct and positive relationship with the extent of complementarity achieved by the actors. Complementarity, recommended as best ensured by management intervention, overcomes partners' geographical, cultural and socio/political differences, reduces power differentials, mitigates distrust and promotes communication. Three elements of complementarity--learning, communication and process--are discussed.

Government Leadership-Business Voice: An Interaction And Mediation Analysis Of Business Environment Reform In Indonesia, Jaime Chua

Student Scholarship

Moving beyond the competing theories on public leadership and citizen voice, the study investigates whether local public executives' influence on reform depends on business voice; and whether leadership or voice is mediated by public-private sector dialogue before either can influence reform. Extending Hirschman's Exit-Voice-Loyalty theory, the conditional effects of leadership and voice are tested to assess if quasi-exit (collusion), association membership, or dissatisfaction with government services moderate reform. Multi-group invariance tests are conducted for each moderating condition to assess if key findings are robust across business firms. Based on structural equation analysis of survey data from over 12,000 small, medium-sized, …

Beyond Financial Structures And Operational Standards: Measuring Negotiated Accountability, Michael N. Wolfe

Student Scholarship

Historically, accountability research has focused on operational methodologies and financial structures and disclosures designed to advantageously position, legitimate and heighten the esteem in which the nonprofit organization is held by various stakeholders. Society, however, has become increasingly interested in transparency beyond structural and financial boundaries and is more concerned with emergent forms of accountability. Grounded in recent qualitative research, the present study develops and tests a measurable form of negotiated accountability and the role this type of accountability plays in linking organizational commitment and performance in a nonprofit context. A new second-order negotiated accountability construct consisting of six dimensions is …

Dean Logan's Blog: Mass Chief Justice Margaret Marshall Kicks Off “Women Who Lead” Series, Roger Williams University School Of Law

Law School Blogs

No abstract provided.

Genetic Commonality Of Macrolide-Resistant Group A Beta Hemolytic Streptococcus Pharyngeal Strains, Angela Myers, Mary Anne Jackson, Rangaraj Selvarangan, Richard V. Goering, Christopher J. Harrison

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Background: Group A beta hemolytic streptococcus (GABHS) pharyngitis is a common childhood illness. Penicillin remains the gold standard therapy, but macrolides are indicated for the penicillin allergic patient, and are often used for convenience.

Methods: We conducted a surveillance study of children with pharyngitis and positive streptococcal rapid antigen testing from 10/05 to 10/06 at 2 sites (A & B). Demographics, treatment, and resistance data was collected and compared to previous data from 2002. Erythromycin (EM) resistance was determined by disk diffusion and E-test on 500 isolates. Pulse field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was performed to measure genetic relatedness of isolates. …

Empirical Essays On The Impact Of Health-Aid On Health Outcomes, Elsy Thomas Kizhakethalackal

Dissertations

This dissertation consists of three essays that empirically explore the impact of multilateral health-aid on health outcomes like infant mortality rate (IMR) and incidences of an infectious disease, Tuberculosis, in developing economies. The first essay uses parametric and semiparametric mean regressions (additive and non-additive specifications) to capture the impact of education and health-aid on the IMR, after controlling for other covariates. Both specifications confirm education as an important factor in reducing IMR. However, the effect of health-aid on IMR is not significant. In our additive model, we do see a threshold level of health-aid after which the impacts of health-aid …

Correlates Of Teachers' Job Satisfaction: A Hierarchical Linear Model Study Using 2003-2004 Schools And Staffing Survey, Jeffrey M. Leslie

Dissertations

This study examines the correlates of teachers' job satisfaction. Based on the literature, it proposes that teacher satisfaction is a function of, among others, the following school process variables: (a) school influence, (b) classroom control, (c) student behavior, (d) parental support, (e) staff collegiality, (f) career/working conditions, (g) administrative communication, and (h) administrative support. The research first decomposed the amount of variance attributable to the teacher level and the school level. Since there was a significant amount of variance at the school level, the next step was to determine if and how the above school process variables were associated with …

Understanding The Impact Of The Kalamazoo Promise From The Perspectives Of Parents And Community Group Members, Charles Pearson

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to uncover the emerging views of parents and community group stakeholders in regards to The Kalamazoo Promise, and what they believed were the important issues that must be understood by implementers of The Promise in order to provide more effective implementation.

The Kalamazoo Promise is a full-tuition scholarship provided to all eligible graduates of the school district. The qualification criteria are simple, and all graduates attending at least the four years of high school are eligible.

A case study was conducted in one representative school in this midsized, urban district. A multiple-phase approach was …

The Collective Voices Of Asian International Doctoral Students In Counseling Psychology In The U.S.: Recommendations For Faculty And Training Programs, Miki Koyama

Dissertations

There is growing interest among scholars to understand the training experiences of international students in applied psychology. Few empirical studies have specifically investigated international doctoral students in counseling psychology. The purpose of the present study was to create an opportunity for the voices of Asian international students in U.S. doctoral counseling psychology programs could be expressed, and to convey their collective voices.

Twelve Asian international students, predominately women from East Asia, participated in two phone interviews. Participants were asked to illustrate their overall training experiences, share helpful and unhelpful aspects of their training, and identify recommendations for faculty and training …

Validating The Attitudes Toward Sex Offenders Scale, Charmeka. Whitehead

Dissertations

This study investigated the reliability and validity of the Attitudes Toward Sex Offenders Scale (ATS) measurement by assessing attitudes of counselors in training towards juvenile sex offenders. The specific aims of this study were to determine (a) internal consistency of the ATS, (b) construct validity of the ATS based on exploratory factor analysis, and (c) the degree to which this instrument has convergent and discriminate validity. The intellectual merit of this study was to provide appropriate scale validation of the ATS so that it might be used to assess attitudes of mental health professionals who work with juvenile sex offenders. …