Digital Commons Network^™

Young Mothers And The Infant Feeding Decision : Participation In A Postpartum Breastfeeding Support Group, Rebecca Logue-Conroy

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study explored whether young mothers who attend a postpartum breastfeeding support group are likely to breastfeed for six months and beyond. A focus group was conducted with twelve mothers ranging in age from 15 to 22 and included their children. The women were asked about their experience in the support group and their breastfeeding behaviors. They were also given a demographic questionnaire. The findings indicated that participants did find the support group to be helpful and most of the participants had chosen to breastfeed for at least six months. Discussion of the difficulty in conducting a focus group with …

Ncaa Division I Basketball Facility Managers' Perceptions Of Terrorism, Robyn Lubisco

Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences ETDs

The aftermath of September 11, 2001 left our country fighting a battle against terrorism. While our government has taken steps in protecting our country with the formation of the Department of Homeland Security, researchers in the field of Sports Management have begun to examine security preparation and risk management plans at sporting events. However, little research has examined risk assessment and risk communication. Securing sport venues starts with an individual analyzing all the potential risks with hosting an event. How risk is communicated and how risk is perceived can affect security preparation and risk management plans. The purpose of this …

Learning In Medical School: Relationships Among Achievement Goals And Approaches To Learning In Three Classes Of Medical Students, Pamela Devoe

Individual, Family, and Community Education ETDs

Medical student learning behaviors were examined in terms of achievement goals and approaches to learning. First, second, and third year medical students completed a Questionnaire composed of three extant inventories, the Achievement Goals Questionnaire (AGQ), the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI), and the Approaches to Learning and Studying Inventory (ALSI). Performance and demographic data were analyzed in terms of Questionnaire subscales. Of the three measures, two produced moderate to high reliability values. The MAI produced low reliability values and a high number of EFA factors resulting in discontinuation of analyses for that measure. Students holding mastery-approach achievement goals are more likely …

The Experiences Of Clinical Social Workers In Diagnosing Bipolar Disorder In Children And Adolescents, Ashley Caroline Petitt

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a diagnosis that an increasing number of individuals under the age of 18 are being given, despite the fact that the DSM-IV has no description or criteria of what BD in this age group looks like. The purpose of this exploratory study was to look at the experiences of clinical social workers who have diagnosed BD in children and adolescents. To do so, eleven social workers who have a Master's of Social Work were interviewed using a standardized open-ended interview guide. The major findings of this study follow. Participants reported having diagnosed significantly more adolescents with …

Relationships Between Fathers' Attachment, Their Parenting Behaviors And Child Adjustment, Cristy Salome Ricaurte

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study explored how fathers' attachment in close relationships (as measured by three dimensions--(a) comfort with dependency, (b) comfort with closeness, and (c) relationship anxiety) relates to their observed parenting behaviors, and how the fathers' attachment dimensions are related to their children's adjustment outcomes. Differences in attachment dimensions between Mexican American and Caucasian fathers were also explored. The sample included in the analysis was a subset from the Supporting Father Involvement study based in California. Participants were ninety fathers, predominantly low-income, with two thirds Mexican American and approximately one fourth European American. The findings indicated that fathers' attachment was related …

Mothers' Feelings About Physical And Emotional Intimacy Twelve To Fifteen Months After The Birth Of A First Child, Melanie Freedberg Shapiro

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative study explored first time mothers' feelings about physical and emotional intimacy twelve to fifteen (12-15) months the birth of a first child. It also looked to understand what factors mothers thought would improve intimacy with their partners during this time period. The transition to parenthood prompted a change in many mothers' feelings about intimacy and changes in their relationship with their husbands and themselves. Twelve mothers' who had their first child twelve to fifteen (12-15) months ago, who were married for at least two years participated in the study. All participants answered open-ended interview questions focusing on the …

Transgender Perspectives On Accessible Primary Healthcare : A Mixed Method Study, Ann Marie Coakley

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This mixed method study was undertaken to explore and describe the transgender perspective of socially sensitive and medically competent primary healthcare provision. So far the focus of activists and researchers has concerned the barriers to care rather than positive models of the transgender healthcare experience. To gather viewpoints nationally from people of various transgender identities, an internet survey was conducted yielding responses from 116 participants from ages 18 to 72. Quantitative data was gathered on demographic, gender identities and present healthcare access and quality. Qualitative questions were asked about positive models for accessible healthcare in four areas: office structure, staff …

Cognitively Informed Therapeutic Relationships Between Dogs And Humans : A Project Based Upon An Independent Investigation, Dawn Marie Colinan

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Humans and dogs have been interacting and building relationship for what is thought to be tens of thousands of years. Within the last few generations, attention has been paid to the potential therapeutic effects of this relationship. Beneficial effects have been observed for many years. Recently, criticisms in methodology from primarily qualitative and anecdotal data have suggested that evidence is weak. Ethology, the study of animal behavior, is accustomed to experimental procedures. Typically studying wild species, ethology presents a fortunate opportunity to apply its rigorous scientific methodology to the therapeutic literature being critiqued. Ethology has evolutionary theory as its foundational …

Patriarchy And The Trap Of Masculinity : A Post-Colonial Analysis Of Violence Against Sexual Minorities In Uganda, Sarah Elspeth Coughtry

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This theoretical study examines the causes and socio-historical factors behind maleperpetrated violence against sexual minorities in Uganda. Violence against sexual minorities is a widely overlooked societal problem in Uganda, as it is in many areas of the world where homosexual acts are criminalized. As sexual minorities gain visibility and seek basic human rights in their country, they are met with a violent backlash fueled by homophobia and heterosexist ideology. Most of these acts of violence are committed by males, and many go unreported. While various theorists have explored how homophobia, heterosexism and patriarchy play a role in violence against sexual …

Examining The Relationship Between Human Sexuality Training And Therapist Comfort With Addressing Sexuality With Clients, Cari Lee Merritt

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between human sexuality training and clinical social workers' comfort with addressing sexuality issues with clients. A mixed methods survey was responded to by 90 participants who had graduated from Smith SSW between the years 2000 and 2009. Participants were asked questions pertaining to their level of comfort with discussions about sexuality; their attitudes about sexuality; and their knowledge and comfort with issues regarding erotic transference. The results of this study indicate that participants who received human sexuality training had a greater degree of comfort with discussing sexuality issues with their …

Juvenile Justice Through A Gender Variant Lens : An Exploratory Study Of The Experience Of Providers Working With Gender Variant Youth In California Juvenile Justice Facilities, Laura Elaine Dutton

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative study aimed to explore the experience of service providers in juvenile justice facilities in the San Francisco Bay Area, specifically with regard to their work with gender variant youth. Additionally, it focused on how SB 518, the CA Juvenile Justice Safety and Protection Act, impacted service provision within the juvenile justice system. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 13 providers who were employed at the time of SB 518 passing. The findings suggest that gender variant youth are present in juvenile justice facilities and face multiple challenges while navigating the juvenile justice system. Providers interviewed did not have an …

Using Marriage To Protect White Supremacy And Heterosexual Privilege : A Historical Analysis Of Marriage Law In The United States, Katharine Franks Kyros

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study tracks the ways that the regulation of marriage in the United States has been used to oppress populations and protect privilege, specifically focusing on racial and heterosexual privilege. Looking at the intersection of oppression with marriage law in the United States, the more specific concepts of othering, marginalization, and institutional discrimination are addressed. The United States had laws prohibiting interracial marriage in place from 1630 until these laws were declared unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court in 1967. Miscegenation laws were used to target and punish individuals engaging in relationships that threatened the social order. The exclusion of …

"A Certain Dream" : The Political Potential For Therapy By Activist Clinical Social Workers, Anna Rachel Cable

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

In this study, I explore the integration of clinical and political levels of practice among clinical social workers who self-identify as political activists. Particular attention was paid to treatment issues with clients from oppressed populations, and to the benefits and drawbacks of particular clinical theories for addressing social conditions in the lives of these clients. Paolo Friere's Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1970) serves a theoretical backdrop. Specifically, Friere's concept of conscientization, the practice of building the capacity for critical consciousness and reflective action, served as a framework for the study. Eleven social workers were interviewed for this study, which was …

The Impact Of The Gender Binary On Gender Nonconforming Females' Lives And Psyches Over Time : An Exploratory Study, Samantha Mayne Miller

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this research is to explore the impact of the systematically imposed gender binary on the lives and psyches of gender non-conforming females over time. To pursue this qualitative research, I conducted single, exploratory, hour-long interviews with eight gender nonconforming females aged 59 years and older. The interviews touched upon many themes including the multiple ways participants' identify their gender, sex, and sexuality (and the developmental trajectory of each); how each participant relates to notions of the gender binary; participants' experiences as gender nonconforming young people, or "tomboys"; ways that families, institutions and the general public have performed …

Leaving The Drug Addict Role And Creating A Recovering Identity-Variations By Gender : A Qualitative Study, Georgiana Mora

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study seeks to understand gender variance when an individual leaves a "drug addict role" and creates a "recovering addict role" within the ideological constraints of 12-step programs (Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous). Noting the limitations of addiction literature when examining the experiences of the entire gender variation spectrum, the researcher set out to identify whether this process varied among the genders and explore these results. Twelve qualitative interviews were conducted with addicts of various genders who had at least one year of sobriety within the 12-step program of Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous. Participants were asked to share their …

Clinical Use Of Music As An Adjunct To Evidence-Based Treatment For Treating Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Levin Jaered Sibley-Schwartz

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Substantial efforts have been made to provide evidence based therapeutic treatment for combat veterans seeking mental health services for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Due to the clinical complexity of PTSD, discovering a muti-effect approach treating both the diagnostically significant PTS symptoms as well as the non-diagnostic associated features of PTSD would be beneficial. This independent investigation was developed to explore the relationship of music to the current evidence-based treatment practices for PTSD. The researcher explored the relationship between the physiological, psychological and social effects of both music and PTSD, the mechanisms of change intrinsic to PTSD therapy, and the clinical …

Mutual Mondays, Ptsd And Dialogue Process With Veterans Of Armed Conflict: Becoming A Facilitator, And Healing Along With Participants, Michael Johns

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

After nearly five years working with youth offenders, addressing the trauma and stress of their lives in gangs and prison I was ready for my current job as a municipal Director of Veterans Services. These positions have given me the opportunity to start addressing posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD] that has plagued me for over 20 years, since I flew in the US Navy. Mutual Mondays is a forum I created which brings together veterans using the Dialogue Process to empathically, intellectually, and communally address the effects of participation in armed conflict. Mutual Mondays has been a productive vehicle for veterans …

Presence Of Rd149 Deletions In M. Tuberculosis Central Asian Strain 1 Isolates Affect Growth And Tnfalpha Induction In Thp-1 Monocytes., Akber Kanji, Zahra Hasan, Mehnaz Tanveer, Raunaq Mahboob, Sana Jafri, Rumina Hasan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Central Asian Strain 1 (CAS1) is the prevalent Mycobacterium tuberculosis genogroup in South Asia. CAS1 strains carry deletions in RD149 and RD152 regions. Significance of these deletions is as yet unknown. We compared CAS1 strains with RD149 and concurrent RD149-RD152 deletions with CAS1 strains without deletions and with the laboratory reference strain, M. tuberculosis H37Rv for growth and for induction of TNFα, IL6, CCL2 and IL10 in THP-1 cells. Growth of CAS1 strains with deletions was slower in broth (RD149; p = 0.024 and RD149-RD152; p = 0.025) than that of strains without deletions. CAS1 strains with RD149 deletion strains …

"There Is A Threeness About You": Trinitarian Images Of God, Self, And Community Among Medieval Women Visionaries, Donna E. Ray

History ETDs

Despite the ineffability of the Holy Trinity, not to mention its logical impossibility—that the three persons of the Godhead are also one—many medieval thinkers tried hard to capture its essence and importance. Among the richest and most original medieval images of the Trinity were those produced by women visionaries. This is a comparative study of seven of these women—Hildegard of Bingen, Mechthild of Hackeborn, Gertrude of Helfta, Mechthild of Magdeburg, Hadewijch of Brabant, Julian of Norwich, and Christine de Pizan—and their visionary experiences, related through both word and image, of the Holy Trinity. While they were careful to claim doctrinal …

There Is (Not) A Black President : A Psychodynamic Exploration Of Doubts About Obama's Citizenship In A Post-Racial America, Luke David Mechem

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Using the psychodynamic concepts of projection and paranoia, this paper examines the phenomenon of challenges to Barack Obama's American citizenship. Through analysis of various acts of media and political discourse, the birthers' claim that Obama is not a citizen—and can thus not be president—is situated within the larger context of the current ideological position of 'colorblind' racism and of America as 'post-racial.' Further links are made with sociopolitical conspiracy theory as well as with historical Nativist and populist movements. Through this exploration, the paper suggests that the significance of Obama's presidency and the intensity of the anxiety that it has …

I. The Synthesis And Coordination Chemistry Of Novel 6Π-Electron Ligands. Ii. Improvement Of Student Writing Skills In Chemistry Lab Reports Through The Use Of Calibrated Peer Review, Wilson Ngambeki William

Chemistry and Chemical Biology ETDs

ABSTRACT I

The goal of this study was to synthesize and characterize a set of coordination complexes containing 6π-cationic ligands. These compounds could be extremely useful as catalysts for the polymerization of olefins that are widely used in the synthetic polymer industry. The original strategy was to synthesize the 6π-cationic ligands using (Ph₂P)₃CH (1) and (Me₂P)₃CH (10) as precursors; however, both precursors 1 and 10 were found to be highly reactive leading to the fragmentation products (Ph₂P)₂CH₂ and (Me₂P)₂CH₂ respectively. In trying …

Functional 2d Nanoparticle/Polymer Array : Interfacial Assembly, Transfer, Characterization, And Coupling To Photonic Crystal Cavities, Shisheng Xiong

Nanoscience and Microsystems ETDs

We developed a universal, facile and robust method to prepare free-standing, ordered and patternable nanoparticle/polymer monolayer arrays by evaporation-induced self-assembly at a fluid interface. The ultra-thin monolayer nanoparticle/polymer arrays are sufficiently robust that they can be transferred to arbitrary substrates, even with complex topographies. More importantly, the Poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) in the system serves as a photoresist enabling two modes of electron beam (e-beam) nanoparticle patterning. These ultra-thin films of monolayer nanoparticle arrays are of fundamental interest as 2D artificial solids for electronic, magnetic and optical properties and are also of technological interest for a diverse range of applications …

The Bg News August 31, 2011, Bowling Green State University

BG News (Student Newspaper)

The BGSU campus student newspaper. August 31, 2011. Volume 102-Issue 6.

Pyrazolyl Methyls Prescribe The Electronic Properties Of Iron(Ii) Tetra(Pyrazolyl)Lutidine Chloride Complexes, Tyler James Morin, Sarath Wanniarachchi, Chengeto Gwengo, Vitales Makura, Heidi M. Tatlock, Sergey V. Lindeman, Brian Bennett, Gary J. Long, Fernande Grandjean, James R. Gardinier

Physics Faculty Research and Publications

A series of iron(II) chloride complexes of pentadentate ligands related to α,α,α′,α′-tetra(pyrazolyl)-2,6-lutidine, pz₄lut, has been prepared to evaluate whether pyrazolyl substitution has any systematic impact on the electronic properties of the complexes. For this purpose, the new tetrakis(3,4,5-trimethylpyrazolyl)lutidine ligand, pz**₄lut, was prepared via a CoCl₂-catalyzed rearrangement reaction. The equimolar combination of ligand and FeCl₂ in methanol gives the appropriate 1:1 complexes [FeCl(pz^R₄lut)]Cl that are each isolated in the solid state as a hygroscopic solvate. In solution, the iron(II) complexes have been fully characterized by several spectroscopic methods and cyclic voltammetry. …

The Filament-Forming Protein Pil1 Assembles Linear Eisosomes In Fission Yeast, Ruth Kabeche, Suzanne Baldissard, John Hammond, Louisa Howard, James B. Moseley

Dartmouth Scholarship

The cortical cytoskeleton mediates a range of cellular activities such as endocytosis, cell motility, and the maintenance of cell rigidity. Traditional polymers, including actin, microtubules, and septins, contribute to the cortical cytoskeleton, but additional filament systems may also exist. In yeast cells, cortical structures called eisosomes generate specialized domains termed MCCs to cluster specific proteins at sites of membrane invaginations. Here we show that the core eisosome protein Pil1 forms linear cortical filaments in fission yeast cells and that purified Pil1 assembles into filaments in vitro. In cells, Pil1 cortical filaments are excluded from regions of cell growth and are …

The Deg/Enac Protein Mec-10 Regulates The Transduction Channel Complex In Caenorhabditis Elegans Touch Receptor Neurons, Jóhanna Árnadóttir, Robert O'Hagan, Yushu Chen, Miriam B. Goodman, Martin Chalfie

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Gentle touch sensation in Caenorhabditis elegans is mediated by the MEC-4/MEC-10 channel complex, which is expressed exclusively in six touch receptor neurons (TRNs). The complex contains two pore-forming subunits, MEC-4 and MEC-10, as well as the accessory subunits MEC-2, MEC-6, and UNC-24. MEC-4 is essential for channel function, but beyond its role as a pore-forming subunit, the functional contribution of MEC-10 to the channel complex and to touch sensation is unclear.Weaddressed this question using behavioral assays, in vivo electrophysiological recordings from TRNs, and heterologous expression of mutant MEC-10 isoforms. Animals with a deletion in mec-10 showed only a partial loss …

Spartan Daily August 31, 2011, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily (School of Journalism and Mass Communications)

Volume 137, Issue 3

Probing Ultra-Subwavelength Inhomogeneities Embedded Within Dielectric Targets Using Photonic Nanojets, Cesar Méndez Ruiz

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

The use of optics to detect ultra-subwavelength features embedded within structures is a hot topic for a broad diversity of applications like spectroscopy, nanotechnology, microscopy, and optical data storage discs. Conventional objective lens based optical systems have a fundamental limit on the best possible resolution of about 200 \u03b7m due to the diffraction of light as it propagates into the far-field. There already exist several near-field techniques with the capability to overcome this limitation, but each of these systems has certain drawbacks related to the complexity of the system or to limitations imposed by the system. A photonic nanojet is …

Modeling Of A Compact Terahertz Source Based On The Two-Stream Instability., Tengiz Svimonishvili

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

THz radiation straddles the microwave and infrared bands of the electromagnetic spectrum, thus combining the penetrating power of lower-frequency waves and imaging capabilities of higher-energy infrared radiation. THz radiation is employed in various fields such as cancer research, biology, agriculture, homeland security, and environmental monitoring. Conventional vacuum electronic sources of THz radiation (e.g., fast- and slow-wave devices) either require very small structures or are bulky and expensive to operate. Optical sources necessitate cryogenic cooling and are presently capable of producing milliwatt levels of power at THz frequencies. We propose a millimeter and sub-millimeter wave source based on a well-known phenomenon …

Novel Routes For Synthesis Of Pd Nanoparticles And Faceted Zno Supports For Heterogeneous Catalysts, Patrick David Burton

Chemical and Biological Engineering ETDs

Alcohol steam reforming is a promising source of hydrogen as fuel, and could be improved by the use of an optimal catalyst. The methanol steam reforming reaction, CH3OH+H2O --> 3H2+CO2 frequently conducted by means of a Cu/ZnO catalyst. Unfortunately, this catalyst deactivates quickly and is pyrophoric. Pd catalysts are much more stable, but reactions using these catalyst follow the decomposition pathway, CH3OH --> 2H2+CO. PdZn alloys can achieve the desired selectivity, and have been noted to form under reaction conditions from Pd/ZnO heterogeneous catalysts. In the present work, careful synthesis techniques of specific support and nanoparticle surfaces have been developed …