Digital Commons Network^™

Economic Effects Of Immigration: Avoiding Past Mistakes And Preparing For The Future., Natalya Shatniy

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Abstract Forthcoming.

Service Animals In Training And The Law: An Imperfect System., Darcie Magnuson

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) does not provide protection for service animals in training anywhere in public places, including workplaces and government buildings. Individual state statutes may or may not grant service animals in training access to places of public accommodations, public buildings, or places of employment. Similarly, neither the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) nor the Fair Housing Act (FHA) Amendments afford rights and privileges in air transportation and housing, respectively, to service animals in training. Without service animals, individuals with disabilities would not be able to equally access society or fully participate in many activities. However, without …

When It Rains, It Pours: The Violence Against Women Act's Failure To Provide Shelter From The Storm Of Domestic Violence., Alyse Faye Haugen

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

The threat of abuse affects women of all socioeconomic levels, educations, and zip codes. For centuries, women were second-class citizens in the eyes of society and the government. Women could not access resources to prevent violence and subsequently were denied essential victim services. The passage of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in 1994 expressed the government’s commitment to ending domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and other gender-based violent crimes. Although VAWA exists, violence against women continues to be pervasive, devastating women’s lives daily. Victims of domestic violence face several issues. These include protecting children from abuse, finding and securing …

Public Or Private University - New Legislation Caps Veterans' Educational Choices That Could Cost Less., Whitney Howe

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Abstract Forthcoming.

Payday Peonage: Thirteenth Amendment Implications In Payday Lending., Zoe Elizabeth Lees

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Abstract Forthcoming.

Nurturing The Seeds Of Food Justice: Unearthing The Impact Of Institutionalized Racism On Access To Healthy Food In Urban African-American Communities., Kate Meals

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Comprehensive change to our food systems must include a combination of community-based solutions and the elimination of racism from all structural levels. An anti-racist analysis of hunger is necessary to contextualize the power dynamics and structures responsible for food inequality. In recent decades, globalization and exponential population growth have pushed the boundaries of economic, social, and ecological sustainability, threatening global food security. Despite the fact that it is fundamental to human survival, adequate access to food is often viewed as a privilege, rather than a basic human right. These practices work to maintain a food system crisis that disproportionally impacts …

Cortical Thickness In Neuropsychologically Near-Normal Schizophrenia, Derin J. Cobia, John G. Csernansky, Lei Wang

Faculty Publications

Schizophrenia is a chronic and potentially disabling disorder with widespread neuroanatomical abnormalities thought to be caused by progressive brain changes (Andreasen, 2010), and an equally wide variety of impairments in cognitive functioning (Palmer et al., 2009). In general, individuals with schizophrenia demonstrate significantly impaired performance on a full range of neuropsychological tasks, often reaching greater than one standard deviation below the norm (Dickinson et al., 2007). One particularly puzzling issue is that approximately 15–30% of schizophrenia patients have been found to perform in the normal range of neuropsychological functioning (Kremen et al., 2000; Palmer et al., 1997). Given hypothesized relationships …

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Campaign 2012 And Beyond: Awareness And Participation For Behavioral Change, Ebony Chetto

Journalism

The following study investigates how to develop and maintain a health outreach program in order to make a behavior change in participating in the breast cancer movement. The number of women becoming affected by breast cancer is increasingly growing, and the students who developed the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Campaign saw the need to raise awareness of this disease on campus and in the community. The campaign’s focus was to create and publicize an outreach event called Rock the Tatas, a fundraising concert to support the fight against breast cancer. With scholarly research, the design of the campaign attempts …

Application Of Linear Mixed-Effects Models To Crossover Designs., Lei Zhou

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Crossover design is a type of longitudinal study with each subject receiving different treatments in different time periods. It has been used frequently in the pharmaceutical industry and other medical fields to investigate the safety and efficacy of new drugs or new treatments. For crossover studies, the treatment effects from the earlier period may be carried over to the later period, which is called the carry-over effect, the response may naturally change over different periods. How to assess treatment effect with accounting for all these features deserves further investigation. Linear mixed-effects (LME) model has been widely applied to analyze data …

Anxiety In Older Adults With Dementia Residing In Long-Term Care Facilities., Lauren Summer Hess

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dementia, depression, and anxiety are the most common psychiatric disorders among long-term care residents and, because dementia is associated with behavioral problems that can be difficult to manage, the growing number of long-term care residents with dementia and mental health disorders presents a challenge for providing quality care. Research has established the co-occurrence of depression and anxiety and anxiety and agitation in this population. However, a consensus on the conceptualization of the co-occurrence of these constructs has not been reached. It has also been postulated that older adults with dementia may not be able to experience anxiety as conceptualized due …

Self-Efficacy In The Context Of Psychological Abuse: A Model Of Efficacy Erosion., Kristen E. Hosey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current research proposed that psychological abuse within an intimate relationship erodes one's self-efficacy and aimed to demonstrate a negative relationship between past psychological abuse and how one reacts to a challenge. It was hypothesized that when faced with a challenging task past psychological abuse would be related to decreased task persistence, increased negative affect, and choosing low-difficulty future tasks. Each of these relationships would then be simultaneously mediated by general and specific self-efficacy. The study was conducted in two phases with undergraduate women. During the first phase participants self-reported demographic and relationship history information, level of general self-efficacy, and …

Ready Child, Ready School : Educator Perceptions Of Child And School Success Indicators And Ready School Practices., Annette W. Bridges 1953-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this study, the researcher considered educator perceptions of child readiness for school and school readiness for children conceptualized within the central constructs of the ready child and the ready school. The skills and abilities that children bring to the school are equally as important as the services and supports that the school brings to the child. The researcher’s intention in conducting this study was to investigate whether the differences existed in perceptions about ready child and ready school indicators and the implementation of ready school practices between educators working in successful schools and educators working in less successful schools. …

Differential Responses To Endothelial–Dependent Relaxation Of The Thoracic And Abdominal Aorta From Male Sprague-Dawley Rats, Ahmed Kolade Oloyo, Simiat Elias, Olusoga Adekunle Sofola

Biomedical Sciences, East Africa

Regional heterogeneity exists in reactivity of different vascular beds to vasoactive substances. Experiments were designed to determine if there are differences between thoracic and abdominal aorta response to acetylcholineinduced relaxation. Ten male Sprague-Dawley rats with a weighing between 200g–250g were used. The aorta was isolated and 3mm aortic rings were cut and suspended in organ baths containing physiological salt saline (PSS). Contractile and relaxation responses to noradrenaline (NA) and ACh, in the presence or absence of L-NNA and high K+ concentration were studied. Contractile response to NA was similar along the aorta. At the higher doses, ACh elicited a greater …

Survey Of Knowledge, Attitude And Practice Of Epilepsy Among 221 School Teachers In Karachi, Syed Wasim Akhtar, Zarin Mogal, Shaukat Ali, Munawar Ali, Abdul Latif Sonija, Husainuddin Afridi, Hasan Aziz

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Gene Duplication And Unconstrained Selective Pressures In The Melanopsin Gene Family Evolution And Vertebrate Circadian Rhythm Regulation, Rui Borges, Warren E. Johnson, Stephen J. O'Brien, Vitor Vasconcelos, Agostinho Antunes

Biology Faculty Articles

Melanopsin is a photosensitive cell protein involved in regulating circadian rhythms and other non-visual responses to light. The melanopsin gene family is represented by two paralogs,OPN4x and OPN4m, which originated through gene duplication early in the emergence of vertebrates. Here we studied the melanopsin gene family using an integrated gene/protein evolutionary approach, which revealed that the rhabdomeric urbilaterian ancestor had the same amino acid patterns (DRY motif and the Y and E conterions) as extant vertebrate species, suggesting that the mechanism for light detection and regulation is similar to rhabdomeric rhodopsins. Both OPN4m and OPN4x paralogs are found …

How The Leopard Hides Its Spots: Asip Mutations And Melanism In Wild Cats, Alexsandra Schneider, Victor A. David, Warren E. Johnson, Stephen J. O'Brien, Gregory S. Barsh, Marilyn Menotti-Raymond, Eduardo Eizirik

Biology Faculty Articles

The occurrence of melanism (darkening of the background coloration) is documented in 13 felid species, in some cases reaching high frequencies at the population level. Recent analyses have indicated that it arose multiple times in the Felidae, with three different species exhibiting unique mutations associated with this trait. The causative mutations in the remaining species have so far not been identified, precluding a broader assessment of the evolutionary dynamics of melanism in the Felidae. Among these, the leopard (Panthera pardus) is a particularly important target for research, given the iconic status of the ‘black panther’ and the extremely …

Students In Differential Equations And Epidemiology Model A Campus Outbreak Of Ph1n1, Meredith L. Greer, Karen A. Palin

All Faculty Scholarship

We describe a semester-long collaboration between a mathematics class and a biology class. Students worked together to understand and model the trajectory of the pandemic H1N1, pH1N1, outbreak across campus in fall 2009. Each course had about 30 students and was an upper-level elective for majors. Some mathematics students had taken no college-level biology, and some biology students had taken no college-level mathematics. All students had taken at least three quantitative courses, so they had some experience working with data. Our goals were to allow students to work with and model a real data set that affected them personally, to …

Attributions For Interpersonal Healthcare Mistreatment And Continuity Of Care, Daniel Joel Northington

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Although continuity of cancer-related care increases the use of early detection cancer screening exams (Doescher, Saver, Fiscella, & Franks, 2004), and thereby improves treatment outcomes (Mandelblatt et al., 2009), Latino (Latina) women in the U.S. currently report lower continuity of care than non-Latino White (Anglo) women (American Cancer Society, 2010; Doescher, Saver, Fiscella, & Franks, 2001). Such disparities may be due, in part, to interpersonal healthcare mistreatment (Smedley, Stith, & Nelson, 2003), as well as mistreatment-related attributions and emotions (Betancourt, Flynn, & Ormseth, 2011; Tucker, 2008). Therefore, according to Weiner's model of attribution and emotion (1986) as well as Betancourt's …

Cultural Study Of Attributions Of Sports Fans, John C. Park

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Cultural differences in the attributions of sports fans in the US have not been sufficiently explored. Studies have shown that individualists have the tendency to make more internal attributions compared to collectivists (Kashima & Triandis, 1986; Al-Zahrani & Kaplowitz, 1993; Cha & Nam, 1985; Hallahan et al., 1997). Furthermore, in sports setting, individualists have the tendency to engage in the self-serving bias, whereas collectivists may not engage in this process (Schuster et, al, 1989; Lee et. al, 1996; Hallahan et. al, 1997; Crittendon, 1991). Undergraduate students at La Sierra University, California, participated in an experiment where cultural differences in fans' …

Development And Validation Of A Process Focused Measure Of Childhood Depression, Ida Babakhanyan

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this research was to develop a measure of childhood depression and test its psychometric properties with depressed and non-depressed children. First, an overview of our current understanding of childhood depression and the measures used in assessment is reviewed. Following, the problems with our diagnostic classification are presented, providing justification for the development of a new measure for childhood depression. A bottom-up approach is used in this study to develop a theory driven measure for identifying depression in children which focuses on the process. Thus, varying from the primarily symptom based assessment tools that are currently used in …

The Morbidity & Mortality Of Prevalent Heart Failure, Jennifer Kwon

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The first study population included 292 unselected consecutive patients from the LLUMC heart failure clinic who were enrolled in the study from January to July 2006 and were followed up through the end of December 2010. The treatment policy at the clinic was to uptitrate dosages of beta-adrenergic blockade (β-blockers), angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB) to the most tolerable levels in order to reach target dosages, as recommended by the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA). Patients were classified into systolic heart failure (ejection fraction (EF) < 40%) or diastolic heart failure (EF≥40%). All dosages of β-blockers, ACEi and ARB were extracted through chart reviews and were used as the main predictors of the patients' survival. Results from analyses showed that reaching target dosages of β-blockers and ACEi/ARB may increase survival when compared to not reaching target among the systolic HF population (HR_{β_biockers}= 0.64, 95% CI 0.26-1.56 and HR_ACEi/ARB=0.50, …

Performance Of Number Of Factors Procedures In Higher Order Analysis: A Comparative Study, Marc Thomas Porritt

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) is one of the primary statistical tools available for the verification of the structure of a psychological measure. In the case of a nested test the structure of the higher levels is verified by performing EFA on the factor scores of the lower levels, a process known as higher order factor analysis (HOFA). One of the most significant decisions made during the EFA process is how many factors to extract. A number of methods have been developed to empirically answer this question. These methods have been proven highly accurate under normal circumstances. Since HOFA is an …

The Rna Binding Protein Ksrp Destabilizes Gap-43 Mrna To Limit Axonal Elongation In Cultured Hippocampal Neurons, Clark W. Bird

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

The KH-type splicing regulatory protein (KSRP) promotes the decay of AU-rich element (ARE) containing mRNAs. Although KSRP is expressed in the developing and mature nervous system, very little is known about its role in regulating gene expression in the brain. In this study, we utilized in vitro binding and decay studies to examine whether KSRP regulates the stability of the GAP-43 transcript, an ARE-containing neuronal mRNA whose protein product plays a role in axonal growth and synaptic plasticity. We found KSRP destabilizes GAP-43 mRNA by binding to the GAP-43 ARE, a process that depends on the presence of the fourth …

Cannabinoid 2 Receptor (Cb2r) Agonists Modulate Neuropathic Pain And Cytokine Expression, Jenny L. Wilkerson

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

The focus of the work in this dissertation is to elucidate the efficacy of cannabinoid 2 receptor agonists, specifically targeting the spinal cord, for the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain. Chemical structures for all cannabinoid compounds utilized are displayed (Supplemental Figure A-1). As an orientation for the reader, the organization of this dissertation consists of five components: chapters 1 through 5. In the first chapter, a background is developed to acquaint one with the topics of chronic pain, and the use of cannabinergic compounds for chronic pain relief. This chapter is in the form of a review, and specifically addresses …

Characterization Of The Count Rate Performance And Evaluation Of The Effects Of High Count Rates On Modern Gamma Cameras, Michael S. Silosky

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

CHARACTERIZATION OF THE COUNT RATE PERFORMANCE AND EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTS OF HIGH COUNT RATES ON MODERN GAMMA CAMERAS

Michael Stephen Silosky, B.S.

Supervisory Professor: S. Cheenu Kappadath, Ph.D.

Evaluation of count rate performance (CRP) is an integral component of gamma camera quality assurance and measurement of system dead time (τ) is important for quantitative SPECT. The CRP of three modern gamma cameras was characterized using established methods (Decay and Dual Source) under a variety of experimental conditions. For the Decay method, input count rate was plotted against observed count rate and fit to the paralyzable detector model (PDM) to …

Functional Analysis Of Drosophila Integrator Complex In Snrna 3' End Processing, Jiandong Chen

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Uridine-rich small nuclear RNAs (U snRNAs) play essential roles in eukaryotic gene expression by facilitating the removal of introns from mRNA precursors and the processing of the replication-dependent histone pre-mRNAs. Formation of the 3’ end of these snRNAs is carried out by a poorly characterized, twelve-membered protein complex named Integrator Complex.

In the effort to understand Integrator Complex function in the formation of the snRNA 3’ end, we performed a functional RNAi screen in Drosophila S2 cells to identify protein factors required for snRNA 3’ end formation. This screen was conducted by using a fluorescence-based reporter that elicits GFP expression …

Over The Camel's Hump, Brett Kingsley

The Synapse: Intercollegiate science magazine

No abstract provided.

Issue 2

The Synapse: Intercollegiate science magazine

No abstract provided.

Female Head Athletic Trainers In Ncaa Division I (Ia Football) Athletics: How They Made It To The Top, Joanne Gorant

Dissertations

The profession of athletic training has opened its doors to women, who now slightly outnumber men in the profession (Shingles, 2001; WATC, 1997, 2005). Unfortunately, this representation does not carry over into positions of high rank. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the lived experiences of female head athletic trainers in NCAA Division I (IA football) institutions to focus on the issues of barriers to advancement and their ability to overcome them.

Using Hakim’s “preference theory” as a lens, this interpretive qualitative investigation utilized semi-structured, open-ended interviews to learn how participants advanced in the field of athletic …

Individual And Social Network Sexual Behavior Norms Of Homeless Youth At High Risk For Hiv Infection, Kimberly A. Tyler, Lisa A. Melander

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Although previous research shows that homeless youth engage in numerous risky sexual behaviors, little is known about whether or not specific rules govern this conduct within their social networks and how group norms influence subsequent sexual actions. The current study utilizes 19 in-depth interviews with homeless youth to investigate different elements of their sexual behavior. Findings reveal that their decision to have sex generally depends on chemistry and physical appearance whereas a potential partner’s risky sexual history and heavy substance use discourages youth from engaging in sex. Both males and females discuss condom usage as it relates to unknown sexual …