Digital Commons Network^™

Association Of Genetic Variation, Gene Expression, And Protein Abundance Within The Natriuretic Peptide Pathway, Bipin Sunkara

Honors College Theses

Background: The natriuretic peptide (NP) system is a critical physiologic pathway in heart failure, but there is marked individual variability in its functioning which may be genetic in origin. We investigated how genetic variations in NP pathway genes correlate with gene expression and protein abundance.

Methods: DNA, RNA, and tissue from human kidney (n=77) were obtained. Kidney was chosen as target tissue because each of the four candidate genes and proteins (natriuretic peptide receptor 1 (NPR1), NPR2, NPR3 and membrane metallo-endopeptidase (MME)) are expressed there. DNA samples were genotyped for 120 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in these four genes using …

Electrical Engineering Alumna Connects With 'Wired', Edwin Smith

University of Mississippi News

No abstract provided.

The Lived Experience Of Indonesian Nursing Faculty Participating In A Nursing Education Reform Based On The 2009 World Health Organization Global Standards, Joan Elaine Edwards

Nursing Theses and Dissertations

Problem: In 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) published global standards for initial education of professional nurses and midwives. Curriculum revision is challenging; but even more difficult in developing countries such as Indonesia. Faculty may not be equipped educationally and experientially for the educator role. Indonesian nursing curricula are not currently based on the 2009 WHO global standards. Purpose: To understand the lived experience of Indonesian nursing faculty participating in curriculum revision based on 2009 World Health Organization global standards. Design: A mixed descriptive and interpretive phenomenological qualitative research approach, based on van Manne's methodology. Participants: Thirty-seven nursing faculty from …

Breaking The Silence : Uncovering The Gendered Communication Patterns Before, During, And After Instances Of Sexual Assault At Nescac Colleges, Carolyn A. Curtis

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Sexual assault is a pervasive problem that many college women face. This study explores the gendered communication patterns employed by men and women prior to, during, and after instances of heterosexual sexual assault on New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) college campuses. It was hypothesized that gender plays a role in instances of sexual assault in that norms of masculinity and femininity influence the communication employed by men and women, with women's voices being silenced, muted, and ignored and men's voices being assertive and dominant. Nine mental health and sexual assault professionals, from eight different colleges, were interviewed to …

The Influence Of Interracial/Interethnic Relationships With Black, Latino, And Native American Men On Race/Ethnic Identity Of A Group Of Asian American Women, Malyna Kettavong

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study was undertaken to explore the research question of "How do interracial/interethnic relationships with Black, Latino, and Native American men influence the race/ethnic identity of Asian American women?" Although there is a plethora of research on Asian and White interracial relationships, there are no studies that look at interracial relationships between Asian women and Black, Hispanic and Native American men. Also, only a couple of the current studies have examined how interracial relationships influence the perception by Asian women of their racial/ethnic identity. Nine Asian American women residing in various parts of the United States participated in this research …

Embodied Connections : Engaging The Body In Group Psychotherapy, Alissa W. Kimmell

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

An increasing number of therapists are turning to body-oriented practices in response to the perceived shortcomings of talk therapy. Although the literature on individual approaches to body-oriented therapy is growing, we currently know very little about how clinicians are adapting these models to group psychotherapy. Using a grounded theory methodology, this study explores the experiences of fifteen clinicians who have integrated body-oriented practices into interpersonal group therapy. I analyzed data from 40-60 minute telephone interviews through an iterative process of open and focused coding using the constant comparative method. This process revealed participants' common theory of body-oriented practice in group …

Addressing Manifestations Of Oppression At End-Of-Life Among African Americans : Unpacking White Privilege In Hospice Care, Nikki M. Bagli

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The U.S. Census shows that African Americans make up 13% of the U.S. population and have higher mortality rates than whites but they only account for 8.9% of the hospice population. This qualitative study examined variables needed to expand hospice services among African Americans, and whether race-based historical injustice needed to be addressed with patients at end-of-life. The investigation is based on the perspectives of seven African American hospice patients receiving in- and out-patient services through one hospice program in the Southeast, U.S. Hospice usage was considered from a relational perspective whereby the cultures of both African Americans and hospice …

From Postmodern To Psychodynamics : Deconstructing Sex Offender Registration And Notification Policies, Sherri A. Brown

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This theoretical thesis is a multilayered study that interrogates Sex Offender Registration and Notification (SORN) policies from many angles: 1) a deconstruction of the legislation itself (logistics, stipulations, restrictions and enforcement); 2) the impact such policies have on individuals who are required to register; 3) the impact on communities in creating public spaces that are increasingly policed and thereby adding to the expansion of the prison industrial complex; 4) the implications and effectiveness sex offender registries (SORs) have in preventing sexually predatory behavior and acts of sexual violence; and 5) the implicit values and beliefs underlying hegemonic U.S. discourse surrounding …

Idea 2004 : A Mandate For Social Work Services : Are These Services Included In The Ieps Of Students With Nonverbal Learning Disorder?, Patricia A. Carrin

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study was undertaken to investigate the extent to which social work services are incorporated into Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) of students with Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NLD), who performs these services when they are incorporated into the IEP and are the services provided in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA), (Public Law PL 108-446) and the mandate for "related services" defining Social Work services Sec.300.34. It was hypothesized, that implementing social work services in accordance with the mandate for "related service" as stated IDEA 2004, would improve the ability of students with Nonverbal Learning Disorder to …

The Impact Of Sibling Mental Illness On The Well Sibling, Lisa N. Frierson

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this study is to examine the emotional and psychological effects well siblings encounter when a brother or sister is diagnosed with a major mental illness. Qualitative, exploratory interviews were conducted in person and audio-taped with 10 volunteers who were recruited from the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI). Questions were aimed at developing a broader understanding of the feelings and experiences that may be unique to this vulnerable population. Major findings were consistent with previous research demonstrating reactions which are associated with the sudden rupture in a sibling relationship due to mental illness. In particular survivor guilt …

Women In Combat : Narratives Of Nurses In World War Ii, Korea And The Vietnam War, Kathryn J. Hall

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative study explored what could be learned from the narratives of female military nurses in World War II, Korea and the Vietnam War. There is very little literature regarding the experiences of female military nurses and scarcer data about women military nurses performing their roles in combat arenas. The sample was comprised of twelve female military nurses who volunteered for their military service during World War II, Korea and/or the Vietnam War. The sample was a well-educated group of nurses who achieved officer rankings while serving and, though the vast majority of the nurses were unspecified as to race, …

The Effects Of Therapist Self-Disclosure On The Therapeutic Alliance : A Relational Perspective, Brittany A. Hollingsworth

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This exploratory/descriptive quantitative/qualitative study surveyed clinicians to ask their views about the effects of voluntary self-disclosure by therapists when the issue to be disclosed is one the therapist shares with the client. Clinicians surveyed were 51 licensed clinical social workers, or those with at least a year of postgraduate experience and working towards licensure. Opinions about this topic were often mixed. A majority of the clinicians who participated in the study said they rarely disclosed, but 72% had disclosed an issue shared by a client at least once; when they did so, 94% said their disclosures concerned issues that had …

Women's Social And Emotional Experiences With Abortion, Alicia M. Flanagan

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This mixed methods exploratory study piloted a non-validated online qualitative survey instrument to assess women's social and emotional experiences with abortion stigma from women recruited on college campuses in New England. Abortion stigma is defined as prejudices and discrimination directed at women who have abortions, and people and institutions that support women who have abortions. Thirty-nine women took an online survey instrument that asked respondents to: provide their reproductive health histories; report when they first learned of abortion; give information regarding their community's attitudes about abortion; state their feelings about abortion. Eight women, sampled from the qualitative survey pool, participated …

Reclaiming The Borderlands : A Relational And Transnational Feminist Approach To The History And Treatment Of Borderline Personality Disorder, Rebecca G. Hawes-Sivitz

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This paper utilizes transnational feminist theory to both deconstruct the history of borderline personality disorder and to contextualize treatment within a relational psychodynamic frame. Using transnational feminist understandings of the borderland and splintering self-states, the concept of borderline personality disorder is reframed and explored through a historical perspective. Relational psychodynamic theory is considered as a response to this deconstruction, offering a contemporary perspective, which acknowledges the structural oppressions intrinsic in mental illness. Additionally this paper argues that this perspective highlights a path to engage authentically with intersections of self-states rather than at the poles of binary constructions of identity and …

An Expression Of Deep Concern : Championing The Needs Of Never Married Couples And Their Children Coping With Family Related Litigation And Separation : A Project In Collaboration With The Hampshire Bar Association, Northampton, Massachusetts, Deborah J. Druar

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The National Center for Health Statistics has estimated that in 2010, 40.8 percent of births will be to never-married parents (Child Trends Data Bank, 2012). A never married parent who files a complaint at the Probate and Family Court in Hampshire County, Massachusetts seeking to establish paternity, custody, visitation or financial support is mandated to attend the For The Children© (FTC©) parent education program. This qualitative, exploratory, retrospective study, done in collaboration with the Hampshire County Bar Association, explored whether the unique needs of never-married couples with children engaged in family related litigation are met in the curriculum of the …

The Management Of Transference And Countertransference In The Wilderness Therapy Milieu, Jon E. Dukes

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative study set out to explore the ways in which clinicians in Wilderness Therapy (WT) manage and address the clinical phenomena of transference and counter transference as it arises in the field. Additionally, the topics of personal and professional boundaries were explored in order to help assess ways clinicians maintain appropriate boundaries and educate their para professional staff about this topic. Seven clinicians from various WT programs across the country participated in a thirty to forty minute long interview via telephone. Throughout the interview process, valuable information was gained pertaining to the process of transference and counter transference within …

Managing Autonomous Transportation Demand, Bryant Walker Smith

Santa Clara Law Review

No abstract provided.

Addressing Client Mental Health Within The Personal Training Relationship, Alana R. Honigman

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

I undertook this study to expand the literature regarding connections between mental and physical health to include ways in which client mental health arises and is addressed within the personal training relationship. My research was guided by an ethical framework with the purpose of improving best care practices for clients. The four research questions I posed concerned the frequency with which mental health issues are addressed, typical interventions personal trainers utilize in response to these issues, the reasons personal trainers choose specific interventions, and the training personal trainers receive regarding client mental health. Participants (N = 58) were recruited through …

Usa V. John Gallagher, Jr.

2012 Decisions

USDC for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

Usa V. Jack Underwood

2012 Decisions

USDC for the District of New Jersey

Peter A. Tucci Jr. V. Hartford Financial Services Gr

2012 Decisions

USDC for the District of New Jersey

The Role Of Internal Communication And The Effect On Employee Engagement, Cherie Gaither

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

The purpose of this project was to build and evaluate internal communication interventions that would enhance employee engagement. The desired outcome of the communication team’s efforts was to show a significant increase in employee engagement, as compared to peer institutions.

Opinions Of Male Adolescent Sexual Offenders On Treatment Groups, MóNica BeróN

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Group treatment is widely used for the treatment of juveniles who sexually offend (Letourneau and Borduin, 2008; Veneziano and Veneziano, 2002), yet research into the participant's perceptions and experience of this treatment is almost non-existent (Sribney and Reddon, 2008). This study investigates the perceptions and concerns of a sample (N=198) of incarcerated male juvenile sex offenders in regards to their experience of group treatment and reported iatrogenic effects. Measures of hopelessness and anxiety were also tested in relationship to feelings of group experience, after controlling for age. Overall, the participants reported satisfaction with their group treatment and low levels of …

State V. Kalashnikov Appellant's Brief Dckt. 40127

Not Reported

No abstract provided.

Lillie Ellen Williams

African American Funeral Programs

No abstract provided.

Gentlemen's Clubs And Casinos In Las Vegas: Flirting With The Possibility Of A Sexier Strip, Amy L. Baker

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

No abstract provided.

The Gaming Control Act Fifty Years Later: A Call For Proactive Gaming Policy, Matthew J. Stafford

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

No abstract provided.

An Overview Of Italian Gaming The State Of The Industry, Roberto Verona

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

In recent years, the field of gambling in Italy has registered significant growth and Italians have demonstrated high propensity to play. The purpose of this article is to analyze the dynamics of such growth, in particular of the sectors that have developed more than others, and the effect of State policies and regulations on decisions taken by economic operators. From our research, it emerges that the gambling sector has been affected by a complex and contradictory State normative policy. Despite the fact that the Italian legal system allows only four casinos to operate, contradictory State polices throughout the years have …

Allocation Of Gaming Licenses And Establishment Of Bid Processes: The Case Of Kansas, 2008 And 2009, Stephen Martino, William R. Eadington

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

This paper looks at the recent history of allocation of exclusive franchise or limited franchise casino licenses in jurisdictions throughout the world and comments on their strengths and weaknesses as well as successes and failures of various strategies that have been undertaken. The paper then examines the Kansas legalization and bidding process that emerged between 2007 and 2009 as a case study in evaluating the effectiveness of various principles that had emerged via the legislation and subsequent procedural decisions. The authors offer the opinion that many of the principles and processes developed in Kansas were based on those that had …

The Relationship Between Gambling Behavior And Binge Drinking, Hard Drug Use, And Paying For Sex, Douglas M. Walker, Christopher Clark, Jessie L. Folk

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

We examine the relationship between gambling behavior and other "vices": hard drug use, binge drinking, and paying for sex. We utilize survey data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a comprehensive survey of a representative sample of young adults in the US. We analyze survey data on the behavior of 6,145 respondents using linear probability modeling and a comprehensive set of control variables. Our results indicate that individuals who exhibit signs of problem gambling behavior are significantly more likely to use hard drugs, to binge drink, and to pay for sex. These findings, based on data collected on …