Digital Commons Network^™

Testing A Risky Sex Behavior Intervention Pilot Website For Adolescents, Randall Starling, Don Helme, Jessica A. Nodulman, Angela D. Bryan, David B. Buller, Robert Lewis Donohew, W. Gill Woodall

Communication Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Each year, teenagers account for about one-fifth of all unintended pregnancies in the United States. As such, delivering sexual risk reduction educational materials to teens in a timely fashion is of critical importance. Web-based delivery of these materials shows promise for reaching and persuading teens away from risky sexual and substance abuse behaviors. The purpose of this study was to pilot test a web-based program aimed at reducing risky sexual behavior and related outcomes among adolescents in a high school setting.

METHODS: A beta-test of the website was conducted in three public schools in New Mexico, USA …

Encryption And Incrimination: The Evolving States Of Encrypted Drives, Shannon M. Oltmann

Information Science Faculty Publications

Individuals use encryption to safeguard many valid and legal applications but also to hide illegal activity. Several legal cases have drawn the limits of self-incrimination under the Fifth Amendment regarding providing passwords to access illegal information content,such as child pornography. The cases illustrate that certain knowledge of evidence amounts to a compelling need for access and that a subpoena for hard drive contents is more likely to succeed than requiring a witness to provide a password. Since known documents are not legally protected and biometric data can be compelled as evidence, there is no reason that known digital documents, biometric …

A Tale Of Two (And Possibly Three) Atkins: Intellectual Disability And Capital Punishment Twelve Years After The Supreme Court's Creation Of A Categorical Bar, John H. Blume, Sheri Lynn Johnson, Paul Marcus, Emily C. Paavola

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

This article examines empirically the capital cases decided by the lower courts since the United States Supreme Court created the categorical ban against the execution of persons with intellectual disability twelve years ago in the Atkins decision.

Using Literature To Increase Global Engagement In Higher Education: A Review Of Four Novels, Melissa Hendrickx

eJournal of Public Affairs

No abstract provided.

Malrotation After Reamed Intramedullary Nailing With And Without A Fracture Table For Closed Fractures Of The Femoral Shaft, Rizwan Haroon Rashid, Akbar Jaleel Zubairi, Masood Umer

Department of Surgery Docs

Abstract Introduction: To observe the effect of the choice of surgical table on the incidence of malrotation. Methods: The randomised trial was conducted from July 2012 to January 2013 at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, during which 74 patients were inducted. Randomisation was done via random allocation software version 1.0.0 and sealed envelopes were used to guide the choice of table. Malrotation was assessed by the operating surgeon using the lesser trochanteric shape signunder intra-operative fluoroscopy. SPSS 19 was used for statistical analysis. Results: The 74 patients in the study were divided into two groups of 37(50%) each using …

The Effect Of Agricultural Practices On Sugar Beet Root Aphid (Pemphigus Betae Doane) And Beneficial Epigeal Arthropods, Rudolph J. Pretorius

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study investigated the effect of several agricultural practices on the sugar beet root aphid (Pemphigus betae Doane) and beneficial epigeal natural enemies in western Nebraska sugar beet agroecosystems. Eight glyphosate-tolerant sugar beet varieties were evaluated under field conditions for their resistance to root aphids. High levels of aphid resistance were detected for some varieties. In conjunction to this, pitfall sampling was conducted to determine the beneficial epigeal natural enemy complex in the area, which could contribute to the management of both root aphids and glyphosate-resistant weeds. Ground beetles comprised an important and abundant component of this fauna, with …

Contextualizing Couples: Three Essays On Inequality, Stress, And Dyadic Functioning As A Longitudinal And Reciprocal Process, Deadric T. Williams

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In this dissertation, I use an integrated theoretical and conceptual model that consists of several theoretical frameworks to examine the following questions: (1) is there a longitudinal and reciprocal association between parental stress/distress and dyadic functioning? (2) does the association change over time? (3) does the association vary across social contexts (e.g., marital status, race/ethnicity, and poverty)? In order to explore these questions, I use longitudinal and dyadic data from the Fragile Families and Child Well-being Study, which follows a cohort of children and their parents from birth to five years of age. Through three separate analytic studies, the results …

The Current Prevalence Of Caprine Arthritis-Encephalitis Virus In Midwestern Goat Herds, Bradley Todd Jones

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Caprine Arthritis-Encephalitis Virus (CAEV) is an incurable disease of goats that has both social and economic impacts. Clinical disease in goats includes encephalitis in kids; chronic arthritis, inflammatory mastitis and progressive respiratory disease in adults. In the last 25 years there have been significant changes in the United States goat industry with rapid growth in the meat and dairy industries. Recent prevalence studies are lacking and historic studies may not reflect changes in the industry. The purpose of this study was to establish the prevalence of CAEV in Midwestern herds that are not routinely acquiring new animals from known negative …

The Crebh In Hepatic Lipid And Lipoprotein Metabolism: Implication For The Pathogenesis Of Hyperlipidemia And Metainflammation, Miaoyun Zhao

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Hyperlipidemia is reemerging as an important cardiovascular disease risk factor and other metabolic disorders, such as obesity, insulin resistance and type-2 diabetes. Hepatic de novo lipogenesis is controlled by a family of the b-zip transcription factors, the sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs), which targets downstream genes involved in free fatty acids, triglycerides and cholesterol synthesis. Regulation of SREBPs signaling is controlled by a cluster of the ER membrane-bound proteins, the insulin induced gene-1(Insig-1) and gene-2 (Insig-2) and the SCAP protein. The cAMP responsive element binding protein H (CREBH) is a recently identified member of this family. CREBH is selectively and …

Dynamic Hip Screw Fixation For Inter-Trochanteric Fractures: Determinants Of Outcomes, Adil Aijaz Shah, Santosh Kumar, Abdull Rehman

Department of Surgery Docs

bstract

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate factors associated with revision of dynamic hip screw implant in patients undergoing the procedure for the fixation of intertrochanteric fractures.

METHODS:

The retrospective study was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and comprised records of patients who had undergone dynamic hip screw fixation surgery between 2008 and 2012. Medical records and data for all patients were obtained from the medical records office. For all patients, the record files were systematically reviewed using a structured, pre-defined data extraction sheet. SPSS 20 was used statistical analysis.

RESULTS:

Out of 317 patients who had undergone the procedure, …

Interpretative Ingredients: Formulating Art And Natural History In Early Modern Brazil, Amy Buono

Art Faculty Articles and Research

"In this article I look at two early modern texts that pertain to the natural history of Brazil and its usage for medicinal purposes. These texts present an informative contrast in terms of information density and organization, raising important methodological considerations about the ways that inventories and catalogues become sources for colonial scholarship in general and art history in particular."

“Danger Is My Business”: The Right To Manufacture Unsafe Products, Richard C. Ausness

Law Faculty Scholarly Articles

While no one would dispute that safety is a desirable objective, it may not always be an absolute priority. Rather, in some cases, other societal interests such as personal autonomy, consumer choice, product cost, and performance may trump legitimate safety goals. This is reflected in some of the doctrines and defenses that have evolved to protect the producers of unsafe products against tort liability. Some of these doctrines, such as those determining liability for the producers of optional safety equipment, inherently dangerous products, products with obvious hazards, and prescription drugs and medical devices, are part of the law of products …

Mapping The Spatial And Temporal Dynamics Of Sensorimotor Integration During The Perception And Performance Of Wallowing, Megan E. Cuellar

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Similar to other complex sequences of muscle activity, swallowing relies heavily upon ‘sensorimotor integration.’ It is well known that the premotor cortex and primary sensorimotor cortices provide critical sensorimotor contributions that help control the strength and timing of swallowing muscle effectors. However, the temporal dynamics of sensorimotor integration remains unclear, even when performed normally without neurological compromise. Recent advances in EEG analysis blind source separation techniques via independent component analysis offer a novel and exciting opportunity to measure cortical sensorimotor activity in realtime during swallowing, concurrently with muscle activity during swallow initiation. In the current study, mu components were identified, …

Mrp4-Dependent Regulation Of Fibroblast Migration, Chandrima Sinha

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Roles of cyclic nucleotides and cyclic nucleotide-dependent signaling molecules in regulating several signaling pathways including cell migration have long been known. However, the new and revolutionary concept is that it is not just the absence or presence of cyclic nucleotides, but a highly coordinated balance between these molecules regulates cell migration. Multi-drug resistance protein 4 (MRP4), is a member of the large family of ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporter proteins, that localizes to the plasma membrane and functions as a nucleotide efflux transporter and thus plays a pivotal role in the regulation of intracellular cyclic nucleotide dynamics. In our study …

Downregulation Of Prdm16 Is Critical For Hoxb4-Mediated Benign Hsc Expansion In Vivo, Hui Yu

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Overexpression of HOXB4 in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) leads to increased self-renewal without causing hematopoietic malignancies in transplanted mice. The molecular basis of HOXB4-mediated benign HSC expansion in vivo is not well understood. To gain further insight into the molecular events underlying HOXB4-mediated HSC expansion, we analyzed gene expression changes at multiple time points in Lin-Sca1+c-kit+ (LSK) cells from mice transplanted with bone marrow (BM) cells transduced with a MSCV-HOXB4-ires-YFP vector. A distinct HOXB4 transcriptional program was reproducibly induced and stabilized by 12 weeks after transplant. Dynamic expression changes were observed in genes critical for HSC self- renewal as well …

Strengths And Weaknesses Of Hybrid Tpr Technology For Obtaining Structural And Mechanistic Insights Into Tpr Proteins, Shanshan Yu

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Tetratricopeptide (TPR) repeats are a 34-residue helix-turn-helix motif that when repeated pack into a superhelical structure. TPR domains are frequently found mediating protein-protein interactions, often through a central groove. One protein complex bearing numerous TPR repeats is the Anaphase Promoting Complex (APC). The anaphase-promoting complex (APC) is a multi-subunit complex, which orchestrates mitotic cell cycles. APC is an E3 ligase in the ubiquitin cascade, and directs the 26S proteosome degradation of cell-cycle regulators. Throughout mitotic progression, proteins that are key regulators of the cell cycle are assembled with polyubiquitin chains by APC.

One domain of the human APC is comprised …

Reading And Math Outcome Equity Of Students, By Language, Ethnicity, And Gender Conditions, Required To Participate In An Attendance Court Program Based On Excessive School Absences, Kenneth E. Defrank

Student Work

The purpose of this study is to determine the reading and math outcome equity of students, by, language, ethnicity, and gender conditions required to participate in the Grand Island Public Schools Attendance program based on third-grade through eighth grade excessive school absences in the 2010–2011 school year. The data presented in the study indicates that overall the Grand Island Public School Attendance program improved attendance of students who were involved in the attendance program. In the third-grade 77% of students involved in the attendance program improved their attendance. In the fourth-grade 83% of students involved in the attendance program improved …

Tuning In And Tuning Out Technology, Jasmin Tahmaseb-Mcconatha

Psychology Faculty Publications

Clearly the picture is complex. A large percentage of Americans benefit from the use of technology. The Internet can serve as a valuable tool for people of all ages. It can empower to be better informed about our health and enable us to connect with family, friends. It can help us do our more efficiently. But these benefits have costs. Connectivity both increases and decreases social isolation.

Media Sensationalism And Its Implications On The Public Understanding Of Science, Christopher Barsoum

HIM 1990-2015

Myths, misinformation, and sensationalism. These are common enemies that directly inhibit the public understanding of science. In particular, the media is often responsible for mishandling or otherwise misrepresenting scientific information, historically and presently speaking. Many sources can combat the public understanding of science through pseudoscientific means. This includes but is not limited to religion, the media, politics, or just simple hearsay. For example, Young Earth creationism is deeply rooted in Christian theology, but the beliefs hold no scientific basis. Yet, almost half of Americans still believe in Young Earth creationism. Another such example is anti-vaccination campaigns due to fears of …

Physical Health Outcomes Of The Stigmatizer, William Butler

HIM 1990-2015

This thesis explores physical health outcomes of individuals that hold stigma against those with mental illness. The stigmatizer is mentioned in the literature as an individual that holds a stigma towards another group. In this thesis, stigma refers to those that hold prejudice and may express discrimination towards a targeted group. Two studies were conducted that looked at multiple demographic variables as well as symptomology and degree of stigma towards those with mental illness. The first study looked at overall stigma without the stereotypical psychosomatic symptoms (chest pain and abdominal pain). The second study looked at a second dimension of …

The Constitutionality Of Warrantless Cell Phone Searches: Incident To Arrest, Kylie Brown

HIM 1990-2015

As technology has developed, Americans have come to carry their most private information around with them in their pockets in digital form on their cell phones. A cell phone has immense storage capacity and can contain a wide variety of communicative information about its owner. In the past, there had been a disagreement among the lower courts as to whether police officers could search the contents of an arrestee's cell phone when making an arrest. The United States Supreme Court settled this disagreement in Riley v. California; in that case, the Court held that the warrantless search of a cell …

Cultural Relevance In Medicine: An Evaluation Of Cultural Competence Curriculum Integration In Southeastern Medical Schools, Leslie Gannon

HIM 1990-2015

Cultural competence in health care provision has been broadly identified as the need for providers to acknowledge, address, or incorporate an understanding of the cultural and social context of patients' lives into the process of treating and managing patient's illnesses. However, how cultural competence can be incorporated has been the subject of debates in biomedicine and anthropology, and has often been met with difficulties in physician practice. These challenges arise from differing perspectives about how cultural competence is understood and institutional neglect of culturally relevant education. While the need for cultural competence integration into health care practitioner training during medical …

Predicting Science Literacy And Science Appreciation, Robert Hellmuth

HIM 1990-2015

Research has shown that the benefits of having a populace literate in science are great. Even if citizens are not literate in basic science, it is important that citizens still appreciate science and those with expertise in the field for many reasons. Recent research suggests that the United States (U.S.) has lower levels of science literacy than it should. Evidence may also suggest that many U.S. citizens are not appreciative of science. Overall, little research has been conducted on what may predict science literacy and science appreciation which is the aim of this research. Specifically, I have examined socio-personal variables, …

Exploring A Relationship Between Social Anxiety Disorder And Bilingualism, Nicholas James

HIM 1990-2015

This study investigated the possible relationship between bilingualism and social anxiety disorder. Past research has indicated developmental delays in language as increasing risk for other psychological difficulties. With the pressure to learn two languages, possibly in the drastically different environments of home, school, and/or work, individuals may be vulnerable to becoming socially anxious in conjunction with language use. This study examined a series of factors surrounding linguistic development and reports of social anxiety. Participants were divided into 4 groups: Socially Anxious (SA; n = 43) monolinguals, Non-Socially Anxious (Non-SA; n = 81) monolinguals, SA bilinguals (n = 30), and Non-SA …

A Comparison Of Anthropometric And Maximal Strength Measures In Rugby Union Players, Thomas Gamazo

HIM 1990-2015

To examine differences in body composition and maximal strength between collegiate (CLG) and men's club (CLB) rugby union players, as well as between the forward (FW) and back (BK) positions, seventeen resistance-trained men (24 ± 2.4 yrs; range: 20 ± 27 yrs; 179.3 ± 5.4 cm; 93.7 ± 12.9kg) from a collegiate rugby team (n=11) and a local men's rugby club (n=6) were recruited to participate in the present investigation. Prior to strength testing, height (± 0.1 cm), body mass (± 0.1 kg), and body composition via dual energy x-ray absorptiometry were assessed to determine total percent body fat (%FAT), …

Libertarian, Liberal, And Socialist Concepts Of Disributive Justice, Daniel Kassebaum

HIM 1990-2015

What makes for a just society constitutes one of the most intensely debated subject among political philosophers. There are many theorists striving to identify principles of justice and each believes his/hers theory to be the best. The literature on this subject is much too voluminous to be canvassed in its entirety here. I will, however, examine the stances and arguments of three key schools of thought shaping the modern discussion of social justice: libertarianism (particularly Robert Nozick and Milton and Rose Friedman), liberal egalitarianism (John Rawls and Ronald Dworkin), and socialism (Karl Marx and John Roemer). Each of these schools …

Investing In An Interconnected Workforce: Global Education Reform, Amelia Klug

HIM 1990-2015

Regardless of culture, socio-economic background, and quality of life, all students deserve the highest quality of education. But the reality is, many education systems around the world do not offer it. Investing in structural reforms in education has the potential to boost economic growth in countries around the world. By learning from different education systems strengths and weaknesses, policy decisions can be made that ensure students are given the opportunity for higher educational outcomes. This study analyzes high, middle, and low quality education systems around the world and the infrastructures that lead to educational success or failure. Fifteen education systems …

Madama Butterfly: The Mythology; Or How Imperialism And The Patriarchy Crushed Butterfly's Wings, Adriana Nieves

HIM 1990-2015

As a popular historic work with constant and worldwide performances, the sexist and racist narratives disseminated by Giacomo Puccini's opera Madama Butterfly causes harmful social and political ramifications. Many scholars point to this opera specifically when discussing the fetishization of Asian females, and mention the title character as the quintessential example of damaging stereotypes. Thus, I conduct a postcolonial and feminist reading of Madama Butterfly, through analysis of the opera's libretto, the libretto sources, and the opera's score. I unravel the Orientalist assumptions that make up the foundation of the Butterfly narrative, and trace them as they make their way …

Exploring The Effects Of Social Media Use On The Mental Health Of Young Adults, Amelia Strickland

HIM 1990-2015

The intent of this thesis is to explore the relationship between social media use and mental health in the young adult population. Current research indicates that there is a connection between increased social media use and deteriorated mental health. Unfortunately, young adults, the most active social media users, have a predominantly high risk for developing mental health issues, making this connection particularly concerning. At present, it is unclear how social media and mental health are connected; therefore this thesis explores the individual and social theories that may give reason for this connection. Theories that are discussed include: the impact of …

Exploring The Impact Of Bibliotherapy And Family Literacy Bags On Elementary Students Experiencing Divorce, Simone Smith

HIM 1990-2015

The purpose of this research project was to use picture books to create family literacy bags surrounding the topic of divorce, in order to explore their impact on children and families. Divorce is on the rise and so many children are facing, or may face divorce, in their preadolescent lives. This thesis involved creating a tool that will help enrich family support and guidance with issues or stressors that arise from the divorce. As educators, caregivers and school personnel consider the use of family literacy bags, my research has the potential to impact these students and their families. Through my …