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South By Southwest, Llc: A Report On Volunteer Coordination, Sarah Spivey

Arts Administration Master's Reports (1984-2016)

This internship report reviews the privately owned, for-profit entity South By Southwest (SXSW), and the main festival it produces each March. The report includes an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the organization, and offers suggestions for improvements. The history of SXSW, a description of volunteer programs, and a breakdown of the staff structure provide a basic understanding of the organization. For the purpose of this internship report, the timeframe being reviewed covers January through May 2014.

The Louisiana Children’S Museum: A Time Of Transition, Kathleen Rachel Ledet

Arts Administration Master's Reports (1984-2016)

This report details an internship with the Louisiana Children’s Museum’s development office, which started in February 2014; transitioned from internship to employment in May 2014; and concluded in June 2014 after the Museum’s fundraising event, Circus Magic Night. In this paper, I will provide an overview of the Museum’s history, programs, and organizational structure, as well as describe my internship experience and contributions over a period of five months and 480 hours. Additionally, I will analyze LCM’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats; discuss relevant best practices; and finally, offer recommendations that propose solutions to some of the challenges I observed …

Self-Regulation Theory And Self-Monitoring Of Blood Glucose Behavior In Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus., Jennifer E. F. Ward

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) as part of a selfregulatory process of health decision-making using the Self-Regulation Model of illness perceptions, or Common Sense Model. Participants were N=185 individuals with type 2 diabetes from a specialty diabetes clinic prescribed subcutaneous insulin or other injectable diabetes medication at least daily. Collected information included both medical chart data and self-report questionnaires completed prior receiving lab results. Self-care burden was generally high; the modal prescribed times per day of injecting insulin was 4 with modal SMBG recommendations of 3-4 times per day. Participants reported high adherence to prescribed medication …

Biomarker Discovery Of Liver Diseases Using Mass Spectrometry-Based Metabolomics., Xue Shi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Metabolomics has emerged as one of the latest of the "-omics" disciplines that can detect metabolite biomarkers in biological samples. The diverse characteristics of metabolites make the analytical platform challenging in metabolomics. Two bioanalytical platforms were developed in this study to investigate metabolite abundance changes under different biological conditions. We first developed a bioanalytical platform that coupled linear trap quadruple - Fourier transform ion cyclotron mass spectrometer (LTQ-FTICR MS) with direct infusion chip-based nano-electrospray ionization (DI-nESI) and applied it to study polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) effects on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We also employed this platform in conjunction with in …

Portraits Of Transformation In Higher Education, Christine P. Braun

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Transition Program Experience: How Does It Affect Employment For 18- To 22-Year-Olds With Significant Cognitive Disabilities?, Supattra Wongvisate Andrade

Dissertations

The transition from school to adult life, especially with respect to employment, is a longstanding and critical concern for students with significant cognitive disabilities. Unfortunately, models of services in which schools work with minimal contact with the work community or in which students are trained in isolation (e.g., sheltered workshops) have not proven to be as effective as originally hoped. An emerging model that has promise is one in which the business community has a more direct role in service provision and in which there are partnerships between businesses and service agencies. The purpose of this study was to examine …

The Influence Of Mileage Club On Females' Body Image And Self-Esteem, Shanda Crowder

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Using An Early Warning System To Identify Potential High School Dropouts, Dawn B. Hillman

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Narratives Of Competency, Creativity, And Comfort: Religion And Spirituality In Counselor Education, R. David Johns

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Undergraduate Nursing Student Situation Awareness During Simulation, Lynn Phillips

Dissertations

Graduate nurses encounter complex and rapidly changing patient care situations that require attentiveness, careful surveillance, and the recognition of subtle changes and patterns that will lead to appropriate decisions. Many researchers concur that new graduates are ill-equipped to meet these challenges, resulting in significant risk to patient safety. Situation Awareness (SA) is a skill that has been taught in the field of aviation to facilitate decision-making in complex, dynamic situations; however, there is little known about how nursing students develop SA. This mixed methods explorative study contrasted sophomore and senior nursing students’ (n=33) measured levels of SA during simulations of …

Being Undocumented In The United States: The Impact On Mexican Immigrants' Mental Health, Karina B. Samaniego Estrada

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was twofold: (a) to obtain a deep understanding of the phenomenon of being undocumented in the United States based on undocumented Mexican immigrants’ experiences and perceptions and (b) to identify how immigrants’ mental health was impacted by the phenomenon. A phenomenological research design was employed in this study and saturation was reached after a total of eight participants were interviewed. Several common themes emerged that described the participants’ experiences in varying aspects of their lives: low wages; guilt; fear of driving; financial difficulties; social isolation; limitations exclusive to undocumented immigrants such as limited access …

Resilience And Coping: The Perspectives Of Cancer Patients, Family Caregivers, And Medical Volunteers At Khampramong Monastery, Thailand, Wipanee Su-Kerb

Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore in-depth experiences of cancer patients, family caregivers, and medical volunteers who engaged in the treatment and services provided at Khampramong Monastery, Thailand, particularly in the areas of resilience and coping. Participants included 21 individuals (eight cancer patients, eight family caregivers, and five medical volunteers). Data collection was conducted at Khampramong Monastery (Thailand) during the summer of 2013 including interviews, field observations, and artifact collections. Moustakas’s (1994) phenomenological method was used for data analysis. Bracketing (Creswell, 1998) was employed to set aside researcher bias. Standards of trustworthiness were employed throughout all phases …

Educational Resiliency In Teen Mothers, Linnea Lynne Watson

Dissertations

Teen pregnancy has been heralded as a social issue that affects families for generations. While recent research has shown the long-term effects are not as devastating as once predicted, more than 40 years after the passage of Title IX, legislation mandating equal educational opportunities for pregnant and parenting teens, only 50% of teen parents graduate high school, lagging far behind their non-parenting peers. Additionally, most of the research on this at-risk population comes from the social science field rather than the educational arena, leaving a research gap on the educational opportunities teen parents receive from within the field of education …

Accommodating Conservation: Regulating Architectural Heritage In A Himalayan Tourist Town, Jamie Kathleen Johnson

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation discusses the construction of socio-spatial landscapes in Leh, Ladakh and elucidates the relationships between stakeholders in the tourism arena, conservation profession, regional and state government, and local civil society. It explains processes of urban regulation, juxtaposing the (re)production and representation of Ladakhi architectural heritage both during the conservation of historical buildings and during the construction of new tourist accommodations. Qualitative ethnographic research and spatial studies were conducted to investigate how competing discourses on Ladakhi heritage generated by state-based tourism industries and by non-governmental organizations are shaping building traditions, residence patterns, and livelihoods for resident Ladakhis. Leh's built environment …

Unintended Effects Of Charter School Programs, Christian Buerger

Dissertations - ALL

The dissertation is comprised of three essays, which study unintended effects of charter school programs. Chapter 1 evaluates the influence of charter schools on housing values. The dynamics between school quality and housing markets contribute to the isolation of disadvantaged students in low performing school districts. Charter schools reduce the link between residential location and school services, and hence potentially affect both property values and residential sorting. This chapter examines if charter schools influence the differences in housing prices between school districts and neighborhoods. I begin by developing a theoretical model identifying how charter schools influence school quality and how …

Promoting Innovation While Preventing Discrimination: Policy Goals For The Scored Society, Pasquale, Frank, Citron, Danielle Keats, Frank Pasquale, Danielle Keats Citron

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Identification Of Cell Signaling Pathway Regulated By Micrornas In Cancer Cells Using A Systems Biological Approach, Sangbae Kim

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are single-stranded, non-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression via imperfect binding of the miRNA to specific sites in the 3' untranslated region of the mRNAs. Because prediction of miRNA targets is an essential step for understanding the functional roles of miRNAs, many computational approaches have been developed to identify miRNA targets. However, identifying targets remains challenging due to the inherent limitation of current prediction approaches based on imperfect complementarity between miRNA and its target mRNAs. To overcome these current limitations, we developed a novel correlation-based approach that is sequence independence to predict functional targets of miRNAs by …

Autoimmune Susceptibility Imposed By Public Tcrβ Chains, Yunqian Zhao

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is the strongest genetic risk factor for autoimmunity. It acts together with a corresponding TCR repertoire, yet, considering the extent of the repertoire's diversity, how this imposes disease susceptibility on a population is not well understood. We address the hypothesis that shared or public TCR, those present in most individuals, modulate autoimmune risk. High resolution analyses of autoimmune encephalomyelitis-associated T-cell receptor β chain (TCRβ) showed preferential utilization of public TCR sequences, implicating them in pathogenesis. Disease-associated public TCRβ, when transgenically expressed in association with endogenously rearranged T-cell receptor α chain (TCRα), could further endow unprimed …

Group Iv Cytosolic Phospholipase A2Α Is Critical For The Development Of Angiotensin Ii-Induced Hypertension And Associated Pathogenesis, Nayaab Shehbaz Khan

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Angiotensin II (Ang II) activates cytosolic phospholipase A2α and releases arachidonic acid (AA) from tissue phospholipids. AA metabolites mediate or modulate one or more renocardiovascular effects of this peptide and have been implicated in hypertension. Since AA release is the rate limiting step in eicosanoid production, it is possible that cPLA2α might play a central role in the development of Ang II-induced hypertension. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the effect of Ang II infusion for 13 days by micro-osmotic pumps (700 ng/kg/min), on systolic blood pressure and associated pathophysiological changes in wild type (cPLA2α+/+) and cPLA2α-/- mice. Ang II …

Computer-Aided Drug Design And Discovery, Screening And Synthesis Of Small Molecule Inhibitors Of Nucleoside Transporters, Hilaire Colleen Playa

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Using prior biological data, pharmacophore models were made for hCNT1, hCNT3, hENT1, and hENT4. The hCNT3 and hCNT1 pharmacophore were used to select compounds for biological testing. The NBMPR analogue and dipyridamole analogue hENT1 pharmacophores were compared to each other and to a combined pharmacophore for hENT1. The dipyridamole analogue pharmacophore better predicted non-nucleoside small molecule inhibitors, and as such appears to be the better tool for aiding in the design of new small molecule inhibitors. The hCNT3 pharmacophore failed to select active compounds and as such must be redesigned. The hCNT1 pharmacophore succeeded in identifying two moderately active compounds …

B-Type Natriuretic Peptide (Bnp) Levels During Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (Ecmo) Weaning May Predict Survival To Hospital Discharge, John Graham, Jennifer Flint, Erica Molitor-Kirsch

Posters

Background: Despite apparent clinical and echocardiographic evidence of adequate myocardial function and successful weaning towards decannulation, up to 33% of children who separate from cardiac ECMO do not survive to hospital discharge. Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is used as a marker of myocardial dysfunction in multiple clinical settings. We have anecdotally observed that during ECMO weaning, BNP levels remain stable or decreased in patients who survive after decannulation, but are elevated or rise in other children who die following decannulation.

Hypothesis: We hypothesized that trends in BNP levels during weaning from V-A ECMO may be useful to predict survival after …

A Typology Of Homegrown Terrorists, Cynthia Estella Quintero

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Since the 9/11 attacks by Al Qaeda members against the United States, counterterrorism has become a top priority for policymakers and academic researchers. A critical aspect of this mandate is the prevention and intervention of future terrorist attacks by U.S.-based jihadist and Salafist extremists. This study aims to generate a typology of homegrown terrorists who have been prosecuted by the United States federal government for terrorism offenses within the United States since the 9/11 attacks. The current study uses a sample of 115 cases, involving 194 offenders.

Three clusters of offenders who share a set of demographic, social, and behavioral …

Impact Of Birth Order On Autism Spectrum Disorder Children’S Typically-Developing Siblings, Teresa Orozco

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Having a child with autism not only has devastating consequences for the individual child, but it also profoundly influences the entire family, including siblings. Researchers have explored the impact of having an ASD sibling on the typically-developing brother/sister; these studies have yielded inconsistent results, with some children benefitting from the experience while others encounter negative outcomes. The present study examined the role of birth order on ASD children’s typically-developing siblings’ outcome. It was predicted that typically-developing siblings born prior to their ASD sibling would have fewer behavioral difficulties and would do better academically compared to typically-developing siblings born after their …

The Relationship Between Early Attachment And Marital Satisfaction In Early Adulthood, Seyed Hadi Hosseini Yassin

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between early attachment and marital satisfaction. Whereas partner attachment has been found to be related to marital satisfaction, little research has examined the relationship of early attachment to marital satisfaction. It was hypothesized that early attachment would impact the three components of marital satisfaction, i.e., communication, sexual satisfaction, and love/partner attachment in early adulthood. Participants were 35 male and 119 female college students ages 18 to 40 years (M = 27 yrs), who completed a questionnaire comprised of Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) (Spanier, 1976), the sexual satisfaction subscale from the …

Ophthalmology Snapshot, Nalinee Tuntivanich

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Social And Ecological Factors That Influence Childhood Overweight And Obesity, Katie Callahan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity is increasing at an alarming rate in the United States. Currently more than 1 in 3 children aged 2-19 are overweight or obese. This is of major concern because childhood overweight and obesity leads to chronic conditions such as type II diabetes and tracks into adulthood, where more severe adverse health outcomes arise. In this study I used the premise of the social ecological model (SEM) to analyze the common levels that a child is exposed to daily; the intrapersonal level, the interpersonal level, the school level, and the community level to better …

Handling Authenticity: A Discourse Analysis Of Interviews With Signs-Following Preachers, Chelsie M. Dubay

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The National Geographic Channel’s miniseries “Snake Salvation” resurrected a vested interest with the heavily documented practices of signs-following believers in central Appalachia. The current body of scholarship surrounding these congregations focuses mostly on oral history narratives and explanations of religious fundamentalism; a critical analysis of the discourse shared by these congregation members is noticeably absent.

This thesis explores selected interviews with George Hensley, Andrew Hamblin, Jamie Coots, and Alfred Ball through the interdisciplinary application of discourse analysis paired with social disclosure theory to unveil the underlying struggles with power and personal beliefs expressed by each pastor. The research performed throughout …

Weightlifting, Performing Arts Electives, And Academic Achievement: A Comparison In An East Tennessee High School, Lana Page

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a significant relationship between the academic achievement as measured by ACT English, math, and composite scores of students who took 6 or more credits of weightlifting, 6 or more credits of performing arts, or no elective focus in an East Tennessee high school serving grades 9-12 from the graduating classes of 2010 through 2014. The independent variables were the elective focus groups students took during high school and race and ethnicity. The dependent variables were ACT English, math, and composite scores. A series of one-way analyses of variances (ANOVAs) …

Nicu Culture Of Care For Infants With Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome: A Focused Ethnography, Monica M. Nelson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this ethnographic study was to describe the culture of care and nonpharmacological nursing interventions performed by NICU nurses for infants with NAS. Background: Infants with NAS are increasingly being cared for in the inpatient hospital setting by NICU nurses. Interventions used for the care of premature and sick infants in the NICU may or may not be the exact interventions that should be used for the care of the fragile infant with NAS. Research studies on the nonpharmacological nursing care of infants with NAS encompass 5 main areas of practice: environment, adequate rest and sleep, feeding, …

Developing Mastery In Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, And Morphemic Awareness: A Multiple Case Study Of Preservice Early Childhood Educators, Ruth Facun-Granadozo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences and perceptions of early childhood preservice teachers in a southeastern university as they worked for mastery of phonemic awareness, phonics, and morphemic awareness. Mastery was set at 90% accuracy in a series of tests, which required them to perform different tasks related to the said concepts. One aim of the study was to investigate the preservice teachers’ description of their experiences as they worked for mastery of phonemic awareness, phonics, and morphemic awareness. Another aim was to examine how working for mastery of said concepts influenced their perceptions of preparedness …