Digital Commons Network^™

The Effectiveness Of Risk Assessment Training On Self-Reported Safe Behaviors Of Employees Of A Manufacturing Organization, Jeffrey Tate Preston

Online Theses and Dissertations

This study is to examine the effectiveness of risk assessment training on self-reported safe behaviors of individuals who are employed by a manufacturing organization in a central Kentucky organization. The analysis was comprised of 31 participants that worked in the production and office areas of a manufacturing organization. These individuals volunteered to participate in the study through the use of informed consent.

A pre-test was conducted prior to a risk assessment training being conducted at the facility. Three weeks after the training was preformed a post-test was taken to evaluate the effectiveness of the training. By determining the a summary …

How Not Being Able To Drive Can Affect Routines And Occupations Related To Transportation, Stedmon Deon Hopkins

Online Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how individuals who have experienced a TBI described the effects not being able to drive has on their routines and occupations related to transportation. Two participants were interviewed, using a semi-structured interview protocol, about their participation in daily routines and occupations related to driving cessation after experiencing a TBI. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. Data was analyzed by coding significant phrases, grouping the codes into categories, and generating descriptions of the participants' perceptions. Member checks were performed for trustworthiness. After analyzing the data, four themes emerged. The themes were; hoping to …

Culture And The Sweet 16 Boys Basketball Tournament, James Corey Sayre

Online Theses and Dissertations

This is a cultural look at the importance of the Kentucky Boys Sweet 16 Basketball Tournament.

Influential Factors In International Students' College Choice Of A Rural, Regional University, Mahsa Abdolalizadeh

Online Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates college choice factors that influence the decision-making of international students to attend a regional, rural university. Specifically, the study examines students' priorities within and among four categories of characteristics, namely, institutional characteristics, program characteristics, marketing and recruitment characteristics, and significant others characteristics. Various items within each characteristic category measure the significance of the pertaining characteristic. Data was collected through a quantitative survey administered to enrolled international students at Eastern Kentucky University. Descriptive statistics including frequencies, means, and standard deviations were utilized to analyze the data. Results indicate that program characteristics (most importantly the programs' reputation and the …

Neuroprotective Effects Of Gamma-Glutamylcysteine Ethyl Ester On An In Vivo Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury-Mediated Model And In Vitro In Cortical Astrocytes And Neurons, Jooyoung Cho

Online Theses and Dissertations

Neurodegeneration is the loss of neuronal structures or functions, while neuroprotection is the delay or prevention of neurodegeneration. In traumatic brain injury (TBI), neurodegeneration can occur as the result of oxidative stress, the imbalance of oxidants and antioxidants levels; therefore, antioxidant approaches can be effective therapeutic methods for neuroprotection by attenuating oxidative stress. Glutathione (GSH), a naturally occurring antioxidant, plays an important role in the maintenance of intracellular redox homeostasis by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS). In this thesis, we attempted to evaluate the abilities of a GSH precursor, gamma-glutamylcysteine ethyl ester (GCEE), to prevent …

Like And Share: The Effectiveness Of Social Media On University Student Response Behavior During Emergency Events, Ashley Brooke Collett

Online Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to identify how effective the use of social media is when used by university students during emergency events. The literature review included in this thesis studies the cases made by other researchers, who were equally as curious about social media's communication effectiveness, and in some incidents evaluated how it was used, the results produced, and what contribution it made during the timeline of that emergency.

The methodology inquired about, and examined, the types of events which students most commonly use social media, the frequency of such use, and their interest in seeing this type …

Evaluating The Suitability Of Phased Evacuation And Contraflow For The Evacuation Of Boston's Coastal Population, Courtney Connor

Online Theses and Dissertations

Because the city of Boston rests along the Atlantic coast and is highly vulnerable to flooding from hurricanes, local emergency planners have considered utilizing phased evacuation and contraflow strategies as a means to more effectively evacuate. This research attempted to determine whether phased evacuation or contraflow are suitable evacuation strategies that can be incorporated into Boston's evacuation plan in order to increase the evacuation rate and reduce motor vehicle congestion.

A computer simulation evaluating the use and non-use of phased evacuation and contraflow was performed. The simulated evacuation included 50% of the population from South Boston and the Columbia Point …

Farmers With Upper-Limb Amputations And Their Daily Routine, Emily Louise Fintel

Online Theses and Dissertations

For upper-limb amputees who are associated with the farming industry, the process of completing daily occupations may be challenging, especially for those who have not received guidance from occupational therapy. Currently, there is little research in the area of farmers with amputations and their daily routine. The purpose of this phenomenological case study was to explore the attitudes, beliefs, and needs related to the daily routines of upper-limb amputee who is currently working or has previously worked in the farming industry. Participant was asked to share his/her daily routine and how the amputation has affected her ability to perform everyday …

Impact Of Career And Technical Education On College And Career Readiness In Kentucky, Linda Smith Floyd

Online Theses and Dissertations

The study examined the college and career readiness (CCR) results of a persistently low achieving (PLA) high school located in rural Kentucky. The study included a quantitative analysis examining the statistical role of career and technical education (CTE) in the Kentucky accountability system for high schools. The study assessed student results on academic and technical assessments required by the state's accountability model for CCR as reported for the 2012 and 2013 school years. Frequencies and independent sample t-tests were utilized.

The absence of significant statistical differences between preparatory students, those completing two credits and enrolled in the third credit in …

Building Advocacy In Healthcare: The Impact Of Intergroup Dialogue On The Cultural Sensibility Outcomes Of Health Profession Students Using An Individual Diversity Development Framework, Chassity Leeshell Holliman Douglas

Online Theses and Dissertations

Racial and ethnic minorities suffer disproportionately from persistent health disparities such as heart disease, hypertension, cancer, asthma, obesity, and diabetes among others (Sullivan & Mittman, 2010). Several social inequalities influence the characteristics of minority health disparities including higher levels of poverty, insufficient education, unemployment, poor housing conditions, and lack of health insurance. However, healthcare disparities are also influential contributors to health disparities. Healthcare disparities are brought about through differences in access to or availability of quality facilities, care, and services. Given the unequal circumstances that are formed from health and healthcare disparities for minority populations, the increase in the diversity …

The Relationship Between Teachers' Perceptions Of Student Management With Out-Of-School Suspensions And High School Graduation Rates, Caryn Letcher Huber

Online Theses and Dissertations

Teachers' perceptions contribute to who is removed from the classroom (Fenning & Rose, 2007). The Kentucky Department of Education use a teacher self-report instrument called the Teaching, Empowering, Leading and Learning (TELL) survey to assess teaching conditions in eight areas to predict teacher satisfaction, employment trajectories and ultimately guide school improvement. The New Teacher Center found a correlation exists between the Managing Student Conduct construct of the TELL Kentucky Survey responses and student achievement (National Teacher Center, 2013). This study investigates the relationship between Managing Student Conduct construct with Graduation Rates and Out-of-School Suspension. Graduation Rate is one of five …

Local Color's Finest Hour: Kentucky Literature At The Turn Of The Twentieth Century, Brian Clay Johnson

Online Theses and Dissertations

This thesis takes into consideration literature created by various authors during the period 1890 to 1910, the turn of the twentieth century. This thesis looks specifically at the works produced during that time period by authors from Kentucky, living in Kentucky, or with strong ties to the state. The texts themselves illustrated these ties, as they all focused on or related to Kentucky at the time.

The data that was gathered for this thesis came directly from the writings themselves. In order to research the appropriate authors and the works they produced, the author read all of the materials discussed …

A Retrospective Analysis Of Paramedic Student Performance Under Simulated Stress, Nicholas Franklin Miller

Online Theses and Dissertations

The paramedic profession is an inherently difficult, dangerous and stressful profession. The paramedic is constantly barraged with acute stressors during the performance of his duties. These stressors have predictable, documented, negative effects on performance. The acute and chronic exposure to stress can negatively impact the safety and the well being of the paramedic. These stressors, if not successfully managed, can also result in negative effects to patients. Despite the overwhelming presence of stress in the paramedic environment, most paramedics receive little or no training to successfully perform under stress. One exception was a program called Trauma Lanes that was held …

Comparing Orgasm Descriptions Between The Sexes, Christopher Frederick Palmer

Online Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the effects of sex and sexual context (masturbation or sexual intercourse) on characteristics present in descriptions of orgasms from 291 undergraduate participants aged 18 years or older, using the coding scheme presented in the Human Orgasm Model (Mah & Binik, 2001). Participants were asked to describe their most recent orgasm, and to designate whether the orgasm occurred during masturbation or sexual intercourse. Twenty men and 34 women achieved their orgasm through masturbation, and 47 men and 190 women achieved their orgasm through sexual intercourse. The Human Orgasm Model specifies 26 characteristics of orgasms, of which 25 were …

The Effect Of University Campus Recreation Programs On Student Retention, Caelin Scott

Online Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effect campus recreation programs have on student retention for full-time freshman students at Eastern Kentucky University. Gender, first-generation, non-traditional students and participation in recreation programs were used as predictor variables for the purpose of this study. Data were collected from Eastern Kentucky University's campus recreation database on the utilization of general gym facility use, Adventure Programs, and Intramural Sports. The analysis of the results revealed that the retention rates of students who participated in campus recreation programs were higher than the students who did not participate in campus recreation programs had a higher retention rate than …

Population Genetics Of Wood Frogs (Lithobates Sylvaticus) In A Forested Ridge-Top Wetland Ecosystem, Jennifer R. Strong

Online Theses and Dissertations

An important aspect of conservation biology is understanding how land-use changes impact biodiversity. Ridge-top wetlands are unique habitat for pond-breeding amphibians and the Daniel Boone National Forest (DBNF) contains natural forested ridge-top wetlands in close proximity to constructed wetlands intermixed across the same landscape. Genetic data can be used to address current population status, probability of persistence, and population connectivity. The objective of this study was to determine the amount and distribution of population genetic diversity of wood frogs in natural ridge-top wetlands and what factors influence this. Genetic data were analyzed for nine microsatellite DNA loci from twenty-five wood …

Exploring The Attitudes Of Criminal Justice And Homeland Security Students Regarding Assessment Techniques In Online Courses, Terry Allen Taylor

Online Theses and Dissertations

Substantial increases in online education since the start of the 21st century requires investigation in to how online courses differ from traditional face-to-face courses. It is particularly important to discover how online students learn and which assessment methods they prefer and see as most beneficial to online learning. Using online assessment techniques that correspond with those rated highly my online students can lead to better student experiences in online courses and improved persistence rates in online courses, which have traditionally be lower compared to face-to-face courses.

The participants for the study sample included online students majoring in Bachelor of Science …

Safety During A Disaster: A Comparison Of Disaster Events, Lauren Webb

Online Theses and Dissertations

Disasters such as hurricanes disrupt the lives of everyone in their path. The preparation for and response during and after such an event can make all the difference for those involved. Past hurricanes need to be learned from, hurricanes such as Katrina and Hugo; lessons learned from events like these can be applied in future ones such as they were in Sandy and Gustav. This thesis reviews past research done concerning problems and themes of unsafe situations during hurricanes in urban centers, finding these themes and making suggestions to be used in the future to attempt to prevent future re-occurrences. …

Phenotype Of Transgenic Mice Carrying A Very Low Copy Number Of The Mutant Human G93a Superoxide Dismutase-1 Gene Associated With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Jeffrey S. Deitch, Guillermo M. Alexander, Andrew Bensinger, Steven Yang, Juliann T. Jiang, Terry D. Heiman-Patterson

PCOM Scholarly Works

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease of the motor neuron. While most cases of ALS are sporadic, 10% are familial (FALS) with 20% of FALS caused by a mutation in the gene that codes for the enzyme Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1). There is variability in sporadic ALS as well as FALS where even within the same family some siblings with the same mutation do not manifest disease. A transgenic (Tg) mouse model of FALS containing 25 copies of the mutant human SOD1 gene demonstrates motor neuron pathology and progressive weakness similar to ALS patients, leading to death …

Immediate Return To Ambulation And Improved Functional Capacity For Rehabilition In Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Following Early Implantation Of A Spinal Cord Stimulation System, Brandon Jesse Goff, Jeremy Wingseng Naber, John Patrick Mccallin, Edward Michael Lopez, Kevin Brant Guthmiller, Karl Alan Lautenschlager, Tristan Toll Lai, Dean Harry Hommer, Gonzalez Raul Marin

PCOM Scholarly Works

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a neuropathic pain condition that is characterized by vasomotor, sensory, sudomotor, and motor symptoms. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has been successfully utilized for the treatment of pain refractory to conventional therapies. We present a case of a previously highly functioning 54-year-old female who developed a rarely reported case of idiopathic CRPS of the right ankle which spontaneously occurred four months after an uncomplicated anterior cervical disc fusion. This condition resulted in severe pain and functional impairment that was unresponsive to pharmacological management. The patient's rehabilitation was severely stymied by her excruciating pain. However, with …

Windows Of Opportunity: Family Systems Theory And Developmental Considerations For Supporting Youth, Parents And Clinicians In The Digital Age, Steven Barreto, Sue K. Adams, Jennifer Daly

Journal of Youth Development

Digital technology use is an integral part of children’s and adolescent’s lives. With the rapid evolution of technology, adult caregivers can easily feel overwhelmed by the daunting task of setting boundaries on technology use. Family systems theory offers a unique perspective for understanding how external factors (i.e., technology) can impede or enhance the family system, particularly when integrated into a developmental framework. Five clinical concepts are presented that weave together developmental tasks and family systems theory. This paper offers recommendations for clinicians to help parents understand the potentially harmful consequences of technology use across the developmental spectrum. We also provide …

Youth Online Media Use: Associations With Youth Demographics, Parental Monitoring, And Parent-Child Relationships, Jessie Rudi, Jodi Dworkin

Journal of Youth Development

As online media has become an increasingly important part of youths’ daily lives, it is critical for the field to explore questions related to youth online media use in order to support youth workers, youth development practice and programming. Using a national sample of youth age 13-22 (N = 585), the current study explored demographic differences in youth online media use, and examined associations between youth demographics, parental monitoring, parent-child relationship quality, and likelihood of being a frequent user of online activities. Although youth reported being frequent users of online media, Internet use was not the same for all youth. …

Analysis Of Soil And Groundwater Microbial Population Dynamics At In Situ Bioremediation Sites In California And Texas, Farrar C. Stewart

LSU Master's Theses

Traditional methods for assessing in situ microbial communities often provide limited information on substrate utilization in bioremediation processes. The goal of this research was to assess new methods for describing the microbial communities found in the groundwater and affected contaminated soils documenting changes in community structure, population dynamics, substrate utilization and biodegradation of constituents of concern (CoC) during a site remediation. Two in situ bioremediation pilot studies using biological plugs are being conducted, one in the California San Francisco Bay Area (Sunnyvale) and one in the East Texas Piney Woods (Longhorn). The hypothesis is that changes in community structure, population …

Are Individuals Fickle-Minded?, Mathew D. Mccubbins, Mark Turner

Faculty Scholarship

Game theory has been used to model large-scale social events — such as constitutional law, democratic stability, standard setting, gender roles, social movements, communication, markets, the selection of officials by means of elections, coalition formation, resource allocation, distribution of goods, and war — as the aggregate result of individual choices in interdependent decision-making. Game theory in this way assumes methodological individualism. The widespread observation that game theory predictions do not in general match observation has led to many attempts to repair game theory by creating behavioral game theory, which adds corrective terms to the game theoretic predictions in the hope …

State’S Rights, Last Rights, And Voting Rights, Guy-Uriel Charles, Luis Fuentes-Rohwer

Faculty Scholarship

There are two ways to read the Supreme Court’s decision in Shelby County Alabama v. Holder: as a minimalist decision or as a decision that undermines the basic infrastructure of voting rights policy, law, and jurisprudence. In this Article, we present the case for reading Shelby County as deeply destabilizing. We argue that Shelby County has undermined three assumptions that are foundational to voting rights policy, law, and jurisprudence. First, the Court has generally granted primacy of the federal government over the states. Second, the Court has deferred to Congress particularly where Congress is regulating at the intersection of race …

Federalism As A Way Station: Windsor As Exemplar Of Doctrine In Motion, Neil S. Siegel

Faculty Scholarship

This Article asks what the Supreme Court’s opinion in United States v. Windsor stands for. It first shows that the opinion leans in the direction of marriage equality but ultimately resists any dispositive “equality” or “federalism” interpretation. The Article next examines why the opinion seems intended to preserve for itself a Delphic obscurity. The Article reads Windsor as an exemplar of what judicial opinions may look like in transition periods, when a Bickelian Court seeks to invite, not end, a national conversation, and to nudge it in a certain direction. In such times, federalism rhetoric—like manipulating the tiers of scrutiny …

Early Clinical Predictors Of Intractable Epilepsy In Childhood, Semra Saygi, İlknur Erol, Füsun Alehan

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

In this retrospective study, we evaluated the clinical responses to antiepileptic drug (AED) therapy in pediatric epilepsy patients treated at a single center. Materials and methods: We identified 28 children with intractable epilepsy and 213 patients with drug-responsive epilepsy. Results: Univariate analysis showed that age at onset, high (daily) initial seizure frequency, infantile spasm, history of neonatal seizures, abnormal neurodevelopmental status, neurological abnormalities, mental retardation, remote symptomatic etiology, and abnormal brain imaging results were significant risk factors for the development of intractable epilepsy (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that high (daily) initial seizure frequency and remote symptomatic etiology were significant and independent risk factors for intractable epilepsy (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Our study suggests that the risk of developing intractable epilepsy in childhood may be predicted, to some extent, by the early clinical course. Early identification of patients at high risk of developing intractable epilepsy will guide appropriate therapy and reduce exposure to ineffectual treatments.

Leiomyoma Of The Esophagus: Open Versus Thoracoscopic Enucleation, Sedat Zi̇yade, Hüseyi̇n Kadioğlu, Şenel Yedi̇yildiz, Nur Büyükpinarbaşili, Ömer Soysal

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

To describe a novel, easy, and secure thoracoscopic surgical approach for esophageal leiomyomas. Materials and methods: We retrospectively analyzed 18 cases in which patients were treated at a single center between 1991 and 2011 for esophageal leiomyoma. We compared our results of patients who were treated by open surgery with those who were treated by the thoracoscopic approach, and we also compared our results with the results of resection of the leiomyoma of the esophagus in the literature. Results: Eighteen patients were studied. Eight patients were treated with 3-port thoracoscopic surgery, 8 with open thoracotomy, 1 with surgical incision, and …

A Pilot Experimental Study Of A Catheter To Facilitate Treatment For Penetrating Cardiac Injury, Mahmut Tokur, Mehmet Ergi̇n, İbrahi̇m Can Kürkçüoğlu, Zerri̇n Defne Dündar

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Penetrating heart injuries result in high mortality. We designed a new catheter to facilitate the treatment of penetrating cardiac injuries and provide more effective initial bleeding control and fluid replacement. Materials and methods: The cardiac injury model was applied to 8 female 1-year-old Sus domesticus pigs. Subjects were grouped according to whether a Foley catheter or a newly designed catheter was placed into the heart through cardiac lacerations. Changes in systolic blood pressures, mortality, and problems encountered during surgery and other intraoperative findings were recorded. Results: There were higher mean blood pressure measurements in the newly designed catheter group during …

Investigation Into The Frequency Of Helicobacter Pylori Infection With Carbon 14 Urea Breath Test In Patients With Vitiligo, Emi̇ne Nur Ri̇fai̇oğlu, Füsun Aydoğan, Bi̇lge Bülbül Şen, Tuğba Şen, Özlem Eki̇z

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Vitiligo is a common, acquired depigmenting skin disorder. The relationship between Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection and autoimmune dermatological disease has been previously reported. However, the frequency of HP infection in patients with vitiligo has not been reported. In this study, we aimed to investigate the frequency of HP infection with the carbon 14 (C14) urea breath test (UBT) in patients with vitiligo. Materials and methods: This study included 34 patients (18 males and 16 females) with vitiligo and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. HP infection was diagnosed using the C14 UBT (Heliprobe). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 19. …