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Habitat Usage Of Tri-Colored Bats (Perimyotis Subflavus) In Western Kentucky And Tennessee Post-White Nose Syndrome, Katherine Schaefer

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The tri-colored bat (Perimyotis subflavus) has declined severely across its range since 2006 due to white nose syndrome, a fungal disease causing massive bat mortality in North America. My objective was to determine distinguishing characteristics of roost trees and habitat used by tri-colored bats so that the species’ needs can be considered in management plans. I mist-netted for tri-colored bats in western Kentucky and Tennessee during the summers of 2015 and 2016, and attached a radio transmitter to each captured adult bat. I tracked 15 bats to their day roosts and collected habitat data at 38 roost areas …

Implementation Of A Flipped Classroom In A Non-Majors’ Biology Course, Leah Good

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Changes to teaching practices have been requested in almost every field of science and mathematics but their implementation can be daunting. The flipped classroom has become a popular method in K-16 education for integrating active learning in the classroom. Research on the implementation of flipped classrooms has been met with mixed results, however. I sought to determine the effectiveness of the flipped classroom while addressing methodology needs cited by past studies including: using both faculty and student demographic variables, addressing assessment performance using concept inventories, and studying faculty who are not experts in education. I found that flipped and non-flipped …

Stretch Activated Channels In Proprioceptive Organs Of Crab And Crayfish Are Sensitive To Gadolinium But Not Amiloride, Ruthenium Red Or Low Ph, Viresh Dayaram, Cole A. Malloy, Sarah Martha, Brenda Alvarez, Ikenna Chukwudolue, Nadera Dabbain, Dlovan D.Mahmood, Slavina Goleva, Tori Hickey, Angel Ho, Molly King, Paige Kington, Matthew Mattingly, Samuel Potter, Landon Simpson, Amanda Spence, Henry Uradu, Jacob Van Doorn, Robin L. Cooper

Biology Faculty Publications

The type of stretch activated receptors (SARs) in the chordotonal organs in the crab walking leg and of the muscle receptor organ (MRO) in the crayfish abdomen have not yet been classified as to their molecular or pharmacological profile. The purpose of this study is to examine the pharmacological profile of SARs in the proprioceptive neurons in the crab and crayfish models. Since many SARs share the pharmacological profile of displaying low pH or being proton sensitive (i.e. being more active) or blocked by the diuretic amiloride or ruthenium red as well as being blocked by the broad stretch activated …

Burdens Beget Burden: Examining The Physiological Links Between Psychological Stress And Cardiovascular Disease, Tsion Medreke Aberra

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Introduction

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disorder associated with both cardiovascular disease and mood disorders such as depression and anxiety. Multiple behavioral and physiological processes link depression, psoriasis and atherosclerosis, but inflammation is a major player implicated in the pathogenesis of all three. Psoriasis is associated with vascular inflammation, measured by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT), and an increased risk of myocardial infarction. Vascular inflammation by FDG PET/CT predicts cardiovascular risk and outcomes. Studies have also shown that patients with psoriasis are more likely to suffer from comorbid depression and anxiety. However, whether these comorbidities may accelerate the …

An Examination Of Educators' Perceptions Of Host Country Cultural Dynamics In International Schools Abroad, Sharlene M. Fedorowicz

Educational Studies Dissertations

This research examines dynamics and challenges of relationships between international schools (IS) and host country cultures as perceived by educators. Cultural impacts that influence the capacity of educators to manage, lead, and navigate IS are investigated. A sample of 133 educators (administrators and teachers) employed in IS responded to the survey and 13 of those participants were interviewed using a Mixed Method Sequential Explanatory Design (Creswell, 2009). IS promote international-mindedness where adverse contact zones are minimized by providing opportunities for students of different races, genders, and nationalities to integrate and work together. Although IS provide a strong basis for cultural …

The Relationship Between Parents' Value For Play And Kindergarteners' Mastery Of The Alphabetic Principle, Tamala S. Findley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students who struggle with understanding the alphabetic principle often develop difficulties in reading. Play is known as a key element of early learning, but its perceived value among teachers and parents has declined over the years. This study investigated the relationship between parents' levels of agreement about the value of play and kindergarten students' levels of mastery of the alphabetic principle. The theoretical foundation included the views of Montessori and Piaget, who believed that a classroom with a play-based environment encourages independent thinking and learning. The study's research questions concerned the relationship between 53 parents' levels of agreement about the …

Relationship Between Assisted Reproductive Technology And Risk Of Stillbirth, Jeani Chang

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Assisted reproductive technology (ART) is an infertility treatment used to assist women to become pregnant. Although the procedure is safe, there are gaps in understanding the association between treatment and adverse pregnancy outcomes (e.g., stillbirth) in the United States. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between stillbirth delivery and ART. The 2 research questions addressed the association between methods of conception (ART versus non-ART) and the delivery of a stillbirth, and the association between multiple gestation pregnancy and risk of stillbirths. Retrospective cohort data from the States Monitoring ART collaborative were analyzed using Pearson's chi squared …

The Association Between Dietary Flavonoid Intake And Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Systemic Inflammation, And Comorbidity Burden, Tennador Sanderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Dietary habits may have an impact on COPD through anti-inflammatory mechanisms. For this cross-sectional secondary data analysis study, the advanced model of the epidemiology triangle was used as a guide to assess the association between total daily flavonoid intake and COPD diagnosis, COPD severity, systemic inflammation, and comorbidity burden. Data from over 5,100 male and female participants aged 30 and older were obtained from the 2007-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The prevalence of COPD was 5.2% according to spirometry data. Multiple …

Pre-Employment Polygraphs And Ohio Law Enforcement Officers' Perceptions Of Police Misconduct, Peter Thomas Piraino

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite convincing evidence of the polygraph instrument's lack of scientific validity and reliability in assessing deceptiveness in individuals, public-sector organizations in the United States continue to use the polygraph examination as a pre-employment screening tool. In addition to its lack of acceptance in the scientific community, little is known about the effectiveness of polygraph examinations, given as part of pre-employment screening, in predicting future misconduct in law enforcement officers. Two theoretical frameworks, Baumgartner and Jones' punctuated equilibrium model of policy change and Alvesson and Spicer's theory of functional stupidity, provided the theoretical foundation for this study. The purpose of this …

Growth Capital Strategies For Defense Industry Women-Owned Small Businesses, Karen Renee Butler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Access to growth capital, a critical factor for growing a successful, sustainable business, is a challenge for women-owned small businesses. Following the resource based theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore what capital growth strategies 6 small women-owned business leaders in the defense industry in Dayton, Ohio used to ensure business sustainability beyond the initial start-up period of 1 year. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and company documents. Methodological triangulation, member checking, reflexivity, and an audit trail were used to strengthen credibility and trustworthiness. Based on thematic analysis of the data, emergent themes included growth …

Nonresidential Fathers Parenting Their Children Residing In Shelters: A Phenomenological Study, Karen Denise Hudson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This phenomenological qualitative study explored the parenting role of nonresidential fathers of children living in shelters. Special attention was paid to the perceived contributions of these fathers to the overall health and general well-being of their children residing in shelters. Often separations of nonresidential fathers from their children in shelters decreased their contributions to their children's health and well-being. Increased knowledge of these parental roles and contributions can enhance programs and policies to support these fathers in improving the health and well-being of their children. In-depth semistructured interviews were conducted with 6 demographically diverse nonresidential fathers living in Philadelphia. The …

A Clinical Practice Guideline To Reduce Behavioral Outbursts In Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Mary Adejumoke Badru

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital on the East Coast of the United States, behavioral outbursts result in 2 out of 10 veterans dismissed from a posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) unit prior to completing the 6-week program. The purpose of this evidence-based quality improvement project was to create a clinical practice guideline (CPG) based on social cognitive theory (SCT) to provide new strategies for managing veterans with PTSD and to improve the confidence of the nurses in managing outbursts. The Star Model guided the project development with the Delphi method to achieve participant consensus, the AGREE II to assess …

Effect Of Leadership Development Programs In The Workplace: Strategies For Human Resource Managers, Daniel Francisco Flores

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Business leaders face the challenge of developing their employees to assume leadership positions within their organizations. However, business leaders devote less than 10% of their time to developing employee leadership capabilities through leadership development programs, resulting in poor leadership development programs designed to prepare employees to assume leadership positions. Using transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this multicase study was to explore strategies that human resource managers use to improve their employee leadership development programs. Participants were purposefully selected for their experience improving employee leadership development programs in organizations in Silicon Valley. Data were collected via semistructured interviews over Skype …

Effect Of Self-Determination, Motivation, And Dispositional Optimism With Physical Therapy In Geriatric Patients, Leslie Yaneth Urias-Bodnar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Older people are frequently faced with physical conditions that require treatment. A better understanding of the components of engagement relating to the outcomes of treatment was the focus of the study. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine whether there was an association between the independent variables of optimism, pessimism, motivation, and self-determination and their impact on the dependent variable of achieving physical activity goals in 86 geriatric patients, ages 65 to 80 receiving physical therapy services. The theoretical framework of self-determination, motivation, optimism, and pessimism was assessed by using two self-report questionnaires, The Self-Determination Scale and The …

Nurse Practitioners' Guide On Consumption Of Hundred Percent Fruit Juice By Children, Monisola Adeyemo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Childhood obesity has reached an epidemic level in the United States, growing exponentially and posing a great risk to the current and future health of the American people. The trend of increasing incidence of overweight and obesity in children has been occurring for decades; there is a need for multimodal preventative solutions to control the rate of growth. Sufficient evidence has shown a correlation between the feeding of 100% fruit juice to infants as dietary supplements and childhood obesity. Therefore, the purpose of this project was development of a guideline for 100% fruit juice feeding in children that is adaptable …

Pathopoiesis Mechanism Of Smoking And Shared Genes In Pancreatic Cancer, Ulysses Labilles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Pancreatic cancer (PC) remains a significant, unresolved issue because of its complex genetic blueprint and lack of reliable detection markers. The purpose of this study was to examine the possible correlation between tobacco use, gender, and age in the etiopathogenesis of PC and other cancer types with a shared-gene association (CTSG-A). The unified paradigm of cancer causation was used to understand the pathopoiesis mechanism of smoking and shared genes in PC. A cross-sectional study was performed using secondary data from the cancer survivorship module of the 2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey. Results of ordinal logistic regression analyses indicated …

Efficacy Of Social Media To Promote Green Technology Use, Ehi E. Aimiuwu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Global warming has become a major threat to life, yet very little information systems

research has been conducted to help sustain the environment and many people do not

understand how social media can be used to combat global warming and climate change

to save the earth. The purpose of this single qualitative case study was to explore whether

social media can be used to increase the use of green technology, thereby reducing the

cost of environmental sustainment. According to the integrated sustainability framework,

which served as the conceptual framework for the study, firms should include green

practices in their business …

Historical Trauma's Impact On Dating Violence And Pregnancy Among Urban Native Americans, Shannon Barnes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Native Americans have high rates of teen births and intimate partner violence, though little is known about how historical trauma impacts these experiences. The research that has been conducted on teen pregnancy and violence has been among reservation-based Native Americans; little research has been conducted on the experiences of urban Native Americans. The research question for this study examined the potential impact of historical trauma on the lives of parenting urban Native Americans. This phenomenological study gathered the narrative lived experiences of participants via semistructured interviews. Purposeful random sampling was used to recruit 7 parenting urban Native American teens aged …

How Parenting Behaviors Influence Weight And Health Status Of African American Adolescents, Natasha T. Hourel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There has been an upward trend in obesity among African American (AA) adolescents over the last 2 decades. While parenting characteristics (e.g., styles and practices) are linked to adolescent eating habits and weight status, related research has focused on European American children from 2-parent middle-class households or economically disadvantaged AA children from single mother households. The purpose of this quantitative secondary data analysis was to investigate the relationship between parenting characteristics on the weight status of adolescents aged 12 to 17 years (n = 325) among a broader population of AA mothers and fathers residing both inside and outside of …

Experiences Of Middle-Aged, African American Women With Excessive Weight, Tina Ann Mcclaire

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity and overweight issues are nationally recognized crises for African American women. A noteworthy gap remains in the literature regarding this population's experiences with excessive weight, specifically, the role of culture and social support networks on their experience with being overweight. Without an understanding of the experience and meaning of being overweight for African American women, physicians and clinicians will not be able to fully support African American women in their weight loss journeys. Using the social learning theory as a framework, the purpose of this phenomenological research study was to explore experiences of obese or overweight middle-aged African American …

Achieving Sexual Health : An Evidence-Based Approach To Increase Knowledge Of Sexual Transmitted Infections/Hiv On A College Campus, Folasade Kanimodo

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Sexually Transmitted Infections have resulted in millions of dollars being spent by the public in health care costs. Sexually transmitted infections continue to remain a public health concern among young adults. Youth are more susceptible to overlooking the consequences of promiscuous sexual behavior. Promiscuous behaviors include multi partners, drug and substance abuse and lax condom use practice. Two hundred and eighty college students with ages ranging between 18-24 years completed a 27 questions pretest utilizing Qualtrics software. The survey was designed to assess student knowledge of sexually transmitted infections and human immunodeficiency virus. The student population sampled was primarily from …

A Beacon Of Hope: Inoculating Against Relapse, Allison F. Thieneman

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Inoculation is a robust theory applied to a variety of health behaviors. Social marketing is designed to change behavior by applying marketing tactics in the context of social change. This study combines inoculation theory with social marketing in the context of substance abuse disorders to promote long-term recovery. This is a pilot project that specifically focuses on the Beacon House, a residential recovery treatment center in Louisville, Kentucky. With the growing drug problem in America, it is necessary to implement effective recovery strategies in treatment programs. The social marketing plan focuses on the target audience to outline potential barriers, motivators, …

A Multiple Goals Theoretical Approach To Sexting: Message Content And Scale Development, Christina Harris

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Recently, sexting has gained popularity in both popular press and academic publications. Despite the prevalence of this communicative behavior, there is limited research that focuses on a theoretical explanation as well as how it can potentially enhance relationships. The purpose of this dissertation was threefold: to utilize the multiple goals theoretical perspective to examine sender goals when sexting, to assess if multiple goals within sexting was associated with relational behaviors and outcomes, and to develop a reliable and valid scale for sexting goals.

A two-phase study was implemented. In phase 1, participants provided actual sexting messages they had recently sent …

I Can’T Believe My Instructor Did That?! Middle Eastern Students’ Expectations Of Insturctors’ Verbal And Nonverbal Immediacy Behaviors, Mariam Alabdali

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

This study seeks to explore an understudied population, Middle Eastern students, in the area of instructional communication. Of particular interest, the study seeks to understand how Middle Eastern students’ view their Western instructors’ verbal and nonverbal immediacy. The literature review establishes a conceptualization for verbal and nonverbal immediacy and the relationship between immediacy and gender, and immediacy and culture. Expectancy violations theory is used to understand the phenomena from an expectancy violations perspective and Hofstede’s dimensions will be used in an instructional context to understand how Middle Eastern students’ culture may influence students’ expectations. This study uses a mixed method …

Black Women’S Perspectives On Breast Cancer Detection Messaging, Denise M. Damron

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

A qualitative approach was used to explore the influence of mass media campaigns on Black women’s perceptions of breast cancer. The primary purpose of this study was to address the high breast cancer mortality rate among young Black women, thus informing strategies to increase awareness of risk and encourage prevention activities. Black women have higher incidence rates before age 45 and are more likely to die from breast cancer at every age. Although the breast cancer mortality variance has been linked to socioeconomic status, studies have shown that differences in cancer knowledge and beliefs persist even when educational and socioeconomic …

Obama's Conversion On Same-Sex Marriage, Robert Tsai

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

This essay explores how presidents who wish to seize a leadership role over the development of rights must tend to the social foundations of those rights. Broad cultural changes alone do not guarantee success, nor do they dictate the substance of constitutional ideas. Rather, presidential aides must actively re-characterize the social conditions in which rights are made, disseminated, and enforced. An administration must articulate a strategically plausible theory of a particular right, ensure there is cultural and institutional support for that right, and work to minimize blowback. Executive branch officials must seek to transform and popularize legal concepts while working …

Questioning Marks: Plurality Decisions And Precedential Constraint, Ryan Williams

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Time Course Expression Analysis Of 1[2-Cyano-3,12-Dioxooleana-1,9(11)-Dien-28-Oyl]Imidazole Induction Of Cytoprotection In Human Endothelial Cells., James A Bynum, Xinyu Wang, Salomon A Stavchansky, Phillip D Bowman

PCOM Scholarly Works

1[2-cyano-3,12-dioxooleana-1,9(11)-dien-28-oyl]imidazole (CDDO-Im), a synthetic derivative of oleanolic acid that exhibits antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity in several animal and in vitro models, has been shown to be beneficial if given after injury. Although induction of heme oxygenase 1 appears to be a major effector of cytoprotection, the mechanism by which the overall effect is mediated is largely unknown. This study evaluated temporal gene expression profiles to better characterize the early transcriptional events and their relationship to the dynamics of the cytoprotective response in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) to CDDO-Im. Time-course gene expression profiling was performed on HUVEC treated with …

Tgfβƒ1 Promotes Gemcitabine Resistance Through Regulating The Lncrna-Let/Nf90/Mir-145 Signaling Axis In Bladder Cancer, Junlong Zhuang, Lan Shen, Lin Yang, Xiaojing Huang, Qun Lu, Yangyan Cui, Xi Zheng, Xiaozhi Zhao, Dianzheng Zhang, Ruimin Huang, Hongqian Guo, Jun Yan

PCOM Scholarly Works

High tumor recurrence is frequently observed in patients with urinary bladder cancers (UBCs), with the need for biomarkers of prognosis and drug response. Chemoresistance and subsequent recurrence of cancers are driven by a subpopulation of tumor initiating cells, namely cancer stem-like cells (CSCs). However, the underlying molecular mechanism in chemotherapy-induced CSCs enrichment remains largely unclear. In this study, we found that during gemcitabine treatment lncRNA-Low Expression in Tumor (lncRNA-LET) was downregulated in chemoresistant UBC, accompanied with the enrichment of CSC population. Knockdown of lncRNA-LET increased UBC cell stemness, whereas forced expression of lncRNA-LET delayed gemcitabine-induced tumor recurrence. Furthermore, lncRNA-LET was …

Genetic Identification And Molecular Modeling Characterization Reveal A Novel Prom1 Mutation In Stargardt4-Like Macular Dystrophy, Saber Imani, Jingliang Cheng, Marzieh D. Shasaltaneh, Chunli Wei, Lisha Yang, Shangyi Fu, Hui Zou, Md. Asaduzzaman Khan, Xianqin Zhang, Hanchun Chen, Dianzheng Zhang, Chengxia Duan, Hongbin Lv, Yumei Li, Rui Chen, Junjiang Fu

PCOM Scholarly Works

Stargardt disease-4 (STGD4) is an autosomal dominant complex, genetically heterogeneous macular degeneration/dystrophy (MD) disorder. In this paper, we used targeted next generation sequencing and multiple molecular dynamics analyses to identify and characterize a disease-causing genetic variant in four generations of a Chinese family with STGD4-like MD. We found a novel heterozygous missense mutation, c.734T>C (p.L245P) in the PROM1 gene. Structurally, this mutation most likely impairs PROM1 protein stability, flexibility, and amino acid interaction network after changing the amino acid residue Leucine into Proline in the basic helix-loop-helix leucine zipper domain. Molecular dynamic simulation and principal component analysis provide compelling …