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Nk Cell-Derived Extracellular Granzyme B Drives Epithelial Ulceration During Hsv-2 Genital Infection, Ying Shiang Lim, Aisha G Lee, Xiaoping Jiang, Jason M Scott, Adjoa Cofie, Sandeep Kumar, Dania Kennedy, David J Granville, Haina Shin

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Genital herpes is characterized by recurrent episodes of epithelial blistering. The mechanisms causing this pathology are ill defined. Using a mouse model of vaginal herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) infection, we show that interleukin-18 (IL-18) acts upon natural killer (NK) cells to promote accumulation of the serine protease granzyme B in the vagina, coinciding with vaginal epithelial ulceration. Genetic loss of granzyme B or therapeutic inhibition by a specific protease inhibitor reduces disease and restores epithelial integrity without altering viral control. Distinct effects of granzyme B and perforin deficiency on pathology indicates that granzyme B acts independent of its classic …

Activation Of The Plasmodium Egress Effector Subtilisin-Like Protease 1 Is Mediated By Plasmepsin X Destruction Of The Prodomain, Sumit Mukherjee, Armiyaw S. Nasamu, Kelly C. Rubiano, Daniel E. Goldberg

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Following each round of replication, daughter merozoites of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum escape (egress) from the infected host red blood cell (RBC) by rupturing the parasitophorous vacuole membrane (PVM) and the RBC membrane (RBCM). A proteolytic cascade orchestrated by a parasite serine protease, subtilisin-like protease 1 (SUB1), regulates the membrane breakdown. SUB1 activation involves primary autoprocessing of the 82-kDa zymogen to a 54-kDa (p54) intermediate that remains bound to its inhibitory propiece (p31) postcleavage. A second processing step converts p54 to the terminal 47-kDa (p47) form of SUB1. Although the aspartic protease plasmepsin X (PM X) has been implicated …

The Role Of Web 2.0 Technologies In Empowering Librarians: The Case Study Of University Libraries In Iran, Hadis Khedri

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The present study aims to investigate the impact of Web 2.0 technologies on empowering the librarians of the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences and the University of Isfahan libraries. This applied research was conducted using a survey method. The population of the study consisted of 135 librarians in the the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences and the University of Isfahan libraries in Iran. Due to the limited number of participants, data were collected from the whole population and sampling was not carried out. Two questionnaires for assessing the Web 2.0 Library Tools and empowerment of staff were utilized to collect …

The Efficacy Of Paramilitary Police Training For Procedural Justice Approaches: A Phenomenological Study, Joshua Tiffee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of instructors at paramilitary police training programs in Pacific State as they relate to procedural justice skills. Procedural justice, with its emphasis on citizen voice, dignity, and respect, has become the predominant policing approach in America. However, numerous studies conclude that the predominant police training approach, paramilitary police training, is ill-equipped to instill the skills necessary for police to employ procedural justice strategies. This hermeneutic phenomenological study described the experiences of instructors at paramilitary police training programs using social learning theory principles as a framework to answer the central …

Coded Ceramics: Computational Design Of Persian Ceramics, Nasrin Iravani

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This research explores the use of computer-aided technology and robotics in the creation of digital art and crafts, while also considering the cultural history of digital design. It begins with an examination of the most recognizable styles of Persian ewers made between the years 1,000 and 1,400 AD in the Islamic era. After analyzing a hundred ewers from this period, I classified them based on distinctive features such as openings, necks, bodies, spouts, handles, and bases. Then I designed a series of 3D printed ceramic vessels – titled Coded Ceramics – that were inspired by elements of the historic ewers. …

How To Read & Understand Your Facility Financial Statements: For Students, Aits, And New Administrators, David G. Wolf

Faculty and Staff Publications & Presentations

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Spiritual Fitness On Burnout And Organizational Commitment In High-Stress Environments, Amy Mcdonald Stevens

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative study examined the relationships between burnout, spiritual fitness, and organizational commitment in National Guard servicemembers. Recent deployments and chronic stressors have resulted in an emergence of mental health concerns, burnout, and turnover intentions in this population. Research has indicated that elements of spirituality address these concerns and suggest that more spiritual individuals are more resilient, less susceptible to burnout, and find positive meaning in work. This study examined these variables using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (Maslach & Jackson, 1981), the Organizational Commitment Scale (Meyer & Allen, 1997), and the SOCOM Spiritual Fitness Scale (Alexander et al., 2020). Correlations …

Skole And Sabbath As A Way Of Being In Classical Educators: A Hermeneutic Phenomenology On Leisure, Erin Haley Uminn

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to describe the essence of the lived experiences of 10 classical Christian secondary teachers and administrators who embrace Greek skolé and Christian Sabbath at classical Christian schools in the United States. Leisure theory guided this study, particularly Sabbath as described by Heschel and Brueggeman, Christian leisure as understood by Pieper and Heintzman, and Samaras’ description of skolé in Greek philosophy, as they point to a specific type of leisure and way of being understood by classical Christian educators. van Manen’s hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used for data collection and analysis of open-ended …

Worship Through The Visual Arts, Terry Tripp

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite some Protestant churches holding the view that creating visual art is a spiritual practice of Christian worship, many still do not recognize it as a spiritual practice that Christians who are called to be visual artists should be taught and encouraged to practice. This qualitative research study focuses on the reasons that creating visual art is a spiritual practice of Christian worship and should be encouraged by church leadership. Visual art has been abused in the history of the Christian church. People have worshiped the creation instead of the Creator. Due to such unfortunate practices and abuses, some Protestant …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Shared Responsibility Experiences Of Secondary Co-Teachers, Stuart Brady

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe co-teachers’ experiences regarding shared instructional responsibility in North Georgia secondary schools. Shared responsibility is generally defined as both teachers perceiving each other as co-equals in instructional responsibility and that neither teacher perceives the other as the subordinate or primary teacher in the co-taught classroom. The frameworks that guided this study is sociocultural theoretical framework, as developed by Vygotsky extended in recent co-teaching literature and Howlett and Nguyen, and teacher belief theory, developed by Parajes and adapted for co-teaching research by Kim and Pratt, which is supported by Bandura’s social cognitive theory. …

Analysis Impact Of Intrinsic And Extrinsic Motivation On Job Satisfaction In Logistics Service Sector: An Intelligent Neutrosophic Model, Zenat Mohamed, Mahmoud M. Ismail, Amal F. Abd El-Gawad

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

The success of every company relies heavily on the happiness of its workforce, and the logistics service sector is no exception. The capacity of logistics suppliers to satisfy the demands of their clients depends on the efficiency and efficacy of operations, which in turn is affected by the level of employee satisfaction. This paper aims to analyze the factors of employee satisfaction in the logistic service industry to achieve productivity and a satisfied workforce. This paper used the multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methodology to handle various factors. The SWARA method is an MCDM method used to compute the importance of factors. …

How Does Obstetric Simulation Impact Undergraduate Pre-Licensure Bsn Student’S Clinical Judgement Related To Using And Understanding Fetal Monitoring?, Brandy Leona Clayton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Obstetric simulation can impact undergraduate prelicensure Bachelor of Science in nursing (BSN) students’ clinical judgment related to using and understanding fetal monitoring. The purpose of this study aimed to determine if a relationship exists between a student's obstetrical simulation practice and increased knowledge gained for fetal monitoring interpretation. Simulation practice provides a tangible way to test knowledge and competency, but is there an effect on student learning with the knowledge and understanding of fetal monitoring, and can simulation practice create that knowledge? A purposive sample of 24 undergraduate prelicensure BSN nursing students, within their obstetrical course, with the intent to …

The Lived Experiences Of Challenges Faced By Female Stem Degree Holders While In Their Programs: A Phenomenological Study, Rebecca Keeter-Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological research study was to describe the challenges female higher education students (FHESs) experience in their science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) degree program. The central research question guiding the study was: How do female higher education STEM research participants describe their lived experiences while in their degree programs? Sub-Question one was, How do female higher education students describe the influence their personal history had on their choice to pursue a higher education STEM degree? Sub-question two was: How do female higher education students in STEM program describe their reality versus their expectation going into …

The Effect Of Satisfying The Requirements For Fire Officer School On Leadership Self-Efficacy Among Fire Service Officers: A Quasi-Experimental, Nonequivalent Control Groups Study, Thomas James Grady Iii

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quasi-experimental, nonequivalent control groups study was to determine if a statistically significant difference exists in fire officer leadership self-efficacy of officers who have attended fire officer training school and those who have not attended fire officer school. This study utilized self-efficacy theory, leadership self-efficacy theory, social cognitive theory, and adult learning theory to support explanation of such standards. This quasi-experimental, nonequivalent control groups study employed the Bobbio and Manganelli’s Leadership Self-Efficacy Scale (LSES) to assess the degree of fire officer leadership self-efficacy. Within testing sites, there was a treatment group (Training) and a control group (No …

A Causal Comparative Study Of The Difference In Achievement Scores Of At-Risk, Minority Students Based On Learning Styles, Linda Olene Green

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The American education system has historically promoted free and equal education for all, but history has shown that ethnic minority students’ academic achievement has been lower than ethnic majority students’ academic achievement. The resulting gap in achievement has been addressed throughout the research, but definitive solutions remain elusive. The study addressed the lack of research surrounding cultural learning patterns of at-risk students. The purpose of this quantitative, casual comparative study is to determine the difference among annual state mandated test scores of at-risk students who have visual, auditory, read/write or kinesthetic (VARK) learning styles. The participants for the study were …

Co-Fathering With Nonresident Biological Fathers: A Phenomenological Study On Stepfathers, Cherlyn R. Lane

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to understand the experiences of stepfathers when both the non-resident biological father (NRBF) and stepfather are involved in the parenting efforts. This study will explore the stepfather’s co-fathering experiences with the NRBF and its overall effect on stepfamily functioning and marital satisfaction. The theories guiding this study are the family stress theory and the family systems theory. These two theories will help to explain how stressful events, such as stepfamily formation and the presence of the NRBF, disrupt the family’s equilibrium and challenge the stepfamily to find adaptive ways to reestablish their balance. …

Are Aces Barriers To African American Male High School Students Achieving Academic Success: Can Implementing Trauma-Informed Practices Help?, Tamelyn Danay Motley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Research has shown an increase in African American students experiencing trauma due to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). African American students are at a greater risk of disengagement, school failure, dropping out of school, and increased mental health disorders due to ACEs. Unfortunately, minority racial/ethnic groups are at a greater risk of exposure to trauma, particularly African American students. Implementing trauma-informed practices (TIP) into school systems can provide trauma training to teachers to decrease school failures, and reduce disengagement, leading to African American students dropping out of school. The purpose of this research is to assess the impact that ACEs have …

A Conceptual Frame For Us Counterterrorism Policy: Examining The Effectiveness Against Al Qaeda And Its Associates Prior To 9/11, "Tod" Thomas Patrick Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The United States (US) has been engaged in a “war on terrorism” to “defeat” al Qaeda since 2001. This study presented and tested an over-arching conceptual framework for US Counterterrorism (CT) policy. The conceptual frame was tested using qualitative thematic analysis of archival records from the Reagan through Clinton era. The research also used a case study of al Qaeda as the context to bound the selected records for the study. This new conceptual frame was used to evaluate the success, failure, and effects of US CT policy activities related to al Qaeda, using the records identified for the study. …

God Will Wipe Away Every Tear - A Phenomenological Study Of Two Faith-Based, Grief Support Groups, Cynthia Velerianee White

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological, qualitative study was to describe the impact of GriefShare, a faith-based, grief support initiative for the participants at Diamondhead, Mississippi and Gulfport, Mississippi. The theory guiding this study was Robert Neimeyer’s social constructionist theory as it explains the meaning found in GriefShare’s narrative processes. The study participants were nine females and one male who attended at least three GriefShare sessions. The researcher interviewed and audio-recorded all participants using Otter ai. live transcription. The researcher used the constant comparison method and member checking to analyze the data collected during the interviews. As participants described their lived …

Understanding The Lived Experiences Of Elementary Teachers Who Teach Students With Dyslexia How To Read: A Transcendental Phenomenology, Erin Lynn Bower

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This transcendental phenomenology sought to understand the lived experiences of elementary teachers who teach students with dyslexia how to read. The central question guiding this study was: “What are the lived experiences of elementary teachers who teach students with dyslexia how to read?” Three sub-questions looked more deeply into the phenomenon. The first sub-question asked: “What internal influences shape elementary teachers’ experiences when teaching students with dyslexia how to read?” The second sub-question asked: “What external influences shape elementary teachers’ experiences when teaching students with dyslexia how to read?” Finally, the third sub-question asked: “How do internal and external influences …

An Examination Of Secondary Marching Band Directors’ Self-Efficacy And Music Curriculum: A Phenomenological Study, Jonathon Allen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how high school band directors prepare their students for college marching band programs. The theory guiding this study was Bandura’s self-efficacy theory to address the personal characteristics and traits of marching band directors’ qualities relating to teaching. The phenomenological research design examined teachers' self-efficacy levels and ability to prepare their marching band students for college. I used snowball sampling to select the participants and gain insight into various perspectives. Data were collected by three different methods: document analysis, semi-structured individual interviews, and a focus group. I triangulated and analyzed data by …

A Post-New Perspective Analysis Of Darrell Bock's Views Pertaining To Torah Observance, Andrew Lawrence Prout

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In the twenty-first century, Messianic Jews generally fall into one of two broad categories: Those who are Torah observant, and those who consider the laws contained in the Mosaic Law as valuable, but optional. Those who hold the latter position may be Torah observant as an evangelistic strategy, as a way of practicing contextualization, or as a means of doing outreach to ethnic Jews. Nonetheless, they do not believe that sustained Torah observance is a necessary/vital component of their Christian faith. Observant Messianic Jews would argue that when Jesus initiated the New Covenant, he did not nullify/abrogate the Mosaic Covenant, …

Jailhouse Religion: A Study On The Perceived Effects Of Religious Prison Rehabilitation That Affects Recidivism, William George Bumphus Iii

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study focused on the relationship between Christian programming to prisoners and their lives when released into society. During this study, several men from The Jesus House ministry location were observed and interviewed on the lives they now lead after getting saved or finding Christ while in prison and being released to a faith-based aftercare facility. This study examined the mission and vision leaders of this ministry believed while interviewing participants and staff about their personal stories, and why they chose to help ex-offenders reintegrate into society. Furthermore, this study investigated the current rehabilitation programming to see where Christian programming …

Public Vocational School Teachers' Experiences And Perceived Self-Efficacy In Working With Students With Disabilities In An Inclusive Environment: A Phenomenological Inquiry Study, Amber Jean Caproni

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Full inclusion of students with disabilities within the general education classroom has been a longstanding goal of many school districts within the United States. Many studies have been conducted to understand what attributes are needed for successful inclusion with the evidence pointing to the need for teachers to have a strong sense of instructional self-efficacy when working with students with disabilities. Copious research concerning teachers’ experiences with inclusive education has been conducted across typical public-school settings; however, scant information is known about inclusive education experiences of general education teachers employed in vocational high schools. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological …

Cultural Health Literacy: A Case Study Of Somali Refugee's Information-Seeking Behavior And Health Communication Praxis, Andrea Mckinnon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This case study examines Somalian refugees who have sought health information from a trusted source and how it affected their health decision. Health literacy, the ability to find, understand, and use health information and make health decisions, is an understood barrier to achieving optimal health. Social determinants affect an individual’s ability to access and appropriately use the information for decision-making. The communication inequality theory states that health disparities occur when communication inequalities transpire across the communication continuum, and inequitable access to learning manifests within specific individuals or groups. Research data was collected using a sociodemographic and SNS use questionnaire and …

A Predictive Correlational Study Of Factors Affecting Teachers' Technology Self-Efficacy, Rebecca Peterson Shertzer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study is to examine the predictive relationship between teachers’ age, gender, teaching experience, and grade level and teachers’ technology self-efficacy. This study is important because of its potential to identify factors that may affect educational technology program efficacy and ultimately, academic achievement. The convenience sample included 118 elementary school, middle school, and high school teachers from one rural Pennsylvania school district that implemented a one-to-one (1:1) iPad initiative in 2016. Teachers’ age, gender, teaching experience, and assigned grade levels were anonymously determined using a demographic survey, and teachers’ technology self-efficacy was measured using the …

Living Water: A Hermeneutical And Exegetical Approach, John Panicker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Throughout Scripture, God refers to people, objects, words, and other things of the universe to help man understand him. In the New Testament, Christ used parables, metaphors, and signs to reveal himself and his salvation plan. The crown jewel among these symbols is the living water, symbolizing the Holy Spirit who is the ultimate source of salvation. God did not impose death on man, but man chose death over life by disobeying God’s command not to eat from the tree of the “knowledge of good and evil.” He decided to accept Satan’s seduction and counsel and willfully transgressed against his …

The Relational Fruit Of The Spirit In Youth Ministers: Do Youth Ministers Display Patience, Kindness, And Goodness?, Mary Ann Ridgley-Thornton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Youth ministry is a crucial part of the church that can help teenagers strengthen their godly beliefs and spiritual formation. Youth ministers’ actions, characters, and behavior should reflect the fruit of the Spirit. This qualitative case study explored whether and how youth leaders displayed the fruit of the Spirit at seven Bible-based, baptistic Christian churches in southeast Georgia. Although seven was the goal, only five churches agreed to participate. A Christian church was defined as one with no more than 500 members that accept the Bible as the sole source and authority of genuine Christian faith. The fruit of the …

A Phenomenological Study Of Introverted Leaders, Sherita Dianne Hall

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Society is comprised of individuals with different personality types who are frequently referred to as extraverted or introverted. Research has suggested individuals fall somewhere along the continuum of extraversion to introversion. Based on statistics, introverts are thought to comprise between 33% to 50% of the greater population, but introverts only comprise 4% of the management teams leading companies. The literature has vast amounts of information about leadership and extraversion but limited information about introversion and leadership. From the literature, what is not clear is how the introspective tendencies of introverted leaders may influence the strategic planning, decision making, or other …