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LATINA IMMIGRANTS, HIV, AND THEIR EXPIERENCES WITH HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS IN THE U.S. AND THEIR HOME COUNTRY
No full textThe intersection of factors associated with immigration in the Latina population and available culturally sensitive health care has not been well examined. There is a scarcity of research available that examines factors specific to the Latina population that contribute to HIV/AIDS education, screening, and care, despite the vulnerable state of Latinas for contracting HIV/AIDS. For the Latina immigrant population, perceptions of U.S. providers of patients in relation to encounters with providers from their countries of origin are important, and may influence subsequent patient and healthcare provider interactions, including potential for screening, education, and care in the U.S. Two articles were completed for this study: (a) a systematic review of literature presented on the efficacy for using Latino community-based organizations as a more culturally appropriate and effective way to raise the awareness of need for HIV information and screenings with Latinas, and (b) a community-based participatory research study, pertaining to sexual health education and screening of Latina immigrants. Based on these findings, recommendations are made for researchers, healthcare providers, and policymakers who work with Latina immigrants seeking or in need of HIV/AIDS education, screening, or health care.Ph.D
Predictors of Sexual Assault Risk Perception and Resistance Self-efficacy among Sexual Assault Survivors
No full textSexual assault, which includes all types of unwanted coerced or forced sexual behavior, is a prevalent issue among college women. Rape, considered the most serious form of sexual assault (McMahon, 2011), is defined as oral, vaginal, or anal penetration performed against one’s will by force, the threat of force, or when a person is unable to give consent (Koss & Gidycz, 1985). It is estimated that up to one in four undergraduate women will experience an attempted or completed rape during her college career (Fisher, Cullen, & Turner, 2000). The potential adverse consequences for college women who are sexually assaulted include symptoms of PTSD and depression, heavy drinking, impaired academic performance, and increased risk of sexual re-victimization. Women who are sexually assaulted once during college report being sexually re-assaulted three more times on average (Katz et al., 2010). College sexual assault survivors run a high risk of re-victimization both because they engage in more risky behaviors and because they are less likely to effectively resist a sexual assault attempt. Yet, the interactions of the underlying risk factors are not well-understood and have not been examined in relation to one another. This thesis analyzed sexual assault risk perception and sexual assault resistance self-efficacy with regard to the interactions of victim status, symptoms of PTSD and depression, frequent drinking, and risky sex. I also sought to further understand sexual re-victimization within the college population, so that tertiary treatment and risk reduction tactics can better target the specific needs of survivors. Participants included 1,955 ethnically diverse undergraduate women, 366 of whom endorsed a rape history. They completed an online survey of their experiences of adolescent and adult rape, mental health symptoms, drinking frequency, risky sexual behaviors, sexual assault risk perception, and sexual assault resistance self-efficacy, as part of a larger study. Through a series of independent samples t-tests and linear regressions, relationships among victim status, mental health symptoms, drinking frequency, and risky sex behaviors were examined. Significant differences arose between rape survivors and non-victims. While rape survivors perceived situations as riskier for sexual assault than non-victims, they also reported less sexual assault resistance self-efficacy. Frequent drinkers perceived more sexual assault risk than non-frequent drinkers, and those survivors who reported more PTSD symptoms or engaged in more risky sex perceived greater risk for sexual assault. Sexual assault resistance self-efficacy was lowest among those who frequently drank and those with depressive symptoms. In fact, depressive symptoms had a greater effect on reducing moderately assertive resistance self-efficacy among survivors than among non-victims. Among rape survivors, depressive symptoms were more strongly associated with reduced assertive resistance self-efficacy for those who frequently drank than those who did not. Re-victimization, therefore, may be best prevented on the individual level by treating rape survivors for PTSD, depressive symptoms, and problematic drinking. On a broader level, implementing bystander interventions to change cultural norms may help reduce overall risk of sexual assault.M.A
Emerging Adult and Young Adult Cancer Survivors: Exploring Coping, Parental Care and Control, and Spirituality
No full textDue to medical advances and higher success rates in cancer treatments, more emerging and young adults live with this chronic condition. However, how this population copes with cancer is understudied, therefore the current study investigates coping strategies in this population. Two hundred and ten emerging and young adult cancer survivors recruited from online social media sites completed an online survey and reported on their coping strategies, perception of parental attitudes, spiritual beliefs, and open-ended coping questions. While many participants use different behaviors in their coping with cancer, approximately 48% of participations reported to cope adaptively highly using “acceptance”, “humor”, “positive reframing”, and “active coping”. Thirty-five percent of participants reported to cope maladaptively with high use of “distraction” and “self-blame” behaviors in their coping strategies. Correlation analysis revealed many significant associations between study variables, highlighting the importance of both Maternal and Paternal Care and perception of Maternal Control in coping. The regression analysis indicated that older age, recent treatment, higher levels of perceived parental care, and higher emphasis on spirituality were predictive of adaptive coping in this population. Practical implications and recommendations for clinicians and health professionals working with emerging and young adult cancer survivors are discussed.M.S
Cultural Factors of Shipwreck Site Formation: An Examination of Ferrous Shipwrecks on the Outer Banks
No full textThis thesis proposes a course of research to examine the influence human decision-making processes (cultural factors) have on our understanding of site formation processes and the management of ferrous shipwrecks. Two shipwrecks found off the coast of North Carolina, the late-19th century iron sloop-of-war USS Huron and the early-20th century steel oil tanker Paraguay will serve as case studies for comparative purposes. This study utilized primary and secondary historical documents to inventory the cultural factors involved in the construction, use life, and deposition of each vessel. Subsequently, inspection of these shipwrecks collected information regarding their current state of preservation via qualitative and quantitative analysis of non-cultural site formation processes. Qualitative methods involved the comparison of ships and shipwrecks through historical records and the formation of interpretations of the transformation processes. Quantitative methods involved the collection of corrosion variables. By interpreting present-day site status through the lens of site formation theory, the role of human decision-making processes (pre- and post-wrecking) as both playing a role in the state of preservation of USS Huron and Paraguay and also influencing future site management is assessed.M.A
Complementary and alternative interventions : attitudes and use of counselors-in-training in counselor education programs
No full textThere is a growing awareness and use of complementary and alternative medicine and complementary and alternative interventions (CAM/CAI) in the United States. Research and education in both the medical and nursing professions reflect this developing paradigm; however, there is sparse research concerning counselors-in-training views on CAM/CAI and their willingness to incorporate these approaches into clinical practice. This study addressed the gap in research by exploring what counselors-in-training know and what their attitudes are toward CAM/CAI in order to enable counselor educators to be better informed and prepared to proceed with integrating these practices into training and curriculum. Using the Survey of Knowledge and Attitudes of Counseling Students Towards CAM/CAI, we surveyed counselors-in-training (n = 93) enrolled in a CACREP accredited counselor education program and a CACREP accredited rehabilitation counseling program at the same university. The results indicate that a majority of the students had positive attitudes towards CAM/CAI and believed this topic should be integrated into counselor training curriculum. Further analysis found that there was no significant difference in general attitudes towards CAM/CAI between any of the demographic variables. Additionally, there was no significant difference in classification ofCAM/CAI modalities as mainstream or alternative and any of the demographic variables. Finally, the results of this study show there was a significant relationship between personal use of CAM/CAI and willingness to incorporate CAM/CAI modalities into future clinical practice. Limitations of the study include a lack of a control group, a relatively small sample size, and the need for more valid and reliable instrumentation. The study concludes with implications for the counseling profession, counselor education, and future research.Ph.D
Human T-cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 Basic Leucine Zipper Factor (HBZ) Interacts and Inhibits the Acetyltransferase Activity of Multiple Cellular Coactivator Families to Deregulate Transcription
No full textOf the 20 million individuals infected worldwide with the complex retrovirus, Human T-cell Leukemia Virus Type 1, 5% will develop an incurable and fatal form of leukemia known as adult T-cell leukemia (ATL). During the course of infection, the promoter responsible for genome replication and expression of most viral genes is often inactivated by DNA methylation, mutation and deletion. The only gene expressed in the malignant cells is the hbz gene, which contains the open reading frame for HTLV-1 basic leucine zipper (bZIP) factor (HBZ). HBZ is regulated by a unique promoter which is unaffected by modifications. The observation that HBZ is persistently expressed and the fact that transgenic mice expressing HBZ develop symptoms similar to ATL suggest that HBZ is involved in ATL development. HBZ interacts with the homologous cellular coactivators, p300 and CBP. These proteins contain a histone acetyl transferase (HAT) domain that mediates transfer of acetyl groups from acetyl-coenzyme A to lysine residue. p300/CBP acetylate specific lysines on histones to increase transcription. These coactivators also acetylate transcription factors to modulate, among other functions, their DNA binding capacity. We found that the bZIP domain of HBZ interacts directly with the HAT domain of p300/CBP. This interaction has for consequence to inhibit acetylation of histone H3 and of the NF-kB transcription factor, p65. Inhibition of p65 acetylation leads to a decrease of its transcriptional activity. Because the transcriptional activity of the tumor suppressor p53 is also dependent on acetylation, we analyzed the effect of HBZ on this protein. We found that inhibition of p300/CBP HAT activity by HBZ reduces the acetylation of p53, which is modified following DNA damage. We also observed that HBZ interacts with HBO1, which is a HAT protein in the MYST family that acts as a transcriptional coactivator for p53. The fact that HBZ inhibits both p300/CBP and HBO1 HAT activity is correlated with a reduction of CDKN1A/p21 activation by p53. Consequently, we observed a delay in the cell cycle arrest after DNA damage in cells expressing HBZ. We propose that HBZ, by interacting with cellular coactivators and disrupting their HAT activities, could promote ATL development.Ph.D
Investigating Intra- and Inter-Molecular Coevolution of Intrinsically Disordered Protein, Prothymosin-alpha
No full textProthymosin-α (ProTα) is a small, highly acidic protein found in the nuclei of virtually all mammalian tissues. It belongs to a class of proteins known for their lack of a rigid three-dimensional structure called intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs). ProTα has been shown to play essential roles in cell robustness. As an example, ProTα is involved in apoptosis, or programmed cell death by inhibiting apoptosome formation via binding Apaf1. This research focus is on detecting coevolution of ProTα and between ProTα and Apaf1 (ProTα-Apaf1 or ProTα-Apaf1 complex). Coevolution refers to correlated changes between pairs of interacting species to maintain or refine functional interaction. Coevolution can be defined at the molecular level as correlated sequence changes that occur to maintain a structural or functional interaction. Studying coevolution of ProTα and ProTα-Apaf1 may provide useful information such as structural contacts and specific residues necessary for complex formation. In this study, a pipeline for performing molecular coevolution studies was established at East Carolina University (ECU). This pipeline was used to analyze myoglobin, ProTα, and ProTα-Apaf1. Myoglobin has been a target of previous coevolutionary studies and was chosen to test the robustness of the pipeline developed in this study. Most of the coevolving residues that were found in myoglobin match closely with those detected in other work. ProTα, which has never been studied by way of coevolution, displays several coevolving residues involved in long range interactions or functionally important regions. These methods were also applied to ProTα- Apaf1 complex. Previous experimental studies using 1H-15N heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC) NMR have revealed residues on ProTα necessary for interaction with Apaf1 however the residues on Apaf1 necessary for interaction with ProTα have not been resolved. Several residues of ProTα were found to have coevolution with Apaf1. Docking studies were performed to simulate binding between ProTα and Apaf1 at the sites detected in this study (ProTα: Thr8, Thr107; Apaf1: Ser1056, Asp1096). Six orientations of ProTα and Apaf1 were run for 9 nanoseconds (ns) and in each simulation, the two proteins did not drift apart from one another. This suggests that the residues detected by coevolution in this study may play a role in the interaction between ProTα and Apaf1.M.S
The Importance of Children on the American Frontier: A Comparative Study in Nineteenth Century Western Migration and Settlement
No full textThis thesis examines the various roles that children played in the long journey westward that many brave families made to frontier settlements during the middle and late nineteenth century. It also analyzes the influences children had on the successful outcomes of those settlements once frontier families reached western lands. It includes information about rural farm settlements, in places such as Oregon, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Iowa, as well as urban mining towns in California, Nevada, and Colorado. While some authors have discussed frontier children during this time before, the goal of this thesis is to reinforce previous studies while taking a new comparative approach to understanding the importance of children to frontier families. It is comparative in its examination of rural versus urban communities, its consideration of both western migration and settlement of western communities, as well as in the earlier and later decades of westward settlement that occurred. Following this approach, the examined research is divided into an introduction and four chapters. The introduction allows for the description of research strategies, sources, and methods. It also provides an opportunity to explain specific parameters, pitfalls, and future possibilities associated with this type of research. Following a historiographical chapter on the development of frontier history, the bulk of the thesis material is separated into two main chapters. First, the thesis explores the lives and experiences of pioneer children traveling along similar routes during the 1840s and early 1850s to western settlements in the Oregon Territory, mainly Willamette Valley, and gold mining camps in California. The focus for these children is on the arduous journey along the Overland Trail with their families and the important roles that they played in the successful completion of those trips and the initial settlement of western communities. Next, families that settled in rural and urban communities in later decades are presented. The children during this time are examined with a focus on already established western territories and the importance of children in growing and developing prosperous American towns and settlements. By looking at the importance of children in this manner, the research can then be compared to better understand both the differences and similarities of these two groups over time and conclusions can then be made about the essential roles children filled in western migration. The comparisons and conclusions are presented in a closing summative chapter. Understanding the importance of children in western migration and settlement is an important addition to the new western history that is being done within the broader scope of American frontier history. Scholars are no longer strictly viewing the west through the eyes of pioneer men, and it is for this reason that I believe this thesis will add a new variation to existing thoughts on frontier settlement. Although resources are somewhat scarce, the understanding of children and their important roles in western history can be better understood when examined exclusively for the purpose of comparing different settlement groups, rather than taking each individual account on its own.M.A
The Military Reforms of Gaius Marius in their Social, Economic, and Political context
No full textThe goal of this thesis is, as the title affirms, to understand the military reforms of Gaius Marius in their broader societal context. In this thesis, after a brief introduction (Chap. I), Chap. II analyzes the Roman manipular army, its formation, policies, and armament. Chapter III examines Roman society, politics, and economics during the second century B.C.E., with emphasis on the concentration of power and wealth, the legislative programs of Ti. And C. Gracchus, and the Italian allies’ growing demand for citizenship. Chap. IV discusses Roman military expansion from the Second Punic War down to 100 B.C.E., focusing on Roman military and foreign policy blunders, missteps, and mistakes in Celtiberian Spain, along with Rome’s servile wars and the problem of the Cimbri and Teutones. Chap. V then contextualizes the life of Gaius Marius and his sense of military strategy, while Chap VI assesses Marius’s military reforms in his lifetime and their immediate aftermath in the time of Sulla. There are four appendices on the ancient literary sources (App. I), Marian consequences in the Late Republic (App. II), the significance of the legionary eagle standard as shown during the early principate (App. III), and a listing of the consular Caecilii Metelli in the second and early first centuries B.C.E. (App. IV). The Marian military reforms changed the army from a semi-professional citizen militia into a more professionalized army made up of extensively trained recruits who served for longer consecutive terms and were personally bound to their commanders. In this way these reforms created an army which could be used against other Roman commanders or the city itself. Military eligibility was no longer exclusive to landowners, and the capite censi had new opportunities for spoils and social and political advancement. Marius’ reforms were not completely novel, but the practices that he introduced he also cause to be established as standard operating procedure. He implemented these reforms in a time of crisis, and subsequently the extraordinary military careers of both Marius and Sulla acted to preserve his measures and to move the army far down the road of professionalization. What I have shown in this thesis is the larger economic, social, and political context which formed the background and provided the incubator in which Marius’ reforms were generated and developed. Once Marius crystalized his ideas and put them in place, the stage was set for Sulla and the new kind of military action that would seal the fate of the Republic.M.A