Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical-Bioanalytical Chemistry, Cleveland State University, 2024, College of Arts and Sciences

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a non-contagious, chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract classified into two subgroups, Crohn's Disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC). IBD is a disease of the industrialized world, and its incidence and prevalence has increased worldwide. Short and branched chain fatty acids (SCFAs, BCFAs) produced by the gut microbiome are implicated with the immune systems inflammatory response. Chapter I summarizes our current understanding of SCFAs and BCFAs in the GI tract, fermentative pathways, etiology, inflammatory pathways relevant to the GI tract and beneficial impacts of SCFAs and BCFAs. Chapter II discusses the development and complete validation of a high throughput, fast and reliable gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method with a simplified pre-treatment to quantify SCFAs and BCFAs in human stool. Chapter III summarizes a case-control study of 74 stool samples (21 healthy; 24 UC; 29 CD) measuring acetic, propionic, isobutyric, butyric, isovaleric, valeric, and caproic acid (μg/g stool) using the GC-MS method developed. Significant differences were observed for propionic, butyric and valeric acid (p < 0.05; all p values < 0.001) between healthy and IBD groups. Receiver operator curve (ROC) analysis resulted in area under the curve (AUC) value of 96% (95% CI: 0.89 – 0.98, p < 0.001). Significant differences were observed for propionic (p < 0.05; p = 0.018) and isobutyric acid (p < 0.05; p = 0.002) between UC and CD subgroups. ROC analysis resulted in AUC of 83% (95% CI: 0.66 – 0.92, p < 0.001). Acetic acid served as an endogenous, internal standard to normalize for watery stools because of its abundance and non-significant difference between groups. Chapter IV discusses a literature review of 11 published case-control studies quantifying SCFAs and BCFAs in stool between healthy, IBD, UC and CD subgroups. Valeric and butyric acid were increased in the stool of healthy groups when compared to IBD groups. (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Baochuan Guo (Advisor); Aimin Zhou (Committee Member); Chandrasekhar Kothapalli (Committee Member); John Turner (Committee Member); Xue-Long Sun (Committee Member) Subjects: Biochemistry; Experiments; Health Care; Immunology; Medicine; Microbiology; Pathology

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2024, EDU Teaching and Learning

Sheltered Instruction (SI), or the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) has been an influential model for content area instruction for Emergent Bilingual (EB) students over the past two decades. As the number of EB students increases exponentially in the United States, it is more important than ever for linguistically diverse students to receive meaningful education outside of their ESL classroom. However, there are numerous points of disagreement, including with effective instructional practices, training for pre-service teachers, issues with the SIOP itself, educational policy regarding EB students and SI, professional development regarding SIOP, and content-area teachers with EB students in their classrooms. This systematic review includes a total of 31 articles retrieved from ERIC, Google Scholar, and JSTOR. It reveals major findings, such as a need for more substantial professional development/training for current service teachers of SIOP classrooms to better prepare them to deliver meaningful instruction to linguistically diverse students.

Committee: Peter Sayer (Committee Member); Youngjoo Yi (Advisor) Subjects: Education; English As A Second Language; Teacher Education

PHD, Kent State University, 2023, College of Business and Entrepreneurship, Ambassador Crawford / Department of Management and Information Systems

Research on strategic human resource management has been dominated by studies examining the relationships between specific business practices and organizational outcomes. Although there is growing evidence that use of High Performance Work Practices and Systems (HPWP/Ss) leads to improved organizational performance, significant issues impair both adoption of HPWP/Ss and further theoretical development. Studies suffer from inconsistent findings which are due to a number of factors, including the use of inconsistent terminology, confusion among constructs, and problems with research design. In addition, there is an acute lack of consensus as to the structure of HPWSs and the specific practices that are included in these systems, as well as how they are measured in empirical studies. In order to address these concerns, I carefully analyzed a total of 497 peer-reviewed studies published over the past 25 years (1995-2020). The key objectives of this study are to enhance the understanding of the constructs of HPWPs and HPWSs through a systematic review of the literature, including both narrative and content analyses (both qualitative and quantitative) as well as examination of key trends in this research area. Results of this systematic review include a) an updated comprehensive conceptual definition of the HPWP/Ss construct (Chapter 1); b) a comprehensive catalog of HPWP/Ss that can be utilized by researchers to avoid under-specification of models (Chapter 2); and c) a complete and parsimonious catalog of validated and reliable measures of HPWP/Ss that can be used in future studies (Chapter 3).

Committee: Deborah Knapp (Committee Co-Chair); C. Lockwood Reynolds (Committee Member); Cathy DuBois (Committee Member); Alfred Guiffrida (Committee Co-Chair) Subjects: Business Administration; Management; Organizational Behavior

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2022, Antioch Santa Barbara: Clinical Psychology

This systematic literature review explores the relationship between mental disorders and nutrition through a review 547 available articles. Of these, 74 were selected for inclusion in this review. The research question guiding this inquiry was: What is the effect of nutrition on the mental health of individuals in the United States? A PRISMA flow diagram was used to develop systematic assessments of the existing research to produce a dataset of literature to answer the research question. It was found that nutrition and health are critically linked, with supplements being associated with positive health outcomes. It was also found that research is shifting to focus on the connection between the gut and the brain. The culmination of this review is that nutritional changes and support can positively impact anxiety and depression, and probiotic treatments have been linked to better dopamine regulation. Each disease is reviewed in relation to existing evidence on nutritional supplements that impact health symptoms. The findings of this review indicated that nutrition could have a notable impact on managing health conditions. It is recommended that models for health and nutrition be updated to encompass nutritional issues in the treatment of mental health disorders with a critical focus on patients' nutritional intake. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA, https://aura.antioch.edu/ and OhioLINK ETD Center, https://etd.ohiolink.edu.

Committee: Brett Kia-Keating EdD (Committee Chair); Christina Donaldson PhD (Committee Member); Kelli Davis PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Health; Mental Health; Nutrition; Psychobiology; Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2021, Engineering Education

As the world grows increasingly more reliant on technology, there have been repeated calls for more, and more diverse, engineers, along with other science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) professionals. From these calls has risen an increased focus on engineering in pre-college education, both in formal and informal learning settings. Along with this increased focus came a corresponding increase in research regarding pre-college engineering education. However, informal engineering experiences are under-studied when compared to formal engineering experiences. This manuscript-style dissertation seeks to provide insight into the literature available about pre-college engineering education and the impact and implications for practice of one informal engineering experience, a Girl Scout engineering badge, on middle schoolers' engineering identity development. To begin my work, I conducted a systematic literature review. Following established systematic literature review methods, I gathered and synthesized a small body of literature regarding the impact of informal engineering experiences on pre-college students' engineering identity development. The synthesis revealed that informal experiences appear to have a positive impact on participant's engineering identity, however, little is known about how the impact may vary by program or participant characteristics. Using these results, directions and recommendations for future research was proposed. For the informal engineering experience, two Girl Scout troops, one which met completely online and one which met in a hybrid setting, completed a Girl Scout engineering badge. Fifteen participants completed pre- and post-interviews, and observations of participants were conducted during the badge activities. In addition, participants completed the Draw-an-Engineer Test before the pre-interview and a modified version of the Draw-an-Engineer Test before the post-interview. Data analysis indicated that there was so (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Rachel Kajfez PhD (Advisor); Delaine David PhD (Committee Member); Deborah Grzybowski PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Engineering

Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Wittenberg University, 2021, Nursing

Lack of sufficient and effective medication education has resulted in low patient satisfaction scores on the Joint and Spine (JS2) unit at Miami Valley Hospital South. Improvements in the medication education process at all levels, from pre-operative to after discharge, could significantly improve overall patient satisfaction. Review of literature concerning medication education best practices indicates a need for evaluation and improvement of current practices. Recommendations for improvement based on best practices research can be implemented with commitment at all staff levels in an effort to improve patient outcomes and satisfaction.

Committee: Cherie Rebar (Advisor); Marie Bashaw (Committee Member); Margaret Goodman (Committee Member) Subjects: Medicine; Nursing

Bachelor of Arts, Walsh University, 2021, Honors

Culture and society in the ancient world were shaped by the mythological beliefs of individual civilizations. The Watchers tradition, an Ancient Near Eastern myth present in the Hebrew Bible as well as in non-canonical books such as The Book of the Watchers, contains some of the least understood elements within the mythology of the Jewish people. These sources reveal myths to be dynamic reflections of changing cultural values. Between the first references to the Watchers in Hebrew mythology and their elaboration during the Hellenistic period six centuries later, the Watchers tradition developed from a reference in passing in the Book of Genesis to an in-depth exploration of Good and Evil in The Book of the Watchers. This development warrants discussion, as do its cultural and historic contexts. If the transformation of the Watchers myth was influenced by Jewish experience of Hellenistic rule, that invites further reflection on how the idea of supernatural evil entered into Judaism and would influence the later idea of fallen angels in Western civilization.

Committee: Chris Seeman (Advisor) Subjects: Folklore; History; Literature; Middle Eastern History; Middle Eastern Literature; Regional Studies; Religion

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2020, Health Education

A particularly high-risk time on campus is the alcohol consumption associated with collegiate sporting events, specifically tailgating. The purpose of this dissertation was twofold; first, to identify and critically examine the literature on alcohol use at college sporting events, specifically football games; second, to assess college presidents' perceptions of alcohol policies regulating alcohol consumption during tailgating using the Health Belief Model. The literature review was accomplished by using multiple search engines, including Academic Search Complete, PubMed, CINAHL, ERIC, Health Source, Sociological Collection, SocINDEX, APA PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar to examine articles published on alcohol use among college students at collegiate sporting events, or football game-day. To be included in the literature review, articles must have been published in the United States within the year 2000 to 2019. A cross-sectional research design was used for the second study, which comprised of a 20-item survey questionnaire assessing college president's perceptions of alcohol use during college sporting events. The survey instrument included items assessing the Stages of Change from the Transtheoretical Model, as well as the perceived benefits, barrier, severity, and susceptibility constructs from the Health Belief Model. A population census was conducted utilizing the 2019 NCAA Division-I Football Bowl Subdivision listing (N=130). The critical literature review search yielded 25, scientific, peer-reviewed articles involving alcohol use associated with college football games. In many of the studies, researchers used cross-sectional study designs (72%), obtained convenience samples (32%), and did not include reliability and/or validity measures (48%). Data were collected either online (36%), with a paper and pencil questionnaire (32%), hybrid (in-person and online) (12%), or case-study (12%). Three topics emerged from the literature, including alcoh (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Tavis Glassman PhD, MPH (Committee Chair); Joseph Dake PhD, MPH (Committee Member); Gerald Natal MLIS, BFA (Committee Member); Alexis Blavos PhD (Committee Member); James Lange PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Behavioral Sciences; Education Policy; Health; Health Sciences; Higher Education

MS, University of Cincinnati, 2018, Allied Health Sciences: Nutrition

Background: Women are acknowledged as main providers of food and nutrition for themselves and their household. Identifying factors associated with domains of food literacy in women leads to a better understanding of the factors that influence women as they navigate the complex food environment. Objective: The purpose of this systematic literature review is to identify factors associated with domains of food literacy in women living in the United States. Methods: A literature search of studies published in PubMed, SCOPUS, and CINAHL between 1980 and 2017 studying a food outcome in women related to planning and managing, selecting, preparing, or eating food was performed. A total of 1856 studies were identified of which 18 were retained and analyzed. Factors associated with food literacy were categorized into four domains: `planning and managing,' `selecting,' `preparing,' and `eating.' Results: Factors associated with food literacy that were most frequently reported across the domains of food literacy were convenience, food cost, taste, health, and social relationships. Conclusion: Some factors associated with domains of food literacy were associated with multiple domains of food literacy in women and were contextually dependent upon the domain with which they were associated.

Committee: Seung-Yeon Lee Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Emily Van Walleghen Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Nutrition

BS, Kent State University, 2018, College of Nursing

Short-term medical mission (STMM) trips have steadily grown since the 1980s, providing care to a greater number of communities each year. With the increase in medical aid abroad, some researchers have begun to question if short term medical missions are causing more harm than good within a community. The literature review analyzed a total of 29 research articles focused on the impact that STMMs have in low- income communities. Findings were divide into four categories; STMM Evaluation, Education, Provider Experiences vs Community Needs, and Host-Provider Relationships. Significant challenges for effective STMM work included inadequate cultural education of volunteers, ineffective partnering with local healthcare providers, the attainment of experiences instead of the provision of care, and a lack of a standard evaluation tool to assess STMM work. Unfortunately, most of the current research consisted of volunteer perceptions of care, with very few research articles examining host healthcare and patient perspectives on care. Providers agreed that there needs to be greater research focused on patient and host observations of STMM care, as well as greater time dedicated to education and fostering relationships abroad. Current research recommended greater accountability in evaluating and reporting the effects of care provided by STMMs before they are deemed useful.

Committee: Mary Ferranto (Advisor); Timothy Meyers (Committee Member); Pamela Rafferty-Semon (Committee Member); Amanda Burke (Committee Member) Subjects: Medical Ethics

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2015, Comparative Studies

This thesis is a comparative study of two translation projects by two Chinese intellectual groups that were active in the early 20th century, the New Culturalists and the Critical Review School. The project tries to bridge two fields of study, i.e. the intellectual history of the Chinese May Fourth period (mid-1910s to mid-1920s) and the study of world literature. The theoretical concern of this thesis in terms of world literature is an area of inquiry which considers the human knowledge, values, beliefs, etc. as important constructive powers of international literary orders. I project this theoretical concern onto the historical issue of “isms” in the study of Chinese May Fourth history. As a traditional Western way of designating philosophical ideologies, the category of “isms” was accepted in the Chinese context in the mid-1910s, and rapidly populated and reshaped Chinese intellectual discourse in the years that followed. The main discussion part of this thesis contains two case studies, each dedicated to a translation project hosted by one of the two intellectual groups. In the case studies, I use a close reading method to investigate the targeted groups' modes of receiving Western literary ideologies and their methods of translating non-Chinese literary works. By juxtaposing the two intellectual groups, I reveal the historical tension in China between different assumptions of world literature, which evolved in the early 20th-century Chinese contexts into contending modes reproducing the Western texts and knowledge. In the conclusion, I demonstrate how the May Fourth literary practices can be viewed as objects of the study of world literature, and argue that these new objects of study entail theoretical impacts. In particular, my case studies show that the theoretical construction of world literature should take into account the historical and geographical diversity of the non-Western world which is not yet fully recognized as a space of world literature.

Committee: Nina Berman (Advisor); Kirk Denton (Advisor) Subjects: Asian Literature; Asian Studies; Comparative Literature

EdD, University of Cincinnati, 2008, Education : Curriculum and Instruction

This is a mixed quantitative and qualitative comparative study of allied health professionals (AHP) in electroneurodiagnostics (END). END is the scientific field devoted to the recording and study of electrical activity of the brain and nervous system. Three AHP groups participated, (a) college educators; (b) on-the-job training instructors who were members of their professional society, the American Society of END Technologists (ASET); and (c) on-the-job training instructors who were not ASET members. This research paper compares and quantifies the curricular alignment of published standards-based competencies with the teaching practices and competency assessment within the three groups. The allied health field of END is in a state of technological, educational, cultural, and social change. Surveys and interviews of END teachers across the United States (U.S.) answered the question, “Do END college educators and on-the-job (OTJ) instructors teach according to professional published standards?” This research contributes to the health care profession by demonstrating that a difference exists between training and competency assessment of skill standards taught on the job and in higher education. The differences support new END training and educational methods in the future.

Committee: Kenneth Martin Dr (Committee Chair); Janet L. Bohren Dr (Committee Member); Jennifer Cavitt M.D. (Committee Member); Douglas F. Rose M.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Adult Education; Computer Science; Continuing Education; Curricula; Education; Health Education

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2009, Antioch Seattle: Clinical Psychology

This study examined published research on sexual risk behaviors and the people who engage in them. Using current and past literature, an extensive review and analysis of attitudes, beliefs, and causes of sexual risk behaviors was done. Sexual risk behaviors were defined within the following models: medical, alcohol and drug, societal views, self definitions, and cultural definitions. The age groups studied were: adolescence (12-17), young adulthood (18-25), middle adulthood (26-50), and later adulthood (51 and older). Studies of homosexual men and women and heterosexual women and men were reviewed as well as a comparison of gender differences. Studies about religion and culture were reviewed, as well as health, psychological co-morbidity, and substance abuse. And, finally, a review of interventions used was examined. A critical analysis was done of 164 articles to determine themes, which emerged as gender, age, ethnicity, assessments used, procedures used, limitations within the articles, and sexual orientation. Finally, an educational pamphlet was developed to target the largest at-risk group, people between the ages of 18-25 years. Based on sexual risk behavior literature, this study examines the impact that risky sexual behaviors have on a person and society, and it also highlights the importance of accessible education. The electronic version of this dissertation is at OhioLink ETD Center, www.ohiolink.edu/etd.

Committee: Mary Wieneke Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Alex Suarez Ph.D. (Committee Member); Cynde Moya Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology; Public Health; Sociology