2020 MU dissertations - Freely available online
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Item Finding the path: a mixed method multisite case study of undecided student experiences(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2020) Orr, Rachael; Morris, Casandra HarperSelecting a college major is a big decision for college students and research suggests the majority of first-year students are unsure of their career and major plans (Foote, 1980; Kramer, Higley, & Olsen, 1994; Theophilides, Terenzini, & Lorang, 1984; Titley & Titley, 1980). Although the research is dated, studies suggest that the majority of college students struggle with deciding on a college major and may need time to explore majors and careers in order to make a selection. Students who select undecided as their major indicate an interest in learning more about majors and careers before making an official selection. Though few students select undecided as a major, research on undecided students informs policies and interventions that are relevant to many more students. This research study identifies institutional resources, policies, and practices (collectively referred to as institutional factors) can significantly and positively impact students’ major selection and decision-making process. Understanding the student experience and employing techniques to support and facilitate the major selection process create a context in which all students, undecided and declared, explore major and career options and confirm goals that enable them to persist and complete their degree in four years.purpose of this study is to understand how the relationship between undecided student experiences and institutional factors, including policies and advising interventions, come together to inform students’ selection of a college major. This sequential qualitatively-driven mixed methods multisite case study employed a number of methodological approaches but was particularly informed by the bioecological model of human development. The bioecological model recognizes the role of an individuals’ immediate setting as well as indirect influences on development. The bioecological human development model provides a framework that elucidates the interplay between the myriad factors that influence the major selection process. The quantitative portion of the study uses survey methods to identify research sites and learn about the student context from an academic advising perspective. The study draws primarily on the qualitative interviews of 23 students from three different research sites, who started college with an undecided major, to capture narrative descriptions of their experiences navigating the process of major selection. This research study illustrates that understanding the undecided student major selection process and the reasons for their choices, provides institutions the opportunity to develop policies and practices that better serve students transition into higher education and during their first year of college. This study offers an updated in-depth examination of undecided students and contributes to the literature that highlights the critical relationship between undecided student experiences and influences on the major selection process and institutional factors.Item Stressed out: stressed out! Implications of minority status stress among underrepresented minority BSN students(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2020) McGee, Eve; Peters, ClarkThis study explored and described the prevalence of perceived stress and minority status stress levels among undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students and their relationship to academic persistence. Two research questions motivate this study: 1) What are the differences in perceived stress levels between underrepresented minority (URM) and White BSN students, and 2) What is the relationship between minority status stress (MSS) and the persistence attitudes of URM BSN students. It was hypothesized that: 1) URM BSN students experience stress related to minority status, and 2) the additive levels of perceived MSS will be significantly related to academic persistence attitudes. Previous research studies utilize traditional models of stress and coping in a sample of predominately White, young, traditional college students. Therefore, the unique stressors related to one’s minority status are not examined. This study advances our understanding of stress among URM BSN students and proposes a conceptual framework in which to analyze the problem, thus allowing social workers to understand the context of stress in marginalized groups holistically. A quantitative, cross-sectional survey design study was conducted. Using a convenience sample (N=99), we collected data from three four-year, public, accredited BSN programs in the Midwestern region of the United States. The findings from this research study show the impact of parental income and mother’s level of education upon academic persistence attitudes. Underrepresented minority students experience minority status stress. The findings offer insight for social workers, nursing school administrators, and student affairs personnel in better understanding the relationship between MSS and academic persistence.Item Transforming the ethical behavior of clinicians through pedagogical innovation: sensemaking as a means to promote ethical practice in the face of moral ambiguity(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2020) Brandt, Lea; Popejoy, LoriEven though there is evidence to suggest that teaching normative ethical theory has limited influence on the ethical behavior of clinicians, typical pedagogy in clinical ethics continues to focus on adherence to professional duties and the principles of biomedical ethics. A sensemaking approach to ethics training has demonstrated promise as an evidence-based pedagogical method to improve ethical reasoning and response. It has been posited that participation in Project ECHO (Extension for Community Health Outcomes) leads to improved sensemaking by clinicians. This study examined the effect of type of ethics training on ethical response self-efficacy scores. Using a series of univariate analyses of variance, the study found that participants of a Health Care Ethics ECHO, who were trained in sensemaking strategies, scored higher than both clinicians who received traditional training in clinical ethics, and clinicians who participated in a traditional Health Care Ethics ECHO, which incorporated normative theory, but not sensemaking (N=172). Clinicians, who participated in the Health Care Ethics ECHO with sensemaking, perceived their ability to recognize and effectively address ethical conflict in practice as significantly higher than those who participated in a traditional Ethics ECHO that did not include sensemaking strategies (p=0.035, mean difference = 0.888, 95% CI= (0.05, 1.172)). The study produced preliminary evidence to support the claim that incorporating sensemaking into clinical ethics training increases the clinician’s ability to respond ethically in practice.Item Virus interactions with the sphingolipid network : sphingosine kinase 2 in immunosuppression, immunopathology, and viral propagation(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2020) Studstill, Caleb Joseph; Hahm, BumsukSphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) is a bioactive lipid molecule known to regulate diverse cellular functions. S1P is metabolized by the sphingosine kinases (SphK) and S1P lyase (SPL). However, little is known about the role of SphK and SPL in the immune response to viral infections as well as viral pathogenesis. In this study, we demonstrate that during lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) clone 13 infection, a virus known to establish a persistent infection in mice, one SphK isoform, SphK2, functions to limit CD4+ T cell responses, which aids in the establishment of virus-induced immunosuppression and viral persistence. The infection of SphK2-deficient (Sphk2-/-) mice with LCMV resulted in kidney disease and ultimately mortality. Following infection, Sphk2-/- mice were shown to have increased LCMV-specific T cell and neutrophil responses. Depletion of these cells prevented the infection-induced death of SphK2-/- mice, indicating the essential contribution of these cells to the immune pathology. With the use of LCMV epitope-specific TCR transgenic mouse lines in adoptive transfer studies, SphK2 was shown to have intrinsic negative function in CD4+ T cells, but not CD8+ T cells. Importantly, oral treatment of LCMV-infected mice with an SphK2-selective inhibitor increased the number of LCMV-reactive CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and led to the accelerated termination of LCMV persistence. Furthermore, we have identified SphK2 as a cellular factor that is upregulated during influenza A virus (IAV) infection and simultaneously promotes IAV infectivity. Inhibition of SphK2 attenuated IAV replication in vitro and reduced IAV-associated mortality in mouse models. Unlike SphK2, SPL promotes antiviral responses by increasing type I interferon production upon cellular sensing of IAV RNA. Here, we show supporting data for the role of SPL during IAV infection utilizing an SPL-deficient cell line. Overall, these studies indicate a vital role for S1P-metabolizing enzymes during the host response to viral infections.Item Development of tissue based biomaterials for articular cartilage injuries(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2020) Snider, Colten L.; Grant, Sheila A.Multiple biomaterials have been developed in this work. Decellularized porcine diaphragm extracellular matrix was homogenized and supplemented with various biomodulatory agents. It was developed as an injectable material with possible applications in mitigation of posttraumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). Optimizing polycaprolactone and lecithin electrospun nanofibers for increased reproducibility was studied. A neutral pH liquid porcine collagen type I solution was developed for two separate projects including development of collagen microspheres (CMs) and 3D printed scaffolds. The main focus of this dissertation is on the development of CMs. The CMs were fabricated by emulsifying the liquid collagen solution in a water-in-oil emulsion. Characterization of the CMs through electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and biocompatibility analysis were conducted. The CMs were then investigated as a potential targeted PTOA mitigating agents by conjugating targeting antibodies on CMs to bind to damaged articular cartilage. CMs were also laden with mesenchymal stem cell and studied in culture over 2 weeks. The targeted CMs successfully bound to damaged cartilage and were able to mitigate reactive oxygen species production from interleukin-1beta stimulated human chondrocyte cells with addition of anti-inflammatory agent, curcumin. Finally, use of the developed liquid collagen as a potential bioink for 3D printing was investigated.