The Total Synthesis of S-equol Using Phase Transfer Catalysis

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Eric Bready and Dr. Merritt Andrus, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry The purpose of this project was completion of the total organic synthesis of the anti-cancer compound (S)-equol. My goal was to carry out our planned synthesis of this molecule using Phase Transfer Catalysts, (PTCs), which promote the formation of the S enantiomer as opposed […]

INVESTIGATION OF INVESTOR-MANAGER CONFLICT IN MUTUAL FUNDS USING DYNAMIC MODELS

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Jeremiah Bejarano and Dr. Jeffrey Humpherys, Mathematics In this project, my goal was to analyze the relation between marketshare incentives and risk taking in the hedge fund industry. Using the techniques of stochastic optimal control or dynamic programming, as applied in the typical Continuous-Time Consumption and Portfolio Choice model, I worked to develop a mathematical […]

Establishing the Theoretical Relationship between Bayesian Inference and Dynamical Structure Functions for Network Reconstruction

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Julius Adebayo and Dr. Sean Warnick, Computer Science A system-level understanding of the functioning behavior of a cell requires an accurate representation of the underlying networks of gene and protein interactions. Network reconstruction is an area of systems biology that attempts to reconstruct the network of regulatory interactions from available measurements using a mathematical framework. […]

Promoting Evidence Based Clinical Practice: Strengthening Eastern European Nurses

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Vadim Zhitnikov and Lynn Clark Callister, RN, PhD, FAAN, Professor Emerita, College of Nursing Nurses practicing in Eastern Europe do not enjoy the same opportunities as their counterparts in the United States. Resources to promote evidence based nursing practice are limited for nurses practicing in the former Soviet Union, yet these nurses have a strong […]

The Influence of Family Hardiness on Caregiver Burden in Families with a Child with Disabilities

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Devaun Sheppard and Dr. Barbara Mandleco, Nursing The purpose of this quantitative descriptive study was to examine caregiver burden and family hardiness in families raising children with disabilities (CWD) to determine 1) If there are differences in these variables according to parent gender and type of disability, and 2) If there is a relationship between […]

Evaluation of Methods to Relieve Parental Perceptions of Vaccine-associated Pain and Anxiety in Children: A Pilot Study

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Amy Pulsipher and Dr. Beth Luthy, Nursing The development and widespread use of vaccinations is one of the most important public health achievements of the 20th century (Schechter, Zempsky, Cohen, McGrath & McMurtry, 2007). Despite the immeasurable benefits of vaccinations, many parents are still reluctant to vaccinate their children. Multiple studies have reported that the […]

The Use of Social Support Groups with Women Suffering from Postpartum Depression: CenteringPregnancy Model

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Sarah Passey and Dr. Ana Birkhead, College of Nursing Postpartum depression (PPD) is a subtype of major depression affecting 10-20% of new mothers around the world, with onset within 6 months after childbirth (Norman, Sherburn, Osborne, & Galea, 2010; Xie, He, Koszycki, Walker, & Wen, 2009). “It is a serious problem that affects a woman’s […]

Benefits, Barriers and Readiness to Adopt a Universal Serial Bus (USB) Personal Health Record among Older Adult Hispanic Americans

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Kristen Painter and Dr. Barbara Heise, College of Nursing As the older adult population has aged, learning to manage their health and concurring chronic disease conditions has become a prevalent topic for health care providers. It has been shown that advances in information technology can improve healthcare outcomes (IOM, 2001; IOM, 2008). Recently, personal health […]

Charge Nurse Levels of Stress: A Baseline Assessment

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Arielle Muffler and Dr. Katreena Merrill, College of Nursing Background: When I first heard about Dr. Merrill’s interest in leadership styles and impact of stress, I was intrigued with the idea of how stress can greatly influence a working and healing environment. Due to personal experiences working under various healthcare leaders, I could attest to […]