Thesis (Ph. D.)--Georgia State University, 2005. / Theo A. ten Brummelaar, committee chair; Brian D. Thoms, Todd J. Henry, William G. Bagnuolo, Douglas R. Gies, Harold A. McAlister, committee members. Author's name from thesis t.p. Electronic text (548 p. : ill.) : digital, PDF file. Description based on contents viewed June 27, 2007; title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references (p. 539-548).

This thesis is a collection of original poems written during my time at GSU in the Master of Arts program.

This thesis is a collection of original poems written during my time at GSU in the Master of Arts program.

Introduction: According to the CDC (2008), tobacco-related deaths out number deaths from alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides, murders, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and illegal drug use. One out of every five deaths in the United States can be attributed to tobacco, culminating in a staggering 443,000 deaths in the US every year. Smoking is also the leading preventable cause of death in America (CDC, 2008). In 2006, the Surgeon General’s Report speaks to not only the detrimental effects of smoking, but also the harmful effects second hand smoke can have on an individual’s health. Furthermore, the Centers for Disease Control’s Office of Smoking and Health reported that 49,400 deaths every year in the US are the result of second hand smoke exposure, of which 46,000 will have died from heart disease attributable to second hand smoke in the environment in which they live, work, play, and learn (CDC, 2008). While the negative health outcomes with tobacco use have inundated mainstream media and literature, tobacco use has another large and devastating effect on communities around the world. That effect is the result of Tobacco Product Litter (TPL). Beyond the unsightliness of TPL, several other unwanted complications to society result from the disregarded refuse, such as harm to the environment and damages incurred by other businesses not associated at all with tobacco products. Rationale for Intervention: First and foremost the Tobacco-Free GSU Initiative was intended to promote the health of the Georgia State University community consisting of students, faculty, and staff. The American College Health Association (2009) recommends 100% tobacco-free campuses, indoors and outdoors. Studies have shown that non-smokers and smokers attending college are in favor of campus policies that control the use of tobacco on campus (Rigotti, Regan, Moran, et al., 2003; Thompson B, Coronado GD, Chen L, et al., 2006). Sawdey et al. (2011) cites the need for the implementation of smoke-free policies by campuses in order to utilize the opportunity to create an atmosphere conducive to tobacco cessation. Considering that one third of young Americans attend a college or university (Rigotti et al., 2003), exposing one third of the youth population of the United States to a tobacco-free environment could potentially change the socially acceptable norms of using tobacco, whist simultaneously creating an environment free of TPL. Intervention Strategy Analysis: Tobacco-Free GSU utilized a methodology similar to the strategies Glassman, Reindel and Whewell outlined in their 2011 study Strategies for Implementing a Tobacco-Free Campus. The Glassman et al. (2011) strategy included: Creating a Committee, Utilizing a Student Debate, Publicity, Drafting of a Potential Policy, Targeting the College or University Board of Trustees, Addressing Barriers to Becoming Tobacco-Free, Student Involvement, Administrative and Staff Support, Resources, and Enforcement Conclusion: In order to facilitate the best possible outcome, we recommend those seeking to create a tobacco-free campus utilize the strategies outlined throughout this document, whilst creating strategies specific to their location, population, and situation.

Dawn Jones's sorority sisters thought she made a big mistake marrying blue-collar Reginald. But thanks to hard work and belief in each other, Dawn and Reginald left the big city and made their own happiness, complete with a comfortable home and two lively children. Dawn can't wait to show everyone just how perfect her choices were—especially when her mega-successful best friend, Sasha, shows up to visit. But she never expected Sasha would like Reginald so much she'd steal him for herself. . .or that Reginald would see Sasha as a second chance to pursue hopes he never fulfilled. With her perfect life now in shambles, Dawn will do whatever it takes to regain what she's lost. But the road back will mean facing the hardest of truths, even tougher choices—and risking more than she ever imagined to discover what her life could really be.

Green roofs can be an effective mitigation strategy to offset the environmental impact that urbanization has on the environment. The roof area for the city of Atlanta and for the Georgia State University campus was used to compare the effectiveness of green roofs at removing pollutants, abating stormwater runoff, and reducing the urban heat island at different scales. Results show that the warmest part of the city is the urban core, which is also the area of the city with the highest percentage of impermeable surfaces. Green roofs can reduce land surface temperature in the urban core up to 2.62°C, remove up to 73 kg of atmospheric pollutants annually, and reduce stormwater runoff by up to 32.3% annually at the GSU scale. Results were less significant at the Atlanta scale due to the large amount of vegetated surfaces that already exist.

This study examined factors related to word list performance predictions made by younger and older adults. A performance prediction is an estimate made prior to being exposed to the material that is studied for a specific task. The current study examined the age differences in a sample of 59 older adults (M = 76.83 years old, SD = 8.28) and 51 younger adults (M = 21.19 years old, SD = 3.22) on performance predictions for both an immediate and delayed word recall task. Memory self-efficacy and other self-rating measures were not found to influence immediate or delayed predictions. A repeated measures ANOVA revealed that older adults improved in absolute accuracy from immediate to delayed prediction whereas younger adults became less accurate. The results suggest that all metamemory skills do not deteriorate with age, as the older adults were capable of monitoring their memory accurately based on previous performance.

The purpose of this study was to examine age differences in cortisol reactivity and memory performance in younger and older adults exposed to cognitive stressors. The current study utilized data from the Anxiety, Memory, and Control study (ACME) conducted at Brandeis University. Stress was measured using a subjective assessment of anxiety and cortisol was measured using a saliva sample. Memory performance was measured using both declarative and working memory tasks. The final sample consisted of 28 younger adults (M = 19.8 years, SD = 1.5) and 29 older adults (M = 71.2 years, SD = 6.6). There were significant age differences in cortisol reactivity with older adults showing increases in cortisol and younger adults showing decreases. Cortisol reactivity was not significantly related to memory performance for either age group. Cortisol reactivity did not differentially affect declarative or working memory. The results suggest age and task anxiety are significantly related to memory performance but cortisol reactivity is not.

No description available.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising approach used in the treatment of cancer, age related macular degeneration, psoriasis, and other diseases. Our research is focused on the discovery of new photonucleases for use in PDT. This study evaluates the photo-induced DNA cleaving abilities of a series of acridine and phenazine-based chromophores. The extended, aromatic ring systems of these compounds are expected to intercalate between adjoining base pairs in the DNA double-helix. Once irradiated, strand breakage, or nicking of plasmid DNA is achieved at micromolar concentrations of compound (pH 7.0 and 22 °C). Our scavenger experiments show that this process occurs as a result of direct electron transfer to oxygen and/or by means of energy transfer which results in the production of singlet oxygen. Three of the photonucleases being examined were designed to chelate metal. These exhibited increased levels of DNA photocleavage in the presence of copper(II).