Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Carboxyl-Group Specific Modification And Triiodo-L-Thyronine On Cardiac Sodium Channels, Samuel C. Dudley

Theses and Dissertations

The patch clamp method was used to evaluate the effects of 3,5,3'-triiodo-L-thyronine (T₃) and carboxyl modification on adult rabbit ventricular Na⁺ channels. In contrast to TTX-sensitive Na⁺ channels, Ca²⁺ block of cardiac Na⁺ channels was not prevented by selective carboxyl modification by trimethyloxonium (TMO) or water soluble carbodiimide (WSC). In 2 mM Ca²⁺, TMO-treated patches exhibited 3 discrete conductance (γ_Na) levels. An abbreviation of mean open time (MOT) accompanied each decrease in γ_Na. The effects on channel gating of elevating external Ca²⁺ differed from those of TMO …

Divine Imagination: Correlations Between The Kabbalah And The Works Of William Blake, Mikell Waters Brown

Theses and Dissertations

The intention of this thesis is to investigate correspondences which exist between the Kabbalah and the recondite world of William Blake's imagery. Particular attention will be paid to the symbiotic relationship or word and image and the dialectical approach to salvation which is common to both Blake and the Kabbalah. The attempt will be made to locate correlations between depictions or several or Blake's characters and components or the kabbalistic Tree of Life. In doing so, this writer hopes to show that Blake's familiarity with the Kabbalah was instrumental in enabling him to give form to the visionary experience upon …

Perceptual And Cognitive Abnormality Model Of Hypochondriasis: Psychological Correlates Of Amplification And Misinterpretation, James R. Craft

Theses and Dissertations

Hypochondriasis is a disorder that may affect ten percent of all individuals seeking medical care. This places a great burden on the health care resources that are currently available. Unfortunately, very few of these individuals come to the attention of mental health professionals.

Various models have attempted to conceptualize hypochondriasis. These include the psychiatric model, the psychodynamic model, the social learning and the perceptual or cognitive abnormality model.

The perceptual or cognitive abnormality model suggests that individuals who are hypochondriacal misinterpret and/or amplify normal bodily sensations. These processes lead the individuals to believe they are suffering from a serious disease. …

A Case Study Of An Effective Board Of Directors Of A Nonprofit Organization: Perceptions, Processes, Characteristics, And Diversity, Marcia Cohen Penn

Theses and Dissertations

This case study examines an effective board of directors of a nonprofit organization. The research identifies three qualitative characteristics of the Board, seeks to understand benefits and challenges of this Board's diversity, the processes it follows and Board members perceptions of Board effectiveness. Twenty-seven active Board members are interviewed in depth, observed at Board and Committee meetings and surveyed as to their perceptions of Board effectiveness. The results are presented based on emerging data gathered over a six-month period of time. Thirty-seven different definitions of Board effectiveness have been identified by Board members in this study.

Conclusions and implications are …

Geriatic Nurse Practitioner's Health Promotive Behaviors: A Test Of Theory Of Reasoned Action, Sandra L. Venegoni

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to develop an instrument to test the theory of reasoned action (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975) in a new behavioral domain the health promotive behaviors of geriatric nurse practitioners (GNPs). The two behavioral categories included in the study were health assessment and health teaching, each with its individual index of actions.

A questionnaire was developed to examine the beliefs of a sample of 200 certified geriatric nurse practitioners and to test the relationships of the theoretical model. Names of the subjects were randomly selected from the American Nurses' Association 1989 list of certified GNPs. Ninety-four …

Mechanisms Of Regulation Of The Human C-Myb Proto-Oncogene During Myelomonocytic Differentiation, Lawrence H. Boise

Theses and Dissertations

Control of hematopoiesis is a complex set of events that is currently being dissected at the molecular level. To determine factors that may be crucial for commitment to terminal differentiation of myelomonocytic cells, a mutant of the HL-60 cell line was characterized at the cellular and molecular level. This clone, termed DMSOr, was shown to differentiate in a similar fashion as parental HL-60 in response to 1.3% DMSO at the morphologic and functional level. The anti-proliferative aspects of differentiation were also present in DMSOr as evidenced by decreased 3H-thymidine incorporation and an increased percentage of cells in the G0/G1 phase …

Job Satisfaction Of Nurse Anesthesia Faculty: A Preliminary Study, James Patrick Embrey

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined how satisfied nurse anesthesia faculty are with their jobs. In addition, this study identified factors that influenced a nurse anesthesia faculty member's job satisfaction level.

A total of 304 nurse anesthesia educators from across the United States participated in this questionnaire survey study. A researcher developed personal data form (PDF) collected demographic information. The 1967 version of the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) provided job satisfaction measurements.

There was a statistically significant correlation between the general satisfaction scores measured by the PDF and MSQ. Analysis of demographic data provided a CRNA educator profIle. Job satisfaction data indicated that …

Effects Of 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-P-Dioxin (Tcdd) On The In Vitro Antibody Response: Differential Effects On The B Lymphocyte Depending On The State Of In Vivo Activation And The Modulation By Serum-Derived Growth Factors, Dale L. Morris

Theses and Dissertations

Previous reports have indicated a dichotomy in the actions of TCDD on humoral immunity, both in vitro and in vitro, in which enhancements and suppression have been identified. The latter effect has been correlated with induction of liver P4501A1 enzyme activity, a response which is regulated by the Ah-gene locus. Additionally, the primary alteration in suppression of antibody responses is in the differentiation of the B cell. Therefore, the current investigation was undertaken to determine the relationship between these dual actions of TCDD on humoral immunity as related to its direct actions on B lymphocyte function. Specific emphasis was placed …

Identification Of Dq Alpha Polymorphism Using The Polymerase Chain Reaction, Richard Mello

Theses and Dissertations

This was a study of detection systems for DQ alpha HLA polymorphism that could be exploited for the demonstration of simulated chimerism. Polymorphic segments of DO alpha DNA were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Simulated chimerism was represented by a mixture of minor and major component DNA. The goal was to detect minor component DNA in the presence of major component DNA utilizing various laboratory techniques. Techniques studied included probe strip typing with the AmpliType HLA-DO Alpha test kit, allele-specific amplification, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, restriction enzymes, and Southern transfer combined with a peroxidase detection system.

The AmpliType HLA-DO …

The Effects Of Concentric And Eccentric Contractions Performed At Equal Power Levels On Skeletal Muscle Fiber Hypertrophy, Thomas Philip Mayhew

Theses and Dissertations

There are no data available as to whether training with eccentric contractions are more effective than concentric contractions for producing skeletal muscle fiber hypertrophy. To better understand the effects of training with different contraction types two related studies were performed.

In the first study a device which is frequently used by clinicians for concentric and eccentric exercise, the Kin-Com^R, was tested for accuracy and reliability. The measurements obtained from the force, angle, and speed transducers of this device were found to be accurate and reliable between days.

The purpose of the second study was to determine if there …

Classification Of Newborns Based On Maturity Rating And Intrauterine Growth At The Medical College Of Virginia Hospitals, Lydia Holmes Sund

Theses and Dissertations

Nurses at the Medical College of Virginia Hospitals (MCVH) in Richmond, Virginia, use the Newborn Maturity Rating and Classification Tool to identify high risk infants. An estimate of gestational age is made and using this estimate, weight, length, and head circumference measurements are plotted on graphs on the tool to determine if the infant achieves intrauterine growth smaller, larger or equal to gestational age.

The data used to generate the graphs on the Newborn Maturity Rating and Classification Tool were collected in Colorado during the 1950's. Two nurses at MCVH questioned the use of these graphs. They wanted to know …

Finessing For The Queen Of Trumps, Ann Burrus

Theses and Dissertations

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at Virginia Commonwealth University.

An Empirical Investigation Of A Choice Of Accounting Method For Investments By Colleges And Universities: Positive Accounting Theory Applied In A Not-For-Profit Environment, Bruce W. Chase

Theses and Dissertations

The reasons why managers make certain accounting method choices have been explored by accounting researchers for some time. For over ten years, much of this research has been driven by positive accounting theory, which is based on the underlying assumption that managers act rationally to maximize their own personal wealth when making accounting method choices. This study is an initial attempt to extend positive accounting theory research to a not-for-profit setting; specifically, the choice of accounting method for endowment investments by colleges and universities is examined.

The three objectives of this study are: 1) to determine if the findings of …

The Problem Of Mutual Exclusion: A New Distributed Solution, Rajeev Chawla

Theses and Dissertations

In both centralized and distributed systems, processes cooperate and compete with each other to access the system resources. Some of these resources must be used exclusively. It is then required that only one process access the shared resource at a given time. This is referred to as the problem of mutual exclusion. Several synchronization mechanisms have been proposed to solve this problem. In this thesis, an effort has been made to compile most of the existing mutual exclusion solutions for both shared memory and message-passing based systems. A new distributed algorithm, which uses a dynamic information structure, is presented to …