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Cardiac Calsequestrin Phosphorylation And Trafficking In The Mammalian Cardiomyocyte, Timothy Mcfarland

Wayne State University Dissertations

Cardiac CSQ (CSQ2) is a multifaceted protein, capable of binding significant quantities of Ca2+ and altering ryanodine receptor activity at the junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). Little is known about the trafficking of CSQ2 from its unknown site of biosynthesis, which appears to be of importance as its structure changes in a trafficking-dependent manner in various types of heart failure. Through the use of multiple antibodies specific to classic rough ER markers, and with the creation of CSQ-DsRed tetramer fusion protein, we were able to establish a juxtanuclear localization of rough ER in cardiomyocytes. Using fluorescence confocal microscopy, the translocon complex …

Study Of Protein-Rna Interactions Using Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (Fret) And Single-Molecule Fret, Rajan Lamichhane

Wayne State University Dissertations

In the cell, RNA and protein, interact to form ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNPs) that have vital structural, catalytic and regulatory roles. Despite their functional importance, the mechanistic details and dynamics of RNPs are poorly understood. Single-molecule Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (smFRET) techniques that provide information about heterogeneity and dynamic behaviors of molecules have been developed to investigate inter- and intra-molecular interactions. Here we have used FRET in combination with smFRET to study three very different RNP systems.

Alternative splicing is a highly regulated biological process that plays a crucial role in proteomic diversity in eukaryotes. One splicing regulator, PTB, has been …

Chemical Synthesis Of Peptides And Peptide Thioesters, Indrajeet Sharma

Wayne State University Dissertations

This dissertation describes investigations toward the development of a new chemistry for the block synthesis of peptides and peptidyl thioesters. A direct approach for the Fmoc-SPPS of peptidyl thioesters is also delineated in this thesis.

In the first part of chapter one, the difficulty and importance of chemical synthesis of peptides is explained, and a brief survey of available methods is given. The second part of chapter one presents the challenges inherent in the synthesis of peptidyl thioesters by Fmoc-SPPS.

The second chapter outlines the investigations conducted towards the development of a new chemistry for epimerization-free block synthesis of peptides …

Saudi Students' Attitudes, Beliefs, And Preferences Toward Coeducational Online Cooperative Learning, Salim Alanazy

Wayne State University Dissertations

In Saudi Arabia, the single-sex learning environment is the only choice for students due to social and religious concerns. Recently, online education is a growing field in Saudi Arabia. However, there is a paucity of research examining coeducational online cooperative learning that allows virtual interaction between male and female learners. The purpose of the study was to investigate the attitude, belief, and preference of Saudi students regarding working in a coeducation online cooperative learning environment. The participants of the study were 707 students from the Saudi students in the USA. An electronic questionnaire was developed by the researcher for the …

An Assessment Of The Readiness Of King Fahad Medical City, Saudi Arabia, In Adopting Effective Online Staff Development Programs, Adnan Dhafer Alwadie

Wayne State University Dissertations

Internet access has grown in Saudi Arabia between 2000 and 2005 by more than 1000% and many governmental organizations are starting to provide part of their services using the internet. In addition, the Ministry of Higher Education has provided funding to all governmental universities to start developing strategies and guidelines for online education. Healthcare services in Saudi Arabia are funded by the government and are provided to all citizens free of charge. In addition, the majority of healthcare workers are expatriates. King Fahad Medical City (KFMC) is a tertiary healthcare organization that provides specialized medical care. To assure quality of …

Improving Blood Pressure Control In Esrd Through A Supportive Educative Nursing Intervention, Zorica Kauric-Klein

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

IMPROVING BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL IN ESRD THROUGH A

SUPPORTIVE EDUCATIVE NURSING INTERVENTION

by

ZORICA KAURIC-KLEIN

May 2011

Advisor: Dr. Nancy T. Artinian

Major: Nursing

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Problem: Hypertension in chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients contributes significantly to their morbidity and mortality. Statistics indicate the hypertension rate amongst HD patients ranges from 75 to 100 %. Studies have indicated that adherence rates to self-care behaviors related to salt and fluid intake and medication regimens are very poor in the HD population. Traditional hypertension management strategies have been found to be largely ineffective. There is modest evidence indicating that interventions …

Ionization In Diesel Combustion: Mechanism, New Instrumentation And Engine Applications, Fadi Estefanous

Wayne State University Dissertations

Diesel engines are known for their superior fuel economy and high power density. However they emit undesirable high levels of nitrogen oxide (NOx) and black particulate smoke (Soot). To reduce these emissions, close loop engine control strategies are required. Therefore, there is a need for an in-cylinder combustion sensor. The ion current sensor has been used for combustion sensing in gasoline engines for which ionization mechanisms have been developed. This is not the case in diesel engines.

In this dissertation, a new mechanism for ionization in diesel engines has been developed and experimentally validated. Moreover, a three dimensional model has …

The Creative Content Programme And Audiovisual E-Platform: An Institutional Analysis Of Unesco's Influence On The Development Of Independent Documentary Content And Production Practice, Deborah Joanne James

Wayne State University Dissertations

This dissertation is an institutional analysis of two interrelated UNESCO (United Nations Education Science and Cultural Organization) activities. These include the Creative Content Programme, and the Audiovisual E-Platform, an online catalogue and social networking hub for independent filmmakers/media producers from the global South. Contained by these activities, the author focuses the multi-method approach on gender and access by (A) conducting an analysis of the composition of programs and practices of the Creative Content Programme and the E-Platform; (B) conducting textual analysis of documentary media and interviews with Diaspora women producers; and (C) participating in and observing community-based multimedia production …

The Relationship Between Functional Health Literacy Of African American Veterans And Nonveterans And Their Ability To Read And Comprehend Medical Information For A Chronic Illness, David Stephen Points

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there were differences between male African Americans who have served in the military and those who are not veterans in their ability to read and comprehend medical information for a chronic illness prevalent among African Americans, such as type 2 diabetes. The participants included 92 African American men of whom 44 were veterans and 48 were nonveterans. The participants were drawn from fraternal organizations and churches in a large metropolitan area located in the Midwestern part of the United States. The Short Test of Health Literacy Assessment (STOFHLA), a knowledge questionnaire, …

Chemotherapy For Lung Cancer: Determinants Of Guideline Adherence And Associated Patient Outcomes, Ramzi George Salloum

Wayne State University Dissertations

Evidence-based guidelines recommend chemotherapy for medically fit patients with stage II-IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Adherence to chemotherapy guidelines has rarely been studied among large populations, mainly because performance status (PS), a key component in assessing chemotherapy appropriateness, is missing from claims-based datasets. Among a large cohort of patients with known PS, this dissertation describes chemotherapy use relative to guideline recommendations and identifies patient factors and outcomes associated with guideline concordant use. Among these patients 29% do not receive guideline recommended chemotherapy treatment, missing opportunities for cure or receiving chemotherapy with more risk of harm than benefit, thereby likely …

Small Gtp-Binding Proteins In Insulin Secretion, Bhavaani Jayaram

Wayne State University Dissertations

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is marked by a substantial beta-cell failure which is characterized by defective insulin secretion and resistance to insulin. Understanding the molecular events leading to Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion [GSIS] might serve as therapeutic potential towards diabetes. GSIS involves interplay between small G-proteins and their regulatory factors. Herein, I tested the hypothesis that Arf nucleotide binding site opener [ARNO], a guanine nucleotide exchange factor [GEF] for the small G-protein Arf6, mediates the activation of Arf6, and that ARNO/Arf6 signaling axis, in turn, controls the activation of downstream effectors. Salient features of my study are: [i] ARNO/Arf6 is expressed …

Axogial Communication Mediated By Soluble Neuregulin-1 And Bdnf, Zhenzhong Ma

Wayne State University Dissertations

During peripheral nervous system development, successful communication between axons and glial cells including Schwann cells in peripheral nervous system and oligodendrocytes in central nervous system, is required for the proper functions of both neurons and glia. Three types of alternatively-spliced proteins belonging to the neuregulin1 (NRG1) gene family of growth and differentiation factors are essential for Schwann cell survival and peripheral nerve development. While membrane-bound NRG1 forms (type III) has been strongly implicated in the regulation of myelination process at late stage of Schwann cell development, little is known about the role of soluble, heparin-binding forms of NRG1 (type I/II) …

Deformable Meshes For Shape Recovery: Models And Applications, Chang Liu

Wayne State University Dissertations

With the advance of scanning and imaging technology, more and more 3D objects become available. Among them, deformable objects have gained increasing interests. They include medical instances such as organs, a sequence of objects in motion, and objects of similar shapes where a meaningful correspondence can be established between each other. Thus, it requires tools to store, compare, and retrieve them. Many of these operations depend on successful shape recovery. Shape recovery is the task to retrieve an object from the environment where its geometry is hidden or implicitly known. As a simple and versatile tool, mesh is widely used …

International Student Navigation Through U.S.-American Colleges And Universities: An Autoethnographic Analysis Of Discourse, Nick James Romerhausen

Wayne State University Dissertations

As the population of international students continues to rise at U.S. colleges and universities, the difficulties that international students may face becomes more present and apparent. Intervention strategies used to assist international students in the past have shown remarkable success; however, these strategies have primarily included face-to-face interactions. I explore the role that mediated discourse plays in supporting international students with navigating paths through U.S. colleges and universities by examining ten institutions' assistance handbooks. From inspiration from autoethnography, discourse analysis, and critical education perspectives, I also use an autoethnographic analysis of discourse to understand the types of experiences colleges and …

Mechanisms Of Persistent Translation Arrest Following Global Brain Ischemia And Reperfusion, Jill Theresa Jamison

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

MECHANISMS OF PERSISTENT TRANSLATION ARREST FOLLOWING GLOBAL BRAIN ISCHEMIA and REPERFUSION

by

JILL T. JAMISON

December 2011

Advisor: Donald J. DeGracia, Ph.D.

Major: Physiology

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

The information presented here studies the mechanisms that underlie persistent translation arrest (TA) following global brain ischemia and reperfusion (I/R). To summarize the main findings I have discovered a new mechanism for prolonged post-ischemic TA that correlated exactly with in vivo translation rates and correlated precisely with cell outcome. Through the extensive colocalization studies, my results indicate that the mRNA granules are ribonomic structures involved with mRNA regulation. This finding is …

Locating And Extracting Acoustic And Neural Signals, Na Zhu

Wayne State University Dissertations

This dissertation presents innovate methodologies for locating, extracting, and separating multiple incoherent sound sources in three-dimensional (3D) space; and applications of the time reversal (TR) algorithm to pinpoint the hyper active neural activities inside the brain auditory structure that are correlated to the tinnitus pathology. Specifically, an acoustic modeling based method is developed for locating arbitrary and incoherent sound sources in 3D space in real time by using a minimal number of microphones, and the Point Source Separation (PSS) method is developed for extracting target signals from directly measured mixed signals. Combining these two approaches leads to a novel technology …

Social Movement Theory And Far Right Organizations, Frank Tridico

Wayne State University Dissertations

This research examines the organized far right movement and interviews members of four right wing organizations to understand their goals and operations. This study compares the utility of two social movement theories, Resource Mobilization Theory (RMT) and New Social Movement Theory (NSMT) to explain the functioning of the four organizations. Resource Mobilization Theory contends that change is done politically in the sphere of institutional power, while New Social Movement Theory argues that change occurs in civil society.

The study was qualitative in nature and involved in-depth interviews with 97 members of four far right organizations across two Midwest states. The …

The Fourier Spectral Element Method For Vibration Analysis Of General Dynamic Structures, Xuefeng Zhang

Wayne State University Dissertations

The Fourier Spectral Element Method (FSEM) was proposed by Wen Li on the vibration of simple beams (Li, 1999), and was extended to the vibration of rectangular plates (Li, 2004). This dissertation proposes a revised formulation on the vibration of rectangular plates with general boundary conditions, and extends the FSEM on the vibration of general triangular plates with elastic boundary supports. 3-D coupling formulation among the plates and beams is further developed. A general dynamic structure is then analyzed by dividing the structure into coupled triangular plates, rectangular plates, and beams. The accuracy and fast convergence of FSEM method is …

Electronic Excitations In Branched Conjugated Oligomers: A Quasiparticle View And Tight-Binding Models, Hao Li

Wayne State University Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on the theoretical understanding and simulation of the excited state electronic structures of organic conjugated molecules. The exciton scattering (ES) approach has been extended for efficient calculation of optical spectra of large branched conjugated oligomers. The methodology of tight-binding (lattice) model, originally developed in condensed matter theory, has been extended to the building block structure of conjugated molecules for explicit description of the electronic excitations.

Within the ES approach, the electronic excitations in quasi-1D molecular structures are attributed to standing waves that represent quantum quasiparticles (excitons) scattered at the molecular vertices. Excitation energies can be found by …

Barriers And Opportunities For Evidence-Based Practice: Curriculum Changes In Fieldwork And Classroom In Social Work Education, Anwar Najor-Durack

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to consider perceptions held by social work faculty and agency-based field instructors to incorporate EBP into social work student classroom and field placement experiences. This study identifies perceptions of social work faculty and field instructors about EBP, determines the extent to which social work faculty and field instructors incorporate and use EBP; and considers how organizational leadership and/or technology supports influence adoption and utilization of EBP. The population for this study included all full-time social work faculty members employed by three large public universities in southeast Michigan (Michigan State University [MSU], University of Michigan …

Self Learning Strategies For Experimental Design And Response Surface Optimization, Adel Alaeddini

Wayne State University Dissertations

Most preset RSM designs offer ease of implementation and good performance over a wide range of process and design optimization applications. These designs often lack the ability to adapt the design based on the characteristics of application and experimental space so as to reduce the number of experiments necessary. Hence, they are not cost effective for applications where the cost of experimentation is high or when the experimentation resources are limited. In this dissertation, we present a number of self-learning strategies for optimization of different types of response surfaces for industrial experiments with noise, high experimentation cost, and requiring high …

The Impact Of Folate Deficiency On The Base Excision Repair Pathway: Analysis Of Enzyme Coordination In Response To Dna Damage And Imbalanced Repair, Amanda Pilling

Wayne State University Dissertations

The condition of folate deficiency has been implicated in carcinogenesis, with the strongest evidence formulated in colon cancer. The role of folate in DNA repair, DNA synthesis and methylation reactions renders this nutrient an valuable target for studying the onset and progression of cancer. Using molecular techniques to determine gene and protein expression, enzyme activity and methylation status elucidates the mechanism of DNA repair and damage in folic acid deficient animals in response to carcinogen. The findings presented in this study indicate failure to remove and repair damage in the condition of folate deficiency and suggest that the accumulation of …

A Meta-Analytic Framework For Understanding How Leader-Subordinate Age Differences Impact Leadership Effectiveness Ratings: A Novel Approach To Relational Demography, Cort Whiting Rudolph

Wayne State University Dissertations

Recently, there has been renewed interest in studying relational demography, which focuses on how demographic differences between individuals and members of their work unit impact individual level outcomes (Joshi, Liao & Roh, 2011). In terms of age, relational demography research has focused on the individual-within-group level of analysis, such as studying how age differences between individuals and their peers affect work attitudes (Riordan & Shore, 1997). However, the influence of age differences between leaders and their subordinates has not been sufficiently addressed by this literature (Tsui, Egan & Xin, 1995).

This study investigates how leader-subordinate age differences affect subordinates' ratings …

Mine? Yours? Ours? Reconceptualizing And Contextualizing The Leader-Member Relationship, Leah Marie Omilion-Hodges

Wayne State University Dissertations

This study examines resource distribution within the intact workgroup, investigating the processes which prompt distribution from leader to member as well as the lateral lending of resources among coworkers. Espousing leader-member (LMX) and coworker relationships (CWX) within the larger organizational social structure, this research extends the field by embedding the work within the intact workgroup making specific predictions regarding coworker exchange relationships as a byproduct of perceptions of justice and individual standing (high or low status) with the leader. Propositions are forwarded which argue for the need to view LMX and CWX in terms of communal and exchange relationship types, …

Synthesis Of Peptide-Ligand Conjugates And Their Applications, Nitinkumar Dilipkumar Jabre

Wayne State University Dissertations

Three research areas pertaining to this dissertation, (i) synthesis strategies of peptide-ligand conjugates, (ii) their applications and (iii) chemistry of ferryls were surveyed in the introduction chapter. Next, the divergent and dual divergent strategies for the synthesis of non-heme ligand-peptide conjugates were developed. Using these strategies various peptide-ligand conjugates were synthesized via solution as well as solid phase synthesis. The scope and the functional group compatibility of these strategies were also established. The utility of the dual divergent strategy has been demonstrated by synthesizing a small library of metal-binding LHRH analogues. This work showcased the ability of the dual divergent …

Detroit Blues Women, Michael Duggan Murphy

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

DETROIT BLUES WOMEN

by

Michael Duggan Murphy

August 2011

Advisor: Dr. John J. Bukowczyk

Major: History

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

"Detroit Blues Women" explores how African American "women's blues" survived the twentieth century relatively unscripted by the image-makers of the male-dominated music industry. In the 1920s, African American blues queens laid out a foundation for assertive and rebellious women's blues that the many musical heirs who succeeded them in the twentieth century and into the first decade of the twenty first century sustained, preserved and built upon. The dissertation argues that women's blues, which encouraged women to liberate themselves …

Emotional Risk Factors For Substance Abuse In A Chronic Pain Population: Developing A Predictive Model And Testing Methods For Assessing Stigmatized Behaviors, Lindsay Margaret-Sander Oberleitner

Wayne State University Dissertations

There are currently few factors guiding physicians' decisions as to whether an individual patient may need additional regulation of pain medications because of risks. The limited predictive factors applied to prescription opioid abuse in chronic pain patients is surprising given the breadth of personal, cognitive, and emotional factors explored in both chronic pain and substance abuse literatures broadly. The present study had two purposes. First, concurrent risk factors for prescription misuse and substance abuse in chronic pain patients were explored, specifically examining whether the addition of emotional factors to the traditionally used risk factors improves prediction of prescription and substance …

Pleiotropic Regulatory Function Of The Lysr Family Transcriptional Regulator Cpsy During Streptococcus Iniae Systemic Infection, Jonathan Paul Allen

Wayne State University Dissertations

The ability of a pathogen to metabolically adapt to the local environment for optimal expression of virulence determinants is a continued area of research. Orthologs of the Streptococcus iniae LysR family regulator CpsY have been shown to regulate methionine biosynthesis and uptake pathways, but appear to influence expression of several virulence genes as well. A S. iniae mutant with an in-frame deletion of cpsY is highly attenuated in a zebrafish infection model. The cpsY deletion mutant displays a methionine-independent growth defect in serum, which differs from the methionine-dependent defect observed for orthologous mutants of S. mutans and S. agalactiae. …

A Bioecological Approach To Empathy, Altruism, And Intent To Help: Developmental, Dispositional And Contextual Factors Influence Prosocial Motivations And Intentions, Michelle Provenzano Beechler

Wayne State University Dissertations

Whether one helps due to altruistic empathy or egoistic motivators has been debated in the social psychological literature most recently with the Felt-Oneness (Cialdini et al., 1997) and the Empathy-Altruism (Batson 1991) hypotheses. For strangers, it appears that helping intentions are predicted by felt-oneness, except in circumstances in which a bystander feels nurturance toward a target, in which case empathy is found to predict helping. For close relationships, however, empathy predicts helping, particularly in high need situations. Antipathy has been presented as a possible confound as well (Batson et al., 1997), but has not been tested. The present study took …

Artificial And Natural Nucleic Acid Self Assembling Systems, Marcus Wood

Wayne State University Dissertations

Nucleic acids are good candidates for nanomachine construction. They participate in all the processes of life, and so can function as structural building blocks and dynamic catalysts. However, to use nucleic acids as nanomachines, a better understanding of their material properties, how to design structures using them, and their dynamics is needed. We have tried to address these issues, in a small way, with nucleic acid force field development, an attempt at nanostructural design and synthesis using DNA, and a study of the RNA/protein regulatory dynamics of the tryptophan regulatory attenuation protein.