Digital Commons Network^™

Dynamics Of Anisotropic Gold Nanopartilces In Synthetic And Biopolymer Solutions, Sharmine Alam

Wayne State University Dissertations

Soft matter is a subfield of condensed matter physics including systems such as polymers, colloids, amphiphiles and liquid crystals. Understanding their interaction and dynamics is essential for many interdisciplinary fields of study as well as important for technological advancements. We used gold nanorods (AuNRs) to investigate the length-scale dependent dynamics in semidilute polymer solutions, their conjugation and interaction with a protein bovine serum albumin (BSA), and the effect of shape anisotropy on the dynamics within a crowded solution of spheres. Multiphoton fluctuation correlation spectroscopy (MP-FCS) technique was used to investigate the translation and rotational diffusion of AuNRs. For polymer solutions, …

Unstable Ventilatory Control During Sleep After High Spinal Cord Injury: The Contribution Of Chemosensitivity And Hypoventilation, Amy Therese Bascom

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

UNSTABLE VENTILATORY CONTROL DURING SLEEP AFTER HIGH SPINAL CORD INJURY: THE CONTRIBUTION OF CHEMOSENSITIVITY AND HYPOVENTILATION

by

Amy T. Bascom

May 2015

Advisor: Dr. Harry G. Goshgarian

Major: Anatomy and Cell Biology

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

A high prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) after spinal cord injury (SCI) has been reported in the literature; however, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. My studies had 2 aims: 1) to determine the effect of the withdrawal of the wakefulness drive to breathe on the degree of hypoventilation in SCI patients and able-bodied controls and 2) to determine the response of …

Analyzing The Interactions Of Kdm5/Lid And Sin3 In Drosophila Melanogaster, Ambikai Gajan

Wayne State University Dissertations

SIN3, the scaffold protein of a histone modifying complex is conserved from yeast to mammals. Drosophila SIN3 associates with both a histone deactylase RPD3 and a histone demethylase dKDM5/LID. Immunopurification of dKDM5/LID verifies a previously observed interaction with SIN3 and RPD3. Furthermore, deficiency of dKDM5/LID phenocopies deficiency of SIN3 in many cellular and developmental processes. Knockdown of both Sin3A and lid hinder cell proliferation in Drosophila cultured cells and developing flies. Knockdown of these genes also results in a curved wing phenotype implicating a role in wing development. Analysis of underlying gene expression changes upon decreased expression of SIN3, dKDM5/LID …

Sex, Labor, And The American Way: Detroit Aesthetic In Mid-Twentieth-Century Literature, Jenna F. Gerds

Wayne State University Dissertations

The essay analyzes Sinclair Lewis short fiction in If I Were Boss, U.S.A. by John Dos Passos, Let Us Now Praise Famous Men by James Agee and Walker Evans, and Last Exit to Brooklyn by Hubert Selby, Jr. The primary literature is juxtaposed with a study of visual texts and historic research with a locational and thematic basis in Detroit. Ford Times and early automobile advertisements, Diego Rivera's mural Detroit Industry, photographs of the Sojourner Truth housing project riots, and the accounts of gay union workers comprise a framework for each of the central texts. Detroit aesthetic is gritty, realist, …

Rheology Of Cross-Linked Polymers And Polymer Foams: Theory And Experimental Results, John Herman

Wayne State University Dissertations

Typical polymers have a time-dependent response to loading which results in stress relaxation or creep. Models using springs/dashpots or Volterra integrals are capable of predicting the material response, but place little or no emphasis on the reasoning behind the response. This research proposes a microscopic reasoning behind polymer chain movement, while developing a model to predict the creep and stress relaxation of a polymer foam. Based on the theorized slip/stick of polymer chains as they slide past each other, this model successfully predicts the behavior of a PMI polymer foam under tensile loads. This model lends insights into polymer microscopic …

Construct Validation Of A Learning & Talent Development Strategic Alignment Scale, Karen Hicks

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of a Learning & Talent Development (LTD) function in organizations is to develop workforce capabilities to execute strategic priorities. A strategically aligned LTD function is perceived as a business partner and as an asset to the business.

The study design followed a psychometrically validated scale development process with the goal of confirming a valid and reliable measure of strategic alignment in LTD functions. Three studies were performed to (1) generate and test the initial pool of items, (2) explore the factor structure, and (3) confirm the factor structure. The results of three studies produced a two-factor, 15-item factor …

A Multiple Case Exploration Of Designers And Reflection In The Design Space, Tamme L. Quinn Grzebyk

Wayne State University Dissertations

For decades, scholars have searched for ways to more effectively teach and practice instructional design. A variety of strategies have been employed to address the ambiguity in and challenges of the field. Much of the focus in the education of instructional designers has been on teaching students how best to use the many models developed for the field (Rowling, 1992). These efforts, while meant to help the new instructional designer succeed, have often been stifled by the ever-changing landscape of what instructional designers are asked to do in their roles after graduation (Kenny, Zhang, Schwier, & Campbell, 2005). Other research …

Spillover Effects Of Medicare Advantage Plans: Does The Market Penetration Of Plans Affect Hospital Care Quality?, Qianwei Shen

Wayne State University Dissertations

The percentage of Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans increased from 12 percent in 2003 to 28 percent in 2013 out of the about 50 million Medicare enrollees. Although Medicare beneficiaries are increasingly choosing MA plans, little is known about whether and how the market penetration of these plans affect the quality of hospital care provided to Medicare beneficiaries. This issue is extremely important to policy makers when they try to evaluate the importance and effectiveness of current Medicare policy, like Obama Care. This paper is designed to examine the spillover effect on the quality of hospital care …

Preclinical Evaluation Of Infrared Light Therapy In A Rat Model Of Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy, Christian Andrew Reynolds

Wayne State University Dissertations

Hypoxic events encountered during the perinatal period leading to pathologic decreases in fetal cerebral oxygen availability are detrimental resulting in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). This work focused on the characterization of a rat model of neonatal HIE for use in the preclinical evaluation of infrared light therapy (IRL). Consistent with results from previous IRL efficacy studies using a rat model of adult global brain ischemia, IRL treatment attenuated cerebral injury resulting from hypoxia-ischemia in the neonatal rat. Thus, and perhaps most importantly, this work contributes to the development of a potential novel therapeutic approach in the management of brain injuries …

Do Learning Communities Matter?: An Examination Of The Retention Of At-Risk African American Students At An Urban, Commuter, Research University, Cheryl Deon White

Wayne State University Dissertations

The effectiveness of learning community participation on the retention of at-risk, African American students at a public, urban, primarily commuter, research institution was the focus of this research. A nonexperimental, retrospective, descriptive, cohort research design was used with a sample of 318 first time in any college (FTIAC) African American students enrolled in the Alternative Admission Division (AAD) of Metropolitan Urban University (MUU) starting in the fall 2006 semester. The primary research hypothesis was that African American students who were admitted into the AAD at MUU in the fall 2006 semester would have greater academic outcomes (e.g. grade point average …

Role Of Crebh In Endotoxin Mediated Modulation Of Hepatic Metabolism, Aditya Prakash Dandekar

Wayne State University Dissertations

Bacterial endotoxins can induce a variety of physiological changes in the host. This effect is not only restricted to inflammatory changes but also comprises metabolic changes in the host body. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), one of the key components of the bacterial cell walls, is capable of triggering host metabolic changes. Hyperlipidemia usually accompanies with high endotoxin levels as well as inflammation. Lipid metabolism disorders are one of the common hallmarks of a patient with sepsis or high levels of endotoxin through diet. Previously, we have identified an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) anchored liver-specific transcription factor CREBH (cAMP-responsive element-binding protein, hepatocyte-specific), which is …

Communication And Identity: The Paternity Leave Decision, Scott Sellnow-Richmond

Wayne State University Dissertations

Paternity leave has remained an under-studied phenomenon in the United States. The US stands in contrast to countries such as Sweden and Norway, which have a history of government-regulated paid time off for fathers of new children. Therefore new fathers in the US face a unique situation regarding their decision of whether or not to take whatever form of paternity leave may be available to them. This study explores what aspects of new fathers’ identities are salient regarding the paternity leave decision. The Communication Theory of Identity (CTI) is used as a theoretical framework to explore how these identities correspond …

Affirming Expectations: African American Men's Perceptions Of Trust In Physicians, Rondrell Tayvan Taylor

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

AFFIRMING EXPECTATIONS:

AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN’S PERCEPTIONS OF TRUST IN PHYSICIANS

by

RONDRELL TAYVAN TAYLOR

August 2015

Advisor: Dr. R. Khari Brown

Major: Sociology (Medical)

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Trust is the foundation of the doctor-patient relationship. It promotes healing and medical efficacy. Patient trust in physicians exists when doctors act in their patients’ best interests. Moreover, trust literature demonstrates that historically (and contemporarily), African Americans are less likely than Whites to trust clinicians and the medical community due to the history of discrimination, clinical racism, unethical medical practices, implicit or unconscious racial biases, and exploitation by the health care …

Event Centrality After Trauma: Stability, Trauma Type, And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Anna Michelle Wright

Wayne State University Dissertations

In order to better understand posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and PTSD’s etiology, researchers have begun examining whether PTSD symptoms are related to the centrality of the traumatic event (i.e., whether the trauma is central to the individual’s life story and changes the way he or she views the world). The current study examines the following questions: (1) Is event centrality stable over time? (2) What is the effect of cumulative trauma on event centrality? Additionally, do different types of trauma have different associations with event centrality? and (3) Given its relationship with PTSD, should event centrality be considered a …

Functional Analysis Of A Highly Conserved Cyclin, Cyclin Y, In Drosophila Melanogaster, Nermin Gerges

Wayne State University Dissertations

Cyclin Y is a highly conserved member of the Cyclin superfamily of proteins. In Drosophila the Cyclin Y gene (CycY) is required for progression through several stages of development but the specific pathways that Cyclin Y belongs to and that account for its requirement are not known. Studies in human and Drosophila cell lines have shown that membrane-localized Cyclin Y is required for phosphorylation of the wingless/Wnt co-receptor, arrow/LRP6, and for full activation of the canonical wingless/Wnt pathway. CycY null Drosophila, however, do not phenocopy loss-of-function mutations in canonical wingless pathway genes, suggesting that Cyclin Y may have additional roles …

Adipocyte-Induced Inflammation In Prostate Tumor Progression In Bone: Role Of Cxcr2 And Osteopontin, Aimalie Lynnette Hardaway

Wayne State University Dissertations

Abstract

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men. Evidence suggests that age and obesity, conditions associated with adipocyte accumulation in the bone marrow, are linked to increased risk of developing PCa and progressing to metastatic disease. Studies presented in this dissertation were based on the hypothesis that metastatic progression in bone is a result of a cooperative effort between bone marrow adipocytes, macrophages, osteoclasts, and PCa cells. We specifically focused on two adipocyte-supplied chemokines, CXCL1 and CXCL2, and bone marrow macrophage-secreted osteopontin as key drivers of pro-inflammatory environment in the bone marrow and important …

A Control-Theoretic Design And Analysis Framework For Resilient Hard Real-Time Systems, Pradeep Mahendra Hettiarachchi

Wayne State University Dissertations

We introduce a new design metric called system-resiliency which characterizes the maximum unpredictable

external stresses that any hard-real-time performance mode can withstand. Our proposed systemresiliency

framework addresses resiliency determination for real-time systems with physical and hardware

limitations. Furthermore, our framework advises the system designer about the feasible trade-offs between

external system resources for the system operating modes on a real-time system that operates in a

multi-parametric resiliency environment.

Modern multi-modal real-time systems degrade the system’s operational modes as a response to unpredictable

external stimuli. During these mode transitions, real-time systems should demonstrate a reliable

and graceful degradation of service. Many …

Resource Management In Cloud And Big Data Systems, Lena Mashayekhy

Wayne State University Dissertations

Cloud computing is a paradigm shift in computing, where services are offered and acquired on demand in a cost-effective way. These services are often virtualized, and they can handle the computing needs of big data analytics. The ever-growing demand for cloud services arises in many areas including healthcare, transportation, energy systems, and manufacturing. However, cloud resources such as computing power, storage, energy, dollars for infrastructure, and dollars for operations, are limited. Effective use of the existing resources raises several fundamental challenges that place the cloud resource management at the heart of the cloud providers' decision-making process. One of these challenges …

Development Of New Algorithms For Exploring The Potential Energy Landscape Of Chemical Reactions, Adam Benjamin Birkholz

Wayne State University Dissertations

The research presented in this dissertation is divided into 5 chapters. In Chapter 2, a method for reducing the number of coordinates required to accurately reproduce a known chemical reaction pathway by applying principal component analysis to a number of geometries along the pathway (expressed in either Cartesian coordinates or redundant internal coordinates) is described and applied to 9 example reactions. Chapter 3 introduces new methods for estimating the structure of and optimizing transition states by utilizing information about the atomic bonding in the reactants and products. These methods are then benchmarked against a standard transition state optimization approach utilizing …

Towards A Unified Model Of Sperm Chromatin Structure, Graham Johnson

Wayne State University Dissertations

Sperm possess several layers of information that are delivered to the oocyte alongside the paternal DNA. Examples of potential sperm borne molecular cues of probable use to the embryo include RNAs and local and global chromatin structure. To identify candidate sperm RNAs that likely reach the oocyte cytoplasm following fertilization patterns of transcript compartmentalization in the mature gamete were identified. Though all sperm RNAs exhibited a preferential peripheral enrichment, a subset of RNAs were identified in which this trend was reduced. These RNAs are thought to be embedded with perinuclear theca and are correlated with late spermatogenic transcription. Malat1, a …

Specialized Inter-Particle Interaction Lbm For Patterned Superhydrophobic Surfaces, Amal Saeed Yagub

Wayne State University Dissertations

SPECIALIZED INTER-PARTICLE INTERACTION LBM FOR PATTERNED SUPERHYDROPHOBIC SURFACES

by

AMAL S. YAGUB

ABSTRACT:

Superhydrophobic surface characteristics are important in many industrial applications, ranging from the textile to the military. It was observed that surfaces fabricated with nano/micro roughness can manipulate the droplet contact angle, thus providing an opportunity to control the droplet wetting characteristics. The Shan and Chen (SC) lattice Boltzmann model (LBM) is a good numerical tool, which holds strong potentials to qualify for simulating droplets wettability. This is due to its realistic nature of droplet contact angle (CA) prediction on flat smooth surfaces. But SC-LBM was not able …

Interaction Forces And Reaction Kinetics Of Ligand-Cell Receptor Systems Using Atomic Force Microscopy, Anwesha Sarkar

Wayne State University Dissertations

Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) provides superior imaging resolution and the ability to measure forces at the nanoscale. It is an important tool for studying a wide range of bio-molecular samples from proteins, DNA to living cells. We developed AFM measurement procedures to measure protein interactions on live cells at the single molecular level. These measurements can be interpreted by using proper statistical approaches and can yield important parameters about ligand-receptor interactions on live cells. However, the standard theory for analyzing rupture force data does not fit the experimental rupture force histograms. Most of the experimental measurements of rupture force data …

A Framework To Improve A Nation's Competitiveness Through Quality Awards And Performance Improvement Tools, Amr Alamri

Wayne State University Dissertations

Each country, represented by its government, aims to serve its citizens better. This is achieved by better utilization of resources and higher productivity. The ability to do so will lead to a competitive nation. Recently, countries were able to compare themselves in terms of competitiveness using international indexes and references. These references gave countries a benchmark to know where they exist compared to other nations. They help governments to understand their strengths and weaknesses within the competitiveness components. However, nations differ in the actions which are to be taken in order to improve their competitiveness. Governments establish and regulate many …

Drosophila Cyclin J And The Somatic Pirna Pathway Cooperate To Regulate Germline Stem Cells, Paul Michael Albosta

Wayne State University Dissertations

Cyclin J (CycJ) is a highly conserved cyclin that is uniquely expressed specifically in ovaries in Drosophila. Deletion of the genomic region containing CycJ and adjacent genes resulted in a genetic interaction with neighboring piRNA pathway gene, armitage (armi). Here I assessed oogenesis in CycJ null in the presence or absence of mutations in armi or other piRNA pathway genes. Although CycJ null flies had decreased egg laying and hatching rates, ovaries appeared normal indicating that CycJ is dispensable for oogenesis under normal conditions. Further double mutant analysis of CycJ and neighbor armi, as well as two other piRNA pathway …

An Evaluation Of The Factor Structure, Reliability And Construct Validity Of The Male Role Norms Inventory-Revised For African American/Black Men, Wilfred Michael Allen

Wayne State University Dissertations

Background: In the United States, on average, men die nearly five years younger than women. Among men, the life expectancy for African American/Blacks is 72.1 years compared to 76.6 years for White/European Americans. African-American/Black men experience an earlier onset and more severe disease with higher rates of complications than White/European American men. Masculinity ideology has been identified by researchers as having an influence on health behaviors and ultimately health outcomes. Based on prior research literature, higher levels of masculinity ideology have been associated with fewer health promoting behaviors. As such, there is a need for a reliable and valid measure …

An Examination Of The Relationship Among Iraqi High School Students' Science Achievement And Perceptions Of The Value Of Education, Parent Support, And Peer Support In The United States, Samir F. Al-Mandwee

Wayne State University Dissertations

The objective of this dissertation was to quantitatively study Iraqi students (N=90) who arrived in the U.S.A. in the last 20 years. A non-experimental, descriptive research design was used for this study, which took place in one of three high schools in a large Midwestern suburban school district, during the 2013-2014 academic year. Three factors, including the students' perception of the value of education, the parental support, and the peer support, were examined using the Facilitating Conditions Questionnaire. The three subscales were part of a larger self-administered questionnaire used by McInerney (1997). In addition to the FCQ survey, a student …

Assessing The Impact Of Native American Elders As Co-Educators For University Students In Stem, Sarah Omar Alkholy

Wayne State University Dissertations

Introduction: Minorities are underrepresented in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce, post-secondary STEM education, and show high academic attrition rates. Academic performance and retention improve when culturally relevant support is provided. The interface of Western Science and Indigenous Science provides an opportunity for bridging this divide. This three parts project is an example of Community-based participatory research (CBPR) that aims to support academic institutions that serve minority students in STEM, and implement educational components (pedagogy) to serve the needs of the underserved community. Method: Part 1: was a cross-sectional used a survey given to participants designed to assess …

What Impacts Life Satisfaction Of Aging Adults Following Stressful Life Events?: An Examination Of The Buffering Effect Of Personal Resources, Cassandra Barragan

Wayne State University Dissertations

Purpose: Existing research has shown that elders experience changes in their life satisfaction following stressful life events. There is an abundance of literature supporting the predictive nature of not only stressful life events on life satisfaction, but social support, autonomy, and financial security. What the literature is lacking, is examination of the buffering effect of social support, autonomy, and financial security on the relationship between stressful life events and life satisfaction. This study hypothesizes that increases in social support, autonomy, and financial security will buffer the impact of SLEs for elders and thus, they will experience increases in their life …

Object Tracking: Appearance Modeling And Feature Learning, Raed Almomani

Wayne State University Dissertations

Object tracking in real scenes is an important problem in computer vision due to increasing usage of tracking systems day in and day out in various applications such as surveillance, security, monitoring and robotic vision. Object tracking is the process of locating objects of interest in every frame of video frames. Many systems have been proposed to address the tracking problem where the major challenges come from handling appearance variation during tracking caused by changing scale, pose, rotation, illumination and occlusion.

In this dissertation, we address these challenges by introducing several novel tracking techniques. First, we developed a multiple object …

Relationship Quality And Student Engagement, Jennifer Culver

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the qualities of support, relatedness, and negative interaction within parent-child and teacher-student relationships and their association with cognitive, psychological, and behavioral engagement. Additionally, this study explored the contributions of cognitive and psychological engagement on behavioral engagement. The role of gender, grade, and ethnicity on relationship quality and engagement was also considered. Participants (n=311) were students in grades three through five from a suburban school district in southeastern Michigan. Perceptions of teacher-student relationship quality varied by grade level. In general, younger students reported greater teacher support and relatedness in comparison to older students. …