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On The Edge, Hak Kyun Kim

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

My work is based on my continual fascination with the vessel. Stemming from its literal and conceptual uses: vessels serve, they preserve, they beautify, offer, invite, hold, hide, reveal, and present. With this concept, my work attempts to create new forms which are the vessels themselves and a myriad of possible relationships through different arrangements. To achieve these literal and conceptual uses of vessels, I paid special attention to placement and composition. I made tableware forms such as plates, cups, and mugs, setting them up into two metaphorical categories: “Before Serving” and “After Serving.” In the introduction, I will talk …

The Relationship Among Washington State County Commissioners Knowledge And Perceptions Of Washington State University Extension And Their Willingness To Fund Wsu Extension, James Hilmer Lindstrom

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The study determined the relationship between perceptions that the Washington State county commissioners' hold of WSU Extension and their knowledge of WSU Extension. In addition, the study determined whether their perceptions, knowledge, and/or understanding of Extension are related to and thereby may have predictability to their willingness to provide the essential local funding to continue the educational programs Extension delivers. The study addressed the interest Washington State county commissioners/county council members have in funding WSU Extension, which directly affects the critical element of maximizing Extension's impact on society. As a publicly funded educational organization, WSU Extension faces an uncertain fiscal …

Cenozoic Sedimentary Evolution Of The Helmville Basin, West-Central Montana, Julian Glenn Mccune

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Abstract McCune, Julian, Glenn, M.S., Spring 2008 Geosciences Cenozoic Sedimentary Evolution of the Helmville Basin, West-Central Montana Chairperson: Marc S. Hendrix The Helmville basin is an intermontane topographic depression located ~100 kilometers east of Missoula, Montana. The basin occurs within the Rocky Mountain Fold and Thrust Belt and is immediately north of the Lewis and Clark structural Lineament. The Helmville Basin contains sedimentary and volcanic fill of Paleogene and Neogene age, along with abundant Quaternary sediment. The purpose of this study is to document the geologic evolution of the Helmville basin through a combination of field-based geologic mapping and sedimentologic …

The Impact Of The “Universal Voyager Literacy” Reading Program On Reading Achievement And Instructional Practices In An Urban School District, Shanika L. Hope

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Studies

Founded in 1994, Voyager Expanded Learning is a provider of K-3 in-school reading programs, as well as K-8 reading intervention programs for school districts throughout the United States. Voyager Universal Literacy's systematic, precise framework fully addresses the five elements of reading instruction, through an explicit succession of ability growth. Voyager Universal Literacy was developed to be a comprehensive program encompassing the subsequent requisites: in-school broad reading program, progress monitoring methods, extensive-day and summer activities, home learning syllabus, implementation monitoring, and on-going professional development. Voyager Universal Literacy Program activities are organized to provide a thorough range and progression for reading instruction. …

Dgm-Fd: A Finite Difference Scheme Based On The Discontinuous Galerkin Method, Anne Marguerite Fernando

Mathematics & Statistics Theses & Dissertations

Accurate and efficient numerical wave propagation is important in many areas of study such as computational aero-acoustics (CAA). While dissipation and dispersion errors influence the accuracy of a method, efficiency can be assessed by convergence rates and effective adaptability to different mesh structures. Finite difference and finite element methods are commonly used numerical schemes in CAA. Finite difference methods have the advantages of ease of use as well as high order convergence, but often require a uniform grid, and stable boundary closure can be non-trivial. Finite element methods adapt well to different mesh structures but can become difficult to implement …

Mechanism Of Interferon-Beta-Mediated Inhibition Of Il-8 Gene Expression, Travis Laver

All ETDs from UAB

Interleukin-8 (IL-8) is a potent chemoattractant of numerous cells, particularly neutrophils, in the innate immune response. In addition to immune functions, IL-8 is known to contribute to the pathogenesis of a number of diseases, including cancer. Interferon-β (IFN-β), a Type I interferon, inhibits the expression of IL-8, but the details of this effect are not known. In this study we investigate transcriptional control of the IL- 8 gene and the mechanism by which IFN-β exerts inhibitory effects on IL-8. Herein we show that stimulation of U87-MG glioma cells with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) results in a rapid recruitment of NF-κB …

Punctal Occlusion Impact On Tear Film Immuno-Regulatory Proteins Measured By Cytometric Bead-Based Assay, Martin W. Lafrance

All ETDs from UAB

PURPOSE: This study compares vendor reagents used for cytometric bead-based assay (CBA) of cytokines in human tears and validates a protocol for use in evaluating punctal occlusion, a treatment for keratoconjunctivitis sicca. It has been proposed that punctal occlusion may alter tear cytokine concentrations based on the facts that: (1) tear clearance, a measure of the balance between tear production and elimination, declines following occlusion and (2) reduced tear clearance and increased levels of pro-inflammatory tear cytokines are correlated in dry eye patients. This study compares tear clearance values and the level of 24 tear cytokines measured by CBA following …

The Induction Of First Year And Transferring Elementary School Teachers: A Multiple Case Study, Patricia L. Lequier

All ETDs from UAB

This qualitative, multiple case study explored the experiences of elementary teachers and principals participating in school induction processes. The staggering rates at which new teachers are leaving the profession, coupled with high rates of teacher attrition, teacher retirements, and increases in student enrollment formed the impetus for this study. These factors have collectively contributed to the nation’s crucial demand for close to two million teachers. In an effort to increase the retention rate of new teachers, schools across the nation have implemented teacher induction processes. Teacher induction processes focus on providing support for teachers in their transition from their roles …

Interim Monitoring Efficacy, Safety And Futility In Phase Iii Clinical Trials, Qing Li

All ETDs from UAB

Phase III trials often have both efficacy and safety outcomes. Sometimes the safety outcomes are closely associated with the efficacy outcomes. We sought to find a statistical method to treat both efficacy and safety outcomes as bivariate primary outcomes and set up stopping rules at interim stages based on the following criteria: (1) greater safety; (2) greater efficacy; (3) futility. We first examined the internal pilot design to adjust sample size for clinical trials with a bivariate response (efficacy and safety). Three nuisance parameters (two variances and correlation) need to be considered when doing sample size recalculation for the internal …

Transcriptional Regulation Of Cd40 And Class Ii Mhc Molecules In Macrophages And Microglia By Statins, Sun Jung Lee

All ETDs from UAB

Microglia/macrophages are the main intrinsic immune effector cells and the first cell types that respond to a variety of CNS injures. They have important functions including secretion of cytokines/chemokines and antigen presentation, thereby regulating immune responses. Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) is a cytokine involved in many aspects of the immune response, and activates microglia/macrophages to express cell surface antigens such as class II MHC, and co-stimulatory molecules such as CD40. CD40 and class II MHC molecules play a critical role in immune reactivity such as antigen presentation and subsequent T cell activation. However, aberrant CD40 and class II MHC expression have been …

Air Pollution And Preterm Births In Atlanta, Georgia, Corey Masuca

All ETDs from UAB

Exposure to ambient outdoor air pollution exposure is one of the many extraneous factors associated with preterm births. Many epidemiological studies involving preterm births and ambient air pollution have repeatedly indicated positive associations. However, for many such studies, results may be statistically significant but weakly associated or inconclusive. Such results may be primarily attributable to the fact that most studies include only single or multiple criteria air pollutants but not the total air pollution mixture of criteria air pollutants and air toxic pollutants (e.g., PAHs) to which people are actually exposed. This study assessed associations between pollutant classes, including criteria …

Relationships Among Anger, Patterns Of Anger Expression And Blood Pressure, Glucose, And Cortisol In Overweight School-Aged Children, Kimberly Nichols

All ETDs from UAB

Overweight and obesity in school-aged children have become a major health issue. With overweight and obesity, children have increased risk of developing elevated blood pressure readings, glucose levels, and cortisol. Trait anger and patterns of anger expression have been shown to contribute to the elevations of blood pressure, glucose and cortisol in normoweight children and overweight adolescents. However, little research has been done with overweight school-aged children. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among trait anger and each of the patterns of anger expression (anger-suppression, anger-out, and anger-reflection/control) and blood pressure, glucose, and cortisol in overweight …

Transition Metal Complexes Of Bis(Phosphorus) Donor Ligands Derived From Multifunctional Diols: Synthesis, Isomerization, Cation Binding, And Catalysis., Samuel Britt Owens Jr

All ETDs from UAB

In Chapter 1, the metallacrown ethers cis-[PdCl2{Ph2P(CH2CH2O)3CH2CH2PPh2-P,P’}] and trans-PtCl2{Ph2P(CH2CH2O)3CH2CH2PPh2-P,P’} were studied. These metallacrown ethers are ideal candidates for the study of the kinetics and thermodynamics of cis-trans isomerizations because of their highly flexible backbones. We have carried out these studies using 31P NMR spectroscopy, and the equilibrium constants and thermodynamic and kinetic parameters for these reactions are reported. Chapter 2 of this dissertation explores the cation binding ability of the tartaric acid backbone proposed as the building block for the ligands developed herein for the hydroformylation of styrene. Binding studies and crystallographic analysis confirmed that incorporating the tartaric acid backbone …

Investigation Of Lipoteichoic Acid Structure And Function To Establish Its Role In Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections, Ho Seong Seo

All ETDs from UAB

Lipoteichoic acid (LTA) is an essential bacterial membrane polysaccharide (cell wall component) that is linked to a glycerol backbone with two acyl chains. Since an antibody to LTA has been shown to protect from Gr+ bacterial infections or colonization, and the mutant Gr+ bacteria which produce less amount of LTA have less pathogenic than WT, LTA may be an important role in Gr+ bacterial infection and inflammation. The currently accepted structure of pneumococcal LTA has the pentameric repeating unit bound to the lipid anchor {Glc(β1��3)AATGal(β1��3)Glc(α1��3)-acyl2Gro}. Unlike the lipid anchor of other Gr+ bacterial LTA, this pneumococcal LTA lipid anchor has …

A Professional Journey: A Grounded Theory Study On The Experiences Of Reading Coaches As They Transition From Being A Teacher Of Children To A Leader Of Adults, Victoria Spear

All ETDs from UAB

This qualitative grounded theory study described the experiences of Alabama Reading Initiative reading coaches as they transitioned from being teachers of children to being leaders of adults. This study addressed the gap in literature regarding the actual lived experiences of these professionals who were catalysts for change in the highly institutionalized culture of the public school setting. The study highlighted the triumphs and challenges inherent in the complex nature of institutional, professional, and personal change. The research participants were 23 practicing reading coaches in North Alabama and North Central Alabama. Forms of data collected included open-ended interviews, observations, and field …

Randomized Controlled Trial Of Low Cost Interventions To Reduce Childhood Immunization Dropouts In Pakistan, Hussain Raza Usman

All ETDs from UAB

Childhood immunization coverage in Pakistan remains sub-optimal despite universal and free of cost availability of vaccines. Structural impediments to progress may include the immunization card that is hard to read and interpret. A randomized controlled trial was conducted to assess the effect of redesigned immunization card and center-based education to mothers on immunization completion at rural immunization centers in Karachi, Pakistan. Other objectives were to identify the predictors of immunization completion and to identify factors associated with delay at first dose of diphtheria-tetanuspertussis (DTP1). Mother-child units were enrolled from six immunization centers at DTP1 and randomized to four study groups: …

Being And Belonging: Identity And Community Among Gay Asian-Canadians In Toronto, Pamela S. Yuen

Digitized Theses

This thesis examines the concepts of identity, community and belonging among gay and Queer Asian-Canadian men and women who live in the Greater Toronto Area. Most of these persons emigrated from East Asia with their families through the late 1970s to 1990s and subsequently came of age in Canada. I look at the ways in which ethnicity and sexuality converge in the life histories of these individuals through a range of topics that demonstrate how individuals conceptualize themselves and each other, as well as how social networks are formed and maintained. I argue that ethnic and sexual boundaries are not …

Creating A Standardized Free-Response Burden Scale For Spousal Caregivers Of Individuals With Parkinson’S Disease, Kaitlyn P. Roland

Digitized Theses

Although some research has focused on the needs of caregivers for individuals with Parkinson’s disease, most has focused on the demands associated with the physical needs of the patient, and not on ‘mental burden.’ The present study utilized the repertory grid method to capture the full range of caregivers’ subjective experience, to quantify their perceptions, and to acquire information that might be useful in direction remediation attempts. Results suggest that the main concern of caregivers is spousal safety, as this requires continuous vigilance and constant worry. This demonstrates the strain of mental burden far outweighs the physical. Caregivers also report …

Design Methodology And Stability Analysis For A Photovoltaic (Pv) Plant Interfaced With A • Distribution Network., Prajna Paramita Dash

Digitized Theses

In recent years, there has been significant interest in utilization of PhotoVoltaic (PV) solar systems of single- and double-digit MW power ratings, at sub-transmission and distribution voltage levels of the power system, under the umbrella of Distributed Generation (DG). Despite this interest, however, inadequate investigation has been dedicated to the connection of PV systems to distribution networks, and there is little experience regarding the operation of such PV systems. The study reported in this thesis attempts to address this gap. This thesis proposes a control strategy and provides stability analysis for a typical singlestage, three-phase, PV system that is connected …

Mineralogy And Ir Spectroscopy Of The Tagish Lake C2 Chondrite And Enstatite Chondrites, Matthew Richard Mitsuomi Izawa

Digitized Theses

Sample-correlated X-ray diffraction (XRD) and diffuse-reflectance Fourier- transform infrared (DRIFTS) spectra were collected for seven samples of the Tagish Lake C2 chondrite and thirteen enstatite chondrites. A reconnaissance of the Tagish Lake chondrite was carried out using micro-XRD, SEM-EDX and EPMA. Modal mineral abundances were obtained from XRD data via Rietveld refinement. Grain densities were calculated for each sample based on the modal abundances. DRIFTS spectra are analogous to remote-sensing emission IR spectra, facilitating comparison with astronomical observations. Tagish Lake was found to be more varied in major mineralogy than has previously been reported. In addition to the documented carbonate-rich …

Numerical Investigation Of Expansion Anchors Response To Pull-Out And Shear Loads, Mahmoud Meckkey Elsharnouby

Digitized Theses

The helical pile is a foundation system that is used to support new buildings and for retrofitting deficient existing foundations. The performance of expansion anchors used to attach the helical pile connectors to foundations is assessed numerically. The anchors response to pull-out and shear loads was evaluated using non-linear finite element analysis. It was found that the pre-tension load had no influence on the anchor ultimate capacity but affected the anchor response at service load levels and the displacement at failure. Under pull-out loading, increasing the anchor diameter resulted in a more brittle response but did not affect the ultimate …

Modal Characterization Of Micron-Scale Structures, Pakeeza Hafeez

Digitized Theses

This thesis is mainly concerned with the application of Stochastic Subspace Identification algorithms to extract dynamic characteristics of smaller-scale structural elements. It also emphasizes the development of a suitable identification procedure for extracting modal characteristics of insect’s sensory systems, which are typically of the order of microns in length. The traditional way of extracting modal parameters by forming a transfer function is not practical for micron-scale structures owing to the practical limitations in applying a quantifiable input to excite such structures. Output-only identification and Stochastic Subspace Identification (SSI) methods attempt to extract modal parameters from the output response data and …

Ferrocenylmethylchalcogenolate Reagents For The Preparation Of Novel Group 11/16 Polynuclear Clusters, Siawash Ahmar

Digitized Theses

The preparation of Silylated ferrocenylmethyl chalcogen reagents CpFe(η5-

• C5H4CH2ESiMe3 [E = S (D, Se (2)] in good yield is presented. These ligands were designed to have an alkyl spacer between the cyclopentadienyl group of ferrocene and the chalcogen atom that would act as an insulating bridge. Reactions of (1) or (2) with group 11 metal salts afforded single crystals of [Cu3(SCH2Fc)3(PPh3)3] (3), [Ag48S6(SCH2Fc)36] (4), [Ag10(SCH2Fc)ι0(PPh3)4] (5) and [Ag8(SeCH2Fc)8(PPh3)4] (6) that were suitable for X-ray analysis.

Cyclic voltammetry experiments were conducted on {3) and (4) where single pseudo-reversible oxidation waves were observed at all scan rates and after repetitive cycles. …

Green Experiences And Health In Individuals With Head And Neck Cancer: Assessing Changes In Directed Attention, Affect, And Symptom Distress, Adam M.B. Day

Digitized Theses

Introduction: This study explored whether green experiences (i.e., human-nature

interactions) provided via DVD slideshows could produce changes in directed attention and affect in individuals receiving chemotherapy for head and neck cancer. Based on the theoretical frameworks of attention restoration theory (ART; R. Kaplan & S. Kaplan,

1989) and Ulrich’s (1983) psychoevolutionary framework (PET), it was anticipated that the restorative effects of natural restorative environments (REs) could be effective in reducing directed attention fatigue, affective manifestations of stress, and decrease symptom distress secondary to chemotherapeutic treatments. Methods: 5 participants (4 males, 1 female) with a primary diagnosis of head and neck …

Volume I (Ofii) Hockey Capital: Commerce, Culture, And The National Hockey League, 1917-1967, James Andrew Ross

Digitized Theses

This is a study of the institutional development of the National Hockey League, the most dominant institution of twentieth-century ice hockey. It focuses on the first fifty years of the league (1917-1967), a period characterized by war and peace, by economic stability and recessions, and by momentous technological and cultural changes. Particular attention is paid to the way in which the league and its clubs successfully negotiated internal relationships among clubs, entrepreneurs, executives, and players; as well as external relationships to other professional leagues, amateur hockey organizations, the media, consumers, and the state.

The dissertation argues that sports businesses like …

The Physiological Ecology Of Coastal Flagellates: A Comparison Among Eutreptiella Gymnastica, Eutreptietta Sp. Strain Jdf-E1, Heterosigma Akashiwo And Chattonella Subsalsa, Kathryn Elizabeth Dickinson

Digitized Theses

Flagellate blooms influenced by anthropogenic contamination of coastal waters often are composed of Eutreptiella gymnastica, Eutreptiella sp. strain JDF-E1, Heterosigma akashiwo and Chattonella subsalsa. This study compared the physiological characteristics of these coastal water flagellates in an effort to explain bloom formation of one strain over another. Physiological differences were assessed in vitro by monitoring growth responses to different forms of nitrogen, and vitamins, and varying levels of light, iron limitation, and copper. This study demonstrated that H. akashiwo may be an r- selected bloom strain controlled by high nutrient levels. Eutreptiella may form secondary blooms due to their efficiency …

Thinking The Digital Corporeally: Toward A Haptic Styling Of Embodied Encounter, Adrian Scott Sinclair

Digitized Theses

This thesis describes the lived-experience of digital embodiment. Writing against representational and semiotic accounts of cyber-bodies, I use Merleau-Ponty’s notion of the phenomenal body to describe the inter-corporeal quality of being digitally embodied. I suggest that the avatar is primarily a haptic image rather than being a visual representation of its user. A haptic image is a reflection of my comportment that forms the basis for my inter-acting senses “touching” each other to form a continuous experience rather than a felt-mixture of different sensations. I conclude that digital embodiment is actually rather fleshy. This conclusion returns me to an investigation …

The Role Of The Proline-Rich Tyrosine Kinase 2 Protein In The Regulation Of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Signalling, Alexander A. Nicodemo

Digitized Theses

Group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) - mGluRl and mGluR5 - are believed to contribute to neuronal death upon overstimulation and may be neuroprotective under other conditions. To develop treatment for mGluRs, we must identify proteins involved in their signalling. We have identified proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2 (Pyk2) as an mGluRl/5 interacting protein, and our objective was to investigate its contribution to the downstream activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) by Group I mGluRs. In HEK 293 cells, ERK1/2 phosphorylation is greater in cells co-expressing mGluRl and wild-type Pyk2 than in cells expressing the receptor alone, and blocked in cells …

The Roles Of Nutrition And Psychosocial Stress In A Causal Model Of Maternal Prenatal Depressive Symptoms, Amrita Roy

Digitized Theses

BACKGROUND: Prenatal depression is a significant public health concern. OBJECTIVES: To contextualize the roles of zinc intake, psychosocial stress and baseline sociodemographic factors, as they inter-relate in the development of depressive symptoms, in a cohort of pregnant women from London (ON). HYPOTHESES: 1) Psychosocial stress serves as a partial mediator between baseline sociodemographic factors and zinc intake; 2) Zinc intake serves as a partial mediator between baseline sociodemographic factors and the development of depressive symptoms, and between psychosocial stress and the development of depressive symptoms. METHODS: Data were from the Prenatal Health Project. Regression methods were used. Baron and Kenny …

The Impact Of Head Injury On Neurological Symptoms And Health In Women Who Have Experienced Intimate Partner Violence, Julie Lorenzin

Digitized Theses

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a well recognized cause of significant health problems for women. Women who experience IPV are at risk of sustaining injuries to the head. The relationship between IPV and head injuries has not been well explored in the literature. This study examines the associations between extent of head injury, the neurological impact of such injury, and general physical and mental health of women who had experienced physical abuse by an intimate partner. This quantitative secondary analysis of a sample of women enrolled in the Women’s Health Effects Study showed high rates of head injury with loss …