Digital Commons Network^™

Aquaporins And Aquaglyceroporins Of Legume Nodules: Structure, Function, And Regulation, James F. Guenther

Doctoral Dissertations

By isolating RNA from mature nodules of the legume Lotus japonicas and employing an RT-PCR approach, two new cDNAs were characterized whose open reading frames code for members of the MIP (Major Intrinsic Protein) family of membrane proteins. These two genes products were termed (Lotus Intrinsic Membrane Protein 1 and 2) LIMP1 and LIMP2. Both LIMP1 and LIMP2 display all the hallmarks of the MIP protein family including, six putative transmembrane domains based on hydropathy plots, and the invariant NPA (asparagine-proline-alanine) signature motifs located symmetrically on two loops, which connect transmembrane helix 3-4 and transmembrane helix 5-6. Based on sequence …

Bordetella Bronchiseptica: A Candidate Mucosal Vaccine Vector, Sreekumari Rajeev

Doctoral Dissertations

Bordetella bronchiseptica colonizes the upper respiratory tract of a wide variety of mammals and is involved in diseases such as kennel cough in dogs, atrophic rhinitis in pigs and upper respiratory tract infections of laboratory animals. Studies were focused on developing a heterologous antigen expression system in B. bronchiseptica and to evaluate the potential of this organism as a candidate mucosal vaccine vector. Since the role of Bordetella bronchiseptica and Pasteurella multocida toxin (PMT) in the disease atrophic rhinitis of pigs was well documented, this research was focused in the possibility of developing a refined vaccine to control this disease. …

Beta-Adrenergic, Arachidonic Acid And Potassium Channel Associated-Regulation Of Human Breast Cancer Cell Lines, Yavuz Cakir

Doctoral Dissertations

During the late stages of breast cancer progression, breast cancer cell growth switches from steroid hormone to growth factor dependence, and it is assumed that invasive breast cancers are growth factor receptor positive and estrogen hormone resistant. The cellular arachidonic acid (AA) pathway is upregulated in a variety of cancer types, and it may play an important role in the growth regulation of breast cancer cells.

Recent evidence suggests that beta-adrenergic receptors (β-ARs) are expressed in some estrogen receptor (ER) negative breast cancers and that beta agonists not only can trigger AA release via the activation of cytosolic PLA2 or …

Expression And Characterization Of The Mhc Class Ii Transactivator In K-562 Cells, Noel Elyssa Day

Doctoral Dissertations

The K-562 cell line was developed from the pleural effusion of a patient with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) in blast crisis and has served as an excellent model to study the properties of CML cells. The highly undifferentiated cells can be induced by a variety of chemicals to follow multiple pathways of differentiation. When K-562 cells were treated with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), they exhibited accessory cell functions by replacing monocytes in the activation of resting Th2 lymphocytes. However, K-562 cells are negative for the expression of class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens HLA-DR, -DP, and -DQ. The focus …

An Examination Of Selected Vowel Structures Of Three Generations Of Native Appalachian English Speakers, Melinda L. Richards

Doctoral Dissertations

Appalachian English (AppE) is a relic dialect, until recently considered to be resistant to change due to the relative isolation of its speakers. AppE may have become an “endangered dialect,” much in the same manner as other insular dialects such as those spoken on Ocracoke Island, Smith Island, and the Sea Islands (Wolfram & Schilling-Estes, 1995; Wolfram & Schilling-Estes, 1998). The purpose of this investigation was to answer two research questions: (1) Are there significant cross-generational differences in the production of eight selected vowels during conversational speech, and (2) Are there significant cross-generational differences in the degree to which speakers …

Agouti Mice Models To Study The Diabetogenicity Of Fk506 (Tacrolimus), Rashika Joshi

Masters Theses

Dominant mutations in the promoter region of the mouse agouti gene lead to a syndrome characterized by agouti yellow coat color, obesity, hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia, type II diabetes and increased linear growth. The mechanism of agouti modulation of the coat color development as well as obesity involves competitive antagonism of the ? -melanocortin stimulating hormone at its receptor.

Hyperplasia of the pancreatic ? cells in agouti mice precedes the development of obesity. Enhanced insulin secretion is induced in vitro by agouti effects on calcium influx into islet cells. Preliminary testing of insulin producing pancreatic cells has shown that exposure to high …

The Meaning Of High-Quality Nursing Care As Derived From King's Interacting Systems, Mary Ellen Gunther

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to conceptualize quality with in a framework unique to nursing, King's Interacting Systems. Clarification of the concept with in the metaparadigm and a nursing conceptual framework provides the understanding of the domain and scope of nursing necessary for professional autonomy. This differentiation fosters the continued development of the discipline as well as facilitating collaboration with medicine and other health care disciplines for the ultimate benefit of the patient.

Gadamer's philosophical hermeneutics involves a dialogical interaction between the whole and parts of the text and between the horizons of the text and the interpreter. In …

Detection Of Biomarkers Of Potential Pathogens In Varied Matrices, Carol Ann Smith

Masters Theses

Methods that use signature biomarkers have become increasingly important in the field of environmental microbiology. Signature lipid biomarker (SLB) analysis is a method of analysis for the quantitative definition of viable biomass, community composition, and nutritional status of microbiota isolated from a wide variety of environmental matrices, including air, soil and water. Biomarkers examined in this thesis were glyco- and phospholipids, and dipicolinic acid. Organisms tested were Cryptosporidium parvum, C. baileyi, C. muris, Eimeria tenella, E. acervulina, E. maxima, Escherichia coli, and Bacillus subtilis.

Three species of Cryptosporidium were examined using signature lipid biomarker analysis. This analysis was successfully …

Continuing Eligibility: A Reason For Change, Louise L. Ericson

Masters Theses

The purposes of this study were to determine how the NCAA continuing eligibility rules affect the academic choices and the educational enhancement of the "well-intentioned" student-athlete and to determine what exceptions should be made so that this type of student-athlete is not punished by the system when no wrongful intent exists. Fourteen Directors of Athletic Academic Support Programs at NCAA Division I institutions were sent the survey instrument. Twelve were returned, indicating a response rate of 86%.

The study was broken down into seven areas: (a) departmental personnel background, knowledge, and interaction with the continuing eligibility rules, (b) defining the …

Canine Hypoadrenocorticism (Canine Addison's Disease): History, Contemporary Diagnosis By Practicing Veterinarians, And Epidemiology, William James Kelch

Doctoral Dissertations

This study of canine hypoadrenocorticism (canine Addison's disease; adrenal insufficiency) used several techniques to determine the incidence and prevalence of the disease and to identify factors associated with its occurrence. These techniques were historical; statistical, including meta-analysis and logistic regression; and epidemiologic, including both case series and case control data. Data were gathered by: extracting the details of cases reported in the veterinary literature, a rudimentary meta-anaylsis; using data obtained by Ciba Animal Health in the clinical trial of the drug microcrystalline desoxycorticosterone pivalate (DOCP); using data obtained from the Veterinary Medical Data Base (VMDB), a data repository of clinical …

The Effects Of Low Frequency Electrical Stimulation On Muscular Strength And Endurance In Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis, Lisa L. Oglesby

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the results of a practical application of a low frequency electrical stimulation (LFES) program of 8 pps to individuals with multiple sclerosis. Previous research has shown that such a program induces a conversion of fast twitch muscle properties to those of slow twitch. Electrical stimulation was applied for 3 hours per day, 6 days a week, for 6 weeks, to the quadriceps femoris muscle of nine subjects with multiple sclerosis. Pre and post measurements of average peak torque, mean force, and fatigue slope were taken as indices of the muscle's strength and …

A Comparison Of The Perceptions Of Associate Degree Nursing Students Regarding The Teaching Effectiveness Of Faculty Who Are Active/Inactive In Nursing Practice, Jo-Ann Summitt Marrs

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if the perceptions of associate degree nursing students regarding the teaching effectiveness of faculty were significantly different when their faculty were active or inactive in clinical nursing practice. A 28-item teacher effectiveness rating scale was utilized to measure teacher effectiveness. After the questionnaire was developed, a pilot study was conducted with faculty and nursing students in order to improve the questionnaire's clarity and validity.

After the pilot study was completed, a random sampling technique produced ten associate degree nursing faculty names representative of those who were actively involved in faculty practice and …

Health Promotion Profile Of Beliefs, Attitudes And Activities Of Tennessee Primary Care Physicians, Christine Assmann Collins

Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to develop a profile of selected health promotion beliefs, attitudes and activities of Tennessee primary care physicians. A secondary purpose was to identify physicians’ perceived need for training and support activities in health promotion on selected lifestyle behaviors.

This study was undertaken using a mail survey of 628 randomly selected primary care physicians practicing medicine in Tennessee. The target population was stratified on the basis of the following subgroups: specialty, population size of county, and state grand division in which they practice. Four hundred sixty-one questionnaires were returned resulting in a 73.4% response …

Determination Of Content Of A Surgical Nurse Internship Program, Rosemary R. Fritsch

Doctoral Dissertations

[original is missing page v which contains the end of the abstract]

Descriptions of nurse internships have reflected a broad diversity of schemes in content, objectives and outcomes. The paucity of research about most aspects of the program supported the need to investigate the content. It was vitally important that the curriculum for the internship program be cogent to the developmental needs of the nurse interns.

The primary Purpose of this study was to determine the essential content of a surgical nurse internship program. Five groups of nurses ranked and weighted 68 topics which were organized into five categories: professional, …

Recollections And Perceptions Of Childbirth Among School-Aged Children Who Witness The Birth Event, Lou Ellen Hammond

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to describe the recollections and perceptions of 6 to 12 year-old children who witnessed the birth of their sibling, and to gain information which will be used to provide anticipatory guidance to parents considering children's involvement at birth. The concepts of birth as a socio-emotional event, Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development, and Dorothy E. Johnson's Theory of Nursing guided this study.

Interviews and drawings were used to collect data from five children who were 6 to 12 years old. The data were analyzed and organized into categories; this gave insight into the child's recollections …

The Effects Of Augmented Attentional Focus On The Performance With Practice Of A Closed Perceptual-Motor Task For Individuals Who Differ In Task Mastery, John Allen Richards

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of augmented attentional focus on the performance with practice, of a closed perceptual-motor task for individuals who differ in task mastery. Sixty-four male volunteers were assigned to either the beginning or advanced task mastery group (n = 32) based on bowling averages (≤ 130, ≥ 150 respectively). Each subject in the task mastery groups was randomly assigned to one of four augmented focus of attention conditions, i.e., focus on: (a) environmental results of the movement that was performed (KR); (b) the movement that was performed (KP); (c) self via presence …

The Effects Of Syllable Releasing And Arresting Positions On The Correct Articulation Of Five Selected Phonemes, Elizabeth Owens Kaplon

Doctoral Dissertations

The purposes of this study were (1) To investigate the effects of syllable releasing and arresting positions on correct /s/, /z/, /ʃ/, /tʃ/ and /d₃/ productions by articulatory defective children; and (2) to investigate the effects of varying phonetic contexts on correct productions of the five phonemes in syllable releasing and arresting positions by articulatory defective children.

Forty children with defective articulation were selected as subjects in this study and met the following criteria: normal hearing, normal intelligence, no significant deviations in the structure and/or function of the oral mechanism, and defective articulation. The speech stimuli used in …

Speed And Variability Of Voice Reaction Times Of Stuttering And Nonstuttering Children And Adults, Douglas Edward Cross

Doctoral Dissertations

The mean and intrasubject response variability of voice reaction time to auditory stimuli was investigated for five year old, nine year old and adult stutterers and nonstutterers. The subjects who participated in this study were twenty-seven stutterers and twenty-seven nonstutterers at each of the three age levels. All of the stutterers had been reported to have exhibited the onset of stuttering behavior by no later than five years of age.

Each of the subjects was presented with a total of fifty-five prerecorded 1000 Hz tones bilaterally through stereo earphones at 80dB SPL. The stimuli were divided into five equal sets …

X-Ray-Induced Specific-Locus Mutation Rates In Newborn And Young Mice, Paul Bruce Selby

Doctoral Dissertations

The specific-locus mutation frequency resulting from 300 R of acute X irradiation has been determined for the germ cells present in male mice at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 14, 21, 28, and 35 days of age and also for female mice at 0 days of age, Sample size was much larger for the males irradiated on day 0 than for other age groups but in all groups it was large enough to insure that an extremely high rate would be noticed. At 35 days of age the testis is histologically similar to that of the adult. It was …

The Results Of The Combined Isotonic-Isometric Execution Compared To The Isotonic Execution In Terms Of Strength Development And Muscle Girth, Arnold William Pedersen

Masters Theses

INTRODUCTION

Although many studies have been made to determine a method of weight training which produces the greatest increases in muscle strength and muscle girth, the conclusions vary in theory and methodology.

Weight training has been subjected to much research in the past. Many of the researchers agree on a method of weight training which produces the best results. However, some advocate the use of isometric contractions as the most desirable method of gaining strength. Others state that isotonic exercise is the only logical way to increase one's strength. Still others say a combination of the two will produce optimum …

A Study To Determine The Feasibility Of Establishing Standards For An Intercollegiate Athletic Program For Women In Tennessee, Jo Frankie Hobson

Masters Theses

Statement of the Problem: Many institutions of higher learning throughout the country provide for the highly skilled woman athlete through an intercollegiate athletic program. None of the colleges and universities in the state of Tennessee make this provision. This investigation dealt with the feasibility of establishing an intercollegiate athletic program for women in Tennessee.

A Study Of The Effects Of The Track Starter's Time Intervals, Michael Armour Sutton

Masters Theses

[From the Introduction, Statement of the Problem]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the track starter's time interval on the performance of the track runner. It was also a purpose of the study to show the need for more competent starters and clinics for training these officials.

Inadequacies Of The Present Resource In Education For Nursing And A Proposed Program Solution, Virginia Mae Kraemer

Masters Theses

Statement of the Problem: In this study, (1) the presentation of the programs of nursing education in operation today, (2) assessment of the value of these programs in providing general nursing service, (3) appraisal and evaluation of certain factors which are influencing the nursing service are presented as evidence of need of (4) a proposal of a more efficient program or nursing education. The projection of recruitment possibilities of the proposed program by questionnaire directed to senior high school girls, and a canvass of attitudes and degree of acceptance of the program determined by interview with directors of nursing schools …

Some Reactions Of Phenothiazine And Certain Benzophenothiazines, John Charles Gilmer

Doctoral Dissertations

Summary

The consideration of the medical importance of phenothiazine derivatives and the known cancer chemotherapeutic value of the nitrogen mustards made the synthesis of some nitrogen mustard derivatives of the phenothiazines of particular interest. In the course of this research the N-{2-[bis-(2-chloroethyl)amino]ethyl} derivatives of phenothiazine, 7H-benzo[c]phenothiazine, 7H-dibenzo[c, h] phenothiazine, and 14H-dibenzo[a, h] phenothiazine were synthesized for anticancer evaluation. Also submitted to the Cancer Chemotherapy National Service Center for testing were the N-(2-chloroethyl) monofunctional nitrogen mustard derivatives of the first three phenothiazines mentioned above.

A Search For Important Stimulus Variables In The Early Family Relationships Of Schizophrenic Patients, Robert F. Horner

Doctoral Dissertations

Summary and Conclusions

Ten male schizophrenic patients and their control subjects were matched on the variables age, education, and socioeconomic status by occupation. The Pascal-Jenkins Behavioral Scales (Pascal & Jenkins, 1960b) were used to investigate the stimulus situations presented by grandparents, parents, and siblings in the first ten years of the subjects’ lives. The experiment was replicated with ten additional experimental subjects and their controls.

The stimulus categories “Mother” and “Father” were found to be highly significant in both experiments. This suggested that the schizophrenic patients had more general deprivation of needs by parents in the early years. Specifically defined …

Some Observations On The Health Program In Clinton High School With Particular Emphasis On The Needs Of The Students, Eloise Harris Wynne

Masters Theses

The Problem: Education progressed from the study of the classics by a few, to the learning of the three R's by many, and more lately has expanded to include not only intellectual development but also other phases of man's personality. From this view point:

Education . . . has recognized that individuals are whole personalities. . . . . Schools and community agencies, therefore, should be concerned not only with the individuals' intellectual development and needs but also with his social, emotional, physical, aesthetic, and ethical development and needs.

Health is of primary importance in the development of the individual …

Response Of The Spinal Tract And Nucleus Of The Trigeminal Nerve To Two Stimuli, Carl A. Nelson

Masters Theses

(Summary) 1. An attempt was made to separate pre- and post-synaptic action potentials on the basis of recovery of spike height to the second of two supramaximal stimuli.

2. Two distinct groups of action potentials were recorded from the spinal tract of the trigeminal nerve.

3. A series of recovery-cycles of the spike potentials of the sciatic nerve was plotted for comparison with the spike potential of the spinal tract of the fifth nerve.

4. A 2 channel stimulator and a 5 unit synchronizer circuit were designed and constructed for use in these experiments. The utilization of a …