Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Feline Lentivirus: Molecular Analysis And Epidemiology In Southern African Lions, Hayley Rebecca Adams

Doctoral Dissertations

Feline immunodeficiency virus is a retrovirus of domestic cats causing significant lifelong infection. Infection has also been detected in nondomestic species, including African lions. It is endemic in certain populations in east and southern Africa. Infection leads to immunologic dysfunction and immunosuppressive disease in domestic cats; however, little research exists about the pathogenic effects of infection in lions and its epidemiological impact on free-ranging and captive populations. Little is known about the lentivirus in these populations at the molecular and host level. Analysis of the virus from these populations is necessary for development of detection assays that are both sensitive …

Justification Mechanisms In The Conditional Reasoning Test For Aggression And Their Relation To Defense Mechanisms, Cheryl Delaine Barksdale

Doctoral Dissertations

The Conditional Reasoning Test for Aggression (CRT-A; James, 1998; James & McIntyre, 2000) is an inductive reasoning test designed to assess the extent to which individuals use implicit reasoning biases – known as justification mechanisms (JMs) – to justify engaging in behavioral aggression. James and colleagues (James, 1998; James & Mazerolle, 2002; James et al., 2005) have consistently described the CRT-A as an indirect measure of these implicit cognitions, or JMs, but they recently reframed their discussion of the test to emphasize its theoretical grounding in the concept of defense mechanisms (A. Freud, 1936/1966). In particular, they indicated that the …

Nursing In Hell: The Experience Of Providing Care During And After Hurricane Katrina, Marti L. Jordan-Welch

Doctoral Dissertations

Hurricane Katrina, a Category Four hurricane, made landfall on August 29, 2005, along the Gulf Coast of Mississippi and Louisiana. The strength and the extent of winds resulted in the worst destruction and the largest storm surge in the history of the United States. Within hours after the hurricane hit, the earthen levees in New Orleans were breached and 80% of the city became submerged in up to 20 feet of water. Health care workers and patients were stranded in hospitals, where they experienced extreme environmental conditions. The death toll was reported at, 1836 persons, and the damage was estimated …

The Influence Of Level Of Training And Gender On Counseling Outcome In A University Counseling Center, Scott Andrew Sokoloski

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined the effects of counselor level of training and gender on counseling outcome in a university counseling center environment. Data was collected from an archival database of approximately 4500 clients seen over a six-and-a-half year time period at a mid-sized Southeastern university counseling center. The Outcome Questionnaire 45.2 was used to measure client outcome, which consists of 45-items scored on a five-point Likert scale. The OQ produces three subscale scores (Symptom Distress, Interpersonal Relations, and Social Role) and a Total Score. The Social Role subscale was found to have low reliability in this study, and was omitted from …

Systemic And Mucosal Infection Program Protective Memory Cd8 T Cells In The Vaginal Mucosa., Thandi M. Onami, P. K. Suvas, H. M. Dech, J. Zeng

Microbiology Publications and Other Works

Whether mucosal immunization is required for optimal protective CD8 T cell memory at mucosal surfaces is controversial. In this study, using an adoptive transfer system, we compare the efficacy of two routes of acute lymphocytic choriomeningitis viral infection on the generation, maintenance, and localization of Ag-specific CD8 T cells in tissues, including the vaginal mucosa. Surprisingly, at day 8, i.p. infection results in higher numbers of Ag-specific CD8 T cells in the vaginal mucosa and iliac lymph node, as well as 2-3x more Ag-specific CD8 T cells that coexpress both IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha in comparison to the intranasal route of …

Becoming Tied: A Theory Of Adolescent Maternal-Infant Interaction, Melinda K. Sprinkle Collins

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the interaction that occurs between adolescent mothers and their newborns while situated together in the immediate postpartum period. The researcher sought to determine: 1) What are the interactive process (es) that occur between adolescent mothers and their newborns while situated together in the immediate postpartum period, 2) What categories emerge from the adolescents’ descriptions of the mother infant situation?, and 3) How do the emergent categories relate?

Ten primiparous adolescent mothers age 17 years or less were purposively sampled to participate in this qualitative Grounded Theory study. Face to face interviews about …

Rna Interference Of The Glycoprotein D And Dna Polymerase Genes Of Feline Herpesvirus 1 By Synthetic Sirnas, Rebecca Penrose Wilkes

Doctoral Dissertations

Feline herpesvirus 1 (FHV-1) is a linear double-stranded DNA virus that causes approximately 50% of the upper respiratory tract infections and produces the most severe respiratory disease in domestic cats. Primary ocular infection, as occurs in humans with the related virus, herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), consistently produces conjunctivitis and minimal corneal involvement; however, clinical manifestations of disease due to repeated recrudescence involve the cornea and can potentially lead to blindness. Vaccines only produce partial protection from clinical disease, and antiviral medications approved for treatment of HSV-1 in humans are only minimally effective for treatment of the chronic cases …

Eye-To-Face Gaze In Stuttered Versus Fluent Speech, Andrew Lee Bowers Iv

Masters Theses

The present study investigated the effects of viewing audio-visual presentations of stuttered relative to fluent speech samples on the ocular reactions of participants. Ten adults, 5 males and 5 females, aged 18-55 who had a negative history of any speech, language and hearing disorders participated in the study. Participants were shown three 30 second audio-visual recordings of stuttered speech, and three 30 second audio-visual recordings of fluent speech, with a three second break (black screen) between the presentation of each video.

All three individuals who stutter were rated as ‘severe’ (SSI-3, Riley, 1994), exhibiting high levels of struggle filled with …

The Effectiveness Of A Dynamic Interdisciplinary Food Safety Curriculum Targeted On Middle School Students In Scott County, Sarah M. Johnson

Masters Theses

The focus of this study was to provide a comparison of data collected from seventh grade students on food safety knowledge who have been through USDA’s National Integrated Food Safety Initiative program with those seventh grade students who have had no formal school instruction on this topic. Middle school students were specifically targeted because they are more likely to synthesize this information in a way that will lead to the development of new behaviors.

The population consisted of seventh grade students at Burchfield, Fairview, Huntsville and Oneida Middle Schools. Burchfield and Huntsville were the two schools used as the comparison …

Female Faculty Experiences Of Discrimination In Higher Education, Kylie Gray Cole

Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to obtain a description of women faculty members’ experiences of discrimination in higher education. The phenomenological research methodology informed the study. Seventeen participants were asked to respond to the question, “Can you tell me about your experience of discrimination as a faculty member in a higher education institution?” The interviews were in-depth and unstructured. Verbatim transcripts of the audio-taped interviews were completed and a phenomenological research group analyzed the data using the phenomenological method. Two grounds and three main themes emerged from the data. The first ground was Minimize/Describe Discrimination. This captured the …

Characterization And Comparative Analysis Of Gene Expression Profiles Of Three Different Human Oral Squamous Carcinoma Cell Lines With Different Invasion And Metastatic Capacities, Necip Fazil Erdem

Doctoral Dissertations

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP’s) and cathepsins are thought to play key roles in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) invasion and metastasis. Three OSCC human cell lines, BHY, HN and HSC-3, have been studied based on their reported ability to invade adjacent bone or metastasize to lymph nodes and/or distant organs. The working hypothesis of this study is that OSCC that demonstrate different actions have different proteolytic enzyme and gene expression profiles.

Immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry were used to determine the expression levels of certain proteolytic enzymes. Complementary DNA (cDNA) microarray technique was used to determine the gene expression profiles of each …

Waiting For The Other Shoe To Drop: The Lived Experience Of Hope For Mothers Of Premature Infants In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Kristina Maria Plaas

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the lived experience of hope for mothers of premature infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). This study was grounded in the existential-phenomenologic philosophy of Merleau-Ponty. A purposive sample of six mothers of infants born between 23 ½ and 31 weeks gestation were interviewed by the researcher 10 months to 2 ½ years after birth. Mothers were asked to think back to when their infant was in the NICU and tell about a specific time when they were aware of hope. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed following a hermeneutic process …

The Dose-Response Association Of Physical Activity And The Metabolic Syndrome Among U.S. Adults: Nhanes 1999-2004, James R. Churilla

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the current prevalence of the metabolic syndrome with an emphasis on examining the relationship between leisure time physical activity (LTPA) and the metabolic syndrome in a nationally representative sample of the United States (U.S.) adult population within the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The sample for this study included adults (N=5620), 20 years and older, who attended a mobile examination center (MEC) examination in the NHANES 1999-2004. The American Heart Association and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (AHA/NHLBI) AHA/NHLBI definition was used to define the metabolic syndrome based …

Why Am I Still Here, You Ask? A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experience Of Nurse Managers, Wendy Carlton Shea-Messler

Doctoral Dissertations

Fewer people are entering the profession of nursing. There is already a shortage of nurses, yet, many abandon the bedside for lucrative ways to practice their art and for respected positions less inhibited by bureaucratic initiatives. A significant percentage of nurses will soon retire, further diminishing the number of experienced caregivers.

Good nurses require great leaders. A primary goal of organizations is to retain and recruit effective nurse managers. This study provides insight to the needs of nurse managers and aspects that keep them from leaving their jobs. The purpose of this study was to gain a differentiated understanding of …

Estimating The Early Postmortem Interval In Domestic Canines, Keith William Proctor

Masters Theses

The estimation of time of death (TOD) can be used to aid law enforcement officers in solving criminal cases involving a death. By determining the period from the TOD until the time the body is discovered, forensic investigators can potentially link or rule out a suspect. A great amount of research has been conducted for the purpose of establishing a reliable and accurate means of estimating TOD in humans. In contrast, most animal studies have centered on techniques that might be applied to human forensic cases or to aid wildlife officers in prosecuting criminals who violate conservation laws. However, little …

Language Associations With Literacy Achievement In Children With Cochlear Implants, Trisha Christine Noble

Masters Theses

In order to succeed in normal academic environments, reading is a critical skill for children to develop (Catts, Fey, Proctor-Williams, 2000; Musselman, 2000). Unfortunately, literacy development is often delayed in children with hearing impairment (Harris & Beech, 1998). The purpose of this research was to advance the understanding of language and speech variables that predict literacy acquisition in children with cochlear implants. Participants in this study included children with severe or profound hearing impairments, ages 6;4-8;11 who received their cochlear implant before 3 years and 6 months of age. A battery of language, cognitive, reading, spelling and speech reading tests …

Motivational Factors Influencing International Student-Athletes To Participate In The National Collegiate Athletic Association, Stephanie Garant-Jones

Masters Theses

The research seeks to determine which motivational factors influence international student athletes in committing to an American institution in order to participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The study will examine which factors play an important role in college choice for these individuals. Most research indicates that the primary motivation for international student-athletes to come to American colleges is to receive an education while being on athletic scholarships (Bale, 1991, Ridinger, 1996; Stidwell, 1984). The research will serve to support previous findings and to reveal other motivational factors which influence college choice for international student-athletes.

By exploratory factor …

Risk Factors Of Gastrointestinal Nematode Parasite Infections In Small Ruminants Kept In Smallholder Mixed Farms In Kenya, Agricola Odoi, Joseph M. Gathuma, Charles K. Gachuiri, Amos Omore

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Large Animal Clinical Sciences

Background

Helminth infections in small ruminants are serious problems in the developing world, particularly where nutrition and sanitation are poor. This study investigated the burden and risk factors of gastrointestinal nematode parasite infections in sheep and goats kept in smallholder mixed farms in the Kenyan Central Highlands. Three hundred and seven small ruminants were sampled from 66 smallholder mixed farms in agro-ecological zones 1 (humid) and 3 (semi-humid) in the Kenyan Central highlands. The farms were visited once a month for eight months during which a health and production survey questionnaire was administered. Fecal samples were collected at each visit …

Risk Factors Of Gastrointestinal Nematode Parasite Infections In Small Ruminants Kept In Smallholder Mixed Farms In Kenya., Agricola Odoi, J M. Gathuma, C K. Gachuiri, A Omore

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences

BACKGROUND: Helminth infections in small ruminants are serious problems in the developing world, particularly where nutrition and sanitation are poor. This study investigated the burden and risk factors of gastrointestinal nematode parasite infections in sheep and goats kept in smallholder mixed farms in the Kenyan Central Highlands. Three hundred and seven small ruminants were sampled from 66 smallholder mixed farms in agro-ecological zones 1 (humid) and 3 (semi-humid) in the Kenyan Central highlands. The farms were visited once a month for eight months during which a health and production survey questionnaire was administered. Fecal samples were collected at each visit …

Development Of A Mechanistic Model To Represent The Dynamics Of Liquid Flow Out Of The Rumen And To Predict The Rate Of Passage Of Liquid In Dairy Cattle, S Seo, Cristina Lanzas, L O. Tedeschi, D G. Fox

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences

A mechanistic and dynamic model was developed to represent the physiological aspects of liquid dynamics in the rumen and to quantitatively predict liquid flow out of the reticulorumen (RR). The model is composed of 2 inflows (water consumption and salivary secretion), one outflow (liquid flow through the reticulo-omasal orifice (ROO), and one in-and-out flow (liquid flux through the rumen wall). We assumed that liquid flow through the ROO was coordinated with the primary reticular contraction, which is characterized by its frequency, duration, and amplitude during eating, ruminating, and resting. A database was developed to predict each component of the model. …

Failed Promises: The Demise Of The Original Tenncare Vision, Carole R. Myers Dr.

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Nursing

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Protein Fractionation Systems Used In Formulating Rations For Dairy Cattle, Cristina Lanzas, S Seo, L O. Tedeschi, D G. Fox

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences

Production efficiency decreases when diets are not properly balanced for protein. Sensitivity analyses of the protein fractionation schemes used by the National Research Council Nutrient Requirement of Dairy Cattle (NRC) and the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS) were conducted to assess the influence of the uncertainty in feed inputs and the assumptions underlying the CNCPS scheme on metabolizable protein and amino acid predictions. Monte Carlo techniques were used. Two lactating dairy cow diets with low and high protein content were developed for the analysis. A feed database provided by a commercial laboratory and published sources were used to …

Ultraviolet Radiation Exposure Induces Corneal Degeneration In 129 Mice, Kim M. Newkirk

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences

No abstract provided.

Ultraviolet Radiation Stimulates Expression Of Snail Family Transcription Factors In Keratinocytes., Kim M. Newkirk

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences

No abstract provided.

Snai2 Expression Enhances Uvr-Induced Skin Carcinogenesis. Newkirk K, Parent A, Fossey S, Choi C, Chandler H Rajala-Schultz P, Kusewitt D., Kim M. Newkirk

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences

No abstract provided.

Ultraviolet Radiation Stimulates Expression Of Snail Family Transcription Factors In Keratinocytes. Hudson L, Choi C, Newkirk K, Parkhani J, Cooper K, Lu P, Kusewitt D, Kim M. Newkirk

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences

No abstract provided.

Ultraviolet Radiation Exposure Induces Corneal Degeneration In 129 Mice. Newkirk K, Chandler H, Parent A, Young D, Colitz C, Wilkie D, Kusewitt D, Kim M. Newkirk

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences

No abstract provided.

Uveal Spindle Cell Tumor Of Blue-Eyed Dogs: An Immunohistochemical Study. Zarfoss M, Klauss G, Newkirk K, Kiupel M, Jones Y, Colitz C, Weisbrode S, Kusewitt D, Dubielzig R., Kim M. Newkirk

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences

No abstract provided.

Digestion Kinetics Of Dried Cereal Grains, Cristina Lanzas, A N. Pell, D G. Fox

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences

Grain fermentability largely determines the feed value of grains for ruminants. Our objective was to evaluate the variation in kinetics of gas production of cereal grains and the relationship among gas production, chemical composition and feed value. Eighteen barley, 99 corn, 23 sorghum, and 57 wheat samples were fermented in vitro for 48 h. Gas production was measured with a computerized system and an exponential model was fitted to the data. The impact of the variation in composition and kinetics on the feed value of grains in feedlot rations was assessed with the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS). …

A Revised Cncps Feed Carbohydrate Fractionation Scheme For Formulating Rations For Ruminants, Cristina Lanzas, C J. Sniffen, S Seo, L O. Tedeschi, D G. Fox

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences

Balancing ruminant diets for appropriate levels and types of dietary carbohydrates (CHO) is necessary to maximize production while assuring the health of the animals. Several feed fractions (i.e., volatile fatty acids (VFA), lactate, sugars, starch) are now being measured in some commercial feed laboratories and this information may assist in better formulating diets. A CHO fractionation scheme based on ruminal degradation characteristics needed for nutritional models is described and its impact on predictions with the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS) is assessed. Dietary CHO are divided into eight fractions: the CA1 is volatile fatty acids (VFA), CA2 is …