Digital Commons Network^™

Youth Drug Use In Turkey: A Test Of The General Strain Theory, Fatih Cipil

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the effect of strain on youth drug use in Turkey. With its many unexplored fields, Turkey is a haven for social researchers. Adolescent crime and especially drug use is an important yet poorly studied subject in Turkey. Of the many correlates of youth drug use, strain as asserted by the General Strain Theory of Agnew (1985) is chosen as the main explanatory variable in this research. Using Youth in Europe (YIE) survey data administered to a representative sample of high school students in Istanbul City, correlates of marijuana, LSD, amphetamine and ecstasy use among adolescents are analyzed …

Commonwealth Times 2013-02-28

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Perpetrator Gender On Child Protective Services Sexual Abuse Cases: A National Picture, David Axlyn Mcleod

Theses and Dissertations

Child sexual assault is a problem of epidemic proportions in the United States with some research suggesting up to one fifth of our nations children being victimized before reaching adulthood. Research has suggested females could be responsible for up to 20% of child sexual abuse cases, and at the same time only represent only 1% of sexual offenders incarcerated the US. This creates a situation where a large group of relatively under-researched offenders are evading detection. Numerous calls for further research have been made, but relatively few studies have had the ability to shed significant light on this phenomenon on …

Commonwealth Times 2013-02-25

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth Times 2013-02-21

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth Times 2013-02-14

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth Times 2013-02-11

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of Potential Interactions Between Transferrin Binding Proteins In Neisseria Gonorrhoeae, Shreni Mistry

Theses and Dissertations

Neisseria gonorrhoeae requires iron for survival and establishment of infection in the human host. Pathogenic Neisseriae have evolved a repertoire of high-affinity iron acquisition systems to facilitate iron uptake in the human host. This requires specific outer membrane receptors and energy-harnessing cytoplasmic membrane proteins. The transferrin receptor proteins of Neisseria gonorrhoeae are necessary for iron uptake from transferrin in the host. The iron uptake system consists of two transferrin binding proteins, (Tbp) A and B. TbpA is an integral outer membrane, TonB-dependent transporter that forms the pore for iron internalization. TbpB is a surface exposed lipoprotein that makes the iron …

Commonwealth Times 2013-02-07

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth Times 2013-02-04

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Ink (2013-02)

Ink, 2008-

The student-run features magazine covering the fashion, art, music and culture worlds at VCU and in Richmond. Published annually in print and updated regularly online.

Commonwealth Times 2013-01-31

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Design, Syntheses, And Biological Evaluation Of 14-N-Substituted Naltrexone Derivatives As Opioid Receptor Ligands, Orgil Elbegdorj

Theses and Dissertations

Opium, the dried resin obtained from the unripe seedpods of the poppy flower, has been used for medicinal and euphoric purposes since ancient times. Morphine, the main active ingredient of opium, and other clinically useful opioid analgesics all mediate their effects through activating the mu opioid receptor. Studies involving the mu opioid receptor knockout mice showed that the interaction with the mu opioid receptor is also responsible for many notorious side effects associated with these drugs including dependence and addiction. Therefore, selective antagonists for the mu opioid receptor are needed to study its function in drug abuse and addiction. Previously, …

Commonwealth Times 2013-01-28

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth Times 2013-01-24

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Klf2 Is Required For Normal Mouse Cardiovascular Development, Aditi Raghunath Chiplunkar

Theses and Dissertations

Krüppel-like factor 2 (KLF2) is expressed in endothelial cells in the developing heart, particularly in areas of high shear stress, such as the atrioventricular (AV) canal. KLF2 ablation leads to myocardial thinning, high output cardiac failure and death by mouse embryonic day 14.5 (E14.5) in a mixed genetic background. This work identifies an earlier and more fundamental role for KLF2 in mouse cardiac development in FVB/N mice. FVB/N KLF2-/- embryos die earlier, by E11.5. E9.5 FVB/N KLF2-/- hearts have multiple, disorganized cell layers lining the AV cushions, the primordia of the AV valves, rather than the normal single layer. By …

Commonwealth Times 2013-01-17

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth Times 2013-01-14

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Corrosion Growth On Ss304 Based On Textural And Color Features From Image Analysis, Ramana M. Pidiparti, Brian Hinderliter, Darshan Maskey

Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering Publications

Corrosion surface damage in the form of pitting and microcracks is observed in many systems and affects the integrity of steel structures in nuclear, civil, and industrial engineering. In order to gain a better understanding and develop nondestructive and automatic detection/assessment of corrosion damage and its growth, an image analysis based on texture using wavelet transforms and color features was carried out. Experiments were conducted on steel 304 panels under three different electrolyte solutions, and periodic scans were used to obtain the images for analysis over time. The results obtained from the image analysis are presented to illustrate the metrics …

Endosymbiosis In Trypanosomatids: The Genomic Cooperation Between Bacterium And Host In The Synthesis Of Essential Amino Acids Is Heavily Influenced By Multiple Horizontal Gene Transfers, João M.P. Alves, Cecilia C. Klein, Flávia Maia Da Silva, André G. Costa-Martins, Myrna G. Serrano, Gregory A. Buck, Ana Tereza R. Vasconcelos, Marie-France Sagot, Marta M.G. Teixeira, Maria Cristina M. Motta, Erney P. Camargo

Study of Biological Complexity Publications

Background

Trypanosomatids of the genera Angomonas and Strigomonas live in a mutualistic association characterized by extensive metabolic cooperation with obligate endosymbiotic Betaproteobacteria. However, the role played by the symbiont has been more guessed by indirect means than evidenced. Symbiont-harboring trypanosomatids, in contrast to their counterparts lacking symbionts, exhibit lower nutritional requirements and are autotrophic for essential amino acids. To evidence the symbiont’s contributions to this autotrophy, entire genomes of symbionts and trypanosomatids with and without symbionts were sequenced here.

Results

Analyses of the essential amino acid pathways revealed that most biosynthetic routes are in the symbiont genome. By contrast, the …

Two-Component System Response Regulators Involved In Virulence Of Streptococcus Pneumoniae Tigr4 In Infective Endocarditis, My Trihn, Xiuchun Ge, Alleson Dobson, Todd Kitten, Cindy Munro, Ping Xu

Philips Institute for Oral Health Research Publications

Streptococci resident in the oral cavity have been linked to infective endocarditis (IE). While other viridans streptococci are commonly studied in relation to IE, less research has been focused on Streptococcus pneumoniae. We established for the first time an animal model of S. pneumoniae IE, and examined the virulence of the TIGR4 strain in this model. We hypothesized that two-component systems (TCS) may mediate S. pneumoniae TIGR4 strain virulence in IE and examined TCS response regulator (RR) mutants of TIGR4 in vivo with the IE model. Thirteen of the 14 RR protein genes were mutagenized, excluding only the essential …

Osu-03012 Sensitizes Breast Cancers To Lapatinib-Induced Cell Killing: A Role For Nck1 But Not Nck2, N. Winston West, Aileen Garcia-Vargas, Charles E. Chalfant, Margaret A. Park

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Publications

Background

Lapatinib is characterized as an ErbB1/ErbB2 dual inhibitor and has recently been approved for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. In this study, we examined mechanisms associated with enhancing the activity of lapatinib via combination with other therapies.

Methods

In the present studies, estrogen receptor (ER) positive and ER negative breast cancer cells were genetically manipulated to up- or downregulate eIF2-alpha, its phospho-mutant, Nck1, or Nck2, then treated with OSU-03012, lapatinib or the combination and assayed for cytotoxicity/cytostaticity using clonogenic assays.

Results

Treatment of breast cancer cell lines with lapatinib and OSU-03012 (a small molecule derivative of the Cox-2 …

Hif- And Non-Hif-Regulated Hypoxic Responses Require The Estrogen-Related Receptor In Drosophila Melanogaster, Yan Li, Divya Padmanabha, Luciana B. Gentile, Catherine I. Dumur, Robert B. Beckstead, Keith D. Baker

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Publications

Low-oxygen tolerance is supported by an adaptive response that includes a coordinate shift in metabolism and the activation of a transcriptional program that is driven by the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) pathway. The precise contribution of HIF-1a in the adaptive response, however, has not been determined. Here, we investigate how HIF influences hypoxic adaptation throughout Drosophila melanogaster development. We find that hypoxic-induced transcriptional changes are comprised of HIF-dependent and HIF-independent pathways that are distinct and separable. We show that normoxic set-points of carbohydrate metabolites are significantly altered in sima mutants and that these animals are unable to mobilize glycogen in hypoxia. …

Program Of Action: The Rev. L. Francis Griffin And The Struggle For Racial Equality In Farmville, 1963, Brian E. Lee, Brian J. Daugherity

History Publications

An historical portrait of the Reverend L. Francis Griffin's leadership in the Civil Rights Movement. In the summer of 1963 demand for equality and for an end to racial segregation brought a series of protests to Farmville, Virginia, the county seat of Prince Edward County. The protests were organized and led by the Rev. L. Francis Griffin, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Farmville. They called their summer of protests a “Program of Action.”

The Growth Of Single-Sex Schools: Federal Policy Meets Local Needs And Interests, Katherine Cumings Mansfield

Educational Leadership Publications

Changes to Title IX allowing the growth of single-sex schools have garnered media attention promoting the benefits of separating boys and girls. Alternately, civil rights groups such as the ACLU continue to oppose any type of school segregation. Within this context, a private philanthropy, the Foundation for the Education of Young Women (FEYW) has established public-private partnerships with six Texas school districts to open all-girls’ public college prep magnet schools with plans to expand. This multi-year ethno-historical case study explores the meaning making of one community in the FEYW network as it attempts to make sense of federal policy at …

Psychoneuroimmunology-Based Stress Management During Adjuvant Chemotherapy For Early Breast Cancer, Jo Lynne W. Robins, Nancy L. Mccain, R. K. Elswick Jr., Jeanne M. Walter, D. Patricia Gray, Inez Tuck

School of Nursing Publications

Objective. In a randomized trial of women with early stage breast cancer undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy, two stress management interventions, tai chi training and spiritual growth groups, were compared to a usual care control group, to evaluate psychosocial functioning, quality of life (QOL), and biological markers thought to reflect cancer- and treatment-specific mechanisms. Method. The sample consisted of 145 women aged 27–75 years; 75% were Caucasian and 25% African American. A total of 109 participants completed the study, yielding a 75% retention rate. Grounded in a psychoneuroimmunology framework, the overarching hypothesis was that both interventions would reduce perceived stress, enhance QOL …

Time To Blood Culture Positivity As A Predictor Of Clinical Outcome In Patients With Candida Albicans Bloodstream Infection, Cintia Zoya Nunes, Alexandre R. Marra, Michael B. Edmond, Elivane Da Silva Victor, Carlos Alberto Pires Pereira

Internal Medicine Publications

Background Few studies have assessed the time to blood culture positivity as a predictor of clinical outcome in fungal bloodstream infections (BSIs). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the time to positivity (TTP) of blood cultures in patients with Candida albicans BSIs and to assess its impact on clinical outcome.

Methods A historical cohort study with 89 adults patients with C. albicans BSIs. TTP was defined as the time between the start of incubation and the time that the automated alert signal indicating growth in the culture bottle sounded.

Results Patients with BSIs and TTPs of culture of …

Igfbp-3 Inhibits Cytokine-Induced Insulin Resistance And Early Manifestations Of Atherosclerosis, Lathika Mohanraj, Ho-Seong Kim, Wei Li, Qing Cai, Ki E. Kim, Hye-Jung Shin, Yong-Jae Lee, Woo J. Lee, Jung H. Kim, Youngman Oh

Pathology Publications

Metabolic syndrome is associated with visceral obesity, insulin resistance and an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. Visceral fat tissue primarily consists of adipocytes that secrete cytokines leading to a state of systemic inflammation in obese conditions. One of the IGF-independent functions of IGFBP-3 is its role as an anti-inflammatory molecule. Our study in obese adolescents show a decrease in total IGFBP-3 levels and increase in proteolyzed IGFBP-3 in circulation when compared to their normal counterparts and establishes a positive correlation between IGFBP-3 proteolysis and adiposity parameters as well as insulin resistance. In human adipocytes, we show that IGFBP-3 inhibits TNF-α-induced …

Intracellular Function Of Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist In Ischemic Cardiomyocytes, Elena Vecile, Aldo Dobrina, Fadi N. Salloum, Benjamin W. Van Tassell, Antonella Falcione, Edorado Gustini, Samuele Secchiero, Sergio Crovella, Gianfranco Sinagra, Nicoletta Finato, Martin J. Nicklin, Antonio Abbate

VCU Health Publications

Background

Loss of cardiac myocytes due to apoptosis is a relevant feature of ischemic heart disease. It has been described in infarct and peri-infarct regions of the myocardium in coronary syndromes and in ischemia-linked heart remodeling. Previous studies have provided protection against ischemia-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis by the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 receptor-antagonist (IL-1Ra). Mitochondria triggering of caspases plays a central role in ischemia-induced apoptosis. We examined the production of IL-1Ra in the ischemic heart and, based on dual intra/extracellular function of some other interleukins, we hypothesized that IL-1Ra may also directly inhibit mitochondria-activated caspases and cardiomyocyte apoptosis.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Synthesis of …

Being In The Moment, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

There seems to be a disconnect between the moment in time and really experiencing it. In the past, if one were privileged to reach late life, one would take time to be in that moment, rather than trying to avoid it. This returns us to the observations of being in the moment and having the full experience of it. Reflection is a gift to be opened in late life.