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Afrosofia: Knowledge And Methode Chez Cheikh Anta Diop, Francois Kodena

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Thinkers generally treat the concept of “philosophy” as a transparent term, defining it as the love of wisdom. However, a quick look at etymological dictionaries and Greek philosophers like Plato or Aristotle leads us nowhere. In other words, we are faced with a semantic conundrum. The verdict is discomforting: “philosophy” is not a Greek concept, and its etymology remains unknown.

This dissertation attempts to decipher that mystery. It leads us to the Afrikan terrain under the guidance of Cheikh Anta Diop and the Beti Mvett through a direct trans-disciplinarian (cultural, monogenetic, historical, linguistic, etc.) Afrosofian methodology.

Ultimately, the Beti So …

The Effect Of Teacher-Child Interaction Training On Children Who Are Exhibiting Disruptive Behaviors Within The Classroom Setting, Jaclynn Susan Stankus

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teacher-Child Interaction Training (TCIT) is an adaption of the evidenced-based treatment of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). The TCIT intervention is used with students, typically in a preschool setting, who are exhibiting disruptive behaviors within the classroom. Teacher-Child Interaction Training improves the teacher-child relationship, while also training teachers to use effective and consistent consequence strategies. The large research base behind PCIT and the growing empirical base for TCIT provides evidence that this model would be an effective early intervention treatment for young children exhibiting disruptive behaviors in their school settings.

The success of Teacher-Child Interaction Training (TCIT) with the general preschool …

The Banality Of The Social: A Philosophy Of Communication Of Social Media Influencer Marketing, Kati Sudnick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project engages in a philosophy of communication approach in order to understand the role of social media influencer marketing within a historical moment defined via Hannah Arendt’s understanding of the social. Social media influencer marketing emerges as a new form of celebrity endorsement in which those finding fame on the Internet engage in word-of-mouth marketing for brands and organizations on their own personal social media pages, blurring the line between organic and sponsored content. According to Arnett (2010), philosophy of communication acts as a background road map for understanding foreground public action. Utilizing a myriad of metaphorical coordinates as …

A Bioethical Paradigm For Enhanced, Post Or Transhumans In Medicine And Biological Research, Roderick Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation the question addressed is the ethical protocol that should be used when enhanced, post or transhumans present themselves as patients to hospitals, or as subjects for scientific research. With the advent of the birth of four children who were genetically engineered in China to be resistant to HIV, I contend that transhumans are already here, and the prevailing Western paradigm of principlism, while good, is not adequate to the task. I explore the basic religious argument that can be used against or in favor of what I call human-directed human evolution. I show how the fears of …

Without Words: Relational Neuropsychology And Creative Arts Therapies With People Managing Aphasia, Autumn Marie Chilcote

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Aphasia describes the broad experience of disrupted language production or comprehension acquired after structural changes in the brain. These changes, usually associated with stroke, tumor, or cortical degeneration, are often co-occurring with other symptoms, such as emotional dysregulation, partial paralysis, and difficult social, occupational, and community relationships. Common approaches to research and rehabilitation with persons managing aphasia highlight conversation and semantic retrieval, with a lack in literature considering the diversity of symptoms and responses. Questions arise as to the ways that psychotherapies, typically language- centered, can be adapted to collaborative, low-verbal approaches that attend to the range of individual symptoms …

Use Of Multibeam And Split-Beam Sonar To Observe Changes In Fish School Biomass In Relation To Dolphin Abundance, Reece Eleanor Aponte

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Analyzing The Management Practices Of East Texas Beef Cattle Producers, Hiliary Cheyenne Swor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A survey of East Texas beef cattle producers was designed to evaluate the management practices that were prevalent in the area. Demographic and cattle operation data from 103 respondents were analyzed using SPSS (Version 25; Chicago, IL). This electronic-based survey was distributed through Qualtrics. Respondents were located in Angelina, Nacogdoches, or Cherokee county. Most producers (38.8%) had a Bachelor’s degree. A negative correlation was established between castration method and weaning weight (p = - 0.204). Calves were weaned 50 pounds heavier when band or surgically castrated. Females were less likely to castrate their calves or utilize a mineral program. Approximately, …

Surface Levels, Keisha Brathwaite

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Surface Levels are depictions of unobserved and imperceptible realities of many phytoplankton exteriors. The exhibition explores various structures, textures, and repetitious forms from microscopic surfaces of objects that cannot be seen with unaided eyes. Electron microscopy is used to perceive and analyze these otherwise unseeable surfaces in depth. Magnifications provide a reference in creating three- and two-dimensional works that are minimalistic and abstract at a visible level. This abstract 3D/2D image collection is translated into material expressions using acrylic sheets, acrylic ink, and wood as the main media for construction of individual works. Collectively, they serve to make the invisible …

Isotopic Analysis Of Human Migration Among The Ancient Maya Of Ambergris Caye, Belize, Rachel L. Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis uses the isotopic composition of tooth enamel from two Maya sites on Ambergris Caye Belize, to identify basic patterns of population movement among the Classic period Maya. Three individuals from San Juan and ten individuals from Chac Balam will shed light on the origin of individuals buried at the sites, including those with nonlocal grave goods. Strontium and oxygen isotope values provide new information on Maya coastal populations and suggest that at least one individual with a distinct body position had a nonlocal origin. Carbon isotope values reveal a childhood diet related to, but not the same as, …

N-Acetyltranserase 2 (Nat2) Genotype Polymorphism In Cryopreserved Human Hepatocytes And Chinese Hamster Ovary (Cho) Cells., Mariam Refaat Zaky Habil

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Arylamine N-acetyltransferases, NAT1 and NAT2, catalyze the detoxification and/or activation of drugs and aromatic amine carcinogens. Single nucleotide polymorphisms or SNPs result in different human NAT2 genotypes thus dividing the population into rapid, intermediate, and slow acetylators. We hypothesize allelic variants of NAT2 genotype will decrease levels of N-acetylation, cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, DNA adduct formation, and mutagenesis compared to the reference allele NAT2*4. Cryopreserved human hepatocytes expressing different NAT2 genotypes and NER-deficient Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells transfected with human CYP1A2 and human NAT2*4, NAT2*5B or NAT2*7B have been used to investigate N-acetylation of different xenobiotics. In …

Modulation Of Inflammatory Pathway By Inflammatory Inhibitor Jsh-23 Mitigates Diabetic Retinopathy., Rubens Petit Homme

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the most common microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus (DM). Its pathology is consisted of the breakdown of the blood-retinal barrier (BRB), particularly the inner blood-retinal barrier (iBRB). The exact mechanism that leads to the iBRB impairment and the development of DR has not been elucidated yet. However, chronic inflammation that is hallmark of the type I DM has recently become a key focus in DR study. Hyperglycemia causes dysregulation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB); and its constant activation increases the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in the …

Mechanisms Of Chromate-Induced Suppression Of Rad51: A One Environmental Health Approach., Rachel M. Speer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death. Lung cancer is commonly associated with smoking, however, 1 in 5 women and 1 in 12 men who develop lung cancer are never-smokers. Environmental exposures, therefore, account for a significant portion of lung cancer cases. Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] is a global environmental contaminant and known human lung carcinogen. Cr(VI) and other carcinogenic metals induce chromosome instability, an early event in lung cancer. Structural chromosome instability arises in part due to failed DNA repair. Particulate Cr(VI), the most potent form of Cr(VI), induces DNA double strand breaks and inhibits the high-fidelity DNA …

Genes Involved In Nitrogen Assimilation In Ustilago Maydis., Sunita Khanal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

U. maydis can utilize nitrate as a source of nitrogen from its environment, a process requiring a nitrate transporter to bring the nitrate inside the cell. This is followed by a two-step reduction of nitrate to ammonium. At first, nitrate reductase reduces nitrate into nitrite; in the second reaction, nitrite is reduced to ammonium by nitrite reductase. The goal of the study was to identify the nitrate transporter and nitrite reductase genes in U. maydis and characterize them based on their role in mating and virulence. The genes um03848 and um03849 were identified bioinformatically as encoding, respectively, the nitrite reductase …

Tissue-Resident Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells Modulate Immune Homeostasis In Healthy Adipose., Katlin Brooke Stivers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Our goal with this study was to gain insight into the homeostatic immune cell network in healthy adipose tissue. Specifically, we sought to determine if the immature myeloid cells found in healthy and inflamed adipose were, in fact, tissue-resident myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). Using various in vitro and in vivo methods, we have uncovered a population of CD11b^Hi Ly6C^Hi Ly6G^- MDSCs resident in healthy adipose tissue. To the best of our knowledge this is the first time that these cells have been investigated and described in healthy adipose tissue. Systemic MDSC depletion lead to the accumulation of …

Plasmodium Impairs Antibacterial Innate Immunity To Systemic Infections In Part Through Hemozoin-Bound Bioactive Molecules., Christopher Lynn Harding

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite efforts to decrease the global health burden of malaria, infections with Plasmodium species continue to cause over 200 million episodes of malaria each year which resulted in 405,000 deaths in 2018 [1]. One complication of malaria is increased susceptibility to invasive bacterial infections. Plasmodium infections impair host immunity to non-Typhoid Salmonella (NTS) through activities of heme oxygenase I (HO-I) )-induced release of immature granulocytes and myeloid cell-derived IL-10. Yet, it is not known if these mechanisms are specific to NTS. We show here, that Plasmodium yoelii 17XNL (Py) infected mice had impaired clearance of systemic Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) during …

Identification And Structural Characterization Functional Motifs In The Porphyromonas Gingivalis Mfa1 Short Fimbria., Mohammad K. Roky

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Porphyromonas gingivalis is a causative agent of periodontal disease, initially colonizes the oral cavity by adhering to commensal streptococci. Adherence requires the interaction of the minor fimbrial protein (Mfa1) of P. gingivalis with streptococcal antigen I/II (Ag I/II). A peptide derived from Ag I/II peptide has been well characterized and shown to significantly reduce P. gingivalis colonization and bone loss in vivo, suggesting that this interaction represents a potential target for therapeutic intervention. However, the functional motifs of Mfa1 involved in the interaction with Ag I/II remain uncharacterized. A series of N- and C-terminal peptide fragments of Mfa1 were …

Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase Inhibition: A Novel Therapeutic Strategy In Alcoholic Liver Disease., Jeffrey Barr Warner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Emerging evidence suggests that soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) inhibition is a valuable therapeutic strategy for the treatment of numerous diseases. sEH rapidly degrades cytochrome P450-produced epoxygenated lipids (epoxy-fatty acids, epFAs), which generally exert beneficial effects on several cellular processes. sEH hydrolysis of epoxy-fatty acids produces dihydroxy-fatty acids which are typically less biologically active than their parent epoxide. sEH inhibition has shown efficacy in treating numerous pathologies associated with non-alcoholic liver disease, yet no efforts to date have tested the efficacy of sEH inhibition in alcoholic liver disease (ALD). Herein, we measured the levels of sEH expression and epFAs in human …

A Novel Role For Rassf1a In The Regulation Of Ras Activation., Desmond Ramón Harrell Stewart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ras is the most frequently activated oncogene in human cancer. It is not only the most frequently mutated oncogene, but is also rendered hyperactive in the wild-type form by aberrant regulation. Ras drives transformation and contributes to tumor aggressiveness by activating multiple downstream mitogenic effectors. Ras also possesses the paradoxical ability to induce apoptosis and senescence. Ras-induced apoptosis is not well understood, but has been largely attributed to the RASSF tumor suppressors, particularly RASSF1A. RASSF1A mediates Ras-induced apoptosis by activating pro-apoptotic proteins such as the MST kinases and BAX. RASSF1A is among the most frequently inactivated tumor suppressors in human …

Radical Renewal, The Sisters Of Loretto, Nouvelle Theologie, And The Second Vatican Council., Carol Bolton Easterly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the experiences of women who were members of the Sisters of Loretto, an American congregation of women religious, in the years around the Second Vatican Council (1962 – 65). It argues that the ideas of nouvelle théologie – a movement among progressive European Catholic scholars aimed at reconnecting faith with lived experience – had a profound impact on how the Sisters of Loretto interpreted the Council’s directives. The movement’s core ideas: ressourcement, a return to original sources of Christian inspiration; an overlapping relationship between natural and supernatural; and the importance of Church engagement with modern social …

Compassion Or Neoliberal Governance: Critiquing The Discourse Of Compassionate Louisville., Ekramul Islam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since 2011, the city of Louisville, the site of this research, has been calling itself “Compassionate City.” The dissertation takes Compassionate Louisville as a city brand and seeks to investigate the effect of the image construction on the local politics. It aims to investigate the latent discourses produced by Compassionate Louisville in relation to the neoliberal political economy of the city. This dissertation employs the Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) methodology. Compassionate Louisville, being a brand, produces a discourse of compassion. The CDA methodological approach helps to investigate this manufactured discourse in relation to the neoliberal socio-political context of the city. …

Maya Bone Tool Technologies At Ucanal, Guatemala, Jacob Harris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A key part of understanding Maya bone tool production is studying the rare assemblages containing bone tools and bone tool debitage. The Late Classic J-2 assemblage is a distinct composition of lithic, charcoal, human and animal bone at the site of Ucanal, Guatemala. The number of sites with high concentrations of fauna remains are well, and sites with high concentrations of worked bone is even rarer. This thesis is an analysis of the worked and unworked faunal elements excavated in 2019 from Operation 1B of the J-2 assemblage. The primary purpose of this thesis is to further understand Maya bone …

Development, Expansion And Role Of Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells In Post-Sepsis Immune Suppression, Tuqa Alkhateeb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) numbers increase significantly in sepsis and are associated with high mortality rates. These myeloid cell precursors promote immunosuppression, especially in the late (post sepsis) stage. However, the mechanisms that underlie MDSC expansion and programming are not completely understood. To investigate these mechanisms, we used a cecal-ligation and puncture (CLP) mouse model of polymicrobial sepsis that progresses from an early/acute proinflammatory phase to a late/chronic immunosuppressive phase. Previous studies in our laboratory showed that microRNA (miR)-21 and miR-181b elevate levels of the transcription factor nuclear factor 1 (NFI-A) that promotes MDSC expansion. We report here that miR-21 …

Talk This Way: A Look At The Historical Conversation Between Hip-Hop And Christianity, Joshua Swanson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Christianity and Hip-Hop culture are often said to be at odds with one another. One is said to promote a lifestyle of righteousness and love, while the other is said to promote drugs, violence, and pride. As a result, the public has portrayed these two institutions as conflicting with no willingness to resolve their perceived differences. This paper will argue that there has always been a healthy conversation between Hip-Hop and Christianity since Hip-Hop’s inception. Using sources like Hip-Hop lyrics, theologians, historians, autobiographies, sermons, and articles that range from Ma$e to Tipper Gore, this paper will look at the conversation …

The Effects Of Elevation On Foraging Behavior Of Bats In Southern Appalachia, Victoria Long

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There are limited studies on bat activity in higher elevations in the Appalachian region. Levels of bat activity were compared in south central Appalachia at low (< 914.4 m) and high (> 1, 524 m) elevations in open, forest edge, and riparian habitats. Additionally, habitat suitability was modeled for a common species, big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus). The study started May 27^th 2019, and sites were monitored biweekly until October 2^nd 2019. Six species and one genus were recorded during the study. Species from the Myotis genus were grouped together because of similar call characteristics. Results show that species were significantly more …

Tumor-Derived Exosomes Drive Immunosuppressive Macrophages In A Pre-Metastatic Niche Through Nf-Kβ Dependent Glycolytic Metabolic Reprogramming., Samantha M. Morrissey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The formation of a pre-metastatic niche is a fundamental requirement for primary tumor metastasis. One of the defining characteristics of a pre-metastatic niche is infiltration of immunosuppressive macrophages. However, how these macrophages acquire their immunosuppressive phenotype remains largely unexplored. Here, we demonstrate that tumor-derived exosomes (TDE) polarize macrophages towards an immunosuppressive phenotype characterized by increased PD-L1 expression through NF-kB-dependent metabolic reprogramming in mice and humans. While NF-κB has previously been shown to act as a direct transcription factor for PD-L1, we report a novel mechanism where TDE-induced NF-κB activation drives PD-L1 expression by augmenting the glycolytic capacity of macrophages through …

A Study Of The United States Influence On German Eugenics., Cameron Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a study of the influence and effects that the United States had upon Germany from the rise of eugenics to its fall following the end of World War II. There are three stages to this study. First, I examine the rise of eugenics in the United States from its inception to the end of World War I and the influence it had upon Germany. Then I examine the interwar era along with the popularization of eugenics within both countries before concluding with the Second World War and post war era.

My thesis focuses on both the active …

Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction Of Quaternary Saltville, Virginia, Using Ostracode Autecology, Austin Gause

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Saltville valley in southwestern Virginia is home to Quaternary localities containing paleontological and archaeological remains. Historically the valley has been mined for salt and the small lakes, ponds and springs along the valley floor have a brackish signature. A preliminary report on the site’s ostracode fauna suggested that the site’s water was not always saline. This study analyzed modern and Quaternary ostracodes to understand the valley’s hydrologic and chemical evolution. Sediments contained primarily freshwater species, including the environmentally sensitive Candona crogmaniana. The presence of Pelocypris tuberculatum and a new Fabaeformiscandona species throughout a vertical section spanning the latest Pleistocene …

Roles Of Endothelial Cell Heat Shock Protein A12b And Β-Glucan, A Reagent For Trained Immunity In The Regulation Of Inflammation In Sepsis, Fei Tu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sepsis is dysregulated host immune response to infection causing life-threatening organ dysfunction. Endothelial cell dysfunction and uncontrolled inflammatory responses are two contributors for sepsis-induced mortality. The crosstalk between endothelial and immune cells plays a critical role in the pathophysiology of sepsis. Therefore, understanding the mechanism of interaction between endothelial and immune cells will provide novel information to develop therapeutic strategies for sepsis.

Pathogen associated moleculear patterns (PAMPs) and/or damage associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) produced during sepsis, activate endothelial cells to increase the expression of adhesion molecules, attracting immune cell infiltration into the tissues. Uncontrolled inflammatory responses during the early phase …

Assessing The Impact Of Restored Wetlands On Bat Foraging Activity Over Nearby Farmland, Philip Allagas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Up to 87% of the world’s wetlands have been destroyed, considerably reducing ecosystem services these wetlands once provided. More recently, many wetlands are being restored in an attempt to regain their ecosystem service. This study seeks to determine the effects of restored wetlands on local bat habitat use. Bat activity was found to be significantly higher around the wetlands when compared to distant grassy fields; however, no significant difference was found among the restored wetlands and a remote cattle farm containing multiple water features. Geospatial models of bat distribution and bat foraging were produced using machine learning that showed higher …

Axonal Regrowth Of Olfactory Sensory Neurons After Chemical Ablation And Removal Of Axonal Debris By Microglia, Rudy Chapman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) are contained within the olfactory epithelium (OE) and are responsible for detecting odorant molecules in the air. The exposure of OSNs to the external environment is necessary for their function, but it also leaves them exposed to potentially harmful elements and thus results in a high turnover rate. Despite the high turnover, the olfactory sense is maintained throughout life through the division of a population of stem cells that produce new OSNs both during normal turnover and after an injury occurs in the OE. When new OSNs are born, they must extend axons from the OE …