Digital Commons Network^™

Tobacco-Gene Activity Profile In Porphyromonas Gingivalis, Filifactor Alocis And Treponema Denticola., Neelima Chowdary Cherukumalli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Smoking is an established risk factor for periodontitis. Prior studies have shown that cigarette smoke extract (CSE) can induce profound phenotypic changes in Porphyromonas gingivalis and alters the virulence of this important periodontal pathogen. We hypothesized that CSE might also alter gene expression in established periodontal pathogens, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Treponema denticola, as well as in the emerging pathogen, Filifactor alocis. Oral bacteria were grown in CSE-conditioned medium (1000 ng/ml nicotine equivalents) or in unconditioned control medium. Total RNA was extracted and CSE-regulated genes were identified by comparison of the mRNA profiles of CSE with control cultures using RNA-Seq …

An Investigation Of Virtual Golf In The Republic Of Korea From A Marketing Perspective., Chulhwan Choi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Just as advances in technology have drastically changed daily life, the entire sport business industry has been altered by the latest technology (Lee, Cheon, Judge, Shin, & Kim, 2012). A virtual sport, called "screen golf", has offered a virtual reality via simulators and has seen enormous growth in the Republic of Korea (Kim, Seo, Kim, & Chang, 2014), not just as an alternative to the existing sport but as an entirely new type of sport entertainment (Han, Beak, Lee, & Huh, 2014). Knowing that there are significant gaps in consumer behaviors between existing sports and emerging sports (Ko, Park, & …

Casting Calls On The Hillbilly Highway : A Content Analysis Of Appalachian-Based Reality Television Programming., Dan Thelman Martin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This analysis examines two contemporary reality television shows set in the Appalachian region of the United States - Appalachian Outlaws and Moonshiners. I contextualized the portrayals by tracing the intertwined social, political and economic factors that influenced the evolution of mediated Appalachian stereotypes since the mid-1800s. Beginning with Cultivation Theory, which holds television to be most powerful and persuasive medium available for most people, I expanded the theoretical base to consider the programs to be part of a complex intertextual phenomenon involving various media. I found stereotypes of the Appalachian region and people to be readily present in both …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Communality In Louisville Community Gardens., Victoria Ann Montgomery

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Environmental change and food security issues boost interest in green initiatives, which in turn motivate policy makers and the general public toward the support and maintenance of urban community gardens. In Louisville Kentucky, an urban heat island in the United States, support for community gardens requires greater community support and volunteers. Objectives and organization of community gardens vary, as issues in production and sustainability are not the same for all garden communities and are contributing factors to their degree of success. Community gardens represent elements from both communal living and community but vary in their degree of communality. Using qualitative …

9/11 Memorials : Contested Memory, Competing Narratives, And Healing., Jennifer A. Fraley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation I examine the role that monuments and memorials play in our lives including artistically, historically, and culturally. I begin by examining what monuments and memorials are and how these public works should be their own classification of public art. I argue there are many things these works can be (place of mourning, celebration, historical marker, etc.) and should not be (a single source for a historical accounting); yet, memorials do have the necessary condition of creating a referential relationship between the viewer and the memorialized objects. Without this relationship, the work fails as a memorial. Memorials are …

Microbiota Activated Cd103+ Dcs Stemming From Oral Microbiota Adaptation Specifically Drive Γδt17 Proliferation And Activation., Christopher Jay Fleming

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

IL-17 producing γδ T cells (γδT17) promote numerous autoimmune diseases such as psoriasis and arthritis, as well as, cancers of the colon, lung and breasts. Yet γδT17 peripheral regulation has yet to be thoroughly explored. In mice deficient in IL-17 signaling, we observed expansion of γδT17 in all major tissues. However, γδT17 expansion was not uniformly distributed systemically and was most prominent in oral draining cervical lymph nodes (LNs) with monoclonal expansion of Vγ6 γδT17. In vitro proliferation assays of these cervical LNs showed endogenous proliferation by γδT17 dependent on cell-to-cell contact with CD103⁺ DCs. CD86⁺ and CD80 …

Integrated Analysis Of Mirna/Mrna Expression And Gene Methylation Using Sparse Canonical Correlation Analysis., Dake Yang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a large number of small endogenous non-coding RNA molecules (18-25 nucleotides in length) which regulate expression of genes post-transcriptionally. While a variety of algorithms exist for determining the targets of miRNAs, they are generally based on sequence information and frequently produce lists consisting of thousands of genes. Canonical correlation analysis (CCA) is a multivariate statistical method that can be used to find linear relationships between two data sets, and here we apply CCA to find the linear combination of differentially expressed miRNAs and their corresponding target genes having maximal negative correlation. Due to the high dimensionality, sparse …

Stories Of Single Mothers : Narrating The Sociomaterial Mechanisms Of Community Literacy., Kathryn Elizabeth Perry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In light of the increasing significance of community activist scholarship in Rhetoric and Composition and given the overwhelming nature of institutional educational inequity, this dissertation takes a close look at specific literacy practices and the corresponding networks that shape these literacy practices at a community literacy organization. Based on interviews with participants and staff at a local nonprofit called Family Scholar House (FSH), this project paints a complex picture of each stakeholder’s perspective on successful literacy. First, I employ Actor-Network Theory (ANT) to analyze three specific literacy moments at FSH: an application for government assistance, a financial aid appeal letter, …

An Environmental History Of The Rio Grande In The Panama Canal Zone, 1521- 1950., Francisco Javier Bonilla

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an examination of the history of environmental change in the defunct Rio Grande river valley in the former Panama Canal Zone. By mining secondary sources and engineering records, this study provides a narrative of the historic river’s role in the formation of the so-called interoceanic corridor through the isthmus of Panama from 1521 to 1950. More importantly, however, as a case study of river histories in Latin American environmental history, this understudied, Pacific-draining river illustrates how nature and non-human nature made Panama’s strategic transit region into a loci for material flows over time. The Rio Grande played …

The Evolution And Analysis Of Legal Protection For Medical Conscientious Objectors., John Peter Hill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Conscientious objection has a long tradition of legal and social recognition in America. It evolved as a subset of the constitutional free exercise of religion, and encompassed medical practice as well as the military after Roe v. Wade in 1973. Its constitutional protection abruptly changed with a Supreme Court case in 1990. Thereafter, medical conscientious objection – the exemption from performing certain acts by medical professionals – was regulated largely by legislation. Many of the conflicts arose and were resolved at the state level. Yet there is little study at the state level of why conscientious objection is protected or …

Porphyromonas Gingivalis Gingipains Induce A Pro-Inflammatory Extracellular Microenvironment : The Role Of Par-2 And Fibronectin., Jeffrey S. Marschall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that is characterized by severe tissue destruction of the gingiva and other tooth supporting structures; if left untreated, tooth loss and disintegration of the alveolar bone occurs. This chronic inflammatory state has been linked to other systemic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and Alzheimer’s disease. Porphyromonas gingivalis is the major pathogenic microbe in periodontitis. The main virulence factors of P. gingivalis are the Arg-aa and Lys-aa gingipains, which are proteolytic enzymes implicated in a plethora of activities that allow P. gingivalis to subvert the human immune system in the oral cavity …

Operational Decision Making For Medical Clinics Through The Use Of Simulation And Multi-Attribute Utility Theory., Bo Sun

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Currently, health care is a large industry that concerns everyone. Outpatient health care is an important part of the American health care system and is one of the strongest growth areas in the health care system. Many people pay attention to how to keep basic health care available to as many people as possible. A large health care system is usually evaluated by many performance measures. For example, the managers of a medical clinic are concerned about increasing staff utilization; both managers and patients are concerned about patient waiting time. In this dissertation, we study decision making for clinics in …

Characterization Of The Role Of The Burkholderia Pseudomallei Type 3 Secretion System Using In Vivo Imaging., Maria Gabriela Gutierrez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Melioidosis is a fatal infectious disease caused by the Tier 1 Select Agent Burkholderia pseudomallei. Hallmarks of melioidosis include pneumonic disease and prominent septicaemic spread. Both forms of disease are contingent upon the bacterium’s intracellular life cycle and particularly on its ability to escape from host cell phagosomes. Upon encountering a host cell, B. pseudomallei is internalized into membrane-bound vacuoles from which the bacterium must rapidly escape to the cytoplasm in order to replicate and promote its survival. In the host cytoplasm, B. pseudomallei is capable of polymerizing actin for intracellular and intercellular motility and spread, lysing the host …

Abin1 In The Pathogenesis Of Glomerulonephritis And The Novel Polocyte-Neutrophil Proinflammatory Axis., Erik Anderson Korte

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Glomerulonephritis (GN) is the most common cause of end-stage renal disease worldwide and is characterized by deposition of immune complex, inflammation, proteinuria and podocyte damage. Immunosuppressive therapy is effective in less than 50% of patients, indicating that immunological activity is not the only relevant cause of kidney injury. While methods have been described for neutrophil-mediated immune activation, specific glomerular mechanisms for recruitment of neutrophils and development of GN have not been determined. Here I present a pathogenic mechanism for the development of GN involving a novel podocyte-neutrophil axis and reveal the importance of glomerular NF-κB inhibition by the ubiquitin binding …

Insights Into The Introduction Histories And Population Genetic Dynamics Of The Nile Monitor (Varanus Niloticus) And Argentine Black And White Tegu (Salvator Merianae) In Florida., Jared Price Wood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the population genetic dynamics of two Florida invasives: the Nile monitor (Varanus niloticus) and Argentine black and white tegu (Salvator merianae). I also provide insights into the introduction histories of both species. This study was developed as part of a collaborative effort with the Florida Wildlife Commission to expand our knowledge of these highly detrimental, invasive lizards. All research activities involving animals and animal tissues were approved by the University of Louisville’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC Proposal #: 12024). I start with a brief introduction into what makes invasive species …

Modulation Of Cell Death Signaling And Cell Proliferation By The Interaction Of Homoserine Lactones And Paraoxonase 2., Aaron Mackallan Neely

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pseudomonas aeruginosa produces N-(3-oxododecanoyl)-homoserine lactone (C12) as a quorum-sensing molecule that functions to facilitate bacteria-bacteria communication. C12 has also been reported to affect many aspects of human host cell physiology, including evoking cell death in various types of cells. However, the signaling pathway(s) leading to C12-triggerred cell death remains unclear. To clarify cell death signaling induced by C12, we examined mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) deficient in one or more caspases. Our data indicate that, unlike most apoptotic inducers, C12 evokes a novel form of apoptosis in cells, probably through the direct induction of mitochondrial membrane permeabilization. Previous studies indicate that …

Exchange Patterns And Relations In Collaborative Governance., Charles Wharton Kaye-Essien

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collaborative governance has received considerable attention in recent years. From environmental resource management to public safety, collaborative governance continues to play a vital role in regional problem solving. In spite of this increasing popularity previous attempts to model the political, economic, and demographic determinants of collaboration have in most cases produced inconsistent results, thereby undermining the ability to generalize from such findings. Additionally, our understanding of the relational patterns that emanate from collaborative agreements remains fairly rudimentary. The main objective of this research is to address some of the gaps in the literature and improve our understanding of collaborative governance …

Acrolein Is A Critical Mediator Of Alcohol-Induced Liver And Intestinal Injury In Alcoholic Liver Disease., Wei-Yang (Jeremy) Chen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol consumption can cause alcoholic liver disease (ALD), which remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Chronic alcohol consumption causes a pro-oxidant environment in the liver and increases hepatic lipid peroxidation. Acrolein is the most reactive and toxic aldehyde generated through lipid peroxidation. Acrolein forms protein adducts and triggers endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and hepatocyte apoptosis, which are recognized etiologic factors in ALD. Several studies have established the critical role of the gut-liver axis in ALD pathogenesis, wherein alcohol-induced gut barrier dysfunction contributes to liver injury. This study investigates, in vitro and in vivo, the …

Chemoselective Reactions And Their Applications In Metabolite Isolation And Analysis., Sadakatali Shokatali Gori

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chemoselectivity is the preferential reaction of a reagent with a select functional group among other plausible reactions. This dissertation describes chemoselective reagents and methods explored to develop more accurate, efficient and high-throughput means to quantify metabolites containing either thiol, carboxylic acid or 1,2-diol moieties directly from biological mixtures. Chapter 1 discusses how dysregulation of thiol- or carboxylic acid-containing metabolites is either the cause or effect of cellular dysfunction. Quantifying such metabolites is important in discovery of pathways to understand etiology of diseases. Chapter 1 also discusses the need for sustainable syntheses using renewable resources and describes the traditional methods for …

Modulation Of Cardiac Kv Currents By Kvbeta2 And Pyridine Nucleotides., Peter Joseph Kilfoil

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Myocardial voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels regulate the resting membrane potential and the repolarization phase of the action potential. Members of the Kv1 and Kv4 family associate with ancillary subunits, such as the Kvβ proteins, that modify channel kinetics, gating and trafficking. Previous investigation into the function of cardiac β subunits demonstrated that Kvβ1 regulates I_to and I_K,slow currents in the heart, but the role of Kvβ2 in the myocardium remains unknown. In heterologous expression systems, Kvβ2 increases surface expression of Kv1 channels, shifts the activation potential of Kv1 channels to more polarized voltages, and increases the inactivation of …

The Queer Child And Haut Bourgeois Domesticity : Berthe Morisot And Mary Cassatt., Jessica Cresseveur

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the 1970s, feminist art historians have extensively treated Mary Cassatt and Berthe Morisot. In particular, focusing on class-bound womanhood and domesticity, Griselda Pollock, Linda Nochlin, and Anne Higonnet have provided compelling psychoanalytic, Marxist, and semiotic analyses, seemingly exhausting all potentials for any further historical exploration of these artists. Yet, to date, investigations into the significance of the queer (deviations from normative sociocultural codes of gender identity, sexuality, and reproduction) in the works of Cassatt and Morisot have not been conducted. In this dissertation, queer theory complements the existing scholarship that has focused on the significance of women as mothers …

Role Of Microrna-21 In Atherogenesis., Rihab Hamed-Berair

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) is an evolutionarily conserved microRNA, abundant in most cardiovascular tissues. It has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several cardiovascular diseases including restenosis, myocardial infarction, and heart failure. However, little is known about the contribution of miR-21 in atherosclerosis. My data show that expression of miR-21 is increased by >1.5-fold in murine atherosclerotic lesions and by 1.5-2.0-fold in the macrophages of Western diet (WD)-fed LDLR-KO mice (for 12-20 weeks). In vitro, LDL, oxidized LDL, acetylated LDL and LPS induced miR-21 by 2-4-fold and down-regulated its target protein, PDCD4, in bone marrow-derived macrophages. Basally, macrophages isolated from miR-21-KO …

The Agricultural Growth And Malting Production Of Barley Grains In Northeast Tennessee And Southwest Virginia, Mark Evans Patton Mr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore the history and production processes of beer and examines the components that contribute to its brewing. The narrative will provide a timeline of the processes that are required to create the product of beer beginning with the agricultural products and following the brewing processes that result in beer as the finished product. I will also examine the business of agriculture and grain processing and will provide some historical perspectives of grain, beer, and malting. I will also consider whether the growing, processing, and malting of grains in the East Tennessee and Southwest …

Ecological Niche Modeling Of The North American Giant Salamander: Predicting Current And Future Potential Distributions And Examining Environmental Influences, Selena S. Roark

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

North American Giant Salamanders (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis), commonly known as hellbenders, have been experiencing a population decline for decades due to human influences, such as pollution and habitat destruction. Many efforts are underway to save the hellbender but their entire potential geographical range has not been well-studied. Currently, hellbender populations are delineated by county boundaries and are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. The Genetic Algorithm for Rule-set Production, an Ecological Niche Model, was used to model the current hellbender potential distribution at a macro-scale under two different environmental scenarios. Additionally, future potential distributions were …

Efficacy Of Subcutaneous Electrocardiogram Leads For Synchronous Timing And Aortic Root Cannulation For Chronic Counterpulsation Therapy., Stephen R. Carnahan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Counterpulsation devices (CPD) require electrocardiogram (ECG) lead implantation for timing device filling and ejection with the native heart. Non- implantable leads limit the scope of CPD treatment to short-term therapy. Standard transvenous/epicardial ECG leads increase the invasiveness of therapy.

Methods: To overcome these limitations, subcutaneous ECG leads were tested in chronic (n=6) and acute (n=5) bovine models. ECG waveforms from clinical- grade epicardial (control) leads and subcutaneous (test) leads were simultaneously recorded resulting in 830 data epochs (30-s each) for a total of 44,614 heart beats. Device triggering using R-wave detection was calculated for each lead type and compared. …

Peccaries (Artiodactyla: Tayassuidae) From The Late Miocene To Early Pliocene Gray Fossil Site: Regional Implications With A Review Of Tayassuinae, Evan M. Doughty

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Analysis of the Gray Fossil Site peccary material indicates the presence of up to three species. Comparisons with the tayassuid material known from the Tyner Farm and Bone Valley Formation of Florida allows the identification of Mylohyus elmorei and at the GFS. Within the GFS material, Prosthennops cf. P. serus and cf. Catagonus sp. are also tentatively recognized but further verification is required. The known range for Prosthennops is expanded into the Appalachian region. Presence of M. elmorei at the Gray Fossil Site provides the first known occurrence of this species outside of the Palmetto fauna of Florida, indicating that …

Sa-4-1bbl As A Modulator Of Innate, Adaptive, And Regulatory Immunity : Implications For Cancer Prevention And Treatment., Hampartsoum Barsoumian

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

SA-4-1BBL is a recombinant costimulatory molecule that is active in its soluble form and has pleiotropic effects on the functions of innate, adaptive, and regulatory immune cells. We have previously shown that SA-4-1BBL makes CD4+ T conventional cells (Tconvs) resistant to suppression by CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T regulatory cells (Tregs). The mechanistic basis of this observation is the subject of this study. We demonstrate that Tconvs, but not Tregs, are the direct targets of SA-4-1BBL-mediated evasion of Treg suppression without contribution from antigen presenting cells (APCs). SA-4-1BBL engagement with its receptor, 4-1BB, on Tconvs resulted in the production of high levels of …

New Appalachians Of The Twenty-First Century: Reinventing Metanarratives And Master-Images Of Southern Appalachian Literature, Kelsey Alannah Solomon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Appalachian studies tradition ascertains that Appalachian people politically, socially, and academically represent a heterogeneous minority group of our own. In post-capitalistic America, however, the Appalachian region serves as a hotspot for media misrepresentation and tourism that perpetuate through works of fiction, nonfiction, and scholarship both negative and positive stereotypes in the overall American consciousness. Twenty-first-century Appalachian authors, I contend, are reinventing Appalachia from its postmodern rubble through fictionalized reconceptualizations of our region’s history, shifts in our collective consciousness from anthropocentric to ecocentric, and subversions of the heteronormative discourse of our internal colony through explorations of the psychosexual. The contemporary …

Comparison Of Anti-Pneumococcal Functions Of Native And Modified Forms Of C-Reactive Protein, Donald Neba Ngwa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The anti-pneumococcal function of native C-reactive protein (CRP) involves its binding to phosphocholine molecules present on Streptococcus pneumoniae and subsequent activation of the complement system. However, when pneumococci recruit complement inhibitory protein factor H on their surface, they escape complement attack. Non-native forms of CRP have been shown to bind immobilized factor H. Accordingly, we hypothesized that modified CRP would bind to factor H on pneumococci, masking its complement inhibitory activity, allowing native CRP to exert its anti-pneumococcal function. As reported previously, native CRP protected mice from lethal pneumococcal infection when injected 30 minutes before infection but not when injected …

Effects Of Acclimation On Temperature Tolerance And Oxidative Damage In Daphnia Magna, Kailea J. Holbrook Ms.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Freshwater zooplankton crustacean Daphnia frequently face strong temperature fluctuations in its natural environment, which necessitates adaptive plastic responses. This study focuses on changes in lipid peroxidation and total oxidative capacity in Daphnia tissues in response to long-term and short-term temperature changes.

Long-term acclimation to 28ºC helped Daphnia survive longer at lethally high temperatures. This difference, however, was not accompanied by changes in lipid peroxidation, indicating that it isn’t a good measure of damage or predictor of temperature tolerance.

On the other hand, total oxidation capacity was lower 28ºC- than in 18ºC-acclimated Daphnia, suggesting that acclimation resulted in higher amounts …