Digital Commons Network^™

Design And Synthesis Of Hiv-1 Integrase Inhibitors, Sarah Chajkowski Scarry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, HIV-1 integrase (IN) has emerged as an attractive target for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), the causative pathogen of acquired immuno-deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Several classes of IN inhibitors are known but many of these compounds are toxic, do not show antiviral activity or display decreased potency. Therefore, new classes of potent IN inhibitors are desperately needed. The b-diketo (b-DK) class of compounds has emerged as one of the most successful classes of IN inhibitors. Although several b-DK inhibitors with potent antiviral activity are known, compounds containing b-DK motifs have limitations in drug development. …

How Do The Perceived Barriers, Attitudes, And Knowledge Of Grocery Store Personnel Affect Availability Of Organic Food Products?, Rachel Adams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Organic food is one of the fastest-growing segments of food production and consumption in the U.S. Even though organic foods are becoming more widely available, some studies suggest they may not be equally available to all populations because people in some areas are being excluded from the organics market either geographically or financially. The purpose of this study was to examine how individual and local characteristics affect the attitudes of grocery store personnel toward organic food products and how these attitudes affect availability. Grocery store personnel were surveyed about their attitudes toward organic foods, their perceptions of the barriers to …

Given: F(A Great Love + A Missing Body), Emily Anne Barnes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Given: f(A great love + A missing body) is a collection of poems in four sections that takes love and mathematics at its core. The lyric and narrative poems navigate an affair between a female narrator and her lover. The math is positioned with the verse in the way an ekphrastic poem might be positioned next to the art upon which it is based. The connection and alienation of the form fractures the poem, but it also serves as a metaphor for the competing forces of two people in love. And the goal of each is pursuit of the sublime. …

Placing Birds On A Dynamic Evolutionary Map: Using Digital Tools To Update The Evolutionary Metaphor Of The "Tree Of Life", Sonia Stephens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation describes and presents a new type of interactive visualization for communicating about evolutionary biology, the dynamic evolutionary map. This web-based tool utilizes a novel map-based metaphor to visualize evolution, rather than the traditional "tree of life." The dissertation begins with an analysis of the conceptual affordances of the traditional tree of life as the dominant metaphor for evolution. Next, theories from digital media, visualization, and cognitive science research are synthesized to support the assertion that digital media tools can extend the types of visual metaphors we use in science communication in order to overcome conceptual limitations of traditional …

The Role Of Flow In Creating E-Loyalty: The Case Of Online Hotel Booking Websites, Anil Bilgihan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation aims to examine the concept of ―online customer experience‖, ―flow‖, and its role in influencing online customers‘ loyalty to a hotel booking website. To achieve this aim, a model was developed, which proposed that online flow is generated by both hedonic and utilitarian website features. A model was developed based on literature review to measure the relationships between the constructs. To initiate this research, a survey approach was taken. After conducting a pilot study, a marketing company was contacted to distribute the link for the online questionnaire. Five hundred and eleven (511) questionnaires were completed by guests who …

Design Synthesis And Biological Evaluation Of Non-Peptide Neuropeptide Ff Ligands, Jessica Valentinas Mankus

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Neuropeptide FF is an endogenous RF-amide with two receptor subtypes originally described as having anti-opioid characteristics. While peptide work helped to elucidate key features for targeting the subtypes of the neuropeptide FF receptor, non-peptide small molecules offer a more refined tool to discover features that affect selectivity and affinity. Improvements in small molecule ligands for neuropeptide FF support lead development and offer a clearer understanding of the binding pocket of each receptor subtype. Previous work on the lead 4–anilindopiperidine structure clarified a key feature between agonist and antagonist behavior. Early modifications of substituents of the piperidine nitrogen were tolerated and …

Discovery, Isolation, And Identification Of Antimalarials From Fungal Endophytes, Andrekeus Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We examined fungal endophytes for their ability to inhibit bacterial, fungal and protozoal pathogens. Once antimalarial activity was discovered and confirmed, we sought to isolate and identify the active constituent(s) of our extracts. Bioassay-guided fractionation techniques were used to isolate our active compound, the structure of which was elucidated using 1H- and 13C-NMR. 2D-NMR and LC-MS analyses helped confirm that our endophytes were indeed producing artemisinin. Growth versus production studies were conducted to optimize our growth and extraction conditions while several other variables, like temperature and culture medium, were evaluated in an effort to improve our yields. Artemisinin production under …

Discovery Of Small-Molecule Natural Products That Target Cellular Bioenergetics, Sandipan Datta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Molecular-targeted antitumor therapy has found favor in antitumor drug discovery programs. Hypoxia (< 5% oxygen) is a comfeature of solid tumors and hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) represents an important antitumor target. Bioenergetic homeostasis is typically altered in tumor cells and HIF-1 plays an important role to produce a glycolytic phenotype. Glycolysis inhibitors are an emerging class of potential tumor-selective adjuvant therapeutic agents. Natural product aerobic glycolysis inhibitors may enhance the effectiveness of current therapies. Mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation inhibitors in botanical dietary supplements (BDS) possess a potential health hazard which should be identified and appropriately regulated. Chapter one briefly reviews the molecular-targeted natural product antitumor drug discovery process. Descriptions of tumor hypoxia, HIF-1, HIF-1 regulatory pathways and the effect of HIF-1 on tumor cell bioenergetics are presented. Cellular bioenergetic pathways and natural products that inhibit HIF-1 by interfering with cellular bioenergetics are discussed. Mitochondriotoxic small-molecule natural products reported previously are further reviewed. Chapter two discusses the effect of chromatographic media on molecular-targeted antitumor drug discovery. A panel of crude extracts was eluted through columns of various chromatographic media using a step gradient method. Total recoveries from the various columns and various elution protocols were compared and statistically analyzed. The crude extracts and column eluates were evaluated for HIF-1 inhibitory activity. Chapter three discusses the development of a bioenergetics-based screening method to screen crude extracts for glycolysis inhibitors. Crude extracts (10,648) were screened and seven hits (hit rate 0.72%) were identified. Bioassay-guided isolation of Moronobea coccinea crude extract resulted in isolation of a protonophoric compound moronone (1) (false positive). The structure of 1 was determined by a combination of spectroscopic and spectrometric means. The protonophoric compounds must be rapidly dereplicated for successful discovery of glycolysis inhibitors. Chapter four discusses the screening of BDS products and pure compounds for mitochondrial uncouplers or electron transport chain inhibitors. The blue cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides) extract and three saponins cauloside A (3), saponin PE (4) and cauloside C (5) permeabilize the mitochondrial membrane. Sesamin (6) and guggulsterol III (7) and guggul (Commiphora wightii) extract inhibit mitochondrial complex I. These extracts and compounds are cytotoxic in nature.

Adaptive Tolerance To Ocean Acidification In The Marine Sponge: Chondrilla Nucula, Sylvester Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The dramatic increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide since the Industrial Revolution has led to a 30% increase in ocean acidification over pre-industrial levels. Although most ocean acidification research thus far has focused on calcifying organisms such as corals, the potential of this increase in acidity (H+ ions) to cause acid-base imbalances in soft-bodied animals such as sponges has been grossly overlooked. Furthermore, many studies on ocean acidification have not considered the elevated temperatures that are predicted to accompany future climate change conditions. Sponges are crucial components to coral reef systems, providing food, nutrients, structure, and support. The sponge Chondrilla nucula …

The Applicability Of Video Self-Modeling For Adults With Developmental And Intellectual Disabilities, Lauren Elizabeth Cox

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Video Self-Modeling (VSM) has shown to be an effective intervention in modifying maladaptive behaviors in children, particularly those with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities (ID/DD). Although the effectiveness of VSM with children with ID/DD has been well established in the extant literature, considerably fewer studies have addressed the applicability of VSM with adults of the same population. Thus, the goal of the current study was to examine the utility of VSM with three adults with ID/DD, specifically targeting table manners as the behavior of interest for the intervention. Two aspects of table manners were measured utilizing a multiple baseline design: food …

15md158: Excavations And Lithic Analysis Of A Late Archaic/Early Woodland Lithic Workshop Site In Meade County, Kentucky., Lee Michael Creswell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes archaeological investigations carried out at 15Md158, a prehistoric lithic workshop site in Meade County, Kentucky. Although there has been a wide range of diagnostic projectile points as well as some late radiocarbon dates recovered from the site had been identified as a mostly Late Archaic special purpose site where mostly late-stage lithic reduction took place. The goals of this project were to develop a more secure chronology for the site, document a change in the use of the site in order to relate it to changes in mobility patterns of those who utilized the site, and document …

Six Days Of Twenty-Four Hours: The Scopes Trial, Antievolutionism, And The Last Crusade Of William Jennings Bryan, Kari Lynn Edwards

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The academic study of the Scopes Trial has always been approached from a traditional legal interpretation. This project seeks to reframe the conventional arguments surrounding the trial, treating it instead as a significant religious event, one which not only altered the course of Christian Fundamentalism and the Creationist movement, but also perpetuated Southern religious stereotypes through the intense, and largely negative, nationwide publicity it attracted. Prosecutor William Jennings Bryan's crucial role is also redefined, with his denial of a strictly literal interpretation of Genesis during the trial serving as the impetus for the shift toward ultra-conservatism and young-earth Creationism within …

Functional Morphology Of The Sphyrnid Shark Cephalofoil: An Assessment Of The Hydrodynamic Lift Hypothesis Using Computational Fluid Dynamics, Matthew K. Gaylord

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The hammerhead sharks (Family: Sphyrnidae) are all characterized by a conspicuous lateral expansion and dorsoventral flattening of the head forming a structure known as a cephalofoil, however, there is substantial morphological variation within the clade. Many theories have been proposed regarding the functional aspects of this structure. One of these is that it may produce beneficial dynamic lift as the shark swims (in similar fashion to the cambered wings found on many modern-day aircraft). As sharks do not possess a swim bladder, part of their energy intake is expended on simply maintaining vertical station in the water column. If indeed …

The Impact Of The User-It Artifact Interaction On Technology Implementation And Value: Mobile Social Networking And Mobile Social Capital, Donghyun Kim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite investment and cutting-edge features, the majority of new mobile phone subscribers have adopted low-cost handsets instead of the latest mobile devices (Karjaluoto et al., 2005). According to the U.S. Census Bureau report, only 37% of cell phone users selected a smartphone in 2007. The Census Bureau forecasted the figure would increase by less than 10% in 2008. However, only 24% of cell phone users owned a smartphone in 2010, 27 % in 2011 and 30% in 2012. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to propose a conceptual model of the impact of mobile social capital on mobile networks …

The Archaeology Of Mortuary Ritual As Rite Of Passage In Prehistoric Europe, Jacquelyn Mary Roberts Kyle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the ways in which mortuary ritual functioned as a rite of passage at three sites in prehistoric Europe: Wor Barrow on Cranborne Chase, Tumulus 17 in the Speckhau Mound Group at the Heuneburg, and the Hochdorf tomb in southwestern Germany. The sites were selected with diversity among the dimensions of mortuary practice, including the presence and types of grave goods, the structure of the grave, and the treatment of the corpse, as a priority. By examining the ways in which cemeteries functioned as spaces of personal and group separation and transformation, I seek to clarify the role …

Preprocessing Of Biomass Using Mechanical, Chemical And Microbial Techniques, Swetha Mahalaxmi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Biomass-derived fuels have acquired a lot of attention recently due to increasing emphasis on energy independence, efforts to utilize abundance of green resources and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions. Grasses, agricultural residues, animal residues and waste, used oils, etc., can be used as starting materials in the production of biofuels. Various preprocessing techniques used in the preprocessing of biomass, such as microbial preprocessing, mechanical preprocessing and chemical pretreatment, are used for enhancing the digestibility of biomass to sugars for ethanol production. In this work, studies were conducted to improve the microbial, chemical and mechanical preprocessing of switch grass by decreasing …

Virethics And The Problem Of Aging, Robert Edward Mongue

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It seems wrong that a theory of a good life, well-being, or flourishing would be unable to accommodate those normal changes that distinguish natural aging and dying processes from external forces which truly do impede life. I argue in this paper that several versions of contemporary virethics, which depend heavily on a theory of the good life, suffer from this very defect. I examine the difficulties experienced by contemporary Aristotelian-based virethics in accommodating natural aging into well-being and flourishing lives, and ask whether those difficulties are intrinsic to Aristotle's theory itself. I examine Aristotle's theory in the context of its …

Admicellar Polymerization To Compatibilize Calcium Carbonate With Oil-Based Drilling Mud, Olugbenga Samuel Ojo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Weighting agents like calcium carbonate (CC) are added to drilling mud to improve mud properties and performance during oil and gas drilling operations. Oil-based mud (OBM), a more preferred drilling mud, being hydrophobic is particularly non-compatible with hydrophilic CC. This work explored an economically viable admicellar polymerization technique to surface-modify the high energy hydrophilic CC surface to a low energy hydrophobic surface by polymerizing organic styrene monomer within an admicelle of nonionic surfactant Triton X-100 adsorbed on the CC surface. BET N2 particle size analysis, Soxhlet extraction of the coated polymer, Fourier transform infrared-attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR) spectra analysis, and …

Effects Of Hydrologic Connection On Physicochemical Conditions And Algal Properties In Backwaters Of The Lower Mississippi River, Orathai Pongruktham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the last 50-100 years, the Mississippi River has been extensively engineered for flood control and navigation purposes. These modifications have substantially decreased the frequency of flooding and degree of contact of the river with its historical floodplain. However, in many areas within the current levee system there remain numerous secondary channels and other backwater sites with which the river is hydrologically connected on a seasonal basis. In this study, the relationships of surface hydrologic connection with the main channel of the Lower Mississippi River to limnological properties and development of phytoplankton biomass in three backwater sites having different patterns …

Valproic Acid-Induced Teratogenesis In Japanese Rice Fish (Oryzias Latipes) Embryogenesis, Mengmeng Wu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Valproic acid (VPA) was introduced as an antiepileptic in 1967 in France and it has become the most prescribed anticonvulsive drug therapy worldwide since then. In the clinic, valproic acid is selected to treat absence seizures, myoclonic seizures, generalized tonic-clonic seizures, atonic attacks and partial seizures. Epilepsy is the second most comneurologic disorder that affects pregnant women (0.5%–1%). Approximately 1 out of 250 pregnant women are taking antiepileptic drugs. Valproic acid is designated as a human teratogen, which induces major congenital anomalies, facial dysmorphic features, and autistic-like behaviors, which affect verbal, cognitive, communicative, and social abilities of affected children. We …

Stochastic Models For Evolutionary Genetic Problems, Wei Liao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Two stochastic models are designed for answering evolutionary genetic problems. The first study shows that inbreeding-environment interactions increase extinction risk. The second research demonstrates that 1) the carrying capacity and initial population growth rate is critical to determine the population persistence time; 2) increasing the advantageous mutation rate reduces the extinction risk although its effects are usually shadoby population size and fitness; 3) the new mutation correlation among environments rises during the evolution process, but it has compromised effects on population fate. Being able to accurately estimate the persistence time of populations of endangered plants and animals is central to …

Metabolism And Pharmacokinetics In The Development Of New Therapeutics For Cocaine And Opioid Abuse, Pradeep Kumar Vuppala

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cocaine and opioid abuse are a major public health concern and the cause of significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. The development of effective medication for cocaine and opioid abuse is necessary to reduce the impact of this issue upon the individual and society. The pharmacologic treatment for drug abuse has been based on one of the following strategies: agonist substitution, antagonist treatment, or symptomatic treatment. This dissertation is focused on the role of metabolism and pharmacokinetics in the development of new pharmacotherapies, CM304 (sigma-1 receptor antagonist), mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine (μ-opioid receptor agonists), for the treatment of drug abuse. The affinity …

Interpreting The Culture Of Ubuntu: The Contribution Of A Representative Indigenous African Ethics To Global Bioethics, Leonard T. Chuwa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ubuntu is a worldview and a way of life shared by most Africans south of Sahara. Basically Ubuntu underlines the often unrecognized role of relatedness and dependence of human individuality to other humans and the cosmos. The importance of relatedness to humanity is summarized by the two maxims of Ubuntu. The first is: a human being is human because of other human beings. The second maxim is an elaboration of the first. It goes; a human being is human because of the otherness of other human beings. John Mbiti combines those two maxims into, "I am because we are, and …

An Examination Of Animal Service Officers' Views On Their Readiness To Recognize And Report Domestic Violence, Abigail M. Malick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the past few decades there has been research dedicated to understanding the roles that animals play within violent households. The American Humane Association (2010) has developed what they termed The Link. This concept examines how forms of violence, including domestic violence, child abuse, elder abuse, and animal abuse, are often intertwined. This qualitative study was facilitated using focus groups and interviews of animal service officers in Orange County, Florida to evaluate the relationship and training provided from a local domestic violence shelter. There were a total of 22 Orange County Animal Services employees who participated in four different focus …

Age As A Factor In Inter-Tissue Spacing Of Stable Carbon Isotope Values In Juvenile Human Remains From The Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt, Annie Laurie Norris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although stable isotope analysis is routinely utilized in bioarchaeology and relies on principles that are well-understood, there are still fundamental issues that have not been thoroughly investigated. This thesis examines the relationship between inter-tissue spacing of carbon stable isotope values (δ13C) and age in juvenile human remains. Analyses of tissues within the same individual reveal disparate isotopic values for a variety of physiological and biological reasons discussed herein. This project examines the distance between the δ13C values in bone collagen, skin, hair, and nail, and examines how these distances vary between different age groups, utilizing data collected from 52 well-preserved …

Biochemical Studies Of Abce1, Lynn Sims

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The growth and survival of all cells require functional ribosomes that are capable of protein synthesis. The disruption of the steps required for the function of ribosomes represents a potential future target for pharmacological anti-cancer therapy. ABCE1 is an essential Fe-S protein involved in ribosomal function and is vital for protein synthesis and cell survival. Thus, ABCE1 is potentially a great therapeutic target for cancer treatment. Previously, cell biological, genetic, and structural studies uncovered the general importance of ABCE1, although the exact function of the Fe-S clusters was previously unclear, only a simple structural role was suggested. Additionally, due to …

Withholding Political Authority: Civil Society And People's Power In Zimbabwe, A. Scott Dupree

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The relationship of civil society to the state is rarely antagonistic and at most times supportive. The political regime and civil society are taken to be interdependent social structures that interact through hegemonic, supportive and socially constructed dimensions. Given this interdependency, when does civil society challenge authority or does its efforts rise to the level of a people's power revolution? When does it act to dismantle the political regime or seek to reconstruct it? This project attempts to shed light on how civil society mobilizes a people's power capable of challenging political authority through the story of its ongoing struggles …

Kicking The Can: Understanding The Financial Crisis Of 2008, John Arthur Rutter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

This thesis explores the processes of producing and directing a documentary film about the 2008 financial crisis. The paper follows the development of the team project as individual group members researched the crisis in literature and in film, and then discusses the filmmaking process required to direct such a film.

Effect Of Predation Risk And Food Availability On Parental Care And Nest Survival In Suburban And Wildland Florida Scrub-Jays, Joseph M. Niederhauser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Individual organisms often use cues from their natural environments to determine many behavioral and life-history "decisions." These "decisions" are usually adaptive, i.e. a response to selection, because the environmental cues on which they are based reliably correlate with increased fitness over time. When the selected behavioral response to a natural cue no longer provides a fitness benefit, then selection for a new response may occur but individuals maintaining the previously selected response may suffer reduced survival and reproduction. Especially in human-modified landscapes individuals making a maladaptive behavioral or life-history choice based on those formerly reliable environmental cues may be faced …

Fine-Scale Geographic Variation Of Stable Isotope And Fatty Acid Signatures Of Three Fish Species In The Indian River Lagoon, Fl, Jennifer Fletcher Odom

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Indian River Lagoon, Florida, is a unique closed “bar built” estuary system that has little interchange with the Atlantic Ocean and which is home to many resident species. Three fish species were investigated to see if their isotopic and fatty acid signatures differed based on geographic location. The goal was to assess the degree of resolution of spatial variation that is possible when using stable isotope and fatty acid signature analysis to interpret feeding habits and potential linkages between feeding habits and health status. Spotted seatrout (n=40), pinfish (n=60) and white mullet (n=60) were collected over a 4 week …