Digital Commons Network^™

The Consciousness Of Damnation : A Hermeneutical Phenomenology Of The Fall Of The Self In Matthew Lewis's "The Monk"., Becky Lee Meadows

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

When Ambrosio in Matthew Lewis's 1796 gothic masterpiece, The Monk , signs a contract relegating his soul to Satan and eternal damnation, he has reached the culmination of 442 pages of mental anguish, of his self wrestling with his conscience to overcome what philosopher Paul Ricoeur terms the "servile will" (The Symbolism of Evil 151). In the novel, Ambrosio, a monk the reader discovers has become the pawn of Satan, hurls himself down a path to damnation in consciousness, a phenomenological path that leads to the damnation of his own self. The purpose of this dissertation is to explore this …

Altered Developmental Programming Of The Mouse Mammary Gland In Female Offspring Following Perinatal Dietary Exposures : A Systems-Biology Perspective., Caleb Deen Bastian

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mishaps in prenatal development can influence mammary gland development and, ultimately, affect susceptibility to factors that cause breast cancer. This research was based on the underlying hypothesis that maternal dietary composition during pregnancy can alter developmental (fetal) programming of the mammary gland. We used a computational systems-biology approach and Bayesian-based stochastic search variable selection algorithm (SSVS) to identify differentially expressed genes and biological themes and pathways. Postnatal growth trajectories and gene expression in the mammary gland at 10-weeks of age in female mice were investigated following different maternal diet exposures during prenatal-lactational-early-juvenile development. This correlated a decrease in expression of …

Modeling The Relationship Between Air Quality And Intelligent Transportation System (Its) With Artificial Neural Networks., Dinesh Kumar Gupta 1965-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Environmental or air quality impacts of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) are very difficult to measure. Some researchers have attempted to quantify the effects of individual ITS application on emissions; yet, the effects of ITS as a whole on ambient air quality have not been investigated. The objective of this research was to model the relationship between ITS and ambient air quality. The multiple Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) training with the data yielded a model for predicting the air quality. In addition, the ANN made the measurement of the effect of ITS on air quality possible. Data pertaining to sixty US …

The Role Of Hsp90 In Pc-12 Cell Survival., Christina Blume Clark

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The chaperone heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) regulates physiologically and pathological cellular processes, by binding and stabilizing kinases involved in basal cellular functions and in cellular responses to stress, respectively. I hypothesize that Hsp90 binding to kinases Akt and Raf-l and to co-chaperone Cdc37 and Akt-dependent phosphorylation of Hsp90 regulate PC-12 cell survival. Hsp90 binding was inhibited using the classical Hsp90 inhibitor, Geldanamycin (GA). Disruption of Hsp90 binding by GA correlated with similar cell death at normoxia (RA) and at 0.1 % O2 sustained hypoxia (SH), suggesting that Hsp90 binding plays a role in cell survival. Indeed, GA cytotoxicity is …

The Use Of The Reducing Agent N-(2-Mercaptopropionyl)Glycine To Detoxify Oxidized Lipids In Atherosclerotic Lesions., Nason P. Schooler 1974-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The leading cause of death in the United States is cardiovascular disease, a result of atherosclerosis. The reducing agent N-(2-Mercaptopropionyl)glycine (MPG) as been found to be an effective antioxidant therapy in a number of conditions, and our hypothesis is that it will be an effective agent in the detoxification of oxidized lipids in atherosclerosis. Our results indicate some protective effect, along with some toxicity at high doses, with refinement of the experimental model necessary before results can be conclusive. Nevertheless, antioxidant and aldehyde-quenching agents in general have been shown to be of benefit in the detoxification of oxidized lipids, and …

Design, Analysis, And Development Of Cost Effective Canine Wheelchairs., Edward Bros Fowler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hind limb paralysis may occur in dogs for a variety of neurological or musculoskeletal reasons. For dogs with limited mobility their lack of ability to ambulate can have a great impact on their physical and mental health. Canine wheelchairs can provide these dogs with a mobility option. The purpose of this project was to design a cost effective, adjustable, and lightweight canine wheelchair for dogs with hind limb paralysis. To account for the diverse range of canine breed sizes, wheelchairs were categorized into three separate designs (small, medium, and large size wheelchairs). A quality function deployment (QFD) matrix was created …

Rear Impact Crashworthiness Of A Manual Wc19 Wheelchair Occupied By A 50th Percentile Atd., Zdravko Salipur

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For persons with disabilities, access to transportation is necessary for integration into society. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has been instrumental in assuring transportation access to individuals with disabilities for purposes of employment, education, and recreation. A substantial number of wheelchair users may not be able to transfer from their wheelchair to a motor vehicle seat during transportation. It is necessary to afford these wheelchair users the same level of safety as occupants seated in motor vehicle seats. The purpose of this study was to investigate the response of a manual wheelchair used as a motor vehicle seat, while …

Polymer Supported Optical Biosensors, Ignacio Joseph Garcia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The use of various polymer supports adhering phospholipid multibilayers to an internal reflection element have been investigated. The polymer supports studied range from polystyrene (PS), and 100 nm wide PS nanospheres to triethylaminated poly(vinyl benzyl chloride) (PVBC). The PS nanospheres showed the most promise as an adhesion layer since they appear to be the most robust with repeated washings. They also appear to stabilize their adjacent phospholipid multibilayer by increasing the lipid melting temperature. The triethylaminated DVBC also provided an increase of lipid melting temperature, but not quite to the same degree as the PS nanospheres. The cooperativity of such …

The Tonality, Timbre, Affect, And Mood Of Postmodern Drama, Or, Blues Music In Tennessee Williams's A Streetcar Named Desire, Matthew L. Wohlgemuth

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Synthesis Towards Fulminic Acid And Its Derivatives In 1, 3-Dipolar Cycloaddition Reactions., Ophilia Ndi Toh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A new approach to fulminic acid cycloadditions has been developed. At reduced temperatures, fulminic acid is generated in situ and undergoes 1, 3-diploar cycloaddition reactions with dipolarophiles to form isoxazolines and/or its dimers. This procedure represents a novel, safe general method for the one-step generation of fulminic acid, which complements existing potentially explosive protocols.

Family Structure And The Criminal Behavior Of Juveniles In Tennessee., Ronald D. Pickard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between family type and criminal behavior of juveniles in Tennessee who were referred to Juvenile Court in 2006. The population used in the study comprised the juveniles who were referred to the Tennessee Juvenile Courts as reported by the Tennessee Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges in 2006.

This investigation focused on the criminal behavior as indicated by number and type of referrals to the Juvenile and Family Court system in Tennessee. The data were analyzed by family-of-origin type, age group, and geographic region in Tennessee.

The findings of …

Sex Differences In Nicotine-Conditioned Hyperactivity In A Model Of Dopamine D2 Receptor Priming: Roles Of Dopamine D2 And D3 Receptor Subtypes., Ashley Brianna Sheppard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this investigation was to determine the effect of a nicotine-conditioned context on locomotor hyperactivity in an animal model of D2-priming, and whether conditioned hyperactivity could be blocked by the D2 antagonist eticlopride or the D3 antagonist nafadotride. D2-primed male rats showed enhanced nicotine sensitization as evidenced by statistically significant differences in horizontal activity. D2-primed female rats administered nicotine demonstrated an increased hypoactive response after initial sensitization and increased stereotypy. Eticlopride and nafadotride blocked sensitization to nicotine in both D2-primed and non D2-primed males and females. Eticlopride blocked conditioned hyperactivity in females but not in males. D2-primed female …

Symbiosis., Jeri Allison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The artist discusses her Master of Fine Arts exhibition, Symbiosis, hosted by the Natural History Museum in Gray, Tennessee, from May 1st, through August 1st 2008. The exhibit includes works produced during the artist's three years of study at East Tennessee State University.

The subject of the exhibition consists of drawings of the elephant's place in history through its relationship with humans. Topics explored include the elephant as victim, servant, god, prey, and ultimately as teacher. Discussion will also include artistic influences such as Sue Coe, Deborah Butterfield, Franz Marc, and Frank Noelker as well as theoretical influences by …

Amphetamine Sensitization And In Vivo Microdialysis Of The Nucleus Accumbens Core Of Adult Male And Female Rats D2-Primed As Neonates., Zackary Adam Cope

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Neonatal administration of quinpirole produces significant increases in D₂ receptor sensitivity that persists into adulthood. This phenomenon, known as D₂ receptor priming, is consistent with pathology in schizophrenia. Rats were administered quinpirole or saline postnatally and raised to adulthood. In adulthood, rats were administered d-amphetamine sulfate or saline every other day and were placed in a locomotor arena where activity was measured over 7 trials. Results showed that D₂-primed rats receiving amphetamine were higher in locomotor activity across all days of testing compared to other groups. This effect was more prominent in males than in females. …

Characterization Of The Pathway Leading To The Synthesis Of Salicylic Acid In Plants Resisting Pathogen Infection., Alexander Eddo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Salicylic acid is a plant hormone that accumulates with plant-pathogen interaction. This accumulation corresponds to the plant being resistant to infection and without it the plant is susceptible. In this study, primers of genes involved in the normal synthesis of SA were used in RT-PCR to compare gene expression levels in susceptible and resistant plants challenged with tobacco mosaic virus. Because SA synthesis shares chorismate as a common substrate with the synthesis of aromatic amino acids, HPLC was used to determine whether the increase in SA could be attributed to a decrease in amino acid levels. The results suggest that …

Roman Slavery: A Study Of Roman Society And Its Dependence On Slaves., Andrew Mason Burks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rome's dependence upon slaves has been well established in terms of economics and general society. This paper, however, seeks to demonstrate this dependence, during the end of the Republic and the beginning of the Empire, through detailed examples of slave use in various areas of Roman life. The areas covered include agriculture, industry, domestic life, the state, entertainment, intellectual life, military, religion, and the use of female slaves. A look at manumission demonstrates Rome's growing awareness of this dependence. Through this discussion, it becomes apparent that Roman society existed during this time as it did due to slavery. Rome depended …

Identification Of Chlamydial Iron-Responsive Proteins During Intracellular Growth., Brian D. Dill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular bacterium and the most prevalent cause of bacterial sexually transmitted disease. Genital chlamydial infections, marked by chronic, intense inflammation, can lead to genital tissue scarring and infertility and is a contributing factor to development of pelvic inflammatory disease and ectopic pregnancy. Iron is required as a cofactor for numerous highly conserved pathways, and nearly all studied organisms rely on iron for growth. In response to iron restriction, the chlamydial developmental cycle arrests at the intracellular reticulate body stage, resulting in a phenomenon termed persistence. Persistence likely plays a role in chlamydial pathogenesis through the …

Monitoring Metal Containing Particulates Distribution On A College Campus Using Dandelion (Taraxacum Officinale) Leaves As Receptors., Suresh Chandra Regmi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to determine the distribution of particulates carrying heavy metals at selected sites on a college campus using dandelion leaves as collectors. As a comparison, sites far away from the campus surrounding Bristol Motor Speedway Car Racing Stadium were also monitored. To reduce the probability of memory effects from the long-term atmospheric deposition or absorption of metals from soil a seasonal plant, dandelion, was used to monitor the metal contents. The metals monitored are cadmium, calcium, copper, chromium, iron, lead, and zinc. Fourteen sites were monitored and samples were collected once a week initially (growing time of the …

Erosion And Trail Building: A Case Study Of The East Tennessee State University Trail System., Joshua Callahan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Natural and accelerated erosion from trail users affects the sustainability of trail systems. Designing and building sustainable trail systems will greatly decrease the effect that erosion has on a trail. Trails that allow multiple types of users, such as hiking and mountain biking, must be able to sustain both groups. At East Tennessee State University the trail system was originally designed for hiking. Mountain bikers have become the main user group on the trail system leading to erosion problems on certain areas of the trail due to trail design flaws. The study seeks to identify the problem areas of trail …

Characterization Of Heat Shock Protein A12b As A Novel Angiogenesis Regulator., Rebecca J. Steagall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previously, we cloned Heat shock protein A12B (HspA12B), the newest member of a recently defined subfamily of proteins distantly related to the Hsp70 family that are enriched in atherosclerotic lesions. We have found that HspA12B is predominantly expressed in vascular endothelium, and that it is involved in angiogenesis which we probed by in vitro angiogenesis assays (Matrigel), migration assays and Directed In Vivo Angiogenesis Assay (DIVAA). Hsp70s are molecular chaperones that are inducible by stress and have been found to be anti-apoptotic (Li et al. 2000; Nylandsted et al. 2000; Garrido et al. 2001). Because of its homology to Hsp70, …

Using Spatial Visualization Software To Influence Cancer Control Policy: A Case Study Of Prostate Cancer In South Carolina., Shannon Amelia Shropshire

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prostate cancer in the United States shows great disparities among race and socioeconomic status. Disparities in cancer rates in South Carolina are severe. Cancer control policies are lacking in ways to identify reasons for high risk populations and cost-effective ways to do so. An innovative spatial visualization program called the GeoViz Toolkit was used to determine areas of high Prostate Cancer incidence and mortality in South Carolina (rates obtained from the South Carolina Central Cancer Registry) compared with socioeconomic variables (education, income, lack of health insurance, and living in rural areas) and race. From there, recommendations were made using the …

Ideological Influence On Higher Education : Progressivism Versus Conservatism., Anthony W. Robinson 1972-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a historical analysis of the role the federal government has had in the in development student aid funding in the modern public four-year higher education system. It begins with a historical overview of the rise of progressivism as a significant animator of the federal government in the twentieth century. It focuses on the creation of the Pell Grant and Stafford Loan student aid vehicles and the effect that had on the creation of the modern middle-class. It then provides a discussion of the political and cultural backlash that was created by the ascendency of conservatism in the …

Mutagenic And Tumor Suppressor Functions Of Dna Polymerase Iota In Mammalian Cells., Lindsey Jay Stallons 1983-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Y family of DNA polymerases in higher eukaryotes contains at least four members which are implicated in potentially error-prone replication through unrepaired damage in the genome. These proteins are encoded by the REV1, POLH, POLI, and POLK genes. An inherited deficiency in one of these DNA polymerases (POL?) is the molecular defect in the cancer prone xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) variant syndrome, making POL? the most studied member of this family. However, there exist critical gaps in our knowledge on the function of the other known Y family members (POL I, POL K, and REV1). The goal of this proposal …

Evaluation Of Bone Quality Using Novel Image Analyses And Mechanical Testing Methods., Qian Xu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Osteoporosis has become a growing health threat with rising social and economic consequences. The understanding of the relationship between bone mechanical strength and bone structural quality is important for the diagnosis of osteoporosis and the evaluation of osteoporosis treatments. A novel cancellous bone segmentation method was developed to separate cancellous bone from cortical bone automatically. The segmentation was based on the three-dimensional images. The basic idea of the method is that a contiguous three-dimensional non-bone region that is located inside the whole bone region of interest can be defined as the marrow region. Any bone material that is surrounded by …

Computational Analysis Of Expressed Sequence Tags For Understanding Gene Regulation., I. Elizabeth Cha 1973-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

High-throughput sequencing has provided a myriad of genetic data for thousands of organisms. Computational analysis of one data type, expressed sequence tags (ESTs) yields insight into gene expression, alternative splicing, tissue specificity gene functionality and the detection and differentiation of pseudogenes. Two computational methods have been developed to analyze alternative splicing events and to detect and characterize pseudogenes using ESTs. A case study of rat phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) genes yielded more than twenty-five previously unreported isoforms. These were experimentally verified through wet lab collaboration and found to be tissue specific. In addition, thirteen cytochrome-like gene and pseudogene sequences from the …

A Possible Role For Spla2 In Oligodendrocyte Death And Spinal Cord Injury., William Lee Titsworth

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Spinal cord injury (SCI) can be divided into two distinct stages, an initial mechanical impact and a later "secondary injury" resulting from a cascade of cytokines triggering a spreading demyelination and apoptosis of neurons and glia within the spinal cord. It is believed that blockade of this "secondary injury" could improve functional and histological recovery following SCI. Here we propose that sPLA2 might be one of the crucial mediators of the secondary injury. To test this possibility we first elucidated that the mRNA and protein of several isozymes of sPLA2 are present in the rodent spinal cord and that the …

Examining The Effects Of A Leave No Trace Outdoor Ethics Awareness Workshop On The Environmental Attitudes And Knowledge Of Undergraduate Students, Timothy T. Williamson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Toward The Synthesis Of Nuclease Models., Enni Nina Fomumbod

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nucleases are enzymes that can specifically recognize nucleic acids and hydrolyze their phosphodiester bonds effectively. As is the case with many hydrolases, nucleases often carry one or more metal centers. Cooperation between such metal centers and other interactions involving general acid-base activities are believed to be essential in multifunctional catalyses. Combination of such interactions in model compounds often resulted in larger than additive effects.

This work is aimed at synthesizing nuclease models that combine the ability to recognize phosphate groups and/or nitrogen bases of DNA together with the ability to catalyze phosphodiester hydrolysis. These models were designed to achieve optimum …

Gender-Specific Differences In Spatial Behavior Of The Flesh Fly, Sarcophaga Crassipalpis., Caleb Joseph Paquette

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Territoriality in the flesh fly, Sarcophaga crassipalpis (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) was studied in the laboratory. In rectangular enclosures, male flies exhibited a lower tolerance (occupation of the same physical space) of same-sex conspecifics than did female flies. In circular arenas, male flies showed significantly higher levels of spatial separation among themselves (as determined from nearest neighbor analyses) than did females: males were distributed uniformly whereas females were nearly random. The male spatial behavior occurred during the photophase but not the scotophase of light-dark cycles, suggesting that visual cues are required for maintenance of inter-individual spacing. No significant differences in male spacing …

The American Expeditionary Forces In World War I: The Rock Of The Marne., Stephen L. Coode

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

American participation in the First World War developed slowly throughout 1917 to a mighty torrent during the last six months of the war. United States participation undoubtedly helped not only repel but to stop all German assaults on the Western Front: it had substantially aided in defeating Imperial Germany.

Through primary and secondary sources a timeline, as well as a few of the more significant events, has been established following the United States' involvement in the war. Special attention has been focused on the United States Third Infantry Division and its part in the July 15- 17, 1918 Second Battle …