Digital Commons Network^™

Molecular Mechanism Of Ferricsiderophore Transport Via The Outer Membrane Receptor Fhua In Escherichia Coli., Jennifer K. Cooke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Iron is essential for life and growth in most organisms. Although it is abundant, iron exists mostly as insoluble iron-oxyhydroxide. Bacteria secrete siderophores to chelate iron and transport it into the cell via specific outer membrane receptors. The FhuA receptor protein transports ferrichrome, a siderophore produced by Ustilago sphaerogena. We determined the binding affinity of variants from the conserved 'lock region' of FhuA and also created and characterized variants of the highly conserved R452 to determine its role in ferrichrome transport. We hypothesize that during transport the plug domain of FhuA does not leave the barrel; rather it undergoes …

Implication Of Tissue Response To Ischemia Gradient In Rabbit Ear On Chronic Wound Healing., Abhijit Prakash Mahalingashetty 1985-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ventral ear skin of the rabbit is a commonly used model for wound/ulcer studies; however the gradient effects of vascular ligation on epidermal stability has not been reported. In this study ischemic effects were studied after ligation of the central feeding vessel in one ear, while the other ear served as control. Three or six days later 9 full-thickness skin circular punches (6 mm, numbered 1-9) were removed from both ears, equidistant from each other with a proximal-distal and medial-lateral orientation. Samples were prepared for light microscopy and immunohistochemistry examinations. Quantitative analysis showed that normal and ischemic tissue differ minimally …

The Study Of Predictive Factors Of Reading In Low-Performing Readers In An Urban Setting., Reginald L. Caldwell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The middle school years are most difficult because students now have to use reading to learn in all content areas. Low-performing students who daily face reading difficulties in school often feel helpless in their desire to become better readers and may develop poor self efficacy toward reading. Furthermore, these students may experience reading failure at a higher rate than their same age middle school peers. The current study examined two reading programs, Read 180 and Corrective Reading , and the impact they have on the self-efficacy of 216 middle school students. The results provided information regarding what factors of self-efficacy …

The Exploration Of Color Theory In Museum Education Using Works Found In The J. B. Speed Museum's Collection., Jonathan Ratliff 1986-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Color is an important part of art and life, which can be utilized by the museum educator to engage visitors with the art. For the museum educator, development of appropriate programs and activities to meet the needs of their audience is a central component of their responsibilities; therefore employment of important characteristics of art, such as color, to accomplish these goals is important. To demonstrate how an educator can utilize color, I have developed a tour using the Speed Art Museum's collection. Although it is written specifically for one collection, the ideas can be translated to other institutions. Since school …

Race And City-County Consolidation : Black Voting Participation And Municipal Elections., Angela Stallings Hagan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite the fact that few large metropolitan areas have had city-county consolidations, interest remains high in these mergers as a means of restructuring urban government. Evaluation literature on city-county consolidations generally focuses on the criteria of efficiency and efficacy, not equity. Economic growth, cost savings, and tax levels and service provision are discussed more than the distribution of resources and power. There is a particular dearth of literature on political equity as it pertains to racial minorities. This study attempts to fill that void through the examination of black political participation levels prior to and following the four large-scale city-county …

From Vice To Nice : A Case Study Of Newport, Kentucky's Hope Vi Program., Matthew Jude Hanka 1980-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the outcomes of the Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere (HOPE VI) program in one American city, Newport, Kentucky. HOPE VI also improved the quality of life and satisfaction of former public housing residents who participated in the Community and Supportive Services (CSS) program, the case management program of HOPE VI. HOPE VI neighborhoods in Newport have experienced higher increases in property values. The site of the old public housing in Newport has been cleared to make way for an $800 million-$1 billion investment over the next 10-15 years. The development will offer a first-class, mixed use development, …

Volunteer Entry Into Hospital Culture : Relationships Among Socialization, P-O Fit, Organizational Commitment, And Job Satisfaction., Tricia Ann Jordan 1969-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the entry of volunteers into the culture of hospitals paying particular attention to the relationships among organizational socialization tactics and the outcomes of person-organization fit (P-O fit), organizational commitment, and job satisfaction. Using a correlation study design, the researcher collected data from hospital volunteers in Western Kentucky. The survey was distributed to 230 volunteers at six different hospitals in Western Kentucky. Of the 230 volunteers who received the survey at various volunteer meetings, the researcher collected 180 usable surveys, yielding a 78.2% return rate. The investigation's survey used items selected from three different scales measuring organization socialization …

Sprawl, Equity And Fire Department Response Times Across The U.S., Matin Katirai

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an examination of fire department response times in eight major cities of the United States including Houston, TX, Charlotte, NC, St. Paul, MN, Portland, OR, Seattle, WA, Louisville, KY, San Francisco, CA and Miami, FL. This study investigates and analyzes fire protection as an urban service as measured by response times, first through proportional access by looking at socio-economic status (SES), and secondly through spatial access by examining several different aspects of urban sprawl. Response times were regressed as the main dependent variable with SES and urban sprawl variables in the quantitative portion of the study. Results …

Oral Status Of Residents Of Long-Term Care Facilities In Kentucky., Lynn Donnelly Austin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Oral health is a critical component of every individual's general health and well-being. There is evidence that consistently demonstrates that age, poverty, education levels, minority status, and living in a rural area are risk factors for poorer oral status. In Kentucky, it is projected that there will continue to be an increase in the rural population and a decrease in the urban population; this projection is more pronounced for the aged 65 and over cohort. In 2005, a state-wide oral health survey (KEOHS) which assessed the oral health status and treatment needs of residents aged 65 and over was completed. …

Installing Anatsui : The Politics Of Economics In Global Contemporary Art., Brandon Reintjes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper is specifically concerned with contemporary artist El Anatsui, and his impact upon the region in which he lives and works in Nsukka, Nigeria. El Anatsui's large-scale wall sculptures—created by joining recycled aluminum distillery labels into elaborate brocades resembling adinkra and kente cloths—has garnered him substantial critical acclaim, propelling him from a little-known artist to world-wide fame. Using the 2006 installation of Dzesi II at the Akron Art Museum as an opportunity to examine his inclusion in the canon of contemporary art, Anatsui's critical success—with the simultaneous development of an enormous market potential—allows for a consideration of how contemporary …

Increasing Patient Flow And Resource Utilization In A Multidisciplinary Cancer Clinic., Joseph Robert Brandner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The following paper discusses a computer simulation of a multidisciplinary cancer clinic the Brown Cancer Center (BCC) of Louisville, KY. Increased caseload and decreasing resources were two of the driving factors for the study. One option chosen to drive improvement was the application of discrete event simulation (DES) tools to smooth clinic operations. Management was primarily interested in this tool, for two reasons 1) staff discussion was discovering many symptoms of a malfunctioning system, but no cause and 2) to understand what data currently collected could describe the operational characteristics of the system. At completion of the analysis several recommendations …

Design, Construction, And Experimentation Of A Heat Pipe Augmented Solar Wall., Nicholas E. Chmielewski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The heat pipe augmented solar wall operates much more efficiently for domestic air heating than alternative passive solar technologies. The thermal diode effect of heat pipes reduces the insulating losses of the unit during nighttime and adverse solar conditions. The exceptionally high conductivity of heat pipes allows for much greater heat gains, and significantly reduces the response time of the unit. The response time is also reduced by a smaller thermal mass of preheating components, which allows the system to passively alternate between insulating and heating conditions much more quickly. By separating the thermal mass of the system from external …

Lung Nodule Modeling And Detection For Computerized Image Analysis Of Low Dose Ct Imaging Of The Chest., Amal A. Farag

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

From a computerized image analysis prospective, early diagnosis of lung cancer involves detection of doubtful nodules and classification into different pathologies. The detection stage involves a detection approach, usually by template matching, and an authentication step to reduce false positives, usually conducted by a classifier of one form or another; statistical, fuzzy logic, support vector machines approaches have been tried. The classification stage matches, according to a particular approach, the characteristics (e.g., shape, texture and spatial distribution) of the detected nodules to common characteristics (again, shape, texture and spatial distribution) of nodules with known pathologies (confirmed by biopsies). This thesis …

Self-Advocacy Experiences Of College Students With Learning Disabilities And/Or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Jennifer Cano-Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Self-advocacy is identified as a factor important to the success of college students with Learning Disabilities (LD) and/or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). However, educators do not yet know enough about the experience of self-advocacy in the post-secondary learning environment to effectively guide students in the development of this complex set of skills. This study was designed to describe the experience of college students with LD and/or ADHD as they advocate for themselves in the college or university environment and to compare the students' experiences as self-advocates to what educators believe to be true about self-advocacy based on the existing …

The Evolution Of Small Business Reform In Russia, Megan Hanna

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Small businesses are key drivers in the world’s leading economies. Russia on the whole is lagging behind the developed world in terms of small businesses per capita. Entrepreneurship gradually took shape after the collapse of the Soviet Union despite structural challenges. A discourse on small business reform emerged during the presidency of Vladimir Putin. Legislation passed during his tenure illustrates the evolution of reform in specific areas that affect small business. Surveys show that perceived challenges for small businesses have also evolved. As central control recedes, regional and local authorities will ultimately be responsible for the future of small business …

The Impact Of Social Capital On Youth Substance Use, Ali Unlu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Substance use, such as alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana, is a threat to the health and well-being of the youth, their families, and society as well. Government supports and implements several programs to protect youth from substance use. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of social capital on youth behavior and to suggest evidence-based policy interventions. Social capital refers to individual embeddedness in web of social relations and their behaviors guided by social structure. Therefore, adolescents' social interactions with their peers, parents, and community were investigated. The substance use was measured by the usage of cigarettes, alcohol, …

An Examination Of Central Asian Geopolitics Through The Expected Utility Model: The New Great Game, Corey Stutte

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The New Great Game is a geopolitical competition between regional stakeholders over energy resources in Central Asia. The author seeks to use the expected utility voting model based on Black's median voter theorem for forecasting the New Great Game in Central Asia. To judge the external validity of the voting model, the author uses data from the Correlates of War project data set, to formulate three distinct models based only on the numbers in 1992 and 1993. Capabilities and alliance data were used to develop balance of power positions and compare the outcome of 100 simulations to the actual outcome …

Dimensions Of Identity, Alice Kramer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Imagination and fantasy environments created by writers and artists have always drawn people into their worlds. Advances in technology have blurred the lines between reality and imagination. My interest has always been to question the validity of these worlds and their cultures and to transcend the evolving virtual dimension by fusing it with what we perceive to be reality.

Perceptions Of Cuteness And Beauty, Danielle Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Upbringing and psychological make-up inspire individual norms for beauty and cuteness. The mannerist approach in my work is a product of the figural liberties found in cartooning, illustration and art history. By altering facial and bodily features, I relate the proportions of an infant to cuteness and innocence. However, I tailor the photographs to empower the subjects all the while mirroring trends in contemporary pop culture. I'm interested in themes of everyday life, vitality and emotion placed in obscure, imaginary or exaggerated venues. I fictionalize subjects of my reality to compel viewers to identify with and fancy emotions, circumstances, moods …

Color Psychotherapy And Painting In The Satellite-Expanded Field, Katherine Urban

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

My work deals with the subconscious pairing of colors from an instinctively chosen color palette into molded forms. My emotions drive these pairings. As I visualize these different emotions, I ask the viewer to formulate their own perceptions and connections (both physical and emotional) in relation to my own. This allows the viewer to explore the emotional twists and turns of my imagination by their own unique associations in correspondence. Painting allows me to visualize the inner depth of my imagination. My work becomes concrete through the subconscious pairing of colors and shapes and evolves with viewer interaction.

Middle Ground: A Novella And Collection Of Short Stories, Laurie Uttich

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This collection of fiction - a novella and a collection of short stories - focuses on the commonality of the human condition. While we create separations for ourselves by focusing on distinctions such as, religion, class, gender, and race, we are, I believe, spiritual beings sharing a human experience. My work tends to explore these distinctions and our motivations for embracing them. In the novella, Middle Ground, two sisters in alternating narrative voices share the story of their parents' struggles with separation, sobriety and cancer. Their voices, as distinct as their perspectives, explore the landscape of a family, the borders …

Microscopic Analysis Of Sympathetic And Parasympathetic Distribution, Terminal Morphology, And Interaction In Whole-Mount Atria, Scott Harden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The sympathetic (SNS) and parasympathetic (PSNS) branches of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) innervate the heart, exerting excitatory and inhibitory influences (respectively) over cardiac functions (heart rate, AV conduction velocity, and contractility). However, the distribution and structure of SNS and PSNS innervation has not yet been well studied. Detailed characterization of the distributional organization and structural morphology of the SNS and PSNS in normal states is essential to the study of pathological autonomic remodeling. The present study utilized double immunohistochemical labeling techniques to examine tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactive (IR) SNS and vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) IR PSNS axons and terminal …

Family Support And Mental Health Care Quality In Nursing Homes Serving Residents With A Mental Health History, Kathryn Frahm

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of mental health disorders among the nursing home population is well recognized. However, providing adequate mental health services for nursing home residents who need them remains a challenging endeavor. The social support of family has long been recognized as a key resource for older adults with a mental health history and older adults residing in nursing homes. The purpose of this study is to examine the quality of mental health care provided for nursing home residents with a mental health history and to determine if family support influences the quality of their mental health care accounting for other …

The Flats Of Paradise, Pamela Baker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Flats of Paradise is a collection of personal essays exploring the interconnectivity between humans, land, identity, and belonging. Through the perspective of my experience as a nurse, these essays probe the friction created when borders rub up against each and the comforts gained through connections both spiritual and physical. "Avoiding the Stepladder," for example, examines a near lightning strike on a mountain in relation to the potential pain caused by the human need for touch. "The Dust Trail," a meditation upon various traditions for disposing of the placenta (burning vs. burying), also looks at the problem of finding home …

A Burkean Method For Analyzing Environmental Rhetoric, John Stewart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The work of Kenneth Burke provides a method of rhetorical analysis that is useful in terms of bringing features of texts to the surface that are not readily apparent, such as how they produce identification in their audiences, and in revealing rhetorical factors related to but outside the text, for example the authors' motives. Burke's work is wide-ranging and open to many interpretations, so it can be difficult to apply. This study condenses some of his more important concepts into a simplified method which has several practical applications; it focuses on how Burke's theories can be applied to analyzing environmental …

Of Spanish Cows, Wild Boars, Unpredictable Weather, And Other Oddities, Lydia Sanchez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this collection of connected stories, the inhabitants of the imaginary Mediterranean village of Marcenac struggle with daily situations that often take allures of a farce, simply because they occur in Marcenac. The stories explore the influence southern France's Roussillon region has on people, the way the proximity of the Spanish border and the Mediterranean shapes the inhabitants of Marcenac's daily lives, and the influence of the climate. Often, the Tramontane, the region's predominant wind, becomes a character. While some of the stories are told from a collective point of view, others reveal the inner thoughts of children and adults, …

Media Literacy Education, Elizabeth Etherington Wood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study offers an analysis of media literacy practices and techniques used at local public middle and high schools in Colorado. Media literacy is an emerging field in education that blends literacy skills such as critical analysis and evaluation with an inquiry-based questioning process that encourages students to process information using cognitive, moral, aesthetic and emotional dimensions. This inquiry-based process is not a new educational approach; it has been used to critically evaluate literature for centuries. However, media literacy scholars argue that applying inquiry-based approaches can enhance learning across all grades and content levels by applying new methodologies.

The literature …

Political Islam In Jordan And Morocco: Changing Tides?, Andrew Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study seeks to assess if the 2007 electoral failures of the Islamic Action Front (IAF) in Jordan, and the Justice and Development Party (PJD) in Morocco, represent a weakening of power, or merely a minor diversion in the quest of Islamists to attain greater political voice in both countries.

Perceptions Of Mental Health Stigma And Discrimination In A Mexican American Sample, Jeff D. Wright

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The stigma of mental health problems between Mexican Americans and White non-Hispanic European Americans was investigated and measured by attitudes toward seeking help and the amount of social distance desired from individuals with mental health problems. The stigma of mental health has been identified as a barrier to accessing mental health services among Mexican Americans and men in general. Men from both groups access mental health services at a significantly lower rate than women from both groups. This study contributed to research and practice by examining the possible differences in the level of stigma toward mental health problems between Mexican …

Japan's Preventive Strategy: Secure The World—The National Defense Program Guidelines In And After Fy 2010, Tadashi Watanabe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Japanese government is now reviewing the National Defense Program Guidelines in and after FY 2005 (NDPG 04), and this review will be completed by the end of this year. Even though NDPG 04 provides Japan's security and defense policy vision to FY 2014, the government nevertheless has decided to change it completely. The purpose of this thesis is to know the reason why the Japanese government has decided to change NDPG 04 completely, the likely contents of NDPG 09, and NDPG 09's effect on the US-Japan alliance.

The globalizing international society and threats have been increasingly diversified and multi-polarized …