Digital Commons Network^™

Trihalomethane Formation Potential In Two Kentucky Reservoirs., Richard Scott Pirkle 1980-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Water treatment facilities strive to provide potable drinking water to the community which they service. The most common way of insuring drinkable water that is free of pathogens is water chlorination, but this can lead to the production of carcinogenic disinfection byproducts. This study looks at two drinking water reservoirs that have known United States Environmental Protection Agency minimum contaminant level violations of trihalomethanes (THMs), a disinfection byproduct. Physical and chemical parameters of the two lakes were measured over the course of 13 months and analyses indicated that nitrate and soluble reactive phosphorus, along with temperature and pH, played a …

Selected Resources For Ministers Of Music In Evangelical Christian Churches., Brian Emory Sharp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ministers of music in Evangelical Christian churches today are usually trained as choral conductors but take positions that require them to unexpectedly be an instrumental conductor, administrator, counselor, recruiter, evangelist, and even associate pastor.

There was no central resource for information to assist these musicians, thus this annotated bibliography was developed. It includes books and magazine articles on vocal and instrumental pedagogy, conducting, hymnology, theology, musical terminology, leadership skills, evangelism, and administration.

Because of time limitations, only sources available at Sherrod Library, East Tennessee State University, and on the Internet were cited. Time restraints also limited the number of resources …

Facade, Shawn Whittington

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The paintings included in this body of work represent a visualization of internal psychological states of consciousness, in particular those states of mind that underlie and significantly influence decision-making processes. I apply postminimalist concepts in painting to the human face, which metaphorically represents two diametrically opposed psychological conditions. The first condition is the state of ‘desire’ or attachment. It is my belief that when operating out of a state of desire, our freedom of choice is significantly minimized, as we are catering to the needs of internal compulsions. The condition I am representing is one wherein the underlying internal desire …

England’S Exodus: Jewish Readmission And English Identity, Patricia M. O'Sullivan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis concerns the published writings of the men and women who engaged in the seventeenth-century debate over the readmission of the Jews to England. Historians who have studied this topic, among them David Katz, Cecil Roth, Lucian Wolfe, H.S.Q. Henriques, Peter Toon, and Mordecai Wilensky, have been at a loss to explain why those who ardently argued for Jewish readmission suddenly withdrew their support when Oliver Cromwell called a council to discuss the terms under which readmission would occur. I hope to contribute to this discussion by considering the one issue on which all of the pamphleteers could agree: …

Identification Of Genes Encoding Acyl-Coa Reductases And Aldehyde Reductases In Mycobacterial Genome By Characterization Of The Reductases Expressed In E. Coli, Harminder Singh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mycobacterium tuberculosis has been long known to produce wax esters. However, the enzymes involved in their biosynthesis have not been identified. Here we report the identification of Rv3391 and Rv1543 as genes that encode fatty acyl-CoA reductases and Rv1544 as one that encodes an aldehyde reductase. When expressed in E.coli, the products of Rv3391 and Rv1543 catalyzed reduction of fatty acyl-CoA to fatty alcohol with the corresponding aldehyde as an intermediate with an optimal pH of 7.0. Both enzymes showed a strong preference for NADPH over NADH as a reductant. Apparent Km for NADPH was 38 [micro]M for Rv3391 product …

Social Pathogenic Sources Of Poor Community Health, Hayden Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The United States currently provides a health care system that is neither efficient nor equitable. Despite outspending the world on health care, over three-fourths of developed countries produce better health outcomes (Auerbach et al., 2000). Simultaneously, the "Ecological School of Thought" has documented the large impact that social, economic, and environmental circumstances play in health outcomes. Unfortunately, these 'ecological" studies are frequently conducted without theoretical justification, and rely solely on a cross-sectional research design and a myriad of unrelated variables. This study represents an important step towards the development of a true theory of "ecology". More specifically, we argue that …

The Impact Of Service Delivery Models On Non-Disabled Peers Intent To Include Their Peers With Disabilities, Michael Campbell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In much the same way as the racial integration movement, advocates for students with disabilities (SWD) have cultivated an active and vocal lobby seeking to establish and then implement legal mandates to integrate classrooms in the hope that social acceptance would follow. Through federal mandates such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), conceptually initiated in 1975 and revised in 2004 as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) along with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, these students have a voice to cry out for access to the experiences of work, conversation and play with …

Mechanism Of Action And Regulation Of Membrane Serine Protease Prostasin In The Prostate And Prostate Cancer, Mengqian Chen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored serine protease prostasin (PRSS8) is expressed at the apical membrane surface of epithelial cells and acts as a suppressor of tumor invasion when re-expressed in highly invasive human prostate and breast cancer cell lines. To better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-invasion phenotype associated with prostasin re-expression in prostate cancer cells, we expressed wild-type human prostasin or a serine active-site mutant prostasin in the PC-3 human prostate carcinoma cells. Molecular changes were measured at the mRNA and the protein levels. The expression of several invasion-promoting molecules is regulated by prostasin re-expression, mediated by a protein-level down-regulation …

Work Environment And The Effect On Occupational Commitment And Intent To Leave: A Study Of Bedside Registered Nurses, Kendall Hays Cortelyou-Ward

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine the effect work environment has on occupational commitment and intent to leave the profession for bedside registered nurses. Subscales of autonomy, control over the practice setting, nurse-physician relationship, and organizational support were incorporated into the analysis to determine which aspect of work environment most directly effects occupational commitment and intent to leave the profession. The research was undertaken in order to help administrators determine the ways in which work environment can be improved upon in order to retain bedside registered nurses in the profession. An explanatory cross sectional survey was distributed to …

A Member Of The Novel Fikk Family Of Plasmodium Falciparum Putative Protein Kinases Exhibits Diacylglycerol Kinase Activity And Is Exported To The Host Erythrocyte, David Floyd Curtis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Plasmodium falciparum is one of four species known to cause malaria in humans and is the species that is associated with the most virulent form of the disease. Malaria causes nearly two million deaths each year, many of these occurring among children in under-developed countries of the world. One reason for this is the prevalence of drug resistant strains of malaria that mitigate the efficacy of existing drugs. Hence, the identification of a new generation of pharmacological agents for malaria is extremely urgent. The recent identification of a group of novel protein kinases within the Plasmodium falciparum genome has provided …

Explorations & Redefinitions Of New Media Aesthetic Concepts In Contemporary Art Culture, Phillip S. Delacruz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

My thesis pursues the exploration, invention, and redefinition of the role of Aesthetics through artistic practices of 3d digital graphics, 2d print, video, and sculpture. Aesthetic research altruistically generates visual installations informed by utopian idealism, science and technology centric culture, pop culture iconography, art history, international contemporary art and design.

Fractures, Elizabeth Hastings

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A stoplight at night. A dim bedroom. The smell of smoke and loss in summer. In winter, the crackle of snow underfoot, the city cold as a lavender planet. These are the settings within Fractures, and it is to these backdrops that the conflicts of the poems' speakers bare themselves. In the glow of these places, the truth of fractures, the gaps and slivers within us all, are illuminated. Below the visible wholeness of life lies a masked truth, the truth of a world that exists as a collection of fragments, of lives, of stories that connect, intersect, and sometimes …

The Generation And Scavenging Of Radicals Via Cerium And Nanoceria, Eric Glenn Heckert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cerium is the most abundant of the rare earth metals, found on average at a level of 66 parts per million in the earth's crust. The unique redox properties of cerium and cerium oxide nanoparticles have led to its use in a wide variety of industrial and commercial uses such as oxygen sensors, fertilizers and as a catalyst to remove toxic gases in automobile exhaust. The use of cerium has also garnered interest in the nanotechnology field. Nanoceria has been generated in its oxide form as nanoparticles and nanorods. Recently, nanoceria has been shown to protect against oxidative stress in …

Creating Sustainability Through Corporate Branding, Hayley Lynn Ritz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis provides a thorough definition of corporate branding, including its benefits when used as a strategic marketing tool. There are many who believe that the logo of a corporation is its brand. However, the logo is only one interpretation of the brand. The brand is the corporation's ethos. It is the fundamental character or spirit of the corporation. It is an expression of who the corporation is. It is the essence that links the corporation's product or service with its consumer through loyalty and emotional attachments. Corporations use various processes and methodologies when they begin to create and enhance …

Two Blades Come Together: Stories, Mark Edward Pursell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This collection of seven short stories details the emotional triumphs and complications of characters whose lives are altered by issues of sexuality and disconnection. An adolescent girl feels her father slipping away from her and, in turn, willfully destroys the imaginary world of the boy she babysits; a speech therapist struggles to make headway with a young patient while finding himself unable to communicate with his ex-lover; a gay poet cheats on his boyfriend in a desperate attempt to fuel his failing art. The dramatis personae of Two Blades Come Together is comprised of individuals who struggle towards grace and …

Frat Star, Nathan Andrew Holic

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis, a social novel in the tradition of Tom Wolfe's The Bonfire of the Vanities and Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, is all at once an attentive first-person study of a twenty-something man close to his cracking point in his first post-college job, a detailed expose of national fraternities, and the sweeping panoramic view of an entire generation of over-programmed college students searching for direction. Frat Star follows a fragile college graduate named Charles Washington, who takes a position as an "Educational Consultant" with a national fraternity in his first semester after graduation. For sixteen …

Physical Characteristics Of An Individual: The Identification Of Biomarkers For Biological Age Determination, Michelle Alvarez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It is now a matter of routine for the forensic scientist to obtain the genetic profile of an individual from DNA recovered from a biological stain deposited at a crime scene. Potential contributors of the stain must either be known to investigators (i.e. a developed suspect) or the questioned profile must be searched against a database of DNA profiles such as those maintained in the CODIS National DNA database. However, in those instances where there is no developed suspect and no match is obtained after interrogation of appropriate DNA databases, the DNA profile per se presently provides no meaningful information …

Using Computer Simulation Modeling To Evaluate The Bioterrorismresponse Plan At A Local Hospital Facility, Robert Bebber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001 and the subsequent anthrax mail attack have forced health care administrators and policy makers to place a new emphasis on disaster planning at hospital facilities--specifically bioterrorism planning. Yet how does one truly "prepare" for the unpredictable? In spite of accreditation requirements, which demand hospitals put in to place preparations to deal with bioterrorism events, a recent study from the General Accounting Office (GAO) concluded that most hospitals are still not capable of dealing with such threats (Gonzalez, 2004). This dissertation uses computer simulation modeling to test the effectiveness of bioterrorism planning at a …

The Rebirth Of Consciousness, Urszula Blaszak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human beings encounter cascades of a plethora of experiences, one after another, every single microsecond of our lives. There are many things happening around. The world is full of events and occurrences. As they happen, the mind reacts to every individual input. This is a very exhausting and difficult. Thus, people have developed a process of self-defense against this horrible mishmash of information. Their minds have this amazing capacity of sorting them out and making sense out of them. Humankind's survival depends on that. If one does not sort all this information out, one might not be able to make …

Lim Kinase 1 Modulates Expression Of Matrix Metalloproteinases And Associates With Gamma-Tubulin: Dual Role In Invasion And Mito, Tenekua Tapia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

LIM kinase 1 (LIMK1) is a unique dual specificity serine/threonine kinase containing two N-terminal LIM domains in tandem, a PDZ domain and a C-terminal catalytic domain. LIMK1 is involved in modulation of actin cytoskeleton through inactivating phosphorylation of the ADF (actin depolymerization factor) family protein cofilin. Recent studies have shown that LIMK1 is upregulated in breast and prostate cancer cells and tissues, promotes metastasis in animals and induces acquisition of an invasive phenotype when ectopically expressed in benign prostate epithelial (BPH) cells. Furthermore, overexpression of LIMK1 was associated with altered sub cellular localization of the membrane type 1 matrix metalloprotease …

The Effect Of Nutrition Knowledge On Food Choices And Body Mass Index Percentile Rankings Of Elementary School Children: Result, Nancy Ellis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of overweight and obese children has increased dramatically in the United States over the past 20 years and is a symptom of multiple systemic and cultural changes that have significantly influenced alterations in energy intake, energy expenditures, and the energy balance of children across the nation. School-based obesity prevention programs addressing nutrition and healthy eating behaviors within the school environment and cultural context provide a unique opportunity to educate and engage students in healthy food consumption practices. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a three-year elementary school nutrition education program for students in grades kindergarten through fifth using …

Retrocyclin Rc-101 Overcomes Cationic Mutations On The Heptad Repeat 2 Of Hiv-1 Gp41, Christopher Fuhrman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Retrocyclin RC-101, a θ-defensin with lectin-like properties, potently inhibits infection by many HIV-1 subtypes by binding to the heptad repeat (HR)-2 region of gp41 and preventing six-helix bundle formation. In the present study, we used in silico computational exploration to identify residues of HR2 that interacted with RC-101 and then analyzed the HIV-1 Sequence Database at LANL for residue variations in the HR1 and HR2 segments that could plausibly impart in vivo resistance. Docking RC-101 to gp41 peptides in silico confirmed its strong preference for HR2 over HR1, and implicated residues crucial for its ability to bind HR2. We mutagenized …

Genetic Population Structure And Breeding Parameters Of Three Pennsylvania State Threatened Darter Species: Etheostoma Camurum, E. Maculatum And E. Tippecanoe, Laura Howell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Little is known about the breeding parameters and population structure of three Pennsylvania darters, the bluebreast darter, Etheostoma camurum, the spotted darter, E. maculatum, and the Tippecanoe darter, E. tippecanoe. All are Pennsylvania state threatened species, and they are considered threatened or endangered in several other states throughout their range. Although some limited breeding information is available from populations in other states, the timing and duration of spawning has not been documented for Pennsylvania populations of E. camurum and E. tippecanoe. Both species occupy disjunct riffle habitats in the Allegheny River system, with stable populations in French Creek. We have …

Acquisition And Retention Of Cpr Knowledge And Skills For Junior Level Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Andrea Ackermann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The acquisition and retention of CPR knowledge and skills has been a topic of concern for the past 20 years and there is concern that severe deterioration of knowledge and skills has been evident in only a few weeks after training. The use of human patient simulation (HPS) scenarios has been beneficial in teaching a variety of nursing skills in a risk-free environment. This type of training has been recommended by nursing educators but there is no evidence of increased acquisition and retention of CPR skills for nursing students using HPS scenario.

A quasi-experimental design was used to compare the …

The Effects Of Trivalent Arsenicals And Thioredoxin Reductase Inhibitors On Selenium Metabolism In Lung Cell Culture Models, Sarah Ryann Talbot

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Arsenic exposure, through various routes, is associated with the development of cancer of the skin, lung, liver, kidney, and bladder. Treatment of cells in culture with trivalent arsenicals has been shown to increase reactive oxygen species (ROS). In particular, monomethylarsonous acid (MMAIII), a trivalent metabolite of arsenite, is highly cytotoxic and possibly carcinogenic. Three trivalent arsenicals; arsenite, arsenic trioxide (ATO), and MMAIII, are also known inhibitors of the selenoprotein thioredoxin reductase (TrxR). Selenium, an essential micronutrient in mammals, is needed in the form of selenocysteine for activity of this enzyme and other selenoproteins. TrxR is part of a key component …

Valuing Volunteers: The Impact Of Volunteerism On Hospital Performance, Renee Brent Hotchkiss

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Volunteers have been present in healthcare settings for centuries, however there is little empirical evidence supporting the impact that volunteers make on hospital performance. Since the 1990s, hospitals in the United States have had a great deal of pressure to produce high quality care at minimum expense. With the pressures of managed care and accrediting agencies, the benefits of using volunteers in a hospital setting are multiplied. Furthermore, as the population of the United States grows and the aging population creates more healthcare needs, the need for volunteers in hospitals may increase. This study utilized multiple regression analysis to explore …

Testing Deterrence Theory With Offenders: Assessing The Effects Of Personal And Vicarious Experience With Punishment And Punishm, Alicia Sitren

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Stafford and Warr (1993) reconceptualized general and specific deterrence into a single theory in which individuals' propensities to engage in criminal behavior are based on some combination of personal experiences with being punished and avoiding punishment and vicarious (or indirect) experiences with being punished and avoiding punishment. The researchers make a substantial contribution to the deterrence literature by accounting for the effect of punishment avoidance when assessing deterrence theory. Despite the theoretical appeal of this restatement, few studies have tested its empirical merit. The current study tests the applicability of Stafford and Warr's model but also addresses several key limitations …

Pediatric Physical Therapists And Evidence Based Practice: A Participatory Action Research Project, Joseph Schreiber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: The purpose of this project was to describe in detail the attitudes, beliefs, and practices of a group of pediatric physical therapists regarding evidence-based practice. In addition, utilizing a collaborative, participatory action research approach, several strategies and outcomes were identified as a means to aid these individuals in improving their ability to use research evidence for clinical decision making.

Methods: The primary investigator and a group of five pediatric physical therapists collaborated to develop and implement strategies and outcomes that were best suited for each individual. During phase I, information was gathered to describe the participants' current beliefs, attitudes, …

Molecular Dynamics Simulation Studies Of Dna And Proteins: Force Field Parameter Development Of Small Ligands And Convergence Analysis For Simulations Of Biomolecules, Anne Loccisano

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the first part of this dissertation, CHARMM force field parameters for DNA minor groove-binding polyamides were developed. The parameterization involved the subdivision of the polyamides into model compounds, which were calibrated against MP2/6-31G(d) data. To test the new parameters, fourteen 10 ns molecular dynamics crystal simulations have been carried out on a DNA/polyamide complex at low (113K) and high (300K) temperatures. Of the 18 helical parameters examined, only one (stagger) is found to be statistically significant from the crystal structure with a t-test at the 95% confidence level. For the high temperature, stagger is non-significant at the 97% confidence …

Perceptual Differences In The Conversational Performance Of People With Severe Expressive Aphasia Using Three Types Of Visual Screen Displays On Speech Generating Devices, Laura Figley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A multiple single-subject randomized design experimental study measured the perceptions of three persons with aphasia and their communication partners without aphasia when communicating across three conditions: Condition A--speech generating device (SGD) with No Display; Condition B--SGD with visual scene display (VSD); and Condition C--SGD with traditional grid display (TGD). Quantitative data were collected in the forms of preference choice of display type, a forced-choice ranking of experimental sessions, and 7-pt Likert rating scales. All participants rated the dependent variables of communicative success, ease, independence, and naturalness across conditions. Qualitative data were collected in the form of open-ended interviews conducted at …