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Influences Of Porphyromonas Gingivalis On The Viability Of Esophageal Cancer Cells., Muddasir Mohammed Dec 2018

Influences Of Porphyromonas Gingivalis On The Viability Of Esophageal Cancer Cells., Muddasir Mohammed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A recent study demonstrated an association between the Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg)infection and the progression of ESCC (Gao et al., 2016). However, how Pg infection affects the nature of ESCC remains unknown. We examined the effects of Pg on the proliferation and chemotherapy drug-induced apoptosis of ESCC cells and elucidated the signaling molecules involved in these processes. Method: Apoptosis and cell proliferation were tested using Flow cytometry and Tetrazolium salt based proliferation assays respectively. Western Blot was utilized to detect the protein expression. CDK2 and Cyclin E were knocked down in the ESCC cells through transfection. Unpaired T-test and …


Exploring The Capabilities Approach In A Sport For Development And Peace Setting., Jeffrey F. Levine Dec 2018

Exploring The Capabilities Approach In A Sport For Development And Peace Setting., Jeffrey F. Levine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) has become a popular approach to development. However, critical scholars remain skeptical of SDP’s effectiveness. Utilizing a holistic approach that includes local voices may help a program’s effectiveness. Scholars are searching for a framework flexible enough to accommodate the varied nature of programs. One theoretical approach is the Capabilities Approach, which evaluates well-being based on what people can do and be. This case study explored the Capabilities Approach in an SDP setting. Youth Odyssey, a non-profit organization that works with at-risk youth through adventure programming, was the case. This case study explored what role …


Effect Of Grape Components On Periodontal Disease., Juili Subodh Shivde Dec 2018

Effect Of Grape Components On Periodontal Disease., Juili Subodh Shivde

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Half of the adult American population (47 %) are victims of periodontitis, a chronic inflammatory disease which leads to destruction of the tissues supporting the tooth. Periodontitis is initiated by periodontal pathogens and caused by excessive or prolonged host mediated inflammation. Porphyromonas gingivalisis one important agent implicated in the etiopathogenesis of chronic periodontitis. Pro-inflammatory cytokines induced by periodontal pathogens can cause alveolar bone loss and periodontitis. Bone loss is caused by the imbalance of bone formation and bone resorption. Osteoclasts are major cells that cause bone resorption. Moreover, periodontal inflammation also leads to bone resorption. Grapes are rich …


The Role Of Aldehyde Dehygrogenase 2 In Liver Injury Caused By Vinyl Chloride And High-Fat Diet., Liya Chen Dec 2018

The Role Of Aldehyde Dehygrogenase 2 In Liver Injury Caused By Vinyl Chloride And High-Fat Diet., Liya Chen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background. Vinyl chloride (VC) is an abundant environmental contaminant that causes steatohepatitis at high exposure levels. We have shown previously that low concentrations of VC exacerbate high fat diet (HFD)-induced liver injury in mice. The mechanisms involved in the progression of liver injury caused by VC and HFD include oxidative stress, inflammation, metabolic and mitochondrial dysfunction. Mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) serves as a key line of defense against most reactive aldehydes, including lipid aldehydes (e.g., 4-HNE) and chloroacetaldehyde (VC metabolite). We hypothesize that this defense may play a key role in the interaction between HFD and VC in fatty …


Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (Egfr) Inhibition By Polychlorinated Biphenyls Contributes To Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (Nafld)., Josiah Hardesty Dec 2018

Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (Egfr) Inhibition By Polychlorinated Biphenyls Contributes To Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (Nafld)., Josiah Hardesty

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation describes how poly-chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) exacerbate the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). While PCBs were banned in 1979, they still persist in contaminated biota, including food, and are detected in human plasma and adipose. The body burden of PCBs is associated with elevation of liver enzymes and necrosis markers in humans, characteristic of NAFLD. PCB exposure in high-fat diet fed mice leads to steatohepatitis that recapitulate the findings seen in exposed humans. The global estimate of people diagnosed with NAFLD is up to 1 in 4 people, unrelated to dietary or genetic factors. The hepatic mechanisms …


Characterization Of Acyltransferases And Wrinkled Orthologs Involved In Tag Biosynthesis In Avocado, Md Mahbubur Rahman Dec 2018

Characterization Of Acyltransferases And Wrinkled Orthologs Involved In Tag Biosynthesis In Avocado, Md Mahbubur Rahman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Triacylglycerols (TAG) or storage oils in plants are utilized by humans for nutrition, production of biomaterials and fuels. Since nonseed tissues comprise the bulk biomass, it is pertinent to understand how to improve their TAG content. Typically, the final step in TAG biosynthesis is catalyzed by diacylglycerol (DAG) acyltransferases (DGAT) and/or phospholipid: diacylglycerol acyltransferases (PDAT), which also determine the content and composition of TAG. Besides enzymatic regulation of TAG synthesis, transcription factors such as WRINKLED1 (WRI1) play a critical role during fatty acid synthesis. In this study, mesocarp of Persea americana, with > 60% TAG by dry weight and oleic …


Temperature And Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid’S Effect On Daphnia Magna Reproduction, Mark Albright Dec 2018

Temperature And Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid’S Effect On Daphnia Magna Reproduction, Mark Albright

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Organisms adapt to their environments by adjusting their biochemistry and physiology; such adaptation is limited by resource availability and physiological constraints. The freshwater crustacean Daphnia magna inhabits a wide range of environments and must survive and reproduce within a range of temperatures. One limit to low-temperature adaptation is thought to be the availability of unsaturated fatty acids necessary to maintain proper fluidity of cellular membranes. D. magna maintained at 10 ºC on a diet poor in unsaturated fatty acids have been observed to produce clutches that fail to develop. However, this has not been observed on a diet rich in …


Effectiveness Of Prescribed Fire On Meeting Fuel Load And Wildlife Habitat Management Objectives In East Texas National Forests, Trey Wall Dec 2018

Effectiveness Of Prescribed Fire On Meeting Fuel Load And Wildlife Habitat Management Objectives In East Texas National Forests, Trey Wall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Using standardized methodology outlined by the United States Forest Service and the National Forests and Grasslands in Texas’ Fire Monitoring Program for data collection, the efficacy of current Forest Service prescribed burn regimes were analyzed for 24 study sites in East Texas National Forests. Study sites were located within Sam Houston, Davy Crockett, and Angelina/Sabine National Forests. Efficacy was determined by comparing defined management objectives established by the Forest Service to the data collected at the study sites. The results conclude that most objectives, as outlined by the Forest Service, are not being met with the current practices. Re-visitation of …


Self-Regulation Abilities Of Low-Income Mothers In Community Based, Expanded Food And Nutrition Education Program, Alyssa Abreu Aug 2018

Self-Regulation Abilities Of Low-Income Mothers In Community Based, Expanded Food And Nutrition Education Program, Alyssa Abreu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Diet is strongly associated with many risk factors for chronic disease. Educational programs such as the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) are designed to improve dietary behaviors among low-income populations. Although EFNEP has seen improvements, they are not yet up to recommendations. Previous studies have been successful in eliciting behavior change when improving self-regulation in conjunction with dietary education. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine self-regulation in EFNEP participants and its relationship to participants change in dietary behavior. All participants were currently enrolled in an EFNEP program and were asked to complete an additional self-regulation …


The Philosophical Heritage Of Desire For God In Ibn Ṭufayl’S Ḥayy Ibn Yaqẓān, Bethany Somma Aug 2018

The Philosophical Heritage Of Desire For God In Ibn Ṭufayl’S Ḥayy Ibn Yaqẓān, Bethany Somma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the role of desire in Ibn Ṭufayl’s Ḥayy Ibn Yaqẓān through a philosophical investigation of desire from Plotinus to Ibn Ṭufayl. I examine Plotinus’s account of desire for the Good, and I argue that this desire forms the basis of his account of substance, such that this desire is non-rational, permanent, fundamental to all hypostases. I also examine the Arabic translations of Plotinus’s text, arguing that the role of desire for God is severely diminished. Indeed, the desire for God we find in these texts is rational and non-permanent – a modified version of the Plotinian model. …


Economics Of Managing Loblolly Pine Plantations For Increased Wildlife Biodiversity, Melissa Griffith Aug 2018

Economics Of Managing Loblolly Pine Plantations For Increased Wildlife Biodiversity, Melissa Griffith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this thesis was to identify the differences between the costs incurred and revenues gained from managing loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) plantations in East Texas for strictly timber production or a combination of timber production and wildlife biodiversity. Management regimes evaluated had varying planting densities, thinning frequency and intensities, prescribed burn intervals, and site indices. Economic analyses used to evaluate management regimes over a range of nonindustrial private landowner (NIPF) alternative rates of return (ARRs) and site indexes were net present worth, land expectation value, and equal annual annuity. These economic analyses demonstrated that altering management …


Wellness And Karate, Cristina Kumpf Aug 2018

Wellness And Karate, Cristina Kumpf

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The promotion of wellness is an integral part of the counseling field and is considered to be a central focus to the counseling process (Barden, Conley, & Young, 2015; Myers, 1992). The counseling profession adopted the concept of wellness because it harmonizes with many of the founding principles of the ACA and is seen as a process of questing toward optimal health and well-being in body, mind, and spirit (Barden, Conley, & Young, 2015; Myers, 1992; Myers, Sweeney, & Witmer, 2000). Additionally, ACA Code of Ethics (2014) state that counselors “engage in self-care activities to maintain and promote their own …


The Buffering Effect Of Mindfulness Between The Stressors And Perceived Stress In Faith-Based University Students, Amber Glantz Aug 2018

The Buffering Effect Of Mindfulness Between The Stressors And Perceived Stress In Faith-Based University Students, Amber Glantz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of study was to research the buffering effect of mindfulness between the stressors and perceived stress in faith-based university students. Literature suggests that as mindfulness increases, stress decreases. This study attempts to provide information on college students’ perceived stress levels, stressors they face, and mindfulness awareness. A multiple linear regression was conducted to examine the association between perceived stress, stressors, and mindfulness levels. A sample of 91 students in the Spring of 2018 at a faith-based university in Texas were asked to participate in an online survey. Some findings were not congruent with the literature. The results of …


Electrochemical Microsensors For In Situ Monitoring Of Chemical Compounds In Engineered And Natural Aquatic Systems, Jared Church Aug 2018

Electrochemical Microsensors For In Situ Monitoring Of Chemical Compounds In Engineered And Natural Aquatic Systems, Jared Church

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The adaption of needle-type electrochemical microsensor (or microelectrode) techniques to environmental science and engineering systems has transformed how we understand mass transport in biotic and abiotic processes. Their small tip diameter (5-20μm) makes them a unique experimental tool for direct measurements of analytes with high spatial and temporal resolutions, providing a quantitative analysis of flux, diffusion, and reaction rate at a microscale that cannot be obtained using conventional analytical tools. However, their applications have been primarily limited to understanding mass transport dynamics and kinetics in biofilms. With the advancement of sensor fabrication and utilization techniques, their potential applications can surpass …


Increasing Access To High-Impact Practices: A Case Study On Internships At The University Of Mississippi, Jennifer Saxon, Kristina Phillips Aug 2018

Increasing Access To High-Impact Practices: A Case Study On Internships At The University Of Mississippi, Jennifer Saxon, Kristina Phillips

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation-in-practice case study aimed to assess internships opportunities at the University of Mississippi (UM) to determine potential barriers for access among African American students and students with low socioeconomic backgrounds. Internships are a high impact practice, as identified by the American Association for Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) that provide students with tangible, real-world experience to prepare for careers after graduation. Experiential learning theories (Kolb, 1984; Dewey, 1938) and high-impact practices (Kuh, 2008) establish the importance of student engagement outside of traditional classroom settings. The patterns and frequency of internship participation are not clear for University of Mississippi students. Research …


Cannabidiol Alters The Immune Response To Porphyromonas Gingivalis In Mice., Shilpa Singh Aug 2018

Cannabidiol Alters The Immune Response To Porphyromonas Gingivalis In Mice., Shilpa Singh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Porphyromonas gingivalis is an important etiologic agent of chronic periodontitis, an infectious disease defined by destruction of supporting tissues of the teeth. Marijuana is a risk factor for chronic periodontitis, although underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. As phytocannabinoids have been ascribed antiinflammatory properties, we hypothesized that cannabidiol exposure would lead to altered immune response to P. gingivalis infection facilitating bacterial persistence and, subsequently, increased alveolar bone loss in cannabidiol (CBD)-exposed mice. Methods: P. gingivalis-infected cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2) knockout and wild type C57/Bl6 mice were exposed, or not exposed, to cannabidiol. Oral swabs from mice were used to monitor …


Social Determinants Of Health And A Grounded Mixed-Methods Approach To Explain Declining Life Expectancy In Eastern Kentucky : 1980 – 2014., William Renda Aug 2018

Social Determinants Of Health And A Grounded Mixed-Methods Approach To Explain Declining Life Expectancy In Eastern Kentucky : 1980 – 2014., William Renda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Trends in life expectancy for the United States from 1980-2014 suggest general improvement overall. However, eastern Kentucky stands out with a cluster of counties experiencing declining life expectancy. Given that life expectancy is an excepted indicator of overall population health, this anomaly in eastern Kentucky warrants investigation. This thesis uses a grounded mixed methods approach to explore this trend across the greater Appalachian region. Content and discourse analysis of interviews with public health and medical professionals in the study area revealed key themes perceived as being related to declining life expectancy, which informed variable selection for regression analysis. Regression models …


Bayesian Analytical Approaches For Metabolomics : A Novel Method For Molecular Structure-Informed Metabolite Interaction Modeling, A Novel Diagnostic Model For Differentiating Myocardial Infarction Type, And Approaches For Compound Identification Given Mass Spectrometry Data., Patrick J. Trainor Aug 2018

Bayesian Analytical Approaches For Metabolomics : A Novel Method For Molecular Structure-Informed Metabolite Interaction Modeling, A Novel Diagnostic Model For Differentiating Myocardial Infarction Type, And Approaches For Compound Identification Given Mass Spectrometry Data., Patrick J. Trainor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Metabolomics, the study of small molecules in biological systems, has enjoyed great success in enabling researchers to examine disease-associated metabolic dysregulation and has been utilized for the discovery biomarkers of disease and phenotypic states. In spite of recent technological advances in the analytical platforms utilized in metabolomics and the proliferation of tools for the analysis of metabolomics data, significant challenges in metabolomics data analyses remain. In this dissertation, we present three of these challenges and Bayesian methodological solutions for each. In the first part we develop a new methodology to serve a basis for making higher order inferences in metabolomics, …


Deciphering The Role Of Human Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase 1 (Nat1) In Breast Cancer Cell Metabolism Using A Systems Biology Approach., Samantha Marie Carlisle Aug 2018

Deciphering The Role Of Human Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase 1 (Nat1) In Breast Cancer Cell Metabolism Using A Systems Biology Approach., Samantha Marie Carlisle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Human arylamine N-acetyltransferase 1 (NAT1) is a phase II xenobiotic metabolizing enzyme found in almost all tissues. NAT1 can additionally hydrolyze acetyl-coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) in the absence of an arylamine substrate. NAT1 expression varies inter-individually and is elevated in several cancers including estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancers. Additionally, multiple studies have shown the knockdown of NAT1, by both small molecule inhibition and siRNA methods, in breast cancer cells leads to decreased invasive ability and proliferation and decreased anchorage-independent colony formation. However, the exact mechanism by which NAT1 expression affects cancer risk and progression remains unclear. Additionally, consequences …


Unfolded Protein Response Pathways In Skeletal Muscle Homeostasis., Kyle R. Bohnert Aug 2018

Unfolded Protein Response Pathways In Skeletal Muscle Homeostasis., Kyle R. Bohnert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Skeletal muscle mass, contractile properties, and metabolic function are regulated through the coordinated activation of multiple intracellular signaling pathways and genetic reprogramming. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) plays a pivotal role in protein folding and calcium homeostasis in many cell types, including skeletal muscle. Disruption of calcium levels or accumulation of misfolded proteins in the ER lumen leads to stress, which results in the activation of a signaling network called the unfolded protein response (UPR). Further, recent studies have suggested that in certain conditions, UPR pathways can be activated independent of ER stress. However, the role of ER stress and the …


Weight Stigma And Motivation To Exercise : Exploring Associations And Constructs From The Basic Needs Theory., Stephanie R. Mcdonough Aug 2018

Weight Stigma And Motivation To Exercise : Exploring Associations And Constructs From The Basic Needs Theory., Stephanie R. Mcdonough

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Social influences, such as weight stigma, perpetuate rates of overweight and obesity, as well as contribute to poor physical and psychological health. It has been postulated that weight stigma negatively affects motivation to exercise, though the literature is mixed and underlying mechanisms of action are not well conceived. The present study aimed to: (1) explore the relationship between frequency of experienced weight stigma and exercise motivation and behavior (2) assess how frequency of experienced weight stigma might differ based on participant characteristics such as body weight and (3) consider unique associations between frequency of personal experiences with weight-based stigma, exercise …


Alpha-Amino Methylation And Acetylation Are Novel Regulators Of Myl9 Function., Christopher David Nevitt Aug 2018

Alpha-Amino Methylation And Acetylation Are Novel Regulators Of Myl9 Function., Christopher David Nevitt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dysregulation of alpha-amino post-translational modifications (Nα-PTMs) is found in multiple cancers and developmental disorders. However, the exact roles Nα-PTMs play in regulating protein function remain poorly understood. I sought to clarify the role of Nα-methylation and Nα-acetylation in the regulation of Myosin Regulatory Light Chain 9 (MYL9). MYL9 is a key cytoskeletal regulator and transcription factor and is the first protein confirmed to undergo both Nα-methylation and Nα-acetylation. Through this work I revealed novel regulatory features of MYL9, while also presenting a framework by which to understand the coordinated regulation of proteins by Nα-methylation and Nα-acetylation. Nα-PTM selective mutants of …


Coal Ash Exposure And Behavioral Impairments Among Children In Louisville, Kentucky., Chisom Nmesoma Odoh Aug 2018

Coal Ash Exposure And Behavioral Impairments Among Children In Louisville, Kentucky., Chisom Nmesoma Odoh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Coal ash, generated from the combustion of coal is principally made up of fly ash, which consists of small particles and metals that can affect the development of children. Coal ash is predominately stored in landfills and surface impoundments, of which many are in proximity to residential areas. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 25% of residents in proximity to electric power plants are children. Few studies have reported a positive association between coal ash and its by-products and neurobehavioral disorders. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between coal ash and its components and …


Generalized Spatiotemporal Modeling And Causal Inference For Assessing Treatment Effects For Multiple Groups For Ordinal Outcome., Soutik Ghosal Aug 2018

Generalized Spatiotemporal Modeling And Causal Inference For Assessing Treatment Effects For Multiple Groups For Ordinal Outcome., Soutik Ghosal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of three projects and can be categorized in two broad research areas: generalized spatiotemporal modeling and causal inference based on observational data. In the first project, I introduce a Bayesian hierarchical mixed effect hurdle model with a nested random effect structure to model the count for primary care providers and understand their spatial and temporal variation. This study further enables us to identify the health professional shortage areas and the possible impacting factors. In the second project, I have unified popular parametric and nonparametric propensity score-based methods to assess the treatment effect of multiple groups for ordinal …


Spam Elimination And Bias Correction : Ensuring Label Quality In Crowdsourced Tasks., Lingyu Lyu Aug 2018

Spam Elimination And Bias Correction : Ensuring Label Quality In Crowdsourced Tasks., Lingyu Lyu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Crowdsourcing is proposed as a powerful mechanism for accomplishing large scale tasks via anonymous workers online. It has been demonstrated as an effective and important approach for collecting labeled data in application domains which require human intelligence, such as image labeling, video annotation, natural language processing, etc. Despite the promises, one big challenge still exists in crowdsourcing systems: the difficulty of controlling the quality of crowds. The workers usually have diverse education levels, personal preferences, and motivations, leading to unknown work performance while completing a crowdsourced task. Among them, some are reliable, and some might provide noisy feedback. It is …


Perinatal Nicotine With Or Without Early Life Influenza Infection Leads To Lung Dysfunction With Age., Ryan Carroll Mcallister Aug 2018

Perinatal Nicotine With Or Without Early Life Influenza Infection Leads To Lung Dysfunction With Age., Ryan Carroll Mcallister

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Obstructive Airway Diseases (OADs) affect millions of people worldwide, and are characterized by chronic inflammation and tissue remodeling in the lung. It has been proposed that the development of OAD is greatly influenced (and perhaps pre-determined) by early life events, such as maternal smoking or a viral infection. However, direct evidence of this is limited and the mechanisms involved remain unclear. Our laboratory previously developed a murine model of perinatal nicotine exposure, and reported that nicotine leads to airway remodeling and decreased pulmonary function in the offspring. We discovered these effects were mediated through the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR). …


Dead Wood And Decomposition In A Tropical Forest : Vertical Patterns, Long-Term Processes, And The Role Of Lightning., Evan Matthew Gora Aug 2018

Dead Wood And Decomposition In A Tropical Forest : Vertical Patterns, Long-Term Processes, And The Role Of Lightning., Evan Matthew Gora

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the distribution, production, and decomposition of dead wood (or woody debris) in a lowland tropical forest within the Barro Colorado Nature Monument in Panama. Although the importance of woody debris is widely accepted, information describing components of WD pools and fluxes is generally separated in both time and space, particularly in understudied tropical forests. Here I provide a comprehensive inventory of woody debris in a lowland tropical forest (Chapter 1). Woody debris is highly aggregated and difficult to quantify, and this study demonstrates that historic estimates of woody debris pools and fluxes underestimate their uncertainty. In a …


An Examination Of The Linkages Between Climate, Engagement, And Wellbeing In Higher Education., Ebo Kobena Atomo Osam Aug 2018

An Examination Of The Linkages Between Climate, Engagement, And Wellbeing In Higher Education., Ebo Kobena Atomo Osam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research coalescing around psychological climate, engagement, and wellbeing has been receiving considerable attention in management and HRD literature recently. However, research associated with these variables has generally been limited to for-profit businesses and organizations with little of note done using higher educational institutions. Thus, this cross sectional research study examined the extent to which psychological climate, engagement, and wellbeing are associated with each other in higher educational institutions. The study begins with an overview of how these variables have been identified as being connected with each other in research and practice, as well as discusses context specific factors in higher …


Navigating Mental Health Care Access In Louisville : An Ethnography Of Local Resources And Care Assemblages., Laura Drabelle Valentine Aug 2018

Navigating Mental Health Care Access In Louisville : An Ethnography Of Local Resources And Care Assemblages., Laura Drabelle Valentine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines barriers to care access present in Louisville, Kentucky's community mental health care infrastructure, and how individuals who seek mental health care experience and navigate those barriers. This thesis expands research about the impacts of health care reform following the Affordable Care Act and adds to literature about the political economy of health-seeking behaviors. Drawing on assemblage theory and ethnographic research with both care-providers and care-recipients of Community Mental Health Care Organizations, I argue that both groups attempt to alleviate barriers to care access and facilitate mental health recovery through the development of formal and informal strategies. Examining …


Impact Of Reproductive Mode On Skeletal Development In A Reproductively Bimodal Squamate Species, Amanda Tedder Aug 2018

Impact Of Reproductive Mode On Skeletal Development In A Reproductively Bimodal Squamate Species, Amanda Tedder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Viviparity has evolved multiple times within squamates. Eggshells are reduced in viviparous forms, which reduces calcium available to embryos during development. This study tested the hypothesis that reduced calcium impacts neonates of viviparous forms. Developmental series from oviparous and viviparous populations of Zootoca vivipara (reproductively bimodal) were cleared & stained to reveal bone development. Photographs (high magnification, calibrated to size) were used to obtain measurements of lengths of the body, humerus, femur, skull and lower jaw, and of ossified portions of limb bones. Percent ossification was scored for targeted skull bones. Results were analyzed using general linear models and revealed …