Digital Commons Network^™

“I Think It's Male Privilege”: A Qualitative Study Of Personal, Behavioral, And Socio-Environmental Factors Influencing High Risk Sexual Behavior And Hiv Transmission Among Heterosexual Adult Males In Ghana., Nana Ama Aya Erzuah Bullock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There are roughly 340,000 adults and children living with HIV. Despite the progress in the global response and the lowing of infections, HIV rates in Ghana remain stable. Cultural and societal norms that exist at a given time and place influence masculine socialization and behavior. These norms promote heterosexual men’s engagement in high-risk sexual behaviors which result in HIV infections. Factors such as HIV knowledge, risk perception, male condom use, HIV testing, and counseling which minimize the risk of HIV, are also influenced by these norms. Men have been identified as assets and advocates for behavior change and social responsibility …

A Modeling Platform To Predict Cancer Survival And Therapy Outcomes Using Tumor Tissue Derived Metabolomics Data., Hunter Allan Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cancer is a complex and broad disease that is challenging to treat, partially due to the vast molecular heterogeneity among patients even within the same subtype. Currently, no reliable method exists to determine which potential first-line therapy would be most effective for a specific patient, as randomized clinical trials have concluded that no single regimen may be significantly more effective than others. One ongoing challenge in the field of oncology is the search for personalization of cancer treatment based on patient data. With an interdisciplinary approach, we show that tumor-tissue derived metabolomics data is capable of predicting clinical response to …

The Roles Of Pon2 In Mitochondrial Physiology, Lung Tumor Cell Proliferation, And Lung Tumorigenesis., Aaron Whitt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Paraoxonase 2 (PON2) is an intracellular, multifunctional enzyme with near-ubiquitous tissue distribution. Within cells, PON2 is localized to mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum (ER), where it mitigates the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). PON2’s chief enzymatic function is its lactonase activity, through which it catalyzes the hydrolysis of a bacterial quorum-sensing molecule, N-(3-oxododecanoyl)-l-homoserine lactone (C12), effectively disrupting bacterial intercellular communication and protecting against infection. C12 is produced by the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa and has been shown to disrupt various aspects of eukaryotic host cell physiology and evoke apoptotic cell death through the activity of PON2. Additionally, PON2 has garnered …

Development And Novel Applications Of Halogenating Agents., Sagar Ravso Mudshinge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Organic halides are extensively utilized as synthetic intermediates in areas such as pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and material polymers. While many halogenating agents have been developed, they continue to have low efficiency or selectivity, are difficult to handle, and often have limited substrate scope. To address this issue, our laboratory has developed novel halogenating agents with improved stability and efficiency. In these studies, we demonstrated a novel application of halogenating reagent, HCl·DMPU, in the nitrile synthesis. We developed a novel method for C−SCF₃/SeCF₃ cross-coupling reactions using gold redox catalysis. We developed a novel trifluoromethylating agent in a cost-effective and …

The Role Of Accuracy In Children’S Judgments Of Experts’ Knowledge., Allison J. Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Children prefer to trust people with expertise and people who are accurate. Because experts make mistakes and give incorrect information (e.g., predictions and diagnoses), this dissertation explores children’s judgments of knowledge for experts who provide inaccurate information. Across two studies, 6- to 9-years-olds (N = 160) were introduced to two experts in different domains (doctor and mechanic) and rated how much each expert knows about their relevant domain. Then, over four consecutive trials, participants heard one expert give inaccurate answers to easy questions in their domain. After each trial, children explained why they believed the expert gave inaccurate answers …

Particulate Hexavalent Chromium Inhibits Homologous Recombination Repair By Targeting Rad51 Paralogs In Human Lung Fibroblasts., Aggie R. Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hexavalent Chromium [Cr(VI)] is a known human lung carcinogen and general health hazard. The mechanism of carcinogenesis remains poorly understood, but chromosome instability (CIN) is the major theory in its carcinogenic mechanism. Homologous recombination (HR) repair is a DNA repair pathway that prevents CIN by repairing DNA double-strand breaks. RAD51, a key mediator protein of HR repair, along with the RAD51 paralogs (RAD51B, C, D, XRCC2, and 3) are required for HR repair. During HR, RAD51 loads and forms a helical nucleoprotein filament structure to promote DNA strand exchange and stimulate pairing activity of DNA. Cr(VI) exposures have been shown …

Plant-Pollinator Communities Responsive To Local And Landscape Level Factors In Grassland Restorations., Aaron Sexton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As humans continue to degrade natural ecosystems via greenhouse gas emissions and habitat destruction, many species are being pushed to the brink of extinction. In hopes to offset this degradation, habitat restoration attempts to restore ecosystem function to an improved state resembling intact, remnant values. This is a difficult, but important, undertaking with factors to consider at multiple spatial and temporal scales. The restoration and conservation of pollinator communities has garnered heightened attention because of the valuable ecosystem services they provide. This dissertation investigates the local and landscape level factors of grassland restorations that influence plant-pollinator communities. I used a …

Characterization Of Fundamental Parameters That Modulate Acoustofluidic-Mediated Molecular Delivery To Cells., Connor Sterling Centner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cell-based therapies represent the latest biotechnological revolution in medicine, but significant limitations exist in non-viral intracellular delivery techniques during manufacturing of cell therapies. To address these limitations, a novel acoustofluidic device was developed to deliver ultrasound waves into a flow chamber for rapid molecular delivery to human cells. Our acoustofluidic device delivers biomolecules by inducing expansion and collapse of exogenous gas-filled microbubbles (“cavitation”), which enhances molecular delivery to nearby cells. Experimental studies were conducted to characterize key parameters that influence acoustofluidic-mediated molecular delivery to human cells. A clinical ultrasound transducer was generally utilized with varying cationic microbubble concentrations. Intracellular delivery …

Black Ads Matter: An Analysis Of Black Representation In Advertising., Elyssa Quinn Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

During the summer of 2020 Black Lives Matter (BLM) became a rallying cry throughout the United States and the world. At that time, many individuals and organizations reflected on how they could better support the movement for equality, equity, and inclusion, but some of the results were ingenuine, perceived as virtue signaling or woke washing. In this thesis I explore the Black representation in advertising from three prominent car brands from both pre- and post-summer 2020. I analyze ads from Acura, Buick, and Lincoln to determine if they are synergistic and include multi-dimensional Black representation, criteria Burgess et al.’s (2020) …

The Reading Of Sir Toby Belch: A Queer And Black Exploration Of William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night., Jahi E Bogard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This MFA thesis explores queer, black representation in William Shakespeare’s drama and in the University of Louisville’s Department of Theatre Arts Fall 2021 production of an adaption of Twelfth Night (1601). Directed by Jennifer Pennington, the repurposed script and non-traditional casting targeted a modern audience. Cast as Olivia’s drunk uncle, Sir Toby Belch, I aimed to discover if my identify as a black, queer, cis man could be incorporated into Shakespeare’s text. Sir Toby Belch’s raucous, heterosexual, and sometimes violent, traits are often imagined today as innately masculine. I argue that Shakespeare’s plays can be appropriated by queer, black actors …

Discovering The Pathways And Go Terms Associated With Mettl3 Modified Circular Rnas In The Embryonic Cerebral Cortex Of Mice., Dunia Zedan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Circular RNAs (cirRNAs) are a class of RNA molecules that result from the alternative back-splicing events that join the 3’ and 5’ ends normally present in the linear RNA molecules. It has been published that cirRNAs can function as gene regulators and as “microRNA sponges” to negatively control the functions of microRNAs. While many studies have been conducted to understand the regulatory roles of Mettl3 in linear messenger RNAs, fewer contributions were applied to understand the impact of Mettl3 modified cirRNAs on gene expression and on the regulation of different KEGG biological pathways and GO terms. This thesis was conducted …

Betwixt & Between., Xuanyi Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, I will discuss the process of learning, borrowing, and exploring the fusion between styles that emerged from the exchange of Eastern and Western civilizations. I will also use the process of transformation and merging of motifs to evoke my thoughts on the identity of immigrants. In addition, the essay will also discuss the similarities between traditional Chinese and Western designs metaphorically. This thesis will also explain why I use IUDs for pattern creation and provide views on the body ownership of women in the East and West. I will also consider the evolution and reflection of the …

Meat The Future., Xin Chen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research focuses on the subtle relationship between human life, the environment, and other animals that we live among every day. Under the mainstream social background of capitalism and a commodity economy, animals are the victims of constant consumption and exploitation. However, meat is a basic substance for human nourishment, especially in certain cultures. As a result, meat becomes an important part of the commodity economy in capitalist societies, wherein the supply must be filled to accommodate society’s demand. This research formed an exhibition using glass and ceramic artwork using a playfully satirical tone to offer a crucial alternative: how …

Automatic Testing Of Organic Strain Gauge Tactile Sensors., Brian P. Goulet

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human-Robot Interaction is a developing field of science, that is posed to augment everything we do in life. Skin sensors that can detect touch, temperature, distance, and other physical interaction parameters at the human-robot interface are very important to enhancing the collaboration between humans and machines. As such, these sensors must be efficiently tested and characterized to give accurate feedback from the sensor to the robot. The objective of this work is to create a diversified software testing suite that removes as much human intervention as possible. The tests and methodology discussed here provide multiple realistic scenarios that the sensors …

The Effects Of Previous Traumatic Experiences On Learning Outcomes: Perceptions Of Black Men Who Are Attending Community College, Willie Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Academic underachievement among Black students, particularly Black male students, is a troubling trend that has long attracted scholarly attention. The prevailing consensus is that the shortcomings of some Black male students in academic achievement may be attributable to traumatic experiences arising from environments of violent, inner-city poverty that disproportionately affect Black men. Traumatic experiences have been shown to negatively affect Black men’s self-perception, emotions, self-image, and social and cognitive skills, with consequences in the form of measured shortfalls in retention and graduation rates. My qualitative, phenomenological study sought to explore how previous traumatic experiences of Black men affected their academic …

Expression And Functional Characterization Of Avocado Dgat1 And Pdat1 In Arabidopsis And Camelina, Josphat Kiunga

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study is aimed to determine the role of avocado DGAT1 and PDAT1 in seed oil synthesis. Triacylglycerol (TAG) has a nutritional and industrial value and is essential for plant growth. DGAT1 and PDAT1 catalyze the final step of TAG Assembly. We hypothesized that both PaPDAT1 and PaDGAT1, although predominantly expressed in non-seed tissues, could contribute to oil accumulation in seeds. Agrobacterium transformants with PaPDAT1 and PaDGAT1 cloned in pCAMBIA were generated to test this. Subsequently, the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of Arabidopsis mutant lines and camelina was carried out by floral dipping. The T₁ camelina seeds …

Fabrication And Characterization Of Lactobacillus Crispatus Containing Bioprints For Bacterial Vaginosis Application., Anthony J. Kyser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a condition in which healthy lactobacilli are replaced by an overabundance of pathogenic bacteria in the female reproductive tract. Current antibiotic treatments often fail to “cure” infection, resulting in recurrence in more than 50% of women, 6 months post-treatment. Recently, probiotics have demonstrated promise to restore vaginal health; however, as with other active agents, delivery requires once-to-twice daily administration. Recently, three-dimensional (3D)-bioprinting has enabled the fabrication of well-defined cell-laden architectures with tunable agent release, thereby presenting a novel approach with which to deliver probiotics. One promising bioink, gelatin alginate, was selected for study, due to its …

Release Kinetics Of Metronidazole From 3d Printed Silicone Scaffolds., Sydney E. Herold

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sustained local administration of active agents has been proposed to cure bacterial vaginosis in the female reproductive tract and restore the resident bacterial fauna. Bioprinting has shown promise for the development of systems for local agent delivery. In contrast to oral ingestion, agent release kinetics can be fine-tuned by bioprinting specialized scaffold designs tailored for particular treatments while enhancing dosage effectiveness via localized sustained release. It has been challenging to establish scaffold properties for sustained release as a function of fabrication parameters. Towards this goal, we evaluate 3D printed scaffold formulation and feasibility to sustain release of metronidazole, a representative …

Acoustofluidic Delivery Of Gene Editing Compounds For Improved Immunotherapy Processing., Riyakumari K. Patel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cell-based immunotherapies are a new generation of “living-drug” treatments for cancer and other diseases. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell cancer therapy has shown promising results in lymphoma and B-cell malignancies. Currently, there are six FDA-approved CAR-T drugs on the market, and all of them use viral transfection for reprogramming. While viral transfection is effective, there are safety concerns due to inconsistent transfection that limit the use of CAR-T therapy. Current non-viral transfection techniques generally have lower transfection efficiency than viral transfection. Additionally, these techniques can be toxic, time-consuming, non-transportable, and expensive. To address these limitations, a novel 3D printed acoustofluidic …

Behavioral Effects And Neurobiological Mechanisms Of 3-Aminobenzimide In A Rodent Model Of Chronic Psychological Stress, Liza Wills

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of disability worldwide, with a lifetime prevalence rate of approximately 20%. Inadequate pharmacological treatment methods for MDD are a significant debilitating factor. Patient estimates suggest that the treatment resistance rate for pharmacological interventions is over 30%. Postmortem analyses of human tissue of individuals diagnosed with MDD have shown an increase in Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1) mRNA gene expression in prefrontal cortical white matter when compared to psychiatrically normal brain tissue. In order to further investigate this issue, the present study used the social defeat stress/chronic unpredictable stress (SDS + CUS) rodent …

Dental Students' Perceptions Of Dental Hygienists' Education And Scope Of Practice, Cynthia Metzger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Oral health is strongly correlated to systemic health in the United States. Dental professionals play a significant role in addressing the oral health and prevention of disease for populations in the United States. Because many areas in the United States lack access to dental care, the federal government considers dental hygienists part of the solution. It is now paying attention to restrictive dental hygiene scope of practice rules in each state. State dental boards, comprised mainly of dentists, make these rules based on their perception of dental hygienists' lack of education. This study explored fourth-year dental students' perceptions of the …

Cyberspace Vs Green Space: Nature’S Psychological Influence In Neuromancer, Blade Runner 2049, And The Stone Gods, Zackery Castle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cyberpunk science fiction is often set in dystopian futures where capitalism and rapid technological growth have rendered the planet ecologically devastated. The people of these worlds are host to numerous mental illnesses that many attempt to cure with drugs, entertainment, or other aspects of their fast-paced existences, but these solutions are rarely successful. When characters come to embrace the remnants of the natural world, however, they typically show signs of mental healing as the result of exposure to nature. This thesis analyzes William Gibson’s Neuromancer, Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049, and Jeanette Winterson’s The Stone Gods alongside research …

Knockdown Of C. Elegans Nad Kinases Nadk-1 Or Nadk-2 Induces An Antioxidant Response Without Affecting Lifespan, Henry Gong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nearly all multicellular organisms show changes in redox balance with aging leading to oxidative damage of macromolecules. This study investigated the role of the [NADP⁺]/[NADPH] redox couple in aging. This redox couple plays an important role in maintaining tissue redox balance and becomes slightly more oxidized in aged tissues. NADPH is a major source of reducing equivalents for enzymes that detoxify hydrogen peroxide. However, catalase detoxifies hydrogen peroxide independently of NADPH. But catalase is absent from mitochondria, a major source of hydrogen peroxide, where instead glutathione plays the major role in hydrogen peroxide detoxification in an NADPH-dependent manner. …

Risk-Prone And Risk-Averse Foraging Strategies Enable Niche Partitioning By Two Diurnal Orb-Weaving Spider Species, Mitchell D. Long

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Niche partitioning is a major component in understanding community ecology and how ecologically similar species coexist. Temporal and spatial partitioning and differences in foraging strategy, including sensitivity to risk (variance), likely contribute to partitioning as well. Here, we approach this partitioning with fine resolution to investigate differences in overall strategy between two species of diurnal, orb-weaving spiders, Verrucosa arenata and Micrathena gracilis (Araneae: Araneidae), that share similar spatial positioning, temporal foraging window, and prey. Through field observation, we found that V. arenata individuals appear to increase spatial and temporal sampling to compensate for an overall risk-prone strategy that depends on …

Self-Measured Blood Pressure Monitoring In Hypertension Control: The Role Of Social Determinants Of Health, Current State In The United States, And Future Directions, Adekunle Oke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hypertension, a medical condition, predisposes to other cardiovascular diseases, and can be impacted by the social determinants of health (SDOH). Self-measured blood pressure monitoring (SMBP) is an evidence-based approach to hypertension control, but not much is known about the influence of SDOH on SMBP. This dissertation aims to: 1) highlight the SDOH factors whose relationship with SMBP have been explored in research studies; 2) examine the relationship between SDOH and SMBP among United States (U.S.) adults with high blood pressure; and 3) examine the current state of SMBP in the U.S., highlight policy implications from the empirical study and provide …

Hypocretin-Receptor Mrna Expression In The Central Amygdala Of Alcohol-Dependent And Non-Dependent Rats, Gabriel Aldridge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hypocretin/Orexin (HCRT) neurotransmission facilitates drug-seeking behavior. HCRT neurotransmission at HCRT-receptors 1 and 2 (HCRT-R1 and -R2, respectively) is implicated in addiction. During the shift to alcohol-dependency, adaptations in neurotransmitter systems occur in reward- and stress-related brain regions. Specifically, neurotransmission systems in the central amygdala (CeA) are modulated by alcohol drinking/exposure. Therefore, this study investigated Hcrtr1 and Hcrtr2 mRNA expression in the CeA of alcohol-dependent rats and in non-dependent controls during acute alcohol withdrawal. Fos mRNA expression in the CeA of alcohol-dependent and non-dependent rats was also determined to assess adaptations in neuronal activation. To our knowledge, this is the first …

Accepting Or Opposing The Status Quo: A Look At The Women Characters In Mariama Bâ’S So Long A Letter (1981) And Chimamanda Adichie’S Purple Hibiscus (2003), Omolola Giwa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

What exactly is the status quo of women in Africa? Women’s selfhood has been systematically subordinated or outright denied by law, customary practices, and cultural stereotypes. Scholars like Judith Bennet suggest that religious practices and colonial rule subjugate African women. Patriarchal ideologies guide the society’s discrimination against women and this has influenced the status of women, especially married women and the way they respond in times of affliction.

Authors like Chimamanda Adichie and Mariama Ba in their fictional novels The Purple Hibiscus and So Long a Letter focus on capturing the struggles and conditions of women in the Western African …

Community Structure Analysis Of Mammals Found At The Gray Fossil Site, Tn, Sarah Clark

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The early Pliocene Gray Fossil Site (GFS) is a biodiverse site with a unique faunal assemblage that represents one of few sites of its age in eastern North America. A community structure analysis of the mammals at GFS was done to characterize species and better understand the paleoenvironment. Data and was gathered from twenty modern communities and five late Neogene sites to compare with GFS. Species from these 26 sites were categorized by body size, locomotor mode, cheek tooth crown height, and diet to characterize niches occupied. Descriptive statistics contrasted proportions of species within categories across communities. Discriminant function analyses …

Digital Manipulation Of Human Faces: Effects On Emotional Perception And Brain Activity, Martin Knoll

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study of human face-processing has granted insight into key adaptions across various social and biological functions. However, there is an overall lack of consistency regarding digital alteration styles of human-face stimuli. In order to investigate this, two independent studies were conducted examining unique effects of image construction and presentation. In the first study, three primary forms of stimuli presentation styles (color, black and white, cutout) were used across iterations of non-thatcherized/thatcherized and non-inverted/inverted presentations. Outcome measures included subjective reactions measured via ratings of perceived “grotesqueness,” and objective outcomes of N170 event-related potentials (ERPs) measured via encephalography. Results of subjective …

Home, Work, Land, Gregory Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The artist discusses his Master of Fine Arts exhibition, entitled Family, Work, Land. The exhibit was mounted in Tipton Gallery in downtown Johnson City, TN, from February 22nd to March 11th, 2022. A public reception was held on the evening of March 4th . The exhibition consisted principally of four multimedia installations. Smith’s body of work is an interpretation of how stories that he often heard growing up are related to the Western North Carolina community in which his grandparents were living in the first quarter of the twentieth century. These works explore the interactions between people, how they support …