Digital Commons Network^™

The Combined Effects Of Leptin And Coenzyme Q10 In Ameliorating Obesity- Induced Infertility In Female Rats, Adekunle Adedeji

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Infertility is one of the major problems of obesity. Studies have shown that administration of leptin reversed obesity-induced infertility in rats and mice. Coenzyme Q₁₀ (CoQ₁₀) is an antioxidant and also supplies the energy needed for ovulation and embryo development. We hypothesized that leptin when combined with CoQ₁₀ could greatly improve obesity-induced infertility. The results showed a significant decrease in food intake, body weight, and the regular estrous cycle was restored after treatment with leptin+CoQ₁₀. There was a significant increase (p10 significantly (p10 can improve fertility in obese infertile female rats. This study could …

Extraction, Purification And Characterization Of An Antibiotic-Like Compound Produced By Rhodococcus Sp. Mtm3w5.2, Pushpavathi Reddyvari Manikindi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The bacterium Rhodococcus is a potential source for novel antimicrobial metabolites. Recently, the Rhodococcus strain MTM3W5.2 was isolated from a soil sample collected from Morristown, East Tennessee and was found to produce an inhibitor molecule that is active against similar Rhodococcus species. The aim of this research is to extract, purify, and characterize the active compound. The compound was obtained from both agar and broth cultures of strain MTM3W5.2 and purified by primary fractionation of crude extract on a Sephadex LH-20 column, followed by semi-preparative reversed phase column chromatography. Final purification was achieved using multiple rounds of an analytical C …

Using The Theory Of Planned Behavior To Predict Executives’ Intentions To Hire Psychologists In Federally Qualified Health Centers, Robert M. Tolliver

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Health psychologists with training in integrated care are ideal candidates to work in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). However, despite the large documented need for more behavioral health providers in FQHCs, psychologists are underrepresented in this setting compared to other behavioral health professions. The purpose of this study was to: 1) examine the specific beliefs that are most relevant to executives’ intentions to hire psychologists, 2) determine how executives’ perceived control over hiring psychologists varies by several demographic variables, and 3) examine how well the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) predicts executives’ intentions to hire psychologists. Method: Executives (N …

Sensation Seeking And Conscientiousness In Relation To Caffeine Consumption And Expectancy, Cheyenne Bullock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Habitual caffeine consumers often report difficulty reducing caffeine use with many continuing to use caffeine despite experiencing symptoms suggestive of substance dependence. Given the evidence of a positive association between sensation seeking and substance use as well as initial reports of a negative relationship between elevated conscientiousness and substance use, this study proposed to evaluate the relationship of both factors on caffeine consumption and expectancy. Two hundred sixty-five students in an introductory psychology course completed a series of brief surveys assessing caffeine consumption, caffeine expectancies, sensation seeking, and conscientiousness. A statistically significant positive correlation was hypothesized for sensation seeking and …

Predicting Academic Performance: A Commitment Perspective, Frank E. Gomez Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Shifts from scientific and theoretical exploration to occupational preparation within academic scholarship has led researchers to focus on performance variables, such as grade point average (GPA), to better understand how to promote academic success. For example, researchers have examined variables to determine their influence on GPA. The purpose of this study was to identify if commitment variables in conjunction with executive functioning significantly predicted cumulative GPA in a college setting beyond previously established predictors. Results indicated that high school GPA (b = .44) was the only significant predictor of cumulative GPA. When high school GPA was eliminated from …

Fabrication, Characterization And Skin Permeation Of Antoxidant-Loaded Lipid Vesicles For Transdermal Drug Delivery., Emily Martin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Excess production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), which can be caused by radiation, cigarette smoke, and pollutants, can cause many damaging cellular effects, such as DNA damage and unregulated cell apoptosis. If left unmitigated, chronic overproduction of ROS has been linked to the formation of cancer, diabetes, atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic inflammation, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. ROS is typically eliminated with antioxidants, which scavenge and inhibit the formation of ROS by becoming oxidized by the ROS and by binding to its precursors.

Curcumin is an effective lipid-soluble antioxidant agent. However, its poor bioavailability, rapid …

What Are Factors Of An Effective Parent And Family Involvement Program Within High School?, Nicole Walsh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

According to the literature, parents or guardians of high school students will participate within the high school—though their participation is dependent on many factors. Parents with a higher social capital tend to be the most involved, while parents with lower social capital tend to be less involved. In other words, generally parents or guardians with high social capital would be much more likely to be involved in their child’s school, whereas parents with low social capital would not be involved in their child’s school at all (Goodwin, Rothon, Stansfeld, 2012). In this study, the researcher formulated and analyzed the following …

Cone In Cone Concretions Of The Stanley Group In Southeastern Oklahoma, Kyle B. Ayres

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cone in cone concretions found in the Stanley Group of Southeastern Oklahoma have a variety of external and internal attributes which allow diagenetic and theoretical models of formation to be hypothesized. Stanley Group carbonate cone in cone concretions are initially formed in sulfur reducing horizons at shallow burial depths in a poorly circulated possibly deep trough containing siliceous sediments and organic matter. Collected concretions near the town of Smithville, Oklahoma displayed four different external morphologies and four variations of mineral constituents. All concretions contained microscopic cones which initiated diffusion and/or fluid patterns and is an early cementation process that directly …

Characterization Of Lower Permian Carbonate Subaqueous Gravity Flows In Crockett County, Texas, Wesley L. Turner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Transitional sediments on carbonate ramp slopes act as a link to relatively well-studied platform and basin depositional environments. In the southern Midland Basin, the key to understanding the relationship between these environments lies in the allochthonous gravity flow sediments found on the slope. Here, a succession of various gravity flow deposits is used to interpret how base level fluctuations affect the type of deposits found on the slope and their effect on the deep basinal environment. This study utilizes core samples from the Wolfcamp Formation adjacent to the Central Basin Platform in five wells in Northwest Crockett County, Texas. The …

The Stratigraphic Position Of Fossil Vertebrates From The Pojoaque Member Of The Tesuque Formation (Middle Miocene, Late Barstovian) Near Española, New Mexico, Garrett R. Williamson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The stratigraphy of the Pojoaque Member of the Tesuque Formation near Española, NM is not well understood. This region, during the Middle Miocene, represented a dynamic alluvial fan-fluvial-lacustrine environment within the Española Basin while the Rio Grande Rift was active. Cavazza (1986) identified two paleodrainage systems (lithosome A, basin-margin facies and B, basin-floor facies) by means of sandstone and conglomerate petrology, paleocurrent, and sedimentary facies analyses. After x-ray diffraction analyses of claystones within lithosome B, mordenite was discovered, which is a zeolite mineral commonly found within volcanic rocks. This is significant because the presence of mordenite confirms Cavazza’s (1986) conclusion …

‘Untruths And Propaganda’ – Churches Of Christ, Darwinism, And The 1985-1986 Acu Evolution Controversy, Paul A. Anthony

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 1985-1986, Abilene Christian University endured what one observer called the worst attack in “size, nature and intensity” on a university affiliated with Churches of Christ. The flashpoint was whether two biology professors were teaching evolution as fact without refutation. The university denied it, but the controversy raged for two years. Left unanswered was the most basic of questions: Did ACU professors actually teach evolution without a creationist rebuttal? Which leads to another: Why in 1985 – 130 years after the publication of On the Origin of Species and 60 years after ACU had fired a professor who questioned readings …

Biopsychosocial Factors Of Resilience In The Medically Indigent Adult Population, Kaitlin E. Puckett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The medically indigent adult population continues to struggle with the effects of not having insurance coverage, despite the efforts of the Affordable Care Act to provide more affordable healthcare coverage to the population. Based on the United States Census Bureau’s reported population in 2015, an estimated 45 million Americans are without insurance. This study aims to identify and explore the impacts of the biopsychosocial factors of resilience that enable the population to face adversity, stress, and manage distress in the face of trauma (Masten, Best, & Garmezy, 1990; Rutter, 2006; Zimmerman, 2015). Four hypotheses follow a review of literature and …

Substance Use Among College Students: Correlations With Intent To Graduate, Academic Integration, And Social Integration, Cecilia M. Clowdus

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Substance use is one of the greatest concerns for adolescents and emerging adults. The consequences of prolonged substance use can lead to physical, psychological, and financial consequences for those suffering from use as well as their loved ones. One consequence that has not been researched thoroughly is the association between substance use and the decision to leave higher education, which is a decision that could have lasting effects on former students’ ability to obtain satisfactory employment in the future. This research looks at substance use and variables that are associated with the decision to leave college, which are derived from …

Understanding Human Sexuality In John Paul Ii’S Theology Of The Body: An Analysis Of The Historical Development Of Doctrine In The Catholic Tradition, John Segun Odeyemi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The most volatile area of contention in the discourse between a pure secularized world and the Church in contemporary times is located in the area of sexuality, marriage and family life. Modernist and liberal post enlightenment culture accuse the Church to be unchanging, and unreflective of modern ‘personal’ choices in the contested areas of human sexuality. Within the Church, there are voices also who call for ‘developments’ in such areas of doctrine. For over forty years, these conversation has taken on many shades of grey coming to a head with questions of discordancy and same sex unions among other pressing …

Congenic And Functional Analysis Of Rat Mammary Cancer Susceptibility., Saasha Le

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Breast cancer is a complex disease affected by genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors. The genetic architecture of breast cancer comprises of high to low penetrance alleles. Although low penetrance alleles associate with a small change in an individual’s risk to breast cancer, the total number of variants present and the high population frequency attributes to a much greater population based impact compared to rare high penetrance alleles. Animal models have been used to study these low penetrance modifier alleles in breast cancer. Different rat strains vary in their susceptibility to 7,12- dimethybenzanthracene (DMBA) induced mammary carcinogenesis, with the Wistar- Furth …

Assessing Cultural Competence In A Mental Health Outpatient Facility., Alexis N. Keen Crook

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cultural competence is a concept that has been thoroughly investigated in healthcare, but there is a dearth of literature and research on this topic as it pertains to mental health services. In healthcare, research has shown that a lack of cultural competence is directly linked to high levels of misdiagnoses, mistrust of healthcare and professionals, and overall poor health in minority populations. Using the Campinha-Bacote model for cultural competence in health care, I explore how cultural competence is defined and operationalized in an outpatient mental health facility. I hypothesize that, similar to research addressing cultural competency in healthcare systems, cultural …

Impact Of Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate (Egcg), A Broad-Spectrum Anti-Inflammatory, In Controlling Intestinal Factors Contributing To Inflammatory Bowel Disease., Gerald Wayne Dryden, Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the role of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), as a potential treatment for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). IBD is a common disorder that causes a great deal of suffering. Our understanding of the etiologies, pathogenic mechanisms, and treatment targets continues to evolve. Many new therapeutic targets are making their way through the pharmaceutical pipelines. However, not all patients benefit from these therapies. EGCG has long been studied as an anti-cancer agent. Most of our understanding of this compound comes from the oncologic literature. As the pathways of oncology and inflammation converge, new lessons can be taken from the …

Objective Evaluation Of Clinical Shade-Matching Outcomes., Erin Ballard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to objectively evaluate shade-matching outcomes within an academic institution. Using the Spectrophotometer, E was calculated between the reference shade: restoration shade () and restoration shade: prescription shade (). The t-test was used to determine if E maintained clinical acceptance at E: 3.7. Satisfaction with shade-match and need for objective measurement were surveyed using a Five Point Likert Scale. Correlational relationships were assessed via Pearson Correlation. Mean E values were above the acceptance value (pppp

Identification Of Host Factors Required For Yersinia Pestis Macrophage Intracellular Survival And Their Impact On Vacuole Maturation, Acidification And Trafficking., Michael Graylin Connor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Y. pestis is a facultative intracellular pathogen and the causative agent of plague. This bacterium, while most noted or the Black Death during the European 14^th century, is not a historic pathogen but a re-emerging pandemic with both domestic and global impact. Y. pestis is capable of colonizing the macrophage, and actively subverts phagolysosome maturation to establish a replicative niche known as the Yersinia containing vacuole (YCV). The exploited host factors required to support the YCV are unknown. Here we identified a comprehensive list of host factors required for Y. pestis survival through a genome-wide RNAi high-throughput screen. We …

Race, Rebellion, And Arab Muslim Slavery : The Zanj Rebellion In Iraq, 869 - 883 C.E., Nicholas C. Mcleod

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the ninth century, enslaved Africans from the east coast of Africa, called the Zanj, revolted for nearly fifteen years in southern Iraq against their Arab slave masters and challenged the social order of the Abbasid Empire. This thesis is a socio-historical investigation on the role that race played in starting the Zanj Rebellion of 869 C.E. It examines the Arab Islamic slave trade and the racial stratification experienced by blacks in the early centuries of Islamic history in conjunction with the Zanj Rebellion. The thesis applies a structural framework for analyzing race, to demonstrate the racialization process, prevalent racial …

Expression Of Genes For Peptide/Protein Hormones And Their Cognate Receptors In Breast Carcinomas As Biomarkers Predicting Risk Of Recurrence., Michael Wesley Daniels

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Certain hormones and/or receptors influencing normal cellular pathways were detected in breast cancers. The hypothesis is that gene subsets predict risk of breast carcinoma recurrence in patients with primary disease. Gene expression of 55 hormones and 73 receptors were determined by microarray with LCM-procured carcinoma cells of 247 de-identified biopsies. Univariate and multivariate Cox regressions were determined using expression levels of each hormone/receptor gene, individually or as a pair. Significant genes derived for each subset were analyzed to predict risk of cancer recurrence with 1000 LASSO training/test sets. A 14-gene molecular signature was identified for predicting clinical outcome without regard …

Cell-Based Therapies For Ischemic Cardiomyopathy : Investigations Of Intramyocardial Retention And Safety Of High Dose Intracoronary Delivery Of C-Kit Positive Cardiac Progenitor Cells, And Therapeutic Utility Of A Novel Population Of Cardiac Mesenchymal Stem Cells Expressing Stage-Specific Embryonic Antigen-3 (Ssea-3)., Matthew C. L. Keith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the last decade attempts at reducing morbidity and mortality of patients with chronic heart failure have been made via the development and implementation of novel cell based therapies. Substantial advances in cell based therapies with indications of efficacy have been shown along with a robust safety profile. Despite these advances, there is a substantial unmet need for novel therapies, specifically addressing repair and regeneration of the damaged or lost myocardium and its vasculature. Accordingly, cardiac cell-based therapies have gained attention. Various cell-types have been utilized, including bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells, bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells, mobilized CD34⁺ cells, …

A Comparison Of Younger And Older Couples Coping With Breast Cancer : Examining The Relationship Among Mutuality, Dyadic Coping, And Quality Of Life Of Patients And Partners., Chiara Acquati

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background Despite the extensive literature available about the psychosocial adaptation to breast cancer, the experience of younger women and their partners has been mostly neglected by the research. While younger couples have been identified at higher risk because of less collaborative behaviors, higher vulnerability to distress, and poorer quality of life, in most contributions couples are treated as a homogeneous group. This study was then designed to examine the differential impact of the illness on younger dyads, by comparing them to a group of older couples. A significant gap in the literature about dyadic coping was also addressed, which is …

Development And Applications Of Novel Hf-Based Fluorination Reagents : Dmpu-Hf., Otome Elisha Okoromoba

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The utility of fluorine in medicinal and manufacturing chemistry is undisputed. Despite its usefulness, the incorporation of fluorine in organic molecules is not without challenges. Regardless of their electrophilic or nucleophilic nature, most, if not all, fluorinating reagents derive from HF. Nucleophilic reagents are less expensive compared with their counterparts, and many are not commercially available. The Hammond laboratory is interested in developing and applying HF-based fluorination reagents that are cost effective and capable of enhancing both classical and metal based transformations. The following chapters describe some of the applications of our HF-based reagent. Chapter 2 discusses the preparation and …

Claude Cahun, Marcel Moore, And The Collapse Of "Surrealist Photography"., Elizabeth Ann Driscoll Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis probes the photographic oeuvre of Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore and their interpretation of Freudian fetishism. Cahun and Moore rework Freud’s theory to disrupt and invalidate various symbols conventionally associated with sexual difference, examining social, fictional, and historical dimensions of gendering and the shift that occurs when their parameters disintegrate. The first section examines the lovers’ portraiture and use of clothing—specifically the androgyny of early-twentieth century Paris fashion—in order to demarcate same-sex gaze, desire, and fetish. The second section covers the four years in which Cahun and Moore’s participation in the Paris Surrealist circles can be traced—from 1933 …

Environmental Vegetation : A Possible Association With Cardiovascular Disease Risk., Ray Anthony Yeager Ii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The built environment affects numerous aspects of human health and wellbeing, including risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in both the U.S. and worldwide. The amount and quality of environmental vegetation, is an important aspect of the built environment that affects known CVD risk factors, including psychosocial stress, health behaviors, and exposure to air pollutants. Nevertheless, little evidence on the role of potential mechanisms and geographic scale in these relationships exists. Of previous studies that describe associations between vegetation and CVD outcomes, limited investigation has been performed to assess these observed relationships in differing …

Modification Of T9ss Cargo Proteins Of Porphyromonas Gingivalis For Their Secretion In Soluble Form And Purification By Affinity Chromatography., Apoorv Goel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Porphyromonas gingivalis, a keystone-pathogen associated with periodontitis, utilizes the Type IX Secretion System (T9SS) to secrete proteins bearing the conserved C-terminal domain (CTD), many of which are essential virulence factors. These include, besides gingipains and PPAD, 29 other proteins. During or after the outer membrane translocation the CTD is cleaved off and a glycan moiety is covalently attached anchoring the secreted proteins at the bacterial cell surface. Objective: Most of the CTD bearing proteins have only hypothetical functions assigned. It is plausible that these CTD bearing proteins may also play a crucial role in P. gingivalis pathogenesis. Therefore, …

Tobacco-Gene Activity Profile In Porphyromonas Gingivalis, Filifactor Alocis And Treponema Denticola., Neelima Chowdary Cherukumalli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Smoking is an established risk factor for periodontitis. Prior studies have shown that cigarette smoke extract (CSE) can induce profound phenotypic changes in Porphyromonas gingivalis and alters the virulence of this important periodontal pathogen. We hypothesized that CSE might also alter gene expression in established periodontal pathogens, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Treponema denticola, as well as in the emerging pathogen, Filifactor alocis. Oral bacteria were grown in CSE-conditioned medium (1000 ng/ml nicotine equivalents) or in unconditioned control medium. Total RNA was extracted and CSE-regulated genes were identified by comparison of the mRNA profiles of CSE with control cultures using RNA-Seq …

The Impact Of Medicaid Expansion On Utilization Of Mental Health Services In West Louisville, Kentucky., Susan Theresa Buchino

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mental health is an essential component of overall health status, and mental illnesses are a leading cause of disability. In addition to expanding insurance coverage, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) reinforced parity for mental health services in insurance plans. This mixed-methods study assessed mental health service utilization by an urban and predominately African-American population following the successful implementation of the ACA and Medicaid expansion in Louisville, KY. Claims data from one Medicaid Managed Care Organization were analyzed to assess mental health care utilization patterns pre- and post- Medicaid expansion and determine differences in utilization rates between the Medicaid expansion population …

Site Responsibility : Eco-Art And Environmental Ethics In The Anthropocene., Nicholas Flint Collins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation proposes an interdisciplinary theory for examining the ethical dimensions of contemporary eco-art, based on the conceptual interplay between the art historical discourse of site specificity and philosophy of environmental ethics. It considers how eco-art redefines site specificity as eco-ethically-oriented site reform, and argues that eco-artists’ site-reformative actions are not only environmentally impactful and beneficial, but are also site-responsible because they realize humankinds’ moral obligations to respond to the human-caused ecological crises of the present by improving the degraded conditions of specific sites and amending site-destructive conduct. Site-reformative eco-artworks in turn yield variable propositional content that demonstrates site responsibility …