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Effects Of Evaluative Feedback On Math Self-Efficacy, Grade Self-Efficacy, And Math Achievement Of Ninth Grade Algebra Students : A Longitudinal Approach., Deborah June Burnett Thompson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The double-blind study used two intact ninth grade high school Algebra One classes for a total sample size of 46. Within each of the classes the participants were assigned randomly to one of three treatment groups: self-referenced feedback, social-referenced feedback, and a control group. Self-referenced feedback compared the student's performance to his or her previous performances. Social-referenced feedback compared the student's performance to that of the other students in the class. The control group did not receive comparative feedback but innocuous comments such as "study your notes before class." Six measurements of math self-efficacy, grade self-efficacy, and math achievement were …

Microtacks For Retinal Implant Applications., Scott Douglas Cambron 1980-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) and retinitis pigmentosa (RP) are the two leading causes of blindness in the world today. Despite enormous efforts and advances in clinical treatment of eye diseases, there is no established method or cure of degenerative processes in the eye, such as ARMD and RP. In these disorders, the primary cause of blindness is due to the loss of photoreceptors, however, the remaining conductive neural pathways in the inner retina are still intact and functional. As a result, the University of Louisville in collaboration with the Center of Innovative Visual Rehabilitation at the Eye and Ear Infirmary …

Investigation Of Head And Neck Injury Risk Associated With Short-Distance Falls In 12 Month Old Children., Angela J. Knight

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the risk of severe head and neck injury in short distance falls for a 12-month-old child. A series of free falls and falls from standing were experimentally simulated using an instrumented anthropomorphic test device (ATD) representing a 12-month-old child. Three different falls heights, five different impact surfaces, and two levels of joint stiffness were tested to determine their effect on injury risk. Linear head accelerations were measured and angular head accelerations were calculated using the base of the neck as the pivot point. Head Injury Criteria (HIC) values and impact durations were …

Dxa Measurements Using A Micro Computed Tomograph System., James Bryant May 1981-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The field of bone densitometry has grown rapidly, particularly in the past 15 years. Many techniques are now available from which the physician may choose. The focus of this research is on Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA) and Quantitative Computed Tomography (QCT). The basic principle involving DXA is the ability to quantify the degree of attenuation of an energy beam after passage through bone and soft tissue. The X-ray tubes used with DXA narrow the energy beam to produce two distinct photoelectric peaks necessary to separate bone from soft tissue. Although QCT is a photon absorptiometric technique like DXA, it is …

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 …

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 …

Correlation Of Rpob Gene Mutation With Clinical Rifabutin And Rifampicin Resistance For Treatment Of Crohn's Disease, Daniel Beckler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Emerging rise in microbial drug resistance and the slow-growing characteristic of some intracellular pathogens such as MAP (Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis) strongly urges the need for an effective approach for unconventional drug susceptibility testing. We designed a molecular-based PCR method for the evaluation of rifabutin (RFB) and rifampicin (RIF) resistance based on probable determinant regions within the rpoB gene of MAP, including the 81 bp variable site located between nucleotides 1363 and 1443. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for RIF was also determined against 10 MAP isolates in attempt to seek correlation with rpoB sequences. We determined that MAP strain …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Seasonal And Diel Patterns Of Manatee Habitat Use, Monica Ann Ross

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

State and Federal agencies have created sanctuaries and speed zones to help reduce manatee mortality while incorporating the recreational and commercial resource needs of these same habitats for humans. Specific habitat resources are considered necessary to increase manatee survivorship. We have only recently begun to address how manatees use some of these resources based on physiological or reproductive strategies. In this study, I quantified patterns of habitat use during seasonal and diel periods for different sex and reproductive manatee classes using data from a radio-telemetry study conducted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission during 1991-1996. I used five …

Mechanisms Promoting Phosphorylation Of The Nf2 Tumor Suppressor And Its Effects On Schwann Cell Development, Courtney Lynn Thaxton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Neurofibromatosis type 2 is an autosomal dominant disease characterized by the formation of schwannomas and other peripheral neuropathies. The nf2 gene encodes the protein Schwannomin, or merlin. Schwannomin (Sch) is a membrane-cytoskeletal linking protein that suppresses cell proliferation at high cell density and modulates cell shape. Sch's tumor suppressive activity is regulated by its localization, conformation, and phosphorylation at serine 518 (S518). Sch's localization is dependent on binding the scaffold protein, paxillin. Phosphorylation of Sch at S518 regulates its conformation and tumor suppressor function. In a negative feedback loop, unphosphorylated Sch restricts cell proliferation downstream of Rac and p21-activated kinase …

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 …

Glutamate Excitotoxicity In Epilepsy And Ischemia, Mangala Meenakshi Soundarapandian

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

'Excitotoxicity' represents the excitatory amino acid mediated degeneration of neurons. Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain. Glutamate excitotoxicity has been implicated in a number of neurodegenerative disorders like Stroke, Epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease and traumatic brain injury. This neurotoxicity is summed up by the 'glutamate hypothesis' which describes the cause of neuronal cell death as an excessive release of glutamate causing over excitation of the glutamate receptors and subsequent increase in influx of calcium leading to cell death. An effort to counteract this neurotoxicity has lead to the development of glutamate receptor antagonists that can effectively serve as …

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 …

Helical Packing Regulates Structural Transitions In Bax, Nuska Tschammer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Apoptosis is essential for development and the maintenance of cellular homeostasis and is frequently dysregulated in disease states. Proteins of the BCL-2 family are key modulators of this process and are thus ideal therapeutic targets. In response to diverse apoptotic stimuli, the pro-apoptotic member of BCL-2 family, BAX, redistributes from the cytosol to the mitochondria or endoplasmic reticulum and primes cells for death. The structural changes that enable this lethal protein to transition from a cytosolic form to a membrane-bound form remain poorly understood. Elucidating this process is a necessary step in the development of BAX as a novel therapeutic …

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 …

Regulation Of Steroid Sulfatase By Glucocorticoids In Human Breast Cancer And Bone Cancer Cell Lines, Suman Barua

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Steroid sulfatase is an enzyme involved in the conversion of active estrogens and androgens from inactive systemic precursors such as estrone sulfate (E1S) and dehydropiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS). This protein is known to play a role in the fetal-adrenal endocrine axis during pregnancy and it is suspected to have additional physiological functions. Steroid sulfatase has also been implicated in stimulation of hormone-dependent cancers; consequently, a substantial amount of research has been undertaken to develop inhibitors of this enzyme. By comparison, relatively little is known about the regulation of steroid sulfatase. Previous work in our lab had suggested that glucocorticoids may affect …

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 …

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 …

Fate Of The Vegetal Yolky Cells In The Direct Developing Frog Eleutherodactylus Coqui, Uma Karadge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Puerto Rican tree frog, Eleutherodactylus coqui, is a striking example of a deviation from the indirect mode of development among amphibians. E. coqui does not have an intermediate tadpole stage. It hatches out directly as a free-living froglet, deriving nutrition from the yolky material attached to its intestine. The innermost of the three germ layers, the endoderm, forms the lining of the gut. In the amphibian model Xenopus laevis, the endoderm originates from the vegetal hemisphere. The cells, which are originally present on the vegetal surface of the embryo, end up forming the definitive gut. They, thus, provide nutrition …

Modeling And Partitioning The Nucleotide Evolutionary Process For Phylogenetic And Comparative Genomic Inference, Todd Castoe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The transformation of genomic data into functionally relevant information about the composition of biological systems hinges critically on the field of computational genome biology, at the core of which lies comparative genomics. The aim of comparative genomics is to extract meaningful functional information from the differences and similarities observed across genomes of different organisms. We develop and test a novel framework for applying complex models of nucleotide evolution to solve phylogenetic and comparative genomic problems, and demonstrate that these techniques are crucial for accurate comparative evolutionary inferences. Additionally, we conduct an exploratory study using vertebrate mitochondrial genomes as a model …

The Response Of A General Circulation Climate Model Tohigh Latitude Freshwater Forcing In The Atlantic Basinwith Respect Totropi, Victor Paulis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current cycle of climate change along with increases in hurricane activity, changing precipitation patterns, glacial melt, and other extremes of weather has led to interest and research into the global correlation or teleconnection between these events. Examination of historical climate records, proxies and observations is leading to formulation of hypotheses of climate dynamics with modeling and simulation being used to test these hypotheses as well as making projections. Ocean currents are believed to be an important factor in climate change with thermohaline circulation (THC) fluctuations being implicated in past cycles of abrupt change. Freshwater water discharge into high-latitude oceans …

The Relative Sensitivity Of An Olfactory Identification Deficit In Individuals With Schizotypal Personality Features, Vidyulata Kamath

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Olfactory identification deficits have received recent attention as a potentially useful endophenotype for schizophrenia. Examination of this deficit in individuals with schizotypal personality features (SPF) offers an alternative approach to multiple confounds present when examining individuals with schizophrenia. The aim of the current study was to compare the relative sensitivity of performance on measures of olfaction identification and sustained attention to the presence of SPF. Twenty-six undergraduates were defined as having SPF based on scoring in the top 10% of the Abbreviated Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ-B; mean age 19.6, SD = 1.1; 62% female). These individuals were compared to twenty-six …

An Examination Of The Effectiveness Of The Adomian Decomposition Method In Fluid Dynamic Applications, Sonia Holmquist

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since its introduction in the 1980's, the Adomian Decomposition Method (ADM) has proven to be an efficient and reliable method for solving many types of problems. Originally developed to solve nonlinear functional equations, the ADM has since been used for a wide range of equation types (like boundary value problems, integral equations, equations arising in flow of incompressible and compressible fluids etc...). This work is devoted to an evaluation of the effectiveness of this method when used for fluid dynamic applications. In particular, the ADM has been applied to the Blasius equation, the Falkner-Skan equation, and the Orr-Sommerfeld equation. This …