Digital Commons Network^™

Bloodlines, Pamela Toner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

"Bloodlines" is a collection of personal essays that focus on the process of remembering, imagining, and reflecting on the past through the lens of a perpetually shifting present. They consider situations ranging from mental and physical illnesses, from cancer to alcohol addiction, to career changes, to the often dysfunctional and displaced family ties that distance and adulthood have not severed. In "Searching," I write the narrative of the ongoing search for my birthmother, and how the search complicates the relationship with my adoptive mother, who always feared she’d lose me. Similarly, "Of Flesh and Blood" recounts and negotiates how hereditary …

The Relationship Between Resiliency In Rural African American Male Youth And Their Awareness Of Citizenship Practices, Karen Judd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Effective citizenship practice in the United States has several important characteristics, which can provide the foundation for young people to access opportunity in employment and education. A continuum of policies, programs, and strategies meant to alleviate poverty have central themes of providing education and vocational opportunities, and yet large numbers of young minority people remain disenfranchised with no chance to succeed. There is even greater loss in the population of African American males who otherwise could achieve stable and strong economic life styles. Large unemployment and under-employment of African American males is documented through U.S. data sources where declining rates …

Characterization And Evaluation Of The Immunogenizity Of Chloroplast-Derived 19-Kilodalton C-Terminal Merozoite Surface Antigen 1 (Msp1) Of Plasmodium Yoelii Yoelii, Sushamadevi Kamarajugadda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Malaria is a protozoan disease caused in humans by four different species of the genus Plasmodium (P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, P. malarie) and in rodents by Plasmodium yoelii yoelii. It has been reported that 1.5 to 3 million deaths occur worldwide due to malaria and the DALY (Daily affected life years) reports about 0.76% of world population affected by the disease in some of the major countries like Africa, Asia, Latin America etc., Due to the development of resistance to drugs by the parasite, there is an urgent need and prime importance for the development of an effective …

Expression Of Heterologous Proteins In Transgenic Tobacco Chloroplasts To Produce A Biopharmaceutical And Biopolymer, Andrew Leon Devine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The chloroplast has been demonstrated to be an ideal compartment to accumulate certain proteins or their biosynthetic products that would be harmful if they were accumulated in the cytoplasm. Hyper-expression of foreign proteins in chloroplast transgenics has accumulated up to 46% total soluble protein, this is possible due to the ~100 chloroplast genomes per chloroplast and ~100 chloroplasts per cell which can therefore, contain up to 10,000 copies of the transgene. Maternal gene inheritance of plastids in most crop plants results in natural gene containment. Chloroplast transformation also eliminates positional effects that are frequently observed with nuclear transformation and no …

Limnological And Landscape Factors Affecting Use Of Manufactured Ponds By The Invasive Cuban Treefrog (Osteopilus Septentrionalis), Terina Nusinov

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Exotic amphibians are often detrimental to native biotas. In Florida, the exotic Cuban Treefrog (Osteopilus septentrionalis) eats native frogs and may outcompete them for resources. Cuban Treefrogs thrive in disturbed areas and around buildings, and often breed in manufactured wetlands such as retention ponds and borrow pits. This study identified limnological, landscape, and biotic characteristics that discouraged pond use by Cuban Treefrogs and promoted use by native amphibian species. I sampled natural and manufactured ponds in Orange County, Florida, for one year, using standard methods to estimate the species richness and relative abundance of amphibians and their potential fish and …

Is The Exotic Brazilian Pepper, Schinus Terebinthifolius, A Threat To Mangrove Ecosystems In Florida?, Melinda Donnelly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mangrove ecosystems are critical to Florida, providing economic resources to humans, and untold ecological resources to estuarine organisms. In Florida's estuaries, mangrove ecosystems have suffered significant losses due to natural and human disturbances; these disturbances potentially leave mangrove communities vulnerable to invasion by the opportunistic exotic, Schinus terebinthifolius (Brazilian pepper). Prior experiments have suggested that Schinus terebinthifolius is unable to survive under marine conditions and poses no long term threat to mangrove systems. However, this contradicts field observations where Schinus terebinthifolius was found growing in the intertidal zone of Mosquito Lagoon alongside three native species of mangroves, Rhizophora mangle, Avicennia …

Predicting Risks Of Invasion Of Caulerpa Species In Florida, Christian Glardon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Invasions of exotic species are one of the primary causes of biodiversity loss on our planet (National Research Council 1995). In the marine environment, all habitat types including estuaries, coral reefs, mud flats, and rocky intertidal shorelines have been impacted (e.g. Bertness et al. 2001). Recently, the topic of invasive species has caught the public's attention. In particular, there is worldwide concern about the aquarium strain of the green alga Caulerpa taxifolia (Vahl) C. Agardh that was introduced to the Mediterranean Sea in 1984 from the Monaco Oceanographic Museum. Since that time, it has flourished in thousands of hectares of …

Looking Through Rose Colored Glasses:The Media's Influence On Perceptions Of Romance And Marriage, Brianne Straub

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between different media and expectations about romantic relationships and marriage. Participants were asked to complete a survey that measured different romantic constructs and the types of media exposures on a daily and weekly basis. The variables were measured to determine the effect the media play in a person's perceptions on romantic relationships and marriage. The results of the study concluded that although general television viewing does not predict perceptions about romance and marriage, the romantic genre of television programs as well as magazines do have a role in predicting romantic perceptions.

Regulation Of Apoptotic Alkalinization Through Phosphorylation Of Sodium Hydrogen Exchanger Via P38 Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase, Amy Greinier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Regulation of intracellular pH is responsible for many cellular processes, such as metabolism, cell cycle progression, and apoptosis. Many chemotherapeutic agents work by inducing target cells to undergo apoptosis, a cell death process still poorly understood. Previous studies demonstrated that a rise in intracellular pH activated apoptotic proteins leading to cytochrome C release. This "apoptotic alkalinization" occurred upon activation of the plasma membrane protein, sodium hydrogen exchanger-1 (NHE1), whose activity is regulated by the stress kinase p38 MAPK. In previous studies, upon cytokine withdrawal from cytokine-dependent lymphocytes induced the activity of the p38 MAP kinase which then phosphorylated the C-terminus …

On Modeling Hiv Infection Of Cd4+ T Cells, Amy Comerford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We examine an early model for the interaction of HIV with CD4+ T cells in vivo and define possible parameters and effects of said parameters on the model. We then examine a newer, more simplified model for the interaction of HIV with CD4+ T cells that also considers four populations: uninfected T cells, latently infected T cells, actively infected T cells, and free virus. The stability of both the disease free steady state and the endemically infected steady state are examined utilizing standard methods and the Routh-Hurwitz criteria. We show that if N, the number of infectious virions produced per …

Predation On The Eastern Oyster Crassostrea Virginica On Intertidal Reefs Affected By Recreational Boating, Jennifer Stiner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Widely regarded as a keystone species and ecosystem engineer, the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica plays a vital role in estuarine environments. Complex, three-dimensional oyster reefs act as havens for biodiversity and contribute to ecological processes. Recently, concern for this resource has arisen in Mosquito Lagoon, Florida, the southernmost limit along the Atlantic coast for undisturbed, intertidal reefs of C. virginica. Since the 1990s, intense recreational boating activity has caused atypical dead margins (mounds of disarticulated shells) to emerge on the seaward edges of oyster reefs located along major navigational channels. Once dead margins are formed, little is known about their …

Reproductive Delay In The Female Cape Ground Squirrel (Xerus Inauris), Beth Pettitt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Cape ground squirrel, Xerus inauris, is a highly social cooperative breeder that forms groups containing multiple breeding females. While the distribution of reproduction among group members is fairly even (i.e. exhibits low reproductive skew), previous studies of Cape ground squirrels suggest the reproductive development of sub-adult females is inhibited by the presence of adult breeding female group mates. As reproductive delay is known to be influenced by a number of different parameters, my goal was to determine if other factors affected the timing of sexual maturity, and if so, which factors are the most influential. In this study, I …

Expression And Characterization Of Mycobacterium Paratuberculosis 19kda With Posttranslational Modification, Mitra Safavi-Khasraghi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite the fact that E. coli supports limited posttranslational modification, this bacterium has been universally used as the expression system of choice. Expression of modified proteins in E. coli may lead to expression of recombinant proteins that lack essential immunomodulatory or catalytic components essentials for infectious processes. Previously in our laboratory, pMptb#28 plasmid containing a 4.8 kb insert from M. paratuberculosis has been identified which expressed 16 kDa recombinant protein in E. coli and 19 kDa recombinant protein in Mycobacterium smegmatis. The objective of this study is to identify the ORF sequence, investigate possible posttranslational modification and characterize the protein …

Silent Outsiders: Searching For Queer Identity In Composition Readers, Travis Duncan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study searches twenty composition readers' table of contents for the degree of inclusivity of queer people and issues. Four means of erasure are labeled as possible erasing of queer identity: presuming heteronormativity, overt homophobia, perpetuating tokenism, and pathologizing queer identity. The presence of other differences are compared to the number of times that queer identity is referenced in the table of contents. The final portion of the analysis examines the two most inclusive composition readers to understand more clearly how the readers present queer individuals and issues. In a sense, I want to explore the question of how often …

Monitoring A Potentially Stressful Situation In Captive Western Lowland Gorillas (Gorilla Gorilla Gorilla) Through Analysis Of Behavior And Urinary Cortisol, Douglas Skurski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The concept of quantifying animal welfare has received much discussion, in various industries such as agriculture, laboratory, and zoological facilities. Behavioral, physical, and physiological indicators of welfare have previously been used to assess animal welfare; each having advantages and disadvantages, ranging from the practicality of data collection, to the validity of the data and how it is interpreted. Concurrent assessment of multiple measures is a more robust way to examine animal welfare, which utilizes the advantages of each measure, and provides additional information on which to base conclusions and animal care management decisions. This study used measures of behavior and …

Testing The Peninsula Effect: Does It Affect Freshwater Crustaceans Inhabiting Ephemeral Wetlands On Florida's Ridges?, Debra Rinne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The peninsula effect is a pattern of diversity wherein species richness decreases along a peninsula from base to tip and is attributed to three mechanisms: historical processes, habitat gradients, and immigration-extinction equilibrium. Numerous studies have reported conflicting results involving the existence, cause, and validity of the peninsula effect in part because they did not account for effects of history or habitat on species richness patterns and because most previous research focused on organisms that actively disperse, which could confound results with behavioral habitat selection. Florida poses an excellent opportunity to study the peninsula effect because of its geological history and …

Exploring The Relationship Between Intimate Partner Violence And Hiv Risk Propensity In African American Women, Lauren Lois Josephs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the relationship between Intimate Partner Violence and HIV Risk-Propensity in African-American women. Current literature on HIV reveals that one of the groups most seriously impacted by the continued scourge of HIV is African-American heterosexual women. An anonymous questionnaire was completed by a community based sample of 200 African American women with a varied history of intimate partner violence to (1) explore whether a relationship exists between Intimate Partner Violence and sexual coercion in African-American women (2) determine whether a relationship exists between sexual coercion and HIV Risk in African-American women (3) determine if the frequency of intimate …

Bioinformatic Analysis Of Solanaceae Chloroplast Genomes And Characterization Of An Arabidopsis Protein Disulfide Isomerase In Transgenic Tobacco Chloroplasts, Justin James Grevich

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Throughout history, traditional plant breeding has been used to provide resistance to pests, disease and other forms of environmental stress, as well as to increase yield and improve upon quality and processing attributes. Over the last decade, the advancement in sequencing technology and bioinformatic analysis has unleashed a wealth of knowledge about chloroplast genetic organization and evolution. The lack of complete plastid genome sequences is one of the major limitations in advancing plastid genetic engineering to other useful crops. This is due to the fact that plastid genome sequences are essential for the identification of endogenous regulatory sequences and optimal …

Studies On The Novel Function Of Amyloid Precursor Protein In Glial Differentiation Of Neural Stem Cells, Young-Don Kwak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although amyloid β (Aβ) deposition has been a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the physiological function of amyloid precursor protein (APP) is not clear. Our results suggested that high concentration of APP induces glial differentiation while physiological level of APP promotes migration and differentiation of neural stem cell (HNSC). HNSCs were mainly differentiated into astrocytes when they are transplanted into APP transgenic mouse brain or treated with a high concentration of secreted-type APP (sAPP) in culture. Staurosporine (STS) induced a distinctive astrocytic morphology in NT-2/D1 neural progenitor cells with expressions of APP and astrocyte-specific markers, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), …

Effects Of Patch Size And Matrix Type On Bird Assemblages Within Central Florida Cypress Domes, Julia Noran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The numerous studies on the effects of patch size on bird assemblages have produced varied results. I studied the effects of patch size and surrounding matrix on bird assemblages within central Florida cypress domes. My null hypothesis was that bird assemblages within cypress domes are unaffected by dome size or development in the matrix around the dome. My alternative hypothesis was that differences in bird assemblages are correlated with size and the degree of development within the matrix. I classified a pool of over a thousand domes according to three size categories and four matrix types. Three representatives for each …

Identifying Factors That Influence Gender Disparities In Physician Income: Implications For Public Policy, Wendy Bolyard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research has shown that female physicians continue to earn less than their male counterparts. From both social justice and feminist perspectives, laws requiring equal pay should provide just income for females as compared to males. However, the literature continues to indicate that in general females earn less than males, a trend that is also true for physicians. Theoretically informed postulates are measured here with structural equation modeling to test the influence of the unique latent construct "specialization" on the income gap while controlling for demographic and contextual variables. The analysis tests the assumption that the influence of specialization is the …

Phospholipase A2mechanism Of Interfacial Activation,An Interdiscliplinary Approach, Kathleen N. Nemec

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) is an enzyme that hydrolyzes the sn-2-ester bond of membrane phospholipids and liberates arachidonic acid, which is converted to eicosanoids that act as potent mediators of inflammation and allergy. As such this enzyme plays a crucial role in many homeostatic physiological and immunologic processes and disease progression. PLA2s undergo substantial increase in activity upon binding to cellular membranes. This effect of interfacial activation is well recognized, yet its structural and physical aspects are poorly understood. In this work, we have employed the interdisciplinary methods of molecular biology, biochemistry, biophysics, bioinformatics and computational biology, in order to elucidate …

Wikipdf - A Tool To Help Scientists Understand The Literature Of The Biological, Health, And Life Sciences, David Calloway

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Biological sciences literature can be extraordinarily difficult to understand. Papers are commonly filled with terminology unique to a particular sub-discipline. Readers with expertise outside that sub-discipline often have difficulty understanding information the author is trying to convey. The WikiPDF project that is the subject of this thesis helps readers understand the biological sciences literature by automatically generating a customized glossary for each page of any technical paper available in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) format. WikiPDF relies on the Wikipedia®, an on-line encyclopedia created and supported by a host of volunteers, as a source of definitions used in its glossaries. …

The Sociopolitical Construction Of Race And Literary Representations Of The Biracial Subject, Kara Fontenot

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Twentieth-century American literature incorporates interracial and biracial themes that bring to light the often unnamed and unrecognized biracial identities of many Americans. Unfortunately, despite the potential value for a deeper understanding of the construction of race, these themes have seldom been seriously considered in the context of reevaluating the nature of the system that creates racial labels and categories until the recent emergence of postmodern critical theories. This thesis examines the black-white interracial themes and biracial protagonists in Nella Larsen's Quicksand (1928) and Danzy Senna's Caucasia (1998) in order to explore the texts' representations of systems of hegemonic power that …

Sustaining Child Outcomes From The Early Childhood Initiative Project: Evaluation Of School Age Developmentally Appropriate Practices, Amy Crans-Stafford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research has shown that high quality early childcare can provide positive changes in children's academic, social, and behavioral development. These positive early experiences are essential for children who are at developmental risk. Unfortunately, the positive outcomes from early education programs often diminish or disappear over time. Research has clearly shown the benefits of developmentally appropriate, high quality early childhood intervention. However, limited research has been conducted on the influence of developmentally appropriate practices on child outcomes during the early elementary school years. The purpose of this study was to examine the outcome of DAP from children who were enrolled in …

Federal Policy Responses To The 9/11 Attacks: An Assessment Of The Policy Making Process Since September 11, 2001, Ian J. Harlow

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Directly following the September 11, 2001 attacks, the United States government initiated a self study to determine how it could better prevent, prepare for, and respond to terrorist attacks within its boarders. After only a short time, the public policy response began to occur. The main question that this research attempted to address was if the United States government's public policy response, through public laws, was adequate and appropriate to address the threat of a terrorist attack on the United States involving nuclear weapons.

The research first addressed and categorized the types of threats that involved nuclear terrorism and its …

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa 1244 Pilin Glycosylation: Substrate Specificity, Glycan Functionality, And Application For Vaccine Development, Joseph Horzempa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pseudomonas aeruginosa expresses type IV pili, which are polymeric fibrous surface appendages extending from the poles of the cell that function in adhesion and surface motility. The monomeric pilus subunit, pilin, of P. aeruginosa 1244 is glycosylated with an oligosaccharide that is structurally identical to the O-antigen repeating unit of this organism. Work presented here identifies the pilin structures necessary for glycosylation. Results suggested that the C-terminal Ser of pilin is the major glycosylation recognition feature, and this residue cannot be substituted at its carboxyl group. While no other specific recognition features are present, the pilin surface must be compatible …

An Analysis Of Perfusion Technology Preadmission Factors On Academic Success And American Board Of Cardiovascular Perfusion Certification Achievement, David Palmer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This retrospective study was designed to evaluate the contribution of grade point average (GPA) and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) practical scores toward predicting perfusion academic success, career placement as a clinical perfusionist, and certification success or failure. The files of 95 students enrolled in the perfusion technology program at Carlow University-University of Pittsburgh Medical Center School of Cardiovascular Perfusion (CARLOW-UPMC) from 1995 through 2005 were reviewed to obtain admission and academic data. The independent variables used were WAIS-R practical results for the picture completion (PC), picture arrangement (PA), block design (BD), object assembly (OA) and digit symbol (DS) …

Interprofessional Collaboration Between Criminal Justice And Mental Health Practitioners Regarding Mentally Ill Offenders: Perception Of Collaboration, Christopher Sharp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The federal program of deinstitutionalizing psychiatric facilities has resulted in a well documented, ever-increasing mentally ill population in the nation's prisons and jails. Historically, the criminal justice system has maintained a laissez-faire attitude toward the mentally ill, and only became involved with the mentally ill when a crime had been committed. As such, the President's Mental Health and Criminal Justice Consensus Project was developed to explore ways that the two systems could work together to address the growing problem of the mentally ill offender. However, challenges arise because the criminal justice system has typically been viewed as a loosely coupled, …

Notopleural Mutations Enhance Defects In Imaginal Disc Epithelial Morphogenesis And Macrochete Elongation Associated With Mutations In The Stubble-Stubbloid Locus, Robert Ruggiero

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Stubble-stubbloid locus encodes a transmembrane serine protease (Stubble) necessary for the proper formation of sensory bristles, and the morphogenesis of leg and wing epithelia. Genetic and cell biological analysis indicate a role for Stubble in actin cytoskeletal dynamics and cell shape changes in developing epithelia and bristles. Previously reported genetic interactions between Stubble and the Rho1 signaling pathway suggest Stubble influences actin cytoskeleton dynamics in developing imaginal discs through interactions with the Rho1 pathway. This work will discuss a genetic screen conducted to further investigate the role of Stubble in bristle and imaginal disc morphogenesis. From 50,000 EMS-mutagenized chromosomes …