Digital Commons Network^™

Characterization Of A Novel Interactor/Substrate For The Pro-Apoptotic Serine Protease Omi/Htra2, Valerie Anne Stratico

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

OmiHtrA2 is a highly conserved mammalian serine protease that belongs to the HtrA family of proteins. Omi shares homology with the bacterially expressed heat shock protease HtrA, which functions as a protease at higher temperatures and a chaperone at lower temperatures. Additionally, Omi shares sequence similarity with the mammalian homologs L56/HtrA1 and PRSP/HtrA3. Omi was first isolated as an interacting protein of Mxi2, an alternatively spliced form of the p38 stress-activated kinase, using a modified yeast two-hybrid system. Omi localizes in the mitochondria and in response to apoptotic stimuli the mature form of this protein translocates to the cytoplasm. In …

Factors Associated With Retention Rates In Career And Technical Educat, Jo Ann Whiteman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is a recognized state and national shortage of Career and Technical (CTE) teachers; in certain school districts or by subject area, it is defined as a "Critical Shortage". At the same time, both statewide and nationally, the number of teacher preparation programs for Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers has decreased. To alleviate the shortage and increase access many Career and Technical Education (CTE) teacher preparation programs use the web. This study examined retention rates in courses from Fall 1997 through Fall 2003 within web-based courses in a CTE teacher preparation program at the University of Central Florida to …

Predicting Licensing Examination Performance With Cognitive Style And Reactive Behavior Pattern Assessments, Daniel Paul Combs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Candidates for Florida real estate sales associate licensure responded to a two-part questionnaire based on William A. Long’s Reactive Behavior Patterns Theory and Robert J. Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory of Intelligence. Examination scores were converted to a dichotomous pass/fail variable based on the Florida Real Estate Commission-mandated cut-off score of 75 correctly answered questions out of 100. The candidates’ responses to the questionnaire comprising the Long-Dziuban Inventory and the Cognitive Strengths Task List based on Sternberg’s theory, were crosstabulated with pass/fail to identify differential passing proportions, if any, based on reactive behavior pattern and/or cognitive strength. An ANOVA procedure was used …

Polarimetric Characterization Of Random Electromagnetic Beams And Applications, Mircea Mujat

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Polarimetry is one of the principal means of investigating the interaction of light with matter. Theoretical models and experimental techniques are presented in this dissertation for polarimetric characterization of random electromagnetic beams and of signatures of random media in different scattering regimes and configurations. The degree of polarization rather than the full description of the state of polarization is of interest in multiple scattering and free space propagation where the statistical nature and not the deterministic component of light bears the relevant information. A new interferometric technique for determining the degree of polarization by measuring the intensity fluctuations in a …

The United Nations Fund For Population Activities: Changing The Direction Of The Total Fertility Rate In Developing Nations, Michaela Fazecas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis builds on previous United Nations’ research investigating factors affecting the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in six (6) states: Burkina Faso, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, the Philippines, and Uganda. The present research, however, provides a broader assessment of the TFR and the potential causes of its decline by examining countries across nine (9) regions of the world – sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, South Asia, East Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, the Caribbean, the Pacific Islands, Eastern and Southeastern Europe, and the former Soviet Socialist Republics of the Commonwealth of Independent States. The present analyses are also conducted over …

Stability And Recovery Of Rna In Biological Stains, Mindy Eileen Setzer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In theory, RNA expression patterns, including the presence and relative abundance of particular RNA species, provide cell and tissue specific information that could be of use to forensic scientists. An mRNA based approach could allow the facile identification of the tissue components present in a body fluid stain and conceivably could supplant the battery of serological and biochemical tests currently employed in the forensic serology laboratory. Some of the potential advantages include greater test specificity, and the ability to perform simultaneous analysis using a common assay format for the presence of all body fluids of forensic interest. In this report, …

A Study Of The Influence Vocational Education Has On Students' Ultimate Academic Success, Margaret Mary Gunderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine if vocational/business education has an influence on a student's ultimate academic achievement--high school graduation. This study consists of comparing students with no vocational/business education experiences to students with some degree of vocational/business education. The cohort group started high school during the 1999-2000 school year, had earned a GPA of 2.5 or lower at the end of the freshman year (May 2000) and finished high school prior to the start of the 2003-2004 school year. There were 322 students identified in the initial cohort group. In completing this study, the following procedures were …

Effects Of Simultaneous Exercise And Speech Tasks On The Perception Of, Heather Koblick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of voice production and perception of dyspnea in aerobic instructors during simultaneous tasks of exercise and speech production. The study aimed to document changes that occur during four conditions: 1) voice production without exercise and no use of amplification; 2) voice production without exercise and the use of amplification; 3) voice production during exercise without the use of amplification; 4) voice production during exercise with the use of amplification. Participants included ten aerobic instructors (two male and eight female). The dependent variables included vocal intensity, average fundamental frequency (F0), noise-to-harmonic …

Improving Metacomprehension And Learning Through Graduated Concept Mod, Eleni Kring

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mental model development, deeper levels of information processing, and elaboration are critical to learning. More so, individuals' metacomprehension accuracy is integral to making improvements to their knowledge base. In other words, without an accurate perception of their knowledge on a topic, learners may not know that knowledge gaps or misperceptions exist and, thus, would be less likely to correct them. Therefore, this study offered a dual-process approach that aimed at enhancing metacomprehension. One path aimed at advancing knowledge structure development and, thus, mental model development. The other focused on promoting a deeper level of information processing through processes like elaboration. …

The Lack Of Diversity On The Bench In Florida's State Courts, Verlinda Wells

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Diversity in the judiciary is essential to ensure impartiality, public confidence, and the perception that all members of society are represented on the bench. Minorities and women are significantly underrepresented as judges in Florida in proportion to their numbers in the general population. Because we live in an increasingly global world, diversity is best described when people of different races, colors, ethnicity and genders work to develop a mutual respect for each other. It was important to use diversity in this research because it required recognition, understanding, and acceptance of the special contribution that each member of a group can …

Towards Direct Writing Of 3-D Photonic Circuits Using Ultrafast Lasers, Arnaud Zoubir

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The advent of ultrafast lasers has enabled micromachining schemes that cannot be achieved by other current techniques. Laser direct writing has emerged as one of the possible routes for fabrication of optical waveguides in transparent materials. In this thesis, the advantages and limitations of this technique are explored. Two extended-cavity ultrafast lasers were built and characterized as the laser sources for this study, with improved performance over existing systems. Waveguides are fabricated in oxide glass, chalcogenide glass, and polymers, these being the three major classes of materials for the telecommunication industry. Standard waveguide metrology is performed on the fabricated waveguides, …

The Challenge Of Playing Multiple Arthurian Characters, Cynthia Lowa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the portrayal of multiple roles in a production of Camelot, written by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe. Performance and content analysis identifies and explores the difficulties and challenges in portraying multiple roles in this production, including the understudying of the leading role of Guenevere. A detailed historical analysis provides background into origin of the Arthurian legend and an examination of its historical development. A social analysis provides information on the role of women in medieval society with a discussion of the customs and laws that applied to them. Furthermore, a structural analysis of the script examines …

The Appropriation Of The Prospect Of Taking Medication For Psychological Complaints: An Empirical-Phenomenological Investigation, Daniel R. Mangine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to describe the lived experience of being confronted with the prospect of taking medications for a psychological complaint, namely a depressive disorder. Descriptions of such experiences were obtained from adult participants and were analyzed qualitatively in order to explicate the themes and meanings that were most significant to forming the experience as such.

The findings of this study were dialogued with literature on medication taking, the doctor-patient relationship, dialogic psychology and the construction of the self, and theories of willing, motivation and identity. This analysis contributes to the current literature by illuminating the lived …

Internet Dwelling, Cyborgs, And The Matrix Of Modernity: An Empirical Inquiry With Critical-Hermeneutic Features, Andrew Felder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Amidst modernity's expanding electronic social matrix, this cultural-historical inquiry explores the technological construction of human being (e.g., cyborgs) and sociality in the America Online cyberscape. A two-tiered critical-hermeneutic method enables exploration of the broad rationalizing historical narrative and the localized play of virtual discursive practices impacting human meaning construction, selfhood, and social practice. A third and fourth tier of inquiry occasions integration of "psychological" meanings found in research participant experiential descriptions and interviews. This four-tier interplay reveals a bodily ethic enabling participants to modify subjectifying Internet practices toward meaningful social ends. Otherwise, eclipsed interpretive bodily powers contribute to "undecidability" about …

The Use Of Selected Water Quality Parameters To Identify Fecal Coliform Sources In Support Of The Sinking Creek Total Maximum Daily Load., Susana Maria Floresguerra

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sinking Creek, located in upper east Tennessee, is on the 303(d) list for not meeting minimum water quality standards for recreation. A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for fecal coliforms was developed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of water quality parameters to identify areas that contribute to the fecal coliform loading. Concentrations of nitrate-N, orthophosphates, BOD, alkalinity, hardness, and optical brighteners (OB) were monitored at fourteen stations monthly for one year. Site 3 (agricultural region) exhibited the highest average nitrate-N loadings (627.34 mg/sec) and orthophosphate (as PO₄^3-) loadings (84.83 mg/sec). Alkalinity loadings …

Using The Survey Of Inmates Of State And Federal Correctional Facilities To Compare Female And Male Inmate Characteristics., Jacqueline Anita Black

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the differences between female and male prison inmates using the Survey of Inmates of State and Federal Correctional Facilities, 1997. Variables examined included current offense, criminal history, drug use history, victimization history, program participation in the institution, disciplinary infractions in the institution, family history, and interaction with family while in prison. Results indicate that male inmates have worse criminal histories and longer sentences than female inmates. Female inmates have more extensive drug use histories, greater victimization histories, more program participation in the institution, and more criminality in their families of origin than …

The Role Of Erp57 In Hras Intracellular Trafficking And Function., Jaime Lyn Parman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ras is a central player in signal transduction that mediates cellular proliferation and differentiation. Recent evidence has shown that lipid and non-lipid modified domains participate in Ras traffic and that plasma membrane association is mediated by vectorial vesicular transport from the endomembrane system. ERp57, an ER chaperone, has been shown to specifically bind farnesylated Hras but not non-farnesylated Hras. The objective of this study was to determine if ERp57 participates in Ras trafficking and function. First, the effect of ERp57 knock down by siRNA technology on Hras function was studied; there was a reduction in ERp57 cellular levels that led …

Flavone: The Molecular And Mechanistic Study Of How A Simple Flavonoid Protects Dna From Oxidative Damage., Jennifer Dawn Dean

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dietary flavonoids are ubiquitous and are marketed as supplements. Characterized as antioxidants, they offer protection against a number of degenerative diseases. Flavonoid mechanics involve free radical scavenging, metal chelation, and substrate association. The skeletal structure of flavonoids is a fused ring system modified by hydroxyl, sugar, and carbohydrate additions. Flavone is a structurally simple flavonoid. Quercetin and its glycosidic analog rutin are complex structures. Using a DNA oxidation/cleavage assay, flavone reduces DNA nicking by 91%. Depending on the solvent system used, quercetin can either increase or decrease DNA oxidation. Rutin exhibits neither pro- nor antioxidant activity. The molecular interactions responsible …

A Comparison Of Bioaccumulation And Digestive Enzyme Solubilization Of Copper In Two Species Of Sea Cucumbers With Different Feeding Habits., John W. Bundridge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The mode of feeding exhibited by different organisms may influence the form or quantity of copper that is bioaccumulated. This hypothesis has been tested by exposing 2 species of sea cucumbers, Pentacta anceps and Stichopus chloronotus, which possess different feeding modes, to varying concentrations of copper.

The digestive tract and body wall were dissected and analyzed for copper concentration using atomic absorption spectroscopy. A trend was present, exhibiting a small dose dependent curve. The results did not show a significant difference between species or treatments. This study indicates that feeding mode may influence the amount of copper accumulated but …

Synthesis Of Peptides With Hydroxamic Acid Side Chain Appendages., Yingchuan Susan Sun 1975-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chapter 1 detailed the synthesis method of hydroxamate peptides derivatives of pentapeptide Ac-PHSXX\'-N-NH2 by solid phase hydroxamate peptide synthesis method. The glutamic acid/aspartic acid side chain was modified to hydroxamic acid by on resin N-C coupling. The hydroxamate benzyl protecting group was removed during HF cleavage. In Chapter 2 a novel multiple hydroxamic acid peptide siderophore was prepared and the metal binding activity of these peptides was studied by ESI-MS and MS/MS. Siderophore peptide Ac-Gly1-Glu2(NHOH)-D-Pro3-Gly4-Glu5(NHOH)-D-Pro6-NH2 was found to have significant preference to Fe(III) over Zn(II) and Ni(II), while the natural peptide analogue Ac-Gly1-Glu2-D-Pro 3-Gly4-Glu5-D-Pro6-NH2 did not show any obvious preference …

Functional Proteomic Analysis Of The Myocardial Pkcepsilon Subproteome Pkcepsilon-Akt-Enos Signaling Modules And During., Jun Zhang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ischemic heart disease is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in Western societies. Thus, understanding the molecular mechanisms to reduce myocardial ischemia and limit infarction size are of great importance. Ample evidence has shown that protein kinase C epsilon (PKCepsilon) play an essential role in the genesis of cardioprotection. In particular, our laboratory has shown that activation of PKCepsilon in the heart is sufficient to significantly reduce myocardial infarction due to coronary artery occlusion. However, the molecular mechanism responsible for PKCepsilon-induced cardioprotection remain unclear. Recently, functional proteomic analysis have demonstrated that PKCepsilon forms signaling complexes with various of proteins, …

Oxygen Toxicity And Mitochondrial Metabolism., Jian Li 1974-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Oxygen is critical to aerobic metabolism, but hyperoxia is cytostatic and cytocidal. The precise mechanisms involved in hyperoxic cell injury remain incompletely understood although there is substantial support for the possibility that hyperoxia increases the 'leak' of electrons from the mitochondrial electron transport chain and the resulting increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) might explain the toxic effects of high oxygen. To evaluate the possible role of mitochondria in oxygen toxicity, we used cloned HeLa cells having no functional mitochondria (?° cells) as a model. In contrast to wild-type HeLa cells, ?° cells survive and grow in 80% O2 …

Regulation Of Na,K-Atpase Activity By Tyrosine Phosphorylation In Lens Cells., Larry Darko Bozulic 1974-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Na,K-ATPase is essential for the regulation of cytoplasmic Na+ and K+ levels in lens cells. Insufficient Na,K-ATPase activity is associated with cataract formation. Based on earlier studies in which Src-tyrosine kinase inhibitors were found to suppress Na,K-ATPase activity changes that occur in response to either thrombin, endothelin, or dopamine, I hypothesize that regulation of Na,K-ATPase activity might occur through phosphorylation of the Na,K-ATPase a1 (catalytic) subunit by Src-family tyrosine kinases. Here, I tested the influence of Src-kinase family members on tyrosine phosphorylation and Na,K-ATPase activity in membrane material isolated from porcine lens epithelium. Western blot studies indicated the expression of …

Attitudes And Motivational Factors For Participation In The Becoming An Outdoors-Woman (Bow) Program, Katherine Crippens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Women participating in Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) program workshops were surveyed as to their attitudes, interests, and participation in outdoor recreation activities. The survey, administered to 265 women between October 2002 and June 2003, examined demographic characteristics, motivational factors for participation, similarities and differences between firsttime and returning participants, and their change in recreational behavior after the workshops. The study identified most BOW participants as urban, white, 45 - 50 years of age, highly educated and with a high household income. Most have maintained a long-term relationship, but have no children in the household. The participants had a wide range …

The Potential For Carbon Sequestration In Soils On Lignite Coal Minelands In East Texas, Cynthia Blake

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Global warming is becoming an ever-important topic in the world today. In 1998, it was estimated that 40.5 % of U.S. anthropogenic CO2 emissions was attributed to the combustion of fossil fuels during the generation of electricity (U.S. Department of Energy 2000a). In an attempt to mitigate emissions, electric utility companies have become interested in the potential of forests to sequester large amounts of carbon in their above- and below-ground biomass as well as in the soils. It has been estimated that if the world's deforested lands were reforested and properly managed, they could have the potential to sequester five …

Beauty As Currency, Joseph Abide

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This body of work addresses the concept of physical beauty and the attendant value that we as a society place upon it. Beauty shares characteristics with other prized possessions in life. It may be traded for monetary gain, as is the case with professional models. The exchange is not always so obvious. What constitutes beauty is open to many interpretations as to why it is deemed desirable. I have observed physical characteristics which are valued as attractive, change, from one social group to another and within that same society evolve with the passage of time.

Physical beauty differs from other …

Studies Of The Effects Of Pancreatic Beta Cell Antioxidant Transgenes On Experimental Models Of Diabetes., Hainan Chen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pancreatic beta cells are extremely vulnerable to the destruction of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). In both type 1 and type 2 diabetes ROS are involved in the loss of U+000DF-cells. We hypothesized that the deficiency in ROS detoxifying system of U+000DF-cells resulted in U+000DF-cell vulnerability and enhanced ROS protection would protect from diabetes. To test this hypothesis, transgenic mice with overexpression of U+000DF-cell antioxidant protein metallothionein (MT), manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) and catalase were produced on an FVB background. Initial studies demonstrated that these transgenes did not affect U+000DF-cell normal function and morphology. But those transgenes significantly protected pancreatic islets …

Analyzing Rhetoric : A Frame Analysis Of The Pro-Life Movement In The United States., Juanita Raley Shever 1949-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to consider the significance of rhetoric used by pro-life social movement organizations to frame the experience of abortion and to label those women who have participated in that experience. The study explores how frames are devised and how these frames are applied so that reality is organized in such a manner as to appear aligned with the religious, moral, and/or philosophical position of the pro-life movement. The study uses pro-life web pages to obtain data; then, analyzes the data for emerging themes and content. The general tasks of framing such as agenda setting are …

Survey Of Health Effects Among Residents Adjacent To A National Priority List Site In Ssouthwest Virginia., Danette Haywood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Saltville Waste Disposal Site is a National Priority List site used during the 77- year operation (1895–1972) of an electrolytic chlorine and caustic soda plant. A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine disease prevalence among Saltville Medical Center (SMC) patients. Diseases associated with chronic exposures to mercury, arsenic, and lead were reviewed in patient records and these data were analyzed. Ratios of illness observed at the SMC were compared to health studies of similar environmental exposures and disease prevalence among residents of neighboring communities. Prevalence ratios were calculated for residents and non-residents of Saltville who were SMC patients. Saltville …

Towards A Connection Between Linear Embedding And The Poincaré Functional Equation., Tara Marie Michels

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Several linear embeddings of the logistic equation, x_n+1=ax_n(1-x_n) are considered, the goal being to establish a connection between linear embedding and the Poincaré Functional Equation. In particular, we consider linear embedding schemes in a classical Hardy space.