Digital Commons Network^™

Prevention And Treatment Of Familial Adenomatous Polyposis And Colorectal Cancer By Bilberry-Derived Anthocyanidins., Ashley M. Mudd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths within the United States. Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is an inherited disorder which if left untreated will develop into colon cancer. The family of plant-derived compounds, anthocyanins, show significant therapeutic potential against a variety of diseases, however, they are limited by their instability and poor bioavailability. The goal of my Master’s research project was to determine whether anthocyanidins (non-glycosylated anthocyanins) are more effective than the native anthocyanins, and whether exosomal formulation of anthocyanidins (ExoAnthos) can enhance therapeutic potency compared with free Anthos against both FAP and CRC. The antiproliferative …

Gene Expression Of Ammonium Transporters In Ustilago Maydis And Their Role In Pathogenicity And Virulence., Kirsten Richardson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The fungus, Ustilago maydis, a plant pathogen of Zea mays, is capable of a dimorphic switch, e.g., a transition between a yeast-like form and a filamentous form. This switch is activated when U. maydis cells are starved for their preferred nitrogen source - ammonium. U. maydis has two important genes that play a role in this switch, ump1 and ump2. Each gene is responsible for the uptake of ammonium and the latter is responsible for the filamentous response in the absence of ammonium. Ump2 deletion mutants are unable to filament in response to low ammonium while ump1 deletion …

New Perspectives On The History Of The Ohio Valley Frontier, 1750-1838 : Connecting Recent Scholarship With Public Interpretation., Ellen Rich

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis aims to interpret for the public both the native and white perspectives of the conquest and colonization of the Ohio Valley frontier by Anglo-Americans in the eighteenth and early nineteenth century. Its focus is a planned museum exhibition, “Conquering the First American West: The Ohio Valley Frontier, 1750-1838,” which explores interactions between American Indians and Anglo-Americans on the Ohio Valley frontier and their consequences. The introduction justifies the need for the exhibition and outlines its major arguments. The second section examines the historiography of the conquest of the Ohio Valley and shows why stronger public interpretation is needed. …

Coal Ash Exposure And Asthma In Children., Jack Anthony Pfeiffer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the association between exposure to coal ash in the home among children aged 6-14 and asthma. Data was collected using personal modular impactors, lift tape samples, toe/finger nail samples, questionnaires, and peak flow meters. Laboratory methods used to analyze the samples included gravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) / energy dispersive x-ray (EDX), and proton-induced x-ray emission (PIXE). Statistical methods used to analyze the data included the Chi Square Test of Independence, logistic regression, the Hosmer-Lemeshow Goodness of Fit test, Fisher’s Exact Test, and the Anderson-Darling Normality Test. Sample size was small, making statistical significance in calculated …

Fabrication And Functionalization Of Carbon Nanocages For Use In Cfx Batteries., Nathan Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A relatively inexpensive method for obtaining high quality lithium-CF_x batteries is reported. Nickel acetate and citric acid are used to synthesize a precursor which is then annealed and subsequently etched to fabricate highly uniform 3 nm radius pristine CNCs. These CNCs are then functionalized with fluorine using an RF plasma system. The resulting fluorinated CNCs are then combined with a carbon binder and pressed onto a stainless steel mesh to form a CF_x cathode. This cathode is then tested in a coin cell primary battery with a lithium anode. Results indicate that a specific capacity of 660 mAh/g …

Traces Of The (Un)Familiar : Family, Identity, And The Return Of The Repressed In The Photographs Of Ralph Eugene Meatyard., Hunter Martin Kissel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the ways in which photographs by Ralph Eugene Meatyard provoke the uncanny—or Das unheimlich as Freud originally wrote in 1919—by breaking from conventions of mid-twentieth century family photography often utilized to establish and maintain genealogical unity. Meatyard’s photographs of his family and friends are accentuated by blurring techniques, prolonged exposures, and the incorporation of dime-store masks, and as a result depict moments when reality is disrupted by the return of repressed material from childhood. For a multitude of reasons, Meatyard’s photographs elicit comparisons to Surrealist photography as well as certain American modernists who also explored the notion …

The Comparative Cytotoxicity And Genotoxicity Of Hexavalent Chromium In Humans And Sea Turtles., Rachel M. Speer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Monitoring the health effects of environmental contaminants can be achieved using sentinel species as models. Leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) are an endangered marine species that may experience prolonged exposures to environmental contaminants including hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)]. While Cr(VI) has been identified as a known human carcinogen, the health effects in marine species are poorly understood. In this study the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of particulate and soluble Cr(VI) were assessed in leatherback lung cells and compared to those in human lung cells. Cr(VI) induced a concentration-dependent increase in cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in leatherback lung cells indicating Cr(VI) …

Biomechanical Testing Of An Exercise For Strengthening The Proximal Femur., Alyssa Osbourne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Based on the principles of cutting edge bone remodeling research, a unique therapeutic exercise device was designed specifically to improve bone quality at the most critical location of the proximal femur prone to fracture: the superior-lateral femoral neck where the fracture first initiates during a fall. The exercise/device is intended to work by inducing enough strain in the bone to stimulate the body’s natural bone remodeling mechanisms to increase bone density in the proximal femur and consequently prevent a fracture from arising if a fall to the side does occur.

In order to test the proposed exercise, experiments simulating the …

Custom Software For The 3d Printing Of Patient Specific Plate Bending Templates In Pelvic Fracture Repair., Gordon B Lents

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this work is to reduce the operative time and blood loss incurred during open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of traumatic pelvic injuries through the creation of patient specific bending templates for reconstruction plates. These templates are 3D printed in a resin capable of being sterilized and taken into the operating room so that bending may be performed by the surgeon before the patient is opened or by another team member in parallel with the surgeon.

A novel software extension was created in 3D modeling software to allow a surgeon to individually position screws on a pelvic …

The Macro-Modelling Of Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete/Mortar Flexural Tensile Behavior And Mix Optimization For Flexural Strength., Li Liu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the continuous advances in materials’ technology, the performance of the commonly used concrete building material has continued to improve. Compressive strengths exceeding 75 MPa are now being used in applications throughout the world. However, the concrete becomes less ductile and more susceptible to sudden failures with increases in its compressive strength. Although the behavior of concrete is generally governed by its compressive strength, its tensile strength, although much lower, is also important. This tensile strength impacts appearance, the serviceability and durability of concrete elements. In addition, minimum levels of tensile strength are required for many concrete applications including, earthquake …

The Roles Of Anxious Rearing, Negative Affect, And Effortful Control In A Model Of Risk For Child Perfectionism., Nicholas William Affrunti

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Our understanding of perfectionism and its developmental trajectory and impact on children has experienced a recent growth. Research has shown that child perfectionism is associated with a number of negative outcomes including anxiety and depressive disorders, hopelessness, poor psychosocial treatment outcomes, and researchers have not found it to be associated with actual achievement. As such, research has begun to examine the developmental risk factors that predict for its development. The current study proposes utilizing a developmental psychopathology approach, one that purports a complex interaction among internal, external, risk and protective processes in the developmental of perfectionism. Specifically, the study examined …

Spiritual Transcendence As A Sixth Personality Factor In Russia : Cross-Cultural Generalizability And Influence On Psychosocial Outcomes., Ksenia Kopeikin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has suggested that Spiritual Transcendence (ST), which is the ability to stand outside one’s own immediate experience, to see unity in nature and to feel connection with the rest of humanity and the spirits, is a universal human experience. Research also suggests that ST may form a sixth personality factor, operating in a manner similar to, but separately from the Big Five personality traits. That is, ST may be a source of intrinsic motivation and influence human behavior and psychosocial outcomes similar to the Big Five. Previous research has established the incremental validity of ST over and above …

Accurate And Justifiable : New Algorithms For Explainable Recommendations., Behnoush Abdollahi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Websites and online services thrive with large amounts of online information, products, and choices, that are available but exceedingly difficult to find and discover. This has prompted two major paradigms to help sift through information: information retrieval and recommender systems. The broad family of information retrieval techniques has given rise to the modern search engines which return relevant results, following a user's explicit query. The broad family of recommender systems, on the other hand, works in a more subtle manner, and do not require an explicit query to provide relevant results. Collaborative Filtering (CF) recommender systems are based on algorithms …

The Role Of Hif-1Α In Intestinal Epithelial Barrier Function In Alcoholic Liver Disease., Tuo Shao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hypoxia inducible factor 1 α (HIF1α) is an oxygen-responsive subunit. HIF-1α plays a pivotal role in many pathophysiological processes. In addition to oxygen availability, HIF-1α can be regulated by multiple other factors in response to various pathophysiological processes. Previous studies showed that hepatic HIF-1α could be beneficial or harmful in experimental alcoholic liver disease (ALD). However, the role of intestinal HIF-1α in ALD has not yet been studied. Given the critical role of the gut-liver axis in ALD, it is important to elucidate the role of intestinal epithelial HIF-1α in ALD. In the first chapter, we used wide type (WT) …

Residuated Maps, The Way-Below Relation, And Contractions On Probabilistic Metric Spaces., M. Ryan Luke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, we will examine residuated mappings on a function lattice and how they behave with respect to the way-below relation. In particular, which residuated $\phi$ has the property that $F$ is way-below $\phi(F)$ for $F$ in appropriate sets. We show the way-below relation describes the separation of two functions and how this corresponds to contraction mappings on probabilistic metric spaces. A new definition for contractions is considered using the way-below relation.

The Dlk1-Meg3 Locus In Malignant Cells Of Proposed Primordial Germ Cell Origins., Zachariah Payne Sellers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are hypothesized to deposit hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) along their migration route through the embryo during the early stages of embryogenesis. PGCs also undergo global chromatin remodeling, including the erasure and reestablishment of genomic imprints, during this migration. While PGCs do not spontaneously form teratomas, their malignant development into germ cell tumors (GCTs) in vivo is often accompanied by the retention of hypomethylation at the IGF2-H19 imprinting control differentially methylated region (DMR). Previous studies in bimaternal embryos determined that proper genomic imprinting at two paternally imprinted loci was necessary for their growth and development: Igf2-H19 and …

Bayesian Approach On Short Time-Course Data Of Protein Phosphorylation, Casual Inference For Ordinal Outcome And Causal Analysis Of Dietary And Physical Activity In T2dm Using Nhanes Data., You Wu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation contains three different projects in proteomics and causal inferences. In the first project, I apply a Bayesian hierarchical model to assess the stability of phosphorylated proteins under short-time cold ischemia. This study provides inference on the stability of these phosphorylated proteins, which is valuable when using these proteins as biomarkers for a disease. in the second project, I perform a comparative study of different confounding-adjusted to estimate the treatment effect when the outcome variable is ordinal using observational data. The adjusted U-statistics method is compared with other methods such as ordinal logistic regression, propensity score based stratification and …

Applications Of Polarized Metallic Nanostructures., Jasmin Beharic

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Gold nanostructures exhibit technologically useful properties when they are polarized in an electric field. In two projects we explore instances where the polarized metal can be used in real world applications. The first project involves gold nanoparticles (GNP) for use in light actuated microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) applications. Although the GNPs were originally designed for volumetric heating in biomedical applications, we treat them as a thin film coating, opening the door for these particles to be used in MEMS applications. This work characterizes the thermal properties of gold nanoparticles on surfaces for spatially-targeted thermal actuation in MEMS systems. The second project …

Ubqln1 : A Multi-Domain Protein With Multiple Functions., Zimple Kurlawala

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There are 5 Ubiquilin proteins (UBQLN1-4, UBQLN-L), which are evolutionarily conserved and structurally similar. UBQLN proteins have 3 functional domains: N-terminal ubiquitin-like domain (UBL), C-terminal ubiquitin-associated domain (UBA) and STI chaperone-like regions in the middle. Alterations in UBQLN1 gene have been detected in a variety of disorders including Alzheimer’s disease, Amyotropic Lateral Sclerosis and lung cancer. UBQLN1 has been largely studied in neurodegenerative disorders in the context of protein quality control. Several studies have hypothesized that the UBA domain of UBQLN1 binds to poly-ubiquitin chains of substrate and shuttles it to the proteasome via its UBL domain for degradation. UBQLN1 …

Porphyromonas Gingivalis Infection In Gestational Diabetes Mellitus And Survival In Tobacco Smokers., Himabindu Gogeneni

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis contains a clinical project and distinct basic science project. Gestational diabetes mellitus occurs in 4% of pregnancies and increases the risk of birth defects, pre-term birth, and miscarriage. Gingivitis during pregnancy also increases the risk for poor pregnancy outcome. Gingivitis is a bacterial-induced disease, and specific plaque pathogens have been associated with systemic sequelae to periodontal inflammation. Therefore, we set out to monitor oral infection with three key periodontopathogens (Porphyromonas gingivalis, Filifactor alocis, and Treponema denticola) and the systemic inflammatory burden [C-reactive protein (CRP) in pregnant women with and without gingivitis and gestational diabetes. Gingivitis …

Self-Forgiveness In Japanese Adolescents., Tetsuo "Ted" Sato

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The literature of forgiveness has been proliferated the last two decades (Davis et al., 2015b), but it has primarily focused on forgiveness of others and the research of self-forgiveness has just increased in recent years (Worthington & Langberg, 2012). Woodyatt and Wenzel (2013a) proposed a process-oriented approach of self-forgiveness while considering three possible responses to the self (i.e., genuine self-forgiveness, pseudo self-forgiveness, and self-punitiveness) after interpersonally offending others. Self-forgiveness among children and adolescents and in Japanese culture was discussed. The association of self-forgiveness to depressive and anxiety symptoms, and culturally and developmentally unique factors (i.e., fear of negative evaluation and …

Attending To Systemic Racism : Advancing Public Health's Approach To Youth Violence Prevention., Billie Faith Castle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines how the field of public health addresses the impact of systemic racism on health and how that informs public health’s approach to youth violence prevention. Beginning with an overview of youth violence, it breaks down the concepts of race and racism and how they are addressed within the science. It also reviews concepts that contribute to risk and protective factors of youth violence. The dissertation is written from a Critical Race Theory approach, argues that the social environment contributes to why youth violence is pervasive in certain neighborhoods, and promotes action from a macro-level approach. Seven chapters …

A Data Science Pipeline For Educational Data : A Case Study Using Learning Catalytics In The Active Learning Classroom., Asuman Cagla Acun Sener

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents an applied data science methodology on a set of University of Louisville, Speed School of Engineering student data. We used data mining and classic statistical techniques to help educational researchers quickly see the data trends and peculiarities. Our data includes scores and information about two Engineering Fundamental Class. The format of these classes is called an inverted classroom model or flipped class. The purpose of this study is to analyze the data in order to uncover potentially hidden information, tell interesting stories about the data, examine student learning behavior and learning performance in an active learning environment, …

The Relationship Between Trauma And Health-Related Quality Of Life In Lung Cancer Patients : The Potential Protective Role Of Mindfulness., Rene Bayley-Veloso

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lung cancer is the most common malignant disease worldwide, and the rapid decline in functioning due to the often-later stage diagnosis can strongly impact a patient’s health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Palliative care, with the aim of improving later-stage HRQOL, is often a main goal of treatment. Compared to other cancer types, patients with lung cancer experience the greatest amount of psychological distress during and after treatment. Prior trauma exposure, and the potentially traumatic nature of the cancer experience, can further complicate HRQOL. Mindfulness, an innate or acquired capacity for sustaining attention in the present moment with qualities of self-warmth …

Preparing For Racial Discrimination : The Role Of Cognition And Emotion In The Proactive Coping Process Of African American College Students., Ryan Christopher Tyler Delapp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Traditionally, conceptual models of racial discrimination have characterized the reactive experiences of African Americans, particularly identifying how African Americans cognitively, emotionally, and behaviorally respond to racial stress. The current study extends beyond the reactive coping experience and identifies nuances in the anticipatory and preparatory coping processes associated with racial discrimination. Methods: 62 African American college students participated in a stress induction experiment that prompted anticipatory judgments of discrimination. The full sample completed quantitative self-report questionnaires about their anticipatory thoughts (SAM; Peacock & Wong, 1990; Roesch & Rowley, 2005), state-based affect (PANAS-X; Watson & Clark, 1994), and proactive coping behaviors (PPCB; …

Exploring The Barriers To Effective Federal Flood Mitigation In The Mississippi River Region., Linda Kay Bailey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a comprehensive study of flood mitigation in the Mississippi River region as it is impacted by federal flood policies and programs. The study begins with a historical narrative of flooding events and flood mitigation that provided the impetus for federal flood mitigation in the late 1920s. The historical narrative sheds light on issues related to federalism, path dependency, dynamic growth, and socio-culture influence during the development of flood mitigation policy. Growth machine theory is used to describe how inequality and disparate access to political power has worked to exacerbate flood disaster outcomes and how this dynamic is …

Characterization Of Porphyromonas Gingivalis Mfa1 Fimbriae., Jae Yong Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Porphyromonas gingivalis, an obligate anaerobic bacterium associated with chronic periodontitis, utilizes various virulence factors to achieve pathogenicity, one of which is the Mfa1 fimbriae. As a surface structure comprising Mfa1 major subunit along with accessory fimbrial proteins Mfa2-5, the Mfa1 fimbriae has been shown to mediate the adherence of P. gingivalis to antecedent bacterial colonizers of the oral cavity to cause increased virulence. However, the spatial relationships amongst the individual subunits and their assembly mechanism have remained unclear. Through immuno-electron microscopy, Mfa1-4 were localized on the surface of P. gingivalis with Mfa1 localizing throughout the fimbriae and Mfa2 in …

Bdnf-Trkb Signaling Regulates Adult Taste Bud Innervation., Tao Tang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Taste receptor cells transduce stimuli transmitting information to gustatory neurons that carry it to the brain. They turn-over continuously in adulthood, and must be constantly reinnervated, making the maintenance of innervation to taste buds an active process mediated by many factors, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Taste bud innervation (40%) is lost when Bdnf is removed during adulthood, but it is unclear why remaining fibers were not lost. We found that some gustatory nerve fibers remained because they lack the TrkB receptor 55% of TrkB-labeled fibers were lost and fibers without TrkB remained following adult Bdnf gene recombination. It is …

Magnetic Field-Induced Intramolecular Cyclization As A Trigger For Nanoparticle-Based Delivery Systems., Sara Katherine Biladeau

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) are used in a variety of applications, including as agents for magnetic resonance imaging, generation of local hyperthermia, and as platforms for drug delivery. Iron-based MNPs are often coated with a shell, such as silica or gold, to increase biocompatibility for drug delivery applications. Many MNPs used for cancer therapy rely on either an internal trigger, such as a difference in pH, or an external trigger, such as light or an alternating magnetic field (AMF), to cause release of a payload, typically a chemotherapeutic drug. Internal triggers are appealing because drug release can be targeted to a …

A Cross-Sectional Exploration Of Household Financial Reactions And Homebuyer Awareness Of Registered Sex Offenders In A Rural, Suburban, And Urban County., John Charles Navarro

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As stigmatized persons, registered sex offenders betoken instability in communities. Depressed home sale values are associated with the presence of registered sex offenders even though the public is largely unaware of the presence of registered sex offenders. Using a spatial multilevel approach, the current study examines the role registered sex offenders influence sale values of homes sold in 2015 for three U.S. counties (rural, suburban, and urban) located in Illinois and Kentucky within the social disorganization framework. Homebuyers were surveyed to examine whether awareness of local registered sex offenders and the homebuyer’s community type operate as moderators between home selling …