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The Role Of Src-Homology 2 Domain-Containing Tyrosine Phosphatase 2 In Signaling And Tumorigenesis Of Basal Type/Triple Negative Breast Cancer, Fatimah Kh. Matalkah Jan 2012

The Role Of Src-Homology 2 Domain-Containing Tyrosine Phosphatase 2 In Signaling And Tumorigenesis Of Basal Type/Triple Negative Breast Cancer, Fatimah Kh. Matalkah

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Basal type/triple negative breast cancer (BTBC) represents a distinct tumor group that is characterized by an aggressive disease phenotype and poor clinical outcome. Patients with this subtype cannot benefit from the available anti-hormone and anti-HER2 targeted therapies (e.g. tamoxifen and herceptin). Therefore, characterizing potential therapeutic targets is urgently needed. We reasoned that the Src-homology 2 domain-containing tyrosine phosphatase 2 (SHP2) could serve as a therapeutic target in BTBC, because of its critical regulation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) which is overexpressed in BTBC. Here, we demonstrated that SHP2 knockdown in BTBC cell lines suppressed cell proliferation, migration, and transformation. …

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The Nutritional Regulation Of Hepatic Fibroblast Growth Factor 21: A Novel Anti-Diabetic Hormone., Holly Ann Cyphert Jan 2012

The Nutritional Regulation Of Hepatic Fibroblast Growth Factor 21: A Novel Anti-Diabetic Hormone., Holly Ann Cyphert

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Previous studies have shown that fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is partially regulated by the activation of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARα) following starvation or the consumption of a high fat, low carbohydrate (HF-LC) ketogenic diet. To understand the nutritional regulation of FGF21, I employed the use of primary rat hepatocytes and screened for factors that could potentially mediate the nutritional regulation of FGF21 mRNA and protein secretion. In preliminary experiments, I discovered that bile acids enhance FGF21 mRNA expression and protein secretion. Bile acids are known ligands for the farnesoid X receptor, a nuclear receptor. Activation of FXR by …

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Effects Of Exotic Morrow's Honeysuckle (Lonicera Morrowii) On Migratory Songbirds., Holly Merredith Mcchesney Jan 2012

Effects Of Exotic Morrow's Honeysuckle (Lonicera Morrowii) On Migratory Songbirds., Holly Merredith Mcchesney

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In much of the eastern United States, bush honeysuckles (Lonicera spp.) threaten the integrity of old-fields used as songbird habitat. From 2007–2009, we studied old-field systems in two areas of southwestern Pennsylvania: Fort Necessity National Battlefield and Ohiopyle State Park. Old fields at Fort Necessity consisted of a dense cover of Morrow’s honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii), whereas those at Ohiopyle were relatively free of this shrub species. We captured birds in mist nets during the breeding and post-breeding seasons to assess species composition at both locations and found that the species composition of breeding birds was correlated with the presence of …

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Assessment Of Pulmonary Fibrogenic Potential Of Multi Walled Carbon Nanotubes In Vitro., Anurag Mishra Jan 2012

Assessment Of Pulmonary Fibrogenic Potential Of Multi Walled Carbon Nanotubes In Vitro., Anurag Mishra

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) have many applications due to their unique mechanical and electrical properties. However, these fiber shaped materials have been shown to possess unusual fibrogenic activity in vivo and are currently the focus of intense toxicological investigations. To date very few detailed mechanistic studies on the fibrogenic activity of CNT have been reported. The aim of this series of studies is to determine fibrogenic potential of well dispersed MWCNT in human lung cell culture models and develop a novel platform for understanding the cellular mechanisms of MWCNT-induced lung fibrosis. Dispersion of large agglomerates of MWCNT in suspension to …

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Infection Models Of Intracellular Staphylococcus Aureus And The Impact Of Interleukin 12 On Macrophage Killing Activity, Therwa Hamza Jan 2012

Infection Models Of Intracellular Staphylococcus Aureus And The Impact Of Interleukin 12 On Macrophage Killing Activity, Therwa Hamza

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is the predominant cause of bone and joint infections worldwide. These infections may lead to severe bone and joint destruction and high mortality. Treatment of bone infections frequently requires long-term hospitalization for repeated debridement and prolonged antibiotic treatment. Bacteria including S. aureus, however, are often surprisingly successful in overcoming both host defense mechanisms and antibiotic treatments resulting in chronic and recurrent bone infections. Indeed, a high rate of recurrence or relapse of bone infections has been reported where ∼17% of infections related to traumatic extremity injuries recur or relapse. One thought is that bacteria like S. …

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Temporal Patterns Of Gene Expression In The Mntb During Calyx Of Held Development, Douglas Richard Kolson Jan 2012

Temporal Patterns Of Gene Expression In The Mntb During Calyx Of Held Development, Douglas Richard Kolson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Brain development is inextricably linked to changes in gene expression. Providing insight into the mechanisms controlling these complex events is a current challenge in neuroscience. Neurons in the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB) receive large specialized glutamatergic nerve terminals, the calyces of Held, which grow very quickly between postnatal day 2 (P2) and P4. Through both quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and microarray analysis, we examined the gene expression over time for a select group of voltage-gated potassium channels controlling ion channel function and composition to finely tune their biophysical properties. Low threshold activated potassium channels subunits Kv1.1 (Kcna1) …

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Discrimination Of Temporally Remote Causal Relations By Pigeons: Effects Of Signals That Mediate The Temporal Gaps, Toshikazu Kuroda Jan 2012

Discrimination Of Temporally Remote Causal Relations By Pigeons: Effects Of Signals That Mediate The Temporal Gaps, Toshikazu Kuroda

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The discriminative effect of the response-reinforcer relation may contribute to the change in response rates that occur when reinforcement is delayed. The present study investigated this possibility using a discrete-trials conditional discrimination procedure. Each trial began with a sample component where a variable-interval schedule was assigned either to a left or right key. The key peck that ended the schedule, which served as the sample response, in different conditions initiated delays with a signal fully mediating the delay interval, delays with a signal present only during the first second of the interval, or delays with the absence of signal. The …

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Evidence Of A Role For Three Neuropeptides That Mediate Steroid Negative Feedback On Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone/Luteinizing Hormone Secretion In The Ewe: Kisspeptin, Neurokinin B And Orphanin Fq, Casey C. Nestor Jan 2012

Evidence Of A Role For Three Neuropeptides That Mediate Steroid Negative Feedback On Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone/Luteinizing Hormone Secretion In The Ewe: Kisspeptin, Neurokinin B And Orphanin Fq, Casey C. Nestor

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is the final common output from the central nervous system for controlling luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion from the anterior pituitary. GnRH, and subsequently LH, secretion for most of the menstrual/estrous cycle occurs in an episodic pattern that is controlled by the inhibitory actions of estradiol and progesterone. However, GnRH neurons are devoid of the appropriate steroid receptors, therefore, estradiol and progesterone must mediate their effects on GnRH/LH secretion through interneurons. Three likely candidates are neurons containing kisspeptin, neurokinin B (NKB) and orphanin FQ (OFQ).;Puberty in the ewe is marked by an increase in GnRH/LH secretion which in …

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Diversity Of Bacterial And Archaeal Populations In Artificial Rumen Fermentors Fed Differing Pasture Diets, Smita Singh Jan 2012

Diversity Of Bacterial And Archaeal Populations In Artificial Rumen Fermentors Fed Differing Pasture Diets, Smita Singh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Rumens harbor diverse groups of microorganisms. These microorganisms help ruminants in efficient digestion of a wide variety of feed materials. Most of these microorganisms are anaerobic and work symbiotically with the host. The amount of microbial diversity depends on the types of substrates present in the feed. Although some of these microorganisms have been cultured and characterized, the majority of them are unknown because they are unculturable. With the development of molecular techniques such as Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE), Temperature Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (TGGE), Automated Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analysis (ARISA), Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP), Terminal Restriction Fragment Length …

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Study Of The Effect Of Surface Modification And Sulfur Impurities In Syngas On The Fischer-Tropsch Performance Of Cobalt Catalysts, Ashish Suresh Bambal Jan 2012

Study Of The Effect Of Surface Modification And Sulfur Impurities In Syngas On The Fischer-Tropsch Performance Of Cobalt Catalysts, Ashish Suresh Bambal

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The effect of surface modification of the silica support on the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) activity and the selectivity of cobalt catalyst were studied. The catalysts were characterized by N2- physisorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), temperature programmed reduction (TPR) and hydrogen chemisorption. FT was carried out in a fixed-bed reactor at 230 °C, 20 bar and 9000 sccm/h/gcat, using syngas with H2 /CO = 2.0. Surface modification with chelating agents (CAs), i.e., nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) and ethylenediaminetetracetic acid (EDTA), results in a smaller crystallite size of cobalt oxides after the calcination. In addition, the CA-modified catalysts contain well-dispersed cobalt …

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Compositional And Functional Characteristics Of Materials Recovered From Headed Gutted Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys Molitrix) By Isoelectric Solubilization And Precipitation Using Organic Acids, Ilgin Paker Jan 2012

Compositional And Functional Characteristics Of Materials Recovered From Headed Gutted Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys Molitrix) By Isoelectric Solubilization And Precipitation Using Organic Acids, Ilgin Paker

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) is one of the main freshwater fish species with a high nutritional value; however, it is hard to process the fish due to its boney carcass. Therefore, isoelectric solubilization and precipitation (ISP) processing was applied to headed gutted silver carp to separate the protein from the bones, scales, skin, fins, etc. Different solubilization strategies (pH 2.5, 3.0. 11.5 and 12.0) using organic acids, either acetic acid (AA) or a 30% formic and lactic acid combination (F&L), were applied during ISP and the different effects of treatments on the materials recovered from the initial silver carp were …

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A Guide To Selected Resources On Memorization Techniques For Pianists: An Annotated Bibliography, Silvia A. Atmadja Jan 2012

A Guide To Selected Resources On Memorization Techniques For Pianists: An Annotated Bibliography, Silvia A. Atmadja

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research project provides reviews of resources for pianists, performers, teachers and students, striving to deepen their knowledge of memorization techniques and explore different methods of memorizing piano music, and for scholars pursuing further research on this important topic. Readers will find resources that discuss the topic from the musical and psychological standpoints, but not a scientific approach to brain and memorization. Resources include books, journal articles, and theses/dissertations that are written in English from the 1890s through the first decade of the 21st century.

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Examination Of Novel Cardiac Mechanisms Influencing Mitochondrial Proteomes During Diabetes Mellitus, Walter Baseler Jan 2012

Examination Of Novel Cardiac Mechanisms Influencing Mitochondrial Proteomes During Diabetes Mellitus, Walter Baseler

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cardiac complications, including diabetic cardiomyopathy, are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality within diabetes mellitus. Mitochondrial dysfunction has been suggested as an underlying factor in the initiation and progression of the pathology. Cardiac mitochondria are characterized as two spatially distinct subpopulations within the myocyte including mitochondria located beneath the sarcolemma, termed subsarcolemmal mitochondria (SSM), and those located between myofibrils, termed interfibrillar mitochondria (IFM). Mitochondrial subpopulations have been shown to respond differently to physiological and pathological stimuli with the IFM being the most impacted in a type 1 diabetic setting. Proteomic evaluations within various models of diabetes have highlighted dynamic …

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Physiological And Endocrine Factors Contributing To Acyclicity In The Captive Female African Elephant (Loxodonta Africana), Tina Lynn Dow Jan 2012

Physiological And Endocrine Factors Contributing To Acyclicity In The Captive Female African Elephant (Loxodonta Africana), Tina Lynn Dow

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Currently, the captive African elephant population in North America is not self-sustaining. An increase in acyclicity has been documented among post-pubertal females of all ages. Due to ethical issues and cost, importation of new animals is not feasible at this time; therefore, it is imperative that all post-pubertal females within zoological facilities be reproductively viable. The main objectives of these projects were to assess the reproductive status of the captive population and to identify contributing factors to acyclicity. In addition, prevention and treatment protocols were to be designed to promote reproductive proficiency in all reproductive-age females to avert the population …

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Metabolic Syndrome Risk In Young Adults Attending West Virginia University, Amanda M. Dent Jan 2012

Metabolic Syndrome Risk In Young Adults Attending West Virginia University, Amanda M. Dent

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is increasing throughout the United States across age groups. The purpose of this study was to collect descriptive baseline anthropometric and biochemical data to determine MetS prevalence in 18 to 24 year olds and to assess change in MetS risk after a 10 week web-based intervention. MetS was defined using the National Cholesterol Education Program's Third Adult Treatment Panel (NCEP ATP III) definition. Blood pressure, anthropometric and biochemical measures were obtained at baseline, post-intervention and 15 months. The overall prevalence of MetS at baseline was 15.1% (n = 14). The prevalence of one or …

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Production And Evaluation Of Novel Exogenous Phytase Enzymes Using Several Testing Variables, Ashley Marie Evans Jan 2012

Production And Evaluation Of Novel Exogenous Phytase Enzymes Using Several Testing Variables, Ashley Marie Evans

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Broiler chickens reared in the United States are mainly fed corn-soybean based diets. Most of the phosphorus in these diets is bound to a molecule called phytate; this source of phosphorus is unavailable to the bird because they lack adequate amount of endogenous phytase enzyme. Since the 1990's exogenous phytase enzymes have been incorporated in broiler diets to liberate the phytate-bound phosphorus. These enzymes must be able to resist thermal denaturation associated with pelleting and maintain high efficacy in the bird. Most of the literature focuses on single aspects of phytase efficacy. More specifically, experiments evaluate phytase based on either …

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Choice Of Signaled Or Unsignaled Onset Of Differential Reinforcer Magnitudes, Ezra G. Hall Jan 2012

Choice Of Signaled Or Unsignaled Onset Of Differential Reinforcer Magnitudes, Ezra G. Hall

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In the most common operant procedure involving magnitude of reinforcement, single reinforcers, of one magnitude or the other, are available from the same source (with pigeons, a food hopper) at different times. The duration of access as a source of discriminative control by these reinforcers comes sometime after their onset, when one reinforcer continues for a longer duration than the other. Thus, reinforcers of different durations can be differentially reinforcing only after the passage of some time. In the current experiment, four pigeons responded on a single-key concurrent variable-time schedule of reinforcement. Two reinforcer durations, 2 s and 6 s, …

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Avoidance Of Timeout From Response-Independent Schedules Of Food Or Sucrose Water With And Without A Limited Hold On Consumption, August F. Holtyn Jan 2012

Avoidance Of Timeout From Response-Independent Schedules Of Food Or Sucrose Water With And Without A Limited Hold On Consumption, August F. Holtyn

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Research on the relative aversiveness of timeout from lean and rich schedules of food delivery has yielded discrepant findings. Some research has shown that a lean schedule maintains higher avoidance response rates than a rich schedule (Thomas, 1964, 1965b; van Haaren & Anderson, 1998)---suggesting that timeout from a lean schedule is more aversive than timeout from a rich schedule---while other research has shown the opposite (D'Andrea, 1971; Richardson & Baron, 2008). The present study was based on the notion that the conflicting results may have arisen from differences in procedural details that influenced the effect of the food schedules on …

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Rescue Of Inherited Retinal Degeneration Associated With Aipl1 Defects, Cristy Ann Ku Jan 2012

Rescue Of Inherited Retinal Degeneration Associated With Aipl1 Defects, Cristy Ann Ku

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Since groundbreaking clinical trials treating Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) patients with retinal pigmented epithelium-specific 65 kDa protein (Rpe65) defects, which were the most successful gene therapy studies to date, much effort has been put into finding other candidate genes associated with inherited retinal degeneration to treat. Animal models with Rpe65 defects demonstrate an unusual circumstance that greatly favors treatment, where dramatic vision loss is disproportionately greater than the ensuing slow photoreceptor degeneration. This pattern is also believed to occur in Rpe65-LCA patients, and stems from the primary defect in retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cells that subsequently perturbs photoreceptors. However, a …

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Exploring The Effects Of Implementation Intentions And Goal Formation On Anxiety And Communication Effectiveness When Discussing Difficult Interpersonal Topics, Colleen C. Malachowski Jan 2012

Exploring The Effects Of Implementation Intentions And Goal Formation On Anxiety And Communication Effectiveness When Discussing Difficult Interpersonal Topics, Colleen C. Malachowski

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study addressed the effects of two specific types of planning (i.e., goal intention and implementation intention formation) on interpersonal discussions of difficult topics (e.g., discussing the future of a relationship, discussing past romantic partners, discussing the current status of a relationship). Goal intentions specify a certain end point (e.g., "I intend to reach x"), and implementation intentions (Gollwitzer, 1999) specify when, where, and how a goal will be achieved (e.g., "If x, then y"). In addition, four personality traits (i.e., need for cognition, cognitive flexibility, self-efficacy, and trait dyadic communication apprehension) were examined in order to further understand the …

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Habitat Use By Northern Dusky Salamanders In Riparian Corridors Of Southwestern Pennsylvania, Robert Joseph Michalow Jan 2012

Habitat Use By Northern Dusky Salamanders In Riparian Corridors Of Southwestern Pennsylvania, Robert Joseph Michalow

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Amphibian populations have decreased in many parts of the world and the rate of decline has increased over the past 25 years. Much of the population decline can be attributed to habitat fragmentation, thus, possibly forming metapopulations. The semi-aquatic northern dusky salamander belongs to the family Plethodontidae and the genus Desmognathus. Amphibians, such as salamanders, may occupy undisturbed forest floors with biomass equal to, or exceeding, the biomass of other vertebrate groups and they can achieve their highest densities in ancient or undisturbed forests. Salamander densities can be estimated using cover items and this method has become a more common …

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Pharmacological Characterization Of Sigma-2 Preferring Compounds: Implications In Cocaine-Induced Behaviors, Bahar Noorbakhsh Jan 2012

Pharmacological Characterization Of Sigma-2 Preferring Compounds: Implications In Cocaine-Induced Behaviors, Bahar Noorbakhsh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cocaine is a powerful psychostimulant that is highly abused by 1.9 million people in the United States. It accounts for more emergency department visits than any other illicit drug. Even with the high rate of cocaine abuse, no FDA approved pharmacological treatments exist. Many attempts at finding a pharmacotherapy for cocaine abuse and addiction have been made, but proven unsuccessful. Cocaine is known to bind sigma receptors at physiologically relevant concentrations, deeming them potential targets for cocaine pharmacotherapies and helping to elucidate the actions of cocaine. Two subtypes of sigma receptors have been described, sigma-1 and sigma-2. Minimal information is …

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In Search Of A Dream America: Place-Connectedness In East European Immigrant Life Writing, Irina V. Rodimtseva Jan 2012

In Search Of A Dream America: Place-Connectedness In East European Immigrant Life Writing, Irina V. Rodimtseva

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Theorists of place acknowledge human need for attachment to place, but this bond is often stated as a given, without an explication of its origin or attributes. Implementing the concept of place-connectedness formulated by Lawrence Buell, I analyze the process of bonding with new places described in immigrant life writing, focusing on twentieth-century texts by authors from Russia, the Soviet Union, and Communist bloc countries. Examining the sources through which American imagery was available to East Europeans during the 1900s, I confirm a link between the concepts of the American Dream and of place-connectedness and contend that for immigrants, establishing …

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Living Pictures: Performances Of Jewishness In Late Nineteenth- And Early Twentieth-Century American Novels, Nevena Stojanovic Jan 2012

Living Pictures: Performances Of Jewishness In Late Nineteenth- And Early Twentieth-Century American Novels, Nevena Stojanovic

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

My dissertation examines the relationship between Jewish identity and performance in non- Jewish novelists' portrayals of tableaux vivants, or living pictures. As a performance genre imported from Europe, the tableau vivant was a frequent element of nineteenth-century American fiction and a popular pastime of middle- and upper-class Americans in the 1800s. Since living pictures were ideologically coded---in general, designed to motivate viewers, mostly women, to adopt the patriarchal values invoked through the performance, such as chastity, purity, and piety---scholarship on the application of tableaux vivants primarily focuses on gender and class. My dissertation contributes to these discussions by highlighting the …

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Sensory Characteristics And Storage Quality Indicators Of Surimi Franks Nutritionally Enhanced With Omega-3 Rich Flaxseed Oil And Salmon Oil, Christin Rose Sell Jan 2012

Sensory Characteristics And Storage Quality Indicators Of Surimi Franks Nutritionally Enhanced With Omega-3 Rich Flaxseed Oil And Salmon Oil, Christin Rose Sell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Surimi, a lean source of fish protein, is consumed worldwide in various forms. Considerable increase in U.S. consumption of surimi products was observed in the 1980s but tapered off in recent decades. Consumer demand for foods enriched with o-3 fatty acids including DHA and EPA has increased due to potential health benefits. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to (1) create a surimi frank enhanced with o-3 PUFA rich salmon oil or flaxseed oil, (2) evaluate product composition and quality indicators (pH, color {lcub}L*, a*, b*{rcub}, syneresis, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances test, and texture) over 21d, and (3) establish …

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Early Postpartum Awakenings, Neurocognitive Performance, And Feeding Methods, Michael A. Winser Jan 2012

Early Postpartum Awakenings, Neurocognitive Performance, And Feeding Methods, Michael A. Winser

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study investigated memory for brief nocturnal awakenings, characteristics of those awakenings in women during the early and late postpartum period, and how these awakenings were related to neurocognitive performance in exclusively breastfeeding and exclusively formula-feeding mothers.;The median duration of a nocturnal awakening necessary for morning recall was four minutes and 30 seconds, which closely resembles the current five-minute rule of thumb. There was normal variability in thresholds, indicating that other factors may influence memory for awakenings. During the postpartum period, women generally under-reported the number of awakenings experienced each night, but did increase in accuracy by week 12. Average …

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Validation Of The Calgary Symptoms Of Stress Inventory (C-Sosi) For Predicting Adherence To A Stress Reduction Technique, Lauren M. Penwell Jan 2012

Validation Of The Calgary Symptoms Of Stress Inventory (C-Sosi) For Predicting Adherence To A Stress Reduction Technique, Lauren M. Penwell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Stress is a ubiquitous aspect of modern life that has serious effects on mental and physical health. Many stress reduction techniques are currently available to help combat these effects but non-adherence to them is a significant barrier to their overall effectiveness. The aims of the current study were to: 1) validate the Calgary Symptoms of Stress Inventory (C-SOSI), an instrument that classifies one's stress response profile, using traditional psychometric procedures as well as for predicting responses to a laboratory stress situation, and 2) explore the utility of this instrument for predicting adherence following training in a single stress reduction session …

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Family Relationship Analysis In Photos, Xiaolong Wang Jan 2012

Family Relationship Analysis In Photos, Xiaolong Wang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Family relationship analysis has many potential applications, ranging from homeland security through to image search and social activity analysis. In our work, we present five computational problems for family relationship analysis in face photos. Studying these challenging problems is important and useful for semantic image understanding and social context extraction. In our study, the familial traits are learned from pairs of salient local facial parts using discriminative approaches. It is motivated by human perception studies on kinship recognition and the existence of familial traits through genetic inheritance. Second, kinship verification is performed on a pair of faces by integrating the …

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"Near-By Nature": A Logical Framework For Building Integrated Agriculture., William Plyler Jan 2012

"Near-By Nature": A Logical Framework For Building Integrated Agriculture., William Plyler

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Building Integrated Agriculture (BIA) aims to reduce the environmental footprint of food production and to improve the human condition. BIA places food producing plants into the everyday working/living environment. This study explored the intersection of the diverse BIA requirements (human, plant, and building) as established by the relevant literature from various disciplines. Kaplan (1992), and Ulrich (1984; 1986; 1992) established the restorative physiological and psychological effects of plants in non-natural settings. Kaplan deemed these settings “Near-by Nature.” In building interiors, “Near-by Nature” is achieved through interiorscaping, a design practice that incorporates plant, building and occupant requirements. This study specifically investigated …

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The Relationships Between Perinatal Loss Interventions At The Time Of Stillbirth And Maternal Grief., Peggy Lambert Fink Jan 2012

The Relationships Between Perinatal Loss Interventions At The Time Of Stillbirth And Maternal Grief., Peggy Lambert Fink

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Annually there are approximately 26,000 stillbirths in the United States. The loss of a child has the ability to derail life’s trajectory like no other loss, and stillbirth can significantly affect a woman’s relationships, her health, and future childbearing. Stillbirth interventions provided in the hospital are intended to provide comfort and support and assist women as they grieve. Stillbirth interventions have evolved over the last 30 years, but there have been no evaluations of interventions to determine if they were helpful to grieving mothers. This study, therefore, evaluated the impact of interventions provided at the time of …

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