Digital Commons Network^™

The Design And Implementation Of A Comprehensive Back Injury Prevention Program And Development Of A Vo2max Non-Exercise Regression Model For Emergency Services Personnel, Tamer Hatem Elattar

Open Access Dissertations

Back injury prevention programs are cost efficient typically by reducing the num-ber of work-related injuries and lost work days in both fire fighters. Injury rates and sick leave usage can be reduced, thereby controlling overtime costs associated with filling vacant positions or utilizing other agencies for response. The measurement of fitness using exercise models is an important part of any fitness program and also the firefighters’ annual fitness evaluation. Those exercise models require cost, time and expose firefighters to risks of injury. We examined the difference in perceptions and knowledge about musculoskeletal injuries among emergency workers personnel with an emphasis …

Effects Of Psychological And Structural-Level Factors On Sexual Risk And Sti Incidence In High-Risk Men Who Have Sex With Men, Calvin J. Fitch

Open Access Dissertations

Men who have sex with men (MSM) with histories of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) are at disproportionate risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV. Psychological variables explain part of this; however, standing alone, they fail to account for all of the increased risk. This secondary data analysis investigates the relationship between psychological factors (PTSD and substance use), structural factors (government benefits, unstable housing and neighborhood crime), unprotected sex and STI incidence and also investigates possible moderation effects of race/ethnicity. MSM from Boston and Miami (N= 296) were recruited for a larger RCT testing the effect of Cognitive Processing Therapy …

Exploring Barriers, Beliefs, Knowledge, Experiences, And Emotions Related To Yoga Practice Among A Racially And Ethnically Diverse Sample, Denise Simão Marques

Open Access Dissertations

The standard approach to ameliorating mental health difficulties in the United States may not be effective for racial and ethnic minority populations, as these individuals are more likely than non-Latino/a White individuals to prematurely withdraw from mental health services (Chow, Jaffee, & Snowden, 2003; Miranda, Azocar, Organista, Dwyer, & Arean, 2003). Yoga may be a viable intervention to address the large disparity in mental health services provided to these populations, as it is effective in ameliorating mental health difficulties across racial and ethnic populations and can be practiced in the non-medical settings. However, research suggests that racial and ethnic minority …

A Comparison Of Two Different Types Of High Intensity Interval Training On Cardiometabolic Health In Overweight/Obese Women, Ozgur Alan

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to compare the effects of aerobic high intensity interval training (A-HIIT) and resistance-high intensity interval training (R-HIIT) to that of a control group (CON) on physical characteristics, cardiometabolic health, and self-reported well-being. A total of 48 overweight/obese women met the criteria for possessing one or more metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk factors and were randomly assigned to one of three groups. Following eight weeks of training, a total of 31 women completed the intervention and were included in the statistical analysis: A-HIIT (n=10), R-HIIT (n=10), and CON (n=11). Both experimental groups trained three times a …

Comparison Of Brachypodium And Wheat Response To Hessian Fly, Abdelrahman Ahmed Abdelhady Mohamed Awad

Open Access Dissertations

Wheat (Triticum aestivum) yield is limited by biotic stresses such as Hessian fly [Mayetiola destructor (Say)] attack which causes a significant annual loss. Previous studies have shown that Brachypodium distachyon is resistant to Hessian fly infestation. Since B. distachyon has advantages over wheat to be used as a model plant in genetic and genomics, we compared the response of 5 wheat lines (4 resistant lines, harboring different Hessian fly-resistance H genes, and 1 susceptible line to Hessian fly infestation) to B. distachyon at early stages [12 hours, 1 day, 3 days and 5 Days After Hessian fly egg-Hatch (DAH)] of …

Label Free Chemical Imaging Reveals Novel Metabolite Signatures In Living Model Organisms, Jing (Andy) Chen

Open Access Dissertations

Cell and molecular biology often need direct monitoring of the dynamic distribution and interactions of metabolites in living cells and model organisms. However, this task is extremely challenging for a few reasons. Labeling metabolites with markers can potentially interrupt the dynamic cellular events that are aimed to be observed. Moreover, labeling dyes are usually toxic to cells. Lastly, many labeling methods require cell fixation thus cannot be used to study cellular dynamics. Label-free chemical imaging methods such as stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) circumvent these problems by generating signals based on the intrinsic optical property of target biological metabolites. As a …

Effects Of Per/Polyfluoroalkyl Substances On Larval Amphibians, Gary M. Hoover

Open Access Dissertations

Per/polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of persistent organic pollutants of emerging concern. Widespread use, along with volatility of some PFAS, has led to global distribution in soils and surface waters. The chemical stability of these compounds assures persistence in the environment, with effects unknown to much of the chronically-exposed biota. Many toxicology studies implicate PFAS in disruption of the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis, which is known to play a major role in control of metamorphosis in amphibians. Thus, amphibians represent a class of organisms that may be susceptible to sub-lethal effects of PFAS exposure.

Three main aims were accomplished to …

The Regulatory Role Of Isopentenyl Phosphate Kinase In Plants And The Evolution Of Terpenoid Diversity In Lamiaceae, Laura K. Henry

Open Access Dissertations

Chapter 1 of this dissertation provides background information into the two plant terpenoid biosynthetic pathways, the mevalonate (MVA) and 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathways. These pathways are responsible for the formation of the five-carbon building blocks isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP). These metabolites are then condensed to form various chains of C5x terpenoids. The diversity of terpenoids within the diverse Lamiaceae is also discussed.

Chapter 2 looks at the role of a homolog of the archeal gene isopentenyl phosphate kinase (IPK) in plants. IPK is found in all sequenced plant genomes and acts in parallel with the canonical MVA …

Heat Stress And In Utero Heat Stress: Effects On Boar Reproduction And The Efficacy Of Nutritional Mitigation, Drew W. Lugar

Open Access Dissertations

With the majority of commercial swine farms utilizing artificial insemination, reproductive efficiency is a primary focus of producers and researchers. Boar reproduction specifically, can have a major impact on the overall reproductive efficiency of the swine industry. Heat stress has a negative effect on the swine industry. In growing pigs it causes reduced growth, in sows reduced fertility, and in boars it causes reduced sperm production and quality. In addition, more recent studies have implied that gestational (in utero) heat stress (IUHS) can add insult to injury, resulting in further reductions in animal growth and reproduction. However, very little emphasis …

Mechanistic Understanding Of The Design And Characterization Of Biocompatible Nanodelivery Systems For The Encapsulation And Delivery Of Curcumin, Luis Fernando Maldonado Mejia

Open Access Dissertations

Nanotechnology techniques are enabling food scientists to create functional ingredients with micro- and nanostructures, displaying unique properties that are finding applications in encapsulation of bioactive compounds/phytochemicals, food flavors, essential oils, and other important high value ingredients. The ability of edible proteins and polysaccharides to fabricate different nanostructures was investigated using three different methods: 1) desolvation using water as solvent, and acetone, ethanol and methanol as non-solvent agents, 2) complex coacervation using the combination of two biopolymer polyelectrolytes, and 3) layer-by-layer deposition technique to fabricate nanotubes using the combination of two biopolymer polyelectrolytes. These nanoparticles were evaluated for their capacity to …

Genotype By Management Investigations Into The Physiology Of Maize Response To Late Season Nitrogen Applications, Sarah M. Mueller

Open Access Dissertations

The timing and rate of N fertilizer application is among the most important decisions in maize management. Nitrogen is often a yield-limiting nutrient, but it is also an expensive input and has negative environmental impacts when lost from fields. Because of this, there has been interest in applying a portion of the total N application later in the summer with the goal of increased synchrony between soil N availability and crop N demand. In order to assess the usefulness of split N applications, this dissertation evaluated 1) how N accumulation has changed with hybrid improvement, 2) the impact of split …

College Students And Athletes: Identity Adherence, Injury, Illness, Depression, Social Support, And Problem Behaviors, Samuel L. Nekvasil

Open Access Dissertations

College students are at pivotal time in their life for identity development. They are typically away from home for the first time, independently making decisions while also striving to maintain their academic performance. A subset of this population, college athletes, face a number of unique challenges often connected with their potentially competing identities as athletes and students (i.e., athletic and academic identities). In addition, when injury/illness occurs, identity adherence may shift for all students (i.e., athletes and non-athletes) and there is the potential that they may engage in problem behaviors (i.e., risky sexual behavior, illicit drug use, problem alcohol use, …

Imaging And Molecular Analysis Of Murine Dissecting Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms, Evan H. Phillips

Open Access Dissertations

An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a localized expansion of the aorta. This disease can sometimes be caused by aortic dissections where the layers of the vessel wall separate, creating a false channel for blood to flow. AAAs are life-threatening because weakening of the vessel wall can lead to aortic rupture and internal bleeding. Unfortunately, most AAAs are associated with no signs or symptoms. Early diagnosis is therefore often not possible and recommendation for life-saving surgery could be delayed. As a result, the mortality rate for patients who experience aortic rupture is up to 90%. Currently we have an incomplete …

Regulation Of Thermogenic And Inflammatory Response In Adipose Tissue By 18-C Fatty Acids, Sunhyue Shin

Open Access Dissertations

Dietary fatty acids, in particular long-chain fatty acids (LCFA), are involved in the regulation of metabolic, oxidative, and inflammatory responses. This is a mechanism by which fatty acids participate in the regulation of energy homeostasis and impact development of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. White and brown adipose tissue play a significant role in energy storage and expenditure through fatty acid uptake and oxidation. LCFA, especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), have been reported to induce thermogenesis by activating brown and beige adipocytes to oxidize more fuel molecules. However, the effects of 18-carbon (18-C) LCFA with …

Regulation Of The Endogenous Antioxidant Defense System In Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy, Mateusz A. Stochelski

Open Access Dissertations

Oxidative stress is implicated as a major contributor to the development of diabetes induced peripheral neuropathy. This debilitating condition significantly impacts the quality of life of patients, yet available treatment options are not optimal. They include tricyclic antidepressants, anticonvulsants, serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and opiates. Unfortunately, these treatment options only reduce pain by 30-50%, and many patients discontinue use due to side effects. Furthermore, the current treatment options are focused on pain reduction, but not the protection of the peripheral nerves. Since oxidative stress driven by high glucose concentrations has been implicated as the key factor causing …

Characterization Of The Human Dead-Box Rna Helicase Ddx5, Zheng Xing

Open Access Dissertations

Gene expression in eukaryotes is highly complex. The central player in gene expression is the messenger RNA (mRNA). After transcription, the mRNA is bound by numerous RNA binding proteins to form a messenger ribonucleoprotein complex (mRNP) that dictates the function and fate of the messengers. Proper mRNP formation is critical for gene expression. DEAD-box proteins are the largest class of RNA helicases that play fundamental roles in RNA and RNP structure remodeling. However, the precise biological roles of the vast majority of them are not well described. To fill in this gap, my research focused on the characterization of the …

Associations Between Physical Frailty And Cognitive Functioning Using Factor Analysis, Ni Sun-Suslow

Open Access Dissertations

While there are several proposed definitions, Fried et al. (2001) is the first study to define the physical characteristics of frailty. To date there have been few attempts to validate this criterion. Further, there is a long-standing and growing interest in the relationship between frailty and cognitive impairment. Few studies have investigated this relationship using an unmodified Fried criterion and cognitive measures beyond a mental status screener. We first examined whether the physical indicators of Fried phenotype cluster together to describe frailty syndrome using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and we further explored the association between frailty as a latent variable …

Oral Health Related Quality Of Life, Dental Care Utilization, And Serostatus Disclosure Among Hiv-Positive Women In The Women’S Interagency Hiv Study (Wihs) Cohort, Carrigan Parish

Open Access Dissertations

Persons living with HIV are more likely than HIV-negative individuals to experience oral health problems, yet are also more likely to have unmet dental care treatment needs. Dental needs among HIV-positive individuals can also be more severe and difficult to manage compared to the general population, often contributing to the onset of opportunistic oral infections. Furthermore, dental problems in patients with HIV can be associated with low CD4 counts and poor immune function. Due to the underutilization of dental services, oral health problems and symptoms, especially those that are related to HIV infection, remain prevalent in this population. Neglected dental …

The Effects Of Consuming Red Meat On Indexes Of Cardiometabolic Health And Personal Well-Being, Lauren Elizabeth O'Connor

Open Access Dissertations

Red meat consumption is recognized to increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, however, the totality of the evidence does not support this. The recommendations to limit red meat consumption, such as in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans’ omnivorous healthy eating patterns, are largely based on data from observational cohort studies which assess red meat intake in the context of a Western-style eating pattern. In these studies, “red meat” is often ill-defined and grouped with processed meat as one intake category leading to inconsistent associations between red meat intake and cardiometabolic disease risk. Unprocessed red meat, independent of processed meats, …

Mass Spectrometric Methods Development For The Characterization Of Components In Complex Mixtures For Enhanced Oil Recovery Operations And For Drug Development, Ravikiran Yerabolu

Open Access Dissertations

High-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (MSn) coupled with separation techniques, such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography (GC), has proven to be a valuable tool for the molecular level characterization of complex mixtures. The utilization of different methods, such as collision-activated dissociation (CAD) and gas-phase ion/molecule reactions, facilitates structural elucidation of the components in complex mixtures. This thesis primarily focuses on the development of tandem mass spectrometric methods for solving analytical challenges associated with the characterization of complex mixtures produced during enhanced oil recovery (EOR) operations and in drug discovery. Chapter 2 describes the instrumentation used for the research …

The Effects Of Dietary Protein At Breakfast And Across The Day On Appetite Control & Satiety, Food Intake, And Sleep Quality, Jess A. Gwin

Open Access Dissertations

The movement to adopt healthful lifestyle practices to reduce the prevalence of obesity and associated chronic diseases has garnered global interest [1]. As such, the desire to consume more protein-rich foods is a commonly used strategy due to the documented improvements in weight management observed with higher-protein (HP) diets, ranging from 1.2-1.6 g protein•kg body weight-1•d-1[2-6]. One postulated mechanism through which HP diets elicit greater weight (and fat) losses includes the improvements in ingestive behavior which appear to be mediated by a number of satiety-stimulating, physiological and/or hedonic pathways, and lead to reductions in daily food intake [3]. The main …

Investigating The Purported Slow Transit And Starch Digestion Of Whole Grain Foods, Elizabeth Anne Pletsch

Open Access Dissertations

Epidemiological studies have strongly supported the substitution of whole grains or whole grain foods for refined grains in the diet to reduce the risk of type II diabetes and other chronic diseases. However, the mechanisms of whole grain digestion, and the properties that are responsible for the associated responses of low glycemia and slow transit time of whole grains are still not well understood. The moderated glycemic response related to consumption of whole grains is largely associated with dietary fiber, yet there are properties of other components, such as starch itself, that warrant further investigation. Gastric emptying rate, or the …

Quality And Nutritional Impacts Of Extrution On Pearl Millet And Nutrient Dense Native Plant Blends, Cheikh Ndiaye

Open Access Dissertations

Significant efforts have been placed on the development of strategies to address micronutrient deficiencies in Sub-Saharan parts of Africa. Improving the nutritional value of staple foods, including cereals, is a key component of such strategies as traditional cereals such as millet and sorghum are mostly consumed in these areas. Of micronutrient deficiencies, iron, zinc and vitamin A are most critical, and mostly deficient in staple cereal foods. One option to improve the nutrient density of cereal foods is to leverage natural micronutrient dense plant materials that exist locally, and can be formulated into cereals products. Such products can be combined …

Plant Mediated Effects On Tritrophic Interactions In The Solanaceae-Hornworm System, Michael A. Garvey

Open Access Dissertations

Top-down pressure from parasites is thought to be a key driver in herbivore diet breath, but studies investigating the evolution of food plant shifts as a defense against natural enemies in the environment are still lacking in the literature. I examined how plants alter insect-enemy interactions for a specialist herbivore utilizing solanaceous food plants, Manduca sexta (the tobacco hornworm) and the parasitoid wasp, Cotesia congregata, as a model. In this study, I documented parasite infections in a field population of M. sexta, and then investigated from an eco-immunological perspective how plant toxins influence susceptibility to parasites in order to explain …

Identification Of Novel Therapeutic Targets For Chronic Pain, Doungkamol Alongkronrusmee

Open Access Dissertations

Chronic pain is a debilitating disorder associated with various diseases such as arthritis and diabetic neuropathy and is also commonly observed during withdrawal from chronic use of opioids or alcohol. Mu opioid receptor (MOR) agonists have become a mainstay of pain therapy for thousands of years. While opioids are effective for acute pain, they are not useful for chronic pain and carry several adverse effects. This poor control of chronic pain urges a need for developing novel targets for chronic pain relief. Here we have examined different promising targets including delta opioid receptor (DOR), DOR-MOR heteromers and adenylyl cyclase type …

Manipulating Light Quality, Light Intensity, And Carbon Dioxide Concentration To Optimize Indoor And Greenhouse Production Of Annual Bedding Plant Seedlings, Joshua Ken Craver

Open Access Dissertations

Annual bedding plant seedlings (plugs) are commonly produced in northern latitudes during the late winter and early spring when the natural daily light integral (DLI) in greenhouses is below recommended levels. Greenhouse supplemental lighting (SL) provides a means of increasing the DLI, with high-pressure sodium (HPS) lamps representing the current industry standard. However, low-profile and high-intensity light-emitting diode (LED) fixtures have recently emerged as a possible alternative for greenhouse SL. Additionally, due to the emission of very little radiant heat, LEDs may be used for sole-source lighting (SSL) applications where plants are produced on vertical shelving units in warehouses or …

Food Quality Versus Quantity: Consumer's Value Perception And The Influence Of Eating Style, Li Ge

Open Access Dissertations

Increased portion size of commonly consumed foods has been considered a strong environmental factor contributing to food overconsumption. Regulatory interventions to reduce portion sizes in restaurants, however, are likely to be opposed by the foodservice industry due to concerns that reduced portions may negatively affect consumers’ value perception. These interventions may also be considered as paternalistic by some consumers. Three studies were conducted to examine possible approaches to the “portion inflation” problem from different perspectives, with the intention to seek balance between public health benefits and business interests, and between corporate responsibility and consumer responsibility.

In study one, two quasi-experiments …

The Design And Analysis Of Calcium-41 Clinical Trials To Study Treatments For Bone Loss, Courtney N. Henry

Open Access Dissertations

Calcium-41 (41Ca) is a biological tracer used to rapidly and sensitively monitor skeletal calcium metabolism. Measurements of the 41Ca:Ca ratio in urine quantify changes in net bone turnover (i.e. differences in bone formation and resorption). A biomedical application of 41Ca technology clinically assesses the efficacy of treatments for preventing bone loss, primarily targeting susceptible populations such as post-menopausal women.

This research initially describes a 41Ca simulation study to determine efficient 41Ca experimental designs that preserve the accuracy and reliability of estimation and the statistical power of our conventional design, whilst substantially lowering costs by reducing the number of samples and/or …

Effects Of Within-Day Dietary Protein Distribution On Changes In Plasma Amino Acid Concentrations And Body Composition, Joshua L. Hudson

Open Access Dissertations

The increasing prevalence of adults with overweight and obesity in the United States emphasizes the need for research on novel behavioral and lifestyle interventions such as dietary manipulation to modulate the epidemic. While consuming an energy-restricted diet is a proven method of reducing adiposity, adhering to and adopting a diet that is not self-chosen is difficult. Not unimportantly, reducing energy intake also typically results in a reduction in skeletal muscle mass. Skeletal muscle is important for facilitating functional movements, metabolizing glucose, and contributing to resting energy expenditure. Multitudinous research has focused on the macronutrient composition of an energy-restricted diet both …

Global Analyses Of Protein Complex Localization, Oligomerization, Composition, And Dynamics Using Quantitative Mass Spectrometry, Zachary M. Mcbride

Open Access Dissertations

Proteins perform essential processes in plant cells such as photosynthesis, protein translation, maintenance of metabolic flux, and signal transduction. Many of these functions could never be achieved using individual proteins. Consequently, many proteins oligomerize to form complexes that act as tunable molecular machines that perform work and transmit information. Cells contain thousands of protein complexes, yet the composition of the vast majority remain unknown. Previous high throughput approaches to identify protein interactions have relied on binary interactions or tagging individual proteins for purification. A new set of label free correlation profiling methods were developed that extracted native protein from Arabidopsis …