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Perceived Discrimination, Ethnic Identity Development, And Well-Being In Children: An Exploration Study, Billie S. Schwartz May 2014

Perceived Discrimination, Ethnic Identity Development, And Well-Being In Children: An Exploration Study, Billie S. Schwartz

Open Access Dissertations

As diversity increases in the U.S., there is a pressing need to understand ethnic identity development in children, particularly in relation to psychological well-being. Previous studies document the importance of ethnic identity development and its influence on positive development, psychological well-being, and academic adjustment in children, particularly from ethnically diverse backgrounds (Booker; 2006; Phinney, 1990, 1995; Thomson & Zand, 2005). However, limited research investigates the relationship between ethnic identity and the well-being of school-aged children, particularly during middle childhood (García Coll & Marks, 2009; Phinney, 1990). This exploratory study sought provide greater understanding of ethnic identity development in children, as …


Murine Neonates Infected With Yersinia Enterocolitica Develop Rapid And Robust Pro-Inflammatory Responses In The Intestinal Lymphoid Tissues, David Travis Siefker May 2014

Murine Neonates Infected With Yersinia Enterocolitica Develop Rapid And Robust Pro-Inflammatory Responses In The Intestinal Lymphoid Tissues, David Travis Siefker

Open Access Dissertations

It is becoming increasingly apparent that neonates are not immune-compromised, but rather immune-variant. We have described a neonatal model of Yersinia enterocolitica infection in which protective inflammation occurs at the level of the mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN). The expression of pro-inflammatory, but not anti-inflammatory, cytokine genes was markedly induced in the neonatal MLN early after infection. Strikingly, the expression levels in neonates greatly exceeded those seen in infected adults. Elevated pro-inflammatory gene expression was quickly followed by enhanced innate phagocyte recruitment to the MLN of neonates, compared to adults. Neither CD4+ nor B cells were required for inflammation in the …


Beyond The Canonical Function Of Receptor Tyrosine Kinase: New Perspectives For Erbb2 (Her2) Signaling Control Across The Cell Membrane, Qian Zhang May 2014

Beyond The Canonical Function Of Receptor Tyrosine Kinase: New Perspectives For Erbb2 (Her2) Signaling Control Across The Cell Membrane, Qian Zhang

Open Access Dissertations

The complex of ligand-binding deficient ERBB2 with kinase-dead ERBB3 represents the most potent signaling partner among the ERBB receptor family. The canonical model of receptor activation only provides an explanation for ERBB3 phosphorylation, leaving the ERBB2 part unresolved.Traditional therapeutic agents including monoclonal antibodies or kinase inhibitors against ERBB2 are effective in treatment, but their mechanism of action remains unknown. Meanwhile, patients often develop high levels of drug resistance over time. Since the process of ERBB2 signaling activation and transduction is elusive, we are interested in looking into the underlying molecular mechanisms, and thereby developing new medications in an effort to …


Therapy For B-Cell Lymphoma, Shruti Bhatt May 2014

Therapy For B-Cell Lymphoma, Shruti Bhatt

Open Access Dissertations

B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is the fifth most common cancer comprised of indolent and aggressive subtypes. Current therapeutic approaches result in short term survival, urging the development of better therapeutics. This dissertation involves design and evaluation of novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment of B-cell lymphomas. Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL), a rare form of aggressive NHL is caused by Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) and/or Epstein-barr virus (EBV). An attractive option for treating PEL and other γ-herpesvirus induced cancers is targeting endogenous latent viruses with drugs that reactivate their lytic replication, thereby eradicating virally-infected reservoirs. Here we demonstrate that the combination …


Observations And Modeling Of Microbial Water Quality At Recreational Beaches, Zhixuan Feng May 2014

Observations And Modeling Of Microbial Water Quality At Recreational Beaches, Zhixuan Feng

Open Access Dissertations

To comply with federal law Beach Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act (BEACH Act), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines, beach monitoring programs have been adopted and implemented to protect beachgoers from health risks caused by harmful microorganisms. Present monitoring programs around the United States heavily rely on sparse water sampling (usually daily to weekly) with time-consuming microbial laboratory analysis, thereby potentially causing unnecessary beach closures or human health risks for beaches that remain open. The objective of this dissertation is to use both field observations and numerical models to investigate the linkages between microbiological, hydrological, and morphological processes …


Dissecting The Function Of Ack Family Kinases In Drosophila Through Understanding Their Interactions With Dock And Cdc42, Abbas M. Abdallah May 2014

Dissecting The Function Of Ack Family Kinases In Drosophila Through Understanding Their Interactions With Dock And Cdc42, Abbas M. Abdallah

Open Access Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Landscape Genetics, Phylogeography, And Demographic History Of A Pollinator Longhorn Beetle (Typocerus V. Velutinus), Hossam Eldien Mohammed Abdel Moniem May 2014

Landscape Genetics, Phylogeography, And Demographic History Of A Pollinator Longhorn Beetle (Typocerus V. Velutinus), Hossam Eldien Mohammed Abdel Moniem

Open Access Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Production And Assessment Of Usefulness Of Interactive 2-D And Stereoscopic 3-D Videos As Tools For Anatomic Dissection Preparation And Examination Review, Sereen Mahmoud Al Khalili May 2014

Production And Assessment Of Usefulness Of Interactive 2-D And Stereoscopic 3-D Videos As Tools For Anatomic Dissection Preparation And Examination Review, Sereen Mahmoud Al Khalili

Open Access Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Metabolic Changes Associated With Acquired Cisplatin Resistance, Elizabeth J. Sullivan Apr 2014

Metabolic Changes Associated With Acquired Cisplatin Resistance, Elizabeth J. Sullivan

Open Access Dissertations

Although cisplatin is the drug of choice in treating a variety of different cancers, acquired resistance appears to be a common and serious drawback to its effectiveness in the clinic. Using three pairs of cisplatin-sensitive and resistant cancer cell lines, we have found significantly altered hexokinase (HK) I and II levels in cisplatin-resistant cancer cell lines. Based on our interest in utilizing glucose analogs to probe tumor metabolism, we investigated the role of HKI and HKII in cisplatin-resistant lung and ovarian cancer cell lines and asked whether these resistant cell lines could be targeted with sugar analogs under both normoxic …


Effect Of Employment On Health-Related Quality Of Life, Healthcare Expenditures, And Healthcare Utilization Of Older Adults, Diana Kachan Apr 2014

Effect Of Employment On Health-Related Quality Of Life, Healthcare Expenditures, And Healthcare Utilization Of Older Adults, Diana Kachan

Open Access Dissertations

The proportion of adults aged 65 years and over in the U.S. population is rapidly increasing due to increasing longevity, as well as decreasing fertility rates. As a result, adults aged 65+ constitute the fastest growing group among workers, and this trend is projected to continue as the baby boomer generation enters retirement age. The positive effects of employment at older age on health has been suggested by previous research, however no comprehensive examination of health status of older workers has been conducted. In addition, the effect of employment at older age on such important health outcomes as health-related qualityof …


Short-Term Peak Demand Forecasting Using An Artificial Neural Network With Controlled Peak Demand Through Intelligent Electrical Loading, Jason Lee Grant Apr 2014

Short-Term Peak Demand Forecasting Using An Artificial Neural Network With Controlled Peak Demand Through Intelligent Electrical Loading, Jason Lee Grant

Open Access Dissertations

The power output capacity of a local electrical utility is dictated by its customers’ cumulative peak-demand electrical consumption. Most electrical utilities in the United States maintain peak-power generation capacity by charging for end-use peak electrical demand; thirty to seventy percent of an electric utility’s bill. To reduce peak demand, a real-time energy monitoring system was designed, developed, and implemented for a large government building. Data logging, combined with an application of artificial neural networks (ANNs), provides short-term electrical load forecasting data for controlled peak demand. The ANN model was tested against other forecasting methods including simple moving average (SMA), linear …


Biotic And Abiotic Influences On Algal Symbiont (Symbiodinium Spp.) Community Dynamics In Reef Corals Recovering From Disturbance, Paul R. Jones Apr 2014

Biotic And Abiotic Influences On Algal Symbiont (Symbiodinium Spp.) Community Dynamics In Reef Corals Recovering From Disturbance, Paul R. Jones

Open Access Dissertations

Reef corals are mutualisms between invertebrate animals and diverse dinoflagellate algae (Symbiodinium spp.). Originally thought to be specific relationships between particular corals and Symbiodinium types, it is now accepted that many coral species can host different types of symbionts, often simultaneously. This adds complexity to the study of coral-algal symbiosis, because subtle changes in the symbiont community may result in a coral host with increased thermal tolerance or resilience. To determine how Symbiodinium community dynamics are affected by environmental stressors (abiotic factors) and exogenous sources of algal-symbionts (biotic factors), this project utilized a highly sensitive real-time PCR assay to quantify …


Latent Membrane Protein-1 As A Vacciine Adjuvant, James Termini Apr 2014

Latent Membrane Protein-1 As A Vacciine Adjuvant, James Termini

Open Access Dissertations

Dendritic cells are a promising cell type for immunotherapy due to their potent immunostimulatory potential. Nevertheless, improper maturation may account for the limited efficacy of dendritic cells in immunotherapy clinical trials. Latent Membrane Protein-1 (LMP1) of the Epstein-Barr virus was examined for its ability to mature and activate dendritic cells as a gene-based molecular adjuvant. Dendritic cells were transduced with an adenoviral vector expressing LMP1 under the control of a Tet- inducible promoter. LMP1 was found to mature and activate both human and mouse dendritic cells. LMP1 enhanced in vitro migration of dendritic cells toward CCL19, as well as in …


An Elusive Escape: "Feminine" Genres In Latin American Women's Fiction, Mary Catherine Bartsh Apr 2014

An Elusive Escape: "Feminine" Genres In Latin American Women's Fiction, Mary Catherine Bartsh

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation analyzes Latin American contemporary female authors’ fictional use of normatively “feminine genres” (i.e., letters and diaries) in the structure of the novel. I illustrate that certain authors re-strategize these forms in order to execute their own interpretation of the novel. Examples of this reconstituting of feminine genres are an artist’s novel, a crônica manifesto, a complex parody of the romance novel and a creative prose journal. The intention is not to relegate these modes of writing to a minor status, but expose their multidimensional literary function and feminist strategies in Latin American women’s fiction. My theoretical intervention posits …


Sparse Model Learning For Inferring Genotype And Phenotype Associations, Anhui Huang Apr 2014

Sparse Model Learning For Inferring Genotype And Phenotype Associations, Anhui Huang

Open Access Dissertations

Genotype and phenotype associations are of paramount importance in understanding the genetic basis of living organisms, improving traits of interests in animal and plant breeding, as well as gaining insights into complex biological systems and the etiology of human diseases. With the advancements in molecular biology such as microarrays, high throughput next generation sequencing, RNAseq, et al, the number of available genotype markers is far exceeding the number of available samples in association studies. The objective of this dissertation is to develop sparse models for such high dimensional data, develop accurate sparse variable selection and estimation algorithms for the models, …


Neural Progenitor Cell Transplantation And Proneurogenic Compound Administration Improve Outcomes After Trauma: Neuroprotection And Neurogenesis For The Treatment Of Traumatic Brain Injury, Meghan O’Connell Blaya Apr 2014

Neural Progenitor Cell Transplantation And Proneurogenic Compound Administration Improve Outcomes After Trauma: Neuroprotection And Neurogenesis For The Treatment Of Traumatic Brain Injury, Meghan O’Connell Blaya

Open Access Dissertations

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) represents a serious public health problem as there are no clinically-available treatments to mitigate the functional complications and societal burdens endured by patients and their caregivers. In addition to the primary mechanical insult, deleterious secondary injuries contribute to the progressive atrophy and long-term histopathological changes that impair functional and cognitive outcomes. The studies carried out in this dissertation project assessed two treatment strategies designed to engage and enhance endogenous neurorestorative responses in the injured brain. We postulated that the protection of vulnerable cortical neurons and perilesional parenchyma together with the promotion of endogenous hippocampal neurogenesis would …


Community-Based Philosophy And Service-Learning: A Case Study At Barry University, Christian A. Schlaerth Apr 2014

Community-Based Philosophy And Service-Learning: A Case Study At Barry University, Christian A. Schlaerth

Open Access Dissertations

Service-learning, as a pedagogical technique, presents unique learning opportunities for students, where they get to use their skills and knowledge from courses to help improve communities that have particular needs. Barry University has recently begun to expand it program across the school, reaching into disciplines that are not often associated with service-learning. Barry is also a school that presents itself as aware of inequality, with the goal of helping to diminish it. However, there is a clear lack of philosophical direction behind the application of service-learning. This research seeks to ascertain the extent to which community-based philosophy is being employed …


Purpose-Relativity And Ontology, Nurbay Irmak Apr 2014

Purpose-Relativity And Ontology, Nurbay Irmak

Open Access Dissertations

Serious ontology is the view that metaphysical debates about existence are deep, theoretical, quasi-scientific debates about the nature and constituents of reality. Serious ontology has been the dominant metaontology for the last few decades, but recently it has come under attack. Eli Hirsch’s Quantifier Variantism is one of the most compelling criticisms of serious ontology. According to Hirsch many ontological debates are merely verbal because the alleged rivals in these debates can each agree that the other side is saying something true given the meanings of the existential quantifier in their own language, and none of those quantifier meanings is …


The Impact Of A Curricular And Professional Development Intervention On Elementary Science Teachers’ Perceptions Of High-Stakes Testing And Accountability, Georgina O. Lindskoog Apr 2014

The Impact Of A Curricular And Professional Development Intervention On Elementary Science Teachers’ Perceptions Of High-Stakes Testing And Accountability, Georgina O. Lindskoog

Open Access Dissertations

High-stakes testing and accountability (HSTA) is a topic largely debated because of the effects it can have on student learning. Teachers’ perceptions help determine teaching practices, ultimately teaching practices impact student learning, and unintended consequences of HSTA have been found to result in teaching practices that do not maximize meaningful student learning. The purpose of this study was to examine elementary science teachers’ perceptions of HSTA prior to an intervention and if participation in the intervention changed their perceptions. In addition, teacher professional variables (i.e., years of teaching and number of science courses taken) and school contextual factors (i.e., percent …


Physicochemical Insights Into The Egr1-Dna Interaction, David C. Mikles Apr 2014

Physicochemical Insights Into The Egr1-Dna Interaction, David C. Mikles

Open Access Dissertations

Early growth response 1 (EGR1) transcription factor orchestrates a plethora of signaling cascades in response to a wide variety of stimuli such as growth factors and hormones. Herein, using a battery of biophysical tools, I explore the molecular basis of binding of EGR1 to its cognate gene promoters. My data show that the binding of EGR1 to DNA is tightly regulated by solution pH. The binding affinity undergoes an enhancement of more than an order of magnitude with increasing pH from 5 to 8, implying that the deprotonation of an ionizable residue accounts for such behavior. This ionizable residue is …


Reactivity Studies Of Tridhydropyridine Radical Cautions By Using Fourier-Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry And Advancement Of Mass Spectrometric Analysis Of Asphaltenes And Degradation Products, Mohammad Sabir Aqueel Apr 2014

Reactivity Studies Of Tridhydropyridine Radical Cautions By Using Fourier-Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry And Advancement Of Mass Spectrometric Analysis Of Asphaltenes And Degradation Products, Mohammad Sabir Aqueel

Open Access Dissertations

Aromatic organic molecules which have unpaired electrons play an important role in a variety of applications in the fields of organic synthesis, organic magnets, and biological activity of organic compounds. Several studies have been published on σ- type carbon-centered mono- and biradicals. Reactive intermediates with three formally unpaired electrons are known as triradicals. They can be defined as species with three electrons distributed in three degenerate or nearly degenerate orbitals, based on Salem's definition of biradicals from the electronic structure point of view. Very little is known about the reactivity of carbon-centered σ,σ,σ- triradicals due to the complexity of studying …


The Role Of Calpain In Kidney Podocytes, In Health And Disease, Jin Ju Kim Mar 2014

The Role Of Calpain In Kidney Podocytes, In Health And Disease, Jin Ju Kim

Open Access Dissertations

Podocyte foot processes (FPs) and their interposed slit diaphragm (SD) are key components of the permeability barrier in the glomerulus. Damage of podocytes (FP effacement) result in proteinuria and may lead to progressive decline of the renal function. It is therefore critical to define the regulation of podocyte structure and function at the cellular level. Podocyte FP effacement can be specifically induced by the action of the cytosolic protease cathepsin L (cCatL), which functions as a regulatory protease. To date, three substrates of cCatL have been identified in podocytes: dynamin and synaptopodin which both stabilize the podocyte actin cytoskeleton, and …


Integrated Monitoring And Stock Assessment Of Spatially Heterogeneous Reef Fisheries, William John Harford Mar 2014

Integrated Monitoring And Stock Assessment Of Spatially Heterogeneous Reef Fisheries, William John Harford

Open Access Dissertations

Managing coral reef fisheries can be complicated by spatial heterogeneity in the distribution of fish and in the distribution of fishing activities. Improving reef fish sampling can be addressed by evaluating linkages between data and their subsequent uses in population assessment and fisheries decision-making. In this dissertation, integrated approaches to sampling and assessment of coral reef fisheries were developed using a spatially explicit individual-based simulation framework. The simulation framework was used to evaluate whether and how precision of spatially-stratified surveys influenced assessment and decision-making performance for a black grouper (Mycteroperca bonaci) fishery within the Florida Keys reef tract. The simulation …


Investigation Of Molecular And Clinical Applications Targeting Neurodegenerative Progression Of Injured Retinal Ganglion Cells In The Mouse Retina, Gustavo Costa Munguba Feb 2014

Investigation Of Molecular And Clinical Applications Targeting Neurodegenerative Progression Of Injured Retinal Ganglion Cells In The Mouse Retina, Gustavo Costa Munguba

Open Access Dissertations

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide and it is estimated that over 80 million people throughout the world will have glaucoma by the year 2020. Currently, increase intraocular pressure is the only known modifiable risk factor in glaucoma pathophysiology, and therefore the only treatment option available to patients and their physicians is to lower the eye pressure. This thesis work explores several approaches in understanding neurodegenerative retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death in the retina, and explores rhythmic stimulation as a potential therapeutic strategy toward neuroprotection of injured adult RGCs. We begin by exploring progressive changes in …


T-Cell Mediated Mechanisms Of Autoimmunity, Anti-Tumor Immunity And Tumorigenesis, Jason Miska Feb 2014

T-Cell Mediated Mechanisms Of Autoimmunity, Anti-Tumor Immunity And Tumorigenesis, Jason Miska

Open Access Dissertations

The difficulty in identifying a tumor-specific antigen (TSA) in a majority of tumors poses a clinical problem in treating cancer with immunotherapy. To date, the majority of tumor antigens identified are not tumor-specific, but are rather largely “self” in nature, and the destruction of these tissues appear to be similar to autoimmune damage of normal tissues. Indeed, clinical studies of successful immune checkpoint therapies like such as anti-CTLA4 and anti-PD1/PD-L1 antibody treatment revealed a strong association of autoimmune side effects with therapeutic benefit. In these cases the anti-tumor effect seems to be mediated by, in part, an autoimmune response. The …


Unveiling The Function Of Fanconi Anemia Complementation Group A Protein (Fanca), Liangyue Qian Feb 2014

Unveiling The Function Of Fanconi Anemia Complementation Group A Protein (Fanca), Liangyue Qian

Open Access Dissertations

Fanconi anemia is a rare autosomal recessive or X-linked genetic disease characterized by progressive bone marrow failure, various developmental anomalies, and cancer predisposition. Fanconi anemia complementation group A gene is one of the 16 disease-causing genes and has been found to be mutated in more than 60% of Fanconi anemia patients. Using purified proteins, we unveil that FANCA has intrinsic affinity for nucleic acids with preference for singlestrand forms and its nucleic acids binding domain is primarily located at its Cterminus. FANCA binds to RNA with an intriguingly higher affinity than its DNA counterpart. By testing the affinity between FANCA …


Biochemical Characterization Of The Estrogen Receptor Alpha (Erα) Coactivator E6-Ap, Skp2 And Fbxl6, Wen Zhou Feb 2014

Biochemical Characterization Of The Estrogen Receptor Alpha (Erα) Coactivator E6-Ap, Skp2 And Fbxl6, Wen Zhou

Open Access Dissertations

Many transcription factors undergo transcription-coupled proteolysis. While ligand binding activates ubiquitin-proteolysis of estrogen receptor alpha (ER), mechanisms governing this and its relationship to transcriptional activation were unclear. In this thesis, I present the evidence indicating that different ubiquitin ligases, including E6-AP and SCF/SKP2 regulate ER protein stability and transcriptional activity. SKP2 project support a model in which estrogen-activated CyclinE-CDK2 binds and phosphorylates ER-S341, to prime ER-SCF/SKP2 binding via SKP2-L248QTLL252 in late G1. SKP2 activates ER ubiquitylation and proteolysis. Putative late ER targets were identified by expression profiling, SKP2 knockdown attenuated E2F-1 and BLM induction. SKP2 overexpression, but not coactivator motif …


Effect Of Chronic Thoracic Spinal Cord Injury (Sci) On The Peripheral Immune System In Mice, Ji Zha Jan 2014

Effect Of Chronic Thoracic Spinal Cord Injury (Sci) On The Peripheral Immune System In Mice, Ji Zha

Open Access Dissertations

Patients with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) are at higher risk than the general population of developing infections and their prognosis is often much poorer. The disruption of the normal balance between central nervous system and immune system following SCI induces immunodepression, leading to a compromised capacity to combat infections such as influenza virus in patients with SCI. Using a contusion model of SCI at thoracic level 9, we analyzed the chronic effect of SCI on the peripheral immune system in mice, with a focus on T-cell immunity. We found that although the splenic T-cell number was not changed during …


Interaction And Protection Of Antimicrobial Compounds With Carbohydrate-Based Colloidal Systems For Improved Food Safety, Preetam Sarkar Jan 2014

Interaction And Protection Of Antimicrobial Compounds With Carbohydrate-Based Colloidal Systems For Improved Food Safety, Preetam Sarkar

Open Access Dissertations

The food processing industry has focused on using conventional methods for food preservation. However, the recurring incidence of food borne illnesses and outbreaks due to pathogenic or spoilage organisms have called for creation of novel intervention strategies. In recent years, antimicrobial compounds from natural sources are gaining significant importance in improving food safety and security. However, antimicrobials suffer from extensive degradation when applied to complex food systems due to several specific or non-specific interactions. There is an urgent need for the protection of such antimicrobials to prolong their activity in foods. One strategy of achieving the goal is by the …


Interaction And Protection Of Antimicrobial Compounds With Carbohydrate-Based Colloidal Systems For Improved Food Safety, Preetam Sarkar Jan 2014

Interaction And Protection Of Antimicrobial Compounds With Carbohydrate-Based Colloidal Systems For Improved Food Safety, Preetam Sarkar

Open Access Dissertations

The food processing industry has focused on using conventional methods for food preservation. However, the recurring incidence of food borne illnesses and outbreaks due to pathogenic or spoilage organisms have called for creation of novel intervention strategies. In recent years, antimicrobial compounds from natural sources are gaining significant importance in improving food safety and security. However, antimicrobials suffer from extensive degradation when applied to complex food systems due to several specific or non-specific interactions. There is an urgent need for the protection of such antimicrobials to prolong their activity in foods. One strategy of achieving the goal is by the …