Digital Commons Network^™

Lead Exposure, Aging And Biomarkers In Alzheimer's Disease, Aderemi Dosunmu

Open Access Dissertations

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease. To investigate AD risk factors, we reviewed epidemiologic case control studies and recent research for AD's connection to the environment. Next, we examined the number one risk factor in AD, aging. We compared and contrasted lifespan profiles of AD-associated mRNA and protein levels in monkeys and mice. The AD-related biomarkers were APP mRNA and protein; Aβ levels; specificity protein 1 (SP1); and the β-amyloid precursor cleaving enzyme (BACE1). In mice, APP and Sp1 mRNA and their protein products were elevated late in life; Aβ levels declined. In monkeys, APP, Sp1, and BACE1 …

Regioselective Oxidative Arylation Of N-Acetylindoles And N-Alkylindoles, Shathaverdhan Potavathri

Open Access Dissertations

Direct C-H bond arylation holds a significant importance in the synthesis of small biologically active molecular as it eliminates the need for pre-functionalization of either of the coupling partners. The use of these pre-functionalized coupling partners is inherently wasteful and uneconomical in comparison to methods that might directly couple the arenes together through C-H bond activation. This dissertation is mainly focused on the regioselective oxidative arylation of indoles and the synthesis of next-generation inhibitors of botulinum neurotoxin by a direct catalytic cross-coupling strategy. The first manuscript entitled "Oxidant - Controlled Regioselectivity in the Oxidative Arylation of N-Acetylindoles" is focused on …

Drug Safety Issues Focusing On Liver And Pancreas Toxicity, Thamir M. Alshammari

Open Access Dissertations

Background: Medications benefit people with diseases and medical conditions, improving many patients' lives and in some cases significantly increasing their quality of life. Despite these great benefits, medications can lead to serious adverse effects. Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are the 4^th leading cause of death, greater than major killers including pulmonary diseases, diabetes and automobile death. Not all medication groups have the same incidence in inducing diseases. Anti-infective agents - including antibacterial agents- are the most likely to induce diseases followed by cardiovascular agents and antineoplastic agents.

Objectives: Drug safety is a very important issue in patient …

The Regulation And Processing Of The Empa Metalloprotease Of Vibrio Anguillarum, Maureen Varina

Open Access Dissertations

Vibrio anguillarum is the causative agent of vibriosis, a systemic disease of fish characterized by a hemorrhagic septicemia that results in high mortalities. EmpA has been identified as a virulence factor during infection of the GI tract of juvenile Atlantic salmon. EmpA activity is dependent on successful secretion and processing of the nascent protein to an active mature protease. This study was conducted to identify and characterize the gene(s) involved in the processing mechanism of the EmpA protein. Pro-EmpA is secreted out of the cell and is activated by the cleavage of a ∼10-kDa propeptide. It has been hypothesized that …

Valve-Less Rectification Micropumps Based On Bifurcation Geometries, Ahmed Fald

Open Access Dissertations

Micropumps are key components in many Microsystems such as Lab-On-a-Chip (LOC) and Micro Total Analysis Systems (μTAS). An efficient, bidirectional, and multifunctional micropump is important to enhance the overall efficiency of any microsystem with fluid flow. Developing a bidirectional micropump with pumping and mixing capabilities will advance microsysetems technology and aid in fabricating more compact microsystems. In this work, a valve-less rectification micropump based on bifurcation geometry is designed, fabricated, and tested. Three different designs were experimentally investigated. Numerical investigation based on Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) was employed prior to the experimental work to numerically measure the microfluidic diodicity in …

Physiology And Behavior Of The Jumbo Squid Dosidicus Gigas, Lloyd A. Trueblood

Open Access Dissertations

Dosidicus gigas is a large, epipelagic squid known to vertically migrate, spending night on the surface, and descending during the day into the oxygen minimum layer (OML). This dissertation seeks to examine physiological and behavioral adaptations of D. gigas to the environment in which it dwells. Life in the open ocean is unique in that there is little physical refuge. In order to capture prey in this environment, many pelagic fishes engage at high relative swimming speeds attempting to strike before being detected. This requires high metabolic rates and increasing anaerobic potential with increasing body size to overcome drag. I …

Lipid Bilayer-Nanoparticle Interactions In Nanotoxicology And Nanomedicine, Yanjing Chen

Open Access Dissertations

Nanoparticle (NP) interactions that may destabilize cell membranes and cause toxicity can also be used to design and control therapeutic assemblies. Fundamentally examining interactions between NPs and cell membranes is crucial to understanding NP toxicity mechanisms and the development of safe and non-toxic NP-based commercial and therapeutic applications. In this dissertation it is demonstrated that self-assembled lipid bilayers can be employed as model membranes to determine NP interact ions. First, protocols were developed for examining hydrophobic and hydrophilic NP-bilayer interactions using lipid bilayer vesicles or liposomes. Second, interactions between liposomes and NPs were characterized by examining changes in liposome structure, …

Physical And Chemical Interactions Between Marine Phytoplankton And Particle-Colonizing Bacteria, Jason Robert Graff

Open Access Dissertations

It is inherently difficult to study the direct interactions between marine microbes due to the size of the organisms and microscale environments in which they exist. Recent evidence suggests that the direct associations between marine phytoplankton and particle-colonizing bacteria can influence marine microbial community succession, microalgal primary production, toxin production by marine phytoplankton, and have potential implications for human health. The goal of this dissertation was to elucidate some of the physical and chemical mechanisms that regulate microbial interactions, particularly the colonization of phytoplankton and other marine particles by bacteria. To accomplish these goals, I used a creative and multi-disciplinary …

The Effect Of Perinatal Morbidity, Child Health And Maternal Influences On Social Competence At Age 12 Years In Formerly Preterm Infants, Nicole C. Smith

Open Access Dissertations

Prematurity is a national problem with rates climbing to the highest levels in four decades. Social competence is a critically important skill for children to master in order to become socially competent adults. Social competence is not fully studied in children born prematurely. Yet they are at risk for poorer social competence due to their physical, cognitive, motor and developmental difficulties. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of perinatal morbidity, child health, and maternal influences on social competence at age 12 in a sample of formerly preterm infants and a full term comparison group. Two hypotheses …

Fgf2 Maintains The Proliferation Of Neural Progenitors By Actively Suppressing The Cki P27kip1 Through Regulation Of Cks1b Transcription, Andrew J. Darr

Open Access Dissertations

Identifying the mechanisms that regulate neural precursor cell (NPC) proliferation and differentiation is important for understanding CNS development among different vertebrates. My work has focused specifically on understanding how mitogenic factors, like basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF2), regulate the NPC cell cycle. Mitogenic factors and serum are thought to drive cell cycle and therefore proliferation mainly by activating G1-type cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs). The general hypothesis being addressed here is that FGF2 also promotes cell cycle progression of NPCs through the degradation of the cell cycle inhibitor p27Kip1. I show that, in the presence of FGF2 in vitro, embryonic rat cortical …

Cultural-Historical Activity Perspectives On The Effects Of Participation In Teacher-Mediated, Computer-Mediated Reading Instruction, Rita M. Menendez

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of participation in Read 180, a teacher-mediated, computer-mediated reading instruction program, on the reading proficiency of 4th and 5th grade English Language Learners. The students who participated in the Read 180 program scored below the 25th percentile on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). Cultural-historical activity theory guided the research. Research questions for the study were answered with quantitative and qualitative methods. The questions asked were: 1. What are the effects of participation in Read 180, a teacher-mediated computer-mediated-integrated learning system that provides reading instruction, on the growth in reading …

Modernizing Nationalism: Masculinity And The Performance Of Anglophone Caribbean Identities, Nadia Indra Johnson

Open Access Dissertations

This study examines Anglophone Caribbean national identities to interrogate multiple and varied economies that manage citizens in the interest of economic and social production and/or the policing of national identities. It is particularly concerned with the gendered character of these economies. The formation and preservation of these national identities rely heavily on gender and sexual difference as Anglophone Caribbean national identities are inextricably linked to expressions of Afro-Caribbean masculinity. Thus I analyze novels and cultural representations of Afro-Caribbean masculinity in cricket, calypso and chutney-soca music in Trinidad's carnival. I also examine Afro-Caribbean religions, Revivalism and Rastafarianism, as well as Afro-Caribbean …

The Influence Of Music On Depression, Affect, And Benefit Finding Among Women At The Completion Of Treatment For Breast Cancer, Julie J. Stordahl

Open Access Dissertations

Women at the completion of treatment for breast cancer experience relief along with continued physical and psychological distress. This study explored the effectiveness of two forms of a Relaxation Intervention in providing psychosocial support to women at the completion of treatment for breast cancer. The two conditions included (1) Music-Assisted Relaxation (MAR), in which contemporary, sedative music was paired with standard, spoken relaxation directives, and (2) Relaxation Alone (RA), in which only spoken relaxation directives were used. Individual sessions were held once each week for four weeks. This study included a mixed method design. Quantitative measures included The Center for …

April (Tnfsf13) In Th1, Th2 And Th17 Responses, Yanping Xiao

Open Access Dissertations

The T cell function of a proliferation inducing ligand (APRIL or TNFSF13) remains unclear. By comparing APRIL-/- mice with wild type (WT) mice, we have investigated the roles of APRIL in Th1, Th2 and Th17 responses. With regard to APRIL in Th1 responses, cultured APRIL-/- CD4+ T cells showed increased IFN-gamma production under non-polarizing, but not under Th1 polarizing, conditions. No difference in antigen-specific IgG2a levels existed between APRIL-/- and WT mice immunized with ovalbumin (OVA) and complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) which induces Th1 polarization. Our data indicate that APRIL represses Th1 responses only under non-polarizing conditions. As for APRIL …

Biology Of Amacrine Cells And Retinal Ganglion Cells In The Developing Retina, Noelia J. Kunzevitzky

Open Access Dissertations

How do neighboring neurons differ? How are they similar? How do they relate to each other? Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and amacrine cells are born during the same developmental window, from the same population of progenitor cells, and some amacrine cells even migrate to the same retinal layer where RGCs reside, the ganglion cell layer. Amacrine cells are presynaptic to RGCs, whose axons subsequently project through the optic nerve and carry visual information to the brain. Although the cell biology of RGCs has been studied in some detail, relatively little is known about the cell and molecular biology of amacrine …

Parents' Impressions Of Their Child's Minor Surgical Procedure With Nitrous Oxide, Tina Shapiro-Stoler

Open Access Dissertations

Invasive procedures are often painful and distressing for children and disturbing for their parents. The purpose of this study was to develop a substantive theory of parental perceptions of their school-aged child's responses to an outpatient minor surgical procedure with nitrous oxide. The sample included 22 parents of 21 children who underwent a nitrous procedure. Participants were recruited from the pediatric surgery department at a children's hospital. Semi-structured, audio-recorded interviews were conducted with each participant. Grounded theory method was used to simultaneously collect and analyze the data using the constant comparative method. The findings of the study revealed parental impressions …

Comparison Of Targeted Lower Extremity Strengthening And Usual Care Progressive Ambulation In Subjects Post-Liver Transplant: A Randomized Controlled Trial, David Walter Mandel

Open Access Dissertations

Individuals with chronic liver disease experience progressive muscle wasting, weakness, fatigue, and decreased quality of life. Liver transplantation is the only treatment for end-stage liver disease with cirrhosis; however, muscle wasting, strength impairments, activity limitations, and health related quality of life do not return to the level of healthy adults. Currently there is no plan of care for rehabilitation of individuals post-liver transplantation. These individuals are only instructed to gradually increase walking and activity. Walking may increase lower extremity muscle strength; however, walking at a self-selected pace is less effective than resistance exercise. The purpose of this dissertation was to …

Chemistry Of Iron And Other Trace Elements In Trade Wind Aerosols And Precipitation, John Michael Trapp

Open Access Dissertations

The atmospheric transport of various substances from the continents to the oceans plays an important role in biogeochemical processes. Trace metals, iron in particular is of great interest as its availability regulates the growth of phytoplankton over large areas of the ocean. This dissertation focuses on examining and characterizing the factors that affect the solubility of trace metals in Miami and Barbados aerosols and precipitation, in particular species that could play a role in surface seawater biogeochemistry (Fe and trace metals such as Al, V, Cr, Mn, Cu, Co, Ni, Zn, As, Tl, Ba, Cd, Pb, Th, Ti, Zr, and …

The Effects Of Yoga On Symptoms Associated With Conduct Disorder With Callous Unemotional Traits As A Moderator, Kym M. Mccabe

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to investigate the additive therapeutic effects of a yoga intervention on the anxiety, depression and behavioral problems of conduct-disordered male adolescents in residential treatment. In addition, the moderating effects of callous-unemotional (CU) traits on outcome measures were assessed. The program consisted of a four-week intervention program in which participants were randomly assigned to either the yoga group (n=25), in which they practiced yoga with an instructor, or the control group (n=19), in which they met for a supervised study hall. The study included pre-testing on symptoms of anxiety, depression and CU traits, and post-testing …

Assessing The Early Life Stage Processes That Regulate Recruitment In The Brooding Coral, Porites Astreoides, Wade T. Cooper

Open Access Dissertations

Population replenishment through recruitment is an essential process for the long term viability of corals and their associated communities, particularly under increasing stresses that threaten their vitality. Although many researchers have identified specific factors that influence individual processes in the early life cycle of corals, few studies to date have attempted to determine the cumulative success of a cohort's progression through these stages in natural reef settings. Specifically, there is a paucity of knowledge regarding appropriate and realistic techniques to forecast the success of recruitment in natural settings, while taking into account both the individual and environmental factors that regulate …

Modeling Molecular Transport And Binding Interactions In Intervertebral Disc, Francesco Travascio

Open Access Dissertations

Low back pain represents a significant concern in the United States, with 70% of individuals experiencing symptoms at some point in their lifetime. Although the specific cause of low back pain remains unclear, symptoms have been strongly associated with degeneration of the intervertebral disc. Insufficient nutritional supply to the disc is believed to be a major mechanism for tissue degeneration. Understanding nutrients' transport in intervertebral disc is crucial to elucidate the mechanisms of disc degeneration, and to develop strategies for tissue repair (in vivo), and tissue engineering (in vitro). Transport in intervertebral disc is complex and involves a series of …

Nocturnal Fish Distribution, Feeding And Predation Risk In Relation To A Mangrove-Seagrass Ecotone, Neil Hammerschlag

Open Access Dissertations

The combined effects of food availability and predation risk on fish foraging behavior have been investigated via both laboratory and field experiments, primarily in temperate, freshwater systems and during daylight hours. In contrast, relatively little attention has been directed towards fish foraging decisions along subtropical shorelines, which serve as nursery grounds for a variety of economically important fishes, as well as at night, when many species emerge from refuges to feed. The mangrove-seagrass ecotone and adjacent seagrass beds constitute nocturnal feeding grounds for fish secondary-tertiary consumers. In subtropical Biscayne Bay, Florida (USA), I investigated the influences of food and risk …

Genetic Variations In Three Interacting Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms And The Risk Of Preterm Birth In Black Families, Margaret Steinbach

Open Access Dissertations

Preterm birth, defined as birth prior to 37 completed weeks gestation, is a serious health concern. Despite advances in health care screening and interventions, the rate of preterm birth in the United States has risen more than 30 percent since 1981. In 2006, Menon and associates reported the first multilocus genetic interaction in three single nucleotide polymorphisms predictive of spontaneous preterm birth in a population of White mothers. A gene association study using a case-control design was conducted to determine whether the results of the Menon study were also true for Black women and their infants. The case group included …

Investigation Of The Role Of Muller Glia-Derived Dickkopf3 (Dkk3) During Retinal Degeneration, Rei Nakamura

Open Access Dissertations

Retinal degeneration is characterized by the irreversible loss of photoreceptors. A key research question is the identification and characterization of photoreceptor protective factors that prevent or delay vision loss. The Wnt pathway is a critical cellular communication pathway involved in development and diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). Recently, we discovered that multiple components of the Wnt pathway were differentially expressed in the rd1 mouse model of retinal degeneration. One of the most highly upregulated genes was Dickkopf3 (Dkk3), a secreted Wnt pathway protein of unknown function. Additionally, we demonstrated that Wnt signaling is neuroprotective in primary retinal culture …

Fundulus Grandis And The Evolutionary Response To Hypoxia, Meredith A. Everett

Open Access Dissertations

Hypoxia in the marine environment is a growing environmental concern, and can have profound impacts on organisms. This dissertation seeks to understand the physiologically induced changes in gene expression, the relationship between gene expression and metabolism, and how these parameters vary among populations, in response to hypoxic stress. By comparing evolved intraspecific variation in gene expression and physiological parameters among populations from multiple regions in the Gulf of Mexico we seek to determine the physiologically induced changes that are essential to hypoxic survival. First, whole body metabolism, measured as oxygen uptake, was profiled across seven decreasing oxygen concentrations. Metabolism and …

The Roles Of Attachment, Depression, And The Working Alliance In Predicting Treatment Outcomes In Chronic Pain Patients Seeking Physical Therapy Services, Ethan L. Bliss

Open Access Dissertations

Psychosocial variables such as attachment style, depression and the working alliance were examined as predictors of treatment outcomes in the context of chronic pain patients receiving physical therapy. Four treatment outcomes were examined: change in pain severity, change in pain interference, patient satisfaction with physical therapy services and patient compliance with treatment recommendations. A model of the interplay between depression and chronic illness presented by Katon (2003) was used as a framework for the current model. Two main hypotheses were suggested. (1) The working alliance is positively related to treatment outcomes. (2) Depression is negatively associated with treatment outcomes. Data …

Effects Of Habitat Fragmentation On The Distribution And Movement Of Tropical Forest Birds, Ana C. Ibarra-Macias

Open Access Dissertations

Habitat loss and fragmentation occur at unprecedented rates, especially in tropical countries where human activities have deforested or degraded around 80% of tropical rainforests. Tropical forest fragmentation is considered the main cause of extinction of tropical forest avifauna, yet the mechanisms by which fragmentation affects bird populations are poorly understood. The present study investigates the pattern of bird species distribution in a fragmented landscape in tropical southeastern Mexico and the relation of bird community and species distribution patterns to landscape and fragment characteristics. Area and isolation of forest fragments were the main determinant of species richness and abundance in fragments, …

Innate And Adaptive Immunity In Murine Neonates Infected With The Intestinal Pathogen Yersinia Enterocolitica, Andrea Echeverry

Open Access Dissertations

Neonates are generally thought to be more likely to suffer from gastrointestinal disease, owing in part to diminished immune cell function. To gain insight into the development of mucosal immune responses during early life, we developed a model of orogastric infection with the Gram-negative bacterium Yersinia enterocolitica using murine neonates. Remarkably, neonatal mice of either the BALB/c or C57BL/6 mouse strains showed markedly enhanced survival after infection compared to adult mice. Both innate and adaptive immune components appear to contribute to this phenomenon. First, the increased resistance of neonates coincided with containment of the bacteria in the intestinal tissue with …

Cbsm Effects On Sickness Behavior And Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine Mechanisms In Breast Cancer Survivors, Orit Birnbaum-Weitzman

Open Access Dissertations

The concept of sickness behavior offers a framework to view both the neurovegetative and psychological symptoms that accompany illness as a common entity that results from increased inflammatory activation. Despite the prevalence of sickness behavior in medical populations, to our knowledge this study provides the first attempt to develop a standardized measure to assess sickness behavior using standard self-report questionnaires commonly used with cancer patients. The set of items included in the measure match theoretical conceptualizations of sickness behavior and target symptoms that comprise anhedonia, depressed mood, cognitive dysfunction, social disinterest, fatigue, low libido, poor appetite, somnolence, sensitivity to pain, …

Relatedness As An Indicator Of Group Cohesion And Its Relationship To Outcomes Of A Group-Based Cbsm Intervention For Women Who Have Completed Treatment For Breast Cancer, Maria Del Rosario Morillo-Falero

Open Access Dissertations

Group delivered empirically supported therapies have been reported to have beneficial effects for cancer patients. However, little is known about the relationship between group cohesion and outcomes of these interventions. This study tested the hypothesis that group cohesion relates to the effects of a group intervention. Participants included 56 women with Stage I to II breast cancer who had completed a 10-week CBSM intervention 3 to 12 months after undergoing surgery and adjuvant therapy. Groups of 3 - 5 participants met weekly for sessions of approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes duration. All participants were assessed at baseline (2 weeks …