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Water Molecules: A Closer Look At Their Behavior At Protein-Protein Interfaces And Their Contributions To The Docked Model Of Pyridoxal Kinase - Serine Hydroxymethyltransferase Complex, Mostafa H. Ahmed

Theses and Dissertations

The work in this thesis is divided into two aims. The first aim is to provide a detailed analysis of water molecules at protein-protein interfaces as well as quantifying their contributions with respect to different residue types. To achieve this aim a data set of 4741 water molecules abstracted from 179 high-resolution (≤ 2.30 Å) X-ray crystal structures of protein-protein complexes was analyzed with a suite of modeling tools based on HINT. The second aim is to observe the effect of adding interfacial water molecules in developing a model for the protein-protein interaction between pyridoxal kinase and serine hydroxymethyltransferase. This …

Adjustment Of Families With Children Adopted From Eastern Europe, Maria Kuznetsova

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the adjustment of older children and adolescents adopted from Eastern Europe and the impact of their preadoption history and family’s functioning on their adjustment. This is a follow-up study of families first surveyed in 2005 with an addition of new families. One hundred and forty-five families reporting on 194 adopted children (9 to 19 years; 104 girls) participated in this study at Time 2. The project was conducted as an internet-based survey. Parents and adopted children reported on children’s emotional, behavioral and social problems (CBCL and YSR), as well as family environment …

Managing The Healthcare Needs Of Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Parents' Experience, Julie Strunk

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of parents who manage the health needs of an adolescent with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Qualitative interviews were conducted with parents from 10 families of adolescents with ASD residing in Virginia. Data were analyzed using Clark Moustakas’ method of analysis of data in which the phenomenologist asks the following questions: What are the individual’s experiences, and in what context did they experience them? This study maximized credibility by using three strategies: prolonged engagement, peer debriefing, and member checking. “Parents needing help” emerged as the essence of the parents’ experiences. …

Mechanisms Of Prenatal High-Salt "Fetal Programming" Resulting In Stress Hyperresponsiveness In The Adult Female Offspring In The Sprague Dawley Rat., Clinton L. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Female offspring of Sprague-Dawley rats fed a high-salt diet (HS) during pregnancy show an enhancement of mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) response to acute stress in adulthood compared to offspring whose mothers were fed a normal-salt diet (NS) [1]. In the present study, we first examined the expression of soluble epoxide hydrolase (SEH) protein in brain tissue. Whole brains were collected and SEH gene (EPHX2) mRNA and SEH protein expression were analyzed using RT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. mRNA levels were relatively decreased in high-salt rats (1.0 ± 0.32 NS vs 0.39 ± 0.07 HS, n=6). However, …

The Effect Of Dietary Changes On Microbial Populations Within The Gastrointestinal Tract Of The Giant Panda (Ailuropoda Melanoleuca), Candace Lareine Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Both in-situ and ex-situ giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), display shifts in bamboo species and part preference throughout the year. The effects of this shifting preference on gastrointestinal (GIT) microbiota were observed using traditional culturing methods to characterize normal GIT microflora from fecal samples and behavioral feeding data of adult male and female pandas over a fourteen-month period. Linear and quadratic fits were used to determine any significant relationships between the time of year and part preference on the GIT microflora (P<0.05). Significant values for time of year were observed with the linear fit in total aerobes (P-value=0.0368), streptococci (P-value=0.0120), and lactobacilli (P-value=0.0166) and quadratic fits in streptococci (P-value=0.0382) and Bacteroides spp. (P-value=0.0134) at á=0.05. Significant linear relationships were observed with part preference and lactobacilli and Bacteroides spp., P-values of 0.0028 and 0.0030, respectively, indicating that part preference and time of year may affect the flux of panda GIT microflora.

The Effectiveness Of Diabetes Mellitus Education For Managing Hemoglobin A1c Levels In Adults, Amy Rebekah Farnsworth

Theses and Dissertations

Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels are indicators for managing Diabetes Mellitus. This study investigated the effectiveness of Diabetes Mellitus education classes based on participants’ HbA1c levels. The HbA1c and body mass index (BMI) values were analyzed using t-tests to determine significant (P ≤ 0.05) differences between baseline (N = 46) levels compared to three months, six months, and 12 months after class participation and reported as means ± standard deviations. The study was not able to track all participants as some did not attend all follow-up sessions. Mean HbA1c levels were lower at three months (8.1% ± 2.1, P = 0.002, …

The Effects Of Glycine-Arginine-Alpha-Ketoisocaporic Acid Calcium On Maximum Strength And Muscular Endurance, Mareio Cortez Harris

Theses and Dissertations

Glycine-arginine-alpha-ketoisocaporic acid calcium (GAKIC) is a product advertised to increase muscular endurance during exercise via metabolic intervention. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of GAKIC ingestion on maximum strength and muscular endurance. Methods: Utilizing a double-blinded, crossover design, participants completed an upper and lower body resistance exercise protocol once using 11.2gs GAKIC, and the other with a placebo. Results: An increase in maximum strength was observed in the 1RM portion of the lower body protocol phase with statistical trends in the lower body TLV portion of testing. No significant differences were found in upper body …

Oxidative Transformation Of Antimicrobial Compounds By Ferric-Modified Montmorillonite, Chamindu Liyanapatirana

Theses and Dissertations

The presence of wide spectrum antimicrobial agents triclosan (TCS) and triclocarban (TCC) in the environment has become a concern due to the adverse impact on the environment. Montmorillonite, a widely distributed clay mineral in the natural environment, has been used as an obstacle in landfills to avoid contamination of soil and water by contaminants in leachates due to its high surface area, cation exchange capacity, and abundance. The research reported here focuses on understanding the abiotic oxidative transformation of TCS and TCC by Fe(III)-modified montmorillonite. The overall objectives of this work were: 1) to investigate TCS and TCC oxidative transformation …

Community Interactions And Water As Drivers Of Soil Microbial Communities, Madhavi Latha Kakumanu

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the response of soil microbial communities to various environmental stresses is of current interest, because of their pivotal role in nutrient cycling, soil organic matter mineralization and influence on plant growth. Determining the affect of several biotic and abiotic factors on soil microbial communities is the overall objective of the study. The specific goals are to determine 1) the response of microbial communities to water deficit in soil and 2) how the presence of a rich biotic community determines the direction of microbial community development in cultures. Both goals are novel and unique contributions to understanding microbial ecology in …

Effect Of Strain Cross, Gender, And Sodium Chloride Concentrations On Broiler Meat Quality, Keyla Lopez

Theses and Dissertations

Effects of gender and strain cross on carcass characteristics, meat quality and sensory acceptability were studied. Strains consisted of a commercially available strain (Strain A), and a strain genetically selected to maximize breast yield currently in the test phase (Strain B). Broilers varying in gender and strain cross had similar compositional characteristics; all treatments yielded high quality breast and thigh meat and did not differ in sensory acceptability. Effect of salt concentrations on yields, instrumental quality, and sensory acceptability of broiler breast meat was determined. Breast fillets were vacuum-tumbled with different concentrations (0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.00, 1.25 and 1.50%) …

Ethanolic Fermentation Of Bio-Oil Hydrolysate, Darrell Rex Livingston Jr

Theses and Dissertations

As production of ethanol climbs, nonood feedstocks need to be utilized such as lignocellulosic biomass. The sugars present in bio-oil produced by fast pyrolysis can potentially be fermented by microbial organisms to produce cellulosic ethanol. This study shows the potential for microbial digestion of the aqueous fraction of bio-oil in an enrichment medium to consume glucose and produce ethanol. In addition to glucose, inhibitors such as furans and phenols are present in the bio-oil. A pure glucose enrichment medium of 20 g/L was used as a standard to compare with glucose and aqueous fraction mixtures for digestion. 30% by volume …

Antimicrobial And Antioxidant Activity Of Muscadine (Vitis Rotundifolia Michx) Extracts As Influenced By Solvent Extraction Methods And Cultivars, Weiwei Chen

Theses and Dissertations

Muscadine seeds from three cultivars (‘Carlos’, ‘Noble’ and ‘Ison’) were processed by 100% v:v methanol, 95% v:v ethanol and 70% v:v acetone. The acetone seed extracts exhibited the highest (p<0.05) total phenolics (21.62~24.84mg/g of dw) and antioxidant activity. A strong correlation (R2=0.891, p<0.01) was found between total phenolics and antioxidant activity. Methanol and ‘Carlos’ seed extracts generally showed the highest antimicrobial capacity against pathogen strains tested, which correlated well with tannic acid, catechin, epicatechin and tartaric acid content. Hot water-soluble muscadine skin extracts from 17 muscadine cultivars (6 bronze and 11 dark) showed effective antioxidant properties. Significant variations (p<0.05) were observed among the 17 cultivars in total phenolics, organic acids and antioxidant activity. ‘Alachua’, ‘Albermarle’, ‘Southland’, ‘Janebell’ and ‘CA9-37’ were the cultivars found to have the highest antioxidant capacity. Skin extracts of dark-skin cultivars showed higher (p<0.05) content than bronze-skin cultivars in phenolics, tartaric acid, tannic acid and ellagic acids.

Foraging Behavior Of Northern Bobwhites In Relation To Resource Availability, Ryan Spencer Miller

Theses and Dissertations

The Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) is a popular game bird that inhabits pine grasslands throughout the Southeast. This study used experimental manipulation of food resources to investigate how resource availability influenced foraging behavior and space use of bobwhite in a southern pine-grassland forest system. Radio marked bobwhite were monitored to determine daily space use, movements, and daily and seasonal ranges. I observed no difference in daily (P = 0.06) or seasonal home range size (P = 0.55) between feeding treatments. However, dispersion in daily locations of radio-marked bobwhite differed among feed levels (P < 0.001). I assessed effects of food availability on diet and total body lipids of birds harvested from each treatment during February. Although bobwhite extensively utilized supplemental feed when available, energy value of pre-roosting crop contents did not differ among treatments (P = 0.41), but total body lipids differed between feed treatments and years (P < 0.001).

Formulation And Sensory Evaluation Of Gluten-Free Muffins Containing Flax, Adam Michael Woodyard

Theses and Dissertations

Celiac disease is characterized by an allergic reaction to gluten that causes inflammation of the small intestine and can lead to malabsorption and malnutrition. Glutenree products are being developed that meet dietary needs of individuals with celiac disease. However, these products often lack whole grains and fiber. Fortification of glutenree products with flax can increase nutritional value and alleviate inflammation. Sensory analysis (N=152) was conducted to evaluate the acceptability of glutenree muffins with moderate (3.8%) and high (7.4%) amounts of added flax. Results indicated that consumers preferred (p<0.05) the muffin without flax or the highlax muffin more than the muffin with the moderatelax treatment. The highlax and control treatments were rated 6.7, between like slightly and moderately like; the muffins from the moderatelax treatment were rated 6.4 on a nine-point hedonic scale. Producers of glutenree products could potentially formulate muffins that include flax and are acceptable to consumers.

Growth Response Of Mixed Native Grass Stands To Simulated Grazing In Mississippi: Forage Yield And Species Dynamics, Vitalis Wilbald Temu

Theses and Dissertations

Some native warm-season forage grasses [indiangrass (IG, Sorghastrum nutans), big bluestem (BB, Andropogon gerardii) and little bluestem (LB, Schizachyrium scoparium)] are gaining popularity for improving summer forage production and wildlife habitat in the southeastern USA. Paucity of information about appropriate harvest management limits their restoration success. An experiment was conducted to assess effects of harvest intervals (30-, 40-, 60-, 90 or 120-d) and harvest duration on forage yield and quality, plant growth, sward structure and botanical composition of their mixed stands at Bryan Farms, Clay County, MS. Total season forage was greatest for 30-d and more from first (8472 kg …

Implementation And Evaluation Of The Snack Pack Project In Two Mississippi Head Start Centers, Stacey Michelle Johnson Knepple

Theses and Dissertations

Childhood obesity is a public health concern, impacting American children as early as the preschool years. Children from rural, low-income, and minority families experience unique disparities in obesity and health problems, which is especially problematic in Mississippi where a large part of the state is considered rural and economically disadvantaged. Development of healthy nutrition behaviors in early childhood plays a pivotal role in sustaining life-long healthy behaviors and preventing childhood and future obesity. The Snack Pack Project is a 19-week preschool-based nutrition education program designed to promote recognition and selection of healthful foods and encourage development of healthy nutrition behaviors …

Role Of Autophagy In Radiosensitization Of Breast Tumor Cells, Molly L. Bristol

Theses and Dissertations

In MCF-7 breast tumor cells, ionizing radiation promoted autophagy that was cytoprotective; pharmacological or genetic interference with autophagy induced by radiation resulted in growth suppression and/or cell killing (primarily by apoptosis). The hormonally active form of vitamin D, 1,25D3, also promoted autophagy in irradiated MCF-7 cells, sensitized the cells to radiation and suppressed the proliferative recovery that occurs after radiation alone. 1,25D3 also enhanced radiosensitivity and promoted autophagy in MCF7 cells that overexpress Her-2/neu as well as in p53 mutant Hs578t breast tumor cells. In contrast, 1,25D3 failed to alter radiosensitivity or promote autophagy in the BT474 breast tumor cell …

Ferritin Diversity: Mechanistic Studies, Disease Implications, And Materials Chemistry, Robert Joseph Hilton

Theses and Dissertations

The study of ferritin includes a rich history of discoveries and scientific progress. Initially, the composition of ferritin was determined. Soon, it was shown that ferritin is a spherical, hollow protein. Eventually, over several decades of research, the structure and some function of this interesting protein was elucidated. However, the ferritin field was not completely satisfied. Today, for example, researchers are interested in refining the details of ferritin function, in discovering the role of ferritin in a variety of diseases, and in using ferritin for materials chemistry applications. The work presented in this dissertation highlights the progress that we have …

Factors Predicting Exercise Behavior Of Graduate Students, Bibha Gautam

Theses and Dissertations

Graduate school is often experienced as a time of increased demands/expectations resulting in heightened levels of stress due to academic work, family responsibilities, job demands, financial pressure, and other life related issues. Besides stress, graduate school also brings about significant physical inactivity due to the shift of the immediate priority to academic accomplishment. Reports of increasing prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among students highlight that this group may have particular risk not well-identified. Yet, relative risk can be reduced by lifestyle modifications, such as eating well, exercising, and stress reduction. The majority of the risk factors, to a …

Exploring The Paths To Homelessness: An Ethnographic Study Of How Disability, Educational Achievement, Gender, Foster Care And Poverty Impacted The Lives Of Two Towns' Homeless Shelter Residents, Sandra Arnau-Dewar

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored and described the lived experiences of residents of two homeless shelters located in the Upper Midwest. Through testimonies of participants, common themes associated with homelessness were revealed, such as disability, domestic violence, food shortages, foster care, insecure housing, and poor educational achievement. Since education, or a lack thereof, sometimes played a part in the residents’ inability to make a living wage, participants were queried about their schooling.

The public has a tendency to blame homeless people for their condition and assume that their plight is self-imposed due to substance abuse and a refusal to work (Diversi …

A Review Of Common And Rare Genetic Variants In Schizophrenia, Jonathan Luedders

Theses and Dissertations

Genetic epidemiology has shown a large role for genetic influences on schizophrenia. However, the nature of the variants involved is debated. The common disease-common variant (CDCV) hypothesis suggests that schizophrenia is caused by common alleles with small effect sizes. According to the common disease-rare variant (CDRV) hypothesis, schizophrenia is caused by rare variants with large effect sizes. In recent years, evidence has been found for both common and rare variants in schizophrenia. Several SNPs have been associated with schizophrenia through genome-wide association studies (GWAS), supporting the CDCV hypothesis. In support of the CDRV hypothesis, individuals with schizophrenia have been found …

Quantifying Polypharmacy In Diabetes Patients In The U.S., Jing Tao

Theses and Dissertations

ix Objectives: To quantify polypharmacy and assess the socio-economic predictors of medication use and expenditure in diabetics. Methods: This study analyzed adult diabetes patients using a nationally representative sample in Medical Expenditure Panel Survey in 2006. Top ten most highly utilized drug classes were identified. Descriptive statistics were used to portray the patients’ medication utilization and spending. Generalized linear models were conducted to assess the socio-economic variants in drug use and spending. Results: On average, a diabetes patient had 45 prescriptions in 2006, for total annual spending of $3,161. A diabetes patient used drugs from 3.43 classes within top ten …

Enhanced Degradation Of Fats, Oils And Greases In Domestic Wastewater Sewer Networks And Grease Interception Systems Using Peat Humic Substances, Matthew Hunnemeder

Theses and Dissertations

The efficacy of peat humic substances in enhancing the degradation of fats, oils and greases (FOG) was investigated under controlled laboratory conditions using bench scale well-mixed bioreactors. An experimental design was used to evaluate the effects of temperature and peat humic substance (PHS) concentration on FOG degradation in domestic wastewater for a temperature range from 10 deg.C to 30 deg.C and a PHS concentration range from 0 to 20 ppm(v). Factors and interactions significantly affecting the rate of FOG degradation were identified, and models to predict FOG degradation rates as a function of PHS concentration and temperature were developed. The …

Role Of Tyk2 In The Development Of Beige Cells, Samantha Umali

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity results from an excess of adipose tissue and is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Adipose tissue exists in two main forms: white adipose tissue (WAT), which stores energy as triglycerides, and brown adipose tissue (BAT), which dissipates stored energy as heat. White adipose tissue is composed of several subcutaneous and visceral depots, each possessing distinct molecular and functional characteristics. Brown-like adipocytes can emerge in WAT depots in response to cold or beta-adrenergic stimulation. These cells have been called “beige” or “brite” (brown-in-white) cells. The reduction of obesity in mice treated with beta-adrenergic …

Oncology Nurses' Impact Scores For Obstacles And Supportive Behaviors At The End Of Life, Joan M. Collett

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Oncology nurses provide end-of-life (EOL) care to their patients daily. Oncology nurses' perceptions regarding how to provide quality care to dying patients could be an important addition to the ongoing research on quality EOL care. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of specific obstacle and supportive behaviors in EOL care as perceived by hospital-based oncology nurses. This study extended the work of Beckstrand, Moore, Callister, and Bond (2009).

Methods: A 69-item questionnaire adapted from previous studies (Beckstrand & Kirchhoff, 2005; Beckstrand, Smith, Heaston, & Bond, 2008) was sent to 1,000 nurses who were members of …

Oat Snp Marker Discovery And Mapping Based On 454 Pyrosequencing Of Genome-Reduced Avena Magna Murphy Et Terrell, Rachel Rebecca Redman

Theses and Dissertations

The size and complexity of the oat genomes (Avena L., x = 7) have made genetic studies, including the discovery of molecular markers, difficult. Recent attention to these species has resulted in the development of many DArT -based markers in the tetraploid A. magna Murphy et Terrill (2n = 28, CCDD genomes), along with numerous RFLP's, SSR's, DArT's, and EST-based SNPs in hexaploid A. sativa L. (2n = 42, AACCDD). Here we report the first SNP markers for tetraploid oat based on genome reduction and high-throughput pyrosequencing in two inbred lines of A. magna: A-169 (wild) and Ba …

"I Wish I Looked Like Her:" The Endless Pursuit For The Ideal Body, Ebony Cox

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the influence that images of models in beauty and fashion magazines had on women's body image satisfaction. Participants were 23 college women. They were randomly assigned to two experimental conditions: ten women were assigned to the fashion magazine group and the remaining thirteen were assigned to the non-fashion magazine group. A fifty-eight item questionnaire was used to assess overall body image satisfaction, appearance concerns, dieting and eating behaviors, and thinness ideals between participants who were exposed to depictions of models in fashion magazines and those who were not. It was hypothesized that …

Leading A Readiness Program For Low-Income Students Within A Preschool Setting, Renee Murtaugh

Theses and Dissertations

The solution to narrowing the achievement gap between low socioeconomic students and high socioeconomic students has included endless approaches and interventions, including full day pre-school programs (NAEP, 1999; Snow, Burns, & Griffith, 1998).This action research project focused specifically on the needs of low-income preschool students and concentrated on closing the achievement gap among the SES subgroups within the By-the-Sea School District preschool Kindergarten classrooms. Using Monahan's (2003) 9-Step Change Model as a framework for change, classroom teachers worked collaboratively with the researcher to make the necessary changes to their classrooms and school to better meet the needs of low-income students. …

The Experiences Of Families Raising Children With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: A Qualitative Investigation, Carol A. Loucks

Theses and Dissertations

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), a common, chronic disease, affects the patient as well as the family. It requires daily vigilance in blood sugar monitoring, dietary management and insulin administration. Research has examined the impact of T1DM on family adaptation and relationships. However, few current data describes parents' perceptions of challenges. The purpose of this study was to identify challenges and impact on the family perceived by parents raising children with T1DM. Using a qualitative descriptive design, 21 parents raising children with T1DM participated in audio-recorded focus groups. At the time of the interviews the children ranged in age from …

Abnormal Eating Patterns And The Relationship To Dissociative Experiences, Gionna Botto

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to determine if a relationship exist between abnormal eating patterns and dissociative experiences, as well as if a relationship exist between bulimia nervosa and food preoccupation symptomatologies. This study used a non-clinical non-diagnosed population of university students (n=100) to determine results. The participants were given two self-report scales, the Eating Attitudes Test and the Scale of Dissociative Activities in order to provide data to the researcher. The data was correlated, using Pearson's Correlation to determine results. The results in this study indicated that there is a statistically significant relationship between dissociative experiences and abnormal …