Digital Commons Network^™

Relations Among Media, Eating Pathology And Body Dissatisfaction In College Women, Carrie Bair

Theses and Dissertations

Research has identified a relation between exposure to thin-ideal magazine and television media images and eating disorder pathology. However, few studies have examined the potential influence of Internet media on eating disorder behaviors and attitudes. This study investigated the associations among appearance-orientated media exposure, body dissatisfaction, eating pathology and thin-ideal internalization in a sample of 421 female undergraduate students. Results indicate that undergraduate women spend significantly more time viewing appearance-oriented sources online, rather than reading appearance-orientated magazines. Appearance-oriented Internet consumption was also more strongly associated with eating disorder pathology than was use of other media (television and magazines). Relations between …

Reciprocal Communication As A Form Of Nonverbal Communication: A Qualitative Approach, John Christian Penrod

Theses and Dissertations

The current state of psychological research in nonverbal communication is briefly summarized and several problems are noted. Reciprocal communication (RC) is suggested, defined, and qualitatively investigated as a way of describing the experience of emotional compatibility in communication, with an emphasis on form, degree, and timing as fundamental aspects of nonverbal communication. Support for three different levels of emotional compatibility (fully, partially, and nonreciprocal) is found. Variation in the interpretation of nonverbal communication when communication is perceived as either intentional or unintentional is noted, and a system of categorizing reciprocal communication is suggested. Further patterns in nonverbal communication are observed, …

The Epidemiology Of Human Rabies Postexposure Prophylaxis In Virginia, 2002 And 2003, Marilyn Goss Haskell

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To describe a sample that received human rabies postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) in Virginia as a result of animal exposures in 2002 and 2003 and to determine the extent to which PEP decisions were appropriate.Methods: PEP surveillance data were requested from 35 Virginia health districts within 5 regions. Retrospective chart review was used to gather demographic, exposure and source animal data from patient records and animal exposure reports. Descriptive statistics are presented. True exposures and appropriateness of PEP were defined using the 2004 Virginia Rabies Control Guidelines and the Recommendations of the 1999 Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. The 2003 …

Utilizing Universal Probability Of Expression Code (Upc) To Identify Disrupted Pathways In Cancer Samples, Michelle Rachel Withers

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the role of deregulated biological pathways in cancer samples has the potential to improve cancer treatment, making it more effective by selecting treatments that reverse the biological cause of the cancer. One of the challenges with pathway analysis is identifying a deregulated pathway in a given sample. This project develops the Universal Probability of Expression Code (UPC), a profile of a single deregulated biological path- way, and projects it into a cancer cell to determine if it is present. One of the benefits of this method is that rather than use information from a single over-expressed gene, it pro- …

Remote Quantification Of Smokestack Total Effluent Mass Flow Rates Using Imaging Fourier-Transform Spectroscopy, Jacob L. Harley

Theses and Dissertations

A Telops Hyper-Cam midwave infrared (1.5 − 5.5μm) imaging Fourier-transform spectrometer (IFTS) was used to estimate industrial smokestack total effluent mass flow rates by combining spectrally-determined species concentrations with flow rates estimated via analysis of sequential images in the raw interferogram cube. Strong emissions from H₂O, CO₂, CO, SO₂, and NO were observed in the spectrum. A previously established plume radiative transfer model was used to estimate gas concentrations, and a simple temporal cross-correlation analysis of sequential imagery enabled an estimation of the flow velocity. Final effluent mass flow rates for CO₂ and …

Development Of Monolithic Stationary Phases For Cation-Exchange Capillary Liquid Chromatography Of Peptides And Proteins, Xin Chen

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on the preparation of polymeric monolithic capillaries for ion exchange chromatography of peptides and proteins, since polymeric monoliths have shown promise for providing improved protein separations. Characteristics of monolithic columns include low back pressure, simplicity of fabrication and biocompatibility. Preparation of strong and weak cation-exchange monolithic stationary phases in 75 μm I.D. capillaries by direct in situ copolymerization was achieved using various functional monomers including sulfopropyl methacrylate, phosphoric acid 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, bis[2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl] phosphate and 2-carboxyethyl acrylate with polyethylene glycol diacrylate and other PEG materials. The resulting monoliths provided excellent ion exchange capillary LC of peptides and proteins …

Slave Story: A Tale Of Recovery, Rule A. S. Hiuallah-Messiah

Theses and Dissertations

It is my opinion that we, as human, as living-beings, we are complex and complicated vessels of ambiguous intent. We exchange information, opinions, and experiences with friends, family, co-workers, and colleagues, sometimes agreeing—sometimes not. We communicate about ordinary and extraordinary things—school affairs, movies, sports, dances, catastrophes, and death. Those of us who can communicate easily, and pleasantly, well, we are popular, and justly so. Those of us who wish to, but for whatever reasons, cannot, are categorized and marginalized and oft-times ostracized. I am communicating, by writing this dissertation, using autoethnography as a method, as one whom, for whatever reasons, …

Spatiality And Temporality In Communication Theories, Diana Iulia Nastasia

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation has been planned and written as an extended review of literature on space and time within and outside of communication studies, and as a thorough categorization of issues about spatiality and temporality that have been and might be employed outside of and within communication studies. This dissertation has been envisioned and conceived as a critical look at both theories that consider space and time as unproblematic, that reify an ideal-typical perspective of time and an absolute-universal perspective of space, and theories that problematize space and time, that challenge the settled and predominant view of spatiality and temporality. The …

Thermodynamic, Sulfide, Redox Potential, And Ph Effects On Syngas Fermentation, Peng Hu

Theses and Dissertations

Recently, work in ethanol production is exploring the fermentation of syngas (primarily CO, CO2, and H2) following gasification of cellulosic biomass. The syngas fermentation by clostridium microbes utilizes the Wood-Ljungdahl metabolic pathway. Along this pathway, the intermediate Acetyl-CoA typically diverges to produce ethanol, acetic acid, and/or cell mass. To develop strategies for process optimization, a thermodynamic analysis was conducted that provided a detailed understanding of the favorability of the reactions along the metabolic pathway. Thermodynamic analysis provided identification of potentially limiting steps. Once these limiting reactions were identified, further thermodynamic analysis provided additional insights into the ways in which reaction …

Species Trees And Species Delimitation With Multilocus Data And Coalescent-Based Methods: Resolving The Speciation History Of The Liolaemus Darwinii Group (Squamata, Tropiduridae), Arley Camargo Bentaberry

Theses and Dissertations

The inference of species boundaries and phylogenetic relationships are fundamental for evolutionary, ecological, and conservation studies. The resolution of species boundaries and the inference of phylogenetic relationships among species are required to define the units of analysis and to find the most closely related units for evaluating alternative models of speciation. I highlight lizards as model organisms for ecological and evolutionary studies, emphasizing their contributions to advances in understanding linkages between phylogeography and speciation. In this dissertation, I focus on the phylogenetic relationships of the lizards in the Liolaemus darwinii group, and the species boundaries of a nested clade within …

Studies In Organic Synthesis: Part I: Total Synthesis Of Plakortethers F And G Part Ii: Carbon-Hydrogen Insertion On Diazosulfones And Diazosulfonates, Jinu Philip John

Theses and Dissertations

This work consists of two independent studies. The first part of the dissertation focuses on the total synthesis of two marine based natural products, Plakortether F and G which represent a class of non-peroxide derivatives of Plakortin related metabolites that are isolated from the Caribbean sponge Plakortis simplex. The selective cytotoxic activity of Plakortethers against the RAW 264-7 cell line (murine macrophage) makes them promising candidates for biological studies. A strategy utilizing desymmetrization of a C2 symmetric intermediate was proposed and demonstrated to be effective for the synthesis of the core of Plakortethers. Initially, the symmetric intermediate could only be …

Extensions To The Ant-Miner Classification Rule Discovery Algorithm, Khalid Magdy Salama

Theses and Dissertations

Ant-Miner is an application of ACO in data mining. It has been introduced by Parpinelli et al. in 2002 as an ant-based algorithm for the discovery of classification rules. Ant-Miner has proved to be a very promising technique for classification rules discovery. Ant-Miner generates a fewer number of rules, fewer terms per each rule and performs competitively in terms of efficiency compared to the C4.5 algorithm (see experimental results in [20]). Hence, it has been a focus area of research and a lot of modification has been done to it in order to increase its quality in terms of classification …

The Effect Of Using Same Language Subtitling (Sls) In Content Comprehension And Vocabulary Acquisition In Arabic As A Foreign Language (Afl), Aysha Abdel-Moneim Selim

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the effects of SLS (Same-Language subtitling) on content comprehension and vocabulary acquisition of MSA (Modern Standard Arabic) as L2 at the intermediate level and addresses three research questions: (1) Does SLS enhance or hinder L2 content comprehension when the writing script of L2 is different than that of L1? (2) Does SLS enhance or hinder L2 vocabulary acquisition when the writing script of L2 is different than that of L1? (3) What is students' attitude towards the use of SLS? Twenty seven students of AUC's ALI program with English as L1 were chosen for the study and …

Molecular Characterization Of Extended-Spectrum Beta Lactamase (Esbl) Producing Klebsiella Pneumoniae And Escherichia Coli Among Hospitalized Patients In Oman, Lobna Mourad

Theses and Dissertations

Hospital-acquired infections due to ESBL-producing gram-negative rods are a worldwide healthcare problem causing substantial patient morbidity and mortality. In the Middle East, a significant increase in incidence and prevalence has been reported recently due to the misuse of antibiotics and lack of coherent antimicrobial resistance (AR) surveillance programs. The aim of the study was to determine the level of genotypic diversity and mechanism of AR of E. coli and K. pneumoniae ESBL-producing isolates from nosocomial infections among patients in Oman. 35 E. coli and 14 K. pneumoniae isolates were used in the study. Antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) and ESBL screening …

Direct Detection Of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Complex Using Gold Nanoparticles, Marwa Mohsen Hussain

Theses and Dissertations

Tuberculosis (TB) is still one of the most significant causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. According to WHO, TB causes 2 million deaths and more than 9 million new cases annually; the overwhelming majority of TB cases occur in developing countries where accurate diagnosis of TB remains a challenge. This work aims to develop a rapid nano-gold assay for specific detection of mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC). In the first version of the assay, DNA was extracted from clinical isolates grown on LJ media. 16s rDNA regions were amplified by PCR then the genus and species of MTB were confirmed by …

Women's Expectations And Experiences Of Childbirth In An Egyptian Public Hospital, Zeinab Ahmed Mohamed Farahat

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis seeks to understand women's reasons for giving birth at a busy teaching hospital in Greater Cairo, and what their experiences of it have been. It asks whether women's parity and the money paid upon admission to the hospital had an impact on their expectations and experiences. The thesis uses secondary data from interviews conducted in 2001 with mothers who had normal births, before they left the hospital. It is part of a larger project that investigated practices surrounding normal childbirth. The results are analyzed using the perspectives of critical medical anthropology, biomedicine and public health. Fear of the …

In Silico Design Of Selective High Affinity Ligands Against Hcv Using Novel Computational Diology Tools, Reem Rafik Al Olabi

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects 170 million patients worldwide. The absence of an effective mean of treatment or prophylaxis makes HCV infection a serious public health problem. Generating selective high affinity ligands (SHALs) against HCV could provide a solution to this public health burden. HCV E2 glycoprotein is required for HCV entry into host cells. It binds to CD81, a host receptor protein that belongs to the tetraspanin family and plays a critical role in viral invasion. HCV protease is essential for the cleavage of non structural proteins, in addition to preventing the phosphorylation of human interferon regulatory factor …

Cairene Women: A Bachelorette, Not A Spinster!, Sandra Abdalla Khalifa

Theses and Dissertations

"They ask young girls here [in Egypt] when they are three or four, who would you marry, they implant the idea your only purpose in life is to get married. Even after she goes to school they tell her that a girl's only future is in her husband's home. So what happens when a girl for any reason cannot get married? Should she set fire to herself?" --Awza Atgawez, Ghada Abdel'al. This study proposes that females who remain unmarried until a certain age are to be referred to as "bachelorettes" and not "spinsters" . "The bachelorette" is a female who …

Development Of Prototype Gold Nanoparticle-Dased Immunoassays For The Detection Of Plasmodium Falciparum Hsp70, Bassem Samy Guirgis

Theses and Dissertations

Biomedical nanotechnology is providing revolutionary opportunities for the rapid and simple diagnosis of many infectious diseases. About half of the world's population are at risk of infection with malaria and diagnostic assays available either lack sensitivity and specificity or require expensive equipment, expertise or costly infrastructure; that are not usually available in countries where the disease is endemic. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop rapid, sensitive, and inexpensive diagnostic tests for malaria for both high- and low-resource settings. In this study, we developed two prototype gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-based immunoassays for the detection of Plasmodium falciparum Heat Shock Protein …

Rest/Nrsf Is A Master Negative Transcriptional Factor For Neurogenic Program By Maintaining Stem Cell Quiescence In Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis, Mostafa Nashaat Ahmed Abdelhamid

Theses and Dissertations

Adult neurogenesis occurs in two distinct regions inside the brain, the subventricular zone (SVZ) in the lateral ventricle and the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the dentate gyrus in hippocampus. Neural stem cells (NSCs) are controlled by several intrinsic and extrinsic factors that regulate their proliferation, survival and differentiation in the adult hippocampus. REST/NRSF is considered a master transcription factor that regulates hundreds of neuronal genes essential for neuronal fate decision. In this study, we address the role of REST/NRSF (RE1 silencing transcription factor/Neuro-restrictive silencer factor) in regulating adult neurogenesis in hippocampus.REST/NRSF has biphasic expression in neural stem cells and mature …

Mediating And Moderating Factors In Associations Between Physical And Relational Victimization And Social And Academic Competence Among Urban Adolescents, Lisa Ulmer

Theses and Dissertations

Peer victimization is prevalent among school-aged youth and is associated with difficulties including decreased academic and social competence. Although relations between victimization and academic and social competence have been examined, fewer studies have considered how underlying processes linking these constructs are related or whether relations differ for adolescent subgroups. The current study’s purpose was to examine potential mediating and moderating effects in associations between physical and relational victimization and academic and social competence. Participants included a predominantly African American sample of 271 adolescents participating in a longitudinal violence prevention project. Path models showed significant negative associations between teacher-rated physical victimization …

Home Literacy Factors Affecting Emergent Literacy Skills, Robyn Valerie Cassel

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to identify factors in the home literacy environment using the Stony Brook Family Reading Survey (SBFRS) in order to understand the extent to which these factors predict phonemic awareness and other basic reading skills, as assessed by selected subtests from the Woodcock-Johnson III (WJ III). The present study used archival data to examine the home literacy habits of a sample of parents and preschool children ages 3-5 years (range in months= 36-67) from a private and a public preschool with a combination of high- and low-income backgrounds and various ethnicities. Using exploratory factor analyses …

Using The Timeline Followback To Identify Time Windows Representative Of Annual Posttreatment Drinking, Christopher J. Gioia

Theses and Dissertations

Using 12-month post treatment Timeline Followback drinking reports, data extrapolated from shorter time windows (e.g., 1 month, 6 months) were used to estimate total annual drinking. The objective was to determine whether data from a shorter time window would provide an estimate of annual drinking sufficiently consistent with the full year report such that it can be used in place of the full report. Data for this study were obtained from problem drinkers who voluntarily participated in a randomized controlled trial of a mail-based intervention. Complete follow-up data were obtained for 467 of the 825 participants who completed a 12-month …

Characterization Of The Expression Of Bdnf And Cgrp And Their Regulatory Pathways In Dorsal Root Ganglion During Cystitis., Sharon Yu

Theses and Dissertations

Interstitial cystitis is a chronic debilitating disease that causes pain and increased frequency of micturition, amongst other symptoms, without any identifiable cause. This disease affects a large number of the population, yet the etiology is still unknown. The present study aimed to characterize BDNF and CGRP—two neuropeptides that have both been proven to play an important role in the transmission of pain as well as in hypersensitivity. The signaling pathways regulating the expression of the two neuropeptides were also examined. Results revealed that BDNF protein expression levels increased in both L1 and L6 DRG following 48 hours post CYP-induced cystitis. …

Systematic Study Of Gene Functions For Morphological Chain Formation In Streptococcus Sanguinis, Karra Evans

Theses and Dissertations

Streptococcus sanguinis is a gram-positive facultative anaerobe that is indigenous to the oral cavity and a primary colonizer of the oral cavity. It serves as a tether for the attachment of several oral bacteria that colonize the tooth surface, form dental plaque, and cause periodontal disease. Previous experiments with streptococcal strains have suggested that cellular chain morphology of streptococci may influence the competitiveness, susceptibility to phagocytosis, acidurance, and aggregation of the bacterium. The purpose of this study was to systematically determine gene functions that contribute to cellular chain length morphology in the SK36 strain of S. sanguinis. Gene functions for …

Accuracy Of Dna Barcoding Identification Of Striacosta Albicosta (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) And Other Noctuids Of The Midwest, Matthew J. Flom

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Geomechanical Stability Analysis For Co2 Sequestration In Carbonate Formation, Xue J. Zhou

Theses and Dissertations

Geomechanical analysis is one of the fundamental pillars to build up the confidence of geological sequestration of CO2. Large scale CO2 sequestration in deep carbonate formation is a complicated geological process, which will non-reversibly transform the presumed equivalent and stable status of a sedimentary basin that formed over millions of years: chemically, hydraulically, geothermally, and geomechanically. In this dissertation, thermoporoelasticity guides the theoretical establishment of a conservative baseline for the geomechanical stability analysis of CO2 sequestration.

Extensive laboratory tests, including CO2 flooding tests, permeability tests, uniaxial and triaxial tests, Brazilian tensile strength tests, poroelasticity tests, point load tests, and fracture …

A.W.A.R.E. The Assessment Of Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Resource Manual For Parents With Young Children (Ages 0-3 Years), Tiffany Lin

Theses and Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder is the most common pervasive developmental disorder affecting young children. It results in significant impairments in the acquisition of language, social, and adaptive behaviors. In recent years, participation in intensive early intervention has resulted in significant improvements in communication skills and a more positive prognosis. While the symptoms of autism spectrum disorder, such as impaired social reciprocal interactions, can be identified in the first months of a child's life, parents often encounter difficulty in obtaining appropriate diagnostic assessments. Delays in the assessment process result in a later involvement in critical early intervention and a poorer outcome. To …

Evaluation Of The Youth Development Project: A School And Community Based Intervention Program For At-Risk Youth, Mike Sherman

Theses and Dissertations

Attempts to meet the mental health needs of at-risk youth have led to the development of numerous prevention, intervention, and diversion programs. This study is the first to utilize statistical analyses to assess the treatment efficacy of the Saint John's Child and Family Development Center's Youth Development Project (CFDC-YDP), a school- and community-based treatment program for at-risk youth. The study involved analysis of data that were collected from 87 culturally diverse at-risk youth, ranging in age from 11-19 years old, who were treated by the Youth Development Project program within John Adams Middle School, Lincoln Middle School, Olympic Continuation High …

Challenges Of Neuropsychological Testing With Asian American Adults: A Critical Review Of The Literature, Heejin Kim

Theses and Dissertations

The present study is a critical analysis of literature surrounding the challenges faced during neuropsychological testing with Asian American adults. This dissertation will provide a comprehensive overview and critically analyze what is known with regards to neuropsychological assessment of Asian individuals, challenges that psychologists face in conducting culturally competent neuropsychological assessment of this population, and recommendations for conducting such assessments. Current literature reveals how confounds such as culture, acculturation, language, and the inappropriate use of tests and normative data can impact scores and subsequent treatment recommendations. Given these confounds, recommendations will be made regarding the neuropsychological test selection, test administration, …