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Regulation Of Immune Cell Activation And Functionby The Nbmpp2 Protein Andthe Cd5 Co-Receptor, Claudia Mercedes Freitas

Theses and Dissertations

According to the centers for disease control and prevention (CDC) and the world healthorganization (WHO), heart disease and immune related diseases such as diabetes and cancer areamong the leading causes of death around the world. Thus, the regulation of the function ofimmune cell plays a key role in health and disease. Calcium (Ca2+) ions play a critical role inimmune cell activation, function and in a robust immune response. Defects in Ca2+ signalinginfluences the development of cardiac disease, Alzheimer disease, immune cell metabolism,muscle dysfunction, and cancer. Each immune cell is unique in its activation and function,making it relevant to understand how …

Major Decisions: Religious Women And Their Perceptions Of Women In Stem Majors, Mandy Lou Pershing

Theses and Dissertations

Women still lack representation in many Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields, particularly those with high earning potential. Past studies on women who study STEM have failed to acknowledge the impact of religious values on choice of major among women. Using data collected at a religiously-affiliated university in 2013, this study explores how 24 religious women made decisions about majoring in STEM fields. The results from this sample closely follow the literature review, while also adding many new layers to understanding how religious women make decisions about STEM. Themes identified using this approach are useful for designing future studies …

Effect Of Cuff Pressure On Blood Flow During Blood Flow-Restricted Rest And Exercise, Kent Westerberg Crossley

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the blood flow/pressure relationship (linear or nonlinear) in the superficial femoral artery when seated, as well as to investigate blood flow changes with exercise using varying cuff pressures and a preexercise (PE) condition. The presence of venous outflow with occlusion at rest and exercise was also investigated.Methods: Twenty-three subjects visited the lab on 3 occasions. First to determine linearity of blood flow using 0% to 90% arterial occlusion pressure (AOP), and venous outflow at rest and during exercise with cuff inflated to 40% AOP. Subsequent visits compared blood flow between rest …

Evaluating Fungal Pathogen Inoculum Loads In Field Seed Banks, Taryn Lori Williamson

Theses and Dissertations

Quantification of soilborne pathogen inoculum loads is important in both agricultural and wildland settings. Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) methods using SYBR Green chemistry have been shown to be useful for quantifying fungal inoculum loads in environmental samples. The purpose of this study was to develop a method to quantify fungal pathogen inoculum loads in soil seed banks using a qPCR method with SYBR Green chemistry. The invasive annual grass Bromus tectorum was chosen for this seed bank study. There were three objectives: 1) to design target-specific primers for three fungal pathogens known to be important in Bromus tectorum seed …

Multispecies Character Displacement In Mexican Poeciliopsis Fishes, Andrea J. Roth

Theses and Dissertations

Competition has long been recognized as a central force in shaping evolution, particularly through character displacement. Yet research on character displacement is biased as it has focused almost exclusively on pairs of interacting species while ignoring multispecies interactions. Unfortunately, communities are seldom so simple that only pairs of species interact, and it is not clear if inferences from pairwise interactions are sufficient to explain patterns in nature. A more realistic approach is to ask how traits evolve when multiple species interact. Here I explore the importance of multispecies competitive interactions on trait evolution in four congeneric species of livebearing fishes …

Antibacterial And Antifungal Activity Of Ceragenins, Mimics Of Endogenous Antimicrobial Peptides, Marjan Mohammadihashemi

Theses and Dissertations

The continuous emergence of drug-resistance pathogens is a global concern. As a result, substantial effort is being expended to develop new therapeutics and mechanisms for controlling microbial growth to avoid entering a "post-antibiotic" era in which commonly used antibiotics are no longer effective in treating infections. In this work, we investigate the efficacy and application of ceragenins as non-peptide mimics of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). First, this work examines the susceptibility of drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. The susceptibility of colistin-resistant clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae to ceragenins and AMPs suggests that there is little to no cross-resistance between colistin and ceragenins/AMPs. Furthermore, …

Impacts Of Novel Fire And Herbivory Regimes On Snow-Waterresources And Resilience Of Aspen Forests, Jordan Daniel Maxwell

Theses and Dissertations

Human activities and expansion have created novel disturbance patterns across Earth’s landscapes. Disturbance is an ecological interruption after which ecosystem recovery or transition into a new state can occur, affecting biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and theavailability of ecosystem services. Fire and herbivory are two of the most widespread forces of disturbance which shape ecosystems globally. In temperate forest ecosystems, fire affects forest composition, which influences the diversity and resilience of ecosystems (chapters 1 and 2) and forest canopy structure, which is important to snowpack accumulation and the availability of water resources (chapters 3 and 4). In chapter one, the effects of …

The Impact Of A Science Fair On High School Students’ Feelings Of Self-Efficacy In Stem, Nathaniel P. Wharton

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this present action research study was to describe secondary students’ feelings of self-efficacy in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Through a curriculum linked to a science fair project, the teacher-researcher focused on student-participants’ perceptions of perseverance and task completion linked to STEM courses and postsecondary STEM careers. A Likert scale pretest (n=44) and posttest (n=33) based on Bandura’s model of four categories of self-efficacy (mastery experience, vicarious experiences, verbal/social persuasion, and emotional/psychological states) was administered to middle to low income students at a high school in Pennsylvania in the fall of 2018.). Data was also collected …

Impact Of Glutathione Transporters On Subcellular Glutathione Pools And Cell Survival In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Crystal Conaway Mcgee

Theses and Dissertations

Thiol-disulfide redox homeostasis is integral for maintaining the redox status of proteins and other thiol-containing molecules within cells. Mitochondria are particularly vulnerable to disruptions in redox balance, due to production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during oxidative metabolism. Among the many antioxidants and detoxifying enzymes existing in mitochondria, glutathione (GSH) has proven to be critical for the preservation of function and structural integrity of the organelle. Therefore, our studies are aimed at elucidating the factors that control mitochondrial GSH metabolism in the model eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker’s yeast). A critical component of understanding subcellular GSH homeostasis is identifying routes of …

Sustainable Polymers And Antimicrobial Biomaterials From Multicyclic Natural Products, Md Anisur Rahman

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, the development of sustainable polymers and antimicrobial biomaterials from multicyclic natural products is illustrated. In Chapter 1, an overall background and recent development of sustainable polymers from natural product-based renewable biomass, antimicrobial biomaterials, and polymerization methods are introduced. Afterward, the primary research objectives of my doctoral research work are illustrated.

In chapter 2, designing block copolymer architectures toward tough bioplastics from renewable natural rosin was described. One of the most abundant natural biomasses is resin acids, however, most of the polymers derived from resin acids are brittle because of their bulky hydrophenanthrene pendant group. To overcome the …

Role Of Size, Concentration, And Natural Organic Matter On The Fate, Behavior, And Toxicity Of Nanoparticle In Aquatic Environment, Mithun Sikder

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the impact of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) physicochemical properties such as size, surface coating and concentration; and environmental factors such as ionic strength, media composition and natural organic matter (NOM) on NP fate, behavior, and toxicity is crucial for ENP risk assessment. Thus, the overall aim of this dissertation is to evaluate the effects of ENP properties and water chemistry on the behavior, bioavailability, and toxicity of AgNPs and PtNPs.

The aggregation behavior of PtNPs was typical of Derjaguin, Landau, Verwey, and Overbeek (DLVO) type aggregation and the critical coagulation concentration of PtNPs was independent of particle size. PtNPs aggregate …

Identifying Predictors Of Racial Disparity In Treatment And Mortality Among Patients Diagnosed With Breast Cancer In South Carolina, Oluwole Adeyemi Babatunde

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Despite a lower incidence of breast cancer (BrCA) among Black women in the U.S. compared to White women, Black women experience consistently higher mortality rates. The aims of this study were 1) to assess the relationship between race and diagnosis-to-treatment times 2) to assess racial disparity in mortality among Black and White BrCA patients in SC and 3) assessment of the validity of the Mortality-to- incidence ration (MIR) as a proxy for survival and geospatial investigation of racial disparity among breast cancer (BrCA) patients.

Methods: Breast cancer cases diagnosed between 2002-2010 were obtained retrospectively from the SC Central Cancer …

Upper Ocean Dynamics And Mixing In The Arabian Sea During Monsoons, Corinne Beverly Trott

Theses and Dissertations

The Indian summer monsoon is a complex, nonlinear phenomenon involving atmospheric, oceanic, and land-based interactions from June through September. During this period, a strong low-level jet known as the Findlater Jet develops over the western Arabian Sea, advecting seasonally high quantities of warm, moist air to the Indian subcontinent, leading to the largest precipitation rates on the planet. The winds associated with the Findlater Jet seasonally strengthen the Arabian Sea eddy field, known for its intensity and variability. Comparison between the eddies in the western Arabian Sea during monsoon regimes of varying intensities revealed more high-amplitude eddies in strong (high-rainfall) …

Analysis Of Cellular Interactions Within A Collagen Hydrogel, Austin N. Worden

Theses and Dissertations

Evidence has arisen over the past several years that use of a three- dimensional (3D) culture system provides a distinct advantage over two- dimensional (2D) systems when cellular interactions are examined in a more natural environment. Changes in morphology, speed, and directionality of cells tested in both planar and 3D matrices have all demonstrated that using 3D system is advantageous. The changes to the cellular migration patterns were shown to be dependent on several variables within the surrounding substrate including cellular content, physical environment, and the matrix chemical milieu. We have taken advantage of using collagen hydrogels as a 3D …

Sand, Water, Salt: Managing The Elements In Literature Of The American West, 1880-1925, Jada Ach

Theses and Dissertations

Sand, Water, Salt focuses on Progressive Era American literature that explores the theme of land management set in the so-called wasteland spaces of the arid deserts, semi- arid high plains, and Pacific Ocean. The rhetoric of turn-of-the-century land managers, engineers, and developers insisted that humans and their environments remained separate, thus affording humans the ability to control land from a safe distance. However, the works I examine in my project demonstrate that even thoroughly regulated environments remain lively and beyond total control. My project archive, which includes Progressive Era fiction, memoirs, irrigation maps, aerial photographs, dry farming manifestos, and other …

The Impact Of The Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (Bscs) 5e Model On Middle-Level Students’ Content Knowledge, Michelle Norwood

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative action research study was to describe a middle-level science teacher’s transition to an inquiry-based, progressivist, student-centered model from a traditional, teacher-centered model as well to document the student-participants’ perceptions of the new model. The study population consisted of one-hundred student- participants, three teacher participants, and one administrator participant. Data was collected at Lakeview Middle School (LMS) (pseudonym) in the low country of South Carolina. The Research Question driving the study: How do middle-level students, accustomed to a traditional teacher-centered curriculum, perceive an inquiry-based, student-centered science classroom based on the Biological Science Curriculum Studies (BSCS) 5E …

Role Of P-Glycoprotein In Alzheimer’S Disease For Enhanced Brain Elimination Of Amyloid-Β, Hope Holt

Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common form of neurodegenerative disorder, is characterized by deposition of amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques in the brain. Aβ monomer undergoes nucleation to form oligomers, then soluble aggregates, then fibrils which make up the plaques. Aβ oligomer species are believed to be the most neurotoxic aggregate species. Currently under investigation is a mechanism for Aβ removal from the brain, across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is a membrane-bound efflux protein located on the apical, or blood, side of the BBB, which transports a wide variety of substrates. Further complicating this potential clearance mechanism is the reduction …

Dynamical Entropy Of Quantum Random Walks, Duncan Wright

Theses and Dissertations

In this manuscript, we study discrete-time dynamics of systems that arise in physics and information theory, and the measure of disorder in these systems known as dy- namical entropy. The study of dynamics in classical systems is done from two distinct viewpoints: random walks and dynamical systems. Random walks are probabilistic in nature and are described by stochastic processes. On the other hand, dynami- cal systems are described algebraically and deterministic in nature. The measure of disorder from either viewpoint is known as dynamical entropy.

Entropy is an essential notion in physics and information theory. Motivated by the study of …

Rage Expression And Inflammation In Alzheimer’S Disease: In Vitro Model Development And Investigation Of A Potential Peptoid Inhibitor, Lauren Michell Wolf

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the increasing prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), efforts to establish a definitive treatment or cure have met with little success. Many previous therapeutic strategies for AD have focused on the aggregation and accumulation of amyloid-b (Ab) in the brain, concentrating on its small intermediate aggregates as the primary targets to ameliorate neurotoxicity and damage. This approach has yielded little progress, and more recent discussions have shifted to strategies geared toward a multifaceted pathology, with chronic neuroinflammation emerging as an important factor in the disease etiology and progression.

The receptor for advanced glycation end-products, or RAGE, is …

Perspective: Performance Art As A Measured Perception, Nicolas Tyler Stewart

Theses and Dissertations

Coining a seventh principle of architecture allowed for the creation of a solo performance based on architecture, performance and artificial intelligence. The future is impacted on what is presented today. The importance of the ever-changing American theatre is that it has the ability to influence and capture an audience. A sensation of existence crafted by feeling and poetry. A product of productivity – Disconnect is themed off of unconventional innovation. The six principles: Axis, Symmetry, Rhythm, Datum, Hierarchy and Transformation were all tools used to develop a script in characterizing the established space. The stage created the script, the script …

Codification Of Terminology And Procedure In Mental Practice With Applications To Piano Pedagogy, Anna Beth Rucker

Theses and Dissertations

Mental practice has been discussed among piano pedagogues from the nineteenth century until the present. Over time, many terms have been used to describe different kinds of mental practice. This variety can make it challenging for the independent teacher to consolidate the information and effectively apply mental practice to the private lesson. For this reason, a codification of the terms associated with mental practice is presented in this thesis. Terms are classified into four groups: Visualization (kinesthetic imagery and musical imagery), Aural (aural imagery and audiation), Psychological (mental wellness and guided imagery), and Hybrid (practice away from the piano and …

Three-Dimensional Collagen Tubes For In Vitro Modeling, Rebecca Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Collagen type I represents a novel material for three-dimensional in vitro models. While two-dimensional models are typically inadequate for recreating the complex processes of the body, collagen provides a three-dimensional basis with a variety of applications, including remodeling of vascular cells under tension and vascular stenosis. Smooth muscle cells reorganize and reconstruct their environment differently under conditions of tensions, such as with sutures, or under conditions without applied external tension. Vascular stenosis, the abnormal narrowing of blood vessels, arises from defective developmental processes or atherosclerosis-related adult pathologies. Stenosis triggers a series of adaptive cellular responses that induces adverse remodeling, which …

Effect Of Goal-Setting And Visual Feedback On Rower Performance On A Rowing Machine, Taylor Donald Timmerman Hetherington

Theses and Dissertations

In the sport of rowing, the rowing machine is often used as training tool for exercise on land. This study seeks to assess how the commonly used rowing machine in the sport of rowing be used in the best way to mimic on-water visual stimuli in relation to performance (speed) for the rower. Twenty adolescent women from a youth rowing club in the Southeast, USA participated in a study meant to determine how the pace boat feature on Concept2 rowing machines affects their performance. Using a multiple baseline across-groups treatment design, participants were divided into two groups based on the …

Developmental Language Disorders And Reticence In Childhood, Aimee Diehl

Theses and Dissertations

Children with developmental language disorder (DLD) struggle in a variety of social contexts. These children display different forms of social withdrawal, the most prevalent being shyness which is behaviorally manifested as reticence. The goal of the current study was to further explore the relationship between DLD and reticence in children using a revised set of items from the Teacher Behavior Rating Scale (TBRS). A total of 220 children participated in the study. A univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine if there were significant differences related to group, age, and gender on reticence. Findings revealed a significant difference …

Moderating Influence As A Design Principle For Human-Swarm Interaction, C Chace Ashcraft

Theses and Dissertations

Robot swarms have recently become of interest in both industry and academia for their potential to perform various difficult or dangerous tasks efficiently. As real robot swarms become more of a possibility, many desire swarms to be controlled or directed by a human, which raises questions regarding how that should be done. Part of the challenge of human-swarm interaction is the difficulty of understanding swarm state and how to drive the swarm to produce emergent behaviors. Human input could inhibit desirable swarm behaviors if their input is poor and has sufficient influence over swarm agents, affecting its overall performance. Thus, …

What Happens Here Stays Here? Associations Between Choices During The Twenties And Flourishing Or Floundering During The Thirties, Melanie Lynn Lott

Theses and Dissertations

Life course theory suggests that an individual’s development is influenced by many factors such as one’s past choices and environment. The twenties are a period of great autonomy for many young people with opportunities to engage in choices with lasting consequences, both positive (e.g., furthering education, volunteering) and negative (e.g., crime, risky sexual behavior, heavy video game use). The current study explored the relationship between behaviors during one’s twenties and indices of adjustment (i.e., life satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, and hope) and maladjustment (i.e., poor emotional health and regret) in one’s thirties. Additionally, as factors such as income and biological sex …

Skeletal Muscle Recovery And Vibration, Garrett Collier Jones

Theses and Dissertations

In the past decade there has been a significant increase in focus on the effect upper body vibration (UBV) has on the recovery of skeletal muscle after exercise-induced muscle damage. Recovery can be defined and investigated using a wide variety of methods. This study used three different measurements to track muscle recovery over 7 days following an exercise muscle damage protocol and applied vibration to a mathematical model. A visual analog scale (VAS) was used to measure muscle pain, a strain gauge was used to obtain maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) strength measurements, and shear wave elastography (SWE) represented muscle …

Sensory Acceptability And Nutrient Stability In Micronutrient-Fortified Soymilk Prepared In Small-Scale Batch Processes, Dallin Max Hardy

Theses and Dissertations

Fortified and unfortified soymilk were produced from the same production batches for comparative evaluation. Fortification included a comprehensive array of micronutrients of interest to community and humanitarian nutrition programs. The effects of time after fortification prior to cooling, cooling method, and light or dark refrigerated storage on the stability of 5 vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin, and folate) were investigated for both fortified and unfortified soymilk. Significant vitamin C loss (6%) and mild vitamin A isomerization occurred while soymilk was hot immediately following fortification. Cooling bottled soymilk in an ambient water bath or ice water bath made no …

Cooperative Lewis Pairs Based On High-Valent Early Transition Metal Halides And Synthesis Of Their Nitride Complexes, Md. Mamdudur Rahman

Theses and Dissertations

Herein, we report the activation of relatively strong C–H and C–O bonds under mild conditions by a cooperative interaction of TaCl5 and PPh3. An unprecedented activation of nitrile adducts of high-valent transition metals with the formation of novel zwitterionic imido complexes was observed. The scope of the reaction includes a range of substituted unactivated nitriles including the C–H bond activation of both aliphatic and aromatic nitriles.

The cooperative action of a Lewis acidic high-valent transition metal halide (TaCl5 or NbCl5) and a weakly nucleophilic base (NEt3 or PPh3) leads to the deprotonation of a coordinated nitrile and subsequent rearrangement to …

Effect Of Severe Economic Recession On The Psychological Distress: Evidence Of Modifying Effect Of Risky Behaviors And Insurance Status, Lumi Bakos

Theses and Dissertations

The investigation identified the effect of the 2007-2009 economic recession on the level of psychological distress (PD) as modified by engaging in risky behaviors and insurance status. The objective was to determine if engaging in risky behaviors and insurance status had an impact upon the level of psychological distress experienced during a recession; the timeframe for the study is 2007 representing pre-recession to beginning of recession year, to 2009 representing the recession year, to 2012-2013 representing post-recession years. The study involved the use of a nationwide non- institutionalized adult population, the Mental Health and Stigma optional module found in the …