Digital Commons Network^™

A Study Of The Effect Of Group Family Play On Family Relations For Families With Children Considered At-Risk For Educational Failure, Carmen Colleen Baldus

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Involvement In Sports And Engagement In Delinquency: An Examination Of Hirschi's Social Bond Theory., Randy Hass

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sports have been proposed as a means of reducing participation in delinquency. One criminological theory that would support this hypothesis is Travis Hirschi's social bond theory. The involvement element of that theory proposes that engaging juveniles in non-delinquent activities reduces engagement in delinquency. However, the relationship between sports and delinquency has not been adequately tested. Data from the first wave of the National Youth Survey were examined by ordinary least squares regression to determine if there was evidence supporting school sponsored sports programs as a means of reducing delinquency. No evidence was found to support the research hypothesis. Involvement in …

Iron Acquisition In Rhodococcus Erythrolpolis: The Isolation Of Mutant(S) That Do Not Produce A Siderophore., Jaishree M. Vellore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rhodococcus, a soil bacterium, displays a diverse range of metabolic capabilities with a number of potential practical applications. To exploit the metabolic potential of Rhodococcus, their basic physiology, genetics, and especially the acquisition of essential nutrients like iron, must be understood.

R. erythropolis strain IGTS8 releases a small compound called a siderophore, that scavenges ferric iron from the environment. To learn more about the genetic control of iron acquisition, mutant(s) defective in siderophore production were isolated. Mutants were generated, by inserting a mutagenic plasmid, pJCS506, into the bacterial cell using electroporation. The plasmid, which cannot replicate in these …

Antibiotic Resistance: Multi-Drug Profiles And Genetic Determinants., Lashan Denise Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Antimicrobial susceptibility profiles were assembled for isolates of Moraxella catarrhalis collected from the Mountain Home Veteran's Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) clinical laboratory in Johnson City, Tennessee. The goal of the study was to identify isolates for genetic characterization using comparisons of susceptibility profiles. Isolates of Moraxella catarrhalis collected from July 1984 through 1994 were analyzed for β-lactamase production using a Cefinase disk assay.

A multi-drug profile consisting of 11 β-lactam antibiotics was performed on the 41 M. catarrhalis isolates. Kirby Bauer disk assays were performed for 7 cephalosporin and 4 non-cephalosporin antibiotics.

In summary, 2 observations implicate more complex resistance …

Esdp And Missile Defense: European Perspectives For More Balanced Transatlantic Partnership, Martin Aguera Mr.

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

Security cooperation with Europe has been the bedrock of American strategy for more than 50 years. Today, that relationship is undergoing both stress and refinement as Europe moves toward a more unified political and security identity, and as the United States responds to a changing global security environment. While many issues have the potential to complicate U.S.-European security cooperation, few are more pressing than the U.S. pursuit of missile defense and Europe's construction of European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP). The author explains the relationship between missile defense and ESDP and shows that, rather than serving as wedges between the …

Resistance Of Commercial Hybrids And Lines Of Sorghum, Sorghum Bicolor (L.) Moench., To Diatraea Saccharalis (Fabr.) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), Jose M. Waquil, Jose A. S. Rodrigues, Fredolino G. Santos, Alexandre S. Ferreira, Francys M. F. Vilella, John E. Foster

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Commercial sorghum hybrids and Embrapa’s lines were evaluated regarding resistance to sugarcane borer. Two field experiments were conducted in Sete Lagoas, MG, under natural infestation, during the second cropping season in a randomized complete block with 3 replicates. The plants were evaluated regarding to stand, maturity cycle, plant height, and number of broken or lodging stalks and yield. The borer incidence, number of galleries, number of healthy and damaged nodes were also evaluated to calculate the Infestation Index and Intensity Infestation Index. Among the commercial sorghum hybrids, Br 304 and CMSXS 9701 were the least infested wile Z 732 and …

Chronic Exposure Of The European Corn Borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) To Cry1ab Bacillus Thuringiensis Toxin, Josette Chafaux, Maryvonne Seguin, Jeffrey J. Swanson, Denis Bourguet, Blair D. Siegfried

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Transgenic corn expressing the insecticidal toxin from Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner is gaining support as an effective control technology for use against lepidopteran pests, particularly European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis Hubner (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). However, there is concern that widespread adoption of transgenic plants will rapidly lead to B. thuringiensis toxin resistance. Thus, long-term selection of O. nubilalis populations with the Cry1Ab B. thuringiensis toxin has been undertaken in several laboratories in the United States and in Europe. We present results from two independent selection experiments performed in laboratories at the University of Nebraska and at the Institut National de la Recherche …

Conceptual Constraints On Thinking About Genocide, David Moshman

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Our thinking is unavoidably constrained by our conceptual structures. To the extent that we reflect on and reconstruct our concepts, however, we can sharpen our thinking. The first section of this article considers the nature of concepts, highlighting a standard distinction between prototype-based and formal concepts.

Drawing on these insights from cognitive psychology, the second section suggests that the ability to recognize and understand genocides is greatly restricted by Holocaust-based conceptions of genocide. In turn one can enhance one’s understanding via the construction and application of formal concepts of genocide.

Extending this argument, I observe in the third section that …

Intracellular Signaling Molecules Activated By Epstein-Barr Virus For Induction Of Interferon Regulatory Factor 7, Luwen Zhang, Lihong Wu, Ke Hong, Joseph S. Pagano

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) latent membrane protein 1 (LMP-1) is the principal oncogenic protein in the EBV transformation process. LMP-1 induces the expression of interferon regulatory factor 7 (IRF-7) and activates IRF-7 protein by phosphorylation and nuclear translocation. LMP-1 is an integral membrane protein with two regions in its C terminus that initiate signaling processes, the C-terminal activator regions 1 (CTAR-1) and CTAR-2. Here, genetic analysis of LMP-1 has determined that the PXQXT motif that governs the interaction between LMP-1 CTAR-1 and tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factors (TRAFs) is needed to induce the expression of IRF-7. Mutations in the PXQXT motif …

Interferon Regulatory Factor 7: A Key Cellular Mediator Of Lmp-1 In Ebv Latency And Transformation, Luwen Zhang, Joseph S. Pagano

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Interferon regulatory factor 7 (IRF-7) was cloned within the biological context of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) latency, and has an intimate relation with EBV. EBV latent membrane protein 1 (LMP-1) regulates IRF-7 both by inducing the expression of IRF-7 and by activating IRF-7 protein through phosphorylation and nuclear translocation in a post-translational manner. The activated IRF-7 then functions to regulate both EBV and cellular target genes involved in latency, transformation and immune regulation. IRF-7 appears to be a key cellular latency protein involved in both the pathogenesis and persistence of EBV infection.

Identification Of A Cellular Protein That Interacts And Synergizes With The Rta (Orf50) Protein Of Kaposi’S Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus In Transcriptional Activation, Shizhen Wang, Shuhong Liu, Ming-Hoi Wu, Yunqi Geng, Charles Wood

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Lytic reactivation of Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), or human herpesvirus 8, from latency requires transcriptional transactivation by the viral protein RTA encoded by the ORF50 gene. Very little is known about how RTA functions and the cellular factors that may be involved in its transactivation function. Using the yeast two-hybrid system, we have identified a human cellular protein that can interact with KSHV RTA. The cellular protein, referred to as the human hypothetical protein MGC2663 by GenBank, is encoded by human chromosome 19. This protein is 554 amino acids (aa) in size and displays sequence similarity with members of the …

Will Voluntary And Educational Programs Meet Environmental Objectives? Evidence From A Survey Of New York Dairy Farms, Gregory L. Poe, Nelson L. Bills, B. C. Bellows, Patricia Crosscombe, Richard K. Koelsch, Michael J. Kreher, Peter Wright

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

This paper presents the results from a survey of New York dairy farms that links manure management practices and farmer willingness to participate in voluntary environmental programs, focusing on those operations that are not automatically designated as Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations. A wide divergence is found between actual and recommended manure management practices on individual dairy farms (high), the apparent ability of farms to divert financial resources to environmental practices (mixed), and the willingness to participate in voluntary programs at various annual costs per cow (low). These findings have policy implications for the USDA/USEPA National Strategy for Animal Feeding Operations.

Predicting Risk To Biodiversity As A Function Of Aquifer Pressure In Gab Mound Springs, A. J. Tyre, Brigitte Tenhumberg, H.P. Possingham

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Plants and aquatic invertebrates endemic to mound springs of the Great Artesian Basin (GAB) of Australia are of national biodiversity significance. Springs occur in groups, and current survey data suggest that local extinction and recolonisation within a group does occur naturally. Mound spring fauna are therefore good examples of true metapopulations, and any study of the environmental impacts on these systems must take this into account. Use of GAB water leads to drawdown of the pressure in the aquifer. This can potentially impact mound spring flora and fauna in two ways. First, as pressure decreases, so does flow from spring …

Direct Imaging Of Human Swi/Snf-Remodeled Mono- And Polynucleosomes By Atomic Force Microscopy Employing Carbon Nanotube Tips, Gavin R. Schnitzler, Chin Li Cheung, Jason H. Hafner, Andrew J. Saurin, Robert E. Kingston, Charles M. Lieber

Barry Chin Li Cheung Publications

Chromatin-remodeling complexes alter chromatin structure to facilitate, or in some cases repress, gene expression. Recent studies have suggested two potential pathways by which such regulation might occur. In the first, the remodeling complex repositions nucleosomes along DNA to open or occlude regulatory sites. In the second, the remodeling complex creates an altered dimeric form of the nucleosome that has altered accessibility to transcription factors. The extent of translational repositioning, the structure of the remodeled dimer, and the presence of dimers on remodeled polynucleosomes have been difficult to gauge by biochemical assays. To address these questions, ultrahigh-resolution carbon nanotube tip atomic …

Rumination And Cigarette Smoking: A Bad Combination For Depressive Outcomes?, Malia Richmond, Bonnie Spring, Beth Kaplan Sommerfeld, Dennis E. Mcchargue

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Ruminative coping has been shown to heighten the risk and severity of depression. The authors hypothesized that ruminators who smoke would experience greater depressive symptoms than ruminators who do not. The rationale is that, by heightening attentional focus, nicotine may increase ruminators' ability to focus on negative thoughts, augmenting depressed mood. Participants (N = 145) self-reported smoking status, rumination, and current and lifetime depressive symptoms, including depressed mood. Results showed that rumination accounted for a larger amount of variance in current and past depressed mood and severity of lifetime depressive symptoms among smokers than nonsmokers. Noncorrelational, experimental research should …

Morphological And Molecular Description Of Haematoloechus Meridionalis N. Sp. (Digenea: Plagiorchioidea: Haematoloechidae) From Rana Vaillanti Brocchi Of Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Virginia León-Règagnon, Daniel R. Brooks, Derek A. Zelmer

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

An undescribed species of Haematoloechus inhabits the lungs of Rana vaillanti in northwestern Costa Rica. The new species is most similar morphologically to H. medioplexus, having a very small, but well-developed, ventral sucker and lacking extracecal uterine loops, and apparently was misidentified previously as H. medioplexus in Rana palmipes from Colombia. It differs from H. medioplexus, notably by (1) the shape of the oral sucker, which is elliptical in H. meridionalis and spherical in H. medioplexus; (2) the posterior extent of the vitelline fields, which terminate at the same level in H. medioplexus, but always at …

Physical Activity Research In Nursing, Lorraine B. Robbins, Nola J. Pender, Vicki S. Conn, Marilyn Frenn, Geri B. Neuberger, Mary A. Nies, Robert V. Topp, Joellen Wilbur

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose: To present exemplars of physical activity research in nursing, illustrate the importance of physical activity research across the lifespan, and recommend directions for theory development and research.

Methods: Studies of physical activity and exercise currently being conducted by nurse investigators were reported and critiqued by attendees of the Midwest Nursing Research Society 2000 Preconference session entitled “Promoting Physical Activity Among Diverse Groups Across the Health Continuum.” Physical activity and exercise literature during the past decade was reviewed. Databases searched included Medline, CINAHL, Wilson, and ERIC.

Findings: Investigators have emphasized the need to evaluate the effects of theory-based physical activity …

Formation Of Multistranded Structures From The Self-Assembly Of G-Rich Dna Oligomers By Various Sequence And Environmental Influences, Bryan D. Vi

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

No abstract provided.

Mechanisms Of Retroviral Replication, Timur O. Kabdulov

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Specific encapsidation of viral RNA is an essential step of retroviral replication cycle. Extensive biochemical and genetic analyses suggest that majority of retroviruses employ similar mechanisms for specific RNA packaging. Better understanding of mechanisms of this process may help to develop new anti-retroviral drugs against such serious pathogens as human immunodeficiency virus types 1 and 2.;This study concerns with specific packaging of RNA by two simple retroviruses, murine leukemia virus (MLV) and spleen necrosis virus (SNV). SNV proteins can package RNA of both SNV and MLV with similar efficiency. In contrast, MLV proteins cannot package SNV RNA. NC domain was …

Pharmacological Regulation Of C-Myc Gene Expression In Human Breast Cancer Cells, Zaroui Karlen Melkoumian

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Previous studies demonstrated that quinidine causes G1/G0 cell cycle arrest and inhibition of proliferation in MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line (Woodfork, K. et al., 1995). The goal of studies reported here was to understand the molecular mechanisms of c-myc gene regulation by quinidine. C-myc is one of the most common oncogene aberrations in breast cancers (Deming, S. L. et al., 2000). C-myc functions include regulation of cell cycle, proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. The results of these studies demonstrated that quinidine causes rapid (within 1 hour) suppression of Myc protein and mRNA levels that precedes the quinidine-induced G1 cell cycle …

Adolescence And Old Age In Twelve Communities, Pranab Chatterjee, Darlyne Bailey, Nina Aronoff

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper disputes the theory of universal stages of development (often called the epigenetic principle) asserted by Erikson (1963; 1982; 1997) and later developed in detail by Newman & Newman (1987, p. 33). It particularly disputes that there are clear stages of adolescence (12-18), late adolescence (18-22), old age (60-75), and very old age (75+). Data from twelve communities around the world suggest that the concept of adolescence is socially constructed in each local setting, and that the concept of late adolescence is totally absent in some communities. Further, the stage of old age (60-75) is much shorter in some …

Review Of Care Work: Gender, Labour And The Welfare State. Madonna Harrington Meyer (Ed.). Reviewed By Diana M. Johnson, Diana M. Johnson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Madonna Harrington Meyer (Ed.), Care Work: Gender, Labor, and the Welfare State. New York: Routledge, 2000. $85.00 hardcover, $23.99 papercover.

Pest Management Practices Used By West Virginia Corn Growers, Leasa Dianne Wilkerson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to provide information that might be useful to researchers and extension personnel at West Virginia University in developing and designing educational programs concerning pest management for corn farmers. This research identified current trends in management practices, insect, fungal, and weed problems, and educational needs so that instructional materials can be designed to meet clientele needs. Data were collected via 100 questionnaires mailed to farmers in the top ten corn producing counties in West Virginia. Of these, thirty-three useable surveys were returned.;It was found that Gray leaf spot and Maize virus were the most prevalent …

Studies Of The Mammalian Ovarian Endothelin System, Marietta Felicidad Wright

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In porcine ovaries, endothelin-1 (ET-1) may have an autocrine/paracrine role in follicular development. Endothelin-converting enzyme-1 (ECE-1) converts big endothelin-1 to ET-1. In situ hybridization was used to determine the ovarian compartment that synthesizes ECE-1. ECE-1 mRNA was detected in granulosa cells of large (10 mm) and medium (3 mm) antral follicles. This study, in conjunction with previous studies suggests a novel autocrine role of ET-1 as a possible local ovarian factor of follicular development. ET-1 may play a role during prostaglandin (PG) F2 alpha-induced luteal regression in the cow. Effects of PGF2 alpha treatment were examined during early and mid-luteal …

Spatial And Temporal Analysis Of Radial Growth In An Appalachian Watershed, Desta Beyene Fekedulegn

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dendrochronological study used dated and measured tree-ring data to examine relationships between radial growth and climate for four hard wood species, yellow-poplar, northern red oak, chestnut oak and red maple, growing on contrasting topographic aspects of a watershed in north-central West Virginia.;The study showed that all species except northern red oak showed significant differences in growth between the mesic and xeric aspects. Where significant differences were found all except chestnut oak exhibited higher growth rates at the mesic aspect.;Yellow-poplar showed a sharp decline in growth from late 1950's to late 1960's, which was evidently caused by several years of …

Neuropsychological Functioning And Family Environment Of Children With Attention-Defecit/Hyperactivity Disorder And Comorbid Oppositional Defiant Disorder/Conduct Disorder, M. Catherine Yeager

Theses and Dissertations

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is hypothesized to be a disorder of executive functioning; however, results of studies comparing ADHD with control children using executive functioning measures are inconsistent, with some studies showing group differences while others do not. One limitation of these studies has been the failure to control for frequently occurring comorbid psychiatric conditions, such as Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and Conduct Disorder (CD), in the ADHD groups. Previous studies have demonstrated that children with ADHD and comorbid CD or severe ODD perform significantly better on tests of cognitive/executive functioning when compared to children with ADHD only. Based on these …

Inside Unlv, Diane Russell, Jennifer Vaughan, Richard Jensen, Mae Worthey-Flennoy

Inside UNLV

No abstract provided.

Potential Relations Between Extraversion And Cardiovascular Reactivity During Laboratory Stressors, Brandie K. Taylor

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This present study was designed to examine the relation between cardiovascular reactivity to stress and the behaviors of individuals classified as either "extraverts" or "introverts." Although experimental psychophysiological studies have been conducted to examine the relation between extraversion and physiological arousal, little is known about the ways in which extraversion and cardiovascular reactivity to stress are related. According to the optimal arousal theory, both extraverts and introverts would be expected to be more reactive to a social challenge than to a mundane non-social task, with introverts exhibiting greater reactivity to both tasks than extraverts. In contrast, a preferred task model …

Reasons For Living Across The Lifespan, Lesley P. Koven

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examined gender and age-related differences in reasons for living, using a sample of 50 young adults (M = 20.2), 53 middle-aged adults (M = 49.3), and 55 older adults ( M = 78.5). Participants completed a combined version of the Reasons for Living Inventory, the Reasons for Living Inventory for Younger Adults, and the Reasons for Living Inventory for Older Adults. Although no gender differences emerged in reasons for living, younger adults placed more importance on fear of social disapproval, moral objections, survival and coping skills, peer acceptance, survival and coping beliefs, fear of suicide, and future optimism …

Rates Of Adoption In A University Course Management System, David Russell Feeney

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research focuses on diffusion of an education innovation in a large, traditional University. In March 1999, the Blackboard digital course management system was installed for enterprise-wide availability at Temple University, the 39th largest university in the United States. The web-enabled database of Temple Blackboard logs the adoption date, course ID, and course title for every Blackboard course, unobtrusively, twenty-four hours a day. Temple Blackboard serves as 4 digital approximation of the cumulative recorder pioneered by B. F. Skinner, recording more than 2800 course adoptions across 30 months, in real time. Temple Blackboard course records provide unprecedented quantity and quality …