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Erythrocyte-Associated Transients In Capillary Po2 In The Rat Spinotrapezius Muscle During Hemodilution With Hespan And A Hemoglobin-Based Oxygen Carrier, Matthew Barker

Theses and Dissertations

Hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers for use as transfusion fluids have emerged as a leading technology directed at stemming shortages of a safe blood supply and providing a readily available resuscitation fluid in various trauma situations. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effects of isovolemic hemodilution with Hespan and a hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier (HBOC) on erythrocyte-associated transients (EATs) in capillary PO2. The particulate nature of blood flow in capillaries, when observed from a stationary observation point, results in fluctuations of PO2 as alternating red blood cells and plasma gaps move through the detection region. Therefore, through experimental methods which …

The Mechanism Of T Cell Dysfunction Induced By Diethylstilbestrol, Nicole Chantae Brown

Theses and Dissertations

Estrogens have the ability to alter the immune system. Diethylstilbestrol (DES), asynthetic estrogen, is known to have estrogenic activity and induce thymic alterations.We investigated the mechanism by which DES is able to alter T cells and thus theimmune system. First, we studied the effect of DES on mature T cells by using the T cellleukemia cell line, Jurkat. We found that DES treatment reduced cell viability andincreased apoptosis. Additionally, apoptosis was found to involve both death receptorand mitochondria1 pathways. Furthermore, estrogen receptor beta was found to beexpressed in these cells and increased following DES treatment. Secondly, we studiedthe effect of …

Infant Oral Health: A Survey Of General Dentists, Pediatric Dentists, And Pediatricians In Virginia, Rhea Delcastillo Davis

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the knowledge, attitudes, and experiences related to infant oral health for both dental and medical providers.Methods: A survey of infant oral health care was sent to 300 randomly selected general dentists, 300 randomly selected pediatricians, and all pediatric dentists in Virginia. The survey contained questions regarding the providers' routine infant oral health care regimen. In addition demographic data from the provider was collected. Responses to the questionnaire were tabulated and percent frequency distributions for responses to each item computed. Percents for all items were based on the total number of respondents …

Influences On Career Self-Efficacy: Examining Attachment, Anya Elizabeth Moon

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the influences of attachment style and level of optimism on career self-efficacy. It was hypothesized that level of optimism moderates the relationship between attachment style and career self-efficacy. Participants were 173 college students who completed the Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR; K.A. Brennan, C.L. Clark, & P.R. Shaver, 1998), the Life Orientation Test - Revised (LOT-R; M. Sheier, C. Carver, & M. Bridges, 1994), and the Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy - Short Form (CDMSE-SF; N. Betz, K. Klein, & K. Taylor, 1996). The moderator model was not supported, but hierarchical regression revealed a positive relationship between optimism and …

Carbon Monoxide Oxidation On Nanoparticle Catalysts And Gas Phase Reactions Of Small Molecules And Volatile Organics With Metal Cations, Khaled Mohammad Eqab Saoud

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation demonstrates the application of a vapor phase method to synthesize supported and unsupported nanoparticle catalysts for CO oxidation. The method is based on the Laser Vaporization/Controlled Condensation (LVCC) technique. The first part of this dissertation presents the vapor phase synthesis and characterization of gold nanoparticles supported on a variety of oxide supports such as CeO2, TiO2, CuO and MgO.The results indicate that Au nanoparticles supported on CeO2 exhibit higher catalytic activity than Au supported on other oxides. The high activity of the Au/CeO2 catalyst is attributed to the strong interaction of Au with CeO2. The results also indicate …

Asperger's Syndrome And Non-Verbal Learning Disabilities: A Study Of Differential Diagnosis Agreement Across Disciplines, Norman J. Geller

Theses and Dissertations

Mental health professionals tend to have a clinical perspective that is dependent upon Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV-TR (DSM-IV) criteria for a differential diagnosis. School-based clinicians are bound by regulations governing special education placement established by Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). While both sets of clinicians generate diagnostic recommendations for students, the guidelines and criteria are not of parallel descriptors. AS is only a diagnosis provided for in DSM-IV. Non-verbal learning disability (NVLD) and high functioning autism (HFA) are addressed in both DSM-IV and IDEA. The dilemma presented to clinicians is intertwining the terminology of both fields …

Demographic Variables Affecting Patient Referrals From General Practice Dentists To Periodontists, Mark Roy Zemanovich

Theses and Dissertations

BackgroundWithin dentistry, a limited body of literature exists regarding the referral relationships between general practitioners (GPs) and specialists. The purpose of this study was to investigate the referral relationship between GPs and periodontists within the state of Virginia. MethodsA survey focused on the demographic variables in the referral relationship between GPs and periodontists was developed. The survey was mailed to 800 dentists throughout the state of Virginia. Descriptive statistics was completed along with multivariate logistic regression analysis comparing the responses with the number of patients referred per month to a periodontist. ResultsFemale respondents were more likely to refer three or …

Assessing The Relationship Between Socioeconomic Variables And Risk Of Overweight Among Children 6 Years Of Age, Marilyn Cochon Batan

Theses and Dissertations

Background: The percentage of overweight children has tripled in the last thirty years. Inconsistent findings are published regarding the relationship between socioeconomic variables and being overweight in childhood.Objective: To determine whether socioeconomic variables are associated with risk of being overweight among six year olds. Methods: Six year olds with BMI data were selected from the National Survey of Children's Health (n=4,362). Variables were coded and a low socioeconomic index was created. Using population weights, descriptive statistics were generated and regression was utilized to assess the relationship between socioeconomic variables and being 'at risk' for overweight. Socioeconomic variables were also compared …

Cytokine And Chemokine Profiles In A Rat Model Of Hemorrhagic Shock After Immuno-Modulation By Androstenetriol, Kristin E. Paccione

Theses and Dissertations

Further understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in traumatic injury, and how they are modulated during drug interaction, can facilitate novel treatment strategies for future trauma patients. We hypothesize that the pharmacological agent, Androstenetriol (AET), up regulates host immune response by modulating the continued expression of mediators, including cytokines. In a double-blinded experiment, rats were hemorrhaged, driven by volume or pressure conditions, then resuscitated with fluids and packed red blood cells following a subcutaneous injection of either vehicle or drug. Blood was collected at various time points and cytokine levels were determined by analyses with both multiplex and …

Genetic Variability, Pathogen Susceptibility, Subspecies Identity And Conservation Of The Endangered Northern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys Sabrinus) In Virginia, James Lincoln Sparks Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

I examined the population genetic structure of three known subspecies of Glaucomys sabrinus from Appalachia, Washington State, and two previously unexamined populations from Mount Rogers National Recreation Area (MRNRA) in Southwestern Virginia. Mean FST (0.107) and an AMOVA (P G. sabrinus subspecies populations in the southern Appalachians are genetically differentiated. Glaucomys sabrinus at MRNRA were less inbred than expected. Gene flow, a consensus tree based on Nei's genetic distance, elevated heterozygosity and morphometric data suggest that the MRNRA G. sabrinus population is an intergrade of the two recognized Appalachian subspecies, G. s. fuscus and G. s. coloratus. I compared inbreeding …

An Exploration Of Impediments To Attachment In A Juvenile Offender Population: Comparisons Between Juvenile Sex Offenders, Juvenile Violent Offenders And Juvenile Non-Sex, Non-Violent Offenders, Sharon Kay Funari

Theses and Dissertations

This current study addresses potential impediments to attachment that may differentiate between incarcerated juveniles who have committed sexual crimes and incarcerated juveniles who have not committed such offenses. The exploration of such potential barriers to attachment has been organized around Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Model. Subjects were 2948 incarcerated male adolescents adjudicated to the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice and were divided based solely upon adjudicating offense: Juvenile non-violent, non-sexual offenders (JNVNSO, n=1149), Juvenile violent, non-sexual offenders (JVNSO, n=1433) and Juvenile sexual offenders (JSO, n=366). Results indicated that JSOs differed from JNVNSOs and JVNSOs in their histories of sexual abuse as well …

Predictors Of Induced Abortion Among Female Youth Center Users In Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, Rachel Barker

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: Induced abortions occur in every country in the world. However sixty percent of the world's women live in countries where abortion is illegal. 19 million pregnancies end in unsafe and/or illegal abortions. Annually, 68,000 women die from unsafe abortions. Legal or not, unsafe abortion is one of the great neglected problems of health care in developing countries like Haiti and is a serious concern to women during their reproductive lives. Methods: The data for this study was collected from youth centers (ages 15-24) and used to estimate percentage distributions of abortion ratios by selected characteristics of women, particularly age …

Overbite Correction And Smile Esthetics, Sherif Nabil Elhady

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this prospective clinical study was to investigate differences in outcomes from two common treatment modalities used to reduce deep overbite: maxillary incisor intrusion using an intrusion arch and posterior tooth eruption using an anterior bite plate and to assess their influence on smile esthetics. Pre-treatment and post-overbite correction records were gathered from 40 patients with deep overbite malocclusions at the Virginia Commonwealth University orthodontic clinic. Intrusion arch patients displayed significant reductions in maxillary incisor display accompanying documented incisor intrusion. Bite plate patients showed significant lower incisor intrusion and increases in the mandibular plane angle. When compared to …

Thalhimers Department Store: Story, History, And Theory, Elizabeth Thalhimer Smartt

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis looks at Thalhimers department store through the lenses of story, history, and theory. It first introduces the intertwining narratives of the author's paternal family and the store's history, then shares the author's personal story of Thalhimers. The second half outlines the master narrative of the American department store then applies "fantasy-theme analysis" and the symbolic convergence theory to stories and artifacts related to Thalhimers. A conclusion discusses the end of the department store era including a deeply personal goodbye from the author.

Working Space, Timothy D. Devoe

Theses and Dissertations

By altering the outward appearance of the gallery walls, I address the hidden inner temperaments and characteristics of these seemingly benign facades. Architectural rubble impacts with the gallery space in imagined collisions, exposing and distorting its hidden inner workings and structures. Sometimes my walls grow so fat that they need immediate and temporary structural solutions. They may even slump over in a pathetic heap under their own perceived mass.Using everyday wall building materials like 2x4s and drywall, or even harvesting the material directly from the gallery, I anthropomorphize the surface of the space. Rather than the architecture receding into the …

Prevalence Of Pulpal And/Or Periradicular Disease In The Vcu School Of Dentistry Screening Patient Population, Ellen Rives Oertel

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and demographic predictors of pulpal and/or periradicular disease in an urban population. A total of 210 subjects were recruited from a population of patients that were screened for acceptance to the dental school clinics. The diagnosis of pulpal and/or periradicular disease was made using the following data: radiographic interpretation, patient's history of previous pain and chief complaint, and objective pulpal testing. Objective pulpal testing included percussion, palpation, electric pulp test, and cold. The unit of observation was the individual, not the tooth. The overall prevalence of endodontic disease among the …

Substance Abuse And Psychosocial Factors In The Hepatitis C Population: Identifying Risk Factors In Disease Severity And Quality Of Life, Jill Courtney Clarida

Theses and Dissertations

Hepatitis C is the most common chronic blood-borne infection in the United States. Research has focused on contributing factors to the development and progression of liver disease, but few studies have considered nicotine use as a potential prognostic factor with CHC. Research has commonly found that CHC patients report with a diminished quality of life. Several factors have been proposed to account for a decrease in QOL; however, the mechanisms underlying the impairment in QOL have not yet been elicited. 76 CHC patients completed self-report measures on a variety of psychosocial variables and biochemical data for determining the patient's liver …

The Effect Of Traumatic Brain Injury On Expression Levels Of Ankyrin-G In The Corpus Callosum And Cerebral Cortex, Andrew S. Vanderveer

Theses and Dissertations

The ankyrins comprise a family of proteins serving as components of the membrane cytoskeleton, and participate in a diverse set of associations with multiple binding partners including the cytoplasmic domains of transporters, ion channels, some classes of receptors, and cell adhesion proteins. Moreover, evidence is accumulating that ankyrin participates in defining functionally distinct subcellular regions. The complex functional and structural roles of ankyrins indicate they are likely to play essential roles in the pathology of traumatic axonal injury. The current study examined changes in ankyrin-G expression following a moderate central fluid percussion injury administered to adult rats. At 1d, 3d, …

The Effects Of Footshock On The Reinforcing Efficacy Of Cocaine In Male Long-Evans Rats, Elizabeth S. Hendrick

Theses and Dissertations

Many links exist between cocaine abuse and stress. The literature and laboratory studies in rats suggest that this could be because stress increases the reinforcing efficacy of cocaine. Using male Long-Evans rats, experiments in this thesis tested effects of footshock on the reinforcing efficacy of cocaine using a progressive ratio schedule of reinforcement. They also examined effects of footshock on the reinforcing efficacy of a half-maximal dose of cocaine. Finally, they tested the effects of footshock on cocaine self-administration in rats initially resistant to acquisition of cocaine self-administration. Footshock did not increase reinforcing efficacy of cocaine on a PR schedule …

Analysis And Shape Modeling Of Thin Piezoelectric Actuators, Makram Mouhli

Theses and Dissertations

The field of smart materials is an increasingly growing area of research. In aerodynamics applications especially, transducers have to fulfill a series of requirements such as light weight, size, energy consumption, robustness and durability. Piezoelectric transducers, devices which transform an electrical signal into motion, fulfill many of these requirements. Specifically, piezoelectric composites are of interest due to their added toughness and ease of integration into a structure. Resulting composites have a characteristic initial curvature with accompanying residual stresses that are responsible for enhanced performance, relative to flat actuators, when the active material is energized. A number of transducer designs based …

The Relationship Between Breastfeeding And The Development Of Asthma In Early Childhood, River Anne Pugsley

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: Asthma can have significant adverse effects on the health and quality of life of children, and the prevalence of this condition continues to rise. Breastfeeding may protect against asthma, but some uncertainty remains. The purpose of this study was to further examine the relationship between breastfeeding and the risk of developing asthma in early childhood. Methods: Data were collected from the State and Local Area Integrated Telephone Survey: National Survey of Children's Health, 2003. The study population consisted of 33,315 children ages 0 to 5 years. Prevalence rates of asthma and breastfeeding ,were calculated, as were crude and Mantel-Haenszel …

Zapatismo And Autonomous Social Movements: Reading The Communiqés Politically, Jordan Camp

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This study examines the Ejército Zapatista Liberación Nacional (EZLN) and Zapatista base communities contributions to an autonomous “revolutionary” theory and practice. The focus of this thesis is the evolution of Zapatismo as elaborated in the Zapatistas’ communiqués following the EZLN’s deceleration of war against the Mexican government on January 1, 1994, the same day that the North American Free Trade Agreement between the United States, Canada, and Mexico went into effect. This thesis investigates the Zapatistas’ communiqués as part of an effort to more fully engage their strategies of self-representation and articulation of a collective subject in which any number …

Walking The Straight And Narrow: Another Squeeze On Tribal Civil Jurisdiction Over Nonmembers In Smith V. Salish Kootenai College, 378 F.3d 1048 (9th Cir. 2004), Natalie M. Mackiel

Nebraska Law Review

This Note discusses the issue of tribal court civil jurisdiction over nonmembers, with specific focus on the recent Ninth Circuit case, Smith v. Salish Kootenai College. Part II of the Note describes the evolution of tribal court civil jurisdiction over nonmembers beginning with the early history and tracing the discussion to the Supreme Court’s decision in Nevada v. Hicks. Part III looks specifically at the Ninth Circuit’s recent Smith case as an example of a court’s denial of tribal court jurisdiction effected by haphazard means. This Note criticizes the Ninth Circuit’s dicta in determining that Montana v. United …

Is It Too Late For Title Vi Enforcement? - Seeking Redemption Of The Unequal United States' Long Term Care System Through International Means, Ruqaiijah A. Yearby

All Faculty Scholarship

Permeating every facet of life including health care, racial segregation has been a part of the history of the United States since its creation. In fact, the history of African-Americans has been one of tragedy, laced with the hope of equality. This tragedy is a result of three hundred years of slavery, one hundred years of the limited freedom of segregation, three years of the promise of equality granted from the civil rights struggle, and thirty-seven years of resegregation through white flight and institutional racism. Hence, African-Americans have been fighting for the right to freedom, equality, and human dignity for …

The Effects Of Jury Ignorance About Damage Caps: The Case Of The 1991 Civil Rights Act, Rebecca E. Hollander-Blumoff, Matthew T. Bodie

All Faculty Scholarship

The 1991 Civil Rights Act revolutionized employment discrimination litigation by allowing for compensatory and punitive damages. At the same time, however, the Act capped those damages and forbade courts from informing jurors about the cap. This Article explores the effects of this imposed secrecy on the jury deliberation process and on the jury system itself. First, our article delves into the wealth of psychological literature about jury decision-making to determine how disclosing or hiding the caps might affect the jury's damage calculations. We explore decision-making biases and heuristics that might systematically affect the jurors' judgment about damage awards, and discuss …

Targeting Arab/Muslim/South Asian Americans: Criminalization And Cultural Citizenship, Louise Cainkar, Sunaina Maira

Social and Cultural Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

In this essay, we further explore the responses of Arab and South Asian Muslim communities to the War on Terror, and ask whether these responses reveal alliance-building and pan-ethnic identification. Do the targeted groups, now portrayed as monolithic, find solidarity with each other, and if so, what are the bases for their sense of affinity. These questions force us to consider the deeper issues of pan-ethnic and political affiliation that highlight quandaries at the core of Asian American studies: how does a pan-ethnic approach challenge or support the racial and cultural categories used by state and empire to subordinate and …

The Social, Professional, And Legal Framework For The Problem Of Pain Management In Emergency Medicine, Sandra H. Johnson

All Faculty Scholarship

Although supported by both ethical and pragmatic imperatives, pain treatment faces significant barriers, particularly in the setting of emergency medicine. This article argues that pain management is integral to good patient care and specifically, good emergency care. In order to achieve effective emergency pain management, it is crucial to understand the "root causes" of pain neglect in emergency medicine - i.e. to understand why emergency physicians behave as they do in pain treatment.

This article begins by addressing the neglect of pain in emergency medicine and the dearth of empirical research regarding the causes of this neglect. After considering barriers …

Resource Reviews, Phyllis Fox

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

The Politics Of Infertility: Recognizing Coverage Exclusions As Discrimination, Elizabeth Pendo

All Faculty Scholarship

Infertility affects approximately ten percent of the reproductive-age population in the United States, and strikes people of every race, ethnicity and socio-economic level. It is recognized by the medical community as a disease, one with devastating physical, psychological, and financial effects.

In 1998, the Supreme Court held in Bragdon v. Abbott that reproduction is a major life activity within the meaning of the ADA. Many lawyers, activists and scholars thought that coverage for infertility treatment would follow soon after. In fact, in 2003 in the first major case applying Bragdon to health benefits, Saks v. Franklin Covey, the Second Circuit …

The Molecular Mechanisms Underlying 6-Hydroxydopamine And Ethanol-Induced Neurotoxicity, Gang Chen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Ethanol and 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), a Parkinson's disease (PD) mimetic, are two toxins to the cerebellum. This study investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying their neurotoxicities. The work in chapter 2 of this thesis focused on 6-OHDA-induced neurodegeneration. Previous studies indicate that impaired function of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), commonly referred to as ER stress, is an important factor in the neuropathology of a wide variety of neurological disorders. This study demonstrated that 6-OHDA evoked ER-stress and led to apoptosis in SH-SY5Y neuronal cell line and cultured rat cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs). Furthermore, GSK3beta played a crucial role in mediating 6-OHDA's neurotoxicity. …