Digital Commons Network^™

Increasing Narrative Coherence In The Bereaved: The Effect Of Narrative Review On Grief Reaction, Stefanie Suzon Boswell

Dissertations

In order to investigate the utility of an experimental expressive writing intervention designed to increase narrative coherence (write about loss combined with review of previous narratives) as a potential bereavement intervention, it was compared to a standard expressive writing intervention (write about loss with no opportunity for review), and two trivial writing conditions (one with and one without opportunity for review). Although all writing groups experienced beneficial effects across time, participants in the experimental and standard conditions reported significantly greater personal growth as a function of time when compared to control participants.

The Use Of Personality Assessments In Designing Environmental Enrichment For Garnett's Bushbabies (Otolemur Garnettii), Lauren Elizabeth Highfill

Dissertations

Recently the study of animal personality has become an important and credible topic of research and a number of studies have revealed personality traits in a variety of species. The consideration of individual animal personality traits is important for animal management and welfare. For example, ensuring inter-individual compatibility in group housing animals may serve to ensure the safety of the whole group. To date, no formal research has been conducted on whether the assessment of individual personality traits could be used as a tool for individualizing environmental enrichment interventions. The goal of environmental enrichment is to increase the rate of …

Treatment Of A Wife's Body In The Fiction Of Indian Sub-Continental Muslim Women Writers, Hafiza Nilofar Khan

Dissertations

Ismat Chughtai of India, Tehmina Durrani of Pakistan, and Selina Hossain of Bangladesh depict some of the sociological, religious and legal aspects of wife abuse that is a chronic, yet little discussed anathema in a Sub-Continental Muslim wife's life. "Treatment of the Wife's Body in the Fiction of Indian Sub-Continental Muslim Women Writers," examines the fiction and autobiographical works of these women writers who problematize the deeply ingrained traditional modes of domestic violence as perpetuated upon the minds and bodies of Sub-Continental Muslim wives. Chughtai, Hossain and Durrani identify culture specific practices such as child marriage, dowry, polygamy, honor crimes, …

Identification Of Two Distinct Glutaminyl Cyclase Isoforms In Drosophila Melanogaster, Amanda Thigpen Parker

Dissertations

Sequence analyses revealed two putative glutaminyl cyclase genes in Drosophila melanogaster with greater than 60% amino acid sequence identity to previously identified glutaminyl cyclase in humans. Expression, purification, and characterization of both putative proteins revealed two enzymatically active glutaminyl cyclase enzymes. Comparison of the Drosophila melanogaster glutaminyl cyclase enzymes to the published human glutaminyl cyclase revealed the enzymes were very similar. The Km values obtained were identical to those of human glutaminyl cyclase for three different substrates tested. However, the Drosophila glutaminyl cyclases demonstrated lower turnover numbers. Both Drosophila glutaminyl cyclase isoforms were inhibited by imidazole, imidazole derivatives, and metal …

Gifted Education Exposure In Introductory Special Education Texts: Quantitative Text Content Analysis, Sandra Kay Hansen Wentworth

Dissertations

This present study was designed to examine and compare 10 introductory special education textbooks used in mandatory introductory special education courses. The percentage of text devoted to gifted education chapters in comparison to specific learning disabilities, behavior disorders, mental retardation, autism spectrum disorders, and speech/language/communication disorders was explored for statistically significant differences. Paired samples t tests were conducted to analyze the data. A statistically significant difference was found between the coverage of gifted education and autism spectrum disorders among the 10 examined texts. No other significant statistical findings were found between various exceptionalities among the 10 examined texts. The prevalence …

Knowledge-Based Analysis Of Genomic Expression Data By Using Different Machine Learning Algorithms For The Purpose Of Diagnostic, Prognostic Or Therapeutic Application, Venkata Jagan Mohan Thodima

Dissertations

With more and more biological information generated, the most pressing task of bioinformatics has become to analyze and interpret various types of data, including nucleotide and amino acid sequences, protein structures, gene expression profiling and so on. In this dissertation, we apply the data mining techniques of feature generation, feature selection, and feature integration with learning algorithms to tackle the problems of disease phenotype classification, clinical outcome and patient survival prediction from gene expression profiles.

We analyzed the effect of batch noise in microarray data on the performance of classification. Batchmatch, a batch adjusting algorithm based on double scaling method …

“A Rank Usurpation Of Power”—The Role Of Patriarchal Religion And Culture In The Subordination Of Women, Gila Stopler

Duke Journal of Gender Law & Policy

No abstract provided.

Phyllodictyon Robustum (Setchell Et Gardner) Comb. Nov. (Siphonocladales, Chlorophyta), A Morphologically Variable Species From The Tropical Pacific Coast Of America, Frederik Leliaert, Brian Wysor, Heroen Verbruggen, Caroline Vlaeminck, Olivier De Clerck

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

The systematic positions of Cladophoropsis robusta and Willeella mexicana, both occurring along the tropical Pacific coast of America, have long been uncertain. Willeella mexicana has been generally accepted as a synonym of C. robusta, which is currently placed in the genus Struveopsis. Reinvestigation of type material and recently collected specimens from Mexico and Panama, including culture observations, along with a molecular phylogenetic analysis inferred from rDNA ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 sequences, confirm that both taxa belong to the same, morphologically variable species. Thallus architecture ranges from stipitate, Struveopsis-like blades (produced by apical cell divisions and formation of opposite and flabellate branches) to Valoniopsis-like …

A Design Aid For Determining Width Of Filter Strips, Michael G. Dosskey, M. J. Helmers, Dean E. Eisenhauer

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Watershed planners need a tool for determining width of filter strips that is accurate enough for developing cost-effective site designs and easy enough to use for making quick determinations on a large number and variety of sites. This study employed the process-based Vegetative Filter Strip Model to evaluate the relationship between filter strip width and trap¬ping efficiency for sediment and water and to produce a design aid for use where specific water quality targets must be met. Model simulations illustrate that relatively narrow filter strips can have high impact in some situations, while in others even a modest impact cannot …

The Cytoplasmic Domain Of The Hyaluronan Receptor For Endocytosis (Hare) Contains Multiple Endocytic Motifs Targeting Coated Pit-Mediated Internalization, Madhu S. Pandey, Ed Harris, Janet A. Weigel, Paul H. Weigel

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

The hyaluronic acid (HA) receptor for endocytosis (HARE) is the primary scavenger receptor for HA and chondroitin sulfates in mammals. The two human isoforms of HARE (full-length 315-kDa and a 190-kDa proteolytic cleavage product), which are type I single-pass membrane proteins, are highly expressed in sinusoidal endothelial cells of lymph nodes, liver, and spleen. Their identical HARE cytoplasmic domains contain four candidate AP-2/clathrin-mediated endocytic signaling motifs as follows: YSYFRI²⁴⁸⁵, FQHF²⁴⁹⁵, NPLY²⁵¹⁹, and DPF²⁵³⁴ (315-HARE numbering). Stably transfected cells expressing 190-HARE(ΔYSYFRI), 190-HARE(ΔFQHF), or 190-HARE(ΔNPLY) (lacking Motifs 1, 2, or 3) had decreased ¹²⁵I-HA …

The Ligand-Binding Profile Of Hare: Hyaluronan And Chondroitin Sulfates A, C, And D Bind To Overlapping Sites Distinct From The Sites For Heparin, Acetylated Low-Density Lipoprotein, Dermatan Sulfate, And Cs-E, Ed Harris, Paul H. Weigel

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Abstract The hyaluronic acid receptor for endocytosis (HARE)/ Stabilin-2 is the primary systemic scavenger receptor for hyaluronan (HA), the chondroitin sulfates (CS), dermatan sulfate (DS), and nonglycosaminoglycan (GAG) ligands such as acetylated low-density lipoprotein (AcLDL), pro-collagen propeptides, and advanced glycation end products. We recently discovered that HARE is also a systemic scavenger receptor for heparin (Hep) (Harris EN, Weigel JA, Weigel PH. 2008. The human hyaluronan receptor for endocytosis [HARE/Stabilin-2] is a systemic clearance receptor for heparin. J Biol Chem. 283:17341–17350). Our goal was to map the binding sites of eight different ligands within HARE. We used biotinylated GAGs and …

Longevity-Fertility Trade-Offs In The Tephritid Fruit Fly, Anastrepha Ludens, Across Dietary-Restriction Gradients, James R. Carey, Lawrence G. Harshman, Pablo Liedo, Hans-Georg Müller, Jane-Ling Wang, Zhen Zhang

Lawrence G. Harshman Publications

Although it is widely known that dietary restriction (DR) not only extends the longevity of a wide range of species but also reduces their reproductive output, the interrelationship of DR, longevity-extension and reproduction is not well understood in any organism. Here we address the question: “Under what nutritional conditions do the longevity-enhancing effects resulting from food restriction either counteract, complement or reinforce the mortality costs of reproduction? To answer this question we designed a fine-grained DR study involving 4,800 individuals of the tephritid fruit fly Anastrepha ludens in which we measured sex-specific survival and daily reproduction in females in each …

An Evolutionary Expressed Sequence Tag Analysis Of Drosophila Spermatheca Genes, Adrianne Prokupek, Federico G. Hoffmann, Seong-Il Eyun, Etsuko N. Moriyama, Min Zhou, Lawrence G. Harshman

Papers in Genetics

This study investigates genes enriched for expression in the spermatheca, the long-term sperm storage organ (SSO) of female Drosophila. SSO genes are likely to play an important role in processes of sexual selection such as sperm competition and cryptic female choice. Although there is keen interest in the mechanisms of sexual selection at the molecular level, very little is known about the female genes that are involved. In the present study, a high proportion of genes enriched for expression in the spermatheca are evolving rapidly. Most of the rapidly evolving genes are proteases and genes of unknown function that …

Diet Influences Mate Choice Selectivity In Adult Female Wolf Spiders, Eileen Hebets, Jennifer Wesson, Paul S. Shamble

Eileen Hebets Publications

Most studies of female choice have assumed that mating preferences are shared within a population or species. However, variation both within and among females exists in natural populations, and foraging history is among the many ways in which females may vary. Here, we used diet manipulations in an effort to understand how foraging history influences female mate choice. Immature Schizocosa wolf spiders collected from a mixed population of brush-legged and non-ornamented males were reared in the laboratory on two diets that varied in both quality and quantity (low/high diet). For low- and high-diet individuals, we recorded data on rates of …

Gender And The Political Economy Of Knowledge, Ann Mari May

Department of Economics: Faculty Publications

The importance of increased levels of education in improving the status of women throughout the world is well established. Higher levels of education are associated with lower birth rates, higher incomes, and greater autonomy for women. In fact, it has been argued that education is a fundamental prerequisite for empowering women in all spheres of society (Lopez-Claros and Zahidi 2005: 5).

In the last third of the twentieth century, women have made particularly significant strides in many countries. For example, UNESCO reports that women’s share of enrollment in higher education in Switzerland rose from 3 per cent in 1985 to …

The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Binds To E2f1 And Inhibits E2f1-Induced Apoptosis., Jennifer L Marlowe, Yunxia Fan, Xiaoqing Chang, Li Peng, Erik S Knudsen, Ying Xia, Alvaro Puga

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

Cellular stress by DNA damage induces checkpoint kinase-2 (CHK2)-mediated phosphorylation and stabilization of the E2F1 transcription factor, leading to induction of apoptosis by activation of a subset of proapoptotic E2F1 target genes, including Apaf1 and p73. This report characterizes an interaction between the aryl hydrocarbon (Ah) receptor (AHR), a ligand-activated transcription factor, and E2F1 that results in the attenuation of E2F1-mediated apoptosis. In Ahr(-/-) fibroblasts stably transfected with a doxycycline-regulated AHR expression vector, inhibition of AHR expression causes a significant elevation of oxidative stress, gammaH2A.X histone phosphorylation, and E2F1-dependent apoptosis, which can be blocked by small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of …

Infant Mortality In Delaware: The Need To Improve Maternal Health And Reduce Premature Births., David A. Paul. Md

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

Delaware's high infant mortality rate continues to be driven by an increasing number of premature births. Premature birth is a complex problem with both social and medical roots. Based on the CDC road map, programs aimed at improving preconception health of women of childbearing age are blossoming in Delaware. In addition, Delaware's infant mortality rate can only be reduced if we are able to diminish disparities in health care delivery, and improve the social factors influencing infant mortality. These factors include diminishing family support, low high school graduation rate, poor housing, and a lack of health insurance.

Melatonin Reduces The Expression Of Chemokines In Rat With Trinitrobenzene Sulfonic Acid-Induced Colitis, Jun H. Li, Wei Zhou, Kun Liu, Hong X. Li, Long Wang

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of melatonin on the colon inflammatory injury of rats with colitis and determine whether this effect is associated with inhibition of chemoattractant molecules interleukin (IL-8) and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1). METHODS: The study was designed and implemented in JingMen No.1 People9s Hospital, HuBei Province, from May 2006 to April 2007. It involved 72 animals divided into 6 groups of 12 each: normal group, model group, 5-aminosalisalicylic acid group,and melatonin group (dose of 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0mg/kg). Rat colitis model was established by 2, 4, 6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) enema. Interlukin-8 and MCP-1 proteins in colon …

Over Expression Of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor In Correlation To Ki-67, Grade, And Stage Of Breast Cancer, Esraah S. Al-Harris, As Ad A. Al-Janabi, Kaswer M. Al-Toriahi, Akeel A. Yasseen

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To assess the significance of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein over expression in human breast cancer, and its possible correlation with cell proliferation marker (Ki-67), grade and stage of breast cancer. METHODS: We carried out this study at the Department of Pathology, Kufa University, between November 2006 and September 2007. A retrospective study was employed on paraffin-embedded blocks from 52 female patients with breast cancer. A group of 21 patients with benign breast lesions was included for comparison and 14 cases of normal breast tissue as a control group. This investigation designed to employ immunohistochemistry using Avidin-Biotin Complex …

Adverse Drug Reactions Related Hospitalization Identified By Discharge Icd-9 Codes In A Univeristy Hospital In Riyadh, Haya M. Al-Malaq, Sinaa A. Al-Aqeel, Mohammad S. Al-Sultan

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility of using International Classification of Disease code (ICD-9) to ascertain the prevalence, seriousness, and preventability of adverse drug reaction (ADRs). METHODS: A retrospective study between the years 1982 and 2005 was conducted at King Khaled University Hospital (KKUH), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to examine the ICD-9 codes assigned on discharge to identify ADRs. A list of the ICD-9 codes related to ADRs were identified. These codes were entered into the hospital computer program at the study site to identify corresponding patients9 medical records. The total number of patients admitted to the hospital each year was identified …

Diagnostic Prevalence Rates From Early To Mid Adolescence Among Indigenous Adolescents: First Results From A Longitudinal Study, Les B. Whitbeck, Mansoo Yu, Kurt Johnson, Dan R. Hoyt, Melissa L. Walls

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Objective: To investigate change in prevalence rates for mental and substance abuse disorders between early and mid-adolescence among a cohort of indigenous adolescents.

Method: The data are from a lagged, sequential study of 651 indigenous adolescents from a single culture in the northern Midwest United States and Canada. At waves 1 (ages 10-12 years) and 4 (ages 13-15 years), one adult caretaker and one tribally enrolled adolescent completed a computer-assisted personal interview that included Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children- Revised assessment for 11 diagnoses. Multivariate analyses investigate effects of wave 1 adolescent diagnosis and wave 1 biological mother diagnosis (University …

Capillary Electrophoresis-Based Immunoassays: Principles & Quantitative Applications, Annette C Moser, David S. Hage

David Hage Publications

The use of capillary electrophoresis as a tool to conduct immunoassays has been an area of increasing interest over the last decade. This approach combines the efficiency, small sample requirements, and relatively high speed of CE with the selectivity of antibodies as binding agents. This review examines the various assay formats and detection modes that have been reported for these assays, along with some representative applications. Most CE immunoassays in the past have employed homogeneous methods in which the sample and reagents are allowed to react in solution. These homogeneous methods have been conducted as both competitive binding immunoassays and …

Pasteurellosis Transmission Risks Between Domestic And Wild Sheep, Michael W. Miller, Donald P. Knowles, Marie S. Bulgin, Billy R. Clay, Walter E. Cook, Subramaniam Srikumaran, A. David Scarfe, Dale Layfield

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Disease has contributed significantly to the decline of bighorn sheep (Ovis Canadensis) populations throughout much of western North America, decreasing many native herds to less than 10% of their historical size and imperiling some populations and subspecies (Valdez and Krausman 1999). According to historical accounts (e.g., Grinnell 1928; Honess and Frost 1942; Shillinger 1937; Warren 1910), epidemics in some locations coincided with the advent of domestic livestock grazing in bighorn ranges, suggesting that novel pathogens may have been introduced into some bighorn populations beginning in the 1800s.
Native North American wild sheep species—bighorn sheep and thinhorn (Dall’s and …

The Systematic Position Of Lauroiinae Skrjabin And Schikhobalova, 1951 (Nemata: Heterakoidea: Aspidoderidae), As Revealed By The Analysis Of Traits Used In Its Diagnosis, F. Agustin Jimenez-Ruiz, Scott Lyell Gardner, Dely Noronha, Roberto Magalhães Pinto

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

During our work on biodiversity of parasites of mammals of the Neotropics we collected numerous nematodes assignable to species of the family Aspidoderidae (Nemata: Heterakoidea). These nematodes occur as parasites of the cecum and large intestine of marsupials, rodents and xenarthrans (armadillos) only in the New World. As aspidoderid nematodes have been little studied beyond their alpha taxonomy, it is the purpose of the present paper to apply phylogenetic systematic methods to more completely understand the evolutionary relationships of the included species. Members of the aspidoderid subfamily Lauroiinae have had very little work applied to their systematic relationships and no …

Species Of Coccidia (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) In Shrews From Alaska, U.S.A., And Northeastern Siberia, Russia, With Description Of Two New Species, A. J. Lynch, Donald W. Duszynski

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Fecal samples (n = 636) from 10 species of shrews collected in Alaska (n = 540) and northeastern Siberia (n = 96) were examined for the presence of coccidia (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae). Five distinct oocyst morphotypes were observed. Three types were consistent with oocysts of previously recognized coccidia species from other shrew hosts. These were Eimeria inyoni, E. vagrantis, and Isospora brevicauda, originally described from the inyo shrew (Sorex tenellus), dusky shrew (S. monticolus), and northern short-tailed shrew (Blarina brevicauda), respectively. We found 5 new host records for E. …

School Deans, Department Chairpersons, And Program Directors 2008-2009, Saint Mary's College Of California

Chairs and Program Directors lists

No abstract provided.

Differential Selective Pressures Acting On The Influenza A Genome: A Comparative Study, Melissa Wilbert

Theses

The molecular evolution of the Influenza A virus is a complex process. While it is recognized that recombination events are a driving force behind the everchanging virulence of influenza, evidence has also been presented in support of Darwinian evolution. Often, codon positions considered in analyses of selective pressures are found in epitopes and sites where mutations confer resistance to antiviral medications. Here, an attempt is made to distinguish between divergent selective pressures acting on geographically distinct datasets. The goal of this study was to use this information to identify sites within the hemagglutinin, neuraminidase, and matrix proteins of influenza A …

Investigation Of Dynamic Three-Dimensional Tangible Touchscreens: Usability And Feasibility, Anne Dewitte

Theses

The ability for touchscreen controls to move from two physical dimensions to three dimensions may soon be possible. Though solutions exist for enhanced tactile touchscreen interaction using vibrotactile devices, no definitive commercial solution yet exists for providing real, physical shape to the virtual buttons on a touchscreen display. Of the many next steps in interface technology, this paper concentrates on the path leading to tangible, dynamic, touchscreen surfaces. An experiment was performed that explores the usage differences between a flat surface touchscreen and one augmented with raised surface controls. The results were mixed. The combination of tactile-visual modalities had a …

Evaluation Of A Numerical Thrombosis Model For A High Shear Rotating Flow, Carlos Cheek

Theses

Blood clotting, or thrombosis, is an interesting biological application for computational fluid dynamics. Existing numerical thrombosis models have previously been shown to be effective for low shear rates and simple geometries. For these models to be used in biomedical applications such as the design of rotary blood pumps, however, they must first be experimentally validated for high shear rates and complex geometries. In this study, we test the ability of a numerical thrombosis model to predict thrombosis related phenomena in a high shear flow by creating a geometry similar to that of a rotary blood pump. We have applied an …

Half-Day To Full-Day Kindergarten Programming And Early Literacy Behaviors Of Emergent Readers, Jim A. Torkelson

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.