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Postpartum Sleep Disturbance And Psychomotor Vigilance Performance, Salvatore Insana

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Postpartum women have high rates of sleep disturbance and commonly suffer from many of the effects of disturbed sleep, though attentional state has not been studied extensively in this population. This study assessed sleep and attentional state psychomotor performance in postpartum women to develop a better understanding of how sleep disturbance --specifically sleep fragmentation and partial sleep deprivation-- is associated with attentional state psychomotor performance. Participants were a sample of 24 postpartum mothers from a larger study. Mothers were 29.96 (SD = 7.94) years old, had a mean income of {dollar}65,808 (SD = {dollar}41,398), and had 17.04 (SD = 2.53) …

Computer Modeling Of Dapsone-Mediated Heteroactivation Of Flurbiprofen Metabolism By Cyp2c9, Robyn Renee Ayscue

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The occurrence of atypical kinetics in cytochrome P450 reactions can confound in vitro determinations of a drug's kinetic parameters. During drug development, inaccurate kinetic parameter estimates can lead to incorrect decisions about a lead compound's potential for success. It has become widely accepted that in certain CYP subfamilies more than one molecule can occupy the active site simultaneously, in some cases resulting in enhanced substrate turnover (heteroactivation). However, the specific mechanism(s) by which dual-compound binding results in heteroactivation remain unclear. It is known that orientation of the substrate in the active site, as dictated by interactions with active site residues, …

In Vitro Elucidation Of The Metabolic Fate Of The Anticancer Drug Busulfan, Islam Rasem Younis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Busulfan is a bifunctional alkylating agent that is used to treat mylogenous leukemia. The major elimination pathway of busulfan is through glutathione-S-transferase (GST) catalyzed conjugation to form glutathione sulfonium conjugate. The aim of this work is to elucidate the novel metabolic pathways of busulfan that may explain its toxicity. The observed data showed that busulfan is not a substrate for CYP450. The sulfonium ion conjugate of busulfan was found to be inactive as it did not inhibit GST in human liver cytosol, did not react with 4-(4-nitrobenzyl)pyridine, did not induce apoptosis in NCI-H460 cells, and was not stable in basic …

De Novo Asymmetric Syntheses Of Biologically Active Natural Product, Haibing Guo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The enantioselective syntheses of daumone and four analogs have been achieved in 7 to 8 steps. This route relies upon a diasteroselective palladium catalyzed glycosylation reaction for the formation of the anomeric bond. The asymmetry of the sugar and aglycone portion of daumone were introduced by Noyori reduction of an acylfuran and a propargyl ketone. A highly diastereoselective epoxidation and reductive ring opening established the desired C-2 and C-4 stereochemistry of daumone.;A highly enantioselective and stereocontrolled approach to D-, L-swainsonine and 8, 8a-epi-D-swainsonine has been developed from achiral furan or furfural. A one-pot hydrogenolysis, followed by an intramolecular reductive amination …

Antimicrobial Activity Of Human Leukocyte Defensin Hnp-4 Against Gram-Negative Bacteria, George Hilal

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Human neutrophils (PMN cells) contain four peptides known as alpha (α)-defensins or HNP 1-4. The peptides have broad-spectrum antibiotic activity. HNP 1-3 are major neutrophil components. They differ by only one amino acid residue. HNP-4 is found in small amounts, and has a different sequence. HNP-4 purified from neutrophils was reported to be 100-times more active than HNP-1 against Escherichia coli, suggesting that HNP-4 plays a special role in helping neutrophils kill gram-negative bacteria.

Activity of HNP-4 against gram-negative bacteria is of special interest because Aggregatibacter (Actinobacillus) actinomycetemcomitans (A.a.) and other periodontal pathogens are gram-negative. These bacteria are resistant to …

Design, Synthesis, And Evaluation Of Small Molecules In The Discovery Of Novel Antimicrobial Agents, Kimberly D. Grimes

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Enterococcus faecalis, pushes us to discover new antibacterial agents to maintain adequate patient coverage. This body of work highlights the use of medicinal chemistry methodologies that encompass cross-disciplinary fields of study. Chapter 1 gives an introduction to the antibacterial drug targets, resistance, and how scientists are working to overcome obstacles encountered with drug-resistant bacteria. It also details modern medicinal chemistry applications in antimicrobial drug discovery. Chapter 2 details the use of a structure-guided library approach to drug design, in which large virtual libraries against the target …

Self-Efficacy, Physical Activity, And Aerobic Fitness In Middle School Children: Examination Of A Pedometer Intervention Program, Dana M. Manley

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among self-efficacy levels, physical activity, aerobic fitness, and body composition (relative body mass index; RBMI) and to determine whether a school-based pedometer intervention program would improve those variables and prevent weight gain in sixth and seventh graders in rural mid-South middle schools. Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory served as the theoretical basis for the study.Methods: A quasi-experimental pre-test, post-test design was used. The sample, recruited from two rural middle schools in Kentucky, consisted of 116 sixth and seventh grade students (98% Caucasian, 51% male, age=11.65±0.71). Anthropometric assessment of height, weight, …

Molecular Profile Of Women With And Without Secondary Breast Cancer After The Treatment Of Pediatric Hodgkin Lymphoma, Belinda Neal Mandrell

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

dentification of genetic risk factors associated with the development of secondary cancers would facilitate identification of at risk patients and permit modification of therapy and heightened surveillance that may reduce cancer-related morbidity and mortality. Women survivors of pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) have an increased risk of morbidity and mortality associated with secondary effects of therapy, with a 35-75 fold excess risk of developing breast cancer over the general population. The mechanism for secondary breast cancer among Hodgkin survivors is not understood. Researchers have postulated that the familial characteristics of HL could be associated with mutations found within familial cancer syndromes; …

Golgi Specificity And Development Of Autoreactive B Cells, Fazlullah Salar Khan Nawazi

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

B cell receptors with certain heavy/light chain pairs predominate in the periphery of anti-DNA heavy chain transgenic mice while certain other B cell receptors are absent. We wanted to know why. To answer this, we re-constructed B cell receptors represented in the anti-DNA transgenic mice by cloning them as single chain variable fragments (scFv) to analyze their affinity to dsDNA. scFv representing receptors that were recovered from the spleens of transgenic mice had very little to no affinity to dsDNA. scFv representing receptors that were absent in the spleen had high affinity to dsDNA. We therefore concluded that receptors with …

Biochemical And Immunological Mechanisms Underlying Differential Interaction Of Superantigens With Host Immunogenetic Factors In Streptococcal Sepsis, Mohammed Nooh

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Group A streptococci (GAS) are serious human pathogens that can cause a wide array of diseases ranging from pharyngitis to streptococcal toxic shock (STSS), which is caused by excessive cytokines responses triggered by streptococcal superantigens (Strep SAgs). SAgs interact simultaneously with HLA class II molecules on antigen presenting cells (APC) and with the T cell receptor beta chain variable elements (TCR V) and cause excessive stimulation of both cell types and massive release of inflammatory mediators.

The Strep SAgs include the streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxins (Spes), which play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of severe invasive streptococcal diseases, including Strep …

Cephalometric Evaluation Of Bionator Therapy In The Early Treatment Of Class Ii Malocclusions, Daniel C. Sawrie

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Early or two-phase orthodontic treatment of Class II malocclusions is a debated topic in orthodontic circles primarily because the benefits of early intervention have not been consistently reproduced among researchers. The present study was a retrospective analysis of cephalograms from patients with Class II, division 1 malocclusions at the start of treatment. These were 50 consecutively treated youths who received phase 1 (early) treatment with a Bionator appliance and later treatment with full appliances (all treated by a single clinician). The comparison group consisted subjects treated in a single phase with fixed Edgewise appliances only. Importantly, subjects in the two …

A Mechanical And Histological Study Of Functionally Graded Hydroxyapatite Implant Coatings, Suzanne Kemp Coco

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Ever since Dr. Brånemark discovered that titanium was biocompatible with bone, extensive research has been done to improve the osseointegration of dental implants. As advances in medicine continue, the average life span of the population is ever increasing. Today, people of all ages are investing more money and time into dental treatment than ever before. Patients are becoming more educated on dental treatment options and expect the best treatment possible. As a result, the replacement of missing teeth with implants is becoming more and more commonplace in dental practices.

The purpose of the present study is to evaluate bone-implant interaction …

Intestate Inheritance Claims: Determining A Child's Right To Inherit When Biological And Presumptive Paternity Overlap, Megan Pendleton

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Detritus Type Alters The Outcome Of Interspecific Competition Between Aedes Aegypti And Aedes Albopictus (Diptera : Culicidae), Ebony G. Murrell, Steven A. Juliano

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

Many studies of interspecific competition between Aedes albopictus (Skuse) and Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) larvae show that Ae. albopictus are superior resource competitors to Ae. aegypti. Single-species studies indicate that growth and survival of Ae. albopictus and Ae. aegypti larvae are affected by the type of detritus present in containers, which presumably affects the amount and quality of microorganisms that the mosquito larvae consume. We tested whether different detritus types alter the intensity of larval competition by raising 10 different density/species combinations of Ae. albopictus and Ae. aegypti larvae under standard laboratory conditions, with one of four detritus types …

Societal Tabula Rasa: Destruction As A Form Of Creation In Selected Works By Kurt Vonnegut, Jorge J. Santos

Theses (Pre-2016)

Kurt Vonnegut on the Daily Show in 2005 (on the issue of his disappointment in humanity): "Well, I think we are terrible animals. And I think our planet's immune system is trying to get rid of us. And should." It is a common occurrence in works by Kurt Vonnegut for the societies built by man to crumble under the weight of our own folly only to be rebuilt and redesigned by the survivors. Due to the fact that these new societies are typically built from the remnants of those that came before, they often face the same challenges and feature …

Perturbation Of Testicular Leydig Cell Proliferation And Gene Expression Analysis Using Sodium Arsenite, Natalia L. Harmon

Theses (Pre-2016)

Recent research has established arsenic as an environmental carcinogen. Given arsenic's wide spread distribution it has the potential to affect millions of people worldwide. On-going research is trying to establish the toxicities of this chemical. While much effort has been put forth in studying the effects of arsenic, its role in carcinogenesis remains unknown. The main goal of this study is to determine if arsenic exposure can produce an unstable environment in testicular Leydig cells. To examine this potential effect, we have designed two studies that will test short- term, as well as relatively long term exposure to arsenic in …

Author Index (V. 49)

William & Mary Law Review

No abstract provided.

Subject Index (V. 49)

William & Mary Law Review

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents (V. 49, No. 6)

William & Mary Law Review

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Synthetic Diamond Wafer Interferograms Using A Parallelized Simulated Annealing Algorithm, Matthew Demas

Honors Scholar Theses

Diamonds are known for both their beauty and their durability. Jefferson National Lab in Newport News, VA has found a way to utilize the diamond's strength to view the beauty of the inside of the atomic nucleus with the hopes of finding exotic forms of matter. By firing very fast electrons at a diamond sheet no thicker than a human hair, high energy particles of light known as photons are produced with a high degree of polarization that can illuminate the constituents of the nucleus known as quarks. The University of Connecticut Nuclear Physics group has responsibility for crafting these …

Mathematical Modeling Of Oral Cavity Mucositis, Jason White

Honors Scholar Theses

Oral Mucositis is a condition seen in post-treatment mouth cancer patients and is a condition of which the pathobiology is not entirely known. It is a condition that shares many common pathways with other alimentary tract injuries such as inflammatory bowel disease. Mathematical modeling of the system can help to identify gaps in the current knowledge base as well as assist in generating new hypotheses and predicting clinical outcomes of conditions. A detailed mathematical model would assist researchers in determining which drug targets are worthwhile investigating. Deterministic modeling and Virtual Cell&#; software were used to assign rate constants to each …

Street-Ball: The Myth Of The Ghetto Basketball Star, Vincent F. Mcsweeney

Honors Scholar Theses

In recent decades, countless scholars have examined the developing trend of African American dominance in United States’ professional sports. Many have hypothesized that this over-representation is caused by the presumed reliance on sports as an avenue out of poverty for the African American youths. This trend, it is believed, has a highly detrimental effect the African American community. In actuality, this argument is flawed because it works under the stereotypical assumption that the overwhelming majority of African Americans come from abject poverty. To dispel this fallacy, the author has analyzed the upbringings of each All-National Basketball League First Team player …

Colocalization And Distribution Of Hcn4 Channels And A Maguk Protein In Mammalian Sinoatrial Myocytes, Padmastuti Akella

Honors Scholar Theses

The sinoatrial node is known as the pacemaker of the heart. It controls the rate at which action potentials are generated and propagate through the sinoatrial myocytes. This thesis is an attempt to identify the colocalization of a specific ion channel (HCN4 channel) with a class of scaffolding protein (MAGUK proteins) within the sinoatrial myocyte. The colocalization of these two variables was performed using immunocytochemistry on murine sinoatrial myocytes and experimental results revealed the existence of a strong colocalization between the two variables. Images collected from the confocal microscope and analyzed using ImageJ software revealed a strong dependent correlation between …

Season Of Birth Effects In Autism Spectrum Disorders, Kastley Marvin

Honors Scholar Theses

One factor that is investigated as a possible clue to etiological factors in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is season of birth. Season of birth effects could be the result of temperature, toxins, dietary changes, viral infections, and cultural or social factors that change seasonally (Bolton, Pickles, Harrington, Macdonald, & Rutter, 1992). A number of studies have looked for season of birth effects in ASD with no conclusive results. The current study analyzed season of birth effects in a sample of 441 children diagnosed with ASD. Analysis was also repeated after excluding prematurely born children from the data. Level of functioning …

The Cowl - V. 72 - N. 24 - May 1, 2008

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Volume 72 - Number 24 - May 1, 2008. 28 pages.

The Cowl - V. 72 - N. N/A - May 1, 2008

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Volume 72 - Number n/a - Commencement Issue - May 1, 2008. 8 pages.

Herbarium Infrastructure Development And Ecological Applications Of Specimens Using Geographic Information Systems, Ryan Joseph Miller

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) allow for herbarium data to be used for new scientific research and also for the greater efficiency of the traditional uses of herbaria. My research uses the resources of both the herbarium at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UCHT) and partnering herbaria of the Southeastern Regional Network of Expertise and Collections (SERNEC) to examine methods of incorporating new GIS technology into a functional infrastructure in order to enhance botanical research. Evaluations were performed on database and georeferencing software for use in the development of a pilot, GIS-enabled website used to query herbaria specimen information. Using …

The Design, Synthesis, And Controlled Polymerization Of Cationic And Zwitterionic Norbornene Derivatives, David Allen Rankin

Dissertations

Ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) has been exploited for the controlled polymerization of cationic and zwitterionic norbornene-based monomers and employed in the preparation of homo- and block-copolymer systems in homogeneous organic media without the use of post-polymerization modification or protecting group chemistries. Relying on previous knowledge of certain halogenated alcoholic organic solvents capable of solubilizing hydrophilic monomers, the first study, describes the synthesis and controlled polymerization of a series of new permanently cationic ammonium exo-7- oxanorbornene derivatives M31 via ROMP, with the first generation Grubbs catalyst 17, in a novel solvent mixture comprised of 1:1 vol/vol 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (TFE)/methylene chloride (CH2CI2). This …

Roosting Ecology Of Rafinesque's Big-Eared Bat, Corynorhinus Rafinesquii, In Southeastern Mississippi, Austin Webb Trousdale Iii

Dissertations

Rafinesque's big-eared bat, Corynorhinus rafinesquii, is considered rare and/or declining throughout its range. Concrete bridges are potentially important roosts for C. rafinesquii, especially in the Gulf Coastal Plain where the species' natural roosts (caves and large hollow trees) are inherently scarce. Successful efforts to monitor and conserve this species must account for its movements among multiple roosts and determine the duration of its roost use (including bridges) at different temporal scales. Therefore, I investigated roosting ecology of C. rafinesquii from 2000-2005 within a mixed hardwood-pine (Pinus spp.) system in southeastern Mississippi. I conducted surveys of concrete bridges to determine phenological …

The Influence Of Species And Context On Human-Dolphin Interactions, Deirdre Breen Yeater

Dissertations

Anthropogenic activities pose a threat to marine mammals around the world. Cetaceans that use coastal waters are at particular risk for potential disturbances caused by vessel traffic and human swimmers. Although many cetacean species are found near the coast of Utila, Honduras, little is known about their behavior or the effects of anthropogenic activities on their behavior. Whether the presence of boats and human swimmers led to short-term changes in dolphin behavior was investigated for three commonly sighted species of dolphins; rough-toothed (Steno bredanensis), spinner (Stenalla longirostris), and bottlenose (Turslops truncatus). The dolphins' behavioral activities, with and without other boats …