Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

2009

Discipline
Institution
Keyword
Publication
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 25051 - 25080 of 27649

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Whole Body Vibration Effects On Activation Of Lower Extremity Muscles In Recreationally Trained Females, Margaret Jean Lancaster Jan 2009

Whole Body Vibration Effects On Activation Of Lower Extremity Muscles In Recreationally Trained Females, Margaret Jean Lancaster

Honors Theses

Purpose: The purpose of this experiment was to measure the differences in activation in four different conditions: maximum voluntary contraction with vibration (MVC + V), maximum voluntary contraction (MVC), vibration only (V), and control group with no vibration (C). Muscles of interest were tibialis anterior (TA), vastus medialis (VM), vastus lateralis (VL), and medial gastrocnemius (MG). This information was obtained for a larger study involving improvement of vertical leap through vibration conditions. Methods: A sample of 13 (n=13) recreationally females was studied. EMG electrodes were used to measure activations of the TA, VM, VL, and MG. Vibration was applied at …

Go to article

Calcium Binding Affinity Properties Of Neural Cadherin Domains 1 And 2, Thomas Thayer Wood Jan 2009

Calcium Binding Affinity Properties Of Neural Cadherin Domains 1 And 2, Thomas Thayer Wood

Honors Theses

Cadherins are a family of cell adhesion receptors that are crucial for binding of mutual vertebrate cells. Cadherins are calcium-dependent, homophilic, cell-adhesive molecules that are found in varying types of cell-cell contacts. Cell-cell contacts that contain cadherins include adherens junctions, desmosomes, and synapses. Cadherins play an Important role in regulating maintenance of adult tissue structural design and integrity. tissue morphogenesis and synaptogenesis, and embryogenesis. Cadherins have an intracellular, cytoplasmic, region, a transmembrane region, and an extracellular region where calcium binding occurs. In classical cadherins, the extracellular region has five modular P-barrel domains and calcium binds to the interfaces between domains. …

Go to article

Sincerely Yours: An Analysis Of The Nature And Strengths Of Epistolary Fiction, Elizabeth Anne Taylor Jan 2009

Sincerely Yours: An Analysis Of The Nature And Strengths Of Epistolary Fiction, Elizabeth Anne Taylor

Honors Theses

This thesis focuses on the accomplishments of epistolary fiction and what it offers writers. The thesis begins with a study of the history and evolution of the form to develop a base for ideas presented in the following sections. It addresses the challenges posed by the epistolary foi*m as well as the form’s possibilities. The thesis investigates specific possibilities writing techniques used in epistolary form and their effects on both the characters and readers. The concentration is on six different epistolary novels written between the mid 1600’s and today. The central argument of this thesis offers an assessment of the …

Go to article

The Effects Of Background Stress On Cardiovascular Responses To Acute Stress, Christine Malishka Jean Bocek Jan 2009

The Effects Of Background Stress On Cardiovascular Responses To Acute Stress, Christine Malishka Jean Bocek

Honors Theses

The goal of this study was to investigate further the nature of the relationship between background stress and cardiovascular response to relationships between mood and background stress, and background stress and psychological distress were also explored. The background stress levels of 59 undergraduate students were measured using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Measures of psychological distress were taken using the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), mood was assessed with the Brief Mood Induction Scale (BMIS), and other relevant data were collected. Systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and heart rate were measured through three 8-minute test periods, an 8-minute Mood Induction …

Go to article

Motivation And Decision Making In City Break Travel, Gerard Dunne Jan 2009

Motivation And Decision Making In City Break Travel, Gerard Dunne

Articles

The demand for city breaks has been one of the major growth areas in travel and tourism in recent years. The city break product is generally considered to be different from other holiday products, particularly in a spatial and temporal context. However marketing strategies targeting this important tourism niche continue to be based on data that is often anecdotal and frequently inaccurate. This book explores the distinctive characteristics of this form of travel and in particular the motivations and decision making involved in taking such trips. The book presents a decision making continuum that highlights the variation that exists between …

Go to article

Family-Centered Early Intervention In North America: Have Home-Based Programmes Lived Up To Their Promise For High-Risk Families?, James Ponzetti, Grant J. Charles, Sheila Marshall, Jan Hare Jan 2009

Family-Centered Early Intervention In North America: Have Home-Based Programmes Lived Up To Their Promise For High-Risk Families?, James Ponzetti, Grant J. Charles, Sheila Marshall, Jan Hare

Irish Journal of Applied Social Studies

While early intervention programming is not new in North America, such programs have gone through a rapid expansion in recent years. This has been motivated by the recognition of the need for timely intervention, the development of a family rather than a child focused practice philosophy and the desire on the part of funding organizations to save money by promoting less expensive programming. This article reviews the various components of early intervention programmes in North America while also questioning aspects of current practice. There is a clear need for family-centered intervention. This should not be in question. However, the fundamental …

Go to article

Exploring Childcare: A North West Of Ireland Study, Maureen O'Hara Jan 2009

Exploring Childcare: A North West Of Ireland Study, Maureen O'Hara

Irish Journal of Applied Social Studies

This study sought to explore and examine if the provision of full day care improves the quality of life for children and their parents. There are now 60.8% of women employed in the workforce (CSO, 2008). This means many changes for children, parents and families. Twenty-seven childcare managers in the north west of Ireland were interviewed. Also, 325 questionnaires were completed by working parents. Babies as young as four months are being cared for in childcare facilities from 6.45am until 6pm daily, five days per week. Some children are spending up to 11 hours per day in childcare facilities. The …

Go to article

The Status Of White Matter In Patients With Hemiparesis Given Ci Therapy: A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study, Christi Perkins Hu Jan 2009

The Status Of White Matter In Patients With Hemiparesis Given Ci Therapy: A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study, Christi Perkins Hu

All ETDs from UAB

While attempts have been made to identify the cause and mechanism of motor deficit and subsequent recovery, there are several aspects of hemiparesis, especially in the chronic phase of acquired brain injury, that are still unclear. This study used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to study the role of white matter in upper extremity motor function in chronic hemiparesis, especially after administration of an efficacious therapy, Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy (CI therapy). This therapy has been proven effective in treating chronic motor deficit and has recently been associated with structural changes in the gray matter tissue in the brain. The goal of …

Go to article

Structural And Functional Studies On Heat Shock Protein Hsp40-Hdj1 And Golgi Er Trafficking Protein Get3, Junbin Hu Jan 2009

Structural And Functional Studies On Heat Shock Protein Hsp40-Hdj1 And Golgi Er Trafficking Protein Get3, Junbin Hu

All ETDs from UAB

Molecular chaperones are a large group of proteins that bind and stabilize nascent polypeptides and facilitate protein folding. One major function of chaperones is to bind hydrophobic segments of nascent polypeptides to prevent them from aggregating. How chaperone Hsp40 recognizes and interacts with polypeptides and cooperates with chaperone Hsp70 is a fundamental question. The crystal structure of the putative peptide-binding fragment of Hdj1, a human member of the type II Hsp40 family was determined, suggesting the domain I of Hsp40 may possess significant flexibility which is important for Hsp40 to regulate the size of the cleft. The flexibility may be …

Go to article

Understanding The Regulatory Mechanisms Of Ubp-M And H2a Deubiquitination In Chromatin And Cellular Functions, Heui Yun Joo Jan 2009

Understanding The Regulatory Mechanisms Of Ubp-M And H2a Deubiquitination In Chromatin And Cellular Functions, Heui Yun Joo

All ETDs from UAB

Posttranslational modifications of histones regulate important chromatin and cellular functions. Among them, ubiquitination of histone H2A is correlated to transcriptional repression, such as HOX gene silencing and X chromosome inactiviation. Little was known about the removal of ubiquitin from histones, the enzyme(s) involved and its function in chromatin dynamics. We have identified the protein Ubp-M (USP16) to be the H2A- and nucleosome-specific deubiquitinase. We also demonstrated that Ubp-M-mediated H2A deubiquitination is involved in cell cycle progression to M-phase, HOX gene expression, and posterior development in Xenopus laevis. Furthermore, we have also purified USP12 and USP46 which contain an Ubp-M independent …

Go to article

Sustained Pupil Constriction Following Brief Light Exposure: Relation To Retinal Health, Laxmikanth Kankipati Jan 2009

Sustained Pupil Constriction Following Brief Light Exposure: Relation To Retinal Health, Laxmikanth Kankipati

All ETDs from UAB

The pupillary light reflex (PLR) is an indispensable clinical measure of visual, neurological and autonomic function which, until recently, was thought to be driven by only rods and cones. In 2000, a novel subset of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) was discovered that express melanopsin and are intrinsically photosensitive (ipRGC). These ipRGCs contribute to the PLR and are responsible for the sustained pupilloconstriction observed following light offset (the post-illumination pupil response (PIPR)). The primary goal of this project was to examine the PIPR in a broad sample of the general human population. Using a newly-developed, wide-field optical system, we demonstrate that …

Go to article

Effects Of Daily Versus 30-Day Continuous Contact Lens Wear On Tear Cytokine Levels, Lucy Ebunoluwa Kehinde Jan 2009

Effects Of Daily Versus 30-Day Continuous Contact Lens Wear On Tear Cytokine Levels, Lucy Ebunoluwa Kehinde

All ETDs from UAB

The purpose of this investigation was to determine if 30 days of continuous contact lens wear produces a different ocular inflammatory response compared to 30 days of daily wear of Bausch & Lomb® PureVisionTM silicone hydrogel contact lenses. Eighty-five individuals wore these lenses for 30 days continuously in one eye and daily in the contralateral eye. Relative concentrations of 27 cytokines were measured in tear samples collected from the subjects using cytometric bead-based assays. Clinical tests were also conducted to correlate changes in cytokine levels to changes in clinical profiles. This study contributes to a greater understanding of the impact …

Go to article

The Effects Of Naturally-Occurring Fatigue And Task Difficulty On Effort Related Cardiovascular Response, Jason Lagory Jan 2009

The Effects Of Naturally-Occurring Fatigue And Task Difficulty On Effort Related Cardiovascular Response, Jason Lagory

All ETDs from UAB

Wright's integrative analysis suggests that effort can be measured via cardiovascular (CV) response. In addition, the analysis breaks with tradition in suggesting that effort varies not with benefit alone, but also with the difficulty of the behavioral challenge at hand. Recent research has focused upon the effects of fatigue on effort related CV response, assuming that fatigue negatively affects perceived ability. Results have supported interactional predictions. Specifically, they have indicated higher levels of CV response among high- as compared to low fatigue participants when tasks were possible and worthwhile and the reverse response pattern when tasks were excessively difficult (given …

Go to article

Psychosocial And Affective Mediators Of Ethnic Group Differences In Stressor-Evoked Changes In Systolic Blood Pressure And Pain Perception, Renata Okonkwo Jan 2009

Psychosocial And Affective Mediators Of Ethnic Group Differences In Stressor-Evoked Changes In Systolic Blood Pressure And Pain Perception, Renata Okonkwo

All ETDs from UAB

African Americans, compared to non-Hispanic whites, report greater levels of clinical pain and experience more pain-related disability (AmericanHeartAssociation, 2005; C. L.Edwards, Fillingim, & Keefe, 2001; R. R. Edwards, Doleys, Fillingim, & Lowery, 2001; McCracken, Matthews, Tang, & Cuba, 2001; J. L. Riley et al., 2002). Furthermore, African Americans consistently differ from primarily non-Hispanic white samples on experimentally induced pain. We examined ethnic group differences in the effects of exposure to a brief stressor on individuals' pain responses and changes in SBP and heart rate (HR). In addition, we examined the mediational role of perceived racial discrimination, and differences in the …

Go to article

The Antecedents And Consequences Of The Niche Approach To Healthcare Delivery, Lejon Poole Jan 2009

The Antecedents And Consequences Of The Niche Approach To Healthcare Delivery, Lejon Poole

All ETDs from UAB

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: Niche hospitals represent a growing segment in the health care industry. A niche strategy is an approach that focuses on a narrow market segment that its resources and capabilities can exploit (Porter, 1980; Powers and Khan, 2004). The purpose of the proposed study was to provide an understanding of the antecedents and consequences of the niche approach to healthcare delivery. The interaction of the niche strategy and the physician-owner as a unique bundle of resources was also examined. The subsequent model tested the relationships among generic strategies, market effects, firm effects, and financial performance. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: …

Go to article

Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (Cftr) Modulators And Their Mechanistic Basis: Relevance To Emerging Therapies For Cystic Fibrosis, Louise Clare Pyle Jan 2009

Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (Cftr) Modulators And Their Mechanistic Basis: Relevance To Emerging Therapies For Cystic Fibrosis, Louise Clare Pyle

All ETDs from UAB

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a lethal genetic disorder leading to pulmonary decline and premature death. The gene responsible for CF, the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), serves as a chloride and bicarbonate channel situated at the apical cell surface of epithelia. The discovery of small molecules that augment channel gating of mutant CFTR (so-called `potentiators') represents a major theme of CF research, and offers hope for new therapeutic interventions. High-throughput screening (HTS) provides a means to test millions of agents in an unbiased manner for CFTR potentiating properties. New agents identified by HTS have undergone extensive pre-clinical and clinical …

Go to article

Characterizing The Role Of Primary Cilia In The Hair Follicle And Skin, Jonathan Merle Lehman Jan 2009

Characterizing The Role Of Primary Cilia In The Hair Follicle And Skin, Jonathan Merle Lehman

All ETDs from UAB

Primary cilia have been established as a nearly ubiquitous microtubule based signaling organelle, yet their function in many organs, including the hair and skin, is unknown. We hypothesized that the primary cilium would play vital roles in the hair follicle and skin based on the cilium's well characterized interactions with the Shh and Wnt developmental signaling pathways. This dissertation describes our efforts to determine the localization of the primary cilia in the murine hair follicle and assess the function of this organelle in the hair and skin. We used confocal immunofluorescence microscopy to virtually section the entire hair follicle and …

Go to article

Model-Driven Aspect Adaptation To Support Modular Software Evolution, Jing Zhang Jan 2009

Model-Driven Aspect Adaptation To Support Modular Software Evolution, Jing Zhang

All ETDs from UAB

One of the biggest challenges of software evolution is to adapt a software system to the ever-changing requirements from users or operating environments. An ideal goal is to encapsulate these requirements into a high-level abstraction, which can drive large-scale adaptation of the underlying software implementation. Model-Driven Engineering (MDE) is one of the enabling techniques that support this objective, in that it allows the application designers to synthesize various software artifacts from high-level models. The state-of-the-art MDE techniques, however, lack support for advanced processes and constructive methods for software evolution. With respect to large legacy systems written in disparate programming languages, …

Go to article

Analysis Of Cystic Kidney Disease-Related Genes In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Corey L. Williams Jan 2009

Analysis Of Cystic Kidney Disease-Related Genes In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Corey L. Williams

All ETDs from UAB

Cilia are evolutionarily conserved, membrane-bound, microtubule-based organelles found on a diverse array of cell types in eukaryotic organisms. Inherited diseases of cilia protein dysfunction include Nephronophthisis (NPHP), Joubert Syndrome (JBTS), Meckel-Gruber Syndrome (MKS), and Bardet-Biedl Syndrome (BBS). Important insight in the basic cell biological functions of BBS and NPHP proteins has been gained from analysis in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. My goal in this dissertation was to model MKS protein function in cilia biology utilizing the powerful genetic malleability of C. elegans. mks-1 and mks-3, the C. elegans homologs of two MKS-associated proteins in humans, were selected for this analysis. …

Go to article

Effects Of Infant Massage On Hiv-Infected Mothers And Their Infants, Krista Lee Oswalt Jan 2009

Effects Of Infant Massage On Hiv-Infected Mothers And Their Infants, Krista Lee Oswalt

All ETDs from UAB

The current study aimed to determine whether HIV-infected mothers and their infants benefit from infant massage training. Because a number of risks, including maternal depression, high levels of maternal stress, decreased ability to perform parental tasks, involvement in risky behaviors such as drug use, inferior Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale performance, and externalizing behavior problems in the children, have been associated with HIV-infected mothers and their children, this population was a sensible choice for intervention. A great deal of information related to the benefits of infant massage for a variety of at risk infants is available in the literature, however, …

Go to article

The Relationship Of Sexual Empowerment And Sexual Pressure To Condom Use Of Young Adult African American And Caucasian Women, Carrie Ann Long Jan 2009

The Relationship Of Sexual Empowerment And Sexual Pressure To Condom Use Of Young Adult African American And Caucasian Women, Carrie Ann Long

All ETDs from UAB

Introduction: HIV knowledge, high self-esteem, condom self-efficacy, positive attitudes toward condom use, and condom negotiation skills have been associated with decreased HIV risk behavior among women, but have not been examined within a framework of empowerment for sexual risk. Sexual pressure, inclusive of both coercive and noncoercive pressures to engage in unwanted or unprotected sex, has also not been studied in association with sexual empowerment as a framework or as a potential moderator between sexual empowerment and condom use among women of different racial groups. Study Purpose: 1) To explore the relationship between sexual empowerment and condom use; 2) to …

Go to article

Structural Studies Of Yeast Mitochondrial Peripheral Membrane Protein Tim44, Ratnakar Josyula Jan 2009

Structural Studies Of Yeast Mitochondrial Peripheral Membrane Protein Tim44, Ratnakar Josyula

All ETDs from UAB

Tim44 is a peripheral membrane protein and a component of the TIM23 translocon on the matrix side. It is well established that Tim44 tethers the presequence associated motor (PAM) complex to the Inner Mitochondrial Membrane (IMM), through its C-Terminal Domain (CTD). This study focuses on understanding the high resolution structure of Tim44 CTD and the molecular basis for its membrane anchoring mechanism. The crystal structure of Tim44 CTD revealed that it exists as a single domain. The N-terminal amphipathic helices A1 and A2 protrude away from the main body of Tim44 CTD. These two flexible helices have been tested for …

Go to article

Mouse Model Of Cooley's Anemia, Yongliang Huo Jan 2009

Mouse Model Of Cooley's Anemia, Yongliang Huo

All ETDs from UAB

β thalassemia major or Cooley’s anemia (CA) is a heterogeneous group of inherited disorders characterized by deficient β globin chain production. Newborns with CA are healthy because of the high fetal hemoglobin (HbF) levels present in their red blood cells (RBCs). As HbF levels decline during the first year of life, patients develop severe anemia that necessitates regular blood transfusion to maintain life. CA has been difficult to model in the mouse due to the lack of a fetal hemoglobin equivalent in the mouse. By utilizing a human fetal to adult delayed hemoglobin switching cassette, I hypothesize that a CA …

Go to article

Optical Vehicular Tracking System, Joshua D. Jackson Jan 2009

Optical Vehicular Tracking System, Joshua D. Jackson

All ETDs from UAB

This dissertation presents research and analysis specific to a well-defined methodology for a low-cost and accurate vehicle tracking system that performs within a spatially limited domain. The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) requires such a system to increase the efficiency of its bridge load-testing procedures. Currently, human operators estimate vehicle positions. As ALDOT seeks to modernize its systems, they require an accurate yet low-cost system for tracking load-testing vehicles within a spatially limited domain. This body of work presents a novel optical tracking system that makes use of the same optical navigation chip used in an optical computer mouse. Included …

Go to article

Genome Copy Number Profiles Of African-American And European-American Early-Onset Breast Cancer, Tyesha Latrece Farmer Jan 2009

Genome Copy Number Profiles Of African-American And European-American Early-Onset Breast Cancer, Tyesha Latrece Farmer

All ETDs from UAB

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer related death among women in the United States, surpassed only by lung cancer. It is estimated that over 200,000 women developed breast cancer and more than 40,000 died of the disease in 2008 alone. Although the overall incidence of breast cancer is lower in African-American women, the incidence of early-onset breast cancer is higher than that observed in European-American women. African-American women also have higher mortality rates due to this disease than those observed in their European-American counterparts. Breast cancer exhibits heterogeneity at the molecular, cellular, and clinical levels, and the …

Go to article

Flexural Creep Of Long Fiber Thermoplastic Composites: Effect Of Constituents And Variables On Viscoelasticity, Venkata Sankaranand Chevali Jan 2009

Flexural Creep Of Long Fiber Thermoplastic Composites: Effect Of Constituents And Variables On Viscoelasticity, Venkata Sankaranand Chevali

All ETDs from UAB

Long fiber thermoplastic (LFT) composites are used primarily in various automotive and military applications. LFT mechanical properties are dictated by the polymer matrix and fiber reinforcements, and are affected by processing. As LFTs deform under moderate loads and moderate temperatures, flexural creep raises concerns about longevity. The present study is an analysis of creep as a function of constituents and variables, and the development of predictive estimation methods. Compressionmolded high-density polyethylene, nylon 6/6, and polypropylene and their 10 and 40 wt. % LFT composites were studied. The LFTs showed non-linear viscoelasticity, quantitatively described using an empirical model formerly used for …

Go to article

The Protective Role Of Transglutaminase 2 In Ischemic Stroke, Anthony J. Filiano Jan 2009

The Protective Role Of Transglutaminase 2 In Ischemic Stroke, Anthony J. Filiano

All ETDs from UAB

Stroke is a leading cause of long term disabilities in the US. Currently, administration of thrombolytics is the only approved therapy. Due to the variability, small management time window, and lack of options for effective treatment, there is a clear need for new compounds to alleviate cell death post-stroke. Transglutaminase 2 (TG2) can decrease apoptotic signaling during stroke and lead to increased neuronal survival making it a potential target for therapeutic intervention. TG2, a multifunction enzyme that has both transamidase (TG) and GTPase activities, amongst others, has recently been shown to be upregulated in numerous neurodegenerative conditions, including stroke. In …

Go to article

Erythrocyte Invasion By Plasmodium Falciparum, Matthew L. Jones Jan 2009

Erythrocyte Invasion By Plasmodium Falciparum, Matthew L. Jones

All ETDs from UAB

Malaria poses a severe threat to global public health, with the majority of the world’s population living in malaria-endemic settings. Plasmodium falciparum is a major cause of malaria, and is the predominant cause of fatal malaria. This parasite, like other Plasmodium spp., has a complex life cycle, but causes disease only as a result of a lytic life cycle phase that occurs within the erythrocyte. As development within the erythrocyte is fully responsible for disease pathology, it follows that a detailed molecular understanding of the process of erythrocyte invasion by P. falciparum parasites would allow the development of new and …

Go to article

Information Theoretical Modeling Of Complex Communication Network Usage Patterns, Stanley Carl Thompson Jan 2009

Information Theoretical Modeling Of Complex Communication Network Usage Patterns, Stanley Carl Thompson

All ETDs from UAB

Today’s voice and data connectivity typically utilizes a complex system of networks of networks. The development of models for characterizing usage patterns in complex networks would be useful in projecting capacity requirements in growing systems. Simplified models applied to a complex network for timing and sizing algorithms would significantly reduce the amount of computations and storage necessary to produce forecasts of capacity requirements. This composition introduces a network usage pattern model based on decomposition by information transfer and verifies its application in real-life voice-data networks. Complex systems can be modeled and decomposed into sub-systems by observing the interactions among their …

Go to article

Physical Therapy And Chiropractic Use In Survivors Of Childhood Cancer: Impact On Health-Related Quality Of Life, Michele Montgomery Jan 2009

Physical Therapy And Chiropractic Use In Survivors Of Childhood Cancer: Impact On Health-Related Quality Of Life, Michele Montgomery

All ETDs from UAB

The purpose of this study to was examine prevalence of physical therapy (PT) and chiropractic use in survivors of childhood cancer and which factors are associated with the use of these services. In addition, the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of survivors with musculoskeletal and neurological chronic conditions who reported using either PT or chiropractic was compared to those survivors with the same conditions who did not use either service. This study was a secondary analysis of the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) and included a subset of 9289 survivors who completed both the baseline and 2003 follow-up questionnaires. In …

Go to article

First Prev Next Last