Digital Commons Network^™

Dna Polymerases: Perfect Enzymes For An Imperfect World, Anthony J. Berdis

Chemistry Faculty Publications

This Special Thematic Issue explores the molecular properties of DNA polymerases as extraordinary biological catalysts. In this short introductory chapter, I briefly highlight some of the most important concepts from the articles contained within this Special Issue. The contents of this Special Issue are arranged into distinct sub-categories corresponding to mechanistic studies of faithful DNA polymerization, studies of "specialized" DNA polymerases that function on damaged DNA, and DNA polymerases that are of therapeutic importance against various diseases. Emphasis is placed on understanding the dynamic cellular roles and biochemical functions of DNA polymerases, and how their structure and mechanism impact their …

Representational Crisis In Psychiatry : Corporate Hegemony And Postmodern Knowledge, James Andrew Whitaker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, I have undertaken a sociology of knowledge study pertaining to the corporate construction of psychiatric knowledge in relation to biomedicalization. I have conceptually connected the “crisis of representation” in psychiatry with the larger alteration of knowledge within postmodernity. I have defined postmodernity as itself a more general “crisis of representation.” Both of these representational crises are viewed as emerging from the transformation of political economic realities in the course of the twentieth-century. A discussion is undertaken to explicate the nature of this transformation and its relation to previous analogous transformations. I have undertaken a content analysis study …

Glacial/Interglacial Export Production In The Subantarctic South Pacific, Jessica Adamic

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Atmospheric CO2 varied considerably in the past; however, the mechanisms that drive this variability are poorly understood. CO2 is linked to marine primary productivity through the biological carbon pump (BCP), leading to hypotheses that past increases in BCP efficiency in areas such as the Southern Ocean may have contributed to glacial CO2 drawdown (Sarmiento & Toggweiler, 1984). Productivity has varied considerably in the past, but the extent, timing, and impacts remain poorly understood. The Subantarctic South Pacific is an area of the ocean that is crucial to the understanding of both glacial climate and paleo-export productivity. Unfortunately, few studies have …

Testing Hypotheses For Exotic Plant Success: Parallel Experiments In The Native And Introduced Ranges, Jennifer L. Williams, Harald Auge, John L. Maron

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

A central question in ecology concerns how some exotic plants that occur at low densities in their native range are able to attain much higher densities where they are introduced. This question has remained unresolved in part due to a lack of experiments that assess factors that affect the population growth or abundance of plants in both ranges. We tested two hypotheses for exotic plant success: escape from specialist insect herbivores and a greater response to disturbance in the introduced range. Within three introduced populations in Montana, USA, and three native populations in Germany, we experimentally manipulated insect herbivore pressure …

The Internet Is A Semicommons, James Grimmelmann

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

The Internet is a semicommons. Private property in servers and network links coexists with a shared communications platform. This distinctive combination both explains the Internet's enormous success and illustrates some of its recurring problems.

Building on Henry Smith's theory of the semicommons in the medieval open-field system, this essay explains how the dynamic interplay between private and common uses on the Internet enables it to facilitate worldwide sharing and collaboration without collapsing under the strain of misuse. It shows that key technical features of the Internet, such as its layering of protocols and the Web's division into distinct "sites," respond …

Spatial And Temporal Patterns Of Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus Leucocephalus) Winter Habitat Use Along The Upper Mississippi River Corridor, Ryan T. Schmitz

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

From March 1999 through February 2006, satellite transmitters were placed on 13 wild-caught individuals of the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) in southwestern Wisconsin. These individuals (6 males, 7 females, 11 adults, 2 immatures) were tracked along the Upper Mississippi River corridor during the winters of 1999 through 2006. The objectives of my study were to: 1) estimate winter home range size and to compare home range size between sexes, 2) characterize and quantify winter night roost habitat, and 3) identify spatial and temporal patterns of winter habitat use and behavior relative to temperature, wind speed, and ice-cover. Mean 95% fixed …

Socioeconomic Status And Prevalence Of Obesity And Diabetes In A Mexican American Community, Cameron County, Texas, 2004-2007, Susan P. Fisher-Hoch, Anne R. Rentfro, Jennifer Salinas, Adriana Perez, H. Shelton Brown, Belinda M. Reininger, Blanca I. Restrepo, Jeff Gaines Wilson, Monir Hossain, Mohammad H. Rahbar, Craig Hanis, Joseph B. Mccormick

School of Nursing Faculty Publications

Introduction Mexican Americans are at increased risk for obesity and diabetes. We established a cohort on the United States-Mexico border to determine the prevalence of obesity and diabetes in this Mexican American population and to see whether minor economic advantages had any effect on health.

Methods We randomly selected and extensively documented 810 people aged 35 to 64 years. Weighted data were analyzed to establish prevalence of obesity and diabetes and other markers of poor health such as elevated glycated hemoglobin levels.

Results Rates of obesity (body mass index ≥30 kg/m²) were 57% in the first (lower) of …

Implementation Of An Anthropomorphic Phantom For The Evaluation Of Proton Therapy Treatment Procedures, Ryan L. Grant

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

With an increasing number of institutions offering proton therapy, the number of multi-institutional clinical trials involving proton therapy will also increase in the coming years. The Radiological Physics Center monitors sites involved in clinical trials through the use of site visits and remote auditing with thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD) and mailable anthropomorphic phantoms. Currently, there are no heterogeneous phantoms that have been commissioned to evaluate proton therapy. It was hypothesized that an anthropomorphic pelvis phantom can be designed to audit treatment procedures (patient simulation, treatment planning and treatment delivery) at proton facilities to confirm agreement between the measured dose and calculated …

Xenobiotic Metabolism Genes And Clubfoot, Amy M. Sommer

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Idiopathic or isolated clubfoot is a common orthopedic birth defect that affects approximately 135,000 children worldwide. It is characterized by equinus, varus and adductus deformities of the ankle and foot. Correction of clubfoot involves months of serial manipulations, castings and bracing, with surgical correction needed in forty percent of cases. Multifactorial etiology has been suggested in numerous studies with both environmental and genetic factors playing an etiologic role. Maternal smoking during pregnancy is the only common environmental factor that has consistently been shown to increase the risk for clubfoot. Moreover, a positive family history of clubfoot and maternal smoking increases …

Validation Of The Activation Of Aurora B Kinase By Caenorhabditis Elegans To Usled-Like Kinase And The Identification Of Cyclin B3 As A Phospho-Specific Tlk-1 Interactor, Gary Michael Deyter

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

A hallmark of tumorigenesis and certain birth defect syndromes is the loss of ploidy that can result from incorrect chromosome segregation. Chromosomes that are not partitioned properly during mitosis are often fragmented, changing the genetic makeup of daughter cells. Inheriting extrachromosomal fragments that contain cell survival genes or losing chromosomal loci that encode tumor suppressors can promote tumor development. Thus, it is essential to elucidate molecular mechanisms required for correct chromosome segregation. Chromosomes are connected to mitotic spindle microtubules by way of a proteinacous, chromosome-bound organelle called the kinetochore. Two decades of research have confirmed that the conserved Aurora B/AIR-2 …

In Vitro Detection Of Mesio-Buccal Canals In Maxillary Molar Cross-Sections Using Three Different Resolutions With Kodak 9000 3d Cbct., Jolanta Nowicka Sauer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

CBCT in endodontics demonstrates anatomic features in 3D that intraoral, panoramic, and cephalometric images cannot. CBCT units reconstruct the projection data to provide interrelational images in three orthogonal planes (axial, sagittal, and coronal). In addition because reconstruction of CBCT data is performed natively using a personal computer, data can be reoriented in their true spatial relationships. Aims: To investigate accurate detection of the correct number of root canals in the mesio-buccal root of the maxillary molar teeth using 3D imaging with cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) at different spatial resolution (isotropic voxel) settings. Methods: With IRB approval, 31 extracted maxillary …

The Second Year Itch: An Examination Of Pre-Entry Factors That Contribute To Second-Year College Persistence., Nora Allen Scobie 1967-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The persistence of second-year college students is gaining attention nationally. Vast resources have been dedicated to the retention of first-year students only to lose them at some point during the second year. Much of the research about the second-year experience is qualitative and focused on institutional inputs. This study examined pre-entry variables that predict second year attrition. The pre-matriculation factors and background characteristics as outlined by Tinto (1993) served as the focus of this study. The participants of this study were first-time, full-time freshmen that attended the University of Louisville 2004 summer orientation, participated in the College Student Inventory Form-B …

Time To Get Real: A Food Assessment Of Dining At Pomona College, Samantha Meyer

Pomona Senior Theses

Pomona College is an institution deeply committed to sustainability and student well being; however these commitments are not reflected in the College’s food purchases. Before this study, an assessment of purchasing had not been conducted at Pomona College. Using the Real Food Calculator – a metric designed to evaluate food purchasing at academic institutions – I tracked all food purchased by one of the College’s dining halls over the course of one month. Each food item was assessed based on the potential health concerns of its ingredients and whether the item was locally produced, ecologically sound and/or humane to determine …

Efficient Algorithms For Phylogenetic Post-Analysis, Nicholas Pattengale

Computer Science ETDs

A variety of tasks are typically performed after a phylogenetic reconstruction proper -- tasks which fall under the category phylogenetic post-analysis. In this dissertation, we present novel approaches and efficient algorithms for three post-analysis tasks: taking distances between (typically, all pairs in a set of) trees, bootstrapping, and building consensus trees. For instance, it is often the case that reconstruction finds multiple plausible trees. One basic way of addressing this situation is to take distances between pairs of trees, in order to gain an understanding of the extent to which the trees disagree. The most frequently employed manner for computing …

Child Kinship Care: An Exploratory Mixed Methods Study Of Social Support, Resources, And Health Issues Of Nebraska Child Kinship Caregivers, Toni L. Hill

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between both the social support and resources of child kinship caregivers and the caregivers’ health. An exploratory sequential three phase mixed methods design was used. Phase I encompassed a single case study of a Nebraska program serving largely grandparents raising grandchildren. Phase II consisted of multiple individual caregiver case studies, and Phase III consisted of a survey of all caregivers affiliated with the program. Qualitative findings from the first two phases yielded similar caregiver information regarding social support and resources issues. Differing information was received regarding health issues. Quantitative analysis …

Lightweight Composites From Biological Materials And Polypropylene, Yi Zou

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Biological materials (wheat straws (WS), switchgrass stems (SG) and hop bines (HB)), were used as reinforcing materials to make lightweight composites with polypropylene (PP) webs. The long WS, SG and HB (length up to 10 cm) with simple cut or split and without chemical treatment, were used directly in the composites. Utilizing biological materials for composites not only increases the values of wheat, switchgrass and hop crops, but also provides green, sustainable and biodegradable materials for the composites industry. Lightweight composites are preferred, especially for automotive applications due to the potential saving in energy. In this research, the effects of …

Promoting Wellness For At-Risk Women In Nebraska: A Qualitative Study, Hannah Nelson

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Health care concerns and beliefs of young women of Nebraska, specifically related to preconception care, was the primary concern of this research. Data collected from focus group interviews (n=24) conducted across the state, in both urban and rural settings, and with women of different racial groups asked questions concerning their belief system for necessary components to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Questions were designed using the Life Course Theory, which is a holistic approach to health. In these interviews, the women identified four main areas that, when improved, can greatly enhance overall wellness. These areas include: attaining better physical health, improving …

Violets, Xu (Sherry) Wang

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Violets is a multi-genre work that explores the complex relationships of Chinese women from the 1980s to the present day as they move through different settings—from the countryside of Zhejiang province, to the metropolis of Jiaxing city, to the suburbia of Omaha, NE. It was inspired by a story heard by the author about a Chinese woman whose husband left her for a year because she had a daughter instead of a son. Half of Violets is made up of a sustained, imagined story about a woman named Xinling and the year she spent as a single mother. It explores …

Seasonal Variation In Terrestrial Insect Subsidies To Tropical Streams And Implications For The Diet Of Rivulus Hartii, David C. Owens

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Terrestrial invertebrates subsidize fish diets in lotic ecosystems. Seasonality strongly influences terrestrial invertebrate abundance in temperate regions and alters their delivery to streams. Seasonal changes in the tropics are characterized by distinct wet and dry periods, with marked variation in invertebrate abundance. However, little is known about how these seasonal changes affect invertebrate subsidies and their ecological consequences for tropical streams. We measured the effect of rainfall and canopy density on terrestrial invertebrate falling input, as well as seasonal variation in falling input, benthic and drifting invertebrate, and Rivulus hartii (Hart’s Rivulus) diet composition during both the wet and dry …

Chromatographic Studies Of Drug-Protein Binding In Diabetes, Kathryn (Krina) S. Joseph

Department of Chemistry: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Drug-protein binding can have a dramatic impact on the distribution and metabolism of a drug. This manuscript describes the use of high-performance affinity chromatography to examine the binding of various compounds to human serum albumin (HSA) in normal and diabetic disease states. The first study examined the use of four coumarin compounds as possible alternatives to warfarin as a probe for Sudlow site I on HSA. High-performance affinity chromatography and immobilized HSA columns were used to compare and evaluate the binding properties of these probe candidates. It was found from this group that 4-hydroxycoumarin was the best alternative to warfarin …

Unsaturated Fatty Acids Repress The Expression Of Adipose Fatty Acid-Binding Protein, Ap2, In Raw 264.7 Macrophage, Sara L. Coleman

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Adipocyte fatty acid binding protein, aP2, present in macrophages has been implicated in the integration of lipid metabolism and inflammatory response, contributing to development of insulin resistance and atherosclerosis. We investigated the modulation of aP2 expression by inflammatory insults and fatty acids in RAW 264.7 macrophages. When the cells were incubated with lipopolysaccharides (LPS; 100 ng/ml) or 10 ng/ml of tumor necrosis factor α for 18 h, aP2 mRNA and protein levels were drastically increased. Unsaturated fatty acids (100 μM of 18:1, 18:2, 18:3, 20:5 in complex with BSA), but not saturated fatty acids (16:0), significantly repressed the basal aP2 …

Modulation Of Lipid Metabolism By Phytosterol Stearates And Black Raspberry Seed Oils, Mark Mckinley Ash

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Naturally occurring compounds and lifestyle modifications as combination and mono-therapy are increasingly used for dyslipidemia. Specficially, phytosterols and fatty acids have demonstrated an ability to modulate cholesterol and triglyceride metabolism in different fashions. In two separate studies, the lipid-lowering effects of black raspberry seed oil and three different phytosterol stearates were examined in order to elucidate the effects of these dietary components and the factors influencing their therapeutic actions.

The first study examined high cholesterol diets supplemented with crude and refined black raspberry seed oils, coconut oil or soybean oil. The crude and refined raspberry seed oil (RSO) treatments significantly …

The Quest Of A Lifetime : How The First Year Of University Of Richmond Life Affects Student's Spirituality And Religiosity, Melanie Martin

Honors Theses

First year university students’ religious and spiritual beliefs and attitudes were investigated over the course of the year. The survey used was largely made up of a subset of questions from the CSBV survey created by HERI and adapted and administered via Survey Monkey software to 153 first year students in the Fall Semester and 74 first year students in the Spring Semester at the University of Richmond. Students pray less and self-reflect more, are more likely to agree that the universe arose by chance, less likely to believe that ‘only religion can truly explain existence’, less likely to find …

Modulation Of Rankl And Osteoprotegerin In Adolescents Using Orthodontic Forces, Nathan Reed Hamman

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Orthodontic tooth movement is mediated by interactions between PDL cells and those of the alveolus. One protein--the receptor activator nuclear factor kappa B ligand (RANKL)--is critical for osteoclastogenesis, and osteoprotegerin (OPG) is a decoy ligand that competitively inhibits RANKL. A higher RANKL/OPG ratio is associated with areas of bone resorption, while a lower ratio occurs in areas of bone deposition and homeostasis. There has been almost no clinical study of RANKL and OPG expression in patients undergoing orthodontic tooth movement.

The purpose of this study was to quantify changes in the levels of RANKL and of OPG in response to …

Statins Regulate Il-1Β - Induced Rankl And Opg Production By Human Gingival Fibroblasts, Ivelina Jurkowski

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Three-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase competitive inhibitors, also known as statins, are widely used agents for lowering cholesterol and reducing the risk for a heart attack. Recent data suggest that statins influence bone metabolic activity by stimulating new bone formation both in vivo and in vitro. Bone resorption in periodontitis, an inflammatory disease, is orchestrated by the interaction of various cytokines in the inflamed tissue, produced by immune cells and also by resident cells such as human gingival fibroblasts (HGF) and periodontal ligament (PDL) cells. Three molecules, members of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) ligand and receptor superfamilies, regulate the process of …

Peripheral Taste System In Inbred Mouse Strains, William Wes Shelton

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Taster and non-taster mice strains have been used extensively in animal taste research. Inbred mouse strains C57 and FVB have been proposed to be tasters, where as strains 129 and Balb/C are classified as non-tasters. Therefore, evaluating the peripheral taste system in these mice is of great importance to determine if there are morphological differences that might explain the physiological classification. The purpose of the present study was to determine if inbred mice that have been shown to be tasters have a larger number of fungiform papillae, have larger fungiform papillae and have larger taste buds. My work in this …

Characterizing Purkinje Cell Responses And Cerebellar Influence On Fluid Licking In The Mouse, Jeri Lonece Bryant

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Rodents consume water by performing stereotypical, rhythmic licking movements which are believed to be driven by central pattern generating circuits located in the brainstem. Temporal aspects of rhythmic licking behavior have been shown to be represented in the olivo-cerebellar system in the form of population complex spike activity. These findings suggest that the olivo-cerebellar system is involved in the generating circuitry responsible for licking rhythm in rodents. However, the representation of licking in the simple spike activity of Purkinje cells and the consequences of loss of cerebellar function on licking behavior has not been quantified. I investigated the influence of …

Assessing The Sensitivity Of The Canadian Adverse Event Following Immunization Surveillance System ( Caefiss), Mina Tadrous

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Background: Vaccines are important to public health, but because of the way they are manufactured, their mechanism of action, and their indicated population, careful monitoring of their adverse events is necessary. Canada has a national surveillance system that collects reports on adverse events that may be associated with vaccine administration. Sensitivity is one of the tools used with surveillance systems to study the extent and characteristics of reporting of a surveillance system. To date, the sensitivity of the Canadian system has not been assessed.

Purpose: To assess the sensitivity of the Canadian Adverse Event Following Immunization Surveillance System …

The Provision Of Mental Health Services By Rural Health Clinics, John A. Gale Ms, Stephanie L. Loux Ms, Barbara Shaw Jd, David Hartley Phd, Mha

Rural Health Clinics

The number of Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) providing specialty mental health services remains limited. This study examined changes in the delivery of mental health services by RHCs, their operational characteristics, barriers to the development of services, and policy options to encourage more RHCs to deliver mental health services. Key Findings: Approximately 6% of independent and 2% of provider-based RHCs offer mental health services by doctoral-level psychologists and/or clinical social workers. Models used to provide mental health services include contracted and/or employed clinicians housed in the same facility as primary care providers. A key element in the development of mental health …

Transnational Integration Regimes As Development Programs, Laszlo Bruszt, Gerald A. Mcdermott

Faculty Publications

In drawing on recent advances in international and comparative political economy, this paper argues that diverging paths of institutional development among emerging market democracies are driven by the Transnational Integration Regimes (TIRs), in which a country is embedded.

As development programs, TIRs differ in their effectiveness not simply in terms of their incentives and largess and more in terms of their emphasis on building institutional capacities, empowering a variety of domestic state and non-state actors via multiplex methods of assistance and monitoring, and their ability to merge monitoring and learning at both the national and supra-national levels. We develop a …