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Analysis Of Potential Mutagenic Effects Of World Trade Center Dust On In Vitro Systems, Barbara Domingos Soares

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Ever since the 1950s, air pollution has been linked to decreased lung function and increased cancer risk. Air pollution can consist of natural or artificial materials that range in chemical as well as physical properties. Inhaled pollutants can have a variety of effects on organisms ranging from minor irritation, to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and even cancer or death. Historically, it has been noted that increased levels of air pollution are associated with decreases in human health and increases in mortality.

Following the World Trade Center tragedy, rescue workers as well as New York City residents were exposed to thousands …

"Upside Down From The Word Go" : Kentucky's Black Farmers Speak Out On The Issue Of Land Loss., Willie Jamaal Wright

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The decline of black farmers and black-owned farmlands is an ever worsening problem. Though their numbers neared one million at the start of the 20th century, the most recent account of black farmers states that there are only 30599 left in America (Census of Agriculture, 2007). The purpose of this study is to understand the experiences and perspectives of black farmers in Kentucky regarding factors that contribute to land loss. Participants in this exploratory study were gathered using convenience and snowball sampling techniques. Each farmer owned land in Central and Eastern Kentucky counties. This study discovered that contrary to popular …

"Still I Rise!" Public Discourse Surrounding The Development Of Public Schools For African Americans In Louisville, Kentucky, 1862--1872., Michelle Bachelor Robinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I conducted my dissertation research in the national, state, and local archives. Using Deborah Brandt's "Sponsors of Literacy" as a conceptual framework and Critical Race Theory as a theoretical framework, I offer Louisville, Kentucky as a historical case study for how an established and empowered community of free blacks can serve as a catalyst to bring about social and political change through the acquisition of literacy. This dissertation is divided into four chapters. Chapter One explains the scholarly context of my dissertation. I argue that post-emancipation African Americans had a sense of urgency for the acquisition of literacy, and that …

Teaching Efficacy, Innovation, School Culture And Teacher Risk Taking., Margaret Elizabeth Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an exploratory study of teacher risk taking. The risk-taking literature in education and other types of organizations is lacking in studies exploring the concept of healthy risk taking and how that risk taking is related to other concepts such as organizational culture, innovation, and efficacy. The purpose of this study was to explore the concept of teacher risk taking as it relates to teaching efficacy, school culture, and organizational support for innovation. The research design of this study utilized a five-section survey administered to 740 public and private school teachers from 53 schools in 9 Midwestern states. …

2010 May-Newsletter, Nancy Rockey

Life Renewal Archive

No abstract provided.

Identification And Characterization Of Steroid Receptor Ligands, Megan Kathleen Dennis

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

This work focuses on steroid receptors, including the androgen receptor (AR), the estrogen receptors (ERs) ERα and ERβ, known as the classical ERs, and GPR30, a recently described G protein-coupled estrogen receptor. Each of these receptors plays a role in many normal tissues and disease pathologies and signaling through steroid receptors is required for growth of many cancers. Additionally, many tissues express more than one estrogen receptor, making delineation of the functions of individual receptors difficult. We have previously identified a GPR30-selective agonist, G-1, and this small molecule has been shown to mediate GPR30 function in a range of in …

Engineering Rna Phage Ms2 Virus-Like Particles For Peptide Display, Sheldon Keith Jordan

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Phage display is a powerful and versatile technology that enables the selection of novel binding functions from large populations of randomly generated peptide sequences. Random sequences are genetically fused to a viral structural protein to produce complex peptide libraries. From a sufficiently complex library, phage bearing peptides with practically any desired binding activity can be physically isolated by affinity selection, and, since each particle carries in its genome the genetic information for its own replication, the selectants can be amplified by infection of bacteria. For certain applications however, existing phage display platforms have limitations. One such area is in the …

Perinatal Arsenic Exposure Inhibits Binding Ability Of Glucocorticoid Receptors To Nuclear Response Elements Altering Gene Expression And Affecting Learning Behavior, Ebany J. Martinez-Finley

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Learning deficits in children following arsenic (As) exposure via drinking water have been epidemiologically described in the last decade. Arsenic is a persistent environmental toxin and exposure has been shown to perturb the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) stress axis. The glucocorticoid receptors (GR) are an integral part of the HPA axis and are found throughout the central nervous system, particularly in the hippocampus, an area of the brain important in learning and memory. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway is involved in learning and two kinases of the MAPK pathway, Ras and Raf are transcriptionally regulated by GRs. In the studies detailed …

Efficacy And Mechanism Of Â-Defensin2 Fused Antigen Protein Vaccines, Hyun J. Park

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Vaccines which use the strategy of fusing adjuvant murine â-defensin2 (mBD2) to an antigen in order to elicit stronger anti-antigen immune responses are referred to as murine â-defensin2 (mBD2) vaccines. Previous studies have validated the potential of mBD2 vaccines, thus in this study we focus on increasing vaccine efficacy as well as mechanism elucidation. Initially, we demonstrate superior IFN-ã release levels by antigen specific effector T cells when antigen is crosspresented by dendritic cells (DC) which absorbed mBD2 vaccine (mBD2 fused antigen protein) over antigen alone. We move unto an in vivo model and note significant increases in the expansion …

Range Adaptive Proton Therapy For Prostate Cancer, Adam D. Melancon

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Purpose: The rapid distal falloff of a proton beam allows for sparing of normal tissues distal to the target. However proton beams that aim directly towards critical structures are avoided due to concerns of range uncertainties, such as CT number conversion and anatomy variations. We propose to eliminate range uncertainty and enable prostate treatment with a single anterior beam by detecting the proton’s range at the prostate-rectal interface and adaptively adjusting the range in vivo and in real-time.

Materials and Methods: A prototype device, consisting of an endorectal liquid scintillation detector and dual-inverted Lucite wedges for range compensation, was designed …

Osteopontin And Cadherin 11 Are Novel Mediators And Drug Targets For Chronic Lung Diseases, Daniel J. Schneider

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Chronic lung diseases (CLDs) are a considerable source of morbidity and mortality and are thought to arise from dysregulation of normal wound healing processes. An aggressive, feature of many CLDs is pulmonary fibrosis (PF) and is characterized by excess deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins from myofibroblasts in airways. However, factors regulating myofibroblast biology are incompletely understood. Proteins in the cadherin family contribute epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), a suggested source of myofibroblasts. Cadherin 11 (CDH11) contributes to developmental and pathologic processes that parallel those seen in PF and EMT. Utilizing Cdh11 knockout (Cdh11 -/-) mice, the goal of this …

Erasing Boundaries: Masculinities, Sexual Minorities, And Employment Discrimination, Ann C. Mcginley

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This Article analyzes the application of employment discrimination law to sexual minorities-lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender and intersex individuals. It evaluates Title VII and state anti-discrimination laws' treatment of these individuals, and is the first article to use masculinities research, theoretical and empirical, to explain employment discrimination against sexual minorities.

While the Article concludes that new legislation would further the interests of sexual minorities, it posits that it is neither necessary nor sufficient to solving the employment discrimination problems of sexual minorities. A major problem lies in the courts' binary view of sex and gender, a view that identifies men and …

Learned Resourcefulness In Working Women Who Are Poor And Uninsured, Denise Demaria Lucas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Statement of problem. Women with limited resources lack basic health coverage. More women than men are poor. The majority of working women remain in low wage, insecure jobs with little prestige and stability, and no benefits. Low wage earners are at the greatest risk for being uninsured. Being the working poor and without medical insurance is a barrier to health care. The purpose of this descriptive, correlational study was to describe the interrelationships between learned resourcefulness (LR), health status, and well-being (WB) in working women who are poor and uninsured.;Procedure. A convenience sample of 132 working women who were at …

History, Philosophy, And Sociology Of Sport Recommendations For Physical Education Teacher Education, Amanda A. Metcalf

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to determine the essential history, philosophy, and sociology of sport competencies to be used to inform the physical education teacher education undergraduate curriculum. A two-round modified Delphi procedure involved the repeated circulation of a questionnaire to a panel of content experts. The study sample included specialists in history of sport, philosophy of sport, and sociology of sport, experts in the field of physical education teacher education, and school-based physical education practitioners. The Delphi panel members rated each questionnaire item in terms of its theoretical importance and pedagogical relevance using a five-point Likert scale. The …

Ve-Cadherin Expression And Regulation Of Sensitivity To Apoptosis In Philadelphia Chromosome Positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Heather A. O'Leary

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The bone marrow microenvironment serves as the primary site for post-natal hematopoiesis allowing for HSC development and maturation. More specifically, B lineage cells rely on key signals from both the physical and soluble components of the marrow for their survival and maturation. In addition to normal hematopoiesis the bone marrow has been shown to be a sanctuary for leukemic cells, as well as other tumors, that can interact with cues from the microenvironment allowing for their protection during chemotherapy. The studies described in this dissertation focus on two supportive components of the bone marrow microenvironment, osteoblasts and bone marrow stromal …

Factors That Impact West Virginia Head Start Parental Involvement In Early Literacy, Arlene Midget Clausell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The research problem is: Many parents are not involved in their children's early literacy education. Some Head Start parents experience issues that keep them from teaching their children early literacy skills. The research questions were: What are the factors for parental involvement in the support of early literacy skill development for their children? What do parents in Head Start do to support early literacy development in their children? What are the barriers in how parents support literacy development for their children? This research included 392 parents from Head Start centers in West Virginia. Eleven parents participated in focus groups and …

Identifying Infestation Probabilities Of Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus Planipennis, Fairmaire) In The Mid-Atlantic Region, William D. Ayersman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) impacts all species of North American ash trees, and has caused several million dollars (U.S.) in damage to trees across the affected region. EAB is primarily spread through the movement of trees and wood products, such as nursery stock and firewood. This thesis assessed the potential risk of EAB introduction in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S., where the species has not yet been as widely reported. Using a Geographic Information Systems-based approach, a risk prioritization framework was developed to assess and rank various mapped factors for EAB introduction. Results indicated high risk areas throughout the …

Predicting Species Composition In An Eastern Hardwood Forest With The Use Of Digitally Derived Terrain Variables, Richard D. Flanigan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis addresses the need for improved classification of remotely sensed imagery in the complex hardwood forests of West Virginia. A geographic information system (GIS) was used in conjunction with forest plot data to develop a model to predict species composition in the eastern hardwood forest of West Virginia. The study area was located on the West Virginia University Research Forest (WVURF) in northern West Virginia. Terrain variables including aspect, curvature and slope change drastically at a local scale within the forest to greatly influence species composition. Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data was collected for the entire WVURF, which …

A Study Of The Sustainability Of Wild Capture Salmon In The Pacific Northwest, Justin D. Hansen

Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

Breaking Bad News: Exploring Patient's Perspective And Expectations, Sidra Ishaque, Taimur Saleem, Fariha Batool Khawaja, Waris Qidwai

Department of Family Medicine

OBJECTIVE: To explore patient's perspectives and expectations from physicians with respect to breaking of bad news.

METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was carried out in the Community Health Centre of a tertiary care teaching hospital in Pakistan. All consenting individuals from 18 to 60 years of age were interviewed on the basis of a structured, pre-tested questionnaire.

RESULTS: The response rate for this study was 91.3%. A total of 400 respondents completed the full interview. About 60% patients had a fairly accurate idea about the implications of the phrase "bad news". A big proportion (44.1%) of people reported that bad news …

Immunizations And Autism: Educating The Public, Lori L. Slaubaugh

Theses and Dissertations

Research has shown that the avoidance or delay of immunizations can lead to significant outbreaks of diseases previously thought eradicated. Recent outbreaks of diseases, such as measles, have emphasized the need for immunizations to protect each child, which in turn protects the population as a whole. Although research has not substantiated a link between the occurrence of autism and thimerosal , a preservative used in many vaccines since 1930, many parents continue to avoid immunizations out of fear that those containing thimerosal may cause autism in their child. Educating parents on the evidence related to thimerosal as a preservative in …

Regulation Of Cyclin E1 By The Breast Cancer Microenvironment, Yuehan Wu

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

The behavior of breast epithelial cells is influenced by their microenvironment, which includes stromal cells and extracellular matrix. During breast cancer progression, the tissue microenvironment fails to control proliferation, resulting in uncontrolled growth and invasion. Upon invasion, the extracellular matrix encountered by breast cancer cells changes from primarily laminin and collagen IV to primarily collagen I. The current study used a three-dimensional (3D) collagen I culture model to address how the microenvironment controls the breast cancer cell cycle after invasion through the basement membrane. We show that culturing breast cancer cells in 3D collagen I inhibits proliferation through direct regulation …

Adobe Medicus 2010 3 May-June, Health Sciences Library And Informatics Center

adobe medicus

No abstract provided.

Energy Restriction During Development In Breeding Gilts: An Economic Analysis, Justin Cech

Department of Agricultural Economics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Swine production has become a low-margin business. As costs of production have increased, producers are continuing to increase efficiency in market pig production and gilt development. Restricting energy intake during gilt development could have a positive impact on a producer’s bottom line, but few studies have economically analyzed production differences caused by energy restriction. This study utilized gilt development and market pig production data from biological studies that included a 2x2 factorial arrangement of half-sibling maternal lines (LWxLR and L45X) entering two gilt development programs. In one program, gilts were fed on an ad libitum basis. In the other, gilts …

Algorithms For Self-Healing Networks, Amitabh Trehan

Computer Science ETDs

Many modern networks are reconfigurable, in the sense that the topology of the network can be changed by the nodes in the network. For example, peer-to-peer, wireless and ad-hoc networks are reconfigurable. More generally, many social networks, such as a company's organizational chart; infrastructure networks, such as an airline's transportation network; and biological networks, such as the human brain, are also reconfigurable. Modern reconfigurable networks have a complexity unprecedented in the history of engineering, resembling more a dynamic and evolving living animal rather than a structure of steel designed from a blueprint. Unfortunately, our mathematical and algorithmic tools have not …

"By Any Means Necessary": The Lincoln, Nebraska, Ywca Confronts Racism, 1970–1984, Brianna Jo Theobald

Department of History: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis documents the struggle of the Lincoln, Nebraska Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) to implement a national organizational policy that mandated an aggressive stand toward the elimination of racism within the organization and the larger community. The study reveals the limitations of the colorblind discourse espoused by YWCA women in the early 1970s and examines some key changes that were made in the following decade that allowed the Lincoln organization to join cause with national movements in the fight to eliminate racism. Thus, the study offers an analysis of efforts to undertake antiracist action in a predominantly white environment. …

No Patent For You! How Ksr V. Teleflex's Nonobviousness Test Conflicts With The Scientific Method And Removes The Incentive To Innovate, Rebecca Greendyke

University of Dayton Law Review

No abstract provided.

Crop Size, Ripening, And Fruit Removal In Solanum Umbellatum (Solanaceae) By Phyllostomid Bats, May 2010, Eleanor Caves

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Effective seed dispersal is of primary importance to most plants. Maximum dispersal should result from a larger fruit crop, since large fruit crops are more obvious to frugivores; however, producing too many fruits can be detrimental to dispersal as it satiates the frugivore. Thus, plants must strike the proper balance to maximize dispersal. I examine the effects of ripe fruit density, ripe fruit number, and fruit crop size within infructescences on fruit removal probabilities (FRPs) of wild Solanum umbellatum in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Further, I examine preferences of frugivorous Phyllostomid bats for various proportions of ripe fruits. Each day, the …

Community Composition And Chlorophyll Levels In Lichens As Indicators Of Atmospheric Pollution In Monteverde, Costa Rica, May 2010, Kathryn A. Graziano

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Lichens and their photosynthetic pigments are commonly used as bioindicators of atmospheric pollutants. This study compared lichen community structure and chlorophyll levels between two sites in the Monteverde region, Costa Rica, to determine the effect of local pollution. The first site, Santa Elena, is rapidly becoming more populated as a result of an increase in ecotourism, leading to heavy vehicle traffic. The other site, Bajo del Tigre, is secondary forest surrounded by a sparsely populated area far removed from automobile exhaust. Lichen samples were collected from each site. Chlorophyll was extracted with 90 percent acetone and degradation was measured as …

Greater Diversity Of Fungi On Atlantic Slope Of Costa Rican Cloud Forest, May 2010, Joshua Obermeyer

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Biodiversity in much of the Neotropics is impacted by windward/leeward effects. North East trade winds dump moisture as they hit the mountains, creating a wetter Atlantic slope, and a drier more seasonal Pacific slope. These factors often favor higher biodiversity for a given taxon on the Atlantic slope. Fungi were collected between the two slopes of the Monteverde Cloud Forest. A total of 130 fungi specimens were collected from 1550 meters on both slopes of the Continental Divide to 1750 m. As predicted, fungal species richness (Pacific = 24 species, Atlantic = 39 species), abundance (Pacific = 40, Atlantic = …