Digital Commons Network^™

Role Of Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase (Erk) In Regulation Of Intestinal Epithelial Tight Junctions, Sudhir Aggarwal

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Evidence indicates that MAP kinase (ERK1/2) is involved in regulation of epithelial tight junctions. There are different opinions expressed by investigators as to whether ERK disrupts the junctions or protects them. ERK has also been demonstrated to mediate the EGF-caused protection of the intestinal epithelial tight junctions (TJ) from hydrogen peroxide. Studies using pharmacological inhibitors have shown that EGF increases Thr-phosphorylation of occludin by a MAP kinase-dependent mechanism. This study aimed at looking at the role of ERK in regulation of tight junctions using pharmacological and molecular techniques.

Hypothesis: ERK protects tight junctions in differentiated Caco-2 cells, while it is …

Interactions Of Francisella Tularensis With Components Of The Host Fibrinolytic System, Shawn Russell Clinton

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Francisella tularensis (FT) is a Gram-negative coccobacillus and causative agent of a life-threatening disease commonly referred to as tularemia. Due to the highly infectious nature of the organism, its previous development as a biowarfare agent and its potential use in acts of bioterrorism, this bacterium is listed as a Category A select agent by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Efforts to understand the pathogenic mechanisms of FT within the host environment are vital for the development of safe and effective vaccines, as well as treatments, against tularemia. Though considered an intracellular pathogen, FT research of late has …

First Generation Hispanic High School Students Going To College: Experiences That Support Decisions And College Going Pathways, Norma Ibarra-Cantú

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

In this study I examined the question: How do first generation Hispanic high school students decide to attend college? To understand how the students made college decisions and what supported their pursuit of college aspirations, I interviewed six Hispanic high school students from five different high schools in a south Texas-Mexico border town. Student participants were the first generation in their immediate family to graduate from high school and to consider going to college. I conducted qualitative open-ended interviews with each of the participants and used inductive multilayered analyses to identify how students made decisions to attend college and how …

Avid Through Student Perspectives: A Qualitative Study On Avid Students' Experiences In The Program, Aidee Vasquez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of this research was to examine how Hispanic high school students represent their experiences in one college readiness program, Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), which is designed to prepare students in the academic middle for four-year college. Utilizing social and cultural capital theories, I examined student perspectives on the supports AVID provided for them to gain the social and cultural capital needed for success in school and entry to college. I conducted eight forty-five minute semistructured interviews grounded in an ethnographic perspective. Eight participating AVID students came from low socioeconomic backgrounds, were Hispanics in the academic middle (GPA …

Design And Implementation Of An Actively Adjustable Spring Mechanism Via Redundant Actuation, Eleazar Marquez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study presents the theoretical results and experimental validation of an adjustable stiffness mechanism. The use of redundant actuation is emphasized in the design of a one-degree-of-freedom Watt II mechanism capable of independently controlling the effective stiffness without a change in equilibrium position. This approach is in contrast to previous spring mechanism designs unable to actively control the spring rate independent of deflection, and has potential applications in various types of suspension and assembly systems. Results indicate that driving the redundantly actuated, unidirectional, spring mechanism requires attaching two direct brush-type direct current motors on each of the two grounded revolute …

A Study Of The Effect Of Vibration On Railroad Bearing Temperature, Bertha Alicia Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

An on-track collaborative field test and laboratory experiments were conducted in order to determine the relationship between abrupt rises in surface temperature of a railroad bearing and vibration signatures captured during the experiments. The collaborative field test was conducted in order to investigate the root cause for this abrupt temperature change known as bearing temperature trending. The research presented in this thesis will show that temperature trending is correlated to an increase in the magnitude of vibration within the bearing and the fundamental frequencies that are generated by the internal components of a rotating bearing assembly. Distinct vibration mechanisms are …

Valley Palm, Melissa E. King

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

In the critical introduction of this thesis, I explore how choices and consequences affect a life, my life. This leads to a discussion of the struggle I had with labeling my work nonfiction. I also explore the effect structure has on the narrative arc and characters in a work, and discuss my process of deciding on a form for my creative thesis. Highlighted in this discussion is the influence of feminism and feminist authors. Finally, I intimate my issues with my cultural identity, and how this is reflected in my story and my place in the literary world. These are …

Photolithographic Fabrication Of 3d Penrose-Like Quasi-Photonic Crystal Polymeric Templates Utilizing Lab-Made Phasemask, Faraon Torres-Lazos

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Photonic crystals (PhC) have recently become of great interest because of their potential as replacement of electronics and/or supplement to semiconductors technology. The PhC’s capability to make compact integrated optical circuits has already made possible the laboratory manufacture of an array of different types of optical waveguides, cavities and filters. The work presented here aimed to simultaneously fabricate a 3D-PhC templates employing six-beam holographic lithography. The basic procedures included recording gratings using interference field of laser sources in a photoresist coating on a glass substrate. The manufacturing method utilized only one optical element, a phasemask, drastically reducing the complexity of …

Estampas De Mi Tierra- Vignettes Of My Land, Angel Berrios

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

With the intention of expressing my heritage, I have recalled all of my artistic knowledge in order to create this series of art works. I am very much in agreement with the route of artistic expression that I have followed in order to capture these images. I have given form to my message by following a technique involving the application of a combination of strokes and dots of color. I do not have, nor did I use photographs or any other visual resource to aid me in the creation of these paintings. I am solely inspired by my ideals as …

Photonic Crystal Design And Fabrication Assisted By Tunable Femtosecond Oscillator Laser, Kristofer B. Ohlinger

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Photonic Crystals have the potential for engineered light interaction as directed by the photonic bandgap, a property that details the prohibited propagation region and ultimately the ability to guide light. A so called, photonics-on-chip, would incorporate arbitrary light guiding with functional elements in one package. The realization of such a device is subject to the fabrication paradigms implemented and this thesis is concerned with holographic lithography as a means for creating polymer photonics crystal templates and two-photon polymerization for incorporating light guiding pathways.

In this thesis, the design of the to-be-fabricated structures has been co-opted by computational exploration of the …

Poeta Power: The Poetic Journey Of La Erika: Poems, Erika Marie Garza-Johnson

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This is a collection of poetry set in the borderlands of deep South Texas. The poems take as their subject Chican@ identity, family, the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, Edcouch-Elsa, Texas, cancer, sexuality, Chicana feminism, childbirth and children, marriage, education, folklore, epithets, among others. As a cycle, they represent the poet‘s development through key stages in her life, including childbirth, marriage, and death of a parent. Many poems in this collection also reflect the linguistic diversity of the U.S.-Mexico border through the poet’s use of code-switching and Tex Mex.

Entrepreneurship In Multinational Corporations And Capability Development Of Domestic Firms: An Exploratory Study In The Us-Mexico Border Region, Jung-Hoon Lim

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This dissertation explores the relationship between entrepreneurship and capability development in emerging markets. This study focuses on entrepreneurial activities in multinational corporations (MNCs) in emerging markets. Maquila plants and local Mexican suppliers located in (or near) Reynosa, Tamaulipas are investigated. The results from 34 interviews of a sample local Mexican supplier, maquila plant, local government, local university and Reynosa Asociación de Maquiladoras y Manufactureras, A.C. (RAMMAC) suggest that the entrepreneurship in the maquila plants occurs through the continuous improvement in the manufacturing process. The purpose is primarily efficiency and quality. The border economy that is primarily driven by the economic …

Investigating Heavy Metal Accumulation And Oxidative Stress Tolerance Of Non-Accumulators And Hyperaccumulators In The Brassicaceae Plant Family, Fritzie Joy Into

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Physiological and enzymatic analysis indicated that the non-accumulator A. thaliana showed an oxidative stress response in all assays except for protein carbonylation. Other non-accumulator plant species showed a significant difference in oxidative stress response in the TBARS assay; however, for some assays no stress response was evident. The hyperaccumulator plant species showed no significant difference in oxidative stress as indicated by the all of the assays with the exception of T. montanum var. montanum which showed an oxidative stress response in the SOD assay. Basal catalase enzyme activity was notably higher in the hyperaccumulators T. montanum var. montanum and T. …

Spectral Reflectance As An Indicator Of Foliar Concentrations Of Arsenic In Common Sunflower (Helianthus Annuus), Yuridia Patricia Peralta De Gandy

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Studies were conducted to investigate the use of spectral reflectance by foliage of common sunflower as a potential indicator of arsenic contamination of soil. Germination method was developed for sunflower seeds, and cohorts of sunflower seedlings in hydroponic tanks were established. The cohorts were exposed to 0 ppm, 5 ppm, 7.5 ppm, and 10 ppm treatments of As (V) and reflectance measurements of foliage were collected using a spectroradiometer during two experiments.Results demonstrated the feasibility of using spectral reflectance by foliage of common sunflower as a potential indicator of arsenic contamination. In both experiments, arsenic concentrations in leaf tissues were …

An Investigation Of High School Dual Enrollment Participation And Allied Health Program Enrollment In A South Texas University, Martina Flores

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The shortage of allied health professionals has caught the attention of legislators and higher education institution administrators. The current study used a concurrent embedded mixed method design to investigate factors that motivated students to participate in health science technology (HST) dual enrollment courses while still in high school. It sought to identify the factors or variables students believed helped them be successful in the health science courses. Additionally, the quantitative portion of the study investigated academic achievement as a function of high school achievement (HSAch), high school performance (HSPerf), Aptitude (Apt), and ProActive measures taken by students. Two focus groups …

Majoritarian Difficulty And Theories Of Constitutional Decision Making, Michael C. Dorf

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

Recent scholarship in political science and law challenges the view that judicial review in the United States poses what Alexander Bickel famously called the "counter-majoritarian difficulty." Although courts do regularly invalidate state and federal action on constitutional grounds, they rarely depart substantially from the median of public opinion. When they do so depart, if public opinion does not eventually come in line with the judicial view, constitutional amendment, changes in judicial personnel, and/or changes in judicial doctrine typically bring judicial understandings closer to public opinion. But if the modesty of courts dissolves Bickel's worry, it raises a distinct one: Are …

The Impact Of Network Parameters On The Quality Of Voice Calls In Voice Over Internet Protocol (Voip) Services, Olugbenga Bamidele Olumuyiwa

Theses (Pre-2016)

Many residential as well as business customers have been switching to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone services. VoIP phone services are based on the transmission of voice over packet switched IP networks. VoIP customers use their internet connection not only to connect to the Internet but also to make phone calls. VoIP service providers have always faced the challenge of providing customers with good call quality even though the IP network that carries call traffic does not provide any Quality of Service (QoS) guarantees. Delays, packet loss, jitter, and out of sequence packets are some sources of poor VoIP …

Grand Jury Innovation: Toward A Functional Makeover Of The Ancient Bulwark Of Liberty, Roger Fairfax

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

The grand jury is a "much maligned" organ of the criminal justice system.' Regularly employed in only about half of the states and grudgingly tolerated in the federal system,2 the American grand jury for two centuries has been criticized as costly, ineffective, overly-compliant, and redundant. Prescriptions have ranged from reforms designed to improve the grand jury's performance of its traditional filtering and charging functions to the outright abolition of the grand jury. Consequently, much of the scholarly defense of the grand jury seemingly has done little more than attempt to justify its very existence.

This Article seeks to take the …

Patients Reasons For Choosing Office-Based Buprenorphine: Preference For Patient-Centered Care, P. Todd Korthuis, Jessica Gregg, Wendy E. Rogers, Dennis Mccarty, Christina Nicolaidis, Joshua Boverman

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objectives - To explore HIV-infected patients' attitudes about buprenorphine treatment in office-based and opioid treatment program (OTP) settings.

Methods - We conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with 29 patients with co-existing HIV infection and opioid dependence seeking buprenorphine maintenance therapy in office-based and OTP settings. We used thematic analysis of transcribed audiorecorded interviews to identify themes.

Results - Patients voiced a strong preference for office-based treatment. Four themes emerged to explain this preference. First, patients perceived the greater convenience of office-based treatment as improving their ability to address HIV and other healthcare issues. Second, they perceived a strong patient-focused orientation in …

Increased Intracellular Iron And Mineralization Of Cultured Hfob 1.19 Cells Following Hepcidin Activation Through Ferroportin-1, Peng Zhang, You-Jia Xu, Dong-Yang Zhao, Yong Ma, Li Xiao, Yu-Shuang Feng, Ben-Cai Du, Zhong-Ming Qian, Kai Li

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To address whether hepcidin functions in bone metabolism. METHODS: This study was carried out in the Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Public Health of Soochow University, and the Laboratory of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China, from September 2009 to July 2010. The positive expression of ferroportin-1 (Fpn-1) was detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. After the treatment with distilled water (control group) and hepcidin (25noml/L, 50noml/L, 100noml/L), the fluorescence intensity related to intracellular iron concentration of a human fetal osteoblast cell line (hFOB 1.19) was measured by a confocal laser scanning microscope. A 3-(4,5- dimethylthiazol-2-yl) …

Antimicrobial-Resistant Bacteria In A General Intensive Care Unit In Saudi Arabia, Nermin K. Saeed, Abdulmageed M. Kambal, Noura A. El-Khizzi

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria causing infections in patients at the intensive care units (ICUs) of Riyadh Military Hospital (RMH), as well as their antimicrobial resistance patterns for one year. METHODS: A retrospective, cohort investigation was performed. Laboratory records from January to December 2009 were studied for the prevalence of MDR Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria and their antimicrobial resistance in ICU patients from RMH, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. RESULTS: A total of 1210 isolates were collected from various specimens such as: respiratory (469), blood (400), wound/tissue (235), urinary (56), nasal swabs (35), and cerebro-spinal …

Health Care Provider's Role In Facing The Future Burden Of Breast Cancer In Saudi, Samia M. Al-Amoudi, Wafa A. Sait, Hassan S. Abduljabbar

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of health care professionals on the early detection of breast cancer. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Jeddah and Abha regions of Saudi Arabia from May to November 2009. A detailed questionnaire was distributed to 500 doctors from different hospitals. The questionnaire contained items on the practice of clinical breast examination and mammogram examination, and the doctor9s perception of their roles in education. RESULTS: The results of 337 questionnaires analyzed indicated that most health care professionals do not practice clinical breast examination and mammography, and the perception of their roles in …

Utility Of Feeding Priority As A Measure Of Dominance In Garnett's Bushbaby (Otolemur Garnettii), Kyle Daniel Edens

Master's Theses

The current study examined dominance behaviors in bushbabies and examined whether feeding priority (i.e., first access to a food source) is a viable measure of dominance. Several measures of dominance were employed. Among the measures of dominance investigated were agonistic interactions, grooming, displacement, and deference of space. The results indicated that females initiated more agonistic interactions than males, but the other measures of dominance did not support the hypothesis that females were the dominant sex. The results were partially consistent with the hypothesis that feeding priority is a viable measure of dominance in that females obtained feeding priority in the …

"For Such Is A Friend Now": Reflection And Revision In Shakespeare's Comic Friendships, Leah Rainell Boudreaux

Master's Theses

In early modem England, "friendship" was a term both flexible and deeply fraught. It could apply to a wide range of relationships, including, for example, those between family members, lords and tenants, or male members of the aristocracy. The ideals associated with friendship at that time had a profound impact on the way that the relationship was represented both in a historical and literary sense. During that time, William Shakespeare crafted remarkable and resonating depictions of friendship which have endured the through the ages. The distinction between Shakespeare's work and the work of other early modem writers lies in the …

Preserving Republican Governance: An Essential Government Functions Exception To Direct Democratic Measures, William R. Leinen

William & Mary Law Review

No abstract provided.

Reducing Alcohol Risk In Adjudicated Male College Students: Further Validation Of A Group Motivational Enhancement Intervention, Joseph W. Labrie, Jessica Cail, Eric R. Pedersen, Savannah Migliuri

Heads Up!

This study examined the effectiveness of a single-session group motivational enhancement alcohol intervention on adjudicated male college students. Over two sequential academic years, 230 students sanctioned by the university for alcohol-related infractions attended a 60- to 75-minute group intervention. The intervention consisted of a timeline followback, social norms education, decisional balance for behavioral change, blood alcohol content (BAC) information, expectancy challenge, and generation of behavioral goals. Participants were followed weekly for three months and showed reductions in drinking (29%) and alcohol-related consequences (32%) at three-month follow-up. The intervention was successful in reducing drinking for both first-year students and upperclassmen, with …

Sexual Experience And Risky Alcohol Consumption Among Incoming First-Year College Females, Joseph W. Labrie, Shannon R. Kenney, Savannah Millbury, Andrew Lac

Heads Up!

This study examines the relationship between sexual experience and various drinking measures in 550 incoming first-year college females. During this transition period, sexually experienced participants reported stronger alcohol expectancies and endorsed higher drinking motives, and drank more frequently and in greater quantities than sexually inexperienced participants. Sexual status was also a significant predictor of alcohol-related nonsexual consequences, over and above amount consumed. Furthermore, controlling for drinking, sexual status moderated the relationship between coping motives and consequences. Among women who endorsed strong coping motives for drinking, sexual experience was linked to greater nonsexual alcohol-related consequences. Implications for prevention and intervention are …

Factors Associated With General And Sexual Alcohol-Related Consequences: An Examination Of College Students Studying Abroad, Justin F. Hummer, Eric R. Pedersen, Tehniat Mirza, Joseph W. Labrie

Heads Up!

This study contributes to the scarce research on U.S. college students studying abroad by documenting general and sexual negative alcohol-related risks and factors associated with such risk. The manner of drinking (quantity vs. frequency), predeparture expectations surrounding alcohol use while abroad, culture-related social anxiety, and perceived disparity between home and host cultures differentially predicted consequences abroad. The findings include important implications for student affairs professionals in developing study abroad–specific interventions and resources to maintain student well-being while abroad.

Recognition Of Posed And Spontaneous Dynamic Smiles In Younger And Older Adults, Nora A. Murphy, Jonathan M. Lehrfeld, Derek M. Isaacowitz

Psychological Science Faculty Works

In two studies, we investigated age effects in the ability to recognize dynamic posed and spontaneous smiles. Study 1 found that both younger and older adult participants were above-chance in their ability to distinguish between posed and spontaneous younger adult smiles. Study 2 found that younger adult participant performance declined when judging a combination of both younger and older adult target smiles, while older adult participants outperformed younger adult participants in distinguishing between posed and spontaneous smiles. A synthesis of results across the two studies showed a small-to-medium age effect (d = −0.40) suggesting an older adult advantage when …

Book Review: Tacos And Tacquerias In North Cackalacky, Katie Case

Southern Anthropologist

Review of The Latino Migration Experience in North Carolina: New Roots in the Old North State / Hannah Gill. (2010, University of North Carolina Press) by Katie Case, Georgia State University