Digital Commons Network^™

Neuropathological Diagnosis Of Alzheimer's Disease: The Relationship Between Postmortem Assessment, Cognitive Function And Functional Status In Centenarians, Emily Elizabeth Richardson

Wayne State University Theses

Several sets of neuropathological criteria have been used for the postmortem diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease (AD), but few studies have examined these criteria in the oldest old. For this study, we examined a sample of centenarians, all of whom received AD assessments using four different neuropathological criteria: Khachaturian, Braak and Braak, CERAD, and NIA-R. Findings indicate that NIA-R criteria differed significantly from CERAD and Khachaturian criteria. In addition, NIA-R and CERAD criteria predicted performance on the MMSE and three FOME indices; Braak and Braak criteria predicted performance on the MMSE and one FOME index. Finally, we examined the relationship between …

Effects Of Dietary Fat Saturation On Lipoprotein Metabolism In Rodents And Humans, Deepinder Kaur

Wayne State University Dissertations

Consumption of trans-fatty acids (tFA) and saturated fatty acids (SFA) have been associated with higher incidence of coronary heart disease. Experimental and observational data suggests that consumption of PHVO containing tFA, like SFA leads to increased total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) but compared to tFA, SFA raises HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C). An attempt to eliminate PHVO from the food supply has resulted in the need to find alternatives which despite their higher dietary fat saturation as compared to naturally occurring vegetable oils, may be preferable to PHVO. However, amongst SFA, the effects on plasma lipoproteins are variable. Thus, we hypothesized that specific …

Analysis Of The Streptococcal Cpsa Protein In Dna-Binding And Regulation Of Capsule And Cell Wall Maintenance, Brett R. Hanson

Wayne State University Dissertations

The systemic pathogens Streptococcus agalactiae (GBS) and Streptococcus pneumoniae remain a significant threat to human health worldwide. The ability of these organisms to cause systemic disease is compounded by the production of a polysaccharide capsule that provides immune evasion function. The production of the polysaccharide capsule in systemic streptococcal pathogens is controlled in part by the membrane bound protein CpsA. These studies analyze the contribution of CpsA to regulation of capsule level in the model aquatic pathogen Streptococcus iniae and human specific pathogen GBS, and how this regulation affects virulence in in-vitro, ex-vivo, and in-vivo models of pathogenesis. We have …

Citizens For Peace Minutes 8-9-11, Linda J. Lieder

Citizens for Peace

No abstract provided.

“All May Visit The Big Camp”: Race And The Lessons Of The Civil War At The 1913 Gettysburg Reunion, Evan Preston

The Gettysburg College Journal of the Civil War Era

Shaping historical memory means extracting lessons from the past. Those lessons frame the debate about the nature of the present. Just months after the inauguration of Woodrow Wilson, the attention of most of the nation focused on the events scheduled to commemorate the semi-centennial of what was by then increasingly viewed as “the turning point” of the Civil War. The reunion at Gettysburg in 1913 constituted the contemporary public exegesis of the status of American memory of the Civil War. In this respect, the reunion in Gettysburg reflected the erasure of the legacy of emancipation and the unfulfilled promise of …

Development And Bioavailability/Bioequivalence Of A Fixed-Dose Combination Antiretroviral Reconstitutable Suspension Intended For Pediatrics, Fredrick Esseku

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation was designed to develop and assess bioavailability/ bioequivalence of age-appropriate fixed-dose combination granules of lamivudine/zidovudine/nevirapine as reconstitutable suspension for pediatrics for use in pediatric patients. The granules were developed via roller compaction process to improve granule flow characteristics, minimize segregation of the multi-component active pharmaceutical ingredients, and avoid introducing moisture into the formulation and thereby improve the stability of the product. Optimization of the roller compaction process for the roll pressure and the ratio of the horizontal feed screw speed to the roll speed showed that these parameters had minimal effect on granule quality. Subsequently, a replicated 32 …

Application Of Speciated Isotopes Dilution Mass Spectronmetry To The Assessment Of Human Health And Toxic Exposure, Timothy Fahrenholz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous work by our research group demonstrated that quantitative chemical analysis of analytes, such as mercury and chromium species, in environmental matrices could be successfully carried out without using calibration curves and with correction for species interconversion by using EPA Method 6800A. This method encompasses isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS) and speciated isotope dilution mass spectrometry (SIDMS), both of which are described in detail in chapter 1. Research described in this dissertation expands upon our earlier work by applying the method to the speciation of mercury in biological matrices, the speciation of glutathione in red blood cells and whole blood, …

Three States Of The Mind's Eye, Lindsay Huddleston

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Three States of the Mind's Eye is a multimedia work composed of music, poetry, and video. The purpose of the work is to examine attributes of three different abstract states of mind: the dream, paranoia, and courage. The musical score both tells its own story as well as enhances the visuals and poetry as they are presented. This document will discuss the ideas behind the work, how the composer went about creating each section and combining them, and will provide musical excerpts, the poetry itself and other visual examples. All sounds for the project are synthetic or sampled and the …

P,P' Dde Regulated Gene Expression And Possible Mechanisms Of Action In Breast Tumor, Nakpangi Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: The synthetic insecticide DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) has been speculated to increase breast cancer risk due to its environmental persistence, levels of bioaccumulation in breast adipose tissue, and endocrine disrupting actions. Epidemiological studies have had inconsistent findings, however a study in MMTV-neu mice determined that localized, developmental exposure to the reported anti-androgen p,p' DDE accelerated mammary tumor development. This study tested the potential cancer-promoting actions of p,p' DDE, the most prevalent and persistent DDT metabolite.

Objectives: To identify and characterize the expression of p,p' DDE -regulated genes to determine how developmental exposure may influence mammary tissue to promote tumor formation. Methods: …

Daily Nocturnal Melatonin Supplementation In Perimenopausal Women: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study Examining The Effects Of Melatonin On Bone Health And Quality Of Life, Mary Kotlarczyk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the effects of nightly melatonin supplementation on primary endpoints of bone health and secondary endpoints of quality of life in perimenopausal women.

Methods: A total of 18 perimenopausal women were randomized to receive melatonin, 3 mg p.o., (n=13) or placebo (n=5) nightly for six months. Bone density was measured by calcaneal ultrasound. Osteocalcin (OC), a bone formation marker, and amino-terminal cross-linking telopeptide of type I collagen (NTX), a bone resorption marker, were measured in serum samples taken bimonthly to assess changes in bone turnover. Participants completed the Menopause-Specific Quality of …

Development Of Topical Ophthalmic In Situ Gel-Forming Estradiol Delivery System Intended For The Prevention Of Age-Related Cataracts, Udaya Kanth Kotreka

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The increased risk of cataracts in aging women versus men, the reduced risk in women on hormone replacement therapy, and studies in animal models suggest that estrogen may protect lens transparency. To use estrogen for cataract prevention, we hypothesized that an ophthalmic estradiol in situ gel-forming formulation would be more effective for inducing lenticular estrogen responses without undesired uterine stimulation associated with systemic delivery. The following aims tested this hypothesis: 1) to develop an ophthalmic in situ gel-forming estradiol delivery system that is stable and safe; 2) to determine if ocular estrogen formulation was more effective than systemic therapy in …

Structural Determinants For Inhibitor Recognition By The Dopamine Transporter, Yi Liu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The dissertation will give an introduction, background and our research progress in the areas of dopamine transporter (DAT). A 3-D DAT computer model was generated in our laboratory based on the X-ray crystal structure of the bacterial leucine transporter LeuT, a distant homolog of DAT. The ability of this LeuTAa-based 3-D DAT computer model to identify specific DAT residues involved in inhibitor recognition was assessed through site-directed mutagenesis and subsequent pharmacologic characterization in the present study. Feedback from these experiments confirmed some of the suggestion from the DAT model, which is encouraging that the comparative DAT model is valid to …

The Contribution Of Foundational New Testament Theological Themes To The Meaning Of Basic Bioethics Principles, R. Dennis Macaleer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Beauchamp and Childress' Principles of Biomedical Ethics is a well accepted approach to contemporary bioethics. Those principles are based on what Beauchamp and Childress call the common morality. This dissertation employs New Testament theological themes to enhance the meaning of contemporary principles of bioethics. Beginning with the incarnation in the New Testament, the invitation-response hermeneutic is developed as a hermeneutic to use in studying the New Testament. The primary New Testament text for this study is the twin commands from Jesus to love God and love one's neighbor. Three theological themes are developed from this study and these three themes …

Cyanate Formation Following 2-Chloroacrylonitrile Exposure And The Role Of Cytochrome P-450, Paul Malichky

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

2-Chloroacrylonitrile (2-CAN) is a volatile, toxic chemical used as a raw material to manufacture pesticides. Although the toxic mechanism is not fully understood, the hypothesis in the literature is that 2-CAN may be metabolized to cyanide. An understanding of the mechanism of 2-CAN toxicity will permit more appropriate treatments in the event of an accidental exposure.

Four groups of male Sprague-Dawley rats were given intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections. Group 1 was a control that received only saline. Group 2 received 40 mg/kg of 2-CAN. Group 3 received 100 mg/kg of 5-phenyl-1-pentyne (5P1P) an inhibitor of cytochrome P-450. Group 4 received 100 …

Worktime In The United States Steel Industry, 1870-1939, Jared Mansfield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The iron and steel industry was rapidly changing between 1870 and 1939. The decline of iron and the rise of steel, coupled with technological developments and new immigration trends, brought about a new industry at the end of the nineteenth century that was starkly different from just a few decades earlier. The industry was much more mechanized and a larger part of it consisted of continuous production. Its workers were much less skilled and tended to work longer. This thesis follows the changing nature of worktime in this period, as more workers remained on the job longer with the growing …

Measuring Prosocial Behavior Through The Implementation Of A Violence Prevention Intervention, Erin Lindsey Martin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Childhood aggression is the best-known behavioral predictor of future social adjustment difficulties. Children with early onset aggression are likely to engage in aggressive behavior throughout the life course (Hester, Baltodano, Gable, & Tonelson, 2003). Early aggressive behavior is also strongly associated with later criminal behavior and deviant peer relations, poor school achievement, school dropout, and unemployment (Haemaelaeinen & Pulkinnen, 1996; Hay & Pawlby, 2003; Kokko, Tremblay, Lacourse, Nagin, & Vitaro, 2006; Scourfield, John, Martin, & McGuffin, 2004). Recently, researchers have focused on determining the positive behaviors that could potentially stop aggressive situations from progressing. These helping behaviors are defined broadly …

Determination Of Trivalent And Hexavalent Chromium With Mass Balance In Dietary Supplements Using Speciated Isotope Dilution Mass Spectrometry, Naudia Martone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In order to assess the benefit or toxicity of chromium in dietary supplements, trivalent chromium and hexavalent chromium must be measured and verified with mass balance (sum of both species equaling total chromium). This is necessary because dietary supplements report trivalent chromium, an essential trace element, as an ingredient, but hexavalent chromium, a toxic carcinogen, may also be present. Because trivalent chromium is stable in acidic conditions and hexavalent chromium in alkaline conditions, interconversions between species occur and increase the difficulty of quantification. Therefore, EPA Method 3060A was first performed to extract hexavalent chromium. Then, EPA Method 3052 was performed …

Graduate Recital, Collaborative Piano, Catherine Muldowney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Throughout my graduate work, I focused on studying the music of Brahms and the differences between solo music, chamber music, and vocal music. The art songs found in this program portray a variety of tempos and characters, and when combined with the selected solo piano pieces, they show the journey of love. Beginning with Serious Song No. 4, Brahms shows us that love is the greatest gift. Then, he leads us through the journey of love through a child's eyes, O wüsst' ich doch den Weg; new love, Meine Liebe ist grün; married love, Das Mädchen spricht; the first signs …

Wallace Stegner's Wolf Willow And 1960s Critical Essays: Renarrativizing Western American Literature For The West And For America, Ruth Newberry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As writer, essayist, environmentalist, and westerner, Wallace Earle Stegner (1909-1993) confronted what he understood to be an imagined and literal American West constructed by myths of frontier conquest, pioneer settlement in and transformation of the western landscape, and cowboy exceptionalism that erased an historical legacy of hardship, failure, and destruction of land and people, and also a West constructed by Eastern publishers and literary critics who diminished western American literature to local color writing. In Wolf Willow: A History, a Story, and a Memory of the Last Plains Frontier (1962), Stegner uses fiction, history, and memoir to engage the mythic …

Attachment And Anxiety In Aggressive Children And Adolescents, Erinn Obeldobel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is rising concern among the general public regarding childhood aggression and its impact on society. This study sought to further the understanding of childhood aggression by examining the variables of anxiety and current attachment in an aggressive population of youth. There is a substantial body of research that relates poor attachment to aggressive-related behaviors (e.g., Allen, Hauser, Borman-Spurrell, 1996; Gacono & Meloy, 1994; Meesters & Muris, 2002; NICHD-ECCRN, 2006; Simons, Paternite, & Shore, 2001). In comparison to the research on the relationship between attachment and aggression in children and adolescents, the relationship between anxiety and aggression is more contradictory …

Optimization Of Calcium Aluminate For Use As A Bone Scaffold Material Through Physical And Chemical Surface Modification, Rachelle Nicole Palchesko

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Calcium aluminates were tested as biomaterials and show promise as bone scaffolds. Initial concerns of biocompatibility led the field to focus on calcium phosphates. Here, the work focused on improving the biocompatibility and creating an optimized calcium aluminate biomaterial. To accomplish this, the physical and interfacial properties of the material were varied. The physical properties of the calcium aluminate were varied through the room temperature casting procedure and five different mixtures were created and evaluated for mechanical strength and biotolerability. The results showed that the optimal mixture had an average pore size of approximately 100 µm and that autoclaving the …

Acts Of Nature, Rebecca Tavernini

All NMU Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Methods To Increase Temozolomide Sensitivity In Glioblastoma Multiforme: Manipulating Parp-1 And Mgmt, Vanessa Loraine Thibado

All NMU Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Regulation Of Membrane-Type 1 Matrix Metalloproteinase Abundance By Selective Modulation Of Microrna-133a, Adam William Akerman

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Background: A significant increase in the myocardial abundance of Membrane-Type 1 Matrix Metalioproteinase (MT1-MMP) has been identified in patients suffering Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM). These increased levels likely contribute to DCM; however, the molecular basis for up-regulation of MT1-MMP in the context of DCM remains unknown. Of significant relevance, microRNAs fine-tune protein translation by interrupting ribonucleoprotein:mRNA complexes, inducing degradation, or more commonly, translational repression of the message. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify an endogenous microRNA responsible for the specific alterations correlating with disease state, and demonstrate a method of translational regulation of MT1-MMP. Methods and results: To …

Thinking About Peace, Conflict, And War: An Introduction To The Special Issue, Sondra J. Fogel, Daniel Liechty

Social Work Faculty Publications

This special issue had humble beginnings. As a matter of fact, odds were stacked against it, especially given that the original plan for this topic was for a panel discussion based on submitted work to the 2009 Society for the Study of Social Problems (SSSP) Conference. However, not one abstract was received for this topic. I found this quite curious and alarming since at that time this country was engaged in two wars, there was continuous media coverage around "terrorist" activities, and we were experiencing frequent changes to our daily routines based on new security measures. Anti-war protestors were growing …

Forum, Federalism, And Free Markets: An Empirical Study Of Judicial Behavior Under The Dormant Commerce Clause Doctrine, Mehmet K. Konar-Steenberg, Anne F. Peterson

Faculty Scholarship

This study examines judicial behavior under the dormant Commerce Clause doctrine by drawing on an original database of 459 state and Federal appellate cases decided between 1970 and 2009. The authors use logit regression to show that state judges are more likely to uphold state and local laws against dormant Commerce Clause attack than their Federal judicial counterparts, a result that is consistent with the interstate rivalry issues animating the doctrine. The study also finds that Republican-dominated judicial panels at the state level are more likely to side with tax challengers invoking the dormant Commerce Clause doctrine than are Democratic …

The Port Of Livorno And Its "Nazione Ebrea" In The Eighteenth Century: Economic Utility And Political Reforms, Francesca Bregoli

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Six Titans Of The Cambridge School: A Review Article, Harvey Gram

Publications and Research

Six volumes in the Great Thinker in Economics Series were chosen by the Editors for this review, which focuses on The Cambridge School of Economics, so very different from the mainstream theory of general economic equilibrium which gives formal expression to Lionel Robbins’ famous definition of the subject as the allocation of scarce means among alternative uses. In recognition of a distinct Cambridge School, the authors of these volumes present a variety of arguments within which three overlapping themes can be discerned: the relationship between ethics and economics; the role of stocks and flows in economic analysis; and the epistemic …

Circus: An Integrated Curriculum Unit, Institute For The Development Of Gifted Education, Ricks Center For Gifted Children, University Of Denver

Ricks Curriculum Units Series

An integrated curriculum is an instructional approach that connects the disciplines to an underlying theme or topic. Immersing students in an integrated-thematic unit provides the backdrop for experiences to occur across the disciplines. Shaping coursework around integrated themes is especially appropriate for gifted students, however using an integrated-thematic curriculum is appropriate for all learners as it develops students' abilities to make connections, to solve problems by looking at multiple perspectives, and to integrate information from different fields of experience. An integrated-thematic curriculum permits students to be active participants in their own learning as they design their own explorations and take …

Distributions And Abundances Of Microstegium Vimineum Along Forest Roadsides At The Grassy Hill Natural Area, Franklin County, Virginia, Gregory D. Turner

Virginia Journal of Science

In summer 2005, plots were surveyed along roads passing through forest habitats at the Grassy Hill Natural Area Preserve in Franklin County, Virginia to assess the distributions and abundances of Microstegium vimineum in transects located at increasing distances away from roadsides into forest interiors. Across plots, Microstegium was encountered almost exclusively in roadside transects, where abundances were relatively high. While forest composition and topographic features were similar across plots, percent canopy cover and leaf litter depth were greater in interior compared to roadside transects due to undisturbed tree canopies and ground cover located in interior plot areas. Results imply that …