Digital Commons Network^™

The Role Of Nck In Pancreatic Secretion, Cole Lightfoot

Honors Capstones

In the body, secretion is a vital process providing the release of many different and important macromolecular compounds. Using the pancreas as a model secretory organ, research was conducted pertaining to pancreatic exocytosis and the signal transduction system that controls it. The specific focus of the research is to better understand the role of Nck, a ubiquitous adaptor protein, in cytoskeleton reorganization and pancreatic secretion. The goal of the experiments conducted is to prove that upon stimulation of pancreatic acinar cells, Nck recruits to the secretory vesicles. Nck facilitates protein-protein interactions and acts as a regulator of cytoskeletal activation-dependent processes. …

Singular And General Causal Relations: A Mechanist Perspective, Stuart Glennan

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

My aim in this paper is to make a case for the singularist view from the perspective of a mechanical theory of causation (Glennan 1996, 1997, 2010, forthcoming), and to explain what, from this perspective, causal generalizations mean, and what role they play within the mechanical theory.

Communication Apprehension Vs. Social Phobia And Related Conditions A Correlational Study, Christine M. Donaldson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Of all social situations, public speaking is the most prevalent fear in both the general population and among social phobic individuals (Mannuzza, Schneier, Chapman, & Liebowitz, 1995; Stein, Walker, & Forde, 1996). The fear of public speaking is referred to as communication apprehension (CA) by members of the communication field; in other programs of study, this condition has been categorized and conceptualized in a wide variety of ways ranging from stage fright to reticence. Several scholarly fields including communication, social psychology, the health sciences and the social sciences, seek to find an explanation and effective intervention for this prevalent condition. …

Sociology And Human Rights Education: Beyond The Three Generations?, Mark Frezzo

Societies Without Borders

This article examines the uses and limitations of the prevailing classificatory schema in the field of human rights—a tripartite framework that delineates first-generation civil and political rights ensuring liberty, second-generation economic and social rights promoting equality, and third-generation group and cultural rights supporting solidarity. When applied strictly, the framework runs the risk of reifying the three categories, exaggerating the impact of the European Enlightenment on contemporary norms, and overlooking the historical contexts in which rights-claims emerge. Though useful for analytic and pedagogical purposes, the existing paradigm fails to capture the full spectrum of human rights violations and solutions in the …

Intelligent Design, Jillian Amistoso Dudziak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As human beings we are designed and created in a fabric that is profound and complex. We are built with a framework where mind and body work in a concerted effort to maintain our lives automatically. A deep and defining part of our existence as humans is not just the innate desire to live but to live in consistent well-being--emotionally, physically, and mentally. I believe when we incorporate our knowledge of human physiology into our creative process then we allow ourselves a greater opportunity to create an authentic connection with our intended audience. My work during the past three years …

A Decade Of Research Exploring Biology And Communication, Justin P. Boren, Alice E. Veksler

Communication

The study of communication has come a long way since Aristotle's conceptualization of persuasion in Rhetoric from the 4th century B.C. Today, scholars conceptualize communication in much more comprehensive ways than did those Greek Aristotelian philosophers. Still, much of the discipline of communication focuses on the way that messages have an impact on individuals or societies. Since the late 1970s a small group of communication scholars, greatly influenced by their peers in other social-science disciplines (i.e., psychology) began to direct their attention to the way that communication influences and is influenced by processes in the human body. During the early …

Research With Human Subjects, Sarah Fowler-Dixon

Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) Education

No abstract provided.

Disabilitiy And Designer Babies, Brigham A. Fordham

Valparaiso University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Student Athletes' Perceptions Of Academic Support, Career Support And Personal Support, Chandra R. Golden

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research was to explore the perceptions of student athletes concerning self identity, academic support, career support, and personal support. Qualitative methodology was used to gather information through in-depth focus groups. Participants were male and female student athletes from a mid-size Midwestern Public University.

Findings indicated there is an inherent struggle to balance multiple roles with one usually elevated over the other. Second, participants appreciated the academic support of the university, but indicated its influence ranged from extremely helpful and appreciated (Athletic Academic Support Staff) to moderately helpful (Major Specific Academic Advisors) to least helpful (Regular Academic …

Physiology Of Yawning : Proximate Mechanisms Supporting An Ultimate Function, Melanie Lee Shoup-Knox

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Recent research suggests that yawning functions to cool the brain during periods of mild hyperthermia. Evidence for this hypothesis is largely behavioral, and includes reports of increased yawning during increases in ambient temperature and times of stress as well as an amelioration of yawning upon nasal breathing and forehead cooling. Little research has been published on the physiological mechanisms supporting a brain cooling function, however. The current set of studies explores human and animal physiological parameters in search of evidence of brain cooling during yawning. In humans, heart rate, skin temperature, and skin conductance findings suggest that yawning involves an …

The Role Of Nitric Oxide In Pancreatic Cell Secretion, Kaylee R. Walters

Honors Capstones

The pancreas is a model tissue that has been extensively studied in the lab of my research supervisor. They have shown that nitric oxide is produced by the pancreas and is necessary for sectretion; however, the mechanism of action remained to be identified. The goal of my research over the past year was to investigate the signaling role of nitric oxide, the peroxynitrite producing enzyme NADPH oxidase NOX-4, and the nitrosylation oftarget proteins on the zymogen granule membrane as a potential mechanism to regulate cytoskeletal reorganization and migration of the secretory vesicles. In addition, I performed research to understand the …

Investigation Of Extremely Low Frequency (Elf) Hot Spots In The College Of Science And Technology, Covenant University, Ota, Marvel Akinyemi, John Kayode, Mojisola Usikalu

Turkish Journal of Physics

The presence of Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) from electronic devices such as personal computers, laboratory equipment and television sets in selected laboratories and offices at the College of Science and Technology Building, Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria was characterized using an ELF Detection Meter. The study revealed that exposure to ELF fields could be controlled to the minimum depending on the awareness of the occupant. As with all electromagnetic fields, the ELF field decays rapidly with distance from source or hot spots. The average observed value of ELF in the offices ranged from 3.5 to 5.0 mG. A significant hot spot …

The Role Of Zip Superfamily Of Metal Transporters In Chronic Diseases, Purification & Characterization Of A Bacterial Zip Transporter: Zupt., Iryna King

Wayne State University Theses

In mammals zinc is the second most abundant essential trace metal. Since Zn² is a small, hydrophilic, and a highly charged ion, it cannot be transported across the plasma or intracellular organelle membrane by passive diffusion. Different types of cells require a different constant concentration of zinc at all times. Presence of excess free Zn ions can be toxic to the cell. All cells must have tightly regulated homeostatic mechanisms in order to preserve healthy levels and proper compartmentalization of zinc. This is accomplished through the actions of specialized proteins that facilitate zinc uptake, efflux and compartmentalization. If the …

Mathematical Analysis Of Blood Flow Model Through Channels With Flexible Walls, Lisa A. Bozzuto

Master's Theses and Capstones

A simplified mathematical model of blood flow through flexible arteries is developed and analyzed. The resulting system of non-linear, non-homogeneous PDE's is analyzed numerically using the Richtmyer Lax-Wendroff method. Numerical and theoretical results show excellent agreement suggesting that in physiologically relevant situations shocks only develop outside the domain of interest. These results suggest that when the model assumptions are satisfied the model provides sufficient regularity to yield a physically reasonable representation of flow through a flexible artery. We conclude with a discussion of future directions for this model.

Exploring The Potential Of Inkjet Printing For The Fabrication Of Tissue Test Systems, Vidya Seshadri

All Theses

Animal models and two-dimensional assays involved in drug testing, vaccine development and basic scientific discovery are not an accurate representation of the human body; hence there is a need to develop new bench top methodologies which are better suited to yield information about in vivo behavior. There is a paucity of reliable in vitro-derived information regarding the reasons for the cause and progression of diseases. These concerns have lead to the development of three-dimensional systems which can facilitate improved understanding of disease etiology and also can bridge the path to the clinic.
The long term goal, beyond the scope of …

Kss 5280 : Regulation Of Exercise Metabolism And Body Composition, Kinesiology And Sports Studies

Approved Course Proposals

No abstract provided.

A Paleopathological Assessment Of Osteoarthritis In The Lower Appendicular Joints Of Individuals From The Kellis 2 Cemetery In The Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt, Joshua B. Robin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative pathological condition of the appendicular joints which affects the cartilage and underlying bone. OA is relatively common in both the archaeological and clinical context, and a significant amount of research has been conducted on this osteological condition. The purpose of this thesis is to assess the incidence, demographic prevalence, and general severity of hip and knee OA in a Roman-Christian period (50 A.D – 450 A.D) population sample from the Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt. The bioarchaeological sample originates from the Kellis 2 cemetery which is associated with the ancient town of Kellis. The town of Kellis …

Poetics Of Enchantment: Language, Sacramentality, And Meaning In Twentieth-Century Argentine Poetry, Adam Gregory Glover

Theses and Dissertations--Hispanic Studies

This dissertation explores the relationship between language, sacramentality, and enchantment in three twentieth-century Argentine poets: Francisco Luis Bernárdez (1900-1976), Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986), and Alejandra Pizarnik (1936-1972). It seeks to ask and answer two fundamental questions. First, to what extent might it be possible to understand the conception of poetic language characteristic of modern poetry as an articulation, however muffled and secularized, of a sacramental apprehension of language and world? Second, how might such a conception be related to what Max Weber famously called “the disenchantment of the world”? The dissertation begins with a broad overview of the development of …

Lysophosphatidic Acid Production And Signaling In Platelets, Zachary Bennett Fulkerson

Theses and Dissertations--Physiology

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) belongs to a class of extracellular lipid signaling molecules. In the vasculature, LPA may regulate platelet activation and modulate endothelial and smooth muscle cell function. LPA has therefore been proposed as a mediator of cardiovascular disease.

The bulk of circulating LPA is produced from plasma lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) by autotaxin (ATX), a secreted lysophospholipase D (lysoPLD). Early studies suggest that some of the production of circulating LPA is platelet-dependent. ATX possesses an N-terminal somatomedin B-like domain suggesting the hypothesis that ATX interacts with platelet integrins which may localize ATX to substrate in the membrane and/or alter the catalytic …

The Relationship Between Sunlight And Cerebrovascular Health, Shia T. Kent

All ETDs from UAB

Sunlight radiation may be related to stroke risk through increased vitamin D production. The latter has been associated with a number of conditions including stroke, cognitive function and cardiovascular disease. We performed three sets of analyses to determine whether higher levels of sunlight radiation were associated with lower rates of stroke incidence, all-cause mortality, and cognitive decline. We explored these relationships using the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study, a national longitudinal cohort of 30,239 participants. We merged the participants' residential histories with a ground and satellite-derived NASA dataset to characterize 15-year average sunlight radiation and …

Synthesis, Screening And Cocrystallization Of Adenosine Based Inhibitors With Methyltransferases, Ermc' And Ksga, Matthew Baker

Theses and Dissertations

Antibiotic resistance threatens to throw mankind back into an era when infectious disease was the predominant cause of death. In an effort to mitigate this danger, we targeted ErmC’ and KsgA. Both methylate N6-adenosine of ribosomal RNA, though each serve different roles in their bacterial host. ErmC’ dimethylates A2058 on 23S rRNA, conferring resistance to MLSB antibiotics (macrolides, lincosamides, streptogramin B). KsgA aids in ribosome assembly, binding inactive 30S until dimethylating A1518/A1519 of 16S rRNA. Like most methyltransferases, ErmC’ and KsgA use cofactor S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) as their methyl source, which binds adjacent to their specific adenosine substrate. ErmC’ inhibitors could …

Developing A Tool To Characterize The Ultradian Rhythm In Diploid Saccharomyces Cervisiae Using The Reporter Gene Green Fluorescent Protein, Imran Chiragh

LSU Master's Theses

Biological rhythms control many temporal behaviors of organism, such as the sleep cycle, hearts rhythms, seasonal animal migrations etc. Understanding these rhythms would provide insight into the temporal process of living organisms. Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a budding yeast, is an ideal model organism to study biological rhythms in eukaryotic cells because of its sequenced genome and discerned processes. By characterizing the biological rhythm in budding yeast, insight can be gained into more complex organisms. Previous studies have exhibited oscillatory behavior of oxygen consumption and determined that deletion of the GTS1 gene dissipates this rhythm. However, to further understand the specific behavior …

The Effects Of Reiki Treatment On Mental Health Professionals Who Are At Risk For Secondary Traumatic Stress, Martha P. Novoa

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this cross-sectional experimental study was to examine the effects of Reiki on risk level for secondary traumatic stress (STS) among mental health professionals, such as, social workers and licensed professional counselor (LPCs). The sample (N=67) was mostly composed of master social work students (MSW) (61%) from the School of Social Work at Louisiana State University (LSU), professionals social workers (34%), and LPCs (5%). Study participants were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups: Reiki, placebo or control group. Dependent variables measured at pretest and posttest were: risk level for STS, anxiety, depression, somatic symptoms, anger and …

The Effect Of Conative And Affective Traits On The Development Of Occupational Expertise Of Civilian Department Of Defense Scientists And Engineers, Eric C. Sholes

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids And The Neurovascular Responses To Mental Stress In Humans, Christopher Elmer Schwartz

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Hypertension is the most prevalent form of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the world, and is known to increase the risk for developing other diseases. Recently, the American Heart Association introduced a new classification of blood pressure, prehypertension (PHT). The criteria for PHT include a systolic of 120-139 mmHg and/or a diastolic blood pressure of 80-89 mmHg. It has been observed that individuals with PHT have a higher risk of developing hypertension later in life. Therefore, it is important to understand the mechanisms contributing to PHT in order to possibly prevent hypertension. Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils have been …

Presumed Sapient: A Proposed Test For The Constitutional Personhood And Patentability Of Human-Animal Chimeras And Hybrids, Eric Zylstra

University of San Francisco Law Review

No abstract provided.

Virtual Dance And Motion-Capture, Marc Boucher

Contemporary Aesthetics (Journal Archive)

A general view of various ways in which virtual dance can be understood is presented in the first part of this article. It then appraises the uses of the term “virtual” in previous studies of digital dance. A more in-depth view of virtual dance as it relates to motion-capture is offered, and key issues are discussed regarding computer animation, digital imaging, motion signature, virtual reality and interactivity. The paper proposes that some forms of virtual dance be defined in relation to both digital technologies and contemporary theories of virtuality.

Bovine Aortic Arch: A Marker For The Development And Progression Of Thoracic Aortic Disease, Matthew Alan Hornick

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

This study investigated the relationship between congenital bovine arch (BA) variant and thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA), thoracic aortic expansion rate, bicuspid aortic valve (BAV), and aortic complications. We hypothesized that BA would be significantly associated with the presence and progression of thoracic aortic disease.

To determine prevalence of BA, we retrospectively reviewed thoracic CT and/or MRI scans of 616 patients with thoracic aortic disease and 844 patients without thoracic aortic disease (all from Yale-New Haven Hospital). In patients with thoracic aortic disease, we assessed accuracy of official radiology reports in citing BA, and reviewed all available hospital records to determine …

Structural Racism And The Law In America Today: An Introduction, William M. Wiecek

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Modified Chromenes As Precursors To Taar Regulators, Jonathan Lehmann, Matthew Hart

Student Summer Scholars Manuscripts

200 million people worldwide are living with a thyroid disorder related to a hormonal imbalance. Symptoms of this imbalance include deviations from normal heart rates and metabolic rates. A chemical messenger known as T3 has been shown to raise cardiac and metabolic rates, but this takes place on a timescale of hours. However, recent discoveries have revealed that a different thyroid hormone known as T1AM is capable of affecting some of these same physiological conditions in a matter of minutes. T1AM is a potent, selective agonist for the Trace Amine Associated Receptor (TAAR). Several studies have probed the structural basis …