Digital Commons Network^™

Human Olfactory Epithelial-Derived Progenitors : A Potential Source For Cell Therapy For Parkinson's Disease., Meng Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human adult olfactory epithelium contains neural progenitors (hONPs) which replace damaged cellular components throughout life. Methods to isolate and expand the hONPs have been developed in our laboratory. In response to morphogens, the hONPs differentiate along several neural lineages. This study optimized conditions for the differentiation of hONPs towards dopaminergic neurons. The hONPs were treated with Sonic Hedgehog, in the presence or absence of Retinoic acid and/or forskolin. Transcription factors (Nurrl, Pitx3 and Lmxla) that promote embryonic mouse or chicken dopaminergic development were employed to determine if they would modulate lineage restriction of these adult human progenitors. Transcription factor expression …

Theoretical And Experimental Studies On Manipulation Of Fluorescence By Gold Nanoparticle : Application For Molecular Imaging., Jianting Wang 1983-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) have shown beneficial properties for biomedical use, e.g., their non-toxic nature and surface properties for easy modification. Upon receiving light, they generate a strong surface plasmon field, which can alter the fluorescence of fluorophores. The level and type of the fluorescence alteration depend on the GNP size and shape, excitation (Ex)/emission (Em) wavelengths and quantum yield of the fluorophore, as well as the distance between the fluorophore and GNP. In this dissertation, the effect of the properties listed above on the fluorescence output was theoretically analyzed for the fluorophores frequently used in biomedical studies. For fluorescence quenching, …

Cytotoxicity And Cellular Response To Alpha, Beta-Unsaturated Aldehydes : Role Of Aldehyde Dehydrogenases., Ngome Llewellyn Makia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The lipid aldehydes, 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE) and propene-2-al (acrolein) are reactive a,ß-unsaturated aldehydes generated during the peroxidation of lipids and are implicated in the pathogenesis of several oxidative-stress mediated diseases, including steatohepatitis and cancer. We established that mouse liver aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 al (Aldhlal) efficiently metabolizes lipid aldehydes and protects a liver-derived cell line from the toxic effects of these aldehydes. Thus, mechanisms to induce the expression of Aldhlal might be a useful rationale for preventing oxidative stress-induced pathologies. We investigate whether well-known electrophiles, such as BHA or acrolein modulate the expression of Aldhlal and elucidate the signaling pathway involved. Microarray …

Role Of Hdacs And Sam In Interferon-Alpha Signaling And Epigenetic Regulation Of Anti-Hcv Gene Expression., Stephanie A. Mathews

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major cause of chronic liver disease in the United States and is a huge burden on the US healthcare system. The FDA-approved traditional standard of care for HCV is pegylated interferon-alpha (lFNa) combined with ribavirin, which is effective in about 50% of patients. The molecular mechanisms involved in resistance to IFNa therapy remain unclear. Recent data strongly suggest that histone deacetylases (HDACs) and methylation play critical roles in the regulation of IFNa anti-HCV signaling and gene expression. The present work was carried out to elucidate the roles of HDACs and S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) metabolism …

The Effects Of Stereotype Disconfirming Information And Self-Disclosure On Stereotype Endorsement, Prejudice, And Social Tolerance Of Schizophrenia And Major Depressive Disorder., Nicole Leigh Meyer 1983-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined how Disclosure, Stereotype Disconfirming Information, and Stereotype Disconfirming Information and Disclosure Combined) influences an individual's stigma (stereotype endorsement, emotional reactions, and discrimination) against individuals with Schizophrenia and Depression. The results of this experiment suggest that both Stereotype Disconfirming Information and Disclosure are successful in reducing stereotypes, emotional reactions, and social distance in the context of an interpersonal encounter. Self-disclosure, however, is stronger in increasing Pity and decreasing the desire for Social Distance than Stereotype Disconfirming Information. The combination of Stereotype Disconfirming Information and Disclosure provided the strongest stigma reduction, suggesting that Disclosure can benefit from the …

A Survey Study Comparing Adult Orthodontic Patient Quality Of Life Between Invisalign And Fixed Appliances., Keith Christopher Nicholson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We aimed to examine differences in treatment impacts and quality of life between adult orthodontic patients with Invisalign and fixed appliances. Adults represent a burgeoning branch of orthodontics yet many prospective patients have been reluctant to pursue orthodontics due to concerns with treatment. It was hypothesized that removable aligners would be better tolerated by adult patients. Sixty-three adult patients (forty Invisalign, twenty-three fixed appliances) were recruited from private practice. The treatment groups were largely comparable although the braces group reported more frequent unplanned appointments and use of auxiliaries. The Invisalign group experienced less negative impacts and these differences were generally …

Effects Of Environmental Pollution On Endothelial Progenitor Cells And Vascular Regeneration., Laura A. Wheat Nissley 1983-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Acrolein is a common pollutant present in ambient air, automobile exhaust, and tobacco smoke. Previous studies show that exposure to acrolein increases cardiovascular disease risk. To determine whether acrolein affect cardiovascular regeneration, we investigated the cardiovascular effects of inhaled acrolein. Adult male C57BL/6 mice were exposed to room air or acrolein (O.5, 1 or 5 ppm) for and the endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) level in peripheral blood (PB) was measured by flow cytometry. To examine the proliferative capacity of EPCs, bone marrow cells (BMCs) were cultured on fibronectin-coated slides. Brief exposure to acrolein (5 ppm, 6h) or 4 day (1 …

Characterization Of The Ai-2-Dependent Quorum Sensing Pathway In Aggregatibacter Actinomycetemcomitans., Elizabeth A. Novak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Quorum sensing in the oral pathogen Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is dependent upon the soluble signaling molecule AI-2, but it is not known how the initial detection of AI-2 is coupled to the downstream regulation of gene expression that confers complex phenotypes such as biofilm formation and iron acquisition. Here we show that expression of a two-component system encoded by qseBC is induced by AI-2 in A. actinomycetemcomitans and that induction of qseBC requires the AI-2 receptors, LsrB and/or RbsB. Inactivation of the sensor kinase gene qseC resulted in a significant reduction of in vitro biofilm growth and in vivo virulence using …

Rational Design, Synthesis And Characterization Of Amide Functionalized Pyridine And Benzimidazole Transition Metal Complexes., Samuel S. K. Asem

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study expands our efforts to make a new class of Pt (II) compounds analogous to cisplatin and its derivatives using sterically hindered ligands. Pt compounds in this series have been synthesized using specially designed pyridine and benzimidazole ligands. These heterocycles, amide functionalized at position 2 with aryl and alkyl pendants, rapidly change their mode of coordination depending on the pH of the medium. These ligands, synthesized using condensation chemistry, also coordinate to Co(II), Ni(H), Cu(lI), and Zn(1I) generally as anionic bis-chelates through the benzimidazole nitrogen and the carbonyl oxygen, creating a four-coordinate complex with the exception of an unusual …

Quidam Homo Est Asinus : The Originality And Influence Of Peter Abelard Upon Medieval Thought., Timothy Ernst 1982-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Historians and philosophers alike remember Peter Abelard as the most brilliant, original, and influential philosopher of the twelfth century. Much ofthis reputation stems not from Abelard's intellectual contributions but due to Abelard's scandalous personal life and the nonexistence of documents of Abelard's contemporary philosophers. Though brilliant, Abelard exerted little influence through his ideas. Unlike a modem professor who changes the paradigms of his discipline with innovative theses, Abelard was a skilled teacher who sought to teach students the skills they required to advance their careers within a reformed Catholic Church, which was newly interested in logic, philosophy, and theology. Seen …

Noir Ontology : Existing In The Fragmented Spaces Of Los Angeles., Jacob Andrew Goessling

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Noir Ontology: Existing in the Fragmented Urban Spaces of Los Angeles explores the role of decentered urban geography within the body of noir texts set within Los Angeles. By focusing on the development of the idea of Los Angeles in early to mid-Twentieth century literature and film, this essay argues that Alain Badiou's system of ontology provides a critical apparatus for investigating the many ways in which the Los Angeles sunshine myth organizes the relations between individuals within particular urban spaces. Through an analysis of the city's early cultural history, Roman Polanski and Robert Towne's film Chinatown, and Chester Himes's …

Regulation Of Morphogenesis By Ammonium Transporters In Ustilgo Maydis., Jinny A. Paul

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many species of fungi undergo a dimorphic transition to switch from a unicellular yeast-like growth form to a filamentous growth form. Ustilago maydis undergoes such a transition, in response to successful mating events and subsequent host cues, to form a filamentous pathogenic form. U maydis also undergoes haploid filamentous growth in response to several environmental cues including, but not limited to nutrient limitation, pH, lipids, among others. Ammonium transporter proteins (Amts) play an essential role in controlling the dimorphic transition in response to nutrient limitation, specifically nitrogen in the form of ammonium. I demonstrate a role for the U maydis …

That Terrifying Center : Poetry, Language, And Embodied Subjectivities., Yalonda J. D. Green 1980-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

That Terrifying Center is a creative and philosophical experiment in the transmission of corporeal experiences and socio-cultural knowledge through poetry. I am bringing together the seemingly disparate threads of my studies into one creative-theoretical project: a collection of original poems exploring the development of multiple subjectivities, the terror of self-examination, and the scrutiny of memory; it is also a collection of poems that bear witness, that simply tell stories. These are poems that talk about what it's like to live in a body; they ask questions and translate answers related to becoming woman, demystifying fear, investigating genealogies of pain, and …

Review Of The Study Of Well-Being, Social Policy And The Welfare State: A Review Essay, James Midgley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The Study of Well-being, Social Policy and the Welfare State: A Review Essay

JAMES MIDGLEY - School of Social Welfare University of California Berkeley

Francis G. Castles, Stephan Leibfried, Jane Lewis, Herbert Obinger & Christopher Pierson, Eds. (2010). The Oxford Handbook of the Welfare State. New York: Oxford University Press. $150.00 (hardcover).

Review Of Poor Women In Rich Countries: The Feminization Of Poverty Over The Life Course. Gertrude Schaffner Goldberg (Ed.). Reviewed By Jennifer R. Zelnick., Jennifer R. Zelnick

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Gertrude Schaffner Goldberg, Ed. (2010). Poor Women in Rich Countries: The Feminization of Poverty over the Life Course. New York: Oxford University Press, $39.95 (paperback).

Aghoreshwar Bhagawan Ram And The Aghor Tradition, Jishnu Shankar

Anthropology - Dissertations

Aghoreshwar Mahaprabhu Baba Bhagawan Ram Ji, a well-established saint of the holy city of Varanasi in north India, initiated many changes into the erstwhile Aghor tradition of ascetics in India. This tradition is regarded as an ancient system of spiritual or mystical knowledge by its practitioners and at least some of the practices followed in this tradition can certainly be traced back at least to the time of the Buddha. Over the course of the centuries practitioners of this tradition have interacted with groups of other mystical traditions, exchanging ideas and practices so that both parties in the exchange appear …

Disharmony And Matchless: Interpersonal Deception Theory In Online Dating, Lyndsey Wagner

Masters Theses

In recent years, computer-media dated communication has not only become extremely popular but has also begun to hold an important function in daily social interactions. This qualitative study investigates the communication phenomena of deception as it occurs in the online dating environment. The research study focused on four questions: (1) About what characteristics are online daters deceptive? (2) What motivation do online daters have for their deception of others in the online dating environment? (3) What perceptions do online daters have about other daters' deceit towards them in the online dating environment? (4) How does deception affect the romantic relationships …

Defending Tertullian's Orthodoxy: A Study On Third Century Christianity, Kevin Gift

Masters Theses

Scholars have attempted to place Tertullian into two or three distinct schools of thought. Some, such as Pope Benedict XVI, state that Tertullian turned his back on the church. Others, like Andrew McGowan, posit a more complex timeline. McGowan claims Tertullian left the church only to return at a later date. The reason for such speculation was Tertullian's interest in the Montanist, a second to third century heretical group. The goal of this study is to provide sufficient evidence that Tertullian never made the complete move to Montanism and never separated form the church of Carthage. A careful analysis of …

Full Issue: Vol. 65, No. 4

Sci-Tech News

No abstract provided.

Identifying Struggling Readers In Middle School With Orf, Maze And Prior Year Assessment Data, Jennifer R. Allison, Evelyn S. Johnson

Early and Special Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

Response to Intervention (RTI) is a framework with the primary purpose of early identification and prevention of learning problems. Screening procedures identify students in need of targeted intervention, but current screening research is limited to the elementary grades. This study explored the use of screening measures: prior year assessment data, oral reading fluency (ORF), and maze, to predict performance on Georgia’s Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT-8) for 236 eighth grade students from one district in Georgia. Logistic regression analyses compared the accuracy of the predictor variables. Overall classification accuracy was 96.6% for ORF and maze and 97.1% for CRCT-7; however, this …

Kanye West Is Heading South, Clifton A. Sammet

Communication Studies

No abstract provided.

Teachers’ And Parents’ Perspective As How The Social Environment Of Immediate Vicinity Can Affect The Academic Learning Of A Child 4-6 Years Age Group, Salma Amin Rattani, Deedar Shah

School of Nursing & Midwifery

In the process of human development environment plays a pivotal role. At the age of 4 -6 years, children's immediate vicinity expands from home to school and in his social environment parents and teachers play a vital role. Therefore, in this study which was conducted in Phander district Ghizer, Northern areas; of Pakistan, employing descriptive research design five parents and five school teachers were enrolled. Participants shared their definition and understanding about social environment and immediate vicinity and its effects on academic learning. This research is part of Advanced Diploma in Human Development: Early Child Development Programme, Aga Khan University. …

Evaluation Of Bioaugmentation Strategies To Treat High Concentrations Of Chloroform And Carbon Tetrachloride, Han Wang

All Theses

Halogenated methanes, including carbon tetrachloride (CT) and chloroform (CF), are significant groundwater contaminants. Options for bioremediation of high concentrations are limited. Previous studies have shown that an enrichment culture (designated DHM-1) that grows on corn syrup has the potential for use in bioaugmentation. DHM-1 cometabolically biotransforms high concentrations of CT and CF to nontoxic end products (mainly CO, CO2, and organic acids) in the presence of vitamin B12 (approximately 3% of chlorinated methanes on a molar basis). Sulfide is also required by this culture to function properly. However, insufficient data are available on its performance under field conditions. Also, it …

The Gazette December 1, 2011, Langston University

LU Gazette, 2010-2019

The student newspaper for Langston University

When Is A Difference Really Different? Learners' Discrimination Of Linguistic Contrasts In American Sign Language, Joseph Bochner, Karen Christie, Peter Hauser

Articles

Learners’ ability to recognize linguistic contrasts in American Sign Language (ASL)was investigated using a paired-comparison discrimination task. Minimal pairs containing contrasts in five linguistic categories (i.e., the formational parameters of movement, handshape, orientation, and location in ASL phonology, and a category comprised of contrasts in complex morphology) were presented in sentence contexts to a sample of 127 hearing learners at beginning and intermediate levels of proficiency and 10 Deaf native signers. Participants’ responses were analyzed to determine the relative difficulty of the linguistic categories and the effect of proficiency level on performance. The results indicated that movement contrasts were the …

Building An Interdisciplinary Production Program, Ruth D. Johnston

Cornerstone 3 Reports : Interdisciplinary Informatics

No abstract provided.

The Consumption Of Concepts: The Hedonic And Utilitarian Effects Of Perceived Interactivity On The Consumption Of Digital Information, Colleen P. Kirk, Jennifer Thomas, Larry Chiagouris

Cornerstone 3 Reports : Interdisciplinary Informatics

No abstract provided.

Ball, Donald B. (Fa 571), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Collection 571. Symposium paper (1) and articles (9) published in "Ohio Valley Historical Archaeology," written or co-written by Donald B. Ball, concerning grave houses, vernacular architecture and stone construction.

All A Twitter: Social Networking, College Athletes, And The First Amendment, Davis Walsh

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

No abstract provided.

Jury Decision-Making Based On Pretrial Publicity And Admissibility Of Evidence, Laqruishia Gill

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.