Digital Commons Network^™

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, …

Inter-Grade And Inter-Batch Variability Of Pharmaceutical-Grade Sodium Alginate, Shao Fu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Polymeric excipients are generally the least well-characterized components of pharmaceutical formulations. The aim of this dissertation work is to facilitate the quality-by-design (QbD) approach to pharmaceutical formulation and manufacturing by evaluating the inter-grade and inter-batch variability of pharmaceutical-grade polymeric excipients. Sodium alginate, a widely used polymeric excipient, was selected for evaluation using appropriate analytical methods and test conditions, especially rheological methods. The materials used were six different grades of sodium alginate and an additional ten batches of one of the grades.

To compare the six grades, steady shear measurements were conducted on solutions at 1, 2, and 3% w/w, consistent …

The Liturgical Theology Of Aidan Kavanagh, Osb: Synthesis And Critique, Michelle Gilgannon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the liturgical theology of the late Aidan Kavanagh, OSB. His particular approach to liturgy helped to shape the implementation of the liturgical changes instituted by the Second Vatican Council. His early published works were instrumental in explaining the goals of these liturgical changes, while his later works offered a not-so-subtle critique of how the changes had begun to impact the American Church. Fr. Kavanagh based the importance of liturgy on several unique and potentially controversial subjects. To Fr. Kavanagh, liturgical theology is theologia prima and the foundation of all other secondary theology. Participation in the liturgy and …

Adult Students' Perception Of The Congruence Of Hybrid Courses With Their Adult Learning Needs And Their Satisfaction, Rubina Iqbal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The overall purpose of the study was to examine adult students' perception of the congruence of hybrid courses with adult learning needs and to examine adult students' level of satisfaction with hybrid courses. The study collected data through pre and post surveys, administered at the beginning and near the end of the hybrid courses, of adult students' perceptions. The pre survey questionnaire sought quantitative responses only. The post survey sought quantitative and qualitative responses. The quantitative data was analyzed by utilizing the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS).

Design And Synthesis Of Novel Benzimidazoles And Aminothiazoles As Small Molecule Inhibitors Of Cdk5/P25, Prashi Jain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation describes the design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel CDK5/p25 small molecule inhibitors. Cyclin dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) is a proline directed serine/threonine kinase which plays an important role in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). CDK5/p25 has been implicated in hyperphosphorylation of tau protein which forms neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), a contributing factor to the pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Based on the deposited X-ray crystal structure of CDK5/p25 with a non-selective CDK inhibitor R-Roscovitine (PDB ID: 1UNL), eight series of novel compounds with a benzimidazole core were designed, synthesized and tested as inhibitors of CDK5/p25. An efficient …

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: …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Private Reader, Public Redactor: Narrative Strategies Of The Nineteenth-Century Female Revisionist, Amy Criniti Phillips

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the vital role of the private female reading experience in the creation of the mid-Victorian British woman writer's authorial persona. In particular, I examine the role of the female redactor, a woman writer who revises a particular text, genre, or convention within a patriarchal literary tradition. The public and private contexts of the female redactor become imperative to the text that she creates, for the final narrative product is not only a public revision but also a series of private, gendered negotiations that define the woman writer and determine her contribution to female authorship.

With a specific …

Parent-Child Interaction In The Formation Of Emotional And Social Competence: The Impact Of Individual Differences And Cultural Variability, Kristin Rispoli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The capacity to regulate one's emotions and engage in prosocial behavior is vital to personal development, from infancy through adolescence. Substantial research suggests that early difficulties with emotion regulation often place children on a developmental trajectory leading to some degree of functional impairment and poor social skills. However, little is known about how interactions between parents and their children, as well as individual child and parent characteristics, impact early social and emotional development. The current study aimed to address this gap, and sought to extend the current knowledge base by also investigating how these processes vary across cultures. The study …

Essential Rna-Rna Interactions Within The Hepatitis C Virus Genome As Potential Targets For Peptide Nucleic Acid Based Therapeutic Strategy, Sumangala Shetty

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hepatitis C, a life threatening disease, caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) currently affects over 170-200 million people worldwide (~3% of global human population), more than five times the percentage of total HIV infections. HCV infection has been shown to be a major cause of chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma and is the leading cause of liver transplantation in the U.S. HCV has escaped every therapeutic target to date by means of its error-prone RNA polymerase, which allows it to mutate prolifically. The current standard anti-HCV therapy, which is pegylated interferon a combined with ribavirin, is difficult …

Homosexuality And The Formation Of Conscience: An Examination Of Traditional Catholic Anthropological, Theological, And Ethical Evaluations In Light Of Contemporary Moral Markers, John Slovikovski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The question of homosexuality remains a daunting task to be addressed by the Church as well as theological ethicists. Lively, and often biased opinions have been presented in the last two centuries; however, use of traditional sources, such a Scripture, Natural Law, empirical data, and Tradition result in a doubt of fact, which, according to the established tradition of the Catholicism, requires the Church to follow the safest course of action, i.e., upholding the traditional heterosexual norm. Given that some individuals experience an irreversible homosexual orientation coupled by a lack of a vocation to a celibate lifestyle, which in turn …

Understanding The Effect Of Cation And Solvation On The Structure And Reactivity Of Nitrile Anions, Michael Zeigler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This Ph.D. dissertation is focused on the investigation the structure of nitrile anion containing molecules and how the structure and reactivity of those molecules are affected by solvation and counter ion. A systematic approach was employed in this investigation, beginning with an evaluation of the accuracy of three commonly used model chemistries (Hartree-Fock (HF), Second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2), the Becke three-parameter exchange functional coupled with the nonlocal correlation functional of Lee, Yang, and Parr (B3LYP), all paired with the 6-31+G(d) basis set). A series of complexes of various cations with a number of explicit molecules of tetrahydrofuran (THF) and …

Understanding The Effect Of Cation And Solvation On The Structure And Reactivity Of Nitrile Anions, Michael Ziegler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This Ph.D. dissertation is focused on the investigation the structure of nitrile anion containing molecules and how the structure and reactivity of those molecules are affected by solvation and counter ion. A systematic approach was employed in this investigation, beginning with an evaluation of the accuracy of three commonly used model chemistries (Hartree-Fock (HF), Second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2), the Becke three-parameter exchange functional coupled with the nonlocal correlation functional of Lee, Yang, and Parr (B3LYP), all paired with the 6-31+G(d) basis set). A series of complexes of various cations with a number of explicit molecules of tetrahydrofuran (THF) and …

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 …

Engaged Client-Centered Representation And The Moral Foundations Of The Lawyer-Client Relationship, Kate Kruse

Faculty Scholarship

The field of legal ethics, as we know it today, has grown out of thoughtful, systematic grounding of lawyers’ duties in a comprehensive understanding of lawyers’ roles and the situating of lawyers’ roles in underlying theories of law, morality and justice. Unfortunately, the field of theoretical legal ethics has mostly lost track of the thing at the heart of a lawyers’ role: the integrity of the lawyer-client relationship. The field of theoretical legal ethics has developed in ways that are deeply lawyer-centered rather than fundamentally client-centered. This paper, which was delivered at Hofstra Law School as the Lichtenstein Distinguished Professor …

2011 Annual Reports And Resolutions, American Dental Association

ADA Transactions

This item is part of the Annual Reports and Resolutions subtitle of the ADA Transactions, a serial publication of the annual activities of the ADA House of Delegates (HOD)/Board of Trustees (BOT) made up of three separate subtitles: Annual Reports and Resolutions, Supplements, and Transactions. Generally, the ADA Transactions are published in multiple volumes throughout the year. Older versions include reports from all departments as subsections, while more recent versions include only those of councils, commissions, and committees.

Graduate Catalog And Student Handbook 2011-2012, Nova Southeastern University

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice Graduate Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Laparoscopic Drainage Of A Hepatic Echinococcal Cyst: A Case Report, Steven B. Goldin, James J. L. Mateka, Michael J. Schnaus, Sujat Dahal

Surgery Faculty Publications

The Echinococcus granulosus tapeworm causes hepatic echinococcosis. It is endemic in the Mediterranean region, Middle East, and South America. Human infection is secondary to accidental consumption of ova in feces. Absorption through the bowel wall and entrance into the portal circulation leads to liver infection. This case involves a 34 y/o Moroccan male with an echinococcal liver cyst. His chief complaint was RUQ pain. The patient was treated with albendazole and praziquantel. His PMH and PSH was noncontributory. Patient was not on any other medications. ROS was otherwise unremarkable. The patient was AF VSS. He was tender to palpation in …

How Should Addiction-Related Research At The National Institutes Of Health Be Reorganized?, Bankole A. Johnson, Robert O. Messing, Michael E. Charness, John C. Crabbe, Mark S. Goldman, R. Adron Harris, Henry R. Kranzler, Mack C. Mitchell Jr., Sara Jo Nixon, Edward P. Riley, Marc A. Schuckit, Kenneth J. Sher, Jennifer D. Thomas

Psychology Faculty Publications

The decades-old debate about the optimum organizational structure of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has reached a crescendo with the recent deliberations of the Scientific Management Review Board, which, despite the lack of a crisis, proposed a structural reorganization that would dissolve the two institutes and create a new institute for substance use, abuse, and addiction, in hope of new scientific and public health advances (Collins, 2010). For a new institute to succeed, a multitude of potential challenges need to be negotiated effectively

Evidence-Based Pharmacotherapy For Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder And Chronic Tic Disorders, Alessandro S. De Nadai, Eric A. Storch, Joseph F. Mcguire, Adam B. Lewin, Tanya K. Murphy

Psychology Faculty Publications

In recent years, much progress has been made in pharmacotherapy for pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and chronic tic disorders (CTDs). What were previously considered relatively intractable conditions now have an array of efficacious medicinal (and psychosocial) interventions available at clinicians' disposal, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, atypical antipsychotics, and alpha-2 agonists. The purpose of this review is to discuss the evidence base for pharmacotherapy with pediatric OCD and CTDs with regard to efficacy, tolerability, and safety, and to put this evidence in the context of clinical management in integrated behavioral healthcare. While there is no single panacea for these disorders, …

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 …

Biology Discipline Assessment Report 2010/2011, Biology Discipline

Assessment of Student Learning Reports

No abstract provided.

Professional Symposia Abstract Papers

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Undergraduate Symposia Abstract Papers

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Anthropogenic Food In The Diet Of The Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis Aethiopicus), A Non-Native Wading Bird In Southeastern Florida, Usa, Leonardo Calle, Dale E. Gawlik

Florida Field Naturalist

No abstract provided.