Digital Commons Network^™

Molecular Mechanisms Of Chromium (Vi) - Induced Toxicity And Carcinogenesis, Djordje Medan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cr(VI) compounds are redox cycling carcinogens that induce apoptosis as a primary mode of cell death. Since defects in apoptosis regulatory mechanisms are considered to be indispensable foundation of carcinogenesis it is critical to understand the molecular effectors involved. Cellular energy powerhouses, the mitochondria, house the effectors involved in signaling cascades comprising commitment to apoptosis and are reported to be dysregulated in variety of tumors. The objective of this study was to characterize the key signaling effectors in Cr(VI)-induced apoptosis and determine the relationship between those effectors and mode of cellular energy production in cancerous vs. non-cancerous cells. Our data …

A New Member Of The Afap Family, Afap1l1, Binds To Cortactin And Localizes To Invadosomes, Brandi Nicole Snyder

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cellular motility and invasion in normal cellular processes and disease states such as cancer are dependent upon the ability of a cell to efficiently interact with its microenvironment, rearrange its cytoskeleton and degrade tissue barriers for purposes of cell movement. The AFAP family of adaptor proteins, AFAP1, AFAP1L1 and AFAP1L2, integrates signals received from the microenvironment into coordinated cytoskeletal changes. While there have been many reports on the functions and binding partners of AFAP1 and AFAP1L2, this work aimed to determine the cellular location and function of newly discovered AFAP1L1. The overall amino acid and protein structures of AFAP family …

Functional Analysis And Post-Transcriptional Regulation Of Oocyte-Specific Transcription Factors During Early Embryogenesis In Cattle, Swamy Krishna Tripurani

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Newborn ovary homeobox (NOBOX) is an oocyte-specific transcription factor essential for folliculogenesis and expression of many germ-cell specific genes in mice. However, the temporal and cell specific expression of NOBOX in bovine oocytes and potential function and regulation of NOBOX in early embryogenesis have not been described previously. Messenger RNA for bovine NOBOX is preferentially expressed in ovaries and undetectable by RT-PCR in somatic tissues examined. NOBOX protein is present in oocytes throughout folliculogenesis and is stage-specifically expressed during oocyte maturation and early embryonic development. Depletion of NOBOX in early embryos demonstrated that NOBOX is an essential maternal derived transcription …

Dyadic Interaction: The Effects Of Controlling And Critical Behavior Versus Warm And Responsive Behavior On Participant Behavior And Emotional Response, Joanna T. Prout

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Previous research has identified parental rejection and control as important factors in the development of childhood anxiety. However, information about the relationship between these constructs and child outcomes has been limited by ambiguous definition and difficulty in performing experimental manipulations. This study attempted to address these issues by examining self-reported anxiety and anxious behavior in 47 college undergraduates who interacted with either a warm- responsive partner or a critical-controlling partner during an origami task. Results showed that participant condition significantly impacted self report of anxiety-distress, anger-frustration, liking for partner, and desire to see partner again. Participants who interacted with a …

Cluster Growth During De-Wetting Of Solid Thin Films: Coarsening Exponents And The Role Of Long Range De-Wetting Interactions, Adi Constantinescu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Coarsening processes play prominent roles in non-equilibrium statistical physics and in applied physical sciences. A new area in this field of statistical physics has emerged from recent experimental revelations that long range de-wetting forces acting across thin films, such as the fundamental van der Waals interactions, may drive the formation of large clusters (tall multi-layer islands) and pits, observed in thin films of soft materials (polymers), as well as in thin films of liquid and solid metals. Motivated by the experiments, in this Thesis we elucidate the fundamentals of the non-equilibrium statistical mechanics of solid thin films coarsening within a …

From Peasant To Pariah: Changing English Perceptions Of The Irish From The 1820s Through The 1860s, Traci J. Scully

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

While the historiography of English perceptions of the Irish in the later period of the Victorian era is extensive, there is a dearth of research in tracing the origins of these perceptions. The connection between England and Ireland dates back centuries, and the relationship was neutral at best and extremely violent at worst. Historians such as L. Perry Curtis have analyzed the mass media of these later decades to argue that the English saw their neighbors as subhuman creatures in the racial hierarchy.;However, this image did not emerge from a single event, but rather evolved over the tumultuous earlier decades …

Functional Impairments Of College Students With Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder And Necessary Modifications For Higher Education, Sylvia A. Wright

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examines the impact of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) on college age students 18-25 years old. Qualitative research methods, including semi-structured interviews with students and significant others, writing samples and transcript documents, examine functional impairments of students with AD/HD as well as functional impairment impact on relationships, academics and work. This qualitative research, grounded theory, provides a model for future research studies confirming existing theory and provides a basis for new theory.;The conclusion was that functional impairments continue to exist in college age adults with impairments with issues in concentration, organization, time related issues, time management/scheduling and hyperactivity. These …

Influence Of Selenium On Bluegill (Lepomis Macrochirus ) In Upper Mud River Watershed, Alison M. Anderson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Selenium based criteria for aquatic ecosystems have been based on water quality measurements, but recently there has been basis to evaluate other aspects, such as whole body, dietary, and sediment levels. Mud River Reservoir, located in Lincoln County West Virginia, receives selenium input from mountain top/valley fill mining activities. The average selenium water levels for the reservoir are above the US EPA water quality standard of 5 microg/L and considered a high hazard for fish dietary consumption based on macroinvertebrate collections. The bluegill population is also a high hazard for selenium influenced reproductive impairment based on bluegill whole body and …

Ozone Induces Nerve Growth Factor Release From Rat Tracheal Epithelial Cells During An Early Postnatal Critical Period, Lynnsey A. Carrell-Jacks

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Ozone, one of the major air pollutants in urban areas, produces epithelial cell injury and inflammation in the airways upon exposure. Previous studies have shown that ozone exposure leads to increased substance P (SP) expression in nerves innervating the smooth muscle in the extrapulmonary airway. Nerve growth factor (NGF), a neurotrophin, is known to increase SP expression. To determine the effect of ozone exposure on the release of NGF, a cell culture technique was developed for studying a homogenous rat tracheal epithelial cell population for analysis of NGF mRNA and protein expression. Furthermore, to determine if this effect is age-dependent, …

Effect Of Service Sire On Late Embryonic And Fetal Loss In Sheep, Tammy L. Holler

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Very few authors have studied the effect of the sire on the outcome of pregnancy in sheep beyond differentiation, development, spermatogenesis, fertilization and early embryo survival. A major limitation in direct selection for increased sire competence is that males need to be selected mainly on the performance of their female relatives and females do not express lambing traits until at least one or two years of age. This selection process can be accelerated by studying prenatal survival ability of individual ram's progeny.;The objective of the present study was to identify occurrence of late embryonic and fetal mortality in relation to …

Self-Reported Posttraumatic Stress And Borderline Personality Behaviors In Relation To Reports Of Traumatic Events, Attachment, Parental Behavior, And Social Support, Vanessa M. Jacoby

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are conceptualized as different constructs in the DSM-IV, but research increasingly reveals an association among the symptoms of these disorders. Two relational models were examined: a Shared Risk Factor Model and a Continuum Model. In a sample of 603 college students, principle axis factoring of the Borderline Symptom List and PTSD Checklist showed minimal overlap in symptom presentation, partially supporting a Shared Risk Factor Model. Further support was established as regression analyses showed shared risk factors for reporting a greater number of BPD and PTSD behaviors, including experiencing at least one …

Pain And Suicide In A Population-Based Sample, Sarra Nazem

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Previous research suggests that individuals who experience chronic pain are at increased risk for suicidal behaviors. No studies, however, have specifically examined the association between headaches and fatal suicide behavior. Furthermore, it remains unclear whether gender moderates the relation between pain and suicide, and whether the relation is independent of the effects of depression. The present study aimed to characterize the relation between pain (headache, back, shoulder, and neck) and suicide. Data were obtained from two sources in the Swedish Twin Registry. A total of 42,928 individuals responded to headache questions in either 1967 or 1973 for the first data …

An Angler And Creel Survey Of The Walleye (Sander Vitreus ) Fishery At Summersville Reservoir, West Virginia, Dustin Shane Wichterman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Catch and harvest information and angler attitudes are important for management of the walleye fishery of Summersville Reservoir, WV, especially given previous estimates of high harvest proportions and low growth rates of walleyes. I used data from angler and creel surveys from November 28, 2008-October 31, 2009 to estimate monthly catch rates, harvest rates, total effort, and total catch of walleyes. Estimates were partitioned by boat anglers, bank anglers, anglers targeting walleyes, and all anglers. Also, angler attitudes were documented for fishing trip satisfaction and the sizes of "keepable" and trophy fish. A total of 84 survey days yielded 165 …

Identification, Cloning And Characterization Of Van Operon In Cyanobacterium Synechococcus Sp. Iu 625, Robert Newby Jr.

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

.

The Effects Of Cadmium On The Hemoglobin Genes Of Chironomus Riparius, Anthony Gerardi

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

.

Functionalization Of Buckled Graphene, Timothy C. Nelson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Buckled graphene produced by the halogen based etching of 6H-SiC provides a new route for the functionalization of the graphene surface. This surface provides an important new stepping off point in the development of molecular electronics and sensors. While the graphene surface is relatively inert, the fluorinated defect sites inherent in the buckled graphene surface yield an excellent location for chemical reactions such as nucleophilic substitution. This thesis shows the utility of the fluorinated defect sites through the well characterized diazonium reaction.;Buckled graphene films were prepared on silicon carbide substrates using inductively coupled plasma and reactive ion etching, and annealed …

Effects Of Prey-Spider Odour On Intraspecific Interactions Of Araneophagic Jumping Spiders, Fiona R. Cross, Robert R. Jackson

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

An important prediction from game theory is that the value of a resource will influence the level to which an animal is willing to escalate during conflict with conspecific rivals. Here we use this prediction as the rationale for experiments aimed at determining whether escalation decisions made by predators are influenced by the presence of preferred prey. The predators we use are adult individuals of Portia fimbriata, a jumping-spider (Salticidae) species from Queensland (Australia). P. fimbriata is known to prefer other salticid species as prey and can detect the odour of Jacksonoides queenslandicus, this being an especially common salticid species …

Social Tensions And Acculturation: Portrayals Of German Integration Discourse, Soeren Wendland

Masters Theses

This Master Thesis deals with the portrayal of social tensions and acculturation perceptions resulting from German integration discourse. Wester, Pleijter, and Renckstorf's (2004) model for interpretative content analysis was applied to examine the portrayal of migrants and integration from three German online magazines. Germany's struggle with its multicultural aspect is described, a history of Germany as a multicultural society is provided, acculturation theory is described, the meaning of integration in Germany is illustrated, perceptions of Germans and foreigners on life in Germany are explored, and the role of the media in the integration discourse is introduced. Results show magazine portrayals …

The Self, The Church, And Medieval Identities: The Evolution Of The Individual In Medieval Literature, Christopher Michael Flavin

Dissertations

This dissertation examines the construction of literary identities by medieval women, recognizable as an authorial voice that is distinct from those of her contemporaries yet congruent with the gender norms and expectations of her contemporary culture, in both religious and secular literatures from late antiquity through the waning of the Middle Ages. The argument posited here is that texts authored by women, as informed by concurrent male texts and the literary traditions in which individual authors seek to participate, can be read as a taxonomy of responses to the traditions individual authors appropriate and to their contemporaries, directly responding to …

Post-Operative Extraction Of Oxycodone From Human Hair, Sarah Clickner

Anthropology

No abstract provided.

Authoritative Parenting And The Relationship To Academic Achievement: Views Of Urban African American Adolescents, Christine Brown-Richards

Education Doctoral

Authoritative parenting and the relationship to academic achievement was the prime focus of this study. The research questions of this study addressed what parenting behaviors do urban middle and high school students identify as influential on their current academic performance and did the identified parenting behaviors of students fit the literature’s notion of Baumrind’s authoritative parenting. This qualitative study interviewed a purposeful sample of urban African American adolescents in grades 7-10 from a midsize urban city in upstate New York, recruited in the after school setting. In addition, parents completed a survey regarding their parenting behaviors in relationship to their …

At-Risk Hispanic Students' Perception Of Afterschool Programs: A New Model Targeting The Needs Of English Language Learners, Cynthia Wise Galvan

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of this study was to explore 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) as support systems for at-risk Hispanic youth. Expanding upon previous theories that analyzed afterschool programs and bilingual programs separately, this study sought to understand how 3rd, 4th and 5th grade at-risk Hispanic youth attending the 21st CCLC, Afterschool Centers on Education, perceive the afterschool programs in a small school district in South Texas. The study analyzed five afterschool program constructs pertaining to what literature says are best practices for afterschool programs and bilingual programs inclusive of safety, self-esteem, interactive, and engaging, language, and cultural characteristics. This …

Bismuth Nitrate-Induced Novel Nitration Of Eugenol And Estradiol: An Exploratory Study, Luis Canales

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Molecules originating in nature have held an important place in chemistry and in society. Many of the important useful compounds of all time were first discovered in nature. Eugenol, a multi-functionalized biologically active constituent, is present in high quantity in natural clove. Eugenol is an important herb due to its medicinal activities; therefore, research on this molecule is necessary. Nitration of Eugenol was performed through various metal nitrates and solid surface combinations. Estrogens are contributors of the development of many secondary sex characteristics in females; they play various important roles in the nervous system. Direct nitration of estradiol has been …

K-Hyponormality Of Powers Of Multivariable Weighted Shifts, Mayra O. Martinez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

In mathematics, weighted shifts, also known as shift operators or translation operators, are examples of linear operators. Single and multivariable weighted shifts have played an important role in the study of (joint) k-hyponormality to LPCS. They have also played a significant role in the study of cyclicity and reflexivity, in the study of C*-algebras generated by multiplication operators on Bergman spaces, as fertile ground to test new hypotheses, and as canonical models for theories of dilation and positivity. We will first consider the hyponormality of powers of commuting multivariable weighted shifts. Specifically, if we let W(α,β) := (T1, T2) denote …

‘Climate Change’ And Its Bearing On Violent Crimes In A Rio Grande Valley City In Texas, Vanessa Valdez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Previous theories have attributed aggression to biological influences but this thesis will focus on the frustration-aggression hypothesis. If such a theory is relevant, weather may have an effect on violent crime. This study intends to answer whether a relationship between violence (specifically violent crime) and warm temperatures exists and what type of relationship exists. The study tests the hypothesis that warm temperatures will have a positive association with violent crime. Based on secondary data the Part I Index crimes (Violent) or murder rape, robbery, and aggravated assault were collapsed into two variables, ‘Violent’ which omitted robbery and ‘Violent 2’ which …

Soliton Solutions Of Ultradiscrete Integrable Systems, Wei Yin

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

In recent years, ultradiscrete integrable systems, in which both independent and dependent variables are discretized, have attracted much attention. In this thesis, we show how to obtain all line soliton solutions of (2+1)-dimensional ultradiscrete soliton systems from determinant solutions of discrete soliton systems by taking an ultradiscrete limit. Taking an ultradiscrete limit of determinant solutions with non-negativity, we obtain Casorati determinant-like solutions. Starting from Grammian (Gram-type determinant), we obtain another expression of τ-functions, which leads to a perturbed form after the expansion of Grammian. These two different forms are essentially equivalent, i.e., it is possible to transform a form into …

“Combustible Sinners” And Other Stories, Myra Ivette Infante

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This is a collection of six short stories with a critical introduction. The characters in the short stories are all connected (sometimes remotely) to a small, Mexican, Pentecostal church in South Texas. The critical introduction explores the religious background and evolution as a Chicana writer of Myra Ivette Infante.

Phosphormorphosis, Elizabeth Fernandez Figueroa

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The artwork I create facilitates my artistic direction and has developed from childhood memories to current adulthood experiences of viewing how light can change the form of many things including organic forms. My extensive research and technical experimentations with the different color value manipulation of acrylic and oil based paints to accommodate the phosphorescent paint has brought me to create a new technique in painting which I titled “Phosphormorphosis”. Phosphormorphosis is to change the form of a two-dimensional image or three-dimensional surface by manipulating the color value of wet or dry media and adding phosphorescent paint to distort the image …

Biocompatibility Of Electrospun Polymer Nanofibers (Epns) With Nih 3t3 Cell Line And Interaction Of Quercetin With Different Flavonoids: Induction Of Phase Ii Enzymes In Vitro Cancer Cell Lines, Brenda S. Benavides

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Part I: In this study Electrospun nanofibers, Elasthane™ 55D, Elasthane™ 75D, Biospan®, Hydrothane™ and Lycra® were evaluated for their biocompatibility to be artificial tissue substitutes using NIH-3T3 fibroblast cells. A colorimetric based MTT dye reduction assay demonstrated that EPNs did not stop cell growth in vitro. Additionally, fluorescence confocal microscope images verified that cell adhesion occurred in the nanofibers, and cell growth on the EPNs over two weeks period was confirmed by DNA quantification.

Part II: This section of the thesis is focused on evaluation of chemopreventive properties of various phytochemicals by induction of Phase II enzymes. The interaction of …

Duffing-Van Der Pol-Type Nonlinear Oscillator System, Jing Cui

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

In this thesis, we are concerned with the nonlinear Duffing–van der Pol–type oscillator system by means of the Lie symmetry reduction method. This system has physical relevance as a simple model in certain flow-induced structural vibration problems, which includes the van der Pol oscillator and the damped Duffing oscillator etc as particular cases. By applying the Lie symmetry analysis, we find two nontrivial infinitesimal generators, and use them to construct canonical variables. Through the inverse analysis, some dynamical properties of the nonlinear system under certain parametric conditions are presented. Comparison with the existing results by the Prelle– Singer procedure is …