Digital Commons Network^™

Impacts Of Foraging Behavior Of Initial And Terminal Phase Sparisoma Viride On A Caribbean Coral Reef, Samantha Ortiz

Theses & ETDs

The stoplight parrotfish, Sparisoma viride, is considered a major reef herbivore because the regular consumption of algae by S. viride helps prevent coral-algal phase shifts on reefs. However, recently, S. viride was accused of consuming and destroying live corals, most notably the boulder star coral, Montastraea annularis, and in some cases the finger coral, Porites porites. S. viride live coral consumption behaviors are displayed through acts of "spot" and "focused" biting, both of which are considered territorial and agonistic in nature. Live coral consumption by S. viride sometimes results in reef destruction through partial or full mortality of the corals. …

Bowing Down To All Human Suffering Schillerian Ideals In The Robbers And Dostoevsky's Crime And Punishment, And The Role Of Female Characters As Carriers Of True Moral Value, Daniela Rizzo

Theses & ETDs

Dostoevsky and Schiller produced works which reflected not only national identity but also the political and social climate of their time. Dostoevsky's relationship with Schiller is crucial in understanding some of his most celebrated works. Schiller's idealistic heroes paved the way for Dostoevsky to expand and expose their intricate, but problematic moral fabric. The female characters in Schiller's The Robbers and Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment embody sacrifice, agape, and a strong sense of morality that is rationalized and lacking in the male characters. Without the presence of these women the male protagonists could never reach "redemption". The comparison of these …

In Search Of Lost Caregivers Gender, Sexuality And The Body In Proust's Recherche, Emily Adams

Theses & ETDs

Findings were mixed and difficult to interpret. T-tests demonstrated greater use of aggressive humor in males than females but multiple regression analyses did not find this effect; furthermore, no differences arose between men and women in their use of self-deprecating, affiliative, or self-enhancing humor. Correlations demonstrated relationships between 2D:4D ratio and aggressive humor use but multiple regression analyses did not find this effect; furthermore, no relationships were found between 2D:4D ratio and any of the other humor types. Lastly, no relationships were found between gender role score and humor type use.

Anthropogenic Nutrient Enrichment In Bays And Watersheds A Comparison Of Sarasota Bay, Florida And Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, Allison Wyatt

Theses & ETDs

Bays and watersheds are threatened globally by anthropogenic nutrient enrichment, a process that degrades water quality through an influx of nutrients including nitrogen, ammonia, and phosphorous. Two areas of the United States that have experienced periods of degraded water quality that have lead to declines in their bay ecosystems are Kaneohe, Hawaii, and Sarasota, Florida. As their recent histories and land uses are similar, I chose to compare the nutrient content in the watersheds of these two locations as well as show how nutrient levels differed based on their location within the watershed. My results suggest that nutrient levels are …

Opposites (Still Must) Attract Constructions Of Gender, Sex, And Sexuality In Modern Young Adult Literature, Bre Gregg

Theses & ETDs

This English Literature?Gender Studies thesis explores constructions of gender, sex, and sexuality in modern Young Adult Literature published within the last decade. Close readings were performed on six texts, looking to the possibilities offered for adolescent girls and boys concerning their performances of masculinity and femininity, and their enactment of heterosexuality. Analysis of these texts revealed that prescriptive hetero-gendered relations are instilled within characters when they reach puberty; once girls' bodies can be identified as female, they are subject to the social pressures of normative femininity and sexual harassment. Girls' entrapment within femininity, and the social treatment of this femininity, …

"Food Is The Best Medicine" Enhancing Post-Surgery Recovery With Diet, Ariel Hart

Theses & ETDs

The trauma of surgery puts patients into a catabolic phase of stress. In order for a body to heal and rebuild, it needs access to the proper substrates, many of which can be provided in a patient's diet, including proteins, vitamins, essential fatty acids, and calories to fuel the necessary bustle of internal activity. In recent years, certain "pharmaconutrients" have been found to improve clinical outcomes as dramatically as treatment with antibiotics or other traditional "drugs". Incorporation of this information into the hospital setting is lagging, however, even when it comes to providing sufficient calorie and protein intakes. Studies have …

Who Speaks For The Wolves? An Exploration Of The Human-Wolf Conflict In The Continental United States, Kaitlyn Bock

Theses & ETDs

Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) conservation in North America is at a crossroads. Pushed to near extinction in the early 1900's, the species was recently reintroduced into the Yellowstone ecosystem after a 70 year absence. However, ranching interests and years of accumulated cultural hatred keep wolf recovery from progressing. This thesis explores the ecological and cultural impetus for gray wolf preservation. The history, conservation, and cultural legacy of Canis lupus are analyzed to investigate the ways human preferences influence wildlife management and to further understand the balance between meeting human needs and conserving biodiversity.

Communicated Gender A Content Analysis Of Contemporary Children's Toy Commercials In The U.S., Mackenzie Pawliger

Theses & ETDs

This sociological study was performed to contribute to an understanding of the role of gender in contemporary children's toy advertisements in the U.S. Content analysis was conducted on 60 children's toy advertisements selected from the Amazon 2011 Holiday Toy Wish List and Achilles Effect blog. Analysis was guided by eight mega-codes, which encompassed twenty-nine mini-codes. Toys are not inherently gendered; however, social meaning is conveyed through layers of detail in advertisements and aspects of the toy itself. To understand gender�or any other central aspect, it is necessary to analyze the types and relationships among a wide array of variables. Gender …

The State's Voice In The National Health Care Debate, Christine Wilson

Theses & ETDs

This thesis sets out to analyze the states' role in implementing health care reform in the United States. Many may believe that the Affordable Care Act is a federal takeover of health care, but the states will actually be implementing most of the provisions and managing reforms. Through the expansion of Medicaid, the creation of a State Exchange, and the reform of the insurance industry, states will play a vital role in the reform process. Various states have resisted the Affordable Care Act by claiming that it is unconstitutional or that it places a monumental financial burden on the states. …

Growth Rate Of An Invasive Apple Snail, Pomacea Insularum (D'Orbigny), And Its Potential Impact On Native Florida Ecosystems, Allegra Buyer

Theses & ETDs

Pomacea insularum, an invasive apple snail species, has spread throughout Florida and other regions of the United States. It could potentially consume large amounts of vegetation and interact with the native Florida apple snail, Pomacea paludosa (Say). In this study, its growth rate under different densities was examined. Growth rates of juvenile P. insularum and P. paludosa were compared in separate and combined tanks. A possible lowered growth rate was noted for P. insularum at a higher density than for other species in the Pomacea genus. Pomacea insularum grew faster than P. paludosa, similar to other studies, but may have …

Paint Her Like One Of Your French Girls The Rise And Plummet Of Sappho's Creative Reputation From 1775 To 1846, Sherise Gamble

Theses & ETDs

Throughout antiquity, the Lesbian poet Sappho (c. 612-570 BCE) was renowned for her exceptional talents as a lyric poet. However, Sappho's popularity dissipated after the fall of the Roman Empire, and it only slightly regained popularity towards the end of the Italian Renaissance. It was not until the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in France that Sappho truly reestablished her position as a prominent creative figure. Sappho's popularity as a subject in the visual arts became especially important between the years of 1775-1846. The first part of this thesis examines Sappho's creative reputation throughout classical antiquity, and how women painters between …

Quantitative Metabolic Clearance Of Glycol Ethers Using Cryopreserved Hepatocytes, Fermin E. Guerra

Theses & ETDs

The National Toxicology Program reports more than 80,000 chemicals registered for use in the United States. An estimated 2,000 new chemicals are introduced for use in everyday items such as foods, personal care products, prescription drugs, household cleaners, and lawn care products each year. The glycol ethers ethylene glycol monohexyl ether and ethylene glycol 2-ethylhexyl ether lack toxicity and metabolism studies even though their chemical structures are similar to ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, a hematotoxin. Cryopreserved hepatocytes from female and male human, mouse, and rats were used to determine the half-lives of glycol ethers as well as possible metabolites. The …

Vol. 87, No. 2 | Winter 2012, Bridgewater College

Bridgewater Magazine

No abstract provided.

The Enduring Landscape The Archaeology Of Seminole Ethnogenesis In West-Central Florida, Michael Wass

Theses & ETDs

The Seminole Tribe of Florida, the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, and the Independent Traditional Seminole Nation of Florida are the descendants of the people who were not sent to the Indian Territory along the Gulf Coast route of the Trail of Tears. The origins of the Unconquered Seminoles are contested with popular, scholarly, and indigenous understandings offering differing perspectives. As a result of the confusions created by the colonial encounter in the American Southeast, the historical record has impacted earlier understandings of the origins of the Seminoles. This thesis contributes to uncovering its 19th-century history by focusing on …

The Extent To Which Biologocal And Sociocultural Factors Account For Differences Between The Sexes In Humor Type Preference, Emily Acle

Theses & ETDs

Differences between men and women in their use of four humor types were investigated, with an emphasis on the extent to which one biological factor � 2D:4D ratio � and one sociocultural factor � gender role score � accounted for these differences. It was hypothesized that men would demonstrate greater use of aggressive humor than women, and no hypotheses were made regarding differences between men's and women's use of self-deprecating, affiliative, or self-enhancing humor. Furthermore, no hypotheses were made regarding the relationship between 2D:4D ratio and use of any of the humor types. Lastly, it was hypothesized that more male-typical …

An Analysis Of Age And Diet Related Changes In The Venom Composition Of Sistrurus Iliarius Barbouri, Andrew Carothers

Theses & ETDs

Envenomation by snakebite is a serious concern in many third world countries due to the high costs of developing and manufacturing successful antivenoms. A potential method to alleviate this concern is to develop novel polyvalent antivenoms capable of treating the venoms of many different snake species. Producing a single serum would be far less costly than producing several capable of addressing the same range of species. The synthesis of such a serum requires detailed information of both interspecies and intraspecies diversity in terms of the composition of the different venoms in question. This work sought to explore intraspecies venom diversity …

Health Effects Associated With Foreclosure: A Secondary Analysis Of Hospital Discharge Data, Nancy Menzel, Sheniz Moonie, Melva V. Thompson-Robinson

Nursing Faculty Research

Objectives. The purpose of this study was to assess the health effects of high home foreclosure rates in an area of the United States of America and the utility of hospital discharge data for this purpose. Methods. We analyzed hospital discharge data from three postal zip codes using the principal diagnosis for 25 Diagnostic Related Groups associated with stress. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize hospital discharge rates for each condition by year and zip code. To test for differences across time, the Cochran-Armitage trend test was performed. Results. Most conditions did not demonstrate a statistical change between …

2012-2013 Nova Southeastern University Undergraduate Student Catalog, Nova Southeastern University

Undergraduate Programs Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Vascular Kv7 (Kcnq) Potassium Channels As Therapeutic Targets In Cerebral Vasospasm, Bharath Kumar Mani

Dissertations (6 month embargo)

Cerebral vasospasm, a grave sequel to subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), is characterized by prolonged severe constriction of arteries in the base of the brain, including the basilar artery. Spasmogens (serotonin, endothelin and vasopressin), elevated in response to SAH, induce persistent depolarization of the myocytes in the artery wall, leading to continuous influx of calcium (Ca2+) through voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels (VSCC) resulting in hyperconstriction (spasm). The spasm of the arteries restricts blood flow to the brain, inducing ischemic neurological deficits and consequential high morbidity and mortality. The cellular pathogenesis of cerebral vasospasm is poorly understood and the therapeutic options are limited.

Kv7 …

Gender Differences In Depression: Assessing Mediational Effects Of Overt Behaviors And Environmental Reward Through Daily Diary Monitoring, M.M. Ryba, D.R. Hopko

Psychology

Gender differences in the prevalence of depression are well documented. To further explore the relation between gender and depression, this study used daily diaries to examine gender differences within thirteen behavioral domains and whether differential frequency of overt behaviors and environmental reward mediated the relationship between gender and depression severity. The sample included 82 undergraduate students [66% females; 84% Caucasian; Mean age = 20.2 years]. Overall, females engaged in a significantly greater breadth of behavioral domains and reported a higher level of environmental reward. Females spent more time in the domains of health/hygiene, spiritual activities, and eating with others. Males …

American Well: A Viral Solution, Rebecca Browning, Rodrigo Camargo, Thaisa Camargo, Basma Memon, Gary Salyers, Brent Spencer

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The case presents an overall look at American Well, its position within the telehealth market, and a look at the market and market affecting factors. The following analysis will be conducted using the information presented in the case and will identify strengths, weakness, strategies and provide discussions of special topics.

Reintegrating Human And Nature: Modern Sentimental Ecology In Rachel Carson And Barbara Kingsolver, Richard M. Magee

English Faculty Publications

Rachel Carson and Barbara Kingsolver were both trained as scientists and may be expected to embrace the rationalist, mechanical view of nature as something separate from, and perhaps even inferior to, the world of humans. Yet these two women both promoted a more complex approach to modernism's scientific paradigm in which nature is not merely a separate entity for dispassionate study but also an integral part of the human community. Both women display in their rhetorical choices a keen understanding of the language of community and interconnection, and their language and writing styles constantly promote the reintegration of humans and …

Methodological Orientations Of Articles Appearing In Allied Health's Top Journals: Who Publishes What And Where, Pamela Lea Mccloud Alderman

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study examined articles published in the major peer-reviewed journals, either hard copy, web, or both formats, in five allied health professions from January 2006 to December 2010. Research journals used in this study includes Journal of Dental Hygiene, Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Journal of Nursing Scholarship, Physical Therapy Journal of the American Physical Therapy Association, and Radiologic Technology. These journals were chosen after reviewing the professional organizations’ of each discipline, as well as the professional honor societies, and the recommendations by the discipline-specific national accreditation agencies found on the organizations’ websites. All research articles published in these …

Chronic Toxicity Testing In Mining Influenced Streams Of West Virginia, Leah J. Bitzer

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Whole effluent toxicity (WET) tests have become a common tool in the evaluation of effluent for discharge acceptability. In this study, four years of toxicity data from 119 sampling locations were analyzed to determine relationships with ions and conductivity as indicators of toxicity. West Virginia Stream Condition Index (WVSCI) scores were also examined to evaluate correlations between stream scores, conductivity, and IC25 endpoints from toxicity results. Conductivity was not an indicator of toxicity in the range of conductivities tested. Streams dominated by mining effluent sometimes exhibited toxicity to Ceriodaphnia dubia; however, toxicity was not found to be related to ionic …

Climate Influence On The Health Of An Appalachian City, Ryan Wade Becka

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

In 2008 the Center for Disease Control (CDC) found Huntington, West Virginia, to be the unhealthiest city in America. A Gallup Poll conducted in 2010 found the Huntington-Ashland metropolitan area number one of 188 metro areas where depression diagnoses are most common. Manifestations of poor health in Huntington may be related to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a type of depression that occurs mainly in winter months. Symptoms of SAD are reported as a lack of energy, sleeping more, and consuming high amounts of carbohydrates and starchy foods. I theorize that these maladaptive behaviors may be a reaction to climate conditions …

Covert Behaviors Occurring In Childhood And Adolescence: Predictors Of Adult Sexual Orientation And Sexual Identity, Shelia Ramona Robinett

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study examined the influence pre-adulthood overt and covert same-sex sexual behaviors had on adult sexual orientation and the influence post-adulthood overt and covert same-sex sexual behaviors had on sexual identity in both women and men. Retrospective data were gathered via a computer-assisted self interview on 1281 non-transsexual female (age range 18-78) and 804 non-transsexual male (age range 18-84) participants for the outcome of sexual orientation and 1086 non-transsexual female and 692 non-transsexual male participants for outcomes of sexual identity. Same-sex romantic emotional attachment experience before adulthood predicted adult same-sex sexual orientation in both women and men. Such experiences occurred …

Network Insights On Oxaliplatin Anti-Cancer Mechanisms, Osama M. Alian, Asfar S. Azmi, Ramzi M. Mohammad

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Oxaliplatin has been a crucial component of combination therapies since admission into the clinic causing modest gains in survival across multiple malignancies. However, oxaliplatin functions in a non-targeted manner, posing a difficulty in ascertaining precise efficacy mechanisms. While previously thought to only affect DNA repair mechanisms, Platinum-protein adducts (Pt-Protein) far outnumber Pt-DNA adducts leaving a big part of oxaliplatin function unknown. Through preliminary network modeling of high throughput data, this article critically reviews the efficacy of oxaliplatin as well as proposes a better model for enhanced efficacy based on a network approach. In our study, not only oxaliplatin’s function …

Acr Appropriateness Criteria®  Resectable Rectal Cancer, William E. Jones Iii, Charles R. Thomas Jr, Joseph M. Herman, May Abdel-Wahab, Nilofer Azad, William Blackstock, Prajnan Das, Karyn A. Goodman, Theodore S. Hong, Salma K. Jabbour, Andre A. Konski, Albert C. Koong, Miguel Rodriguez-Bigas, William Small Jr, Jennifer Zook, W Suh

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

The management of resectable rectal cancer continues to be guided by clinical trials and advances in technique. Although surgical advances including total mesorectal excision continue to decrease rates of local recurrence, the management of locally advanced disease (T3-T4 or N+) benefits from a multimodality approach including neoadjuvant concomitant chemotherapy and radiation. Circumferential resection margin, which can be determined preoperatively via MRI, is prognostic. Toxicity associated with radiation therapy is decreased by placing the patient in the prone position on a belly board, however for patients who cannot tolerate prone positioning, IMRT decreases the volume of normal tissue irradiated. The …

Erlin2 Promotes Breast Cancer Cell Survival By Modulating Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Pathways, Guohui Wang, Gang Liu, Xiaogang Wang, Seema Sethi, Rouba Ali-Fehmi, Judith Abrams, Ze Zheng, Kezhong Zhang, Stephen Ethier, Zeng-Quan Yang

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Amplification of the 8p11-12 region has been found in approximately 15% of human breast cancer and is associated with poor prognosis. Previous genomic analysis has led us to identify the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) lipid raft-associated 2 (ERLIN2) gene as one of the candidate oncogenes within the 8p11-12 amplicon in human breast cancer, particularly in the luminal subtype. ERLIN2, an ER membrane protein, has recently been identified as a novel mediator of ER-associated degradation. Yet, the biological roles of ERLIN2 and molecular mechanisms by which ERLIN2 coordinates ER pathways in breast carcinogenesis remain unclear.

Methods

We established the MCF10A-ERLIN2 …

Harding Magazine Winter 2012 (Vol. 20, No. 1), Harding University

Harding Magazines

Publication distributed to alumni and friends of the university.