Digital Commons Network^™

Theory Of Mind, Pragmatic Language, And Social Skills In Male Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Gary Koch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized a core triad of symptoms: impaired social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and unusual, repetitive, or severely limited activities and interests (APA, 2000). Impairments in social development, however, have been considered the most salient and handicapping aspect of ASD and, traditionally, the primary deficit from which the diagnosis results. From a cognitive standpoint, it has been argued that these social impairments in individuals with ASDs arise as a result of deficits in Theory of Mind (ToM) development. The degree to which impairment in ToM corresponds to real-world social-communicative impairments has received little …

Structure Based Ligand Design For Monoamine Transporters And Mitogen Activated Kinase 5, Sankar Manepalli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Depression is a major psychological disorder that affects a person's mental and physical abilities. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) classified it as a serious medical illness. It causes huge economic, as well as financial impact on the people, and it is also becoming a major public health issue. Antidepressant drugs are prescribed to mitigate the suffering caused by this disorder. Different generations of antidepressants have been developed with dissimilar mechanisms of action. According to the Center for Disease Control, the usage of antidepressants has skyrocketed by 400 percent increase over 2005- 2008 survey period. This dramatic rise in …

The Effectiveness Of Creating A Sense Of Community In Online Learning With Social Awareness Information, Darren Mariano

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Online social interactions differ from face to face interactions and lack the non-verbal cues leading a learner to procrastinate, decreased motivation, feelings of isolation and high drop out rates. Existing research illustrates a need for social awareness information in online education, and this research studied the impact of the visual presence of social information on a learner's sense of connectedness and learning using Rovai's (2002) classroom community scale (CCS). Specifically, the study examined if a learners' sense of connectedness is improved with the exposure to others' social awareness information; and if and to what degree learning advanced due to the …

The Federal Workforce Development Program: An Analysis Of Probationers And Characteristics Associated With And Predictive Of Successful Reentry, Kelley Mcnichols

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With years of research focusing on soaring incarceration rates, the phenomena of prisoner reentry has been largely overlooked. The majority of incarcerated people will return to the community setting. In fact, millions of recently released offenders are on some form of community based supervision. Today, recidivism is a problem that plagues prisoner reentry. In order to address the challenge of prisoner reentry successfully, reentry initiatives have been established in an attempt to change the way corrections is conceptualized. The purpose of this study was to examine characteristics of probationers that are associated with and predictive of successful reentry. The data …

Computational Techniques To Illuminate Secrets Of The Monoamine Transporters, Bonnie A. Merchant

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The solute carrier family regulates the flow of various substances such as drugs, amino acids, sugars and inorganic ions across the cell membrane. In particular, the monoamine transporters (MATs) are responsible for the regulation of synaptic neurotransmitter levels. Their structures and conformational rearrangements associated with transport remain unsolved. We employed novel computational techniques to identify the binding pocket of cocaine in the dopamine transporter (DAT) and two intracellular pathways for substrate egress in LeuT and DAT. We review possible coarse grained molecular dynamics techniques to extend the temporal scale accessible in simulations of the MATs. Finally, we present the first …

The Effects Of Total Dissolved Solids On Locomotory Behavior And Body Weight Of Streamside Salamanders, And A Baseline Survey Of Salamander Diversity And Abundance, Meghan Pascuzzi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Increased levels of total dissolved solids (TDS) in stream habitats are of concern due to salinity as well as the presence of potentially toxic ions. Natural gas drilling in the Marcellus shale could increase TDS in nearby streams. This thesis investigated the effects of water with elevated TDS on the locomotory activity and body weight of the streamside salamander Desmognathus ochrophaeus. Salamanders were exposed to water collected from streams in southwest Pennsylvania with elevated TDS as well as synthetic ion solutions that mimicked the ionic composition found in streams. Chronic, but not acute exposure to solutions of 1000 ppm TDS …

The Role Of Forensic Nurses In Communities Experiencing Environmental Contamination, Wendy Robinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to provide an understanding of the self-perceived physiological and psychosocial needs of persons living in communities which have been exposed to environmental contamination, and to provide an understanding of how forensic nurses can be utilized in these communities.

Background

This study was conducted to provide an opportunity for forensic nurses to advance their profession by finding ways that they can move beyond their traditional roles. Dixon and Dixon's Integrative Environmental Health Model was the theoretical framework.

Research Design

This cross-sectional triangulated study used quantitative and qualitative methods. The Community Environmental Health and Rights …

The Effect Of Resveratrol On Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Dopaminergic Deficits And Bv-2 Cell Activation, Katherine Marie Rose

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Neuroinflammation is a common pathology found in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). PD involves a loss of dopamine (DA) neurons and an increase in activated microglia with subsequent proinflammatory cytokine secretion in the substantia nigra (SN) and striatum. A loss of DA neurons is found in the offspring of animals exposed prenatally to the bacteriotoxin, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (Ling et al., 2002). Activation of the extracellular regulated kinases, ERK1/2 and ERK5, the downstream targets in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, has been shown to be involved in the dysregulation of the inflammatory process (Cuschieri and Maier, 2005). Consequently, LPS-induced activation …

A Baseline Study Of Chemical Parameters And Microbial Diversity Of Two Streams In The Ten Mile Creek Watershed In Southwestern Pennsylvania, Jennifer Rutter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As drilling for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale becomes increasingly prevalent, both human safety and environmental concerns have arisen. The aim of this study was to assemble an environmental baseline to make an accurate assessment of its possible impacts. Water samples and chemical parameters were collected from Bates Fork, a stream with Marcellus Shale drilling activity and Fonner Run, a sister stream with no drilling activity, on a monthly basis beginning in the summer of 2010. Bacterial DNA was also extracted from water collected at each site and then amplified using primers for the variable ribosomal internal transcribed spacer …

Neuropsychological Predictors Of Math Calculation And Reasoning In School-Aged Children, Dana Schneider

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

After multiple reviews of the literature, which documented that multiple cognitive processes may be involved in mathematics ability and disability, Geary (1993) proposed a model that included three subtypes of math disability: Semantic, Procedural, and Visuospatial. A review of the extant literature produced three studies that examined Geary's three subtypes, which provided some support for Geary's model. Given the paucity of research examining Geary's subtypes of math disability, this study aimed to add to the literature by exploring the presence of these three subtypes in a sample of school-aged children. The sample consisted of 60 participants (30 males, 30 females) …

Characterization Of The Hepatitis C Virus Genome Interactions With The Microrna Mir-122: Potential New Therapeutic Targets For Peptide Nucleic Acid Based Strategies, Valerie Schrott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hepatitis C virus (HCV), a positive-sense RNA virus that chronically infects between 2.7 and 3.9 million Americans, is highly mutational, making the HCV infection difficult to treat. Thus, it is of high interest to search for highly conserved therapeutic targets within the HCV genome. Two such sequences are located within the 5' untranslated region (UTR) of HCV, being complementary for the microRNA miR-122, a liver microRNA essential for the production of the infectious virus. The use of peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) as therapeutic agents has become a promising area of study in recent years. In this study, we characterized the …

Cyberbullying And Suicide Among A Sample Of Lgbtq Young Adults, Heather Schwickrath

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

After an extensive literature review, results indicated research has been conducted examining the links between traditional bullying and suicide, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and questioning (LGBTQ) identification and cyberbullying, as well as LGBTQ identification and suicide. However, it appears as though there is a dearth of studies examining the link between young adults identifying as LGBTQ who have experienced cyberbullying and the subsequent suicidal behaviors. The following research study attempts to answer the question of whether cyberbullying mediates the relationship between cyberbullying and suicidal behaviors.

Examining Relational Aggression And Conflict Resolution Skills In Overtly Aggressive Non-Caucasian Females, Jessica R Scott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this study, the researcher sought to examine the differences in relational and social aggression for a non-Caucasian adolescent at-risk population across three different groups. Specifically, the study seeks to determine if the Goodwill Girls Curriculum will decrease covert bullying behaviors (i.e., relational and social aggression) in youth who have been removed from their home school districts due to aggressive behaviors including acts of bullying. A secondary aim of this study will be identify the effects of the Goodwill Girls Curriculum on increasing conflict resolution skills within the sample.

The Goodwill Girls curriculum is designed to be implemented alongside a …

Depictions Of Mental Disorder In Mainstream American Film 1988-2010, Catherine A. Sherman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The following qualitative research study examined visual and thematic depictions of mental disorder in mainstream American film from 1988 to 2010. The research was an extension of an earlier investigation on portrayals of psychological disability in Hollywood movies (Levers, 1988, 2001). The theoretical and historical grounding for the project included Sander Gilman's (1982) scholarship on madness in the pictorial arts, the history and treatment of mental disorder over the course of time, social constructionism and the media, and research on media depictions of mental illness. The author employed two content analysis instruments (Levers, 1988, 2001) to record the appearance of …

Medication Expenditure And Resource Utilization Among Patients With Musculoskeletal Disorders: Analysis Of 2007 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Data, Nipun Atreja

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To estimate the national prevalence and direct incremental expenditures of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD's) using the 2007 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data.

Methods: A retrospective database analysis was conducted and individuals with MSD's (ICD-9-CM codes 274.00; 710.00-738.00) were identified. Dependent variables were total health care and other service category expenditures. The study utilized descriptive and regression analyses.

Results: In 2007, the national prevalence of MSD's was 33 million with incremental costs of $886.49 per person. The inpatient expenditures ($33,461.85) were the highest cost component in MSD's and the predictors of total health care expenditures were age, marital status, and presence …

Rooftop Gardening In An Urban Setting: Impacts And Implications, Lisa Barreiro

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research on green roofs has focused on grasses, sedums, and forbs. The aims of this thesis were to determine the potential of rooftop gardens (RTGs) in an urban setting to reduce local levels of CO2, remediate storm water runoff, and provide boutique vegetables for a restaurant. The garden roof footprint was 238 ft2, with 14% covered by vegetated boxes. The soil mixture used had 96% absorbency with 54.12 gallons of the 55 gallons of precipitation that fell within the rain catcher boxes absorbed. Total biomass production was 37.98 Kg of wet biomass and 5.04 Kg of dry biomass. The amount …

The Impact Of Participation In A Secondary School-Based Mentoring Program On Urban Females After High School Graduation, Sandra Lee Wesolowski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As thoughts of the future weigh heavily on many adolescents' minds, the at-risk urban adolescent female are at an especially critical point; every decision she makes on a daily basis has the potential to affect the rest of her life (Way, 1995). However, secondary school-based mentoring programs can provide the modality to intervene with at-risk urban adolescent females to increase the likelihood of success both while in high school and after high school graduation.

This study is a phenomonologically-oriented qualitative study that asks the question: What is the impact of participation in a secondary school-based mentoring program on the lives …

Chromate Reduction By Desulfovibrio Desulfuricans Atcc 27774, Ning Zhang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chromium has been used extensively in the industry process of metal refinishing and electroplating. It is also a byproduct of the processing of fissionable materials at United States Department of Energy facilities. Chromate (Cr (VI)) is soluble and readily absorbed by cells, while the reduced form of chromium, Cr (III), is insoluble. Thus means of reducing Cr (VI) to Cr (III) in the environment is a potential means of remediation. Desulfovibrio desulfuricans strain 27774 is a sulfate reducing bacterium that can reduce Cr (VI). It also can respire nitrate to ammonia. As some sites of chromium contamination also contain high …

Synthesis Of Furo[2,3-D]Pyrimidines, Thieno[2,3- D]Pyrimidines, Pyrrolo[2,3-D]Pyrimidines As Classical And Nonclassical Antifolates, Receptor Tyrosine Kinase (Rtk) Inhibitors And Antimitotic Agents, Xin Zhang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An introduction, background and research progress in the areas of antifolates, receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) inhbitors and anti mitotic agents has been discussed. Thymidylate synthase (TS), dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) and glycinamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase (GARFTase) are important folate dependent enzymes that are targets for cancer chemotherapy and the treatment of infectious diseases. Classical antifolates, in most cases, are substrates for folypoly - γ - glutamate synthase (FPGS) and rely on folate transporter systems to enter cells. As a part of this study, twenty - eight compounds were designed on the basis of existing clinically active compounds and crystal structures, synthesized and …

Synthesis Of Bicyclic Thieno[2,3-D]Pyrimidines, Tricyclic Thieno[2,3-D]Pyrimidines And Thieno[3,2-D]Pyrimidines As Classical And Nonclassical Antifolates, Xilin Zhou

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An introduction, background and research progress in the areas of antifolates and antimitotic agents has been reviewed and discussed. Thymidylate synthase (TS), dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) and glycinamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase (GARFTase) are important folate dependent enzymes that are targets for cancer chemotherapy and the treatment of infectious diseases. As a part of this study, thirty-five novel compounds were designed and synthesized on the basis of existing clinically active compounds and their crystal structures. These compounds were synthesized and evaluated as single and/or muliple targeted classical and nonclassical antifolates to decrease toxicity and improve the antitumor activity and selectivity of existing therapeutic …

Mechanistic Studies Of A Novel Ppar-Gamma Mutant That Causes Lipodystrophy And Diabetes, Olga Astapova

Wayne State University Dissertations

PPAR-gamma is a nuclear receptor that plays a central role in metabolic regulation by regulating extensive gene expression networks in adipose, liver, skeletal muscle and many other tissues. Human PPAR-gamma mutations are rare and cause a monogenetic form of severe type II diabetes with metabolic syndrome, known as familiar partial lypodystrophy. The E157D PPAR-gamma mutant causes atypical lipodystrophy in a large Canadian kindred, presenting with multiple musculoskeletal, neurological and hematological abnormalities in addition to the classic lipodystrophy features of insulin-resistant diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidemia. This mutation is localized to the p-box of PPAR-gamma, a small region that interacts directly with …

From Positivism To ‘Anti-Positivism’ In Mexico: Some Notable Continuities, Alexander V. Stehn

Philosophy Faculty Publications

A general consensus has emerged in the scholarship on Latin American thought dating from the latter half of the nineteenth century through the first quarter of the twentieth. Latin American intellectuals widely adapted the European philosophy of positivism in keeping with the demands of their own social and political contexts, effectively making positivism the second most important philosophical tradition in the history of Latin America, after scholasticism. However, as thinkers across Latin America faced the challenges of the twentieth century, they grew increasingly disappointed with positivism, so that “anti-positivism” stands out as a defining feature of Latin American philosophy in …

Determining Musical Preferences In Persons With Dementia: Comparing Caregiver Options To Stimulus Preference Assessment, Eva Christine Igler

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The music therapy literature supports the use of individualized music in order to reduce problem behaviors among individuals with moderate to severe dementia; however, these interventions frequently rely on family members and/or staff to choose preferred music. Family members and caregivers are often inaccurate when choosing preferred stimuli for cognitively impaired individuals. The purpose of this study was to determine if family members and caregivers could accurately identify the preferred music of individuals with dementia. A single stimulus preference assessment was used to empirically determine preferred music and then these results were compared to family member and caregiver rankings. The …

Molecular Mechanisms Regulating Chronological Aging And Cell Death In The Toxic Dinoflagellate, Karenia Brevis, Jillian Grace Johnson

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

The toxic dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis, forms nearly annual blooms in the Gulf of Mexico that persist for many months in coastal waters, causing extensive marine animal mortalities and human health impacts. The molecular mechanisms that contribute to cell survival in high density, low growth blooms, and the mechanisms leading to often rapid bloom demise are not well understood. The studies presented in this dissertation investigate the existence and involvement of a programmed cell death-like (PCD-like) pathway in the demise of K. brevis cultures following oxidative stress and chronological aging. Firstly, to gain an understanding of the molecular processes that underlie …

The Coelomocytes And Inflammation In The Sea Urchin Lytechinus Vareigatus (Lamarck, 1816), Katrina Bang

Theses & ETDs

Phagocytosis is a first line of host defense in vertebrate and invertebrate immunity. A report that body wall from the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris contained an inhibitor of L. terrestris phagocyte migration, prompted the question of whether tissues from the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus similarly affected the migration, and consequently, the ability of L. variegatus phagocytes to eliminate foreign invaders. Phagocytotic coelomocytes from L. variegatus were studied in vitro using light microscopy to gain an understanding of the cells' normal functions and morphologies. Tissues were harvested from the digestive tract, gonads, peristomial gills, and peristomial membranes of L. variegatus urchins, and …

Computational Methods For The Differential Profiling Of Triacylglycerols Using Rp-Hplc/Apci-Ms, Margaret Holbrook Broadwater

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Reversed phase liquid chromatography with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry (RP-HPLC/APCI-MS) was employed for the analysis of natural mixtures of triacylglycerols. An integrated framework for data analysis, including preprocessing, statistical analysis and automated structure identification, was implemented in the R statistical program. Raw data stored as mzXML, mzData, or mzXML files are preprocessed using a series of steps for peak detection, chromatographic alignment, and normalization. Targeted and non-targeted feature selection steps are employed to filter the data for features that are relevant and informative for a particular biological question. Triacylglycerol structures are identified by evaluating relationships between the diacylglycerol …

Endoplasmic Reticulum Calcium-Independent Phospholipase A2 Gamma (Er-Ipla2Γ): Role In Oxidative Stress-Induced Lipid Peroxidation, Ca2+ Release, Phospholipid Homeostasis And Cell Death In The Kidney, Andre Chioke Eaddy

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease are becoming more prevalent and have high morbidity and mortality, and despite several therapies targeted towards treating or preventing kidney injury, outcomes have been unchanged for many years. Calcium­independent phospholipase A2y (iPLA2γ) is one of seven Ca2+-independent PLA2 enzymes and represents a potential therapeutic target in kidney disease because of its unique subcellular localization and its potential as the putative membrane remodeling/repair enzyme. Studies in our laboratory suggest iPLA2γ is cytoprotective during oxidant injury by preventing and/or repairing oxidant-induced lipid peroxidation and pointed to ER-iPLA2γ as the major component of membrane repair and …

Sexual Dimorphism In Periapical Inflammation And Bone Loss From Map Kinase Phosphatase-1 Deficient Mice, Justin Mcabee

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Mitogen Activating Protein (MAPK) kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP-1) has been shown to be a key negative regulator of the MAP kinase pathways of the innate immune system. The impact of MKP-1 in an endodontic model has yet to be studied. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the role of MKP-1 in a bacterial-driven model of pathological endodontic bone loss. Methods: Pulps were exposed in both lower 1st molars of 10-week old Dusp-1+1+IMKP-1 +1+ and Dusp-1-1-IMKP-1-1- mice and left open to the oral environment for either 3 or 8 weeks. At sacrifice, mandibles were harvested and scanned by …

The Role Of Cd147 In Breast Cancer Progression, George Daniel Grass

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

In the U.S., approximately 40,000 women will die from breast cancer this year, while an additional 230,500 women will be newly diagnosed with invasive breast disease. Despite tremendous advancement leading to earlier detection and novel therapeutic approaches, recurrent metastatic breast cancer remains a major cause of mortality. Invasive breast cancer cells employ specialized actin-rich protrusions called invadopodia, which are enriched in proteases, to degrade the extracellular matrix and these structures correlate with metastasis in vivo. The multifunctional immunoglobulin superfamily protein emmprin (CD147) is highly enriched on the surface of malignant breast cancer cells and is associated with matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) …

Rehabilitation Utilization And The Marginal Cost Of Ischemic Stroke In South Carolina, Ann-Catherin Simpson

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

This study uses Medicare claims from 1997 and 2004 to examine two important health policy issues using patients with ischemic stroke as an example. We explore the differences in rehabilitation services utilization and expenditures for stroke prior to and after outpatient rehabilitation caps were enacted. We then examine the effect of using a total cost approach versus a marginal cost method to estimate the first year cost of stroke and stroke rehabilitation. We found the cap did constrain outpatient rehabilitation utilization and cost of rehabilitation services if examined only using Medicare Part B provider costs, but not when facility costs …