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Perfection: United Goal Or Divisive Myth? A Look Into The Concept Of Posthumanism And Its Theoretical Outcomes In Science Fiction, Rebecca Leah Mccarthy

Theses

As science races to keep up with science fiction, many scientists are beginning to believe that the next step in human evolution will be a combination of human and machine and look a lot like something out of Star Trek. The constant pursuit of perfection is a part of the human condition, but if we begin to stretch beyond the natural human form can we still consider ourselves human? Transhumanism and posthumanism are only theories for now, but they are theories that threaten to permanently displace the human race, possibly pushing it into extinction. This thesis will look at the …

Detection Of Anti-Helicopacter Pylori Igg Antibody, Anti-Gad Antibody, Anti-Beta Islets Cell In A Sample Of Serum With Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients, Dunya F. Salloom

Baghdad Science Journal

We have investigated twenty five patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus aged (35-60) years and fifteen healthy persons as control group to detect Anti-Helicobacter pylori IgG antibody. All studied groups were carried out to measure fasting blood sugar, anti- Glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), anti-β islets cells antibody by IFAT, Anti-H. pylori IgG antibody by ELISA technique. There was significant elevation in the concentration of fasting blood sugar than in control group (P< 0.05), the patients had negative results for anti-GAD antibody and anti- β islets cells antibody, there were significant differences (P < 0.05) of anti-H. pylori IgG antibody in 28 % of patients had type-2 diabetes than control group. This lead to suggestion that type -2 diabetes mellitus patients are more susceptible to H. pylori .

Theoretical Study Of Charge Transfer In Styryl Thiazilo Quinoxaline Dyes Stq-1, Stq-2,And Stq-3 In Organic Media System, Hadi.J.Mujbel. Al-Agealy, Khaled.H Harbbi, Mohsin.A Hassooni, Rafah.I Noori

Baghdad Science Journal

Charge transfer in styryl dyes STQ-1, STQ-2,and STQ-3 with organic media system has been studied theoretically depending on the Franck- Condon rule and continuum dielectric model . The reorientation energies λ(eV) were evaluated theoretically depending on dipole momentum, dielectric constant E , and refrective index n. The rate constant of charge transfer has been calculated depending on the reorientation energy λ(eV) ,effective free energy ΔG* , potential height barrier , and coupling coefficient Vel . A matlap program has been written to calculated the rate constant of charge transfer and other parameter. The results of calculations show that STQ-2 dye …

Inferring Desire, Jessica A. Clarke

Duke Law Journal

In the course of debates over same-sex marriage, many scholars have proposed new legal definitions of sexual orientation to better account for the role of relationships in constituting identities. But these discussions have overlooked a large body of case law in which courts are already applying this model of sexual orientation, with inequitable results.

This Article examines a set of fifteen years of sexual harassment decisions in which courts have endeavored to determine the sexual orientations of alleged harassers. Under federal law, sexual harassment is actionable because it is a subspecies of sex discrimination. A man who makes unwanted sexual …

Investigation Into The Effects Of Pegylation On The Thermodynamic Stability Of The Ww Domain, Sam S. Matthews

Theses and Dissertations

The covalent attachment of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) to a protein surface (known as PEGylation), has been demonstrated to increase the serum half-life of therapeutic proteins by reducing kidney clearance and immunogenicity and by protecting against proteolysis. Theses beneficial effects could be further enhanced if PEGylation consistently increased protein conformational stability (i.e. the difference in free energy between the folded and unfolded states). However, the effects of PEGylation on protein conformational stability are unpredictable; PEGylation has been reported to increase, decrease, or have no effect on the conformational stability of medicinal proteins.This thesis details the results of two studies aimed at …

Mutiny Against The Mmpa: A Look At Alaska Sb 60, Garrett Boyle

Alaska Law Review

In an attempt to curb the detrimental effects of a ballooning sea otter population, a new bill proposed in the Alaska State Senate seeks to amend the Alaska fish and game statutes by placing a bounty of $100 on sea otters lawfully taken by Alaska Natives. This Note studies the conflicting nature of the proposed bill, SB 60, with the current version of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, examining the enforceability of the provision in light of precedent from the Alaska Supreme Court and a liberal interpretation of the MMPA. The Note ultimately concludes that SB 60, as written, is …

Microrefugia And Species Persistence In The Galápagos Highlands: A 26,000-Year Paleoecological Perspective, Aaron F. Collins, Mark B. Bush, Julian P. Sachs

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The Galápagos Islands are known to have experienced significant drought during the Quaternary. The loss of mesophytic upland habitats has been suggested to underlie the relatively lower endemism of upland compared with lowland plant assemblages. A fossil pollen record spanning the last 26,000 years from an upland bog on Santa Cruz Island, revealed the persistent presence of highland pollen and spore types during the last glacial maximum and a millennial-scale series of droughts in the mid Holocene. The absence of lowland taxa and presence of mesic taxa led to the conclusion that the highland flora of the Galápagos persisted during …

Quantifying Uncertainty And Resilience On Coral Reefs Using A Bayesian Approach, Robert Van Woesik

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Coral reefs are rapidly deteriorating globally. The contemporary management option favors managing for resilience to provide reefs with the capacity to tolerate human-induced disturbances. Yet resilience is most commonly defined as the capacity of a system to absorb disturbances without changing fundamental processes or functionality. Quantifying no change, or the uncertainty of a null hypothesis, is nonsensical using frequentist statistics, but is achievable using a Bayesian approach. This study outlines a practical Bayesian framework that quantifies the resilience of coral reefs using two inter-related models. The first model examines the functionality of coral reefs in the context of their reef-building …

Corals On Acid: An Inquiry-Based Activity Leading Students To A Better Understanding Of Ocean Acidification Impacts, Casey L. Boleman, Philip M. Gravinese, Ellen N. Muse, Andrea E. Marston, John G. Windsor

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The objective of this inquiry-based lesson is for students to gain an understanding of how increasing ocean acidity can affect the calcification of marine organisms. During this activity, students: (1) design an experiment to quantify the CaCO3 concentration of two invertebrate skeletal samples, one that has been soaked in normal seawater and another in a low pH solution, and (2) use critical thinking and discussion to evaluate possible explanations for the difference in the skeletal CaCO3 compositions. Our lesson focuses on exploring the activity before ocean acidification is introduced to provide a common conceptual framework to engage students.

The Mediating Effect Of Homework Between Self-Regulated Learning And Science Achievement., Matthew D. Kingsley 1968-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Homework has been shown to have a significant, positive effect on student achievement and grades, particularly at the secondary level (Cooper, Robinson, & Patall, 2006). However, homework completion and its effect on grades is controlled within the realm of the student and its success as a learning strategy depends on many things including the students’ interest in the subject, their confidence, the time they have to complete it, gender and other factors within the home such as parent education level and parent involvement (Trautwein & Ludtke, 2007; J. Xu, 2007; J. Xu, Corno, Lyn, 2006). Through the work of Eccles …

The Nature Of Arabic Mothers' Involvement In Their Children's Mathematics Education, Wafa Yacoub

Dissertations

In this qualitative study, the researcher explored the nature of Arabic mothers', who live in the United States involvement in their children's mathematics education. There is no data about this minority population as related to mathematics educational involvement since Arabic and Muslim women are scarcely represented in the educational research. Eighteen mothers participated in four focus groups, all agreed on the importance of mathematics and their involvement in their children's math education despite the fact that many of them had negative experiences learning mathematics, and were not familiar with the new teaching methods. These mothers became involved at home by …

Toll-Like Receptors 2 And 9 Are Important For Innate Immune Cell Activation And Recruitment In Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis, Kelly J. Andrews

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is an interstitial lung disease caused by repeated inhalation of environmental antigens. The disease is characterized by alveolitis and granuloma formation; however, some patients develop chronic HP (CHP), a restrictive lung disease characterized by fibrosis. Previous studies revealed that neutrophils are recruited into the lung via a MyD88- dependent pathway and regulate disease severity through cytokine production. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) 2 and 9 recognize conserved molecular patterns present in bacteria, and signal through the adaptor molecule MyD88. The goal of my project is to investigate the role of TLRs 2 and 9 in the pathogenesis of HP …

Development And Characterization Of A Recombinant Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (Rvsv) For The Treatment Of Glioblastoma, Erika A. Dillard

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Background: Over the past 30 years, little has changed in the treatment modalities and prognosis of patients suffering from Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common and by far the most devastating adult primary malignant brain tumor. Conventional therapies provide only a marginal increase in survival of GBM patients, post-diagnosis. Therefore, more novel means of treating GBM are needed to increase long-term survival and quality of life for those affected. Replication competent oncolytic viruses (OVs) have recently emerged as a possible option for treatment of high-grade gliomas. Particularly, recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV), an enveloped, negative strand RNA virus, has shown …

Nkg2d Ligands In Cancer, Neha Das Gupta

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

NK cell transplantation has been increasingly used to treat cancers that are resistant to chemotherapy. However, not all cancers are susceptible to NK cell killing. The prevalence and mechanisms of NK cell resistance have not been well elucidated. Because NKG2D is a major activating receptor on NK cells, we sought to test the hypothesis that NKG2D is the primary pathway in tumor cell recognition. Herein, we comprehensively assessed 20 cancer cell lines representing a broad array of cancer types. In line with our primary hypothesis, no cancer cell lines that expressed low levels of NKG2D ligands were susceptible to NK …

Tetraspanin Cd9: Contributions To Cancer Cell And Vascular Cell Phenotypes From The Sixth Man, Michael James Herr Ii

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Cancer and vascular disease are the two most predominant causes of mortality in the United States. Potential regulatory mechanisms for these two diseases have consumed research interests. Tetraspanins are cell surface proteins that organize the cell membrane. Cellular membrane organization is a prerequisite for cellular signaling to occur. Deregulation of cellular signaling often precedes the formation of cancer or vascular disease phenotypes. This insinuates the necessity to understand how tetraspanins contribute to membrane organization and subsequent downstream signaling. This work examines tetraspanin CD9 contributions in a model of cancer cell invasion and vascular cell contraction. The findings presented here demonstrate …

Attenuation Of Parenteral Nutritionassociated Liver Disease By Omega-3 Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, Emma Monique Tillman

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

No abstract provided.

Adenylyl Cyclase 2 Selectively Regulates Il-6 Expression In Human Bronchial Smooth Muscle Cells, Amy Sue Bogard

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Adenylyl cyclase (AC) catalyzes the formation of the ubiquitous second messenger cAMP. AC isoforms differ in their tissue distribution, cellular localization, regulation, and protein interactions, and most cells express multiple isoforms. We hypothesized that cAMP produced by different AC isoforms regulates unique cellular responses. Overexpression of individual isoforms had distinct effects on forskolin (Fsk)-induced expression of a number of known cAMP-responsive genes in human bronchial smooth muscle cells (BSMC) and human embryonic kidney cells (HEK-293). Most notable, in BSMC overexpression and activation of AC2 enhanced interleukin 6 (IL-6) expression, but overexpression of AC3 or AC6 had no effect. IL-6 production …

Erg11-Mediated Azole Resistance In Candida Albicans, Stephanie Ann Flowers

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Although many medically important Candida species are commensal to the gut or colonizers of the skin, these organisms have the propensity to cause disease in the event of a waning immune system. Clinical manifestations of infections with Candida species can range from superficial mucosal infections to deep organ involvement usually resulting from haematogenous spread of infection. Despite significant progress made in the management of patients with fungal infections, the emergence of antifungal resistant clinical isolates creates significant problem in regards to antifungal prophylaxis and empirical treatment strategies. Antifungal resistance is associated with high mortality rates and hefty medical costs. The …

Regulation Of Secretory Phospholipase A2 By Thyroid Hormone, Pragya Sharma

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Rationale: Low grade inflammation has been correlated with elevated risk of hepatic steatosis and atherosclerosis. Secretory phospholipase A2 group IIA (PLA2g2a) enhances the progression of several chronic inflammatory diseases including arthritis and atherosclerosis. The potential linkage of hypothyroidism with inflammation led us to examine the modulation of sPLA2 expression by thyroid hormone (T3) in liver.

Objective: Most of the studies of phospholipase A2 group IIA (PLA2g2a) have been conducted with macrophages and vascular smooth muscle cells with regard to atherosclerosis. The liver is one of the major contributors to the total pool of extracellular PLA2g2a. The aim of the present …

Identification Of Novel Hif1a Target Genes That Regulate Tumor Progression And Metastasis, Danielle L. Peacock

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Hypoxia is a hallmark of most solid tumors. In response to hypoxic stress tumor cells adapt by regulating survival, metabolism and angiogenesis. The heterodimeric HypoxiaInducible Factor (HIF) transcription factors are the master regulators of this response. HIFs play key roles in many critical aspects of cancer biology including angiogenesis, stem cell maintenance, metabolic reprogramming, invasion, metastasis and resistance to radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Overexpression of HIF-1α and HIF-2α has been documented in multiple human cancers and HIF-1 protein is over-expressed in ~30% of primary breast tumors and ~70% of metastases, which independently correlates with poor prognosis and decreased survival in …

Synthesis Of Resveratrol Ester Derivatives, Daniel Ressler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research project was to synthesize derivatives of transresveratrol. In order for resveratrol to be activated and used by the body it needs to bind to Human Serum Albumin (HSA), a protein in blood plasma. The derivatives were synthesized to improve the ability of resveratrol to enter cells as well as improve their ability to bind to HSA. The three derivatives that were synthesized have converted one of the hydroxyl groups on resveratrol to an ether with a methylene chain terminated by a carboxylic acid. By varying the lengths of the methylene chain we varied the water …

Women, Feminism, And Aging In Appalachia, Sherry Kaye Ms.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Aging has become a problem for men and women in Western societies where youth is touted and revered as a standard of success by which individual value is measured and esteemed. Older women in particular find that as they age they face discrimination in the form of ageism and social diminution. The purpose of the study is to remedy a lack of scholarship on aging in Appalachia and to establish a precedent for future studies. A liberal, feminist approach is used to analyze the results of recorded interviews and to interpret transcripts of relevant data. The results of the analysis …

Natural Resource Management Newsletter, Dave Willis

NRM Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Dangerous Ground: The Spratly Islands And U.S. Interests And Approaches, Clarence J. Bouchat (Usaf, Ret.) Lieutenant Colonel

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

View the Executive Summary

The Spratly Islands warrant better understanding by U.S. policymakers in order to discuss nuanced responses to the region’s challenges. To attain that needed understanding, legal aspects of customary and modern laws are explored to analyze the differences between competing maritime and territorial claims and why and how the parties involved stake rival claims or maritime legal rights. Throughout the monograph, the policies of the United States are examined through its conflicted interests in the region. Recommendations for how the United States should engage these issues, a more appropriate task than trying to solve the disputes outright, …

Students With Disabilities: Perspectives Of Regular Education Teachers Of Increased Inclusion, Mindy D. Myers Mrs.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore regular education teachers’ perceptions of inclusion. The participants of this study were K-12 regular education teachers located in Tennessee’s First region. Specifically, this research explored (1) perceptions of the impact of inclusion on instructional strategies, (2) perceived level of preparedness to effectively teach students with disabilities (3) professional development needs of regular education teachers instructing students with disabilities, and (4) collaborative relationships between regular and special educators. The data sources analyzed consisted of a survey design using a 4-point Likert scale. Each research question had a corresponding null hypothesis. Each research question …

Synthesis And Characterization Of A New Cyano-Substituted Tris(Pyrazolyl)Borate And Its Thallium(I) Complex, Bozumeh Som

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A new cyanoscorpionate - tris(4-cyano-3,5-diphenylpyrazolyl)borate (Tp^Ph2,4CN) has been synthesized and characterized. The thallium complex of this ligand TlTp^Ph2,4CN has also been prepared and characterized by FT-IR, ¹H NMR, and single-crystal X-ray-diffraction. The complex TlTp^Ph2,4CN crystalized in the monoclinic space group C2/c with unit cell a = 14.6697(10) Å, b = 13.9493(10) Å, c = 19.3347(12) Å, and b= 91.761(2)°. Structural comparison of TlTp^Ph2,4CN with analogous complexes demonstrated the effects of both steric and electron-withdrawing substituents on coordination geometry and the electronic properties of the metal ion. There were short contacts between the cyano groups …

Actively Caring About The Actively Caring Survey: Evaluating The Reliability And Validity Of A Measure Of Dispositional Altruism, Philip Randall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Geller’s Actively Caring Survey (ACS) was theorized to measure person states deemed necessary to “Actively Care” or act altruistically toward others. Empirical research of the ACS has been limited, and this researcher sought to evaluate its reliability, validity, and factorial consistency. Undergraduate students (n = 1,095) completed the measure online. Hypotheses were partially supported. Unrotated primary component analysis found the ACS to be a unitary measure with 73.3% of the items loading onto the first factor. The ACS showed excellent internal consistency. Convergent and divergent validity with existing measures (i.e., the Big 5 Personality, Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability, Cognitive Failures …

Identification And Characterization Of Genetic Factors Involved In Candida-Bacterial Interactions, Sean J. Fox

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Throughout existence, fungi and bacteria have long shared ecological niches and thus engage in numerous interactions to mutually enhance survival or antagonistically gain competitive advantages. Of importance to human health are those interactions that involve bacteria with the opportunistic fungi, Candida albicans. An important virulence factor of C. albicans is the ability to control morphology, which allows the transition between yeast, pseudohyphal, and hyphal phenotypes. Morphological control in C. albicans is governed by quorum sensing and the secreted autoregulatory molecule farnesol. Quorum sensing allows individual cells to sense the environment and respond as a group. Bacteria also use quorum …

The Effects Of Family Structure On Juvenile Delinquency, Alisha B. Parks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Studies show that family structure is an important factor in explaining delinquency among adolescents (Price & Kunz, 2003). There is a lack of research, however, pertaining to cohabitation. The main goals of this study are to determine if there are variations in delinquency between cohabitating and other family types, and to examine the extent to which parental social control measures account for the variation in delinquency by family structure. Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) are used for the purposes of this study (n = 4,389). While there are no significant differences in violent delinquency …

Youth And Family Based In-Home Services Program In Tennessee: Factors For Success, Craig S. Hall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Intensive in-home services is a family-centered, strength-based intervention program offering comprehensive treatment that includes family therapy, mental health treatment and parenting skills for caregivers, development of positive social systems, and assistance with accessing community resources for long-term support (Youth Villages, 2013b). Framed on family system theory, Intensive-In Home Services (IIHS) was developed from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Functional Family Therapy, Social Development, and Crisis Intervention models as a means to modify behaviors that place youth at risk for out-of-home placement. The socio-historical development of these models is examined in the literature review.

Intensive in-home services is a family-centered, strength-based intervention program …