Digital Commons Network^™

Post Traumatic Stress In Ugandan Orphans And Its Effect On Working Memory, Stephanie Larumbe

Theses & ETDs

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a life altering disorder, which is characterized by three major symptoms: intrusion, avoidance and hyper-vigilance. These symptoms interrupt every day functioning including cognitive functioning such as working memory. Studies on veterans have found that a general decline in working memory is present in veterans with a diagnosis of PTSD as opposed to veterans without PTSD. Few studies have been conducted on working memory functioning in children with PTSD, and those that have been conducted have had variable results, and did not study the effect of the extent of trauma or individual trauma symptomology on working …

The Nanotubular Helix Carbon's Revolution, Ian Hamilton

Theses & ETDs

The tube is a ubiquitous motif which manifests throughout physical systems across the energy scales. Current progress in materials science is bringing tubes at smaller scales than ever into focus: nanotubes. Exhibiting remarkable physiochemical properties, these tubes are at the forefront of scientific thought. Their structure-function correlation is deeply understood, and tunable synthesis techniques can create specified tubular geometries. Obscenely strong and conductive, the possibilities they offer seem to defy limitation. One consideration of their tendency to assume helical morphology is that they can be grown into molecular springs. This thesis considers carbonaceous form's structure-function correlation, synthesis techniques, and growth …

Just Breathe And Relax Alternative Therapies For Symptoms Of Stress Disorders, Carlos Arias

Theses & ETDs

Prolonged and unwarranted levels of stress can lead to several psychological and health issues including the possibility of a severe anxiety disorder. The symptoms of stress disorders are often times treated with medication whose efficacy has been brought into question. Myriad stress therapies have been proposed as alternatives to typical treatment and amongst them meditation has shown the most promise. The current experiment attempts to further elaborate on stress research by comparing an eclectic meditation group with a control and exercise group on several stress measures over a three week period. Measures included everyday burnout scores (Maslach Burnout Inventory), inventory …

Hiding Behaviors In Octopus Joubini Cuvier, Ben King

Theses & ETDs

Octopus joubini is a species of cephalopod that is not well studied because of its relatively small size for an octopus. It is an ideal subject for behavioral research. To further understand how the pygmy octopus interacts with its natural environment, which is inshore sea grass beds, three Octopus joubini were subjected to two choice oriented experiments involving dens. Each octopus was given four different objects in their aquaria to make their dens: a plastic vial, a PVC tube, a flat rock, and half of a bivalve shell. Each octopus chose to live in the PVC tube. Then during a …

Formation Of Small Unilamellar Vesicles And Applications To Targeted Drug Delivery, Sonali Gupta

Theses & ETDs

Liposomes, or membranous vesicles, with a radius less than 100 nm are called Small Unilamellar Vesicles (SULVs). The formation of stable SULVs is problematic since tension in the membrane due to its high curvature destabilizes the particles. In this study the spontaneous formation of SULVs was observed through two separate pathways, both involving structural precursors. SULVs formed through the bicellar phase have disk-like precursors whose morphology is dictated by the molar ratio of long and short chain phospholipids in solution. Here DMPC and DHPC were used in a 3.2:1 ratio to create SULVs of 34.3 +/- 0.24 nm at a …

Reading And Writing In Nabokov's Invitation To A Beheading, Lily Carbone

Theses & ETDs

This thesis explores the role of reading and writing in Vladimir Nabokov's novel Invitation to a Beheading. I argue that these two activities allow Cincinnatus C., the novel's protagonist, to temporarily escape his imprisoning world by granting him the opportunity to utilize his imagination, and function as a link between the worlds of author, reader, and protagonist. The first chapter highlights the interconnectedness of reading and writing in this novel through a close examination of the framed novel Quercus. The second chapter focuses exclusively on the role of reading in Invitation, addressing the question: what does it mean to be …

Sir Richard Has Taken Off His Considering Cap! An Anthropological Critique Of The Disease Model Of Alcoholism, Miranda Black

Theses & ETDs

Chronic alcohol addiction is a condition which manifests in social behaviors as well as biological consequences. Excessive drinking has not always been interpreted with the negative connotations which it bears today. Alcohol has existed in prehistoric cultures not only as a leisurely commodity but as a relic of religious, medicinal, and social rituals. This thesis concerns the role of alcohol use in the United States, focusing on how it came to be stigmatized and how the cultural phenomenon of medicalizing alcohol addiction alleviated, altered, but also in some ways re-invented stigmatization of the alcoholic. Through waves of social myth-making and …

Applying Natural Resource Damage Assessment To The Gulf Oil Spill A Scientific Inquiry, Sam Eastham

Theses & ETDs

In this thesis I explore the Natural Resource Damage Assessment process, mandated by the Oil and Pollution Act of 1990, as it applies to the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster. Literature regarding legal aspects, environmental damages, and requirements for recovery are synthesized to determine the best way to go about damage assessment. Given the unusual nature of the spill, both in terms of scope and ecological location, optimizing assessment methods proves inevitably difficult for this particular incident. Ultimately, a multitude of methods inspired by interdisciplinary cooperation seems to be the best solution. A complex and convoluted problem such as this one …

Exploring Changes In Surface Structure And Potential Roles For Reactive Oxygen Species Signaling During Postgenital Carpel Fusion In Catharanthus Roseus, Helena Benedict

Theses & ETDs

During normal development, the carpels of the Madagascar periwinkle, Catharanthus roseus L. arise as two distinct organs but later make contact and fuse to form a single gynoecium. Significantly, approximately 400 epidermal cells along the site of fusion change their plane of division and eventually redifferentiate into less specialized parenchyma tissue. Understanding the mechanisms by which neighboring cells communicate and orchestrate developmental processes is important to the study of plant development, making this a potentially useful model system. Previously documented increases in carpel cuticle permeability as fusion progresses, together with literature reporting altered cuticle properties in Arabidopsis mutants expressing abnormal …

The Queer And The Uncanny In Gothic Literature, Erin Jayes

Theses & ETDs

This thesis focuses on how the word "queer" helps us understand why Gothic fiction is so fluid, indeterminate, and unsettling. I designate a broad definition of the word "queer" based on non-normative sexualities and genders to illustrate the word's flexible definition. I chose novels that have a physical connection between characters that is marked as erotic and dangerous to good British social order. I use Freud's theory of "the uncanny" as a tool to identify the queer elements in these works because it is interested in the repressed, the disoriented, and the rediscovered. The uncanny describes the feeling of disorientation …

To Be (Or Not To Be) Matses Belonging, Trials Of Assimilation And Changing Morality In The Peruvian Amazon, Lorna Hadlock

Theses & ETDs

This thesis is based on seven months of ethnographic fieldwork in two annexes of the Communidad Nativa Matsés (CONAMA) in the Peruvian Amazon. Focusing on narratives and observations of encounters between Matsés and non-Matsés, I dissect belonging, processes of assimilation, and changing morality. I begin with historical information about rubber-boom era altercations, stolen women, and ambiguous relations with non-Matsés prior to "pacified contact" in 1969. Then, I examine glorified stories of the moment of "contact" and relations with Christian missionaries who initiated "contact." Continuing into the present day, I present observations and interviews to document modern interactions and intermarriages between …

Partial Synthesis Of A Novel Tetra-Amido Macrocyclic Ligand For Potential Use As A Green Oxidation Catalyst, Adam Flowerday

Theses & ETDs

In recent years, advancements in environmentalism, such as the development of electric-powered cars and the increased practices of recycling, have been made in an effort to reduce the negative side-effects of technology uses. Research in alternative sources of energy, as well as cleaner methods of production for every day goods, has significantly advanced over the past fifty years. One of the scientific areas that has contributed greatly to this advancement is green chemistry, which focuses on developing chemicals and syntheses of chemicals that are more environmentally benign. Within this area of chemistry, an area of interest is the development of …

Humor Creation's Varying Impact On Mood, Samuel Hoar

Theses & ETDs

Seeking to examine the effect of humor's impact on mood, this study had participants create a humorous caption for a cartoon utilizing affiliative, self-enhancing, self-defeating, or aggressive humor, as well as a control condition in which they simply created a non-humorous caption. Comparing the differences in positive and negative affect before and after this task, no differences were found between the groups. This may support cognitive reappraisal as a mechanism by which humor can be used for emotion management. Limitations and possible ways to refine the methods are discussed.

Impervious Surfaces As An Indicator Of Water Quality Within Sarasota County, Florida, Laurel Corrao

Theses & ETDs

Impervious surfaces such as roads, rooftops, and parking lots prevent the infiltration of water into the soil. Increases in impervious surface increase runoff. Results of increased runoff include increased nitrogen and phosphorus, and other pollutants into water bodies. Pollutants can cause ecosystem eutrophication and degradation. The relationship between increased impervious surface percentages upstream from water quality test sites in Sarasota County was investigated. Sarasota County Government provided data on biological oxygen demand (BOD), chlorophyll, turbidity, color, ammonia, total Kjedahl nitrogen (TKN), total nitrogen, nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the form of NO2 and NO3, orthophosphate, total phosphorus and total suspended solids …

A Study Of The Effect Of Stress On Albinism In Red Mangroves, Rhizophora Mangle (Linnaeus 1753), Salome Grasland

Theses & ETDs

The chlorophyll-deficient mutant phenotype of Rhizophora mangle serves as an ideal tool to study the effects of stress on the plant. The Mendelian inheritance of the mutation and the easy visibility of its phenotype make it an accessible model of assessing the effects of different factors on the plant's genetics. This study quantified and localized the occurrence of the mutant phenotype of R. mangle to examine the effects of environmental stresses on the plant. The findings suggest that stress does have an effect on the prevalence of albinism in R. mangle. The results also suggest that R. mangle trees expressing …

Bach To The Future Using A Genetic Algorithm To Create Chorales In The Style Of J.S. Bach, Andrew Cerni

Theses & ETDs

One of the goals of natural computing is to develop and use techniques inspired by nature to solve complex problems using a computer. Genetic algorithms represent one such technique. Inspired by the processes of natural selection and evolution, a genetic algorithm seeks to generate solutions to an optimization problem via a process which involves the production of many generations of populations whose individuals represent potential or approximate solutions to the given problem. In this thesis, we employ a genetic algorithm approach to the problem of generating four-part chorales in the traditional Western style. We perform a number of computational experiments …

Music, Misconception, And Massacre How Simon Bikindi's Music Recontextualized "Hutu" And "Tutsi" And Incited Violence During The 1994 Rwandan Genocide, Lizbeth Hampton

Theses & ETDs

In this thesis I explore how three songs by Simon Bikindi affected the decision to engage in genocide. After researching the role of the infamous radio station Radio Television Libre des Milles Colines (RTLM) in the 1994 genocide, and learning about Simon Bikindi from that research, I found that I was dissatisfied with the writings that were supposed to be explaining how the words sung by Bikindi and said by broadcasters of RTLM did little more than list what was said and state that it was inflammatory. This thesis aims to fill in the gaps, or at least try to. …

Winter 2013, Seattle University

Seattle University Magazine

No abstract provided.

Antecedents To Mobbing, Anita Lois Lane

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The research examines possible antecedents to mobbing behavior. Mobbing typically occurs following a bullying incident. Dyadic Power Theory (Dunbar, 2004) is applied to the behaviors associated with this phenomenon. Indirect Interpersonal Aggression can be perceived as a communicative strategy to demonstrate control attempts. Those who lack in self-assurance may be more apt to join in with the mob and cultivate mobbing episodes in the adult world. Emerging adults are entering vocational spheres in large numbers. Becoming aware of unethical communicative behaviors that lead to severe workplace and individual consequences is the focus of this study.

Microenvironment Generated During Egfr Targeted Killing Of Pancreatic Tumor Cells By Atc Inhibits Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells Through Cox2 And Pge2 Dependent Pathway, Archana Thakur, Dana Schalk, Elyse Tomaszewski, Sri Kondadasula, Hiroshi Yano, Fazlul H. Sarkar, Lawrence G. Lum

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are one of the major components of the immune-suppressive network, play key roles in tumor progression and limit therapeutic responses. Recently, we reported that tumor spheres formed by breast cancer cell lines were visibly smaller in a Th₁ enriched microenvironment with significantly reduced differentiation of MDSC populations in 3D culture. In this study, we investigated the mechanism(s) of bispecific antibody armed ATC mediated inhibition of MDSC in the presence or absence of Th₁ microenvironment.

Methods

We used 3D co-culture model of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) with pancreatic cancer cells MiaPaCa-2 [MiaE] …

Inhibition Of Hedgehog Signaling Sensitizes Nsclc Cells To Standard Therapies Through Modulation Of Emt-Regulating Mirnas, Aamir Ahmad, Ma'in Y. Maitah, Kevin R. Ginnebaugh, Yiwei Li, Bin Bao, Shirish M. Gadgeel, Fazlul H. Sarkar

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Epidermal growth factor receptor- tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) benefit Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, and an EGFR-TKIi erlotinib, is approved for patients with recurrent NSCLC. However, resistance to erlotinib is a major clinical problem. Earlier we have demonstrated the role of Hedgehog (Hh) signaling in Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal transition (EMT) of NSCLC cells, leading to increased proliferation and invasion. Here, we investigated the role of Hh signaling in erlotinib resistance of TGF-β1-induced NSCLC cells that are reminiscent of EMT cells.

Methods

Hh signaling was inhibited by specific siRNA and by GDC-0449, a small molecule antagonist of G protein coupled …

Exploring The Impact Of Elevated Depressive Symptoms On The Ability Of A Tailored Asthma Intervention To Improve Medication Adherence Among Urban Adolescents With Asthma, Lokesh Guglani, Suzanne L. Havstad, Dennis R. Ownby, Jacquelyn Saltzgaber, Dayna A. Johnson, Christine C. Johnson, Christine Lm Joseph

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

In patients with asthma, medication adherence is a voluntary behavior that can be affected by numerous factors. Depression is an important co-morbidity in adolescents with asthma that may significantly impact their controller medication adherence and other asthma-related outcomes. The modifying effect of depressive symptoms on an asthma intervention’s ability to improve asthma controller medication adherence among urban adolescents with asthma has not yet been reported.

Objective

To assess self-reported symptoms of depression as an effect modifier of the relationship between randomization group and controller medication adherence at 6-month follow-up.

Methods

These analyses use data from a randomized controlled …

Student Characteristics And Targeted Based Cognitive Tier Ii Interventions, Patrick M. Billups

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between Tier II student characteristics and outcomes on a standardized reading assessment. Ninety students who scored in the lowest third on a Virginia standardized reading test were placed into one of three instructional groups: 1) a control group consistent with instruction from previous years, 2) a “teacher selected” treatment group in which teachers determined students’ cognitive processing deficits and administered a chosen intervention, and 3) a “tested” treatment group in which students were administered the Woodcock Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities (WJ-III) and assigned interventions based on the results. …

Mercury Concentrations In Tropical Resident And Migrant Songbirds On Hispaniola, Jason M. Townsend, Christopher C. Rimmer, Charles T. Driscoll, Kent P. Mcfarland, Eduardo E. Inigo-Elias

Civil and Environmental Engineering - All Scholarship

Despite growing concerns over mercury (Hg) exposure to humans and wildlife on a global scale, little is known about Hg bioaccumulation in the New World tropics. From 2005 to 2011, we monitored Hg concentrations in blood of nine avian species occupying a geographic range of tropical wet broadleaf sites on the island of Hispaniola, including eight passerines (two Nearctic- Neotropical migrant and six resident species) and one top order predatory accipiter. Invertivorous songbirds were further differentiated by foraging guild, with six species of groundforagers and two species of foliage-gleaners. Blood Hg concentrations were orders of magnitude higher in birds sampled …

Harding Magazine Winter 2013 (Vol. 21, No. 1), Harding University

Harding Magazines

Publication distributed to alumni and friends of the university.

The Effects Of Earlier School Start Times On Cognition And Sleep In Children Ages 7-10, Kimberly Bryant

Undergraduate Review

Adolescent sleep deprivation has been the focus of recent research; its primary cause is a shift in adolescents’ biological rhythms (Carskadon, Wolfson, Acebo, Tzischinsky, & Seifer, 1998). As a result, many school systems have chosen to restructure their school start times to allow high school students to start school later, resulting in younger students going to school earlier. Despite the research describing the benefits this change in school start times will provide adolescents, there has been virtually no research regarding its effects on younger children. This study examines the effects that a change in school start time between 2nd grade …

Modeling Plaque Aggregation On The Neuronal Network, Thomas Howard

Undergraduate Review

Alzheimer’s disease is a condition linked to plaque aggregation in the brain. Despite being the focus of many studies, current treatments are of questionable significance in the overall improvement of a patient’s condition. In recent years, computer models have been used to better understand complex biological systems and simulate the effects of various treatments. In the following paper we present a mathematical model studying the effects of plaque aggregation on the neuronal pathways of the human brain. To create our mathematical model we employ tools from the theory of dynamical systems and stochastic processes, and simulate the passage of a …

An Investigation Of The Look Away Behavior In Domestic Dogs, Sarah Scott

Undergraduate Review

The unique phylogenetic and ontogenetic history of domestic dogs has had an effect on the way they communicate with one another. Research suggests that domestic dogs’ ability to communicate through visual signals may vary by breed (Goodwin, Bradshaw, & Wickens 1997; Kerswell, Bennet, Butler, & Hemsworth 2009). In the current study, we investigate the effect of a visual communication signal, the look away, observed in both domestic dogs and their ancestor, the wolf, in order to examine whether or not domesticated dogs respond to this visual signal. Research indicates that domestic dogs respond appropriately to artificial dog models (Leaver & …

Fall 2013, Nova Southeastern University

Currents

No abstract provided.

A New List Of Cuban Crinoids (Echinodermata: Crinoidea), Ruber Rodriguez-Barreras, Charles G. Messing

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

This review is based on the most recent taxonomic classification of extant Cuban Crinoidea. Existing material in natural history collections in Cuba was analyzed in detail and accurately reflects species presence. The crinoid literature was also reviewed. Several previously unpublished observations of species found in waters off Cuba have also been included. This paper provides the most up to date description of the Cuban crinoid fauna. Habitat, distribution, depth range and localities in Cuba are reported for each species. Collection codes for available specimens are included when known. The work describes a total of 33 species (plus two subspecies) in …