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2013

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Post-Injury Calcium Chelation Rescues Skeletal Muscle Regeneration In Mice, Matthew D. Magda Aug 2013

Post-Injury Calcium Chelation Rescues Skeletal Muscle Regeneration In Mice, Matthew D. Magda

Honors Scholar Theses

During aging the ability of skeletal muscle to regenerate after injury wanes until muscle integrity cannot be maintained. In this study it is shown that calcium chelation can restore young-like regenerative ability in an aged mouse model of skeletal muscle regeneration.


A Vascular Flora Of Bendabout Farm, Bradley County, Tennessee And Survey Of Native Castanea Dentata (Marsh) Borkh. (Fagaceae, American Chestnut), Amelia Paige Harris Aug 2013

A Vascular Flora Of Bendabout Farm, Bradley County, Tennessee And Survey Of Native Castanea Dentata (Marsh) Borkh. (Fagaceae, American Chestnut), Amelia Paige Harris

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The primary goal of this study was to inventory the flora of Bendabout Farm, a 1,467 ha privately-owned farm in Bradley County, Tennessee. A second goal was to conduct a census of the population and distribution of surviving Castanea dentata (Marsh) Borkh. (American chestnut) within the study area. Both natural/semi-natural and altered habitats were described during initial habitat characterization. The study recorded 433 species from 261 genera in 106 families. The study documented 250 new records for Bradley County. Special Concern Species, Panax quinqu efolius L., was vouchered, as were 68 non-native species. C. dentata were located using the sweep …


The Retention Of College Students With Disabilities: What Encourages Them To Stay In College?, Michelle Rigler Aug 2013

The Retention Of College Students With Disabilities: What Encourages Them To Stay In College?, Michelle Rigler

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study explored the retention rate of college students with disabilities and the factors that encourage this population of students to successfully persist to graduation. The study explored the current lack of information in regard to the comparison of the retention rates of college students with disabilities to that of the general college population and the population of other minority college students. Through this qualitative study, disability-service offices at medium-sized, and four-year public universities in the southeast region of the United States were explored. Directors of these offices and students with invisible and apparent disabilities were interviewed. This study has …


The Impact Of Specialized Treatment On The Empathy Levels Of Urban, Low-Income, Third And Fourth Grade Elementary School Students, Ronald Joseph Yother Aug 2013

The Impact Of Specialized Treatment On The Empathy Levels Of Urban, Low-Income, Third And Fourth Grade Elementary School Students, Ronald Joseph Yother

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined the impact of specialized treatment on the empathy levels of urban, low-income, middle-aged elementary school students who attend a local neighborhood school. The data set consisted of the pre and posttest scores of 99 students who attend a single, small, urban, district school in a system of approximately 21,032 other elementary school students. The first of three research questions asked whether self-reported levels of empathy can be altered across the various experimental treatments (new clothes and empathy training) imposed during the study. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey post hoc comparisons for the pre and posttests …


Journal Of Cave And Karst Studies, Volume 75, No. 2, August 2013, Malcom S. Field Aug 2013

Journal Of Cave And Karst Studies, Volume 75, No. 2, August 2013, Malcom S. Field

KIP Articles

Contents: Subterranean Aquatic Planarians of Sardinia, with a Discussion on the Penial Flagellum and the Bursal Canal Sphincter in the Genus Dendrocoelum (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Dendrocoelidae) -- Occurrence of Troglobitic Clivinines in China (Insecta: Coleoptera: Carabidae) -- The First Cavernicolous Nicoletiidae (Insecta: Zygentoma) from the United Arab Emirates -- The View of Maya Cave Ritual from the Overlook Rockshelter, Caves Branch River Valley, Central Belize -- Flow Characterization in the Santee Cave System in the Chapel Branch Creek Watershed, Upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina, USA -- New Species and New Records of Springtails (Hexapoda: Collembola) from Caves in the Salem …


Citizens Changing Ideas Into Action: A Phenomenological Study Of Community Learning, Eleanor Mccallie Cooper Aug 2013

Citizens Changing Ideas Into Action: A Phenomenological Study Of Community Learning, Eleanor Mccallie Cooper

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This phenomenological study defines and explores the concept of community learning as a driver of economic and social change. Community learning refers to the creation of new knowledge and skills as a result of people interacting with each other to affect change within a locality. Jointly-created knowledge and skills build the efficacy of individuals as well as the capacity of a group to further its purpose. The question that shaped this study was: How do communities educate themselves for change? A theoretical framework is developed based on social constructivist learning theory, organizational and collaborative learning, and community development. This study …


A R2r3-Myb Transcription Factor From Epimedium Sagittatum Regulates The Flavonoid Biosynthetic Pathway, Wenjun Huang, Haiyan Lv, Ying Wang, Wei Sun, Ming Luo, Shaohua Zeng, Sitakanta Pattanaik, Ling Yuan Aug 2013

A R2r3-Myb Transcription Factor From Epimedium Sagittatum Regulates The Flavonoid Biosynthetic Pathway, Wenjun Huang, Haiyan Lv, Ying Wang, Wei Sun, Ming Luo, Shaohua Zeng, Sitakanta Pattanaik, Ling Yuan

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Herba epimedii (Epimedium), a traditional Chinese medicine, has been widely used as a kidney tonic and antirheumatic medicine for thousands of years. The bioactive components in herba epimedii are mainly prenylated flavonol glycosides, end-products of the flavonoid pathway. Epimedium species are also used as garden plants due to the colorful flowers and leaves. Many R2R3-MYB transcription factors (TFs) have been identified to regulate the flavonoid and anthocyanin biosynthetic pathways. However, little is known about the R2R3-MYB TFs involved in regulation of the flavonoid pathway in Epimedium. Here, we reported the isolation and functional characterization of the first …


Zoning And Licensing To Regulate The Retail Environment And Achieve Public Health Goals, Heather Wooten, Ian Mclaughlin, Lisa Chen, Christine Fry, Catherine Mongeon, Samantha Graf Aug 2013

Zoning And Licensing To Regulate The Retail Environment And Achieve Public Health Goals, Heather Wooten, Ian Mclaughlin, Lisa Chen, Christine Fry, Catherine Mongeon, Samantha Graf

Duke Forum for Law & Social Change

No abstract provided.


Behavioral Rhythm, Sleep, And Mood Disturbances In Newly Admitted Nursing Home Residents., Irene M. Kostiwa Aug 2013

Behavioral Rhythm, Sleep, And Mood Disturbances In Newly Admitted Nursing Home Residents., Irene M. Kostiwa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Older adults entering a nursing home face many physical and psychosocial challenges, all at a point in life when their bodies may be least equipped to handle such adversity. Data for the present study were collected for 186 incoming residents from 6 nursing homes over the course of 1 year. Fifty-six participants were interviewed at the earliest possible time point following admission and rest-activity data were collected via actigraphy for 1 week, after which participants were interviewed a second time. Newly admitted residents in this sample were functionally dependent, highly medicated, and diagnosed with many conditions associated with sleep and/or …


Adjusted Variance Components For Unbalanced Clustered Binary Data Models, Intesar N. Abdoslam Aug 2013

Adjusted Variance Components For Unbalanced Clustered Binary Data Models, Intesar N. Abdoslam

Dissertations

In practice, it is very common to have clustered binary responses, where binary data are naturally grouped by sampling technique or some property of the sampling units. Often these clusters are unbalanced. The preferred class of models for clustered binary data is the Hierarchical Generalized Linear Model (HGLM), where random effects are used to account for the overdispersion known to exist for clustered binary data. There are many methods to estimate the parameters in Hierarchical Generalized Linear Models, but none of the current methods allowed the overdispersion to vary from cluster to cluster. As clustered binary data led to overdispersion, …


Design, Development, And Psychometric Analysis Of A General, Organic, And Biological Chemistry Topic Inventory Based On The Identified Main Chemistry Topics Relevant To Nursing Clinical Practice, Corina E. Brown Aug 2013

Design, Development, And Psychometric Analysis Of A General, Organic, And Biological Chemistry Topic Inventory Based On The Identified Main Chemistry Topics Relevant To Nursing Clinical Practice, Corina E. Brown

Dissertations

This two-stage study focused on the undergraduate nursing course that covers topics in general, organic, and biological (GOB) chemistry. In the first stage, the central objective was to identify the main concepts of GOB chemistry relevant to the clinical practice of nursing. The collection of data was based on open-ended interviews of both nursing and chemistry teaching faculty as well as practicing nurses. From the resulting interviews, three themes emerged: topics that were Important--had a direct application in nursing clinical practice; topics that were Foundational--not directly important for nursing clinical practice but facilitated the understanding of the important topics; and …


Relationships Between Social Connectedness And Spirituality On Development Of Depression And Perceived Health Status In Rural Populations, Ann P. Galloway Aug 2013

Relationships Between Social Connectedness And Spirituality On Development Of Depression And Perceived Health Status In Rural Populations, Ann P. Galloway

Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Double Truncated Poisson Regression Model With Random Effects, Abdalhalim M. Ali Suaiee Aug 2013

Double Truncated Poisson Regression Model With Random Effects, Abdalhalim M. Ali Suaiee

Dissertations

Count data regression models are used for special cases where the response variable takes count values or only non-negative values. Poisson regression models are commonly used to analyze count data. A frequent problem with the use of these models is that the observed variation is greater than expected and mixed Poisson models are alternative models that provide a means of explaining the extra-Poisson variation. Mixed Poisson regression models have extensive research and literature studies, and have been commonly used in fields such as epidemiology, medicine, genetics, economics, engineering, marketing, and in the physical and social sciences. However, in many cases, …


Communication And Relationships Of Intercultural/Multilingual Couples: Cultural And Language Differences, Nai Chieh Tien Aug 2013

Communication And Relationships Of Intercultural/Multilingual Couples: Cultural And Language Differences, Nai Chieh Tien

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore and describe the cultural and language differences that intercultural/multilingual couples experience in their relationships and how these differences affect their relationships. Since the United States is more diverse than ever in terms of culture, race, and ethnicity, relationships between people of different races, ethnicities, and nationalities have become more and more common place. This study answered the questions: How do cultural and language differences impact intercultural/multilingual couples’ relationships and communication? Do they find their relationship unique compared to others? How can mental health professional provide effective treatment for them in the …


An In-Depth Exploration Of Successful Weight Loss Management, Stephanie M. Witwer Aug 2013

An In-Depth Exploration Of Successful Weight Loss Management, Stephanie M. Witwer

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to advance knowledge in the area of health behavior change maintenance, specifically weight loss maintenance, and develop a substantive theory of successful weight loss maintenance in adults. Using classical grounded theory methodology, the researcher conducted in-depth interviews with 12 adult men and women who lost at least 10% of their body weight and had maintained the weight loss for at least one year. Analysis of the interviews revealed a basic social process called Transforming Self, wherein participants described a process through which they designed and made significant lifestyle changes that resulted in weight loss …


The Interrelationships Among Attachment Style, Personality Traits, Interpersonal Competency, And Facebook Use, Michael A. Jenkins-Guarnieri Aug 2013

The Interrelationships Among Attachment Style, Personality Traits, Interpersonal Competency, And Facebook Use, Michael A. Jenkins-Guarnieri

Dissertations

Online social media has become a popular way to communicate and develop interpersonal relationships. Facebook use in particular has become an important topic for researchers and clinicians, as young adults are increasingly integrating this use into their daily lives and social behavior. As empirical work on the personality traits and interpersonal competency associated with use and the potential consequences of use on social behavior is still emerging, the present study sought to investigate the interrelationships among constructs relevant to the developmental tasks associated with emerging adulthood, including adult attachment style, Five Factor Model personality traits, interpersonal competency, and Facebook use. …


Conformational Dynamics Of K-Ras And H-Ras Proteins: Is There Functional Specificity At The Catalytic Domain?, Nandini Rambahal Aug 2013

Conformational Dynamics Of K-Ras And H-Ras Proteins: Is There Functional Specificity At The Catalytic Domain?, Nandini Rambahal

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Ras proteins serve as crucial signaling modulators in cell proliferation through their ability to hydrolyze GTP and exist in a GTP “on” state and GTP “off” state. There are three different human Ras isoforms: H-ras, N-ras and K-ras (4A and 4B). Although their sequence identity is very high at the catalytic domain, these isoforms differ in their ability to activate different effectors and hence different signaling pathways. Much of the previous work on this topic has attributed this difference to the hyper variable region of Ras proteins, which contains most of the sequence variance among the isoforms and encodes specificity …


Systemic Leptin Modulates The Expression Of E-Cadherin, Β-Catenin In The Ovary Of Dietary-Induced Obese Infertile Rats, Olufunke A. Sokan Aug 2013

Systemic Leptin Modulates The Expression Of E-Cadherin, Β-Catenin In The Ovary Of Dietary-Induced Obese Infertile Rats, Olufunke A. Sokan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One of the numerous complications of obesity is infertility. Leptin has been shown to reverse infertility; however, exact mechanism is poorly understood. Recent evidence indicates Ecadherin/ β-catenin complex, which is a structural constituent of adherens junction, is expressed in the rat ovary during folliculogenesis. We hypothesized that systemic leptin modulates the expression of E-cadherin and β-catenin in dietary-induced obese infertile rats to reverse infertility. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were fed either regular chow diet (RCD) (n=6) or high fat diet (HFD) (n=14). Oestrus cycles were monitored daily until their cycles became irregular. 100 ug/ml of leptin was given intraperitoneally to HFD-fed …


A Glyptosaurine Lizard From The Eocene (Late Uintan) Of San Diego, California, And Implications For Glyptosaurine Evolution And Biogeography, David Moscato Aug 2013

A Glyptosaurine Lizard From The Eocene (Late Uintan) Of San Diego, California, And Implications For Glyptosaurine Evolution And Biogeography, David Moscato

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Glyptosaurinae is an extinct subfamily of lizards of the family Anguidae. Glyptosaurine lizards are known exclusively from the Paleogene of North America and Eurasia, reaching their peak of diversity and distribution in the Eocene. In North America these lizards are largely restricted to the intermontane basins along the Rocky Mountain range, with only sparse, indeterminately-identified skeletal elements known from outside of this region. Glyptosaurine lizards are split into two tribes: the monophyletic Glyptosaurini and paraphyletic “Melanosaurini”. Within Glyptosaurini, the most common and widespread genus is Glyptosaurus. In this study I describe a new specimen assignable to G. sylvestris, …


Teacher Evaluation And Classroom Practice: Teacher Perceptions In Northeast Tennessee, Christopher D. Bogart Aug 2013

Teacher Evaluation And Classroom Practice: Teacher Perceptions In Northeast Tennessee, Christopher D. Bogart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the perceptions of K-12 teachers as they relate to the implementation of the Tennessee Educator Acceleration (TEAM) evaluation framework. Survey links were sent to 1,115 K-12 teachers from 4 Northeast Tennessee school districts. The survey achieved a 24% return rate for a total of 270 participants. The research evaluated K-12 teachers’ overall perceptions of the TEAM evaluation framework, their perceptions of changes to their lesson planning processes, their perceptions of changes in the use of instructional strategies in their classrooms, and their perceptions of changes in the amount of time needed …


Microsporidia Spore Adherence And Host Cell Infection In Vitro, Cory A. Leonard Aug 2013

Microsporidia Spore Adherence And Host Cell Infection In Vitro, Cory A. Leonard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Microsporidia infect invertebrate and vertebrate animals. Human pathogenic microsporidia are associated with severe disease in immunocompromised individuals, and mostly asymptomatic infection in the immunocompetent. Treatment options for microsporidiosis are limited, incompletely effective, and associated with toxicity. Furthermore, microsporidia infection of healthy individuals is poorly understood, and the consequences of asymptomatic infection have not been determined. Little is known about the molecular mechanisms of microsporidia infection, but such information is essential for the development of new therapies. Spores adhere to host cell surfaces in vitro. Our laboratory has focused on determining specific host cell and microsporidia spore surface participants in spore …


The Eiios Task: Executive Function And Word Learning At 18-Months, Leslie A. Patton Aug 2013

The Eiios Task: Executive Function And Word Learning At 18-Months, Leslie A. Patton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was an investigation of the association between executive functioning (EF) ability and language development in the latter half of the second year. Fifty-five typically developing 18- month-olds were brought into the lab. The elicited imitation with inappropriate object substitution (EIIOS) task was used as a developmentally sensitive measure of EF. Language acquisition was assessed using a real-time word learning task as well as a parent report measure of vocabulary size (MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory: Words and Sentences Version). Contrary to expectations, very few statistically significant associations were found between the EF measure and either language measure. Despite these …


Bioengineering The Expression Of Active Recombinant Human Cathepsin G, Enteropeptidase, Neutrophil Elastase, And C-Reactive Protein In Yeast, Eliot T. Smith Aug 2013

Bioengineering The Expression Of Active Recombinant Human Cathepsin G, Enteropeptidase, Neutrophil Elastase, And C-Reactive Protein In Yeast, Eliot T. Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The yeasts Pichia pastoris and Kluyveromyces lactis were used to express several recombinant human proteins for further biochemical characterization. Two substitution variants of recombinant human enteropeptidase light chain (rhEPL) were engineered to modify the extended substrate specificity of this serine protease. Both were secreted as active enzymes in excess of 1.7 mg/L in P. pastoris fermentation broth. The substitution variant rhEPL R96Q showed significantly reduced specificities for the preferred substrate sequences DDDDK and DDDDR; however, the rhEPL Y174R variant displayed improved specificities for these substrate sequences relative to all other reported variants of this enzyme. The neutrophil serine proteases human …


Systematics, Climate, And Ecology Of Fossil And Extant Nyssa (Nyssaceae, Cornales) And Implications Of Nyssa Grayensis Sp. Nov. From The Gray Fossil Site, Northeast Tennessee, Nathan R. Noll Aug 2013

Systematics, Climate, And Ecology Of Fossil And Extant Nyssa (Nyssaceae, Cornales) And Implications Of Nyssa Grayensis Sp. Nov. From The Gray Fossil Site, Northeast Tennessee, Nathan R. Noll

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Late Hemphillian (latest Miocene or earliest Pliocene, 7-4.5 Ma) Gray Fossil Site in northeastern Tennessee is interpreted to represent a lacustrine paleokarst fed by a river or stream. This research focuses on the morphological and systematic relations of Nyssa endocarps (fruit pits) from the fossil site to extinct and extant Nyssa species. A combination of metric and nonmetric traits allows recognition of a new species: Nyssa grayensis sp. nov. This fossil species shares the most similarities with the extant Nyssa ogeche Bartram ex Marshall from southeast North America and the Eocene fossil Nyssa eolignitica Berry from western Tennessee. Affinities …


A Content Analysis Of A&E'S Hoarders, Samantha J. Redwine Aug 2013

A Content Analysis Of A&E'S Hoarders, Samantha J. Redwine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The interest in hoarding has peaked since its first clinical definition in 1996 and is evident by six television shows centered on the topic. This thesis reports the results a content analysis of two seasons (21 episodes) of the popular T.V. series A&E’s Hoarders. People rationalize hoarding in ways that both differ and overlap. Doctors, professional organizers, hoarders and their loved ones collectively frame hoarding as a medical and mental health problem. The results suggest that Americans’ perceptions of hoarding behavior has shifted from one that is deviant behavior to one that is medicalized.


“The Price Of A Woolworth’S Burger:” The Importance And Overshadowing Of The Nashville Sit-Ins, Aaron M. Owens Aug 2013

“The Price Of A Woolworth’S Burger:” The Importance And Overshadowing Of The Nashville Sit-Ins, Aaron M. Owens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the sit-in demonstrations that used direct action and civil disobedience to target segregation at store lunch counters. The Nashville demonstrations were the last sit-in protests to occur that are discussed in this thesis, which also examines the protests in Wichita and Greensboro. Historians argue that the Wichita and Greensboro sit-ins were the most important demonstrations of their kind. The movement in Wichita was the first protest to end segregation policies at targeted stores, and the Greensboro protests led to a direct action movement in over fifty other cities targeting lunch counters. However, the Nashville based sit-ins surpassed …


Regulating Rsma Expression In Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Sean D. Stacey Aug 2013

Regulating Rsma Expression In Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Sean D. Stacey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a Gram-negative bacillus, commonly infects immunocompromised individuals and uses a variety of virulence factors to persist in these hosts. The posttranscriptional regulator, RsmA, plays a role in the expression of many virulence factors in P. aeruginosa. RsmA up regulates virulence factors used in colonizing hosts. However, regulation of rsmA is not well elucidated. Transposon mutagenesis was performed on P. aeruginosa containing a transcriptional rsmA-lacZ fusion to answer this question. Mutants were screened via β-galactosidase assay and transposon insertions identified via arbitrary PCR. A probable MFS transporter, we named mtpX, was one significant transposon mutant identified. …


Extraction Of Antioxidants From Animal Blood And Its Potential Application As A Pet Food Preservative, Chengyi Tu Aug 2013

Extraction Of Antioxidants From Animal Blood And Its Potential Application As A Pet Food Preservative, Chengyi Tu

All Theses

Nowadays, more and more people are having pets as members of their family. To the year of 2012, there are 78.2 million dogs and 86.4 million cats owned in the U.S according to the report of the Humane Society of the U.S. The pet food industry as a result has been prosperous, with an estimated market size of $21 billion in the year of 2013. However, there is a common problem for the industry - fat rancidification. Pet foods usually contain relatively high levels of fat, which, if not well protected, are prone to oxidation and generate unfavorable products including …


A Matter Of Regionalism: Remembering Brandon Teena And Willa Cather At The Nebraska History Museum, Carly S. Woods, Joshua P. Ewalt, Sara J. Baker Aug 2013

A Matter Of Regionalism: Remembering Brandon Teena And Willa Cather At The Nebraska History Museum, Carly S. Woods, Joshua P. Ewalt, Sara J. Baker

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

In 2010–2011, the Nebraska History Museum featured two temporary exhibits: “We the People: the Nebraskan Viewpoint” and “Willa Cather: A Matter of Appearances.” We argue the public memories of Brandon Teena and Willa Cather contained in the exhibits are distanced from regional politics when articulated alongside the nostalgic regionalist rhetoric of the Nebraska History Museum. Specifically, both exhibits not only discipline the memory of trans* performance within problematic material and symbolic contexts, but also place these memories within a rhetoric of regional optimism that has critical consequences for restricting counter-public formation. In performing this reading, the essay argues that critical …


Cancer Metabolism: New Validated Targets For Drug Discovery., Federica Sotgia, Ubaldo E. Martinez-Outshoorn, Md, Michael P. Lisanti Aug 2013

Cancer Metabolism: New Validated Targets For Drug Discovery., Federica Sotgia, Ubaldo E. Martinez-Outshoorn, Md, Michael P. Lisanti

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

Recent studies in cancer metabolism directly implicate catabolic fibroblasts as a new rich source of i) energy and ii) biomass, for the growth and survival of anabolic cancer cells. Conversely, anabolic cancer cells upregulate oxidative mitochondrial metabolism, to take advantage of the abundant fibroblast fuel supply. This simple model of "metabolic-symbiosis" has now been independently validated in several different types of human cancers, including breast, ovarian, and prostate tumors. Biomarkers of metabolic-symbiosis are excellent predictors of tumor recurrence, metastasis, and drug resistance, as well as poor patient survival. New pre-clinical models of metabolic-symbiosis have been generated and they genetically validate …