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2014

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Ranking Methods For Global Optimization Of Molecular Structures, John Norman Mcmeen Jr Dec 2014

Ranking Methods For Global Optimization Of Molecular Structures, John Norman Mcmeen Jr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This work presents heuristics for searching large sets of molecular structures for low-energy, stable systems. The goal is to find the globally optimal structures in less time or by consuming less computational resources. The strategies intermittently evaluate and rank structures during molecular dynamics optimizations, culling possible weaker solutions from evaluations earlier, leaving better solutions to receive more simulation time. Although some imprecision was introduced from not allowing all structures to fully optimize before ranking, the strategies identify metrics that can be used to make these searches more efficient when computational resources are limited.

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Bilingualism, Executive Function, And Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Carina Ann Beck Dec 2014

Bilingualism, Executive Function, And Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Carina Ann Beck

Theses

In an era where the diagnosis of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is as high as 7% in school-aged children, the search for causes and preventions has never been more important. Current research indicates a positive relationship between bilingualism, particularly native bilingualism, and executive function in normally developing individuals. This study served to examine the potential relationship between bilingual education in a public school setting and the presence of ADHD symptoms in that school's students. This was a comparative analysis of students in a South Florida School District's two-way immersion program with the national average in terms of frequency of ADHD …

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Latest Homoeopathic Research Synopsis During July - September (2014), Subhranil Saha, Munmun Koley Dec 2014

Latest Homoeopathic Research Synopsis During July - September (2014), Subhranil Saha, Munmun Koley

Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy

No abstract provided.

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Impact Of Guided Inquiry On Tenth Graders’ Understanding Of Chemical Bonds, Badreya Esmaeil Abdul Raheem Al Zarooni Dec 2014

Impact Of Guided Inquiry On Tenth Graders’ Understanding Of Chemical Bonds, Badreya Esmaeil Abdul Raheem Al Zarooni

Theses

Students' understandings of scientific conceptions have been of considerable interest to science education researchers and science teachers in recent years. Accordingly, many scholarly studies have been conducted on the students' understandings and misunderstandings, particularly, those concerned with chemistry. For the present study, the term misconception is used to encompass both alternative responses that arise from formal intervention; such as classroom study, as well as those resulted from the students own interactions with, and observations of their surrounding environment. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the understanding of the Grade-10 students about the concepts and misconception regarding the …

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The Impacts Of Feral Horses On The Use Of Water By Pronghorn On The Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada, Amy Marie Gooch Dec 2014

The Impacts Of Feral Horses On The Use Of Water By Pronghorn On The Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada, Amy Marie Gooch

Theses and Dissertations

Feral horses occupy 31.6 million acres throughout western North America. Feral horses share similar habitats with a wide range of animal species, including pronghorn. Since horses are larger and often more aggressive than other animals of this region, they are generally socially dominant over all other native ungulate species. Pronghorn share water sources with horses in areas where both occur. In situations where horses exclude pronghorn from water, pronghorn fitness may be impaired, especially during the hottest months of the year when water is limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate interference competition between pronghorn and feral horses …

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Enhancing Protein And Enzyme Stability Through Rationally Engineered Site-Specific Immobilization Utilizing Non-Canonical Amino Acids, Jeffrey Chun Wu Dec 2014

Enhancing Protein And Enzyme Stability Through Rationally Engineered Site-Specific Immobilization Utilizing Non-Canonical Amino Acids, Jeffrey Chun Wu

Theses and Dissertations

The demand for economical, efficient protein production, reuse, and recovery has never been greater due to their versatility in a large variety of applications ranging from industrial chemical manufacturing to pharmaceutical drug production. The applications for naturally and artificially produced proteins include protein drugs and other pharmaceutical products, as biocatalysts in environmentally friendly chemical manufacturing, as enzymes for food processing purposes, and as an essential component in many biomedical devices. However, protein production suffers from many challenges, which include the cost of production, protein stability especially under harsh conditions, and recoverability and reusability of the proteins. The combination of two …

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A Primer On Kidney Transplantation: Anatomy Of The Shortage, Philip J. Cook, Kimberly D. Krawiec Dec 2014

A Primer On Kidney Transplantation: Anatomy Of The Shortage, Philip J. Cook, Kimberly D. Krawiec

Law and Contemporary Problems

No abstract provided.

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Six Decades Of Organ Donation And The Challenges That Shifting The United States To A Market System Would Create Around The World, Alexander M. Capron Dec 2014

Six Decades Of Organ Donation And The Challenges That Shifting The United States To A Market System Would Create Around The World, Alexander M. Capron

Law and Contemporary Problems

No abstract provided.

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Reverse Transplant Tourism, Kimberly D. Krawiec, Michael A. Rees Dec 2014

Reverse Transplant Tourism, Kimberly D. Krawiec, Michael A. Rees

Law and Contemporary Problems

No abstract provided.

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State Organ-Donation Incentives Under The National Organ Transplant Act, Sally Satel, Joshua C. Morrison, Rick K. Jones Dec 2014

State Organ-Donation Incentives Under The National Organ Transplant Act, Sally Satel, Joshua C. Morrison, Rick K. Jones

Law and Contemporary Problems

No abstract provided.

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Organ Quality As A Complicating Factor In Proposed Systems Of Inducements For Organ Donation, Michael L. Volk Dec 2014

Organ Quality As A Complicating Factor In Proposed Systems Of Inducements For Organ Donation, Michael L. Volk

Law and Contemporary Problems

No abstract provided.

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Alaska And The Arctic, Fran Ulmer Dec 2014

Alaska And The Arctic, Fran Ulmer

Alaska Law Review

No abstract provided.

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Self-Regulation Theory And Self-Monitoring Of Blood Glucose Behavior In Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus., Jennifer E. F. Ward Dec 2014

Self-Regulation Theory And Self-Monitoring Of Blood Glucose Behavior In Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus., Jennifer E. F. Ward

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) as part of a selfregulatory process of health decision-making using the Self-Regulation Model of illness perceptions, or Common Sense Model. Participants were N=185 individuals with type 2 diabetes from a specialty diabetes clinic prescribed subcutaneous insulin or other injectable diabetes medication at least daily. Collected information included both medical chart data and self-report questionnaires completed prior receiving lab results. Self-care burden was generally high; the modal prescribed times per day of injecting insulin was 4 with modal SMBG recommendations of 3-4 times per day. Participants reported high adherence to prescribed medication …

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Biomarker Discovery Of Liver Diseases Using Mass Spectrometry-Based Metabolomics., Xue Shi Dec 2014

Biomarker Discovery Of Liver Diseases Using Mass Spectrometry-Based Metabolomics., Xue Shi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Metabolomics has emerged as one of the latest of the "-omics" disciplines that can detect metabolite biomarkers in biological samples. The diverse characteristics of metabolites make the analytical platform challenging in metabolomics. Two bioanalytical platforms were developed in this study to investigate metabolite abundance changes under different biological conditions. We first developed a bioanalytical platform that coupled linear trap quadruple - Fourier transform ion cyclotron mass spectrometer (LTQ-FTICR MS) with direct infusion chip-based nano-electrospray ionization (DI-nESI) and applied it to study polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) effects on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We also employed this platform in conjunction with in …

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The Influence Of Mileage Club On Females' Body Image And Self-Esteem, Shanda Crowder Dec 2014

The Influence Of Mileage Club On Females' Body Image And Self-Esteem, Shanda Crowder

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

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Resilience And Coping: The Perspectives Of Cancer Patients, Family Caregivers, And Medical Volunteers At Khampramong Monastery, Thailand, Wipanee Su-Kerb Dec 2014

Resilience And Coping: The Perspectives Of Cancer Patients, Family Caregivers, And Medical Volunteers At Khampramong Monastery, Thailand, Wipanee Su-Kerb

Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore in-depth experiences of cancer patients, family caregivers, and medical volunteers who engaged in the treatment and services provided at Khampramong Monastery, Thailand, particularly in the areas of resilience and coping. Participants included 21 individuals (eight cancer patients, eight family caregivers, and five medical volunteers). Data collection was conducted at Khampramong Monastery (Thailand) during the summer of 2013 including interviews, field observations, and artifact collections. Moustakas’s (1994) phenomenological method was used for data analysis. Bracketing (Creswell, 1998) was employed to set aside researcher bias. Standards of trustworthiness were employed throughout all phases …

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Identification Of Cell Signaling Pathway Regulated By Micrornas In Cancer Cells Using A Systems Biological Approach, Sangbae Kim Dec 2014

Identification Of Cell Signaling Pathway Regulated By Micrornas In Cancer Cells Using A Systems Biological Approach, Sangbae Kim

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are single-stranded, non-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression via imperfect binding of the miRNA to specific sites in the 3' untranslated region of the mRNAs. Because prediction of miRNA targets is an essential step for understanding the functional roles of miRNAs, many computational approaches have been developed to identify miRNA targets. However, identifying targets remains challenging due to the inherent limitation of current prediction approaches based on imperfect complementarity between miRNA and its target mRNAs. To overcome these current limitations, we developed a novel correlation-based approach that is sequence independence to predict functional targets of miRNAs by …

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Hemoglobin A1c And The Diagnosis Of Diabetes And Prediabetes In Children And Adolescents, Jennifer Mcguire Hitt Dec 2014

Hemoglobin A1c And The Diagnosis Of Diabetes And Prediabetes In Children And Adolescents, Jennifer Mcguire Hitt

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Although the American Diabetes Association (ADA) adopted the use of the glycated hemoglobin (A1C) test as a method of diabetes and prediabetes diagnosis, the ADA has not developed firm guidelines concerning the use of the A1C test in children and adolescents, as research has not validated thresholds in this group. Diabetes and prediabetes are diseases influenced by multiple factors, including race and ethnicity, age, vitamin D deficiency, and body mass index (BMI). The purpose of this study was to determine the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of the A1C test compared to the gold …

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An Examination Of Factors That Influence Health Behaviors Among Low Income African American Women With Type 2 Diabetes In Memphis, Tn: A Qualitative Inquiry Using Mixed Methods, Adole Muruako Dec 2014

An Examination Of Factors That Influence Health Behaviors Among Low Income African American Women With Type 2 Diabetes In Memphis, Tn: A Qualitative Inquiry Using Mixed Methods, Adole Muruako

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Obesity and type 2 diabetes are increasing health concerns in the United States, particularly among women and minorities. Generally, research has highlighted the health disparities that exist among African American women, especially as these disparities relate to obesity and type 2 diabetes. In Memphis, TN, the ZIP codes of 38106 and 38109 have the highest rates of diabetes hospitalizations in the city. Further, African American women in Memphis, TN have been identified as being most vulnerable to experiencing a potentially avoidable hospitalization due to chronic disease. The purpose of study was to identify factors that may impact African American overweight/obese …

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Novel Insights Into The Role Of The Smoothened Cysteine Rich Domain In Hedgehog Signalling, Rajashree Rana Dec 2014

Novel Insights Into The Role Of The Smoothened Cysteine Rich Domain In Hedgehog Signalling, Rajashree Rana

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The Hedgehog (Hh) signal transduction pathway functions as one of the key developmental pathways and deranged Hh signalling is associated with numerous cancer and tumor conditions. The Smoothened (Smo) G protein coupled receptor (GPCR) functions as the signal transducer of the Hh pathway and is the most attractive drug target of the pathway. The structure of the Smo receptor includes seven membrane spanning domains, extracellular and intracellular loops connecting the membranous domains and the extracellular cysteine rich domain (CRD). The extracellular CRD of the Smo receptor is homologous to the Frizzled (FzD) CRD. The FzD CRD interacts with the physiological …

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Autoimmune Susceptibility Imposed By Public Tcrβ Chains, Yunqian Zhao Dec 2014

Autoimmune Susceptibility Imposed By Public Tcrβ Chains, Yunqian Zhao

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is the strongest genetic risk factor for autoimmunity. It acts together with a corresponding TCR repertoire, yet, considering the extent of the repertoire's diversity, how this imposes disease susceptibility on a population is not well understood. We address the hypothesis that shared or public TCR, those present in most individuals, modulate autoimmune risk. High resolution analyses of autoimmune encephalomyelitis-associated T-cell receptor β chain (TCRβ) showed preferential utilization of public TCR sequences, implicating them in pathogenesis. Disease-associated public TCRβ, when transgenically expressed in association with endogenously rearranged T-cell receptor α chain (TCRα), could further endow unprimed …

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Group Iv Cytosolic Phospholipase A2Α Is Critical For The Development Of Angiotensin Ii-Induced Hypertension And Associated Pathogenesis, Nayaab Shehbaz Khan Dec 2014

Group Iv Cytosolic Phospholipase A2Α Is Critical For The Development Of Angiotensin Ii-Induced Hypertension And Associated Pathogenesis, Nayaab Shehbaz Khan

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Angiotensin II (Ang II) activates cytosolic phospholipase A2α and releases arachidonic acid (AA) from tissue phospholipids. AA metabolites mediate or modulate one or more renocardiovascular effects of this peptide and have been implicated in hypertension. Since AA release is the rate limiting step in eicosanoid production, it is possible that cPLA2α might play a central role in the development of Ang II-induced hypertension. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the effect of Ang II infusion for 13 days by micro-osmotic pumps (700 ng/kg/min), on systolic blood pressure and associated pathophysiological changes in wild type (cPLA2α+/+) and cPLA2α-/- mice. Ang II …

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Genetic And Chemical Dissection Of Bloodbrain Barrier Development In Zebrafish, Robyn Anne Umans Dec 2014

Genetic And Chemical Dissection Of Bloodbrain Barrier Development In Zebrafish, Robyn Anne Umans

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) maintains a homeostatic environment as well as prohibits the entrance of xenobiotics into the brain. Because of these qualities, drug delivery is a fundamental challenge for the treatment of many diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). Along with limiting the access of therapeutics into the brain, the BBB is also impaired in CNS pathologies. Understanding the molecular cues that are essential for healthy BBB development and integrity may reveal targets for drug delivery leading to decreased progression or possible treatment of many detrimental CNS diseases. While the central features of the BBB have been accepted, …

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The Role Of Mcl-1 In The Heart: Gateway From Life To Death, Xi Wang Dec 2014

The Role Of Mcl-1 In The Heart: Gateway From Life To Death, Xi Wang

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

MCL-1 is an essential BCL-2 family member that promotes the survival of multiple cellular lineages, but its role in cardiac muscle has remained unclear. Here, we have demonstrated that cardiac-specific ablation of Mcl-1 results in a rapidly fatal, dilated cardiomyopathy preceded by loss of myofibrils and cardiac contractility, abnormal mitochondria ultrastructure, defective mitochondrial respiration, and impaired autophagy. Genetic ablation of both pro-apoptotic effectors (Bax and Bak) could largely rescue the lethality and impaired cardiac function induced by Mcl-1 deletion. However, Mcl-1-, Bax-, and Bak-deficient hearts still revealed mitochondrial ultrastructural abnormalities and displayed deficient mitochondrial respiration, and are hypersensitive to chronic …

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Computer-Aided Drug Design And Discovery, Screening And Synthesis Of Small Molecule Inhibitors Of Nucleoside Transporters, Hilaire Colleen Playa Dec 2014

Computer-Aided Drug Design And Discovery, Screening And Synthesis Of Small Molecule Inhibitors Of Nucleoside Transporters, Hilaire Colleen Playa

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Using prior biological data, pharmacophore models were made for hCNT1, hCNT3, hENT1, and hENT4. The hCNT3 and hCNT1 pharmacophore were used to select compounds for biological testing. The NBMPR analogue and dipyridamole analogue hENT1 pharmacophores were compared to each other and to a combined pharmacophore for hENT1. The dipyridamole analogue pharmacophore better predicted non-nucleoside small molecule inhibitors, and as such appears to be the better tool for aiding in the design of new small molecule inhibitors. The hCNT3 pharmacophore failed to select active compounds and as such must be redesigned. The hCNT1 pharmacophore succeeded in identifying two moderately active compounds …

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Assessing The Social And Ecological Factors That Influence Childhood Overweight And Obesity, Katie Callahan Dec 2014

Assessing The Social And Ecological Factors That Influence Childhood Overweight And Obesity, Katie Callahan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity is increasing at an alarming rate in the United States. Currently more than 1 in 3 children aged 2-19 are overweight or obese. This is of major concern because childhood overweight and obesity leads to chronic conditions such as type II diabetes and tracks into adulthood, where more severe adverse health outcomes arise. In this study I used the premise of the social ecological model (SEM) to analyze the common levels that a child is exposed to daily; the intrapersonal level, the interpersonal level, the school level, and the community level to better …

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The Phenomenon Of Abstract Cognition Among Scholastic Chess Participants: A Case Study, Brent C. Laws Dec 2014

The Phenomenon Of Abstract Cognition Among Scholastic Chess Participants: A Case Study, Brent C. Laws

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A qualitative investigation was conducted to explore the phenomenon of abstract cognition among a purposive sample of 5 secondary scholastic chess club participants. The case study enabled the researcher to explore the faculties of abstract cognition among students of contrasting skills and abilities in playing chess. The study also allowed for the consideration of potential visual-spatial, logical, academic, social competency and life benefits of chess play. Through analysis of interviews, chess simulations, blindfold chess play, and narration of chess lines and sequences, the investigator was able to extract meaning and code schemata into a holistic understanding of the phenomenon of …

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Weightlifting, Performing Arts Electives, And Academic Achievement: A Comparison In An East Tennessee High School, Lana Page Dec 2014

Weightlifting, Performing Arts Electives, And Academic Achievement: A Comparison In An East Tennessee High School, Lana Page

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a significant relationship between the academic achievement as measured by ACT English, math, and composite scores of students who took 6 or more credits of weightlifting, 6 or more credits of performing arts, or no elective focus in an East Tennessee high school serving grades 9-12 from the graduating classes of 2010 through 2014. The independent variables were the elective focus groups students took during high school and race and ethnicity. The dependent variables were ACT English, math, and composite scores. A series of one-way analyses of variances (ANOVAs) …

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Oxidative Damage To Dna 2´-Deoxyribose By Carbonate Radicals: Reaction Mechanisms And Products, Terence J. Moore Dec 2014

Oxidative Damage To Dna 2´-Deoxyribose By Carbonate Radicals: Reaction Mechanisms And Products, Terence J. Moore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The carbonate radical anion (CO3•-, CR) is an important reactive oxygen species produced in vivo by one-electron oxidation of CO2 or bicarbonate, constituents of the major physiological buffer. It was demonstrated for the first time by using an HPLC-based analysis of low-molecular products of DNA damage that CRs react with DNA 2΄-deoxyribose by the hydrogen abstraction mechanism. CRs exhibit a ~ 800-fold preference for one-electron oxidation of guanine over hydrogen abstraction from DNA sugar, in sharp contrast with •OH. CRs also have, as compared to •OH, an increased preference for the H1΄ abstraction, which is the …

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“Our Weapon Is The Wooden Spoon:” Motherhood, Racism, And War: The Diverse Roles Of Women In Nazi Germany, Cortney Nelson Dec 2014

“Our Weapon Is The Wooden Spoon:” Motherhood, Racism, And War: The Diverse Roles Of Women In Nazi Germany, Cortney Nelson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The historiography of women in Nazi Germany attests to the various roles of women in the Third Reich. Although politically invisible, women were deeply involved in the Nazi regime, whether they supported the Party or not. During Nazi racial schemes, men formed and executed Nazi racial programs, but women participated in Nazi racism as students, nurses, and violent perpetrators. Early studies of German women during World War II focused on the lack of Nazi mobilization of women into the wartime labor force, but many women already held positions in the labor force before the war. Nazi mistreatment of lower-class working …

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