Digital Commons Network^™

Trends And Determinants Of Up-To-Date Status With Colorectal Cancer Screening In Tennessee, 2002-2008, Sreenivas P. Veeranki, Shimin Zheng

ETSU Faculty Works

BACKGROUND:

Screening rates for colorectal cancer (CRC) are increasing nationwide including Tennessee (TN); however, their up-to-date status is unknown. The objective of this study is to determine the trends and characteristics of TN adults who are up-to-date status with CRC screening during 2002-2008.

METHODS:

We examined data from the TN Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System for 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008 to estimate the proportion of respondents aged 50 years and above who were up-to-date status with CRC screening, defined as an annual home fecal occult blood test and/or sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy in the past 5 years. We identified trends …

Antifungal Activity Of Cationic Conjugated Polyelectrolytes And Oligomers Against Candida Albicans, Laura Jane Ingersol

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Candida albicans is a human fungal commensal and an opportunistic pathogen. It is a polymorphic fungus that is able to invade host cells and disseminate through tissues. C. albicans also form biofilms on medical devices and mucosal surfaces, which aid in the development of drug resistance, tissue colonization and evasion of host immunity. Disseminated candidiasis is associated with high mortality rates, especially in immunocompromised hosts. Concern about resistance to current antifungal therapies has led to a push to develop novel, alternative treatments. In this study, we investigated the antifungal activities of two agents: PPE-DABCO, a poly(phenylene ethynylene) (PPE)-based cationic conjugated …

Cold Inducible Rna Binding Protein Is Disrupted In Er+Pr+Her2- Tumors, Grace Anyango Okello

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

RNA binding proteins (RBPs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) control gene expression post-transcriptionally by targeting mRNAs for translational activation, repression, or degradation. To date, aberrant expression of RBPs and miRNAs has been observed in many types of human cancers. We have shown the overexpression of Cold Inducible RNA binding protein (CIRP) in human breast cancer cell lines as compared to nontumorigenic and nontransformed breast epithelial cells. Others have shown cytoplasmic CIRP to be upregulated in a subset of breast tumors. Little is known about CIRP targets or its role in breast cancer. RBP Human antigen R (HuR), whose cytoplasmic localization is associated …

Engineering Catalytic Molecular Logic Devices For Biodetection, Carl W. Brown Iii

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

This dissertation describes the development of DNA computing techniques and molecular logic devices specifically engineered for direct translation to biological sample detection. As disease states originate at the molecular level, it is critical to design diagnostic and therapeutic devices that are capable of molecular-scale sensing and decision-making in the cellular environment. The predictable nature of DNA hybridization and secondary structure formation enables programmable interactions, providing a stable, cost-effective, and biocompatible mechanism for making decisions on the molecular scale. The incorporation of DNAzymes, DNA strands that can perform a variety of chemical reactions, adds innate catalysis and a rich biochemical diversity …

Internet Reviews: Iucn Red List Of Threatened Species, John Creech

Library Scholarship

This review evaluates the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)'s Red List of Threatened Species (available at http://www.iucnredlist.org).

Pattern And Rate Of Decline Of A Population Of Carolina Hemlock (Tsuga Caroliniana Engelm.) In North Carolina, Foster Levy, Elaine S. Walker

ETSU Faculty Works

We monitored a population of Carolina Hemlocks in northwestern North Carolina for four years to examine the rate and pattern of decline in response to infestation by Adelges tsugae (Hemlock Woolly Adelgid). Our yearly census of hemlock condition and severity of the adelgid infestation included trees of all sizes. We estimated declines in condition as the portions of the leaf canopy that were lost. Initially, infestation occurred throughout the population but was severe in only a small cluster of individuals. Within 1 year, the area of severe infestation increased in size to encompass 48% of the population. In another region …

Rescuing Dependent Children From The Perils Of Attachment Disorder: Analyzing The Legislative Intent Of California Welfare And Institutions Code Section 361.5, Angelina Clay

UC Law SF Journal on Gender and Justice

This Note critically examines the effects of California Welfare & Institutions Code section 361.5 and reunification services in juvenile dependency proceedings. The author describes attachment theory and the deleterious effects that may result when children form insecure or disordered attachments, as often happens in the context of juvenile dependency. The author posits that, based on the best interests of the child standard, attachment theory provides a reasonable ground for shortening the reunification period and severing parental rights sooner than the California statute currently provides.

Survey Of Illinois Law: Stepparent Childcare, Jeffrey A. Parness

Southern Illinois University Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Survey Of Illinois Law: Trusts And Estates, Susan T. Bart, Jennifer L. Bunker, Sonia D. Coleman

Southern Illinois University Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Mcquade Messenger- Summer 2014, Merrimack College

McQuade Messenger

Triannual newsletter outlining the activities, events, hours, features, and resources available at McQuade Library. Summer 2014, 5 pages.

Neutral Networks Of Real-World Programs And Their Application To Automated Software Evolution, Eric Schulte

Computer Science ETDs

The existing software development ecosystem is the product of evolutionary forces, and consequently real-world software is amenable to improvement through automated evolutionary techniques. This dissertation presents empirical evidence that software is inherently robust to small randomized program transformations, or 'mutations. Simple and general mutation operations are demonstrated that can be applied to software source code, compiled assembler code, or directly to binary executables. These mutations often generate variants of working programs that differ significantly from the original, yet remain fully functional. Applying successive mutations to the same software program uncovers large 'neutral networks' of fully functional variants of real-world software …

Mechanisms Responsible For Decreased Rat Pulmonary Arterial H2o2 Levels In A Model Of Chronic Hypoxia-Induced Pulmonary Hypertension, Danielle Rachel Plomaritas

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Our laboratory has demonstrated an important role for acid-sensing ion channel 1 (ASIC1) in pulmonary hypertension through augmented Ca2+ influx in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMC) following chronic hypoxia (CH). However, this enhanced calcium (Ca2+) influx is not dependent on an increase in ASIC1 protein expression. This suggests other regulatory mechanisms influencing ASIC1 activity are altered following CH. ASIC1 is a redox sensitive ion channel and recent studies from our laboratory have shown that the oxidant hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) inhibits ASIC1-dependent Ca2+ influx in PASMC. Reactive oxygen species are known to be altered in pulmonary hypertension, however the direction …

Costa Rica- Planning For Climate Change Through Forward- Looking Policy, Rachel Helen Erickson

Architecture and Planning ETDs

Using Costa Rica as an example, this paper will address the problem of climate change and analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the climate change planning policies that are utilized in Costa Rica. This study reveals how the Costa Rican government has been proactive in terms of its climate change policies. The Costa Rican government has always been an active participant in international conferences on climate change. Costa Rica aims for carbon neutrality by the year 2021. As Costa Rica is so far ahead in terms of developing effective climate policy, other countries can look to Costa Rica as an …

Fantasy-Theme Analysis Of Food Documentaries: Contention, Collaboration, And Consultation As Health Promotion Approaches, Vanessa Brandon

Communication ETDs

In this study, the medium of documentary film is explored as a potential health-promotion tool. Food documentaries have become more popular recently, and the public's awareness of food-related health issues is growing. By analyzing different approaches to documentary films about food, I unpack the many functions and social perceptions of food with regard to health. Using fantasy-theme analysis, I explore the visions of the filmmakers of three food documentaries and the health-promotion strategies employed within them. Three different approaches to motivating health-behavior change emerged from the documentaries--contention, collaboration, and consultation. Each documentary employed a different well-established and effective health-behavior change …

Identity Performance And Space In The Albuquerque Poetry Slam Scene, Edward Hakim Bellamy

Communication ETDs

Public spaces where culture is co-constructed and performed by a community of people are rich sites for research on identity formation. This thesis explores the poetry slam as a space where poets and audiences co-construct and perform individual and group identities. From a social constructionist approach to identity formation and through the theories and methods of performance studies, the research design combines participant observation, interviews, and focus groups to elucidate the values and performative acts that define the distinct identity of the local slam community in Albuquerque, NM. The analysis of data identifies five major themes (authenticity, affecting change, building …

Organic Is More Of An American Term--We Are Traditional Farmers': Discourses Of Place-Based Organic Farming, Community, Heritage, And Sustainability, Jeffrey Hoffmann

Communication ETDs

The following study looks at how traditional, organic, cooperative farmers who are starting a new farming cooperative in the Albuquerque South Valley in New Mexico communicate about their farming as a set of (sustainable) cultural practices. The study draws on environmental communication theories, the theory of the Coordinated Management of Meaning, and Actor Network Theory to construct a communication-based framework through which to view farmers stories about sustainability and visions for the future of their farming cooperative. This framework is productive, showing how some Nuevo Mexicano farmers (and others) orient toward farming, sustenance, and human-nature relationships through community, family, heritage, …

Microstructure And Mechanical Properties Of Nickel-Free And Nickel-Containing Stainless Steel Orthodontic Wires, Amanda Olejniczak

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Introduction: In orthodontics, contact dermatitis caused by nickel allergy should be of concern with the number of nickel-containing appliances and wires used. Stainless steel archwires are commonly used throughout orthodontic treatment. With the release of nickel from these wires, some manufacturers have turned to nickel-free stainless steel alternatives. The goal of this research was to compare nickel-free stainless steel with traditional stainless steel archwires with regard to mechanical properties and microstructure. Materials and Methods: Nickel-free stainless steel and regular stainless steel archwires from four companies were included. Five random samples of each wire, vertically mounted in fast-set acrylic, were indented …

Dimensional Changes Of Facial Soft Tissue Associated With Rapid Palatal Expansion, Peter Charles Longo

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Introduction: Orthodontic treatment demands excellent outcomes in both function and esthetics. Despite the popularity of rapid palatal expansion in orthodontic treatment, few studies have examined its consequences on facial soft tissue using direct anthropometric measurements. The primary goal of this study was to determine facial soft tissue changes immediately following rapid palatal expansion. Materials and Methods: Twenty-eight patients (age range, 8-17 years) attending Marquette Dental School Orthodontic Post-Graduate Clinic were enrolled in the study. Facial soft tissue measurements were taken with digital calipers at two separate time points (T0: initial exam and T1: thirty days following expansion); measurements were recorded …

Composition, Phase Structure, And Corrosion Of Nickel-Free And Nickel-Containing Stainless Steel Orthodontic Wires, Amrita Rakalla

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Stainless steel wires have long been used in orthodontics. The austenitic stainless steel used in orthodontics contains approximately 18 wt% chromium and 8 wt% nickel. Nickel improves the corrosion resistance and helps maintain the austenite structure of stainless steel. Nickel is the most allergenic metal and is the most common metal associated with contact dermatitis in orthodontics. Nickel-free wires have been developed, and it was the goal of this study to compare nickel-free and nickel-containing stainless steel orthodontic wires to determine and compare their composition, phase structure, and corrosion properties. For each test, nickel-free and conventional stainless steel wires were …

The Effects Of Organ-Based Tube Current Modulation On Radiation Dose And Image Quality In Computed Tomography Imaging, Diksha Gandhi

Master's Theses (2009 -)

The purpose of this thesis was to quantify dose and noise performance of organ-dose-based tube current modulation (ODM) through experimental studies with an anthropomorphic phantom and simulations with a voxelized phantom library. Tube current modulation is a dose reduction technique that modulates radiation dose in angular and/or slice directions based on patient attenuation. ODM technique proposed by GE Healthcare further reduces tube current for anterior source positions, without increasing current for posterior positions. Axial CT scans at 120 kV were performed on head and chest phantoms (Rando Alderson Research Laboratories, Stanford, CA) on an ODM-equipped scanner (Optima CT660, GE Healthcare, …

Synthesis, Characterization And Reactivity Studies Of Fe(Ii) Complexes With Relevance To The Radical Sam Enzymes, Xixi Hong

Master's Theses (2009 -)

It is well-established that S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) serves as the methyl group donor in methylations of DNA, hormones, neurotransmitters and signal transduction systems. However, a new class of enzymatic reactions involving SAM has recently attracted considerable attention. In these systems, SAM initiates radical-based reactions at the active sites of enzymes via formation of an adenosyl radical, which further abstracts a H-atom from the substrate to initiate a radical-based mechanism. However, modeling studies of radical SAM enzymes have been hindered, by difficulties in preparing adequate synthetic [Fe4S4] clusters. We prepared a novel series of Fe(II) complexes with tripodal tris(2-hydroxybenzyl)amine ligands, which replicate …

"For 'Tis Your Thoughts That Now Must Deck Our Kings": Affect In Shakespearean Performance, Elizabeth Dieterich

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Because Shakespeare’s plays have been performed consistently for four hundred years, Shakespearean performance is in an ideal position to demonstrate how performance transmits the meanings of texts. This thesis argues that performances of Shakespeare’s plays create meaning through the transmission of affect. Renaissance conventions of audience-actor engagement were based on character tropes and staging practices of medieval theater, to which audiences responded viscerally. To illustrate these responses, I draw upon 3 Henry VI and Richard III. I then examine Hamlet, Twelfth Night, and As You Like It for their treatment of representation, empathy, and the power of …

A Model Of Children's Acquisition Of Grammatical Word Categories Using An Adaptation And Selection Algorithm, Teresa Young

Theses and Dissertations

Most children who follow a typical developmental timeline learn the grammatical categories of words in their native language by the time they enter school. Researchers have worked to provide a number of explicit, testable models or algorithms in an attempt to model this language development. These models or algorithms have met with some varying success in terms of determining grammatical word categories from the transcripts of adult input to children. A new model of grammatical category acquisition involving an application of evolutionary computing algorithms may provide further understanding in this area. This model implements aspects of evolutionary biology, such as …

Locating The Limits And Possibilities Of Place, Jessica Maucione

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

[First paragraph]

Theoretical debates regarding space and place, their usefulness and limits, are complicated by the too often presumed "givenness" of the terms [1]. Despite their slippage into one another—conceptually as well as a result of inconsistent or interchangeable use of space and place—many theorists in several disciplines employ spatial or placial metaphors, even as they undertake a discussion of space and/or place. On the other hand, clear designations between space and place frequently prove overly simplistic. For some, space and place are in direct opposition—Yi-Fu Tuan writes, "Place is security, space is freedom: we are attached to the one …

Rethinking The Beginning: Toni Morrison And The Dramatization Of Liminality, Michelle Dreiding

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

Beginnings in Toni Morrison's novels enact an uncanny moment of disorientation. They are beginnings in medias res, and, more importantly, beginnings of spatial deictic uncertainties that leave a reader with the absence of a stable system of reference. They enact the predicament of a beginning that precludes the fantasy of an absolute point of origin. Morrison's beginnings self-consciously advocate an imperative to engage in a continual process of re-reading, of revisiting the initial disorientation so as to avoid a "conclusion to living." (Nietzsche) I want to argue that it is in these liminal moments of beginnings of novels that …

Respite Care, Stress, Uplifts, And Depression In Single Mothers Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Ruthann Grawe Christensen

Theses and Dissertations

Single mothers of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are likely to experience high levels of stress and be at risk for depression. However, respite care can reduce parenting stress and lower psychological distress in parents of children with disabilities. This study focused on single mothers of children with ASD and their reports of stress relative to respite care received. One hundred and twenty-two single mothers completed the Respite Care Instrument, Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, Hassles and Uplifts Scale, and Caregiver Burden Instrument. Results were mixed. Respite care was positively related to daily uplifts, but not significantly related …

Population Genetics Of Greater Sage-Grouse In Strawberry Valley, Utah, Paula S. Dunken

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined population genetics of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) in Strawberry Valley, Utah located in the north-central part of the state. The Strawberry Valley population of sage-grouse experienced a severe population decline with estimates of abundance in 1998 less than 5% (~150 individuals) of similar estimates from the 1930s (>3,000 individuals). Given the population decline and reduced genetic diversity, recovery team partners translocated sage-grouse from four different populations into Strawberry Valley over 6 years (2003-2008). Translocations have been used as a strategy to increase both population size and genetic diversity in wildlife populations. We assessed whether genetic diversity …

Gas-Phase Ion/Ion Reactions Of Biomolecules: An Examination Of Carboxylate Reactivity And Arginine Based Non-Covalent Complexes, Nathan Zachary Barefoot

Open Access Theses

The advent of Electrospray Ionization with the ability to generate multiply charges ions has contributed significantly to the study of gas-phase ion/ion reactions. With the tools available in mass spectrometry it has been shown that these reactions are effective at transforming one type of gaseous ion into another through a series of reactions. This work examines some of these reactions and their application to field of proteomics specifically focusing on the amino acids of arginine and lysine. NHS reagents have been shown to react to both of these molecules with in the gas-phase under different conditions but have relies on …

Spatial And Temporal Distribution Of Fungicides Applied To Creeping Bentgrass, Kurt Ronald Hockemeyer

Open Access Theses

Turf managers often rely on fungicides to limit damage caused by root diseases. Since fungicides do not move basipetally, they are effective only when fungitoxic concentrations are delivered to the rhizosphere. This research focused on the distribution of modern fungicides in verdure, thatch, sand, and roots of creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L. var. palustris (Huds.) Farw.) maintained as a putting green. Fungicides (azoxystrobin (methyl (E)-2-[2-[6-(2-cyanophenoxy)pyrimidin-4-yloxy]phenyl]-3-methoxyacrylate), propiconazole (1,2,4-Triazole, 1-((2-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-4-propyl-1,3-dioxolan-2-yl)methyl), pyraclostrobin (carbamic acid, [2-[[[1-(4-chlorophenyl)-1H-pyrazol-3-yl]oxy]methyl]phenyl]methoxy-,methyl ester), and thiophanate-methyl (dimethyl 4,4'-o-phenylenebis[3-thioallophanate]) were applied to replicate field plots in a water volume of 815 L ha-1. Plots were sampled over time (0, 3, 7, 10, …

Habitat Effects On Chick-A-Dee Call Complexity, Jacqueline Renee Lynch

Open Access Theses

Past studies on the communication systems of species in urban environments (such as Common Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), nightingales (Luscinia megarhynchos Brehm), brown-headed cowbirds ( Molothrus ater), Southern brown tree frogs (Litoria ewingii )) have shown multiple ways that species change vocal signaling behavior to adjust to urban habitats (e.g. alarm calls and singing). This study further investigates the changes in signaling in relation to the chick-a-dee call of the Carolina chickadee (Poecile carolinensis). A secondary goal of this study was to compare both the amount of information and rate of calling across …