Digital Commons Network^™

Determining The Effects Of Cd151 And Β1 On Tumor Cell Adhesion And Migration, Rachel R. Essex

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Previous studies have shown that the upregulation of CD151 and β₁ is associated with poor prognosis in many cancers such as breast cancer. Studies have provided evidence that these proteins are associated with the adhesion and migration of tumor cells. In this study, a microfluidic flow chamber was utilized to determine how CD151 and β₁ affected the firm and initial adhesion of metastatic breast cancer cells to a planar endothelial monolayer under shear stress. This system mimicked the adhesion of metastatic breast cancer cells to the endothelial cells of the circulatory system. CD151 and β₁ increased the …

The Impact Of Aging And Estrogen Therapy On Synaptic Mitochondrial Bioenergetics In An Alzheimer's Mouse Model, Eric W. Hendricks

Masters Theses

Mitochondrial dysfunction, such as reductions in ATP production via oxidative phosphorylation, is a recognized pathological symptom of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD). One of the known risk factors for the development of AD is the inheritance of a specific genotype of a lipid transporting protein known as apolipoprotein E (apoE). How apoE contributes to the development and progression of AD is poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between mitochondrial dysfunction and genetic predisposition to AD via apoE. Mitochondrial bioenergetics and enzymatic activity were investigated in an AD mouse model (apoE KO) …

An Exploration Of College Student Experiences Regarding Healthy Eating At A Midsized Midwestern University: A Qualitative Approach, E. Jordan Stayer

Masters Theses

This study was an exploration of the experiences college students have while eating in on-campus dining centers at a midsized, Midwest, public university. The present study examined college students' (n = 7) experiences of eating in the dining centers with a campus meal plan. Participants were asked a series of questions regarding their individual beliefs, their surrounding environment, and their physical behaviors while dining.

The study concluded that dining habits are very personal to each and every human being in the world. At the higher education level, because each student brings with them a completely different taste, desire, and …

A Study Of The Statutes, Regulations And Judicial Rulings Impacting The Access Of Service Animals To The Public Schools, Jenell A. Mroz

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The use of service animals is growing in the United States. Since public schools are a microcosm of society, it is not surprising requests for service animals to attend public school are growing as well. In the absence of a Supreme Court decision on service animals attending public schools, a systematic review of disability legislation, governing agencies' interpretation, and court decisions helps school officials develop appropriate policies and procedures for allowing students to attend school accompanied by a service animal.;This study involved an extensive search for historical and current litigation and legislation addressing issues related to the regulation of service …

Multi-Locus Phylogeny Of The Afrotropical Freshwater Crab Fauna , Savel Regan Daniels Phd, E E. Phiri, Sebastian Klaus Phd, C Albrecht, Neil Cumberlidge

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

New Collections Of Freshwater Crabs From Northern Madagascar, With The Description Of A New Species Of Foza Reed & Cumberlidge, 2006 (Brachyura, Potamonautidae), And Comments On Their Conservation Status, Neil Cumberlidge, Sebastian Klaus, Kirstin S. Meyer, Jennifer C. Kroppin

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

A Multi-Species Approach To Elucidating The Ecological Function Of Primate Geophagy, Brandon Semel

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Geophagy, or soil consumption, is a behavior observed across a broad diversity of vertebrate species, yet the factors driving this phenomenon remain elusive. Studies of sympatric species that exhibit significant differences in diet can help elucidate the ecological basis of geophagy. Five distinct hypotheses were tested using sympatric species that may best explain the benefit of soil consumption in primates: antacid relief, plant secondary metabolite (PSM) adsorption, parasite mitigation, alleviation of diarrhea, and nutrient supplementation. I conducted observations of diademed sifakas (Propithecus diadema) and common brown lemurs (Eulemur fulvus) in primary rainforest habitats of Tsinjoarivo, Madagascar. I studied animals of …

As In The Case Of Monsters, The Changing Face Of Representation In America, Aaron R. Kushner

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This thesis outlines the evolution of representation in America, arguing that representation has over time been warped by the encouraged factionalism of political parties. Political parties create partisan forms of the classic delegate and trustee models which do not allow legislators the ability to perform either function simply or completely. Partisan forms of representation have a direct effect on the American telos in that, by allowing and encouraging large party organizations to influence and complicate legislative (and constituent) decision making, those involved may be prevented from acting in pursuit of the well-being of the nation, the protection of natural rights.

Assessment Of Urinary Methylmalonic Acid Levels In Older Adults On Proton Pump Inhibitors, Tashia Sue Warner

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Background: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) affect gastric acid secretion. The use of PPIs in the elderly population (>70 years old) may increase the risk of vitamin B12 deficiency because gastric acid is needed for vitamin B12 digestion and absorption. However, it's unclear whether adults ages 50--70 years old that use PPIs chronically are at risk of vitamin B12 deficiency. Objective: To determine whether chronic use of PPIs results in increased urinary methylmalonic acid (uMMA) levels in adults ages 50--70 years old, indicating vitamin B12 deficiency. Methods: Fifteen men and women who had been taking PPIs daily for a minimum …

Autistic Texts And Textual Accounts Of Autism : The Interdependence Of 20th - And 21st - Century Science And Literature Through The Rhetorical Phenomenon Of Autism, John Joseph Marinan Iv

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

In this dissertation, I illustrated how throughout the 20th and 21st centuries the science community has officially identified and objectified autism: first, by connecting it with psychoanalysis through schizophrenia; second, by creating other categories such as infantile autism and Asperger syndrome that focused on psychological and medical factors; third, by pointing to Theory of Mind applications that emphasized brain chemistry; and finally, by tracing recent theories of morphology relating to mirror neurons and rapid early brain growth. Despite attempts to define autism as a diagnostic term imbued with empirical qualities, the process of writing about it also created autism as …

Bayesian Sample Size Determination For Some Anova Designs And Regressions, Devi Chitra Lakshmanan

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Sample Size Determination is an important tool in the design of experiments. Researchers often need to choose an appropriate sample size to arrive at a precise and accurate conclusion. Researchers prefer the Bayesian approach over the frequentist approach for sample size determination because it allows for uncertainty about model parameters. In Bayesian Sample Size Determination, given an appropriate model and various sample sizes, data are simulated from the model to learn how the resultant posteriors will behave for various sample sizes. Then, the minimal sample size needed to achieve the results with pre-fixed accuracy is chosen. In this thesis, two …

Development Of Synthetic Strategies To Afford Products With Biorenewable Carbon And Synthesis Of Superelectrophilic Intermediates As Well As Various Preliminary Studies, Sean P. Mc Ilrath

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This thesis describes two main areas of research. The first is the development of synthetic strategies to afford products with biorenewable carbon. Biodiesel has been widely accepted as a plausible alternative to replace petroleum based products for transportation purposes. These bio-based diesel fuels are commonly referred to as fatty acid methyl esters (FAME's), because of the long fatty acid hydrocarbon chain that is attached to ester functionality. The ability to modify FAME's allows for an improvement in properties such as density, viscosity, volatility, and gelation points simply by incorporating increasing degrees of unsaturation, shortening carbon chains, and adding aromaticity which …

Ecological And Evolutionary Invasion Dynamics Of Lonicera Maackii (Amur Honeysuckle) In Relation To White Oak Savanna Restoration Management At Nachusa Grasslands, Illinois, Usa, Shannon R. Mccarragher

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This interdisciplinary research explores the ecological impacts and underlying evolutionary mechanisms associated with the spread of Lonicera maackii (Amur honeysuckle), one of the most aggressive and abundant invasive species throughout the Midwest United States. The main goal of this research is to better understand how the encroachment of Amur honeysuckle impacts the Midwest native Quercus alba (white oak) population in a Nature Conservancy oak savanna restoration project (Nachusa Grasslands) located in Lee County, Illinois, USA, with particular focus on mechanisms required for successful oak regeneration and recruitment (i.e. carbon assimilation, soil quality, soil moisture/ temperature, and plant available nutrients). This …

Extraction Of Dielectric Constant From Measured S-Parameters, Vikranth Reddy Dharipally

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Dielectric materials are mostly used as a substrate in fabrication of radio frequency circuits. It is important to know dielectric properties before fabrication because changes in these values may result in frequency shift, frequency dispersion, etc. This paper introduces two methods for extraction of the dielectric constant from measured S-parameters.;The first method is based on a genetic algorithm, which optimizes the value of the dielectric constant by minimizing discrepancies between the measured and simulated S--parameters. Measured S-parameters data was collected from a network analyzer. For simulated S-parameters data, a circuit template was designed in sonnet EM simulation software and was …

Characterization Of The Putative 14-3-3 Protein, Arta, In Aspergillus Flavus, Beatriz A. Ibarra

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The Aspergillus genus includes species which cause beneficial effects, while others are detrimental, among them, the opportunistic plant and animal pathogen Aspergillus flavus. A. flavus is a known producer of mutagenic and carcinogenic mycotoxins denominated Aflatoxins (AF). Aflatoxin contamination on agriculturally important crops such as maize, peanut, sorghum and tree nuts leads to numerous health issues and economic losses worldwide. We have identified a 14-3-3 homologous gene in A. flavus, artA. In this study we show that artA regulates morphological development and secondary metabolism. The artA deletion mutant presented a decrease in vegetative growth and an increase in conidial production. …

Build Mytune : Children's Reflective Practice During Music Creativity Processes, Chia-Pao Hsu

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The current study examined how components of reflective practice interplay with children's music-making and sharing processes. This study employed a qualitative approach with 11 children who played classroom instruments and researcher-designed computer programs (Build MyTune I and Build MyTune II) while attending music classes. Information pertaining to the participants' music creativity processes and products, peer interactions, visual representations of their music/works (i.e., drawing artifacts), and interview responses about their thoughts and processes were collected and analyzed. The themes associated with the children's creativity and knowledge sharing processes were merged into four stages: Stage I: making sense of tools, Stage II: …

Conceptual Metaphors In Ayn Rand's "Philosophy: Who Needs It", Ilya Startsev

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This thesis analyzes metaphorical constructions in Ayn Rand's speech and essay "Philosophy: Who Needs It." Metaphors as condensed analogies and Lakovian conceptual metaphors play an important role in constructing Objectivist worldview and reframing the audience's views. Rand identifies philosophy by using three metaphors: Mind Is Computer, Life Is A Battle, and the novel Philosophy Is War. The frames derived from the metaphorical constructions are intercompared through some Objectivist non-fiction to show a consistent worldview. Rand's rhetoric is also known to influence movement conservatives, and this connection is found through conceptual metaphors Capitalism Is God's Will and the Strict Father morality.

The Effects Of Pre-Reading Relevance Instructions And Individual Interest On Learning Outcomes And Curiosity, Danielle Ruth Johnson

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Epistemic curiosity is a drive that increases arousal and motivates epistemic behavior such as question asking and continued information seeking. According to the knowledge-gap model of curiosity, epistemic curiosity is aroused when a person acknowledges a gap between what they know and what they would like to know. Presenting questions to an individual is theorized to prompt the creation of such knowledge-gaps. In the reading comprehension literature, these questions are called pre-reading relevance instructions. Another variable thought to increase continued epistemic behavior is individual interest. This study aimed to replicate past research by exploring how pre-reading relevance instructions, intended to …

The Chronicles Of George Henry Lewes : 1869 : "A Wasted Year" : A Transcription Of Diary And Journal Entries With Introduction And Notes, Michelle Eisenberg

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This project is a transcription of two unpublished pieces of personal writing by George Henry Lewes, life partner of nineteenth-century author George Eliot. One is a dated, daily diary from the year 1869; the second piece comprises sections from his Journal, Volume XII, June 1866- May 1870, relating to that year. To provide the most consistent and cohesive picture of the year 1869, the diary and journal sections have been incorporated into a single document, with annotations, notes, and introduction. The diary and journal are housed in the Beineke Library of Yale University. Special permission has been given by Jonathan …

Investigations And Applications Of Field- And Photo-Emitted Electron Beams From A Radio Frequency Gun, Sriharsha Panuganti

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Production of quality electron bunches using efficient ways of generation is a crucial aspect of accelerator technology. Radio frequency electron guns are widely used to generate and rapidly accelerate electron beams to relativistic energies. In the current work, we primarily study the charge generation processes of photoemission and field emission inside an RF gun installed at Fermilab's High Brightness Electron Source Laboratory (HBESL). Specifically, we study and characterize second-order nonlinear photoemission from a Cesium Telluride (Cs2Te) semiconductor photocathode, and field emission from carbon based cathodes including diamond field emission array (DFEA) and carbon nanotube (CNT) cathodes located in the RF …

Rtfa, A Putative Rna-Pol Ii Transcription Elongation Factor Is Necessary For Normal Morphological And Chemical Development In The Opportunistic Plant Pathogen Aspergillus Flavus, Jessica M. Lohmar

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The filamentous fungus Aspergillus flavus is an agriculturally important opportunistic plant pathogen that produces potent carcinogenic compounds called aflatoxins. We identified the rtfA gene, ortholog of rtf1 in S. cerevisiae and rtfA in A. nidulans, in A. flavus. Interestingly, rtfA has multiple cellular roles in this mycotoxin-producing fungus. In this study, we show that rtfA regulates conidiation. The rtfA deletion mutant presented smaller conidiophores with significantly reduced conidial production compared to the wild-type strain. The absence of rtfA also resulted in a significantly decreased or lack of sclerotial production under conditions that allowed abundant production of these resistance structures in …

Scientific Discovery And The Poetic Response, Joey Crundwell

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This thesis has two primary goals: the first is to explore the relationship between scientific discovery and poetry by surveying poetry from the last four hundred years and revealing instances where the two worlds have met. With the rise of modern science, profound scientific discovery has had a history of affecting how poets see themselves and the world in which they live, though an argument exists that claims that contemporary poets have ceased responding to scientific discovery on a personal level and are instead simply adopting the vocabulary and imagery of science. The second goal of this thesis is to …

Simple Design Modifications Of Niu Laboratory Equipment For The Remote Applications, Krishna Chaithanya Vakati

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Science and engineering courses normally include having the students perform useful tests and assignments in the laboratories as a component of their insight and aptitude improvement. These are the key in strengthening hypotheses learned in the class and help to encourage them to think independently. However, due to the limited resources of traditional laboratories, the acquired practical knowledge is not enough for competing with the rapid development of technology. Remote laboratories provide solutions for this problem by permitting research supplies to be utilized by the students from any place and any time.;This paper reports the customization process of three engineering …

Symbolic Self-Completion Theory : The Impact Of A Threat To Undergraduate Students' Academic Competence Beliefs, Matthew David Lange

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the influence that a threat to university students' academic competence had on their reported competence, self-efficacy, and the avoidance of help seeking in academics. This dissertation was conceptualized based on symbolic self-completion theory which maintains that when individuals are actively committed to pursuing certain self-definitions, they define themselves as complete (e.g., competent or possessing a desired quality) through the use of symbols of attainment. These symbols can consist of any behavior or material possession that is accepted by others as proof that the individual possesses the desired self-definition. In the present study, …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Carborane-Appended Biomolecules, Tirtha Raj Sibakoti

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

A multi-step organic synthetic methodology to attach multiple boron-containing carborane cages (boron source) to suitable biocompatible organic compounds (carriers) that can be used for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) applications has been established1. The method involves alkylation of the selected organic compounds followed by conjugation with a polyhedral carborane cage using a click reaction2, 3(see scheme 1). To date, carborane derivatives of 4-nitroimidazole, 2-nitroimidazole, phenothiazine, 1, 3, 4-thiadiazole-2, 5-dithiol, adenine, 6-chloropurine and 3', 5'-dihydroxyacetophenone have been successfully synthesized. In addition, different coumarin derivatives were successfully synthesized using click chemistry. All products were purified and isolated in good yields and characterized …

Student Cyberspeech Targeting Faculty : What Can School Administrators Legally Do About It?, Bradley L. Shortridge

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This paper investigates how school officials can make sound decisions based on appropriate legal precedent when faced with incidents of student cyberspeech targeting staff members. In particular, this study examined court decisions, law review articles, state and federal legislation, online sources, and newspaper articles relating to student speech issues. Analyzing these decisions offers some insight for school administrators faced with these instances. Trends from various cases at different court levels are discussed, and some recommendations and tips for school administrators are provided.

Recombination Of Brome Mosaic Virus Genomic Rna3 Between Fescue Strain And Russian Strain In Barley Protoplasts, Parth R. Rao

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The study was performed to map the homologous recombination crossover regions between the genomic RNA3 of Fescue strain and Russian strain of Brome Mosaic Virus in barley protoplasts. Homologous recombination crossover regions between the genomic RNA 2 of both strains were analyzed previously in high selection pressure system using three different co-infected host plants. Thus, protoplast system was used to lower the selection pressure by eliminating the systemic infection phase. Both strains were introduced in different concentration to observe if the parental strain dominance can be lowered in the final clones. However, fescue strain showed dominance over Russian strain in …

The Organization Of Indigenous Resistance To Neoliberal Extractive Industry Development In The Cordillera Of The Northern Philippines, Robert Bulanda

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Over the past half-century, the Philippines has experienced great social changes as social movements have arisen in response to the national government's aggressive implementation of neoliberal development policies. The recent history of the Philippines features an illustrious culture of mass-based organization, as local populations protest national development strategies that promote rapid economic growth and integration into world markets at the expense of local social and environmental concerns. Specifically, an anti-large scale mining social movement in the Philippines has developed in reaction to the liberalization of the national mining industry with the Mining Act of 1995, which opened the country's rich …

The Field Trip, Randy Harritan

Mighty Pen Project Anthology & Archive

A soldier grapples with horrifying events in Vietnam, then comes home to grapple with the effects those events have had on him.

Articles, stories, and other compositions in this archive were written by participants in the Mighty Pen Project. The program, developed by author David L. Robbins, and in partnership with Virginia Commonwealth University and the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, Virginia, offers veterans and their family members a customized twelve-week writing class, free of charge. The program encourages, supports, and assists participants in sharing their stories and experiences of military experience so both writer and audience may benefit.

Blue Devil 1, Malik Hodari

Mighty Pen Project Anthology & Archive

A soldier in Vietnam keeps his team alive and moving while grappling with interpersonal conflict.

Articles, stories, and other compositions in this archive were written by participants in the Mighty Pen Project. The program, developed by author David L. Robbins, and in partnership with Virginia Commonwealth University and the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, Virginia, offers veterans and their family members a customized twelve-week writing class, free of charge. The program encourages, supports, and assists participants in sharing their stories and experiences of military experience so both writer and audience may benefit.