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Long-Term Supplementation With Leucine Does Not Prevent Development Of Obesity In Rats Fed A High-Fat Diet, Dameon Smith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Excess dietary fat consumption has been implicated in the development of obesity and diabetes. Obesity can be characterized by a disproportionate increase in fat mass compared to lean body mass. However, if muscle mass can be increased or maintained in obesity, this may facilitate weight loss by increasing the body’s overall metabolic capacity. Historically, supplementation with the branched-chain amino acid leucine has been shown to increase muscle protein synthesis via the protein kinase mTORC1. Recent studies suggest that supplementation with leucine also has the potential to reduce weight gain and fat deposition in high-fat fed, obese mice. The objective of …

Learning Styles Of Physical Therapy And Physical Therapist Assistant Students In Accredited Physical Therapy Programs, Margaret A. Lowdermilk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the learning styles of Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students and associate degree Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) students and identify any association between their learning styles and examine the association between gender and age by learning style.

Participants included 337 DPT and PTA students attending CAPTE accredited institutions with doctoral DPT or associate PTA programs in Tennessee and southwest Virginia. The Felder (1996) and Soloman Index of Learning Styles (ILS) was used to determine learning style preferences within 4 learning style dimensions (active-reflective, sensing-intuitive, visual-verbal, and sequential-global).

Demographics included program of study, …

The Effects Of Environmental Modifications And Visual Supports In The Home On Engagement And Challenging Behaviors In Children With Autism, Teresa L. Boggs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact on engagement and challenging behaviors in young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) under two treatment conditions: 1) physical modifications to the home environment, and 2) physical modifications plus visual supports in the home environment. Treatment conditions were implemented in the child's home environment with parents serving as interventionist.

A single-subject nonconcurrent baseline design was used across three male participants: ages 3 years, 2 months; 4 years, 4 months; and 4 years, 11 months. The study included four to five baseline sessions, six to nine sessions in Treatment 1, six …

Synthesis, Characterization And Biological Evaluation Of Pyrrolo[2,1-C][1,4]Benzodiazepines For Cytotoxicity And Serine Β-Lactamases Inhibition, Joel K. Annor-Gyamfi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazepine (PBD) derivatives possess cancerostatic and anti-infective properties thus making them candidates of possible antibacterial agents. ²-lactam antibiotics are vital weapons for the treatment of bacterial infections, but their existence and effectiveness has been faced with resistance from ²-lactamases. Therefore, the need for new effective antimicrobial drugs is very crucial. In this work, we synthesized in high yields, PBD analogs 1−3, 5 and 7−9 in three to four synthetic steps from commercially available L-proline and isatoic anhydride. MTT Assay was employed to test the in vitro cytotoxicity of PBD analogs 1, 2, 5 …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Imidazolo 3,1- Tetrakis (N-Phenylacetamidato) Dirhodium (Ii) And A Crystallographic Study Of A Copper And Two Molybdenum Model Cofactors, Gabriel I.G. Thompson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Imidazole was reacted with 3,1-tetrakis (N-phenlyacetamidato) dirhodium (II) to explore the chemistry of asymmetric dirhodium catalysts. The imidazolo 3,1-tetrakis (Nphenlyacetamidato) dirhodium (II) complex was synthesized and then characterized by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Ultraviolet-Visible spectroscopies as well as by single crystal X-ray Diffraction. Additionally, one copper and two molybdenum model cofactors were characterized by XRD to better understand their structure/function relationships. NMR results gave evidence of the formation of the 3,1-imidazole complex, and UV-Vis indicated that even in large excess imidazole was coordinated only to one axial site. The structure of the 3,1-imidazole complex was confirmed by XRD with the …

Exploring The Relationship Between Behaviour And Neurochemistry In The Polyphenic Spider, Anelosimus Studiosus (Araneae: Theridiidae), Jennifer B. Price

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The importance of social behaviour is evident in human society, but there are both costs and benefits associated with cooperation and sociality throughout the animal kingdom. At what point do the benefits outweigh the costs, and when do selective pressures favour sociality and colonization over solitude and independence? To investigate these questions, we have focused on an anomalous species of spider, Anelosimus studiosus, also known now as the northern social spider. Throughout its broad range, A. studiosus is solitary and aggressive, but recently, colonies of cooperative and social individuals have been observed at northern latitudes. This leads to two …

Spatio-Temporal Analysis Of Point Patterns, Abdul-Nasah Soale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, the basic tools of spatial statistics and time series analysis are applied to the case study of the earthquakes in a certain geographical region and time frame. Then some of the existing methods for joint analysis of time and space are described and applied. Finally, additional research questions about the spatial-temporal distribution of the earthquakes are posed and explored using statistical plots and models. The focus in the last section is in the relationship between number of events per year and maximum magnitude and its effect on how clustered the spatial distribution is and the relationship between …

Aaaneurysm Outreach Screening Data And Emergency Healthcare Accessibility In Louisiana: Identifying High-Risk Populations For Targeted Interventions, Amy M. Poole

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abdominal aortic aneurysms are the third leading cause of sudden death in men 60 years and over. AAAneurysm Outreach provides free screenings to residents of Louisiana and beyond. Service areas were calculated for each AAAneurysm Outreach screening event location and stroke center. Data provided by the 2010 U.S. Census, the American Community Survey, and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System were used to describe demographics of the underserved populations and to identify high-risk areas for targeted interventions. Twenty-five percent of age-eligible Louisianans reside outside optimal drive-time-to-screening-event zones but within spatially clustered areas of increased prevalence rates. The maximum drive-time-to-treatment zones …

Online Education: The Relationship Between The Perceptions Of Online High School Teachers Compared To Traditional Classroom Teachers Regarding The Visual Arts, Karen A. Fine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The incorporation of the arts as an academic subject in the high school distance education delivery method is being reinvented as something new. Most of the current research is focused on college courses. Online high school curricula are most often placed in research studies as an afterthought. Perceptions of faculty members from high schools with traditional instructional delivery models as well as public online schools concerning online education as it relates to the arts in 5 different areas was the focus of this research; mentor, delivery method, satisfaction, student learning, and curriculum. Examining the perceptions of teachers gives a blueprint …

Endothelial Hspa12b Is A Novel Protein For The Preservation Of Cardiovascular Function In Polymicrobial Sepsis Via Exosome Mir-126, Xia Zhang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sepsis is the most frequent cause of mortality in most intensive care units. Cardiovascular dysfunction is a major complication associated with sepsis, with high mortality rates up to 70%. Currently, there is no effective treatment approach for sepsis.

The integrity of the endothelium is fundamental for the homeostasis of the cardiovascular system. Sepsis induces endothelial cell injury which is the key factor for multiple organ failure. The increased expression of adhesion molecules and chemokines in endothelial cell promotes leukocytes infiltration into the tissue. The loss of tight junction proteins and increased permeability of the endothelial cells will provoke tissue hypoxia …

An Intra-Site Spatial Analysis Of Fort St. Joseph (20be23) In Niles, Mi, Katelyn Deann Hillmeyer

Masters Theses

In the field of archaeology, surveying and mapping have played key roles in documenting and analyzing site data. With the advancements in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), this integration of spatial data is made easier and better visualization can be attained for site layout and artifact distributions both horizontally, in space, and also vertically through a temporal component. The ongoing excavations at Fort St. Joseph (Smithsonian trinomial- 20BE23), near Niles, Michigan, makes it an excellent site for exploring the evolution of applied GIS methodology and the adjustment of among ongoing static database applications to new spatial methods of investigating site distributions. …

Phylogenomics Of Rickettsia Parkeri Isolates From The Eastern United States, Stephanie L. Grizzard

Biomedical Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Rickettsia parkeri is a tick-borne pathogen that causes R. parkeri rickettsiosis, a spotted fever rickettsiosis. The main vector of R. parkeri in the eastern United States is Amblyomma maculatum, also known as the Gulf Coast tick (GCT). The GCT has been undergoing a northward expansion from the original historic range. Whether R. parkeri expands with the GCT or has a local reservoir is unknown. Currently, there are R. parkeri-positive GCTs as far north as Delaware and New York. Expansion patterns for the GCT and R. parkeri remain unresolved but some studies point to long-distance host drop-offs as a …

(En)Visioning Resistance: Applications Of The Battlefield Myth In The War Scroll As A Window Into The Theological Development Of The Community, James Prather

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The War Scroll (1QM) from Qumran is a composite document and is the result of a complex redactional process. It is the goal of this thesis to provide a historical proposal for the redaction of 1QM based on conflicting eschatological combat theology found within. Beginning with the earliest roots of ancient Israelite combat mythmaking and its continued evolution into the late Second Temple Period, writers appropriated and adapted the Israelite Battlefield Myth to envision theologies of resistance against oppression. Looking at the various adaptations and the social milieu in which each was written, it is possible to identify different trajectories …

August 2016 News Releases, University Of Montana--Missoula. Office Of University Relations

University of Montana News Releases, 1928, 1956-present

No abstract provided.

Regulation Of Breast Cancer Initiation And Progression By 14-3-3zeta, Chia-Chi Chang

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

14-3-3ζ is a ubiquitously expressed family member of proteins that have been implicated to have oncogenic potential through its interactions and involvement in cancer initiation and progression. 14-3-3ζ belongs to the highly conserved 14-3-3ζ protein family and modulates numerous pathways in cancer. Overexpression of 14-3-3ζ is an early event, occurs in more than 40% of human breast cancer cases, and is associated with disease recurrence and poor prognosis. Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of cancer. Cancer cells elevate aerobic glycolysis to produce metabolic intermediates and reducing equivalents, thereby facilitating cellular adaptation to the adverse environment and sustaining fast proliferation. Interestingly, …

Active Parental Care, Reproductive Performance, And A Novel Egg Predator Affecting Reproductive Investment In The Caribbean Spiny Lobster Panulirus Argus, J. Antonio Baeza, Lunden Simpson, Louis J. Ambrosio, Nathalia Mora, Rodrigo Guéron, Michael J. Childress

Publications

Background

We used the Caribbean spiny lobster Panulirus argus, one of the largest brooding invertebrates in the Western Atlantic, to test for the presence/absence of active parental care and to explore reproductive performance in large brooding marine organisms. Given [i] the compact and large embryo masses produced by P. argus, [ii] the expected disproportional increase in brooding costs with increasing embryo mass size, and [iii] the theoretical allometry of egg production with increasing body size, we predicted that parental females in this large species will engage in active brood care. We also predicted that larger broods from larger …

The Declining Rates Of Hepatitis B Carriage Among Adolescents And Young People In The Eastern Region Of Saudi Arabia, Khalid. M. Al-Jubran, Mohamed. A. Al-Dossary, Salah H. Elsafi

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To study age specific rates of hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriage in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia following a 24 year immunization program. Methods: Hepatitis B surveillance data between January 2004 and December 2013 were analyzed in a retrospective study, which included 24,504,914 patients. Seropositive cases of hepatitis B were reported by laboratory personnel as part of various investigations. Hepatitis B cases including acute and chronic carriers were identified upon serological positivity of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Results: The study shows that the overall prevalence rate decreased from 18.8 to 9.9/100,000 population between 2004 and 2013 ( …

Cryptosporidium Parvum Among Coprolites From La Cueva De Los Muertos Chiquitos (600–800 Ce), Rio Zape Valley, Durango, Mexico, Johnica J. Morrow, Karl Reinhard

Karl Reinhard Publications

In the present study, 90 coprolites from La Cueva de los Muertos Chiquitos (CMC) were subjected to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests for 3 diarrhea-inducing protozoan parasites, Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia duodenalis, and Cryptosporidium parvum, to determine whether these parasites were present among the people who utilized this cave 1,200–1,400 yr ago. These people, the Loma San Gabriel, developed as a culture out of the Archaic Los Caracoles population and lived throughout much of present-day Durango and Zacatecas in Mexico. The Loma San Gabriel persisted through a mixed subsistence strategy of hunting-gathering and agricultural production. The results of …

A History Of The Audiology Program At The University Of Nebraska-Lincoln: 1920 To 2015, T. Newell Decker

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Programs for the hearing impaired have been in existence at the University of Nebraska for many years. However, there is no comprehensive history of these efforts. This work is an attempt to provide a complete picture of these programs and to detail the history and growth of the Audiology Program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. When the author came to the University in 1977 audiology was already well established at the University as well as in the State. After joining the faculty, the author served in the capacity of Coordinator of the Audiology and Hearing Science Program from 1977 until …

"Too Big To Swallow All At Once": Consumption And Posthuman Healing In Ceremony And House Made Of Dawn, Matthew Thomas Craft

Master's Theses

This project examines the roles of animals and animal figures in the Native American novels House Made of Dawn (1968)by N. Scott Momaday and Ceremony (1977) by Leslie Marmon Silko. Both novelists consistently evoke animal imagery within their respective texts often pairing this imagery alongside symbolic and metaphorical depictions of cannibalistic identity violence. Through the use of posthuman and postcolonial methodologies and ideas, I contend that the pairing of these two distinct types of imagery that both Momaday and Silko intentionally align the animal figures with premodern, indigenous belief systems while the cannibalistic violence is more often envisioned as …

Proof Of Concept For A Urine-Based Method For Monitoring Blood Phenylalanine For Patients With Pku, Alexandra Cholewczynski

All Theses

There is a great need for an at-home, simple, inexpensive, and noninvasive testing method to monitor the blood phenylalanine (Phe) levels of patients with PKU. PKU is a rare genetic disorder that affects approximately one out 15,000 people, which results in dangerously high levels of Phe in the blood. This project aims to show proof of concept for such a test, which is based upon a previously developed test method that was historically used to diagnose PKU from a urine sample. This redesigned test method represents the optimization of a little-understood reaction between Fe3+ ions and phenylpyruvic acid (PPA) that …

Population Dynamics Of Black Bears In Northwestern South Carolina, Shefali Azad

All Theses

Black bears (Ursus americanus) are managed as a game species in the northwestern region of South Carolina. However, no formal research study has examined their long-term population trends. I used the Downing harvest population reconstruction technique to establish abundance trends. The total population in 2013 was estimated at about 412 bears, increasing from about 97 bears in 1998. I also derived abundance, density, average age, and sex ratios at a county-level to investigate differential stages of recovery. Overall my results suggest that in 1998-2013 Oconee county had a rapidly expanding population, Pickens county requires further investigation into potential bear overharvest, …

The Effects Of 4-Nonylphenol On The Immune Response Of The Pacific Oyster, Crassostrea Gigas, Following Bacterial Infection (Vibrio Campbellii), Courtney Hart

Master's Theses

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are compounds that can interfere with hormone signaling pathways and are now recognized as pervasive in estuarine and marine waters. One prevalent EDC in California’s coastal waters is the xenoestrogen 4-nonylphenol (4-NP), which has been shown to impair reproduction, development, growth, and in some cases immune function of marine invertebrates. To further investigate effects of 4-NP on marine invertebrate immune function we measured total hemocyte counts (THC), relative transcript abundance of immune-relevant genes, and lysozyme activity in Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) following bacterial infection. To quantify these effects we exposed oysters to dissolved phase …

Effects Of Experimental Noise Exposure On Songbird Nesting Behaviors And Nest Success, Tracy I. Mulholland

Master's Theses

Anthropogenic noise is an increasingly prevalent global disturbance. Animals that rely on the acoustical environment, such as songbirds, are especially vulnerable to these sounds. Traffic noise, in particular, overlaps with the frequency range of songbirds, creating masking effects. We investigated the effects of chronic traffic noise on provisioning behaviors and breeding success of nesting western bluebirds (Sialia mexicana) and ash-throated flycatchers (Myiarchus cinerascens). Because anthropogenic noise exposure has the potential to interrupt parent-offspring communication and alter vigilance behaviors, we predicted that traffic noise would lead to changes in provisioning behaviors, such as fewer visits to the …

The Preservation And Protection Of Native Biodiversity In The Guadalupe Nipomo Dunes Complex, Lindsey M. Whitaker, Matthew Ritter, Scott J. Steinmaus, Jonathan Hall

Master's Theses

The Guadalupe Nipomo Dunes Complex (GNDC) is located within the California Floristic Province, a biodiversity hotspot characterized by high rates of endemism and exceptional loss of habitat. In 1980, the US Fish and Wildlife Service described the GNDC as, “the most unique and fragile ecosystem in the State of California,” and ranked it first on a list of 49 habitat areas needing state protection. It is the largest coastal dune area in California and it is one of the last remaining, relatively intact ecosystems of its type and size in the western United States. The growing recognition of species decline …

Ecological And Phenotypic Factors Influencing The Movement Dynamics Of The Blackspotted Topminnow, Fundulus Olivaceus, Scott Richard Clark

Dissertations

Movement of individuals throughout a landscape is a complex behavior that has important consequences on numerous ecological and evolutionary processes. Perhaps most notably is the relationship between movement and reproduction, as this has implicit ramifications on individual fitness and consequently, population level processes. Although this relationship has been theoretically and empirically demonstrated across a number of animal taxa, its role in fishes remains understudied and largely unknown. Using a series of outdoor mesocosms, in combination with a field study, I employed passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags to experimentally assess the sex-specific movement dynamics of a small-bodied, sexually-dimorphic stream fish, the …

Analysis Of The Intricacies Of Substrate Recognition Of High Mobility Group Proteins And Aminoacyl-Trna Synthetases Using Non-Cognate Substrates, Douglas Van Iverson Ii

Dissertations

The studies presented in section 1 (Chapters I-IV) focus on the design and development of nucleic acid four-way junctions (4WJs) to target a member of the high mobility group (HMG) proteins, the proinflammatory cytokine high mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1). In the present study, hybrid PNA-DNA 4WJs based on a model DNA 4WJ were constructed to improve the thermal stability of 4WJs while maintaining strong binding affinity toward HMGB1. An electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) was used to examine the binding affinity of an isolated DNA binding domain of HMGB1, the HMGB1 b-box (HMGB1b), toward a set of PNA-DNA …

Autologous Protein Solution Exhibits Potential To Mitigate Osteoarthritis (Oa) Progression In A Human Explant Co-Culture Model, Kathleen Emily Steckbeck

All Theses

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating and painful disease that affects upwards of one in every eight adults1,2. OA influences the entire joint, but is traditionally characterized by cartilage degradation3. OA is a multifactorial disease with genetic, biological, and biochemical consideration, but there has been a recent shift in scientific opinion that the pathological progression of OA stems from an inflammatory milieu produced by the feed-forward progressive pathway as evidenced by simultaneous cartilage and synovium co-culture4–7. Autologous protein solution (APS) poses as an intriguing potential OA therapy by possessing a high anti-inflammatory and anabolic mediator concentration profile that could potentially mitigate …

Therapeutic And Safety Evaluation Of Curcumin's Antimicrobial And Anti-Inflammatory Properties On Canine And Equine, Stephanie Bland

Dissertations

In total, four experiments were conducted to determine the therapeutic and safety effects of the nutraceutical, turmeric and its active ingredient curcumin on canine and equine. Two studies were conducted on client-owned, moderately arthritic canines, studying the therapeutic and safety effect of curcumin’s anti-inflammatory properties. In Exp. 1, two different dosages, 500 mg, SID of 95% curcumin and 250 mg, BID of 95% liposomal-curcumin, were evaluated in ten moderately arthritic dogs over five months. The dogs in the 95% curcumin group had an overall greater significance in pain reduction by Day 60. Exp. 2, was a follow-up experiment to Exp. …

The Effect Of Stereoscopic Three-Dimensional Images On Recall Of Second Language Vocabulary, Regina Kaplan-Rakowski

Dissertations

The purpose of this experimental study was to investigate the effect of stereoscopic three-dimensional (S3D) images on productive and receptive recall of foreign language vocabulary. S3D images are highly-realistic and differ from non-stereoscopic three-dimensional (NS3D) images in that they provide the impression of the added third dimension of depth. This within-subject study exposed the participants (N = 82) in a controlled setting to a series of carefully designed and randomly distributed NS3D and S3D images. The subjects were then given immediate productive and receptive tests of foreign language vocabulary items that were represented by NS3D and S3D images. Quantitative data …