Digital Commons Network^™

Carcinogenesis In Prostate Cancer: The Role Of Long Non-Coding Rnas, John Aird, Anne-Marie Baird, Marvin C.J Lim, Ray Mcdermott, Stephen P. Finn, Steven G. Gray

Articles

LncRNAs appear to play a considerable role in tumourigenesis through regulating key processes in cancer cells such as proliferative signalling, replicative immortality, invasion and metastasis, evasion of growth suppressors, induction of angiogenesis and resistance to apoptosis. LncRNAs have been reported to play a role in prostate cancer, particularly in regulating the androgen receptor signalling pathway. In this review article, we summarise the role of 34 lncRNAs in prostate cancer with a particular focus on their role in the androgen receptor signalling pathway and the epithelial to mesenchymal transition pathway.

Religious Identity Formation: Constraints Imposed On Religious Institutions And Implications For The Meaning Of Religious Affiliation, Marc Von Der Ruhr, Paul Ngo, Joseph P. Daniels

Economics Faculty Research and Publications

Religiosity in the United States remains a strong social force. The United States persistently demonstrates higher religious participation than Europe. Some recent trends documented by the Pew Research Center in its 2008 and 2015 publications on the U.S. religious landscape, however, cite evidence that different religious groups are experiencing very different trends in participation. These trends show a recent and significant decline among many moderate Protestant denominations but a modest increase in participation at fundamentalist churches. The Pew Research Center similarly documents significant inconsistencies between what a religious hierarchy teaches versus what individuals personally choose to believe. For example, and …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of The Use Of Graphic Novels To Teach Reluctant Readers, Bret Ginsberg

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of teachers in a suburban private school in Florida serving prekindergarten through Grade 8 regarding the use of graphic novels to increase student motivation to read. The problem was teachers were concerned with students’ inability to complete the required novels, demonstrate comprehension of deep meaning from the text, read silently, and read outside of school. Teachers raised serious concerns about the reading achievement of middle school students. Teachers also noted a frequent mismatch between the preference of the middle school reader and the instructional opportunities provided. The study was …

When Coquis Sing: Introducing Young Audiences To Death And Bereavement Through An Original Play, Michelle Loricco

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis documents the play development process of When Coquis Sing, an original play for young people that introduces the death of a parent on stage. Through the analysis of research from leading child psychologists and practical instruction from the Dougy Center, the National Center for grieving children and their families, this research defines important terms and demystifies language surrounding death to aid caregivers in having clear and concise conversations with children about death. The purpose of this document is to counter the American cultural perception of death as a taboo topic for children. Hosting open conversations about death leads …

The Power Of Play: Creating A Theatre For The Very Young Experience, Maria Katsadouros

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The opportunity to enhance the sense of fulfillment necessary in revolutionizing and liberating a person's daily life, regardless of their age, can be found in the manifestation of play. It is through the acknowledgment of instinct, nature, and discovery that play reveals its power. As a Theatre for the Very Young (TVY) practitioner, I utilize creative play to inspire exploration and innovation among students under the age of six. However, what are the ways in which theatre, specifically TVY, invites all generations of people to experience the power of play? This thesis documents the three-year development of When Pigs Fly, …

Lexico-Grammatical Complexity In Eap Student Writing: A Learner Corpus Analysis, Ekaterina Goussakova

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this descriptive linguistic study, the lexico-grammatical complexity of placement and exit English for Academic Purposes (EAP) student writing samples was analyzed using corpus linguistic methods to explore language development as a result of student enrollment in the EAP program. Writing samples were typed, matched, and tagged. A concordance software was used to produce lexical realizations of grammatical features. A comparison was made of normed frequency counts for nine phrasal and clausal features as well as raw frequencies for type to token ratio (TTR), average word length, and word count. In addition, the contribution of variables such as advanced grammar …

Hope(S) After Genocide, Margaret Urban Walker

Philosophy Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

From Excited Charge Dynamics To Cluster Diffusion: Development And Application Of Techniques Beyond Dft And Kmc, Shree Ram Acharya

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on developing reliable and accurate computational techniques which enable the examination of static and dynamic properties of various activated phenomena using deterministic and stochastic approaches. To explore ultrafast electron dynamics in materials with strong electron-electron correlation, under the influence of a laser pulse, an ab initio electronic structure method based on time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) in combination with dynamical mean field theory (DMFT) is developed and applied to: 1) single-band Hubbard model; 2) multi-band metal Ni; and 3) multi-band insulator MnO. The ultrafast demagnetization in Ni reveal the importance of memory and correlation effects, leading to …

The Sex/Gender Distinction In Contemporary Gender And Women's Studies Introductory Textbooks, Kyle Lighty

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Understanding the sex/gender distinction and the social constructions of sex and gender are important learning outcomes in contemporary gender and women's studies introductory courses. These theories challenge hegemonic binary ideas about the relationships between sex and gender and between male and female identity formations. Little academic attention has been paid to how teaching materials, specifically textbooks, explore these topics, despite the potential for them to influence students and instructors. This study address this gap in the literature by using critical discourse analysis (CDA) to examine the methods being used to explore the sex/gender distinction and social constructions of sex and …

The Efficacy Of Best Management Practices On Peak Discharge And Contaminant Loads In Agricultural Drainage Systems, Blue Earth River Watershed, South-Central Minnesota, Usa, Zach Hilgendorf

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Conversion of native land cover to row crop agriculture and anthropogenically modified hydrology, correlates with increases in peak discharge, annual discharge, sediment and nutrient loads in agricultural land-use dominated watersheds within the Mississippi River basin. This results in environmental issues related to turbidity, eutrophication-hypoxia, loss of biodiversity, natural resource degradation, reduction in tourism, and more. In no place is this more obvious than the ever-growing "Dead Zone" in the Gulf of Mexico. The Minnesota River basin, the largest tributary to the Mississippi River in Minnesota, is a disproportionately large contributor of sediment (~80-90%), nitrogen (~56%), and phosphorus (~45%) to the …

Copula Theory And Regression Analysis, Mayooran Thevaraja

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Researchers are often interested to study in the relationships between one variable and several other variables. Regression analysis is the statistical method for investigating such relationship and it is one of the most commonly used statistical Methods in many scientific fields such as financial data analysis, medicine, biology, agriculture, economics, engineering, sociology, geology, etc. But basic form of the regression analysis, ordinary least squares is not suitable for actuarial applications because the relationships are often nonlinear and the probability distribution of the response variable may be non-Gaussian distribution. One of the method that has been successful in overcoming these challenges …

Comparative Study Of Cv3 Carbonaceous Chondrites Allende And Bali Using Micro-Raman Spectroscopy And Sem/Eds, Raka Paul

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The birth of the solar system (over 4 billion years) is speculated to have happened from a nebula, swirling and compacting in localized regions to eventually form the Sun and planets. This complex process consists of numerous changes and intermediary steps, yet to be fully understood. Carbonaceous chondritic meteorites are relics of that process and therefore have potential to reveal information about the formation history. Several theories have been formulated linking their composition to planet formation. This study focusses on two carbonaceous chondritic specimens, Allende and Bali, both of the group CV and petrologic type 3. CV meteorites are abundant …

2018-2019 Undergraduate Catalog, Morehead State University.

Morehead State Catalog Archive

2018-2019 undergraduate catalog for Morehead State University.

Preventing Osteoarthritis By Targeting The Transforming Growth Factor Beta Signaling Pathway, Robert Dalton Chavez

All ETDs from UAB

Osteoarthritis (OA) is characterized by degenerated cartilage. In age-related OA, the molecular mechanisms that initiate cartilage erosion are not well defined. However, transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) signaling is attenuated in the cartilage of patients with age-related OA and therefore may play a role in the disease. Degenerated cartilage has a rough surface and exhibits changes in stiffness. Proteoglycan 4 (PRG4), also known as lubricin, helps lubricate the surface of cartilage, and 3’-phosphoadenosine 5’-phosphosulfate synthase 2 (PAPSS2) helps maintain the stiffness of cartilage. Both PRG4 and PAPSS2 are regulated by TGF-β and down-regulated in OA cartilage. The present research elucidated …

Annual Climate Impacts On Tree Growth And Post-Fire Regeneration In Ponderosa Pine And Douglas-Fir In The Northern Rocky Mountains, Lacey Hankin

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Widespread changes in climate and disturbance regimes, including prolonged drought and increases in the size and frequency of wildfires, have raised concerns regarding forest resilience to environmental change. Dry mixed-conifer forests have persisted for centuries under mixed-severity fire regimes; however, climatically driven increases in the frequency of large wildfires in recent decades may lead to increased tree mortality and declines in post-fire tree regeneration. Climatic warming and increased drought may also impact tree growth, with implications for the carbon cycle. Lower-treeline forests near the edge of their climatic tolerance may be particularly vulnerable to these impacts of future climate warming …

Elucidaton Of The Pysical And Chemical Properties Of Cytochrome C – Cardiolipin Interactions, Margaret Marie Elmer-Dixon

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Recently, the electron transport protein Cytochrome c (Cytc) was shown to interact with the mitochondrial lipid cardiolipin (CL) during the initial stages of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. This interaction is characterized by the protein binding and oxidation of cardiolipin on the concave surface of the outer leaflet of the inner mitochondrial membrane. To date, this interaction has been studied with a variety of methods and techniques reporting varied and often conflicting findings characterizing the nature and extent of the protein-lipid interaction. Cytc has been hypothesized to interact with cardiolipin electrostatically, hydrophobically and through hydrogen bonding and is thought to partially …

Using Astrobiology As A Platform To Study The Impact On The Mathematical Content Knowledge And Pedagogical Content Knowledge Of Elementary Education Majors, Meredith Kay Berthelson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Early mathematical skills have long been hailed as a cornerstone and as the best predictor of later success in mathematics and literacy. This perception highlights the importance of elementary educator’s mathematical content knowledge (MCK) and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). This study explored a novel approach to motivating and facilitating preservice elementary educators’ engagement in an interdisciplinary context. Astrobiology is a growing interdisciplinary field with extraordinary educational potential. It has the potential to provide an exciting science framework structure to mathematics for preservice educators. Due to its interdisciplinary content, astrobiology offers preservice educators an opportunity to see math content through a …

Photochemical Cycling Of Reactive Oxygen Species In Hydrothermal Systems: Impacts On Biosignature Preservation, Megan A. Mave

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Life originated on early Earth, despite harsh, highly reducing conditions. Life may have also emerged on early Mars, when conditions on the two planets were similar (i.e. before atmosphere loss and desiccation). NASA’s 2020 Mars rover mission aims to identify biosignatures (i.e. evidence of life) in early Martian deposits. Potential exploration sites include extinct hydrothermal springs, due to their high habitability and preservation potential. This study aims to better understand biosignature preservation in hydrothermal systems analogous to those on early Mars (i.e. reducing and Fe-rich).

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are highly reactive molecules formed primarily by photochemical reactions. ROS are …

Triple-Helicate Self-Assembly, Dynamics, And Anion Binding Of Halogen-Bonding M-Arylene-Ethynylene Oligomers, Casey John Massena

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The form and function of biopolymers depend on the precise folding and organization of vast arrays of chemical groups. Hence, the simple yet elegant helix is one of the most pervasive structural elements in nature. Moreover, given the ubiquity and importance of anions, anion-interfacing helical structures hold promise as useful, stimuli-responsive supramolecules. Like metals, anions can powerfully coordinate organic ligands and promote helical self-assembly. However, anion coordination is far less understood than that of metals. Halide ions are an especially challenging target due to their small size, low charge, and variable coordination number/geometry. This work presents a new strategy that …

Consequences Of Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Activation: Thymic Atrophy And Therapeutic Liposomal Nanoparticles, Joanna Michelle Kreitinger

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The Aryl hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor best known for its role in xenobiotic metabolism of environmental pollutants. Activation of the AhR by its prototypical ligand 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-pdioxin (TCDD) leads to pronounced thymic atrophy and severe immunosuppression. Studies of AhR activation can have dual applications: to better understand AhR-mediated immunotoxicity and to harness its immunomodulatory effects for therapeutic use. Here, we first aimed to determine whether AhR-mediated thymic atrophy was ligand-dependent through the use of dietary and endogenously sourced ligands, indole-3-carbinol (I3C) and 2-(19 H-indole-39 -carbonyl)-thiazole-4-carboxylic acid methyl ester (ITE) respectively. We also aimed to identify key mediators …

Evaluation Of Autonomously Measured Alkalinity, Ph, And Pco2 Variability On A Coral Reef, Brittany Peterson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Currently, our understanding of alkalinity (A_T) variability in highly dynamic environments such as coral reefs is limited by the dearth of A_T measurements. In order to better characterize these environments, high temporal resolution A_T data are needed. This work employed the newly developed Submersible Autonomous Moored Instrument for Alkalinity (SAMI-alk), a fully autonomous in situ A_T analyzer, to study seawater A_T variability. The main goals of this research were to evaluate the utility of combining the SAMI-alk data with currently available in situ measurements of pH and partial pressure of carbon dioxide (p …

Mountain Pine Beetle Induced Changes To Lodgepole Pine Forest Stand Dynamics At Lubrecht Experimental Forest, Ben G. O'Connor

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Predicting Patterns Of Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration From Late Adolescence To Young Adulthood, Hans Saint-Eloi Cadely, Joe F. Pittman, Gregory S. Pettit, Jennifer E. Lansford, John E. Bates, Kenneth A. Dodge, Amy Holtzworth-Munroe

Human Development and Family Science Faculty Publications

Saint-Eloi Cadely et al. (2017) found longitudinal patterns for the perpetration of both psychological and physical intimate partner violence (IPV), including actively and minimally aggressive patterns. The current study builds on these findings by examining four theory-derived variables (interparental aggression, social-information processing (SIP) biases, relationship insecurities (preoccupied and fearful), and discontinuity in relationship partner over time) as predictors of membership within these patterns using multinomial logistic regression. The analysis sample consisted of 484 participants who were romantically involved at least once during the 8 waves of data collection from the ages of 18-25. In predicting psychological IPV, more SIP biases, …

Identifying A Novel Role For Fractalkine (Cx3cl1) In Memory Cd8(+) T Cell Accumulation In The Omentum Of Obesity-Associated Cancer Patients, Melissa J. Conroy, Stephen G. Maher, Ashanty M. Ashanty, Suzanne Doyle, Emma K. Foley, John V. Reynolds, Aideen Long, Joanne Lysaght

Articles

The omentum is enriched with pro-inflammatory effector memory CD8+ T cells in patients with the obesity-associated malignancy, esophagogastric adenocarcinoma (EAC) and we have identified the chemokine macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha as a key player in their active migration to this inflamed tissue. More recently, others have established that subsets of memory CD8+ T cells can be classified based on their surface expression of CX3CR1; the specific receptor for the inflammatory chemokine fractalkine. CD8+ T cells expressing intermediate levels (CX3CR1INT) are defined as peripheral memory, those expressing the highest levels (CX3CR1HI) are effector memory/terminally differentiated and those lacking CX3CR1 (CX3CR1NEG) are classified …

Current And Future Technologies For Microbiological Decontamination Of Cereal Grains, Agatha Los, Dana Ziuzina, Paula Bourke

Articles

Cereal grains are the most important staple foods for mankind worldwide. The constantly increasing annual production and yield is matched by demand for cereals, which is expected to increase drastically along with the global population growth. A critical food safety and quality issue is to minimize the microbiological contamination of grains as it affects cereals both quantitatively and qualitatively. Microorganisms present in cereals can affect the safety, quality, and functional properties of grains. Some molds have the potential to produce harmful mycotoxins and pose a serious health risk for consumers. Therefore, it is essential to reduce cereal grain contamination to …

The Potential Of Cold Plasma For Safe And Sustainable Food Production, Paula Bourke, Dana Ziuzina, Daniela Boehm, Patrick J. Cullen, Kevin Keener

Articles

In-package decontamination of foods using cold plasma has advanced this technology as a unit process for fresh foods decontamination and shelf-life extension.

Chemical residues of agricultural pesticides of varying structure can be degraded to safe or less-toxic structures using cold plasma.

Cold-plasma-mediated control of contaminants, along with the promotion of seed germination and plant growth, offers alternatives to current pesticides and fertilizers for agriculture.

Controlling plasma reactive species formulations in dry and liquid delivery formats advances the potential for understanding and successful translation to multiple points along the agriculture and food sectors.

Employing predictive microbiology, process optimization tools and a …

Patient Experiences Of A Physiotherapy-Led Multidisciplinary Rehabilitative Intervention After Successful Treatment For Oesophago-Gastric Cancer, Annemarie Bennett, L. O'Neill, D. Connolly, E. M. Guinan, L. Boland, Suzanne Doyle, J. O'Sullivan, J. V. Reynolds, J. Hussey

Articles

Purpose To qualitatively explore the perceived impact of a 12-week rehabilitative intervention for oesophago-gastric cancer survivors on their physical, mental and social wellbeing. Methods Of the 21 participants who completed the intervention, 19 took part in a semi-structured focus group interview. Four audio-taped focus groups were held, ranging in size from two to eight participants. Focus groups were transcribed and analysed using a descriptive qualitative approach. Results At recruitment, participants were 23.5 ± 15.2 months post-surgery and all had suboptimal fitness levels. Participants reported improvements in their physical capacity and ability to carry out activities of daily living during the …

Optimization Of Folic Acid Supplementation In The Prevention Of Neural Tube Defects, Shona Cawley, Daniel Mccartney, Jayne V. Woodside, Mary Rose Sweeney, Robert Mcdonnell, Anne M. Molloy, Michael J. Turner

Articles

Background We examined the relationship between timing and duration of folic acid (FA) supplementation in achieving red blood cell (RBC) folate levels in early pregnancy which are optimal (>906 nmol/l) for the prevention of neural tube defects (NTDs). Methods Clinical, FA supplementation and dietary folate details were computerized at the first antenatal visit. Maternal blood samples were analysed for RBC and serum folate. Results Of the 502 women, 98.2% (n = 493) reported taking FA. There was a positive correlation between duration of supplementation and both RBC folate (r = 0.43, P < 0.001) and serum folate (rho = 0.29, P < 0.001). The optimal RBC folate level was achieved in 80.4% (n = 46) of women who started FA 400 μg 4–8 weeks before their LMP compared with only 53.6% (n = 153) in women who started 4–8 weeks after their LMP (P < 0.001). Conclusions This study provides, for the first …

Microfluidics In Coagulation Monitoring Devices: A Mini Review, Leanne Harris, Anthony J. Killard

Articles

Diagnosis and monitoring of disorders of coagulation and disturbances in haemostasis has been around for many years. Thrombotic and bleeding disorders are amongst the leading causes of mortality in the developed world, thus driving research in this area. The simplicity with which miniaturised devices operate and their application to the study of coagulation and haemostasis offer potential advantages over traditional testing, such as improvements in clinical decision making and ultimately patient care. This review looks at progress in microfluidic device development in the field of haemostasis and coagulation biology.

Comparison At The First Prenatal Visit Of The Maternal Dietary Intakes Of Smokers With Non-Smokers In A Large Maternity Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Study, Emer G. O'Malley, Shona Cawley, Ciara M.E. Reynolds, Rachel A.K. Kennedy, Anne Molloy, Michael Turner

Articles

Using detailed dietary and supplement questionnaires in early pregnancy, we compared the dietary intakes of micronutrients and macronutrients at the first prenatal visit of women who reported continuing to smoke during pregnancy with the intakes of women who were non-smokers.