Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Adenosine 3', 5'-Cyclic Monophosphate Activation Of Islet Chloride Channels, Anjali Varandani

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this thesis was to understand the regulation of islet Cl⁻ current by cAMP. This current, known as I_cl,islet flew is the first Cl⁻ channel current characterized in pancreatic �� cells. I_cl,islet has been hypothesized to modulate insulin secretion through changes in islet electrical activity. Both 5 ��M forskolin and 100 ��M IBMX (3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine), agents that increase intracellular cAMP, were shown to activate an outwardly-rectifying ionic current in HIT cells that closely resembled I_cl,islet. The current was blocked when iodide was substituted for external Cl⁻ or when the Cl⁻ channel blocker niflumic acid was …

Changes In Gabaa̳ Receptor Expression And Alterations In Ca⁺⁺/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Ii Activity In A Hippocampal Neuronal Culture Model Of Epilepsy, Robert Eagan Blair

Theses and Dissertations

Expression levels of GABAA receptor subunits and activity of the Ca++ /calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II) enzyme system were evaluated in an in vitro hippocampal neuronal culture model of epilepsy. Treatment of hippocampal neuronal cultures with Mg++-free media for 3 hours results in the induction of an enduring "epileptic" state as evidenced by the expression of spontaneous recurrent seizure (SRS) discharge. The induction of the SRS activity was shown to be a N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, Ca++-dependent mechanism (Sombati and DeLorenzo, J Neurophys., 73 (4), 1995). Significant and long-lasting decreases in mRNA expression for the GABAA α2 and α5 …

Market And Organizational Factors Associated With Teaching Hospital Participation In Strategic Hospital Alliances, James D. Bramble

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigated market and organizational factors that influence the strategic decisions of teaching hospitals to participate in strategic hospital alliances (SHAs). It described the characteristics of both teaching hospitals and the health care environment in which they operate. This research also examines the association of these factors with the strategic position of teaching hospitals in terms of their dominance in the market or within their organizations.

The theoretical model used two concepts from institutional theory--coercive and normative pressures. It was argued that coercive pressures in the market facilitated the decision to participate in SHAs and gain market and Organizational …

The Structural Response And Performance Of General Hospitals In A Managed Care Environment, Denise M. Mccollum

Theses and Dissertations

The study purpose is to link hospital structure, represented by each hospital’s professional contingent, service mix, and inpatient capacity; and its environment, characterized by the penetration of managed care enrollees. The secondary purpose is to test the relationship between hospital structural change and subsequent hospital performance.

The study employs a non-experimental panel design, with a sample of 1882 community hospitals (service type: general medical and surgical). Environmental variables are measured for the base year 1989. Hospital structural variables are measured for 1989 and 1994, with change variables computed. Performance variables are measured for 1989 and 1995, with change computed for …

Gene Expression Following Traumatic Brain Injury, Rajiv Malhotra

Theses and Dissertations

The pathology which results from traumatic brain injury (TBI) have long been believed to be immediate and irreversible. However, recently it has been shown that, although the primary effects are virtually unavoidable, the secondary effects manifest themselves through biochemical processes set in motion at the time of the injury. These events are frequently mediated through the process of excitotoxicity, which results from a widespread release of excitatory neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters go on to activate both ionotropic and metabotropic receptors. The signal transduction initiated through these receptor populations gives rise to changes in gene expression.

One result of this release of …

Parental Divorce And Lds Young Adult Attitudes Toward Marriage And Family Life, Sarah D. Finney

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the influence of parental divorce on the attitudes of young adult members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) toward marriage and family life. A sample of 180 students from three universities completed self-report questionnaires measuring various attitudes toward aspects of marriage and family life. The results indicated that parental divorce alone was not a significant predictor (p.≤.05) of young adults' attitudes toward marriage and family life. The one difference found was that young adults' coming from divorced families-of-origin were less attracted to the idea of commitment and sacrifice involved in a marriage …

Oral Performances As Ritual: Animating The Invisible In Mormon Women's Miscarriage Stories, Kristin Leifson Ballif

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is comprised of ten Mormon women's miscarriage stories and it is their stories that are used as the text for my analysis. The purpose of the study is to provide a space for these women to share their experiences and to reveal their cultural values and beliefs. Because the women are all Mormon, there are some distinctive cultural and religious values that are shared within their stories and it is these aspects that are analyzed and discussed within the text.

Women need to be able to share their miscarriage stories so as to alleviate feelings of isolation and …