Matching Items (315)
Filtering by
- All Subjects: Communication
- Genre: Doctoral Dissertation
- Creators: Arizona State University
Description
Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disease. The disease leads to dementia and loss of cognitive functions and affects about 4.5 million people in the United States. It is the 7th leading cause of death and is a huge financial burden on the healthcare industry. There are no means of diagnosing the disease before neurodegeneration is significant and sadly there is no cure that controls its progression. The protein beta-amyloid or Aâ plays an important role in the progression of the disease. It is formed from the cleavage of the Amyloid Precursor Protein by two enzymes - â and ã-secretases and is found in the plaques that are deposits found in Alzheimer brains. This work describes the generation of therapeutics based on inhibition of the cleavage by â-secretase. Using in-vitro recombinant antibody display libraries to screen for single chain variable fragment (scFv) antibodies; this work describes the isolation and characterization of scFv that target the â-secretase cleavage site on APP. This approach is especially relevant since non-specific inhibition of the enzyme may have undesirable effects since the enzyme has been shown to have other important substrates. The scFv iBSEC1 successfully recognized APP, reduced â-secretase cleavage of APP and reduced Aâ levels in a cell model of Alzheimer's Disease. This work then describes the first application of bispecific antibody therapeutics to Alzheimer's Disease. iBSEC1 scFv was combined with a proteolytic scFv that enhances the "good" pathway (á-secretase cleavage) that results in alternative cleavage of APP to generate the bispecific tandem scFv - DIA10D. DIA10D reduced APP cleavage by â-secretase and steered it towards the "good" pathway thus increasing the generation of the fragment sAPPá which is neuroprotective. Finally, treatment with iBSEC1 is evaluated for reduced oxidative stress, which is observed in cells over expressing APP when they are exposed to stress. Recombinant antibody based therapeutics like scFv have several advantages since they retain the high specificity of the antibodies but are safer since they lack the constant region and are smaller, potentially facilitating easier delivery to the brain
ContributorsBoddapati, Shanta (Author) / Sierks, Michael (Thesis advisor) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
The United States is facing an emerging principal shortage. This study examines an intervention to deliver professional development for assistant principals on their way to becoming principals. The intervention intended to boost their sense of efficacy as if they were principals while creating a supportive community of professionals for ongoing professional learning. The community was designed much like a professional learning community (PLC) with the intent of developing into a community of practice (CoP). The participants were all elementary school assistant principals in a Title I district in a large metropolitan area. The researcher interviewed an expert set of school administrators consisting of superintendents and consultants (and others who have knowledge of what a good principal ought to be) about what characteristics and skills were left wanting in principal applicants. The data from these interviews provided the discussion topics for the intervention. The assistant principals met regularly over the course of a semester and discussed the topics provided by the expert set of school administrators. Participant interaction within the sessions followed conversation protocols. The researcher was also a participant in the group and served as the coordinator. Each session was recorded and transcribed. The researcher used a mixed methods approach to analyze the intervention. Participants were surveyed to measure their efficacy before and after the intervention. The session transcripts were analyzed using open and axial coding. Data showed no statistically significant change in the participants' sense of efficacy. Data also showed the participants became a coalescing community of practice.
ContributorsRichman, Bryan (Author) / Puckett, Kathleen (Thesis advisor) / Smith, Jeffery (Committee member) / Foulger, Teresa (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
This dissertation explores the rhetorical significance of persecution claims produced by demonstrably powerful publics in contemporary American culture. This ideological criticism is driven by several related research questions. First, how do members of apparently powerful groups (men, whites, and Christians) come to see themselves as somehow unjustly marginalized, persecuted, or powerless? Second, how are these discourses related to the public sphere and counterpublicity? I argue that, despite startling similarities, these texts studied here are best understood not as counterpublicity but as a strategy of containment available to hegemonic publics. Because these rhetorics of persecution often seek to forestall movements toward pluralism and restorative justice, the analysis forwarded in this dissertation offers important contributions to ongoing theoretical discussions in the fields of public sphere theory and critical cultural theory and practical advice for progressive political activism and critical pedagogy.
ContributorsDuerringer, Christopher (Author) / Brouwer, Daniel (Thesis advisor) / Carlson, Cheree (Committee member) / McDonald, Kelly (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Deviant bodies resisting online: examining the intersecting realities of women of color in Xbox Live
Description
Employing qualitative methods and drawing from an intersectional framework which focuses on the multiple identities we all embody, this dissertation focuses on oppressions and resistance strategies employed by women of color in Xbox live, an online gaming community. Ethnographic observations and narrative interviewing reveal that women of color, as deviants within the space, face intersecting oppressions in gaming as in life outside the gaming world. They are linguistically profiled within the space based off of how they sound. They have responded with various strategies to combat the discrimination they experience. Some segregate themselves from the larger gaming population and many refuse to purchase games that depict women in a hyper-sexualized manner or that present people of color stereotypically. For others, the solution is to "sit-in" on games and disrupt game flow by 'player-killing' or engage in other 'griefing' activities. I analyze this behavior in the context of Black feminist consciousness and resistance and uncover that these methods are similar to women who employ resistance strategies for survival within the real world.
ContributorsGray, Kishonna (Author) / Anderson, Lisa M. (Thesis advisor) / Cheong, Pauline (Committee member) / Lim, Merlyna (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
Dangerous drinking on college campuses is a significant public health issue. Over the last decade, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have called on universities, community leaders, policymakers, parents and students to work together to develop effective, research based alcohol prevention and/or intervention programs. Despite such calls, parent-based prevention programs are relatively rare on college campuses, and there is a paucity of research on the ways in which parents influence their emerging adult children's drinking behaviors. The present project is designed to help address this need. Grounded in social cognitive theory, this exploratory study focuses on alcohol communication and poses numerous questions regarding the alcohol messages exchanged between college students and their parents, as well as how such messages associate with college students' dangerous drinking. Undergraduate students ages 18 to 25 who were enrolled in communication classes were recruited for the study and asked to recruit a parent. The sample included 198 students and 188 parents, all of whom completed an online survey. Results indicated the majority of college students have had alcohol conversations with a parent since the student graduated from high school. Parents viewed such conversations as significantly more open, direct, and ongoing than did students; though both generally agreed on the content of their alcohol communication, reporting an emphasis on the negative aspects of drinking, particularly the dangers of drinking and driving and the academic consequences of too much partying. Frequent discussions of drinking risks had significant, positive associations with students' dangerous drinking, whereas parents' reports of discussing rules about alcohol had a significant negative association with students' alcohol consumption. There were strong significant associations between the types alcohol topics discussed and students' perception that their parents approved of their drinking, as well as parents' actual approval. Perceived approval had a significant, positive association with students' dangerous drinking; however, actual parental approval was not a significant predictor of students' drinking outcomes. Parents' alcohol consumption had a significant positive association with students' alcohol consumption. Implications for parents, public health practitioners, and future research are discussed.
ContributorsMenegatos, Lisa Marie (Author) / Floyd, Kory (Thesis advisor) / Lederman, Linda C. (Thesis advisor) / Valiente, Carlos (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
As digital technology promises immediacy and interactivity in communication, sight and sound in motion graphics has expanded the range of design possibilities in advertising, social networking, and telecommunication beyond the visual realm. The experience of seeing has been greatly enriched by sound as visual solutions become dynamic and multi-dimensional. The ability to record and transfer sight and sound with new media has granted the designer more control in manipulating a viewer's experience of time and space. This control allows time-based form to become the foundation that establishes many interactive, multisensory and interdisciplinary applications. Is conventional design theory for print media adequate to effectively approach time-based form? If not, what is the core element that is required to balance the static and dynamic aspects of time in new media? Should time-related theories and methodologies from other disciplines be adopted into our design principles? If so, how would this knowledge be integrated? How can this experience in time be effectively transferred to paper? Unless the role of the time dimension in sight is operationally deconstructed and retained with sound, it is very challenging to control the design in this fugitive form. Time activation refers to how time and the perception of time can be manipulated for design and communication purposes. Sound, as a shortcut to the active time design element, not only encapsulates the structure of its "invisible" time-based form, but also makes changes in time conspicuously measurable and comparable. Two experiments reflect the influence of sound on imagery, a slideshow and video, as well as how the dynamics in time are represented across all design media. A cyclical time-based model is established to reconnect the conventional design principles learned in print media with time-based media. This knowledge helps expand static images to motion and encapsulate motion in stasis. The findings provide creative methods for approaching visualization, interactivity, and design education.
ContributorsCheung, Hoi Yan Patrick (Author) / Giard, Jacques (Thesis advisor) / Sanft, Alfred C (Committee member) / Aisling, Kelliher (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
The division of domestic labor has far-reaching implications for "private" life (e.g. relational satisfaction and conflict) and for "public" paid labor (e.g. time and dedication in the workplace and career advancement). Although several theories have been developed and tested, they do not sufficiently explain the consistent findings that women in mixed sex households perform a majority of the domestic labor. Without understanding the causes for differences in task performance, past research encouraging communicative solutions to ameliorate conflict was ineffective in changing task allocation and performance. Therefore, it is necessary to understand theoretical explanations that drive domestic labor behavior to develop effective solutions. The recent integrative theory of the division of domestic labor attempts to explain how individuals interact with household partners to allocate domestic tasks. Recognizing the complexity of the division of domestic labor, the integrative theory considers individual, dyadic, and societal factors that influence task allocation. Because clear differences in task performance have been found in mixed sex households, this study separates sex and gender as distinct variables by considering same-sex roommate relationships, essentially removing sex differences from the living arrangement. Furthermore, this study considers individual threshold levels as described by the integrative theory in order to test the theoretical underpinnings. Specifically, this study is designed to investigate the relationships between individual cleanliness threshold levels and gender, sex, perceptions of satisfaction, equity, and frequency of conflict in same-sex roommate relationships. Results indicate support of the integrative theory of the division of domestic labor. Regarding gender differences, partial support for the theory appeared in that feminine individuals have lower threshold levels than masculine individuals. Regarding sex differences, women possess lower individual threshold levels (i.e. more bothered when a task is undone) compared to men, which likely accounts for why existing research indicates that women spend more time performing domestic tasks. What is more, individuals with higher threshold levels report greater relational satisfaction. Further, individuals whose threshold levels differ from their living partner report lower relational satisfaction and greater conflict frequency. Finally, in terms of equity, both overbenefited and underbenefited individuals experience more conflict than those who feel their relationship is equitable. These results provide theoretical support for the integrative theory of the division of labor. Furthermore, the development and testing of a threshold measure scale can be used practically for future research and for better roommate pairings by universities. In addition, communication scholars, family practitioners and counselors, and universities can apply these theoretically grounded research findings to develop and test strategies to reduce conflict and increase relational satisfaction among roommates and couples.
ContributorsRiforgiate, Sarah (Author) / Alberts, Jess K. (Thesis advisor) / Mongeau, Paul (Thesis advisor) / Roberto, Anthony (Committee member) / Romero, Mary (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
Neurostimulation methods currently include deep brain stimulation (DBS), optogenetic, transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS), and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). TMS and tDCS are noninvasive techniques whereas DBS and optogenetic require surgical implantation of electrodes or light emitting devices. All approaches, except for optogenetic, have been implemented in clinical settings because they have demonstrated therapeutic utility and clinical efficacy for neurological and psychiatric disorders. When applied for therapeutic applications, these techniques suffer from limitations that hinder the progression of its intended use to treat compromised brain function. DBS requires an invasive surgical procedure that surfaces complications from infection, longevity of electrical components, and immune responses to foreign materials. Both TMS and tDCS circumvent the problems seen with DBS as they are noninvasive procedures, but they fail to produce the spatial resolution required to target specific brain structures. Realizing these restrictions, we sought out to use ultrasound as a neurostimulation modality. Ultrasound is capable of achieving greater resolution than TMS and tDCS, as we have demonstrated a ~2mm lateral resolution, which can be delivered noninvasively. These characteristics place ultrasound superior to current neurostimulation methods. For these reasons, this dissertation provides a developed protocol to use transcranial pulsed ultrasound (TPU) as a neurostimulation technique. These investigations implement electrophysiological, optophysiological, immunohistological, and behavioral methods to elucidate the effects of ultrasound on the central nervous system and raise questions about the functional consequences. Intriguingly, we showed that TPU was also capable of stimulating intact sub-cortical circuits in the anesthetized mouse. These data reveal that TPU can evoke synchronous oscillations in the hippocampus in addition to increasing expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Considering these observations, and the ability to noninvasively stimulate neuronal activity on a mesoscale resolution, reveals a potential avenue to be effective in clinical settings where current brain stimulation techniques have shown to be beneficial. Thus, the results explained by this dissertation help to pronounce the significance for these protocols to gain translational recognition.
ContributorsTufail, Yusuf Zahid (Author) / Tyler, William J (Thesis advisor) / Duch, Carsten (Committee member) / Muthuswamy, Jitendran (Committee member) / Santello, Marco (Committee member) / Tillery, Stephen H (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
The original mediums were not texts or technologies; they were ritual actors performing acts of mediumship. Mediating between determined norms (the status quo) and emergent trends (change), they invoked divine authority to conjure meanings that proved adaptive, nonadaptive and/or maladaptive. With the advent of the written word, ritual became formalized and codified. The medium became a communication device, something abstract and external to the human condition. It then became possible to speak of "media effects" imposing influence in a logical deterministic manner. Yet with the advent of new media, we are witnessing a return to modes of cultural discourse that are spontaneous, interactive, communal and unscripted, all hallmarks of ritual action. This "ritual return" centers on the emergence of the "prosumer" (producer/consumer), a figure actively engaged in mediating practices. While resembling the original archaic "medium" in some respects, the prosumer is a "literate ritualist" allied with a multiplicity of cultural tribes. Thus the "new media" has given rise to "the new medium." The pages that follow focus on acts of contemporary mediumship, examining related concepts such as "ecology," "niche," "role," "affordance," and "trope." Each section considers how specific mediating practices afford and constrain modes of ritualized behavior. I call this practice-oriented approach to media studies "praxism."
ContributorsGyori, Bradford (Author) / Goggin, Maureen (Thesis advisor) / Baker, Aaron (Committee member) / Hjorleifur Jonsson (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
California's Proposition 8 revoked the right to marriage for that state's gay and lesbian population. Proposition 8 was a devastating defeat for gay marriage movements across the nation. The primary rhetorical strategy of the No on 8 campaign was a reliance on a Civil Rights analogy that constructed the gay and lesbian movement for marriage as a civil right akin to those fought for by African Americans in the 1950s and 1960s. Analogizing the gay and lesbian struggle for gay marriage with the racial struggles of the Civil Rights Movement exposed a complicated relationship between communities of color and gay and lesbian communities. This project reads critical rhetoric and intersectionality together to craft a critical intersectional rhetoric to better understand the potentialities and pitfalls of analogizing the gay rights with Civil Rights. I analyze television ads, communiques of No on 8 leadership, as well as state level and national court decisions related to gay marriage to argue alternative frameworks that move away from analogizing and move towards coalition building.
ContributorsKelsey, Michelle L (Author) / Brouwer, Daniel C (Thesis advisor) / Carlson, A. Cheree (Committee member) / Milller, Keith (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011