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A META-ANALYSIS ON THE MULTIFACTOR LEADERSHIP QUESTIONNAIRE (MLQ)
(5/16/2016)
The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) is one of the most commonly used measures for evaluating a subordinate's perceptions of his/her supervisor's transformational, transactional, and passive leadership behaviors ...
Sentiment analysis study with an emphasis on the integration of different statement polarities and the evaluation of the resulting sentiments
(5/16/2016)
Social media has become an integral part of today's society and has continued to grow tremendously throughout the world. People communicate through social media constantly and social media has become a pivotal place for ...
Expression of microRNA in Alveolar Macrophages Deficient in PPARy
(East Carolina University, 2014)
The nuclear transcription factor Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) is a negative regulator of macrophage activation and inflammatory mediators. Alveolar macrophages of healthy individuals constitutively express PPARgamma Decreased activity and expression of PPARgamma are observed in the alveolar macrophages from patients suffering from inflammatory conditions such as pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) and sarcoidosis. These finding suggest that PPARf× activity may have an integral role in maintaining lung homeostasis. This study tested the hypothesis that microRNA expression would be dysregulated in murine alveolar macrophages deficient in PPARgamma. microRNA (miR) are small non-coding RNA molecules that post-transcriptionally regulate the expression of messenger RNA. Evaluation of microRNA in the murine model of PAP, the GM-CSF-KO mouse, demonstrates the elevation of miR-27a and miR-27b which target PPARgamma. The deficiency of PPARgamma and the lipid transporters ABCA1 and ABCG1 have been shown to contribute to the pathology of PAP. The microRNA miR-33-3p and miR-33-5p, which target these lipid transporters, were also elevated in GM-CSF-KO mice. Pulmonary granulomas comparable to those observed in pulmonary sarcoidosis are induced by instillation of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) in C57Bl/6 mice. These animals have decreased PPARgamma activity and show elevated expression of miR-27a and miR-27b. It was also observed that the expression of the transporters ABCA1 and ABCG1 were decreased in MWCNT instilled mice. Expression of miR-33-3p and miR-33-5p was elevated in MWCNT instilled animals. The expression of microRNA that affects the activity of NF-£eB is also elevated in both murine models. We next investigated the use of PPARgamma agonist rosiglitazone on the expression of microRNA and messenger RNA. The use of rosiglitazone altered the expression of microRNA in both GM-CSF-KO and C57Bl/6+MWCNT mice. Rosiglitazone treatment altered the expression of the lipid transporter ABCA1and ABCG1 in C57Bl/6+MWCNT mice. The elevation of proinflammatory cytokines was also observed. Taken together, these observations support the hypothesis that PPARgamma activity effects the microRNA and gene expression in alveolar macrophages which is critical to overall lung homeostasis. Understanding the relationship between PPARgamma and microRNA in alveolar macrophage biology will provide insight into the regulation of the lung environment and possible therapeutic targets. ...
ADAPTIVE LEGACY: THE TRANSITION OF LIGHTHOUSES FROM SYMBOLS OF POLITICAL-ECONOMICAL STATEMENTS TO ICONS OF CULTURAL IDENTITY
(East Carolina University, 2017-05-03)
Lighthouses on the eastern coast, North Carolina are iconic monuments of the scenic and historic landscape of the Outer Banks. The job for which these lighthouses were specifically designed was to aid mariners in navigating ...
American Born Imams: Negotiating Clerical Responsibilities and Expectations
(East Carolina University, 2017-05-03)
This inductive, exploratory study seeks to understand in detail the personal perspectives and career paths that American born Imams experience as they become religious leaders. In doing so, this study will examine their ...
The Sled, the Litter, and the Plot: Finding Connections Between Mundane Material Culture From World War II's USS North Carolina
(East Carolina University, 2017-05-05)
USS North Carolina, a World War II battleship, which received 12 battle stars during its career, was turned into a memorial and museum in 1961 after it was decommissioned. Since then, the museum has told the story of World ...
Jose Arturo Castellanos: An Unlikely Hero of the Second World War from El Salvador
(East Carolina University, 2017-05-04)
The purpose of this thesis is to shed light on a Holocaust rescue effort untaken by Jose Castellanos and George Mandel. Mandel has been the subject of several publications while Castellanos' role has largely been ignored. ...
Trade Secrets: A Historical, Archaeological, and Archaeometric Study of Greek Colonization in the Dalmatian Islands
(East Carolina University, 2017-04-28)
This thesis examines the Dalmatian islands and their relationship with the surrounding Adriatic region during the late Greek colonization period in the 4th century B.C. by using colonization models, archaeometric ceramic ...
Predicting non-target impacts from a biocontrol weevil on a federally threatened thistle of the upper Great Lakes
(East Carolina University, 2017-04-28)
Better understanding of the ecological and evolutionary consequences of plant-insect interactions has important applications in ecology, agriculture, and pest management. Larinus planus Fabricius (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), ...
Morphology, Geologic History and Dynamics of Wimble Shoals, Rodanthe, NC
(East Carolina University, 2017-05-03)
Barrier islands around the world protect estuaries and mainland areas, creating important habitat as well as environmentally and economically valuable property. Barrier islands represent 10%, of global shorelines and are ...