Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Discipline
-
- Life Sciences (16)
- Education (15)
- Microbiology (6)
- Immunology and Infectious Disease (5)
- Immunology of Infectious Disease (5)
-
- Arts and Humanities (4)
- Educational Leadership (4)
- Medicine and Health Sciences (4)
- Nursing (4)
- Higher Education (3)
- Philosophy (3)
- Applied Ethics (2)
- Biochemistry (2)
- Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology (2)
- Biology (2)
- Developmental Psychology (2)
- Educational Administration and Supervision (2)
- Psychology (2)
- Social and Behavioral Sciences (2)
- Virology (2)
- Curriculum and Instruction (1)
- Educational Psychology (1)
- History (1)
- Pharmacology (1)
- Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health (1)
- Science and Mathematics Education (1)
- Secondary Education (1)
- Special Education Administration (1)
- Teacher Education and Professional Development (1)
- United States History (1)
- Keyword
-
- Equity (3)
- Inflammation (3)
- Alcohol (2)
- Cancer (2)
- Education (2)
-
- Immunotherapy (2)
- Leadership (2)
- MTSS (2)
- Middle School (2)
- Self Study (2)
- Staphylococcus aureus (2)
- T cells (2)
- Access (1)
- Acetylation (1)
- Acetylome (1)
- Action Research (1)
- Aerococcus urinae (1)
- Affordability (1)
- African American (1)
- Agency (1)
- Ambulatory care (1)
- Assessment (1)
- Authorization (1)
- Bacillus subtilis (1)
- Bacteria (1)
- Bcl10 (1)
- Bioinformatics (1)
- Black and Latinx Child Trauma (1)
- Black boys (1)
- Blame (1)
Articles 1 - 30 of 41
Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network
Binge Alcohol Drinking Exacerbates Ulcerative Colitis Flare, Abigail Cannon
Binge Alcohol Drinking Exacerbates Ulcerative Colitis Flare, Abigail Cannon
Dissertations
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) remains a prominent medical concern affecting over 1.4 million people in the U.S. One of the most common forms of the disease is ulcerative colitis (UC), and UC patients will often head doctor's advice to refrain from drinking alcohol. However, whether this phenomenon of alcohol exacerbating UC symptoms occurs is still unknown, which necessitated the generation of a mouse model of UC and binge alcohol. Therefore, we examined a range of DSS concentrations (2-4%) and 2 alcohol paradigms in C57BL/6 mice. Mice receiving 2% DSS ad libitum for five days with a three-day alcohol binge had …
Women's Decision-Making For Subsequent Pregnancy After A Cesarean Delivery, Melinda Dixon
Women's Decision-Making For Subsequent Pregnancy After A Cesarean Delivery, Melinda Dixon
Dissertations
The purpose of this study is to generate a theory of the decision making process for women as they choose a birth option after a previous Cesarean delivery. The research method of choice when little is known about the phenomena is qualitative research. A qualitative approach was used to generate a substantive theory of decision making for women deciding subsequent pregnancy birth mode after a previous Cesarean delivery. The classical grounded theory methodology including sampling plan, recruitment, data collection and analysis outlined in Glaser and Strauss (1967) guided this study. Twelve study participants with a history of one previous Cesarean …
Liberal Democratic Civic Education And Rampage School Gun Violence: Why We Need An Alternative Theory Of Democracy To Guide Contemporary Civic Education, Samantha Deane
Dissertations
In this dissertation, which relies on philosophical inquiry, I use the case of rampage school gun violence to explore democratic education. Drawing a distinction between liberal-foundational democratic education, which aims to educate the individual on how to become an autonomous rational agent and pragmatic-antifoundational democratic education, which looks to help individuals to understand agency as shared, I argue antifoundational democratic education teaches individuals how to affect their environment and take responsibility for the renewal of their democratic society. Rather than allocating blame in the singular individual, antifoundational democracy teaches citizens how to share the blame, take responsibility for unacceptable violence, …
Teacher Preparation And English Language Learners: The Negotiation Of Teaching Identities In Communities Of Practice, Eleni Giatsou
Teacher Preparation And English Language Learners: The Negotiation Of Teaching Identities In Communities Of Practice, Eleni Giatsou
Dissertations
This dissertation unveils the identity formation and negotiation processes of teacher candidates, through their practice with English Language Learners (ELLs) in a field-based teacher preparation program. Identity, like learning, is socially constructed and continuously negotiated by someone's engagement in a community (Wenger, 1998). Thus, sociocultural theory and specifically the theoretical construct of communities of practice (Wenger, 1998), guided the exploration of candidates' teaching identities to reveal the processes of becoming a teacher of ELLs. I conducted a qualitative case study to examine candidates' teaching practices with ELLs at a surface level and the (re)construction of their teaching identities at a …
Regulation Of Acetyl Phosphate-Dependent Acetylation And Identification Of Novel Lysine Acetyltransferases In Escherichia Coli, David George Christensen
Regulation Of Acetyl Phosphate-Dependent Acetylation And Identification Of Novel Lysine Acetyltransferases In Escherichia Coli, David George Christensen
Dissertations
Over billions of years, organisms have organized chemical reactions into metabolic pathways to sustain life. However, metabolic substrates can undergo many uncatalyzed, extra-metabolic reactions. Acetyl phosphate (AcP), an intermediate of the acetate fermentation pathway in E. coli, is one such metabolite that has been shown to non-enzymatically acetylate hundreds of proteins. This diverse set of targets suggests that acetylation could be a way for the cell to sense its nutritional status and regulate protein activity accordingly. However, how E. coli regulates acetylation, if at all, is unknown.Previous work showed that acetylation becomes pronounced in stationary phase cells. I determined that …
Retrieving And Reimagining Sanctuary And Solidarity: Racial Disparities In Infant Mortality, Alyson Capp
Retrieving And Reimagining Sanctuary And Solidarity: Racial Disparities In Infant Mortality, Alyson Capp
Dissertations
In Milwaukee, Black babies die before their first birthday nearly three times as often as White and Hispanic babies. Prematurity is the major cause of infant mortality, and social determinants of health play a large role. Commitments from within Christian bioethical traditions can critique ethical frameworks commonly in use in US bioethics by calling for the incorporation of analysis of social power dynamics that is necessary for addressing this issue. Original ethnographic fieldwork that listens closely to Black mothers and health professionals uncovers key themes related to women's and infant health at the intersection of race, class, and gender. By …
Membrane Microdomains As Platforms For Extra-Cellular Fusions, Michael Hantak
Membrane Microdomains As Platforms For Extra-Cellular Fusions, Michael Hantak
Dissertations
Life requires biological membranes. Membrane-enclosed compartments separate and unite through dynamic fission and fusion reactions. These are catalyzed processes that are central in organismal biogenesis. This dissertation focuses on extracellular membrane fusions, which are central to several processes. (1) Enveloped viruses enter cells through membrane fusions. (2) Extracellular vesicles (EVs) also deliver molecules into cells through membrane fusions. (3) Entire cells also fuse together, generating fertilized zygotes, skeletal muscles, and giant cell macrophages.Mechanisms of extracellular membrane fusion are poorly understood. This dissertation aimed to further define these mechanisms. We focused on regulatory cofactors, including tetraspanins, transmembrane proteins that cluster into …
Structure-Guided T Cell Receptor Mutations That Alter Antigen Specificity, Cross-Reactivity, And Polyfunctional Phenotypes In Gene-Modified T Cells, Kendra Foley
Dissertations
Adoptive cell transfer of T cell receptor (TCR) gene-modified T cells targeting specific tumor antigens is currently in clinical trials for patients with advanced malignancies. Despite the clinical responses, there are still hurdles to be overcome in achieving an effective and safe therapy. One of the limitations in the success of this type of therapy is the potential for cross-reactivity and unanticipated off-target reactivity which could lead to autoimmunity. Adverse events encompassing these "off-target, off-tumor" cross-reactivities leading to autoimmunity have been seen in patients in different clinical trials. Here, we demonstrate a novel approach to improve antigen specific reactivity and …
Charter Schools And Special Education Enrollment Rates, Mary Ann Lind
Charter Schools And Special Education Enrollment Rates, Mary Ann Lind
Dissertations
There is a growing concern that public charter schools, as publicly funded entities, which are mandated to ensure FAPE and IDEA, are lagging significantly behind public non-charter schools, when it comes to special education student enrollment. This potentially creates an unbalanced special education student ratio between public non-charter schools and public charters. This dissertation examines the enrollment rates of special education students between public charters and public non-charter schools in a large, metropolitan American school district, over a five-year period. This body of work examines causality and the effect of enrollment data along with the potential implications.
Staphylococcus Aureus Evasion Of The Innate Immune System, James Paul Grayczyk
Staphylococcus Aureus Evasion Of The Innate Immune System, James Paul Grayczyk
Dissertations
Upon entry into the host, pathogens must overcome innate immunity in order to cause disease. The innate immune system represents a fast-acting initial line of defense to prevent infection. In order to withstand innate defenses, bacterial pathogens like the Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, produce a wide array of virulence factors that can inhibit innate immune cell recruitment and antimicrobial activity, or directly target and kill phagocytic leukocytes thereby facilitating pathogenesis. Infection with S. aureus can cause disease in virtually any tissue site and is a significant burden to human health. In this dissertation, we sought to understand how S. aureus …
Determination Of Transforming Growth Factor-Β Signaling Targets In Activated T Cells, Ramiah Jacks
Determination Of Transforming Growth Factor-Β Signaling Targets In Activated T Cells, Ramiah Jacks
Dissertations
T lymphocytes are a critical component of the adaptive immune system and their responses in pathogenic and steady state conditions require strict regulation. One mechanism involved in this regulation is Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β) signaling. TGF-β can act on activated T cells to facilitate the differentiation of TGF-β dependent T helper subsets or the suppression of T cell activation and proliferation. However, the molecular mechanism(s) by which TGF-β signaling controls T cell differentiation vs T cell suppression remain poorly understood.TGF-β signaling is propagated by initially binding to the TGF-β type II receptor, which subsequently activates TGF-β type I receptor (TGF-βRI) …
From Design To Implementation: A Case Study Of A New Two-Year College, Brian M. Knetl
From Design To Implementation: A Case Study Of A New Two-Year College, Brian M. Knetl
Dissertations
The purpose of this dissertation was to understand how a new two-year college was designed and implemented within the context of and as a response to the completion agenda by focusing on the decisions and actions of the Administrative Leadership Team (ALT). The research was framed around the completion agenda themes of access, affordability, and student supports. An instrumental case study methodology was used to gain a deep understanding of the new college within the context of the completion agenda. Observations of ALT meetings, interviews with members of the ALT, and documents were collected and analyzed. The findings revealed that …
The Social And Contextual Mechanisms Of Children's Learning In Museums, Lindsay R. Maldonado
The Social And Contextual Mechanisms Of Children's Learning In Museums, Lindsay R. Maldonado
Dissertations
This study explored the associations between immersive exhibit design, mother-child engagement, conversational interactions, and children's learning. Participants were 41 mothers and their 6-8-year-old children (Mage=7.15, SD=.79). A within-subjects, mixed methods approach was utilized, including naturalistic observations, interview data, and surveys. Mother-child dyads were video and audio-recorded as they visited four different exhibits: two low immersion exhibits and two high immersion exhibits. Interview data was collected from children immediately following the visit to assess learning. Survey data was collected from mothers to assess education, environmental predispositions, and science-related career. In high immersion exhibits, mothers and children spent more time and asked …
Aerococcus Urinae: Establishing The Pathogenesis Of An Emerging Uropathogen, Evann E. Hilt
Aerococcus Urinae: Establishing The Pathogenesis Of An Emerging Uropathogen, Evann E. Hilt
Dissertations
Urinary tract infection (UTI) is the world's most common bacterial infection. Much is known about the infectious process (pathogenesis) of a few of the bacteria that cause these infections, especially E. coli. Unfortunately, the pathogenesis of E. coli and other uropathogenic bacteria was explored almost exclusively in the belief that the bladder is supposed to be sterile. Our recent evidence, however, debunks this dogma. We used modern methods to reveal diverse bacterial communities in the bladders of adult women. These communities differ in women with and without lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), including UTI and urinary incontinence (UI). Many bacteria …
Modulating The Tumor Microenvironment To Induce Cross-Priming For Cancer Immunotherapy, Erica Fleming-Trujillo
Modulating The Tumor Microenvironment To Induce Cross-Priming For Cancer Immunotherapy, Erica Fleming-Trujillo
Dissertations
Adoptive cell transfer (ACT) using T cells engineered to express tumor-specific T cell receptors (TCR) holds great promise in treating cancer patients. ACT involves the in vitro generation of large numbers of tumor-specific T cells, which are then administered back to the patient, to establish an in vivo response and effective tumor control. Our lab conducted a phase I clinical trial in which metastatic melanoma patients received systemic infusions of autologous T cells transduced to express a tyrosinase-specific TCR (TIL 1383I). We observed tumor regression in one of seven patients and the development of vitiligo, indicative of T cell-mediated killing …
Explicitly Teaching Scientific Argumentation: Using Action Research To Study High School Science Readiness And Detracking, Ami Lefevre
Dissertations
Access to advanced-level science courses can be difficult for those students who start in a tracked system. Tracking is an educational practice where students are assigned to different classes based on ability level. African American and Hispanic students are most at risk since most minority students are found in the lower level track (Burris, 2014; Mehan, 2015; Oakes, 2005). This investigation used an action research approach to determine how explicitly taught elements of scientific argumentation would impact student mastery of argument skills and influence instructional practices by a professional learning community. A mixed method study was used to collect qualitative …
Alcohol Induced Bacterial Changes In The Setting Of Colitis, Paulius Kuprys
Alcohol Induced Bacterial Changes In The Setting Of Colitis, Paulius Kuprys
Dissertations
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) affect a large number of individuals around the world. This group of diseases is largely composed of two types: Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Upon development of IBD, patients experience cyclical episodes of inflammation, known as flares. Flare induction appears to arise from multiple factors, which can also vary on a person-to-person basis. Alcohol has been shown to trigger IBD flares and onset, though the underlying mechanism has not been established.Defining factors of the IBD intestinal environment include an altered microbiome, bacterial infiltration of the intestinal epithelium, and increased leakage of proinflammatory bacterial byproducts. …
What Have We Done? An Analysis Of Student Handbooks Of Public High Schools In A Suburban County In The Wake Of Illinois Senate Bill 100, Melissa Delarosa Moore
What Have We Done? An Analysis Of Student Handbooks Of Public High Schools In A Suburban County In The Wake Of Illinois Senate Bill 100, Melissa Delarosa Moore
Dissertations
This study presents the findings of a content analysis of student handbooks from 23 public high schools in a suburban Illinois county. A checklist was utilized to compare discipline policy information between handbooks published in the school years prior to and following implementation of Illinois Senate Bill 100. The results included 20 of the 23 schools' handbooks demonstrating an increase in their reflection of Senate Bill 100 requirements from the 2015-16 to 2016-17 school years with approximately half of the schools modifying handbook language from pre- to post-implementation years to remove zero-tolerance policies and reflect policies aligned with the Senate …
A Self Study Of My Leadership As Principal To Improve Student Achievement In Literacy In The Middle Grades, Latrese Tonya Mathis
A Self Study Of My Leadership As Principal To Improve Student Achievement In Literacy In The Middle Grades, Latrese Tonya Mathis
Dissertations
This self-study examined my leadership practices as a principal and researcher. Herr and Anderson (2005) define self-study as "a focus on one's own personal and professional self." Through reflective analysis of my leadership practices, the Instructional Leadership and Grade Level Teams were supported with protocols and leadership methods to improve literacy instruction at middle grades. Upon reflection, concerns existed regarding inadequate and inconsistent student growth through the lens of school wide assessments. The examination of student data, root cause identification, and the development and monitoring of action items assisted to investigate my analysis of this concern. The significance of this …
The Study Of Evaluative Inquiry Within A Business Context: Social Learning Processes, Team-Level Infrastructure, And Guidelines For Practical Application, Marie Elizabeth Paydon
The Study Of Evaluative Inquiry Within A Business Context: Social Learning Processes, Team-Level Infrastructure, And Guidelines For Practical Application, Marie Elizabeth Paydon
Dissertations
This three-article dissertation presents complementary perspectives on applying an Evaluative Inquiry (EI) within a business setting. Evaluative Inquiry is an inquiry model of organizational learning which blends evaluation and social learning processes to promote individual, team, and organizational learning and occurs within a broader organizational infrastructure. The first article details findings from a case study of participants engaged in EI, exploring how they engaged in social learning processes and how these enabled individual, team, and organizational learning outcomes. The second article details findings from the same case study but examines how engaging in the EI process generated and promoted infrastructural …
Protection From Staphylococcus Aureus Bloodstream Infection By Probiotic Exopolysaccharide, Wonbeom Paik
Protection From Staphylococcus Aureus Bloodstream Infection By Probiotic Exopolysaccharide, Wonbeom Paik
Dissertations
Staphylococcus aureus is known to cause severe systemic infection with high mortality rates. Antibiotics are the only approved therapy for patients, but the widespread prevalence of antibiotic resistant strains limits treatment efficacy, and many patients succumb to the disease. Many probiotic agents are commercially available, but the mechanisms by which they benefit are not known. Understanding these mechanisms will help develop novel therapeutics that can improve healthcare, including systemic infections by S. aureus. Bacillus subtilis is a probiotic bacterium that produces an exopolysaccharide (EPS) that induces anti inflammatory macrophages (MΦ). We tested if EPS could be used for systemic S. …
Daxx As A Restrictor Of Tumor Initiating Cell Survival In Er+ Breast Cancer And Its Therapeutic Implications, Daniel Seamus Peiffer
Daxx As A Restrictor Of Tumor Initiating Cell Survival In Er+ Breast Cancer And Its Therapeutic Implications, Daniel Seamus Peiffer
Dissertations
Breast cancer overall is the second most common cause of cancer related death in women, with one in eight women being diagnosed during their lifetime. Breast cancer itself is divided into subtypes based on the expression levels of the hormone receptors including the estrogen receptor (ER) and the progesterone receptor (PR), as well as expression of the growth factor receptor epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). ER+ breast cancer is the most common breast cancer diagnosis, and these tumors are defined as being initially dependent on activation of the receptor for growth. Based on this, targeted endocrine therapies (ETs) have …
My Role As An Administrator In Supporting The Implementation Of Mtss (Multi-Tiered Systems Of Supports) Tier 3 Students: A Self-Study In A Public School System, Terrycita Delight Perry
My Role As An Administrator In Supporting The Implementation Of Mtss (Multi-Tiered Systems Of Supports) Tier 3 Students: A Self-Study In A Public School System, Terrycita Delight Perry
Dissertations
For approximately three years, the Chicago Public School (CPS) district has been undergoing a process of creating protocols, structures, and tools that will assist schools with the implementation of multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS). An on-going area of development for the district as well as for my school is developing teachers' abilities to support all students in the leveled tiers, particularly Tier 3. The purpose of this self-study is to understand, document, and analyze my actions (as the principal) while implementing MTSS Tier 3 (K-3) supports at my school. A self-study is a form of research educators use to understand …
The Effectiveness Of An Ambulatory Care Health System Redesign On Patient Engagement, Healthcare Utilization, And Clinical Indicators, Nancy Johansen Madsen
The Effectiveness Of An Ambulatory Care Health System Redesign On Patient Engagement, Healthcare Utilization, And Clinical Indicators, Nancy Johansen Madsen
Dissertations
Diabetes is a lifelong debilitating and deadly chronic disease affecting nearly one out of every eleven Americans. This public health problem costs $245 billion annually in the United States. Long term research trials have shown that diabetes complications can be prevented with good glycemic control, but it is difficult for patients to maintain control without much support from their healthcare team. U.S. healthcare remains fragmented. With the passage of the Affordable Care Act, there are opportunities to redesign health care delivery to minimize fragmentation and improve patient outcomes. The aim of this study is to determine if a redesigned care …
Exhibiting Sovereignty: Tribal Museums In The Great Lakes Region, 1969-2010, Meagan Mcchesney
Exhibiting Sovereignty: Tribal Museums In The Great Lakes Region, 1969-2010, Meagan Mcchesney
Dissertations
This dissertation argues that the foundation and development of tribal museums in the Great Lakes region is a form of activism -- a deliberate action performed for the purpose of inciting positive political, social, cultural, and/or economic change -- and that the functions of tribal museums enable Native activism to continue and evolve to reflect and address new historical understandings and contemporary circumstances. I argue that in the Great Lakes region, Native activism continued beyond the highly publicized movement of the 1960s and 70s, and manifested in ways suited to address regionally and tribally-based needs. Control over interpretations of the …
Behavioral Symptom Clusters, Inflammation, And Quality Of Life In Chronic Low Back Pain Patients, Anitha Saravanan
Behavioral Symptom Clusters, Inflammation, And Quality Of Life In Chronic Low Back Pain Patients, Anitha Saravanan
Dissertations
Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a prevalent condition, often involving an inflammatory process. Those with CLBP frequently experience behavioral symptoms, including depressed mood, fatigue, and sleep disturbance, which may exacerbate pain and reduce quality of life (QOL). The purpose of this study was to identify behavioral symptom clusters (depressive mood, fatigue, poor sleep) in individuals with CLBP, and to determine whether there are differences in pain, QOL and inflammation (plasma IL-6) based on cluster membership. CLBP patients (N=69; age = 56±13 years) completed measures of pain, depressive mood, fatigue, sleep, and QOL. Blood was obtained for IL-6 measurement. LCA …
Addressing The School-To-Prison Pipeline Through Critical Self Reflection: A Self-Study Of Courageous And Transformative Leadership, Ernest D. Williams
Addressing The School-To-Prison Pipeline Through Critical Self Reflection: A Self-Study Of Courageous And Transformative Leadership, Ernest D. Williams
Dissertations
Research reveals that zero-tolerance policies lead to school suspensions of a disproportionate number of African American students in urban areas (Center for Civil [CCRR], 2015). Suspensions increase student failure rates and dropout likelihood and reduce the ability to graduate on time (Skiba, Arrendondo, & Williams, 2014). Studies have also shown that African American students are suspended three times more than their White American peers and two times more than their Latino American peers (CCRR, 2015). This has impelled federal and local government agencies, community organizations, and educators to question the effectiveness of punitive discipline policies that have marginalized black and …
Assessing The Temporal Dynamics Of The Lower Urinary Tract Microbiota And The Effects Of Lifestyle, Travis Kyle Price
Assessing The Temporal Dynamics Of The Lower Urinary Tract Microbiota And The Effects Of Lifestyle, Travis Kyle Price
Dissertations
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common bacterial infections in humans, accounting for $3.5 billion in health care expenditures yearly in the United States alone. Yet, treatments for UTI have seen little innovation over the past decade. As demonstrated in other body sites, such as the vagina and gastrointestinal (GI) tract, acute and infectious diseases often have indirect microbial contributions which serve as intriguing new targets for therapies. The recent discovery of the existence of a resident community of bacteria (i.e., microbiota) in the bladders of both women and men, represents a novel avenue for targeting UTIs. However, …
Feminism And School Leadership: A Qualitative Study Utilizing Effective Women Principals' Self-Perceptions To Determine What Makes Them Successful, Christina Maria Sylvester
Feminism And School Leadership: A Qualitative Study Utilizing Effective Women Principals' Self-Perceptions To Determine What Makes Them Successful, Christina Maria Sylvester
Dissertations
Women are underrepresented in a variety of fields, including educational leadership. Upon assuming leadership roles, women often struggle to effectively lead due to a pervasive context of sexism and genderism in the workplace. Schools are not immune to this phenomenon. Since women comprise approximately 50% of the population, it seems logical that they should assume a comparable percentage of leadership roles in education, but this is not the case. Beyond parity, it is important that there are not only more women leaders in educational administration but also that those women in leadership roles are supported within a context that enables …
Generating Biologic And Genetic Research Tools To Investigate Serotype I Feline Coronaviruses, Robert Christian Mettelman
Generating Biologic And Genetic Research Tools To Investigate Serotype I Feline Coronaviruses, Robert Christian Mettelman
Dissertations
Serotype I feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV) is an alphacoronavirus of high veterinary importance due to the 99% mortality rate observed in cats. Since the 1980s, robust experimentation on these viruses has been limited by availability of culturable pathogenic strains, few permissive cell lines, and a lack of standardized methods to study their basic virology. These complications have resulted in variable and conflicting literature reports, have slowed study of clinical strains and hindered effective vaccine design. The goal of this dissertation was to develop a laboratory "toolbox" containing standardized methods, permissive cell lines and genetic techniques to alleviate some of …