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All ETDs from UAB

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2015

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Robust Discrete Choice Models For Pedestrian-Vehicle Interactions At Unsignalized Locations, Shrikanth Mamidipalli Jan 2015

Robust Discrete Choice Models For Pedestrian-Vehicle Interactions At Unsignalized Locations, Shrikanth Mamidipalli

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There has been a growing emphasis on improving multimodal serviceability of transportation systems. The integration of pedestrian behavior in mainstream traffic models, hence, is gaining traction. Advances in modeling pedestrian-vehicle interactions can aid in better understanding and development of control strategies for pedestrian safety. In support of such efforts, this study delivers an improved understanding of pedestrian and driver behavior at crossing locations through the development of discrete gap choice models to model the interaction between pedestrian and drivers at unsignalized crossing locations. First a comprehensive literature review was performed and latest advances in modeling pedestrian-vehicle interaction at various types …


The Influence Of Personal, Interpersonal, And Community Factors On The Parenting Self-Efficacy Of First-Time Mothers, Tamika L. Smith Jan 2015

The Influence Of Personal, Interpersonal, And Community Factors On The Parenting Self-Efficacy Of First-Time Mothers, Tamika L. Smith

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The Social Ecological Model (SEM) allows for examining human behavior and the factors that influence behavior change in totality. In addition, the model offers guidance in identifying the factors that may lead to a change in or explanation of behavior. This study utilizes SEM to identify factors at the personal, interpersonal, and community level in order to determine the relationship between specific ecological factors and parenting self-efficacy. Furthermore, the study examines the predictive quality of the ecological factors on parenting self-efficacy. Data collected from the Parenting for the First-time Project (PFT) was used. PFT is a multi-site longitudinal study of …


Three-Dimensional Soft Tissue Analysis Of Facial Morphology Of A Colombian Population Compared To Adult Caucasians, Sonia Bravo-Hammett Jan 2015

Three-Dimensional Soft Tissue Analysis Of Facial Morphology Of A Colombian Population Compared To Adult Caucasians, Sonia Bravo-Hammett

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Aim: The purpose of this study is to describe the facial morphology of a Colombian population with three-dimensional imaging; and comparing their facial morphology with the Caucasian to create a database for this ethnicity. Materials and Methods: The study included 170 subjects selected from the Valle University in Cali-Colombia; and 1346 Caucasian subjects selected from the Face-Base Data funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. All images were taken on Natural Head Position and captured using a stereo-photogrammetric camera system (3dMDfaceTM); to obtain a three dimensional image of each patient. The subjects were between 19 to 31 …


The Role Of Ribosome Biogenesis In Exercise-Induced Skeletal Muscle Anabolism In Aging, Michael Stec Jan 2015

The Role Of Ribosome Biogenesis In Exercise-Induced Skeletal Muscle Anabolism In Aging, Michael Stec

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Numerous chronic medical conditions, as well as normal aging result in a significant loss of skeletal muscle mass. This has profound effects on quality of life and can increase the risk of all-cause mortality. Currently, the most potent treatment for reversing the loss of muscle mass is resistance exercise training (RT); however, the human muscle fiber growth (hypertrophy) response to this treatment is quite variable, and older adults do not respond as favorably to this treatment as younger adults. The focus of this dissertation is to elucidate the role that ribosome biogenesis plays in regulating the RT-induced hypertrophic response. We …


The Effect Of Bone-Implant Contact And Elastic Modulus In The Biomechanical Stability Of Temporary Anchorage Devices, Ghada Nimeri Jan 2015

The Effect Of Bone-Implant Contact And Elastic Modulus In The Biomechanical Stability Of Temporary Anchorage Devices, Ghada Nimeri

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ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to analyze the microstrains of compact and trabecular bone caused by loading of different miniscrews at different healing times, and to compare these results to the limits of bone stability maintenance based on the Frost Mechanostat Theory. Materials and Methods: Theoretical calculations of microstrains of bone surrounding 10 different miniscrews were done. These miniscrews were considered under loading forces of 500 gm., and the microstains of both trabecular and compact bone were calculated separately when the thickness of the compact bone was at 1mm or 2mm. The microstrains were calculated at 4 different …


Bond Of Dual Cure Resin Cements To Enamel And Dentin In Self Cure Mode, Rashmi Radhakrishnan Jan 2015

Bond Of Dual Cure Resin Cements To Enamel And Dentin In Self Cure Mode, Rashmi Radhakrishnan

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Dual cured resin cements are frequently used to cement all ceramic restorations. The increased thickness and /or opacity of restorations block light transmission. In these situations, where little or no light can be transmitted through the restorations, the polymerization of the cement is in the self-cure mode. Purpose: This study measures the bond strength and mode of failure of dual cure resin cements to enamel and dentin in a self-cure mode using e.max rods. Methods: 160 extracted human molars were ground to mid-coronal dentin (N=80) or superficial enamel (N=80) and finished to 320 grit disks. Four adhesive/cement combinations - Multilink …


Spectroscopic Characterization Of Iron-Doped Ii-Vi Compounds For Laser Applications, Alan David Martinez Jan 2015

Spectroscopic Characterization Of Iron-Doped Ii-Vi Compounds For Laser Applications, Alan David Martinez

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The middle Infrared (mid-IR) region of the electromagnetic spectrum between 2 and 15 μm has many features which are of interest to a variety of fields such as molecular spectroscopy, biomedical applications, industrial process control, oil prospecting, free-space communication and defense-related applications. Because of this, there is a demand for broadly tunable, laser sources operating over this spectral region which can be easily and inexpensively produced. II-VI semiconductor materials doped with transition metals (TM) such as Co2+, Cr2+, or Fe2+ exhibit highly favorable spectroscopic characteristics for mid-IR laser applications. Among these TM dopants, Fe2+ has absorption and emission which extend …


Malware Detection Through Disassembled Function Analysis, Ralph Frank Mcsweeney Iv Jan 2015

Malware Detection Through Disassembled Function Analysis, Ralph Frank Mcsweeney Iv

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Antivirus software vendors have been forced into an industry of reaction because an abundance of new malware is discovered daily. The antivirus industry, handicapped by a low ratio of malware analysts to malware and antiquated techniques, floods the market with products with regrettably low detection rates, often only marginally outperforming competitors. This thesis presents a new function-edge-based set detection and identification method which significantly outperforms traditional antivirus techniques. The technique used reduces a malware binary to its fundamental assembly code and performs functional analysis using a newly created function hashing technique. Function hash edges are created by combining calling and …


The Role Of C-Reactive Protein In Acute Kidney Injury, Melissa A. Pegues Jan 2015

The Role Of C-Reactive Protein In Acute Kidney Injury, Melissa A. Pegues

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Acute kidney injury (AKI), which manifests as an abrupt decline in renal function, occurs in ~1% of all hospitalization. Ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI), a common cause of AKI, can occur in any situation where blood flow to the kidney is significantly reduced such as hypertensive crisis, cardiovascular surgery, and inevitably during renal transplantation. Mortality from AKI is up to 80% due to incomplete knowledge of the pathogenesis of IRI and the lack of an effective therapy. It is thought that cellular damage as a result of hypoxia signals the release of proinflammatory cytokines that lead to a systemic inflammatory response. …


Regulation Of The Regulatory T Cell-Immunoglobulin A Pathway, Katie Lynn Alexander Jan 2015

Regulation Of The Regulatory T Cell-Immunoglobulin A Pathway, Katie Lynn Alexander

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A dysregulated immune response to the microbiota is a defined characteristic of Crohn's Disease (CD), a type of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Understanding how homeo-stasis is maintained in the intestine despite the immense concentration of bacteria present is an active area of research. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play an important role in mucosal tolerance by controlling inflammation and modulating immune responses initiated by T effector cells (Teffs). Tregs also provide vital survival factors to IgA+ B cells in the intes-tine in order to support Immunoglobulin A (IgA) responses as part of a protective Treg-IgA pathway, which functions to maintain mutualism …


Hospital Community Orientation: Predictors And Performance Outcomes, J'Aime Jennings Jan 2015

Hospital Community Orientation: Predictors And Performance Outcomes, J'Aime Jennings

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The three publishable manuscripts contained within this dissertation examine the predictors and performance outcomes of hospital community orientation. Community orientation is the customization of hospital services to meet identified community health needs. Together, these papers fill gaps in the literature regarding the factors that assist or hinder hospitals from being community-oriented, as well as the effects of community orientation. The first paper uses longitudinal data to examine the organizational and environmental factors that may influence how engaged hospitals are in a community orientation strategy based on the number of activities performed. The remaining papers consider the performance outcomes of community …


Prevalence And Determinants Of High Risk Human Papillomavirus (Hpv) Among Wives Of Migrant Workers - A Study In Far - West Nepal, Derek Johnson Jan 2015

Prevalence And Determinants Of High Risk Human Papillomavirus (Hpv) Among Wives Of Migrant Workers - A Study In Far - West Nepal, Derek Johnson

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This dissertation research focuses on the risk factors associated with high-risk HPV infection (HR-HPV) and abnormal cervical cytology in Nepali women residing in Nepal’s Far-West district of Achham. The first part of this dissertation assesses the HR-HPV test concordance of self-collected vs. clinician-collected cervico-vaginal specimens. Of 261 women with both clinician- and self-collected cervical samples, 25 tested positive for HR-HPV, resulting in an overall HR-HPV prevalence of 9.6% (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 6.3 – 13.8). The overall Kappa value for clinician- and self-collected tests was 0.64 (95% CI: 0.48 – 0.84), indicating a “good” level of agreement. The second part …


Changes In The Frontal Soft Tissue Of The Lower Face By Age And Sex, Maggie Law Jan 2015

Changes In The Frontal Soft Tissue Of The Lower Face By Age And Sex, Maggie Law

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The purpose of this study is to determine age-related changes of the lower face by age and by gender. The secondary purpose of this study is to stress the importance of the clin-ical exam for orthodontic patients in the frontal view, the way most patients perceive themselves. Also, individualized treatment planning with age-appropriate incisor display is crucial for esthetic outcomes. Materials and Methods: Specific dimensions of the lower face were measured at patients initial clinical exam before starting orthodontic treatment. All patients were from Dr. David Sarver's private practice in Vestavia Hills, AL collected from 1/1/2002-11/4/2014. The following parameters were …


Robust Production Of Mature Ribosomal Rna Is Directly Influenced By Multiple Steps Within The Transcription Cycle, Krysta Engel Jan 2015

Robust Production Of Mature Ribosomal Rna Is Directly Influenced By Multiple Steps Within The Transcription Cycle, Krysta Engel

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Cellular growth depends on the capacity for protein synthesis, and likewise ribosome biogenesis. Therefore, robust rRNA synthesis by RNA Polymerase I (Pol I) is a critical component of cell growth. The work reported in this dissertation highlights the contribution of polymerase domains and trans-acting proteins during rRNA synthesis and ribosome biogenesis. Eukaryotes utilize three homologous nuclear RNA polymerases (RNAPs) to express their genomes. The trigger loop (TL) is a well conserved region within the active site of multi-subunit RNAPs that plays a direct role during the nucleotide addition cycle. Analysis of Pol II TL mutants has suggested that catalysis is …


Elliptic Equations And Systems With Nonlinear Boundary Conditions, Alzaki Mm Fadlallah Jan 2015

Elliptic Equations And Systems With Nonlinear Boundary Conditions, Alzaki Mm Fadlallah

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This dissertation presents some results on the solvability of second order elliptic equations with nonlinear boundary conditions at resonance, in which the nonlinear boundary conditions perturbation is not necessarily required to satisfy Landesman- Lazer conditions or the monotonicity assumption. The nonlinearity may be unbounded. The nonlinearity interacts in some sense with the Steklov spectrum. The proofs are based on a priori estimates for possible solutions to a homotopy on suitable trace spaces and topological degree arguments. We will also study solvability of nonlinear second-order elliptic systems of partial differential equations with nonlinear boundary conditions. We study the generalized Steklov-Robin eigensystem …


The Mechanism Of Small Molecule Viral Fusion Inhibitors, Michael Joseph Rowse Jan 2015

The Mechanism Of Small Molecule Viral Fusion Inhibitors, Michael Joseph Rowse

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All negative stranded RNA viruses (NSRV) have genomes encapsidated by oligomerized nucleoprotein (N). The N-RNA complex acts as the template for both transcription and replication. The crystal structure of the N protein from the model NSRV vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) established the structural basis for the oligomerization of N-protein and the encapsidation of RNA. To determine how the structure of N protein changes in response to specific sequences of RNA, we developed a strategy to digest the random RNA encapsidated in the recombinant N-protein and reencapsidated specific RNA sequences. Poly-rA, poly-rC, poly-rU, and poly-rG sequences were encapsidated and co-crystallized with …


Practical Extensions Of The Continual Reassessment Method, Amber Salter Jan 2015

Practical Extensions Of The Continual Reassessment Method, Amber Salter

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This dissertation considers the presence of patient heterogeneity in dose finding studies using the likelihood-based time to event continual reassessment method (TITE-CRM). First, assuming group membership is known and the groups share some information regarding their maximum tolerated dose (MTD), we extend the two-group two-parameter CRM to the TITE-CRM. We examine the performance of the two-group two-parameter TITE-CRM for various scenarios where the true MTD for each group is different. We also consider the situation where the groups are truly homogeneous but a heterogeneous model is employed. Our simulations show that the method has some loss in accuracy compared to …


Retention Of Cad/Cam Crowns Luted With Resin Cements And Rmgi, Shruti Sushilkumar Sonavane Jan 2015

Retention Of Cad/Cam Crowns Luted With Resin Cements And Rmgi, Shruti Sushilkumar Sonavane

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Objectives: To measure retention of lithium disilicate (IPS e.max CAD, Ivoclar Viva-dent) and zirconia reinforced lithium disilicate (CELTRATM DUO, Dentsply) copings luted using resin cements and resin-modified glass ionomer cement. Methods: 110 Extracted human, non-carious mandibular 2nd premolars (n=10) were embedded in PVC cylinders with acrylic resin and placed into a lathe to produce a uni-form crown preparation (22°-convergence & 3mm-height). Following the orientation groove placement (69L bur), preparations were scanned and milled using a CEREC 3D/Sirona machine to produce e.max and CELTRATM DUO crowns. Preparations were imaged with a digital microscope (Keyence/VHX-600-20X) and the surface area of each crown …


Closing The University/School Divide: A Grounded Theory Approach To Preparation Of Early Childhood/Elementary Education Teacher Candidates, Jennifer L. Summerlin Jan 2015

Closing The University/School Divide: A Grounded Theory Approach To Preparation Of Early Childhood/Elementary Education Teacher Candidates, Jennifer L. Summerlin

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The purpose of this grounded theory study was to explore the most significant experiences in preparation for becoming early childhood/elementary educators, as perceived by teacher candidates and recent graduates of one southeastern university, school of education. This research study, conducted from a constructivist theoretical lens, and using a grounded theory methodology, sought to answer three research questions. First, what are the significant experiences, as perceived by recent graduates, from one southeastern school of education, in preparation for the multifaceted role of today's early childhood/elementary generalist? Secondly, what are the most significant experiences, as perceived by current teacher candidates involved in …


Difference In Recommended-To-Actual Nurse Staffing And Patient Falls, Shawn Ulreich Jan 2015

Difference In Recommended-To-Actual Nurse Staffing And Patient Falls, Shawn Ulreich

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Patient falls are a serious safety concern in hospitals. Injuries from falls can be devastating to patients and are now subject to reimbursement penalties from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Patient falls have been identified by the American Nurses Association as a nursing sensitive indictor suggesting that improvements in the quality or quantity of nurses may impact this outcome. Moreover, the literature suggests that nurse staffing levels have an impact on various patient outcomes such as patient falls. Therefore, identifying appropriate nurse staffing levels to minimize patient falls is critically important to hospitals. A variety of staffing metrics …


Individual, Family, And Social Factors Associated With Adolescent Obesity: A Policy Relevant Focus, Janice Marguerite Utley Jan 2015

Individual, Family, And Social Factors Associated With Adolescent Obesity: A Policy Relevant Focus, Janice Marguerite Utley

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INDIVIDUAL, FAMILY, AND SOCIAL FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH ADOLESCENT OBESITY: A POLICY RELEVANT FOCUS JANICE M. UTLEY PUBLIC HEALTH ABSTRACT This dissertation is comprised of three papers that examined individual, family, and social factors associated with adolescent overweight and obesity with the aim of generating data that could inform the design of policy interventions to prevent or reverse rising prevalence. The first investigation was a type of literature review called a scoping study that examined the extent, range, and type of research activity on adolescent obesity that used a multilevel or hierarchical design to look at two or more contextual areas …


Examining Punishment Severity: The Effect Of State Sanctioning On Dui Arrest Rates, Kimberly Williams Jan 2015

Examining Punishment Severity: The Effect Of State Sanctioning On Dui Arrest Rates, Kimberly Williams

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The purpose of this paper is to examine the state differences in arrest rates according to risk preference, and policy and sanction severity. The effects of policy and sanction severity on drinking and driving have been an increasing topic of discussion and study in both the political and scholarly world since the 1980s. This paper seeks to address the differences in state-level policies and sanctions concerning DUIs, focusing on the impact of punishment severity on DUI arrest rates. Results show that being located in the Western region of the United States has a significant positive effect on DUI arrest rates. …


Transforming Complexity Into Order: A Grounded Theory Of An Agile Methodology Applied To Complex Problem Domains, R Steven Wingo Jan 2015

Transforming Complexity Into Order: A Grounded Theory Of An Agile Methodology Applied To Complex Problem Domains, R Steven Wingo

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This dissertation is focused on the phenomenon of implementing abstractions from complex problem domains in concrete software systems. The question of this inquiry is to determine how an agile software development process, in particular Extreme Programming, supports the development of large software systems as solutions for complex problem domains. This study used the Grounded Theory Methodology to identify and explain the qualities of software development using the Extreme Programming methodology and to construct a theory grounded in data collected from interviews of experienced practitioners of Extreme Programming, from observations of Extreme Programming in practice, and from a review literature related …


The Jak/Stat Pathway In Neuroinflammatory Diseases, Yudong Liu Jan 2015

The Jak/Stat Pathway In Neuroinflammatory Diseases, Yudong Liu

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Dysregulation of the Janus Kinase/Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (JAK/STAT) pathway is critically involved in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS)/experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Suppressor Of Cytokine Signaling (SOCS) proteins are the negative regulators of the JAK/STAT pathway. To determine the role of SOCS3 in myeloid cells in EAE, mice with conditional SOCS3 deletion in myeloid cells (LysMCre-SOCS3fl/fl) were created and tested. LysMCre-SOCS3fl/fl mice develop a severe, non-resolving atypical form of disease, characterized by lesions and extensive neutrophil and other inflammatory cell infiltrates in the cerebellum and brainstem, elevated STAT activation, elevated cytokine, chemokine and iNOS expression, and prominent …


A Low-Power Analog-Signal-Processing-Unit For Wirelessly-Powered Implantable Recording System, Qingyun Ma Jan 2015

A Low-Power Analog-Signal-Processing-Unit For Wirelessly-Powered Implantable Recording System, Qingyun Ma

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Bio-electric signals convey information and phenomenon of the physiological activities of organisms, such as gene, protein sequences, neural, and cardiac rhythms. Various types of bio-electrical signals are extensively used for diagnostics as well as therapeutic interventions. Bio-electrical signals are low-amplitude, low-frequency and numerous unique properties (spiking, small oscillation, local field potential interference). The original signal's amplitude is so small that directly lower the output resolution of the analog to digital converter (ADC). Furthermore, the detected signals are corrupted with, local field potential, white noise, system noise, and other interference, so the relevant information could be easily missed during the digitization. …


Some Contributions To Bayesian Regularization Methods With Applications To Genetics And Clinical Trials, Himel Mallick Jan 2015

Some Contributions To Bayesian Regularization Methods With Applications To Genetics And Clinical Trials, Himel Mallick

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Variable selection refers to the class of problems where one tries to find an optimal subset of relevant variables, which can be used to accurately predict the outcome of a certain response variable. Typically, a large number of variables are often collected; however, all but a few important variables are relevant for the prediction of the outcome, so the underlying representation is sparse. To this end, variable selection is fundamental in high-dimensional data analysis, playing a crucial role in important scientific discovery and decision-making, and has received enormous attention in the literature. Regularization method is one attractive approach that has …


The Accuracy Of A Clinician's Assessment Of Insertion Torque At Implant Placement, Britany Fabian Matin Jan 2015

The Accuracy Of A Clinician's Assessment Of Insertion Torque At Implant Placement, Britany Fabian Matin

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Background: Primary implant stability contributes to the success of dental implant placement and affects long-term function. Factors that contribute to the primary stability and osseointegration of a dental implant include the quality and quantity of bone present at the site of placement as well as the shape and surface treatment of the implants. There are numerous methods that assist the clinician in determining implant stability during placement and to confirm osseointegration after a period of healing. Their reliability to predict implant success, however, has not been proven. Torque measurements acquired during implant placement have been used as a method for …


A New Form Of Rod Photoreceptor Light Adaptation, Alex S. Mckeown Jan 2015

A New Form Of Rod Photoreceptor Light Adaptation, Alex S. Mckeown

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In the first step in light perception, rod and cone photoreceptors convert photon absorption into an electrical impulse that is transmitted through the visual pathway. While the biochemistry and the signaling physiology have largely been defined in dark-adapted, isolated mammalian rods, there are still unanswered questions regarding photoreceptor light adaptation processes that involve extracellular components. In particular, the proteins of the interphotoreceptor matrix have not been considered in the studies of rod signaling and adaptation. This thesis details a new form of light adaptation, now known as adaptive potentiation (AP), in which extracellular components act on rods to transiently increase …


Structural Implications Of P22 Bacteriophage Coat Protein A-Domain Modifications, David Samuel Morris Jan 2015

Structural Implications Of P22 Bacteriophage Coat Protein A-Domain Modifications, David Samuel Morris

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Modification of virus capsids as target-specific delivery devices has become highly popularized in recent years and P22 bacteriophage has been proposed as a potential candidate for development of a targeting drug delivery system. As a proof of concept for our system, we hypothesized that the A-domain of P22 coat protein could be utilized to alter the binding affinity of virus-like procapsids for biological targets. Addition of acidic residues to the A-domain revealed that this could be accomplished through the quarternary localization of charged residues in three-dimensional space without interrogating procapsid assembly. Further manipulations implemented in vivo were performed to examine …


The Interrelationships Among Obesity, Insulin Sensitivity, And Bone Phenotype In Pre-Pubertal Girls, Anna L. Newton Jan 2015

The Interrelationships Among Obesity, Insulin Sensitivity, And Bone Phenotype In Pre-Pubertal Girls, Anna L. Newton

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Impaired insulin sensitivity as a consequence of childhood obesity has been implicated as a contributor to skeletal fragility. There is a need to understand the interrelationships among insulin sensitivity and skeletal parameters (i.e. cortical, trabecular, marrow) in obesity during the pubertal transition. Further, calorie restricted weight loss to stabilize these relationships warrants investigation as well. The goal of this project was to examine the relationships among body composition, skeletal parameters, and insulin sensitivity. The first aim was to evaluate the relationships among total body fat, bone mineral content (BMC) and femoral bone marrow adipose tissue (BMAT) during childhood and underlying …