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Hell Raisers And Holy Rollers, John Christopher Mahan Jan 2007

Hell Raisers And Holy Rollers, John Christopher Mahan

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Hell Raisers and Holy Rollers seeks to explore and express, through poetry and prose, the religious tension I experienced growing up due to the influence of a morally diverse family. While my mother’s family was extremely religious, my father’s relatives were notorious for their brash and often criminal behavior. This dichotomy led to my own spiritual crisis as I struggled to find balance between my strong religious upbringing and my fascination with the “outlaw image” of my father’s family and their non-serviam approach to life. In many ways, the works attempt to capture this internal struggle and the tensions that …

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Stem Cell Markers In The Posterior Limbus And Cornea, Sara L. Mcgowan Jan 2007

Stem Cell Markers In The Posterior Limbus And Cornea, Sara L. Mcgowan

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The corneal endothelium is a layer of cells in the cornea that is responsible for maintaining the clear state of the cornea. Corneal endothelial cells may be induced to divide, but do not regularly divide in the normal cornea of a human beyond the age of twenty. Some studies have suggested that a stem cell population may reside in the pe-ripheral corneal endothelium or in the posterior limbus. Important molecular markers of stem cells are nestin which is expressed in neural crest stem cells; alkaline phosphatase is active in stem cells and not in differentiated cells; telomerase is a marker …

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The Effect Of Cementation Technique On The Retention Of Adhesively Cemented Prefabricated Posts, Carlos A Polo Montes Jan 2007

The Effect Of Cementation Technique On The Retention Of Adhesively Cemented Prefabricated Posts, Carlos A Polo Montes

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Adhesively cemented prefabricated posts are frequently employed for the restora-tion of endodontically treated teeth. Bonding agents may improve the post and core per-formance. Correct dentin bonding procedures are a critical factor in the bonded post re-tention, but adequate bonding in the canal space has been reported difficult to achieve. The operator is unable to visualize the depth of conditioner gel penetration into the canal, and its removal cannot be easily confirmed. Additional potential problems include excess water removal after rinsing the canal, inadequate primer coverage and/or removal, and poor curing methods for the resin luting agent. A technique to avoid …

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Understanding Space: The Conceptualization And Evaluation Of Display In Dia:Beacon, Krista Chandler Pitman Jan 2007

Understanding Space: The Conceptualization And Evaluation Of Display In Dia:Beacon, Krista Chandler Pitman

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In May 2003, the Dia:Beacon art museum opened its expansive doors to the public. Viewers were introduced not only to the Dia Art Foundation’s collection of major works from the 1960s to the present but also to a very different type of museum facility. With the help of a multi-million dollar face lift, this once industrial Nabisco factory became an ideal space for art installations. The galleries of Dia:Beacon were specifically designed to accommodate the Foundation’s large-scale collection. In this thesis, I discuss Dia:Beacon’s achievement in museum design and its use of display space by analyzing comparable museums and their …

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Outcomes Of Massage Interventions On Teen Mothers And Their Infants, Krista Lee Oswalt Jan 2007

Outcomes Of Massage Interventions On Teen Mothers And Their Infants, Krista Lee Oswalt

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The current study aims to determine whether teen mothers and their infants benefit from infant massage. A great deal of information related to the benefits of infant massage for premature infants is available in the literature, however, only a few studies have focused on infants of teen mothers. Because a number of risks have been associated with teen pregnancy, this population is a sensible choice for intervention. This study looks at the effects of infant massage on teen mothers and their infants, particularly in the areas of parental stress, depression, maternal confidence, and feelings about physical contact.

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Outcome Assessment On Skeletal Stability After Rigid External Distraction Osteogenesis In Cleft Lip And Palate Patients, Julio Enrique Tabarini Jan 2007

Outcome Assessment On Skeletal Stability After Rigid External Distraction Osteogenesis In Cleft Lip And Palate Patients, Julio Enrique Tabarini

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Purpose: Distraction osteogenesis (DO) using an external distraction device in the correction of maxillary hypoplasia (MH) in cleft lip and palate patients has been shown to be an effective and stable technique. The purpose of this study is to determine the outcome of skeletal stability for this procedure using the Rigid External Distraction (RED) System in patients with cleft lip and palate (CLP). Materials and methods: Twenty CLP patients with moderate to severe maxillary hypoplasia were treated between June 2000 and June 2006. Their average age at the time of the surgery was 12.6 years. DO was started after a …

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The Lost Cause?: The Current State Of The Southern Culture Of Honor And Violence, Luke Aaron Williamson Jan 2007

The Lost Cause?: The Current State Of The Southern Culture Of Honor And Violence, Luke Aaron Williamson

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This paper re-considers the Southern Culture of Honor and Violence thesis that has enjoyed prevalence in the literature since the first half of the 20th century. The bulk of researchers previously investigating the link among Southernness, culture of honor, and violence have used attitudinal measures of violence, where survey respondents indicated only their preferences and opinions toward engaging in hypothesized violence. The research in this project employs a behavioral measure of violence, and improves upon prior research by measuring actual violent behaviors of respondents with a national survey of defensive gun use (DGU). Results indicate that Southern respondents show an …

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Examination Of Novel Statistical Designs For Phase Ii And Phase Iii Clinical Trials, Ayanbola Olajumoke Ayanlowo Jan 2007

Examination Of Novel Statistical Designs For Phase Ii And Phase Iii Clinical Trials, Ayanbola Olajumoke Ayanlowo

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Clinical trials to determine the usefulness of a new treatment are usually conducted in four (4) phases. Each phase is designed to answer a distinct research question about the usefulness of the new treatment. Phase I trials determine the safe dose range of the new treatment identify the possible side effects and other treatment associated toxicity issues, in a small group of healthy people. In phase II trials, the efficacy and safety of the new treatment is investigated in a larger group of individuals usually from the diseased population of interest. Phase III trials, conducted in large groups of people, …

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Vitamin D Receptor Deficiency And Postnatal Tooth Formation, Xueming Zhang Jan 2007

Vitamin D Receptor Deficiency And Postnatal Tooth Formation, Xueming Zhang

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The reduction of caries is one of the major objectives of Healthy People 2010 (USDHHS, 2000). For individuals at risk for caries, early identification and interception before the occurrence of the disease are crucial to preventing the cariogenesis. However, host genetic variants that compromise the mineralization of dental enamel and dentin are unclear. The vdr mutation has been reported to be associated with bone loss. Therefore, it is likely that vitamin D resistance may affect dental enamel and dentin formation. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of VDR deficiency on postnatal tooth formation in a vdr …

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Predictors Of Indoor Dust Mite And Cockroach Levels, J Mark Brooks Jan 2007

Predictors Of Indoor Dust Mite And Cockroach Levels, J Mark Brooks

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Exposures to dust mite and cockroach indoor allergens are important environmental risk factors in allergic sensitization and the development and exacerbation of asthma. To determine the relationship of indoor allergen levels and residence characteristics, dust samples were collected from indoor surfaces in residences in the Birmingham, Alabama area. The dust samples were analyzed for specific dust mite (Der p 1 and Der f 1) and cockroach (Bla g 1) antigens, the results of which were used to represent the level of indoor allergen present in each residence. The presence, and in some cases the degree, of potential allergen-predicting characteristics of …

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The Impact Of A Community Health Advisor-Based Intervention On Self-Reported Frequency Of Dental Visits In A Rural, Low-Income African American Alabama Community, Stephen J. Clarke Jan 2007

The Impact Of A Community Health Advisor-Based Intervention On Self-Reported Frequency Of Dental Visits In A Rural, Low-Income African American Alabama Community, Stephen J. Clarke

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Oral health disparities are wide and increasing for rural Southern African- Americans. This project trained 13 experienced Community Health Advisors (CHAs) from Uniontown, Alabama, in the basics of oral health, including regular dental visits, and assigned them to spread this information among their fellow community members. We tested whether a 1-year CHA-based oral health education intervention was associated with increased routine/preventive use of available dental services as measured by pre-post self-report, relative to a comparison community. We also hypothesized that any detected association between the intervention and use of dental services was mediated by attitudes toward dental visits. No direct …

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Characterization And Functional Analysis Of Usp14, Stephen Lewis Crimmins Jan 2007

Characterization And Functional Analysis Of Usp14, Stephen Lewis Crimmins

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The ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) is essential for regulated protein degrada-tion, a requirement for numerous neuronal process, including vesicle cycling, neuro-transmitter release, spine morphology, and synaptic plasticity. Better understanding of UPS function in neurons will increase our knowledge of neurological diseases caused by alterations in ubiquitin signaling. I utilized the ataxia (axJ) mice as a tool to study the UPS in the nervous system. The axJ mice have lowered expression of ubiquitin-specific protease 14 (Usp14) in all tissues; this decreased expression results from an intracisternal-A particle insertion into Usp14. The axJ mice are phenotypically indistinguishable from wild type littermates at …

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Coupling Selection Of The Hiv- 1 Trna Primer Used For Reverse Transcription With Viral Translation And Encapsidation, Uros V. Djekic Jan 2007

Coupling Selection Of The Hiv- 1 Trna Primer Used For Reverse Transcription With Viral Translation And Encapsidation, Uros V. Djekic

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HIV-1 belongs to the Retroviridae family. A hallmark of retroviral replication is the process of reverse transcription. Viral reverse transcriptase requires placement of a cellular tRNA primer onto the primer binding site (PBS) in order to initiate conversion of the viral RNA genome into a double stranded DNA copy. Mutation of the HIV-1 PBS forces the virus to utilize the non-cognate primer. Even though extensive studies have been done over the past 15 years, the mechanism of HIV-1 primer selection has yet to be completely elucidated. HIV-1 captures free tRNA during a yet undefined step in viral replication. However, our …

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Protease Dysregulation: Role In Neutrophilic Inflammation In Cystic Fibrosis, Amit Gaggar Jan 2007

Protease Dysregulation: Role In Neutrophilic Inflammation In Cystic Fibrosis, Amit Gaggar

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Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a lethal disorder characterized by abnormal epithelial ion transport; this disorder is characterized by an ongoing airway remodeling and neutrophilic inflammation. Much of the airway remodeling is due to activation of a group of enzymes known as proteases; human neutrophil elastase (HNE) is a prominent protease found in the CF airway. While specific cytokines/chemokines are well-known for their role in the inflammation seen in CF, it is unknown how the protease-rich environment in CF lung disease influences airway inflammation. Recently, our group has characterized a novel collagen-derived fragment, proline-glycine-proline (PGP), which causes neutrophil influx through mechanisms …

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Protein Interaction And Cell Surface Trafficking Differences Between Wild-Type And Δf508 Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator, Rebecca F. Goldstein Jan 2007

Protein Interaction And Cell Surface Trafficking Differences Between Wild-Type And Δf508 Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator, Rebecca F. Goldstein

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Cystic fibrosis (CF) is caused by mutation of one protein, the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), which normally functions as a chloride channel at the apical surface of epithelial cells. The most common CFTR mutation results in the deletion of a single amino acid (phenylalanine) at position 508, which causes the protein to fold improperly. The ΔF508 CFTR is a temperature-sensitive (TS) processing mutant: At the restrictive temperature, 37°C, ΔF508 CFTR misfolds in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and is degraded, but at the permissive temperature, 27°C, it is “rescued” from degradation (rΔF508). In particular, rΔF508 CFTR folds correctly enough …

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Interference With Hiv-1 Primer Selection By Sirna Directed To The Hiv-1 Primer Binding Site, Wenlong Han Jan 2007

Interference With Hiv-1 Primer Selection By Sirna Directed To The Hiv-1 Primer Binding Site, Wenlong Han

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The replication of Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is characterized by the process of reverse transcription, which converts the viral RNA genome into a DNA intermediate prior to integration into the host cell chromosome. The initiation of reverse transcription needs a cellular tRNA primer, which binds to a region in the viral RNA genome, designated as the primer binding site (PBS). The 18-nucleotide PBS region of HIV-1, which is complementary to the 3′ terminal 18 nucleotides of tRNALys,3, is absolutely conserved among all HIV-1. The highly conserved PBS is a very good target for HIV-1 therapy. My dissertation research …

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Regulation Of The Human Heme Oxygenase-1 Gene, Thomas D. Hock Jan 2007

Regulation Of The Human Heme Oxygenase-1 Gene, Thomas D. Hock

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The heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) gene encodes a microsomal enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of heme to carbon monoxide, Iron, and biliverdin. HO-1 transcription is induced upon a plethora of cellular stresses including heme, heavy metal exposure, hy-poxia, oxidative stress and many others. The goal of this work was to explore the molecu-lar regulation of HO-1 transcription. Four DNase 1 hypersensitive sites are detected within the HO-1 promoter extending from ~-40bp to ~-9.2kb relative to the transcription start site. Dimethylsulfate (DMS) in vivo footprinting is shown for two regulatory re-gions and reveals nine protected guanines in all. Mutational analyses indicates that …

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Quantitation Of Antiretrovirals In Alternative Matrices, Chantelle Bennetto Hood Jan 2007

Quantitation Of Antiretrovirals In Alternative Matrices, Chantelle Bennetto Hood

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The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pandemic is a growing concern, affecting almost 40 million people worldwide. Treatment for HIV infection consists of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) to block different steps in the viral lifecycle, ultimately reducing HIV RNA to undetectable levels in the plasma. However, HIV RNA can be detected in numerous reservoirs outside of the blood despite the use of HAART. Therefore, measurement of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs in other biological matrices is important to broaden our understanding of HIV transmission, the development of viral resistance with sub-optimal ARV exposure, and fetal and neonatal drug exposure. This work describes …

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Ethnic Differences In Markers Of Inflammation With Weight Loss, Tanya C. Hyatt Jan 2007

Ethnic Differences In Markers Of Inflammation With Weight Loss, Tanya C. Hyatt

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Chronic diseases such as type 2 Diabetes Mellitis (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are accompanied by chronic low-grade systemic inflammation and are related to obesity and ethnicity. For instance, African-Americans (AA) have increased risk for developing T2DM and are more likely to be overweight relative to Caucasians (C). However, C have more intra-abdominal adipose tissue (IAAT) and have higher risk for CVD than AA. The influence that ethnicity has on disease risk is obscured by ethnic differences in fat distribution and sensitivity to insulin. Ethnic differences in markers of inflammation (MOI) have not been investigated. It is also unclear if …

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The Educational And Psychological Experiences Of Children Orphaned By Aids In Western Kenya, Grace Jepkemboi Jan 2007

The Educational And Psychological Experiences Of Children Orphaned By Aids In Western Kenya, Grace Jepkemboi

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The purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions of teachers and caregivers concerning the psychological and educational experiences of children orphaned by AIDS in Western Kenya. On the basis of qualitative inquiry, the design of the study focused on phenomenology inquiry. Audio-taped interviews were used as the primary source to gather data for this study. The questions that guided the study were "What are the psychological characteristics of children orphaned by AIDS in Kenya?" "What are the educational experiences of children orphaned by AIDS?" and "What strategies do the teachers and caregivers at the orphanages use to help …

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Synthesis And Control Of Microstructure, Mechanical Properties, And Bioactivity In Biphasic And Preferentially Oriented Calcium Phosphate Bioceramics, Hyunbin Kim Jan 2007

Synthesis And Control Of Microstructure, Mechanical Properties, And Bioactivity In Biphasic And Preferentially Oriented Calcium Phosphate Bioceramics, Hyunbin Kim

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Calcium phosphate bioceramics are recognized as one of the most biocompatible materials and are widely used in systems for bone repair and regeneration. In this work, the pulsed laser deposition technique was chosen to produce calcium phosphate materials with different crystallographic texture and chemical composition for investigation of their structural, mechanical, as well as biological properties. Various calcium phosphate coatings were obtained on Ti6Al4V substrates using a KrF excimer laser (248 nm) with an energy density of 4−8 J/cm2 and substrate temperature of 625−730 °C. A method was developed that enables the deposition of highly textured hydroxyapatite by controlling the …

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On The Immunological Roles Of Tlt2 And Hsh2, R Glenn King Jan 2007

On The Immunological Roles Of Tlt2 And Hsh2, R Glenn King

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The evolution of multicellular organisms necessitated the ability to detect and remove harmful parasitic microorganisms from the host. This simple requirement for self non-self discrimination has evolved in vertebrates into an elaborate system consisting of a variety of effector mechanisms to perform this process. The immune system is often described as consisting of two distinct yet complimentary components, the innate and adaptive immune systems. It is now recognized that the immune system relies on the highly coordinated interplay between a variety of cell types which cooperate to maintain the health of the organism. The work outlined in this dissertation addresses …

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The Effect Of The Aml1-Eto Translocation On Cell Cycle Tumor Suppressor Gene Function, Rose Marie Ko Jan 2007

The Effect Of The Aml1-Eto Translocation On Cell Cycle Tumor Suppressor Gene Function, Rose Marie Ko

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The t(8;21)(q22;q22) AML1-ETO translocation is one of the most frequent translocations in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), occurring in approximately 12% of cases. Our laboratory has generated a mouse model in which AML1-ETO is expressed in hematopoietic progenitor cells using a retroviral vector and assayed using bone marrow transplantation. Animals transplanted with AML1-ETO-expressing cells failed to develop leukemia. However, AML1-ETO promoted significant expansion of immature myeloid cells suggesting a “pre-leukemic” state that requires secondary mutations for disease progression. In addition, analysis of cell cycle kinetics in AML1-ETOexpressing myeloid progenitor cells showed that AML1- ETO slowed G1 to S phase progression compared …

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Titania Coated Hollow Glass Microspheres For Environmental Applications, Mark C. Koopman Jan 2007

Titania Coated Hollow Glass Microspheres For Environmental Applications, Mark C. Koopman

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The potential applicability of titania coated hollow glass microspheres (HGMs) to the photocatalytic degradation of microbiological and organic chemical water pollutants could have dramatic positive effects on improving the quality of industrial wastewaters that empty into rivers and streams, as well as potential use in economically improving the quality of drinking water. Heterogeneous photocatalysis using titania has been extensively studied since the 1990’s because of its non-toxic nature, its high quantum yield of electrons and photo-holes, and its ability to use ambient solar radiation as a power source. Although titania embodies extraordinarily attractive properties for a range of environmental applications, …

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The Role Of Complement In The Clearance Of Streptococcus Pneumoniae Through Immune Adherence, Jie Li Jan 2007

The Role Of Complement In The Clearance Of Streptococcus Pneumoniae Through Immune Adherence, Jie Li

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Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most frequently isolated pathogen causing bacteremia in young children and elderly adults. Complement-dependent opsonophagocytosis is thought to be essential to eliminate pneumococci from the circulation. Pneumococci are reported to attach to erythrocytes through immune adherence (IA), a complement and antibody- dependent process that facilitates phagocytosis of pneumococci. In these studies we have determined that protein (chapter 1) and polysaccharide (chapter 2) virulence factors of pneumococci can interfere with this process and that antibody to pneumococci can enhance this process. Using PspA and/or PspC negative strains and complement-deficient mouse sera, we demonstrated that PspA inhibits complement C1q …

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Life Course Religiosity And Spirituality And Their Relationship To Health And Well-Being Among Homebound Older Adults, Caroline O. Robinson Jan 2007

Life Course Religiosity And Spirituality And Their Relationship To Health And Well-Being Among Homebound Older Adults, Caroline O. Robinson

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The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among religiosity, spirituality, physical health and mental well-being among a sample of homebound older adults. Taking a life course approach, this study explored how religiosity and spirituality across the life course influence homebound elders’ health and well-being. The sample consisted of 200 community-dwelling, homebound adults aged 60 and older (mean age 79, 62% White, 38% African American, 80% female, and 20% male). Participants completed a guided interview that measured physical health and mental well-being as well as involvement in three domains of religiosity and spirituality across the participants’ life history …

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The Scales Are Still Unbalanced:A Phenomenological Study Of Parental Involvement Of Lower Socioeconomic Students Attending School In An Affluent Southeastern Educational Community, Debra Walker Smith Jan 2007

The Scales Are Still Unbalanced:A Phenomenological Study Of Parental Involvement Of Lower Socioeconomic Students Attending School In An Affluent Southeastern Educational Community, Debra Walker Smith

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With the pressures of No Child Left Behind, and many schools being identified as failing, parents are willing to make major sacrifices in order to provide what they believe is a quality education. The research addressed what it meant for twelve low socioeconomic parents to be involved in their children’s education in an affluent educational environment. The researcher defined low socioeconomics as students participating in the National School Lunch Program, as this was one of the identifiers used to determine this subgroup for the State Department of Education’s Adequate Yearly Progress. A phenomenological study was conducted to answer the following …

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Effects Of Specific Alterations In Capsule Structure On Streptococcus Pneumoniae Capsule Assembly And Virulence, Bobbi Xayarath Jan 2007

Effects Of Specific Alterations In Capsule Structure On Streptococcus Pneumoniae Capsule Assembly And Virulence, Bobbi Xayarath

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The polysaccharide capsules of Streptococcus pneumoniae represent the most important virulence determinant produced by this organism. Ninety-one different serotypes have been identified, but only a small number of these serotypes are responsible for most of the infections caused by S. pneumoniae. The reasons why certain serotypes predominate in infections over others are not well understood. One common serotype found in invasive diseases is type 2, however, it is unclear what characteristics of a type 2 capsule makes strains producing it virulent. The type 2 capsule consists of repeat units made of a backbone of Glc-Rha-Rha-Rha, with a side chain Glc-GlcUA …

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Religion And Sprituality In The Practice Of Public Administration, James Coe Walker Jan 2007

Religion And Sprituality In The Practice Of Public Administration, James Coe Walker

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Until very recently very little attention has been paid to the role played by religion and spirituality in the practice of public administration. This reflects the strictly secular understanding of the profession that has dominated it since its inception. This deeply held understanding does not reflect the way public administration is actually practiced in the United States. A survey of American Society of Public Administration (ASPA) members currently involved in the active practice of public administration found that 58% of the practitioners surveyed reported that “Religious values guide my decisions,” and over 74% report that they feel “called” to a …

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Stability Of Clones Over Two Decades And The Role Of Murm In Penicillin Resistance And Evolution Of Streptococcus Pneumoniae, Dorothy Broughton Payne Jan 2007

Stability Of Clones Over Two Decades And The Role Of Murm In Penicillin Resistance And Evolution Of Streptococcus Pneumoniae, Dorothy Broughton Payne

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No abstract provided.

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