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Demands Of Dualism: Literacy And Content Area Instructional Beliefs In Alabama High Schools, Cindy Sager Adams Jan 2011

Demands Of Dualism: Literacy And Content Area Instructional Beliefs In Alabama High Schools, Cindy Sager Adams

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The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine differences in content area teachers' general educational beliefs and their attitudes toward teaching reading in their social studies, science, and English language arts classrooms in Alabama high schools when both content area and teacher certificate levels were considered. Such a study is important because teachers work with students ill-prepared for the demands of required high school reading, upcoming college reading, or workplace literacy, in a state in which nearly 39% of its youth fail to graduate from high school. Nearly 80% of all Alabama grade 11 students read below the 50th …

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A Recombinant Myeloid-Binding Adenovirus For Targeted Pulmonary Gene Therapy, Michael O. Alberti Jan 2011

A Recombinant Myeloid-Binding Adenovirus For Targeted Pulmonary Gene Therapy, Michael O. Alberti

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Inflammation and airway destruction are hallmarks of many debilitating lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis (CF), acute lung injury (ALI), and cancer. Gene-based therapeutic interventions that modulate this pathologic inflammatory response are likely to reduce the progressive destruction to lung airways. In this regard, a number of strategies have been evaluated for targeting the pul-monary vasculature; particularly those based on serotype 5 Adenovirus (Ad5). The ad-vantages of Ad over other vector systems include: in vivo stability, low oncogenic poten-tial, and large packaging capacity. Yet, specific and efficient gene delivery to the lung has been hampered …

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Evaluation Of The Optical And Mechanical Properties Of Cad-Cam Generated Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia Laminate Veneers, Tariq F. Alghazzawi Jan 2011

Evaluation Of The Optical And Mechanical Properties Of Cad-Cam Generated Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia Laminate Veneers, Tariq F. Alghazzawi

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The purpose of this investigation was to study three aspects which have been shown to limit clinical applications of yttria-stabilized zirconia (Y-TZP) for dental restorations. Mechanical property and structural changes due to low-temperature degradation (LTD) of Y-TZP led to increased surface roughness and monoclinic phase fractions, with a concomitant decrease in hardness and modulus. Yttria content and flexural strength were unchanged and phase transformation proceeded from the surface into the bulk of the material. The optical properties of Y-TZP, IPS e.max® CAD (IEC), and feldspathic por-celain (FP) laminate veneers showed that the underlying color of try-in pastes (TP) af-fected the …

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Fabrication Of Biodegradable Fibers Using Hdpe/Starch Blends. Morphological, Mechanical And Processing, Fayaz J. Ali Jan 2011

Fabrication Of Biodegradable Fibers Using Hdpe/Starch Blends. Morphological, Mechanical And Processing, Fayaz J. Ali

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Products developed from polymeric materials have found a myriad of applications that make life better and more convenient. In many cases, however, plastics end up in landfills after their useful lifetime. The inability of most synthetic plastics to degrade in the landfill presents a challenge to continue to expand their applications in order to minimize their environmental impact. Incorporating natural fibers into synthetic polymers has been investigated recently; however, most of the natural fibers do not have the mechanical properties of their inorganic counterparts. Thus, there is a need for high strength fibers that are degradable. The goal of this …

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Vitamin D And Insulin Sensitivity Among African American And European American Adolescents And Adults, Jessica Alejandra Alvarez Jan 2011

Vitamin D And Insulin Sensitivity Among African American And European American Adolescents And Adults, Jessica Alejandra Alvarez

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Adequate vitamin D status is associated with a reduced risk for type 2 diabetes (T2DM); the relationship may be mediated by insulin sensitizing effects of vitamin D. African Americans (AA) are at a greater risk for T2DM and insulin resistance, as well as vitamin D deficiency, compared to European Americans (EA). The primary objective of this dissertation was to investigate the independent relationships of vitamin D with various measures of insulin sensitivity. Investigations were performed in a series of studies involving adolescent and adult female cohorts. The intravenous glucose tolerance test-derived insulin sensitivity index (SI) or the oral glucose tolerance …

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Biometic Self-Assembled Nanomatrix For Bone Tissue Regeneration, Joel Matthew Anderson Jan 2011

Biometic Self-Assembled Nanomatrix For Bone Tissue Regeneration, Joel Matthew Anderson

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Formation of the native bone extracellular matrix (ECM) provides an attractive template for bone tissue engineering. At the cellular level, structural support and biological complexity of bone ECM are provided within a composite microenvironment that consists of an organic fibrous network reinforced by inorganic hydroxyapatite (HA) nanostructured crystals. To synthetically recreate this biphasic assembly, a bone ECM analogous scaffold comprised of self-assembling peptide amphiphile (PA) nanofibers and interspersed HA nanoparticles was investigated. The PAs have been endowed with biomolecular ligand signaling using synthetically inscribed peptide sequences (i.e. RGDS, DGEA) derived from the native bone ECM and integrated with HA nanoparticles …

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Significance And Regulation Of Cd68 Expression In The Osteoclast, Jason Waid Ashley Jan 2011

Significance And Regulation Of Cd68 Expression In The Osteoclast, Jason Waid Ashley

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The mucin-like Lysosome Associated Membrane Protein (LAMP) family member CD68 is a primarily myeloid lineage restricted transmembrane protein that is expressed in macrophages and osteoclasts. While the existence and expression pattern of human CD68 and mouse CD68 (sometimes called macrosialin) are well-known, and these molecules are routinely used as histological markers of tissue macrophages, the functional signific-ance of CD68 expression remains an unanswered question. Our overall goal is to deter-mine the significance and characterize the function of CD68 in osteoclasts and explore the effects of Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor κB (RANK) signaling on CD68 post-translational modification. To achieve this …

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The Effect Of The Release Of A Thermal Stressor On Bluegill (Lepomis Macrochirus) Morphology And Physiology, Jessica Eagar Jan 2011

The Effect Of The Release Of A Thermal Stressor On Bluegill (Lepomis Macrochirus) Morphology And Physiology, Jessica Eagar

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Temperature is considered a very important abiotic factor in fish communities. An increase in water temperature, as is found with the use of nuclear production reactors, can act as a stressor in aquatic systems. The P-reactor, operational from 1954-1988, on the Savannah River Site near Aiken, South Carolina, utilized the Par Pond Reservoir System as part of its cooling mechanisms. During reactor operation, heated effluents were displaced into Pond C, causing the water to be heated to around 45° C. Fischer (1994) found that the bluegill population had adapted with changes to their morphology and physiology. The bluegill from the …

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Role Of The Cardiomyocyte Circadian Clock In Modulating Myocardial Physiology And Pathophysiology, David Joseph Durgan Jan 2011

Role Of The Cardiomyocyte Circadian Clock In Modulating Myocardial Physiology And Pathophysiology, David Joseph Durgan

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It is well established that multiple parameters of cardiovascular physiology and pathophysiology exhibit diurnal variations. For example, human heart rate and blood pressure peak during the morning and trough in the evening. Similarly, there is a morning prevalence for the onset of multiple adverse cardiovascular events, including myocardial ischemia, arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death. Traditionally these rhythms have been attributed to rhythms in neurohumoral stimulation. However recent identification of the circadian clock mechanism in cardiovascular relevant cell types, including the cardiomyocyte, has prompted investigation into its role in modulating myocardial physiology and pathophysiology over the course of the day. Preliminary …

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From Brown To Bakke: Race Change And The Birmingham City Schools, 1963-1983, Johnmark Allen Edwards Jan 2011

From Brown To Bakke: Race Change And The Birmingham City Schools, 1963-1983, Johnmark Allen Edwards

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When in 1954 the US Supreme Court declared that "separate but equal" was inherently not equal, every segregated school system in America was supposed to desegregate. This was easier said than done, and more successful in some systems than others. Here is a case study of that episode in American history focused on Birmingham, Alabama. This city's tumultuous road to educational desegregation unfolded in four phases: non-compliance (1954-1963), incremental desegregation (1963-1967), "freedom of choice" (1967-1970) and zoned integration (1970-1983). In this context, the thesis has three objectives: first, to explore how people of Birmingham - black and white, male and …

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The Role Of The Classical Nf-Kb Pathway In Hsc Self-Renewal And Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Robert Jason Flynn Jan 2011

The Role Of The Classical Nf-Kb Pathway In Hsc Self-Renewal And Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Robert Jason Flynn

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Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) comprises approximately 25% of newly diagnosed cases of leukemia each year. The constitutive activation of the classical NF-κB signaling pathway has been observed in up to 70% of AML cases, and could be due to mutations upstream involving the PI3K-Akt cascade, which is also constitutively active in a majority of cases. In mice, constitutive activation of Akt either through deletion of the negative regulator of PI3K-Akt, PTEN, or by expression of Myr-Akt induces rapid stem cell loss along with a lethal, transplantable myeloproliferative disorder and AML. These studies show that constitutive Akt and NF-κB signaling distinguish …

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Occupational Stress In Veterinary Support Staff, Sandra Morales Foster Jan 2011

Occupational Stress In Veterinary Support Staff, Sandra Morales Foster

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OCCUPATIONAL STRESS IN VETERINARY SUPPORT STAFF Sandra Morales Foster DOCTOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH ABSTRACT Limited information exists about veterinary support staff and the occupational stressors of this workforce. Concern for workers in occupations of high or prolonged stress such as caregivers in hospitals and emergency situations has been noted in many studies. Occupational stress can cause harmful physical and emotional outcomes when the homeostatic balance is upset. This study explored occupational stress, health status, and coping strategies of veterinary support staff. A mixed-method collected quantitative and qualitative data. Demographic information and three validated instruments were ad-ministered using a web-based survey; …

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The Study Of Intracellular Signaling Pathways In Schizophrenia, Adam Funk Jan 2011

The Study Of Intracellular Signaling Pathways In Schizophrenia, Adam Funk

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INTRACELLULAR SIGNALING AND INTEGRATION ABNORMALITIES IN SCHIZOPHRENIA Adam J. Funk DEPARTMENT OF NEUROBIOLOGY ABSTRACT The pathophysiology of schizophrenia is complex and diverse, with many classes of receptors, neurotransmitters, and brain regions implicated in this illness. The many hypotheses proposed have yet to fully explain the heterogeneity of the genetic, postmor-tem, and clinical evidence. It is the goal of this dissertation to integrate the current hy-potheses of schizophrenia into a unified hypothesis of abnormal intracellular signaling and signal integration. Inconsistencies in genetic and postmortem findings suggest that the development of schizophrenia is multifaceted, and the heterogeneity of symptoms supports the hypothesis …

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An Evaluation Of Dietary Lipids On Growth Performance In The Sea Urchin, Lytechinus Variegatus (Echinodermata: Echinoidea), Victoria K. Gibbs Jan 2011

An Evaluation Of Dietary Lipids On Growth Performance In The Sea Urchin, Lytechinus Variegatus (Echinodermata: Echinoidea), Victoria K. Gibbs

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Sea urchin fisheries are declining across the world, and sea urchin aquaculture will be an important alternative to wild-caught fisheries. A significant aspect of a successful sea urchin culture operation is the formulation of nutritionally-complete diets with the potential to support optimal growth and health to sea urchins at different life stages. Due to the ecological variety of sea urchin species, the inclusion level and source of the various macronutrients and micronutrients needed for a complete diet must be carefully considered for each sea urchin species. Lytechinus variegatus is an echinoid species commonly found in the northern Gulf of Mexico, …

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Human Cytomegalovirus Ul97 Kinase Activity Modifies Cell Cycle Checkpoint Regulators, Rachel Brooke Gill Jan 2011

Human Cytomegalovirus Ul97 Kinase Activity Modifies Cell Cycle Checkpoint Regulators, Rachel Brooke Gill

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Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection results in destructive infections in neonates and immunocompromised individuals. Being the primary congenital infection in the United States, it can often result in permanent neurological deficits in infants. The current therapies for CMV infections all target the viral DNA polymerase and also have dose-limiting toxicities. Isolates resistant to ganciclovir (GCV), the therapy of choice, can sometimes overwhelm immunocompromised hosts. Better therapies for this infection are required. The CMV UL97 kinase is a key enzyme in the treatment of CMV infection because it phosphorylates GCV. Additionally, maribavir (MBV) specifically inhibits UL97 kinase activity and inhibits viral replication. …

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Oxidative Stress And Xanthine Oxidase In Acute And Chronic Cardiac Volume Overload In Rats, James Douglas Gladden Jan 2011

Oxidative Stress And Xanthine Oxidase In Acute And Chronic Cardiac Volume Overload In Rats, James Douglas Gladden

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Mechanisms of left ventricular dysfunction in cardiac volume overload (VO) are not well understood and there is no medical therapy. Cardiac VO is marked by eccentric remodeling and contractile dysfunction ultimately resulting in cardiac failure. Oxidative stress is implicated in the pathophysiology of heart failure and recent evidence suggests xanthine oxidase (XO) plays a role in VO. To study VO, we used a rat model of aortocaval fistula (ACF). ACF results in early diastolic stress on the left ventricle (LV) and recapitulates the progressive nature of heart failure with contractile function being initially maintained and then depressed by 6 weeks. …

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Violating The Code: Inmates' Justifications For Failing To Uphold The Code, Anastasia Gwyn Brown Jan 2011

Violating The Code: Inmates' Justifications For Failing To Uphold The Code, Anastasia Gwyn Brown

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Many theories have been created in hope of explaining why people deviate from societal norms to commit crimes. However, Elijah Anderson's Code of the Streets has recently grown in popularity as an explanation for street crime that construes criminal behavior more adequately than previous theories. Recent empirical evidence of researchers such as Anderson suggests the existence of an insidious street culture whose members identify themselves not with conventional norms, but instead with the standards of the street culture. To violate this street code would be to jeopardize self esteem and risk ostracism, further victimization, and often physical safety. However, people …

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Analysis Of The Structural And Kinetic Properties Of Sult2a1 Induced By The Binding Of 3'-Phosphoadenosine-5'-Phosphosulfate, Ian Thomas Cook Jan 2011

Analysis Of The Structural And Kinetic Properties Of Sult2a1 Induced By The Binding Of 3'-Phosphoadenosine-5'-Phosphosulfate, Ian Thomas Cook

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Sulfation is an important Phase II drug metabolism reaction catalyzed by the cytosolic sulfotransferases (SULTs). SULT2A1 is a major SULT in liver and adrenal cortex that has been reported to sulfate a wide variety of substrates including bile acids, steroids, and drugs. The crystal structures of SULT2A1 suggest that PAPS binding causes a structural change. This study examines the kinetic changes in SULT2A1 caused by PAPS binding using computer modeling, enzyme kinetics, binding studies, and mammalian cells expressing SULT2A1. The data presented clearly demonstrate that the binding of PAPS changes the affinity of some substrates to SULT2A1 resulting in different …

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Differential Contributions Of C-Kit Activating Mutations To Promotion Of Aml1-Eto Associated Neoplasia, Heidi Jean Nick Jan 2011

Differential Contributions Of C-Kit Activating Mutations To Promotion Of Aml1-Eto Associated Neoplasia, Heidi Jean Nick

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The t(8;21) translocation, which generates an AML1-ETO fusion protein (also known as RUNX1-ETO), is one of the most frequent cytogenetic abnormalities in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Murine studies have demonstrated that AML1-ETO promotes the accumulation of myeloid progenitor cells with self-renewal capability and impaired differentiation capacity. However, AML1-ETO+ mice do not progress to AML in the absence of additional mutations, suggesting that expression of the translocation is insufficient for leukemogenesis. This hypothesis is supported by studies demonstrating the persistence of AML1-ETO-expressing hematopoietic progenitors obtained from patients in long-term clinical remission. Mutations affecting receptor tyrosine kinases, particularly c-KIT, are commonly detected …

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Comparison Of Vitamin D Supplementation Regimens In Pediatric Patients With Cystic Fibrosis, Julianna Bailey Jan 2011

Comparison Of Vitamin D Supplementation Regimens In Pediatric Patients With Cystic Fibrosis, Julianna Bailey

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COMPARISON OF VITAMIN D SUPPLEMENTATION REGIMENS IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS WITH CYSTIC FIBROSIS JULIANNA BAILEY CLINICAL NUTRITION ABSTRACT The objective of this randomized prospective study was to determine the most efficacious form of vitamin D supplementation for pediatric patients with Cystic Fibrosis (CF). We hypothesized that 50,000 IU monthly cholecalciferol would be as effective in raising serum 25-hyrdroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations as routine daily supplementation of 1000-2000 IU cholecalciferol in pediatric patients with CF, birth to 20 years of age, over a period of 3 months. Data collected at baseline included serum 25(OH)D concentration, gender, genotype, race, age, FEV1, height, weight, …

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Gas Phase Laser Synthesis And Processing Of Calcium Phosphate Nanoparticles For Biomedical Applications, Parimal Vilas Bapat Jan 2011

Gas Phase Laser Synthesis And Processing Of Calcium Phosphate Nanoparticles For Biomedical Applications, Parimal Vilas Bapat

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Biochemical processes make pervasive use of calcium and phosphate ions. Calcium phosphate salts that are naturally nontoxic and bioactive have been used for several medical applications in form of coatings and micropowders. Nanoparticle-based calcium phosphates have been shown to be internalized by living cells and be effective in DNA transfection, drug delivery, and transport of fluorophores for imaging of intracellular processes. They are also expected to interact strongly with cell adhesive proteins and are therefore promising elements in approaches to mimic the complex environment of the extra cellular matrix of bone. Harnessing this biomedical potential requires the ability to control …

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Sensitization Of Glioma To Death Receptor 5-Mediated Apoptosis Through Genotoxic Stress And Cell Cycle Disruption: A Study Of Mechanism, Michael L. Belenky Jan 2011

Sensitization Of Glioma To Death Receptor 5-Mediated Apoptosis Through Genotoxic Stress And Cell Cycle Disruption: A Study Of Mechanism, Michael L. Belenky

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Our laboratory reported that a combination of ionizing radiation (IR) or temozolomide (Tmz), a DNA methylating agent clinically approved against glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a type of human brain cancer, and TRA-8, an anti-DR5 monoclonal antibody produced synergistic cytotoxicity in GBM cells in culture and in mouse xenograft models through an yet unknown mechanism. I hypothesized that understanding of the synergy phenomenon can offer an insight into the nature of GBM vulnerability. The goals of this investigation were two-fold - to elucidate the mechanism of this enhancement in cytotoxicity, and to improve understanding of DR5 mediated apoptosis toward improvement of current …

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Investigation Of Numerical Approaches To Analyze Flapping Wings, Nitin Bhagat Jan 2011

Investigation Of Numerical Approaches To Analyze Flapping Wings, Nitin Bhagat

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For centuries, the agility and maneuverability of flying insects have been an inspiration to fluid dynamists. A large number of research activities have been conducted within the biological, aerodynamics, and computational science communities to understand the complex flow fields around flapping insects and their capability for rapid maneuvers. However, the understanding of these natural phenomena is still in its infancy. Recent experimental flow visualizations have shown the complex vortical structures around flapping wings and vortex interactions. Even with the advent of faster and better computer processors and improved numerical algorithms, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques to accurately predict flow features …

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Hierarchical And Bayesian Approaches For Estimating Prevalence Based On Pool Screening, Thomas Birkner Jan 2011

Hierarchical And Bayesian Approaches For Estimating Prevalence Based On Pool Screening, Thomas Birkner

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Pool screening is a method that combines individual items into pools. Each pool will either test positive (at least one of the items is positive) or negative (all items are negative). Pool screening is commonly applied to the study of tropical diseases where pools consist of vectors (e.g. black flies) that can transmit the disease. The goal is to estimate the proportion of infected vectors. In paper 1, we present a frequentist Bernoulli-Beta hierarchical model to relax the constant prevalence assumption underlying the traditional frequentist prevalence estimation approach. This assumption is called into question when sampling from a large geographic …

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Three Topics In Eye Injury Research, Justin Blackburn Jan 2011

Three Topics In Eye Injury Research, Justin Blackburn

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Eye injuries are a leading cause of monocular blindness, with approximately 2 million Americans sustaining an eye injury annually. Occupational eye injuries resulting in at least one missed day of work total nearly 28,000 each year. Eye injuries have many different etiologies, although most are "minor" injuries such as corneal abrasions and foreign bodies. Chemical-related eye injuries have not been described epidemiologically. The most widely advocated prevention method for eye injuries is protective eyewear, but evidence to support this is surprisingly absent. Furthermore, the use of eye protection among workers who have previously sustained an eye injury remains a question …

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Exopolysaccharide: A Multi-Faceted Role In Mycoplasma Pulmonis, Jeffrey R. Bolland Jan 2011

Exopolysaccharide: A Multi-Faceted Role In Mycoplasma Pulmonis, Jeffrey R. Bolland

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The recently characterized exopolysaccharide of Mycoplasma pulmonis, EPS-I, has been identified as modulating the susceptibility to complement-mediated lysis and binding to host mucosal epithelium. M. pulmonis produces family of size- and phase-variable lipoproteins called Vsa. Previous evidence has strongly demonstrated that the length of the tandem repeat region of the M. pulmonis Vsa protein is associated with the susceptibility to the host innate immune system through complement-mediated lysis. Mycoplasmas producing a long form of Vsa, containing about 40 repeats, are resistant complement whereas strains that produce the short form of Vsa, 5 repeats or fewer, are susceptible. Furthermore, the size …

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The Role Of Protein Folding And Protein Trafficking In Human Disease, Cristy Davette Tower-Gilchrist Jan 2011

The Role Of Protein Folding And Protein Trafficking In Human Disease, Cristy Davette Tower-Gilchrist

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This dissertation documents my findings in two unrelated projects. Project 1: Expansion of CAG repeats encoding glutamine in huntingtin and ataxin 3 causes the neurodegenerative diseases Huntington's disease (HD) and spinocerebellar ataxia 3 (SCA3), respectively. Both poly-glutamine (polyQ) expanded proteins misfold and ag-gregate within the cell. Preventing aggregation of polyQ proteins through molecular or pharmacological approaches provide therapeutic advantage in animal models of HD and SCA3. I hypothesized that the UL97 kinase encoded by the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) may be able to prevent the aggregation of polyQ proteins. Initially, I showed that the UL97 kinase prevents the deposition of aggregates …

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The Requisite Role Of Dectin-1 And Il-17 In Innate Host Defense Against Aspergillus Fumigatus, Jessica L. Werner Jan 2011

The Requisite Role Of Dectin-1 And Il-17 In Innate Host Defense Against Aspergillus Fumigatus, Jessica L. Werner

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Immune suppression increases the incidence of invasive fungal infections, particularly those caused by the opportunistic mold Aspergillus fumigatus. We show that non-immunosuppressed mice lacking the beta-glucan receptor Dectin-1 (Dectin-1-/-) are more susceptible to intratracheal challenge with A. fumigatus than control mice, exhibiting >80% mortality within 5 days; ultimately attributed to a compromise in respiratory mechanics. In response to A. fumigatus challenge, Dectin-1-/- mice demonstrated impaired inflammatory response as seen through defective cytokine and chemokine production, which resulted in insufficient lung neutrophil recruitment and uncontrolled A. fumigatus lung growth. Alveolar macrophages from Dectin-1-/- mice failed to produce proinflammatory mediators in response …

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The Effect Of Optimism On The Relationship Between Religiosity And Spirituality Among Elderly Christians, Matthew West Jan 2011

The Effect Of Optimism On The Relationship Between Religiosity And Spirituality Among Elderly Christians, Matthew West

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Older Americans represent one of the most devout groups of religious people in America, yet research is consistently scarce on how to use this characteristic in mental health interventions. This study uses Ordinary Least Squares regression of a 2004, national sample of older Christian Americans to assess the relationship between private prayer, church attendance, prayer group participation, religious meaning, optimism, and depressive symptomology. Previous work has found a strong positive relationship between religion and health outcomes. The present endeavor goes beyond examining the main effects of such relationships to look at a possible moderating mechanism--optimism. Controlling for demographic variables and …

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An Examination Of The Relationship Between The Exposure To The Use Of Cash Incentives As A Part Of The A Plus Grant Program And Performance On The Advanced Placement Exam, Juanita Inman-Vann Jan 2011

An Examination Of The Relationship Between The Exposure To The Use Of Cash Incentives As A Part Of The A Plus Grant Program And Performance On The Advanced Placement Exam, Juanita Inman-Vann

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This research examined the relationship between the use of cash incentives and performance of high school students on the Advanced Placement (AP) exam by gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Logistic regression was used with binary variables to determine predictor variables for success on the AP exam. This quantitative analysis found that while gender does not have a relationship to success, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and the use of cash incentives are related for certain groups. The use of cash incentives was the strongest predictor of success on the exam, which supports the theory of operant conditioning discussed in the literature. The …

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