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The Association Between Insulin And Inflammation In African American And European American Children, Jessica A. Alvarez Jan 2007

The Association Between Insulin And Inflammation In African American And European American Children, Jessica A. Alvarez

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Insulin has anti-inflammatory properties. Markers of inflammation (MOI) increase in the postprandial state. African Americans (AA) have higher post-challenge insulin concentrations compared to European Americans (EA). The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between insulin and MOI in both the fasting and postprandial state. We hypothesized that, after accounting for confounding factors, fasting and postprandial insulin would be inversely associated with MOI, and that AA would have a lower postprandial inflammatory response because of a higher insulin response. C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL6), soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor type 2 (sTNF-R2), and insulin concentrations were assessed at …

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Ca 2+ /Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Ii Regulates The Growth Of Human Osteosarcoma Cells In Vivo, Hyeran Choo Jan 2007

Ca 2+ /Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Ii Regulates The Growth Of Human Osteosarcoma Cells In Vivo, Hyeran Choo

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Osteosarcoma is the most predominant primary bone cancer among pediatric patients. The pathogenesis and mechanism of osteosarcoma, however, as yet remains unclear. This study investigated the hypothesis that Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMK II), activated by Ca2+ and its intracellular receptor, calmodulin, plays a critical role in the growth of human osteosarcoma cells. The inhibition of CaMK II with its pharmacologic antagonist KN-93 was used to investigate the role of CaMK II in the growth of human osteosarcoma cells because our preliminary data showed that =-CaMK II is expressed in several human osteosarcoma cell lines. To examine the in vivo …

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Isolation And Characterization Of Human Periodontal Ligament Stem Cells, Isabel C. Gay Jan 2007

Isolation And Characterization Of Human Periodontal Ligament Stem Cells, Isabel C. Gay

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The periodontal ligament (PDL) is thought to include progenitor cells capable of forming fibroblasts, osteoblasts and cementoblasts. However, characterization of PDL stem cell populations (SC) remains undetermined due in part, to the diversity of cell types that conform to the periodontal apparatus. Objective: To isolate and characterize PDLSC and assess their pluripotent capabilities to differentiate into bone, cartilage and adipose cell types. Methods: PDL was scraped from human teeth, enzymatically digested, and cells stained for STRO- 1 (SC marker) using fluorescent immunohistochemistry. Positive cells were FACS sorted and expanded in culture. Human bone marrow SC (BMSC) served as a positive …

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Verbal Agression In Military Communication: Genetics Vs. Environment, Scott Gregory Johnson Jan 2007

Verbal Agression In Military Communication: Genetics Vs. Environment, Scott Gregory Johnson

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A content analysis was done on various studies involving hormonal effects on verbal and physical aggression in animals ranging from “old world monkeys” to humans in order to prove that genetics is responsible for verbal aggressiveness used by military personnel in the contemporary operating environment. The prevailing belief set is that the military is more aggressive than other social and vocational groups. The analysis shows that military members do not differ in neurophysiology from other groups and species. Only studies on animals with human-like limbic systems were used. The analy-sis includes discussions on the evolution of the use of pure …

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The Effect Of Dietary Selenium On Weight Gain And Gonad Production In The Sea Urchin Lytechinus Variegatus, Warren T. Jones Jan 2007

The Effect Of Dietary Selenium On Weight Gain And Gonad Production In The Sea Urchin Lytechinus Variegatus, Warren T. Jones

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Small Lytechinus variegatus were collected in October 2004 from Port St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, FL (30° N, 85.5° W) and transported to the Texas A&M Shrimp Mariculture Facility in Port Aransas, TX. Subadult sea urchins were held individually in 25 cm x 10 cm diameter cylindrical cages and were fed semi-purified formulated feeds containing 0.55, 1.1, or 2.4 mg Se/kg feed for 12 weeks (n = 16 individuals per feed treatment, 13.67 ± 0.20 SE g initial wet weight, 30.12 ± 0.15 SE mm diameter; 32 ± 2 ppt salinity and 22 ± 1 C). Sea urchins were weighed …

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Temporal And Spatial Correspondence Of Intramural Rotors And Epicardial Breakthrough Patterns During Ventricular Tachycardia And Fibrillation In The Swine Heart, Jong Jin Kim Jan 2007

Temporal And Spatial Correspondence Of Intramural Rotors And Epicardial Breakthrough Patterns During Ventricular Tachycardia And Fibrillation In The Swine Heart, Jong Jin Kim

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The mechanisms of life threatening cardiac arrhythmias such as ventricular tachycardia (VT) and fibrillation (VF) are very complex. The 3D reconstruction of electrical activity helps us to understand these complex arrhythmias. A new isolated heart preparation and combined electrical and optical mapping system was developed to simultaneously record surface and intramural activation patterns. Epicardial activity on a 6 cm by 6 cm region of the left ventricular wall was recorded optically with 1mm by 1mm spatial resolution using voltage sensitive fluorescent dye (di-4-ANNEPS) and a high speed CCD video camera. Intramural activation patterns were recorded using specially fabricated fiberglass plunge …

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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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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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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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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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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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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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Domestic Anticommunism In Alabama And The Resurgence Of American Conservatism, Jordan R. Bauer Jan 2007

Domestic Anticommunism In Alabama And The Resurgence Of American Conservatism, Jordan R. Bauer

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This thesis examines the pervasive anticommunist movement in Cold War Alabama. It considers the ways in which many white conservative Alabamians used anticommunism to resist the dramatic social and political changes of the 1960s and 1970s. During this time, Alabama’s anticommunist campaign focused on seeking out “subversives” in public schools. Another main target of the state’s anticommunist network was the black civil rights movement. As the struggle for racial equality gained momentum, many white Alabamians responded by labeling civil rights activists as communists. The thesis argues that Alabama’s anticommunist movement was directed against radicals in academia, secularism, the federal government, …

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Models Of Disparity Gradient Estimation In The Visual Cortex, Alexander Zotov Jan 2007

Models Of Disparity Gradient Estimation In The Visual Cortex, Alexander Zotov

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The binocular disparity of an object slanted in depth from the frontoparallel plane is not constant and changes with coordinate. Objects oriented in such way have non-zero disparity gradient. The processes that take place in the brain to recover disparity gradient and to create the correct perception of slant in depth are not well understood. Changes in local disparity are an obvious disparity gradient cue. Here, we consider an alternative means of disparity gradient detection exploiting the differential projection of oriented edges to each eye. Two retinal images of an object slanted in depth differ by the amount of horizontal …

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B Cell Clonal Abundance And Madcam-1 Mediate Affinity Maturation And Fate Of Germinal Center B Cells, Thuc-Vy L. Le Jan 2007

B Cell Clonal Abundance And Madcam-1 Mediate Affinity Maturation And Fate Of Germinal Center B Cells, Thuc-Vy L. Le

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No abstract provided.

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Breast Cancer Chemoprevention With The Natural Polyphenols Resveratrol And Genistein, Alone And In Combination, Timothy Glynn Whitsett Jan 2007

Breast Cancer Chemoprevention With The Natural Polyphenols Resveratrol And Genistein, Alone And In Combination, Timothy Glynn Whitsett

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No abstract provided.

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Prenatal Lead Exposure In Karachi: Magnitude, Determinants And Effect On Birth Weight, Naveed Zafar Janjua Jan 2007

Prenatal Lead Exposure In Karachi: Magnitude, Determinants And Effect On Birth Weight, Naveed Zafar Janjua

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No abstract provided.

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Localization And Function Of G2e3, William Samuel Brooks Jan 2007

Localization And Function Of G2e3, William Samuel Brooks

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A microarray study was performed which identified G2E3 as a novel, putative ubiquitin ligase that was both G2/M-specific in expression and down regulated at the transcriptional level following DNA damage by γ-irradiation. The initial characterization of this protein is described herein. G2E3 is composed of three PHD/RING (plant homoedomain/really interesting new gene) domains within its amino-terminal half and a carboxy-terminal HECT (homologous to E6AP carboxy-terminus) domain. G2E3 is regulated in part by its subcellular localization. The protein normally resides within the nucleoplasm of cultured cells and distinctly within the nucleolus of HeLa cells. G2E3 is a nucleo-cytoplasmic shuttling protein with …

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Loss Of Pias3 Expression In Glioblastoma Multiforme Tumors:Implications For Stat-3 Activation And Gene Expression, Emily Claire Brantley Jan 2007

Loss Of Pias3 Expression In Glioblastoma Multiforme Tumors:Implications For Stat-3 Activation And Gene Expression, Emily Claire Brantley

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Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common form of cancer in the central nervous system in adults. Because of the infiltrative and aggressive nature of GBM, current treatments including surgical resection, radiation and chemotherapy provide little benefit to patients diagnosed with this tumor. Median survival, after treatment, is less than one year. Despite advances in the basic understanding of cancer biology, this poor prognosis has remained virtually unchanged for several decades. Given the continuing difficulty of clinical treatment of GBMs, a molecular appreciation of relevant signaling pathways has grown. Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription (STATs) function to activate gene …

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Characterization Of A Novel Acetyltransferase Found Only In Pathogenic Strains Of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, David K. Crossman Jan 2007

Characterization Of A Novel Acetyltransferase Found Only In Pathogenic Strains Of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, David K. Crossman

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Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), is still a major threat to the human population. Roughly one third of the world population is asymptomatically infected and two million people die each year of TB. Effective treatments are available as a multi-drug regimen, but there is an ever increasing problem with the rise of multi-drug resistant strains that newer drug targets and a better understanding of how M. tuberculosis affects the host need to be elucidated. The primary target of M. tuberculosis in the human host is the macrophage where M. tuberculosis secretes virulence factors that inhibit various signal …

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The Molecular Biology Of Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination In Reptiles, Keela Dodd Jan 2007

The Molecular Biology Of Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination In Reptiles, Keela Dodd

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Temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) is a type of environmental sex determination in which the egg’s incubation temperature determines the sex of the embryo. The exact physiology of TSD is not yet understood. Hormones and temperaturetriggered genes have been hypothesized to play a role. This study evaluates putative male and female factors that may play a role in TSD. Regarding female factors, this study evaluates clutch sensitivity to estradiol-17β and an aromatase inhibitor, and estradiol- 17β’s potential role in müllerian duct differentiation. Regarding male factors, this study also quantifies SOX9 mRNA during TSD in untreated and estradiol-17β treated embryos. In the …

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Pneumococcal Choline-Binding Protein A: Its Role In Virulence And Its Utility As A Streptococcus Pneumoniae Vaccine Antigen, David Tawayne Glover Jan 2007

Pneumococcal Choline-Binding Protein A: Its Role In Virulence And Its Utility As A Streptococcus Pneumoniae Vaccine Antigen, David Tawayne Glover

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Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. S. pneumoniae is a leading cause of pneumonia, meningitis, septicemia, and otitis media. Although all age groups can be affected, children and the elderly are espccially susceptible to infection. Currently there is a conjugate vaccine available for use, but this vaccine only contains capsular polysaccahride antigens from the seven most prevelant S. pneumoniae serotypes. The use of the conjugate vaccine has led to serotype shift, with more disease being caused by non-vaccine serotype bacteria. The studies presented in this dissertation identify and characterize a novel S. penumoniae vaccine candidate …

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Localization Properties For The Unitary Anderson Model, Eman F. Hamza Jan 2007

Localization Properties For The Unitary Anderson Model, Eman F. Hamza

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We study a unitary version of the one-dimensional Anderson model, given by a five diagonal deterministic unitary operator multiplicatively perturbed by a random phase matrix. This operator models the time evolution of an electron in a one-dimensional metal ring subject to a magnetic field that linearly increases with time. We fully characterize positivity and vanishing of the Lyapunov exponent for this model for arbitrary distributions of the random phases. This includes Bernoulli distributions, where in certain cases a finite number of critical spectral values, with vanishing Lyapunov exponent, exists. Thus, we prove that for all non-trivial distributions the model has …

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Competition In Multistable Vision Is Attribute-Specific, Jon K. Grossmann Jan 2007

Competition In Multistable Vision Is Attribute-Specific, Jon K. Grossmann

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Ambiguous figures are visual stimuli with multiple competing interpretations. The different possible interpretations are mutually exclusive, and perception fluctuates from one interpretation to the next over time. Natural scenes are inherently ambiguous as well. A pair of two-dimensional retinal images does not instantaneously provide sufficient information to deduce the full three-dimensional layout and identities of objects in the scene. We investigate how the visual system uses internally stored models of objects and scenes to interpret and understand visual information. Ambiguous figures provide an experimental microdomain in which to investigate this top-down process in vision. In one set of experiments, we …

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