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2005

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Calcium Entry Channels And Calcium Mobilizing Receptors In Human Airway Epithelial Cells: Implications For Respiratory Disease Therapy., Lihua Liang Jan 2005

Calcium Entry Channels And Calcium Mobilizing Receptors In Human Airway Epithelial Cells: Implications For Respiratory Disease Therapy., Lihua Liang

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.


Two To Tango: Sexual Health And Sex Partners At High Risk Of Sexually Transmitted Infections., Margaret Christine Snead Jan 2005

Two To Tango: Sexual Health And Sex Partners At High Risk Of Sexually Transmitted Infections., Margaret Christine Snead

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.


Activation Of Neuregulin -1/Erbb Signaling Promotes Proliferation In Human Schwann Cell Neoplasia., Mark S. Stonecypher Jan 2005

Activation Of Neuregulin -1/Erbb Signaling Promotes Proliferation In Human Schwann Cell Neoplasia., Mark S. Stonecypher

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.


Peptide Agonists And Antagonists Of A Novel Pathway In Neutrophilic Inflammation., Nathaniel M. Weathington Jan 2005

Peptide Agonists And Antagonists Of A Novel Pathway In Neutrophilic Inflammation., Nathaniel M. Weathington

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.


Mechanisms Regulating Mesenchymal Stem Cell Adhesion To Biomimetically-Functionalized Hydroxyapatite Biomaterials For Bone Tissue Engineering Applications., Amber Annette Sawyer Jan 2005

Mechanisms Regulating Mesenchymal Stem Cell Adhesion To Biomimetically-Functionalized Hydroxyapatite Biomaterials For Bone Tissue Engineering Applications., Amber Annette Sawyer

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.


The Development Of Insulin Resistance Following Hemorrhage., Lawanda Holland Thompson Jan 2005

The Development Of Insulin Resistance Following Hemorrhage., Lawanda Holland Thompson

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.


Functional Properties Of Subplate Neurons., Juan Ed Torres-Reveron Jan 2005

Functional Properties Of Subplate Neurons., Juan Ed Torres-Reveron

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.


Characterization Of A Rod Photoreceptor Cgmp -Gated Cation Channel Beta-Subunit Knockout Mouse., Youwen Zhang Jan 2005

Characterization Of A Rod Photoreceptor Cgmp -Gated Cation Channel Beta-Subunit Knockout Mouse., Youwen Zhang

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.


Holmes And The Marketplace Of Ideas, Vincent A. Blasi Jan 2005

Holmes And The Marketplace Of Ideas, Vincent A. Blasi

Faculty Scholarship

At least five basic values might be served by a robust free speech principle: (1) individual autonomy; (2) truth seeking; (3) self-government; (4) the checking of abuses of power; (5) the promotion of good character. Free speech might serve one or more of these values by functioning in at least three different ways: (1) as a privileged activity; (2) as a social mechanism; (3) as a cultural force. My contention is that the conventional understanding of the most familiar metaphor in the First Amendment lexicon, the "marketplace of ideas," has had the undesirable effect of focusing attention too much on …


Child Abuse And Crime: Testing In The "Cycle Of Violence" Theory, Melanie A. Cox Jan 2005

Child Abuse And Crime: Testing In The "Cycle Of Violence" Theory, Melanie A. Cox

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study of Child Abuse and Neglect: Testing in the "Cycle of Violence" Theory, is a demonstration of Applied Social Research in partial fulfillment of a master's degree in Sociology. It examines the Cycle of Violence theory by looking at two groups of children: an abuse/neglect group and a control group. It tests the likelihood of the abuse/neglect group to commit a crime in adulthood i.e., property crime, person crime, or public morality; while controlling for race, sex and type of abuse. Also, the odds of gender and race of the children in the abuse/neglect group, becoming a criminal offender …


Heating Ventilation And Air Conditioning Systems Condition Assessment Methodology, Anand Chandrashekaran Jan 2005

Heating Ventilation And Air Conditioning Systems Condition Assessment Methodology, Anand Chandrashekaran

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Facilities (equipment) renewal is assigned low priority due to insufficient budgets in universities, colleges, hospitals, and industries. Insufficient funds lead to postponement of major repairs and replacements of facilities. This lack of investments combined with deterioration of facilities increases the maintenance problem. When funds become available, replacement and repair maintenance projects are carried out, at the cost of the critical ones, due to lack of information on facilities conditions and deficiencies. Thereby developing a facilities condition assessment methodology with a prioritization technique will help in utilizing the available resources effectively. This assessment identifies the physical condition and maintenance deficiencies of …


The Emergence And Decline Of The Delaware Indian Nation In Western Pennsylvania And The Ohio Country, 1730--1795, Richard S. Grimes Jan 2005

The Emergence And Decline Of The Delaware Indian Nation In Western Pennsylvania And The Ohio Country, 1730--1795, Richard S. Grimes

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Many past and current generations of historians, anthropologists, and literary writers have acknowledged the existence of a Delaware Indian nation. They, however, have failed to thoroughly understand or address the historical and cultural dynamics that contributed to both the formation and quick decline of this Indian nation. This multidisciplinary study includes the oral traditions and oratory of Delaware Indians, the observances of Moravian missionaries and colonial-revolutionary officials, and contemporary anthropological and historical sources, to construct the building of the Delaware nation during the eighteenth century.;Once decentralized and living in the Delaware River watershed, three phratries or animal tribes (Turtle, Turkey, …


Heat Shock Protein 70 As An Indicator Of Toxic Heavy Metal Exposure And Oxidative Stress In The Serum Of Asymptomatic Shipyard Welders, Sung Gu Han Jan 2005

Heat Shock Protein 70 As An Indicator Of Toxic Heavy Metal Exposure And Oxidative Stress In The Serum Of Asymptomatic Shipyard Welders, Sung Gu Han

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) expression has been reported to be a sensitive biomarker of cell stress. Arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), vanadium (V), and manganese (Mn) are widely used and exposure to these metals is associated with the development of pulmonary disease. Our data showed that exposure to these metals resulted in a significant increase in cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in a human bronchial cell line, BEAS-2B. However, increased Hsp70 expression was observed only in cells exposed to As, Cd, and Hg. To correlate changes associated with Hsp70 overexpression, …


Analysis Of Physiological Partners Of Protein Kinase Ck2 In Drosophila Melanogaster, Umesh C. Karandikar Jan 2005

Analysis Of Physiological Partners Of Protein Kinase Ck2 In Drosophila Melanogaster, Umesh C. Karandikar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

CK2 is a highly conserved Ser/Thr protein kinase composed of catalytic (alpha) and regulatory (beta) subunits. The enzyme targets proteins that are involved in a variety of cellular processes such as DNA replication, transcription, translation, cell cycle progression, and development. However, very little information is available on either the regulation of this enzyme or its role during development. These two aspects of CK2 have been addressed using the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, as a model organism. The first study (chapter 2) addresses the isolation and characterization of SSL, an ortholog of CK2beta. Using combinatorial approaches, we find that SSL associates …


Assessing The Cost-Effectiveness Of Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors And Prescribing Practices Of Rheumatologists In Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis, Khalid M. Kamal Jan 2005

Assessing The Cost-Effectiveness Of Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors And Prescribing Practices Of Rheumatologists In Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis, Khalid M. Kamal

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Three new tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors, adalimumab, etanercept, and infliximab, have been approved for use in patients with active RA. The goals of the study were two fold: (1) to perform a cost-effectiveness analysis of the three TNF inhibitors in patients with RA that inadequately respond to MTX alone and (2) to assess the current prescribing patterns, laboratory monitoring practices, and perceived barriers of rheumatologists in prescribing these agents in patients with RA. Phase I involved the development of a Markov simulation model to estimate the health effects and costs associated with five treatment strategies in patients with RA …


Graph Algorithms For The Haplotyping Problem, Yunkai Liu Jan 2005

Graph Algorithms For The Haplotyping Problem, Yunkai Liu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Evidence from investigations of genetic differences among human beings shows that genetic diseases are often the results of genetic mutations. The most common form of these mutations is single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). A complete map of all SNPs in the human genome will be extremely valuable for studying the relationships between specific haplotypes and specific genetic diseases. Some recent discoveries show that the DNA sequence of human beings can be partitioned into long blocks where genetic recombination has been rare. Then, inferring both haplotypes from chromosome sequences is a biologically meaningful research topic, which has compounded mathematical and computational problems.;We …


Data Mining Framework, Hemambika Payyappillil Jan 2005

Data Mining Framework, Hemambika Payyappillil

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this document is building a framework for working with clinical data. Vast amounts of clinical records, stored in health repositories, contain information that can be used to improve the quality of health care. However, the information generated from these records depends vastly on the manner, in which the data is arranged. A number of factors need to be considered, before information can be extracted from the patient records. This document deals with the preparation of a framework for the data, before it can be mined.;One of the issues to deal with is information about the patient contained …


Pharmaceutical Performance Testing Of Commercially Available Calcium Supplements, Jianqing Liu Jan 2005

Pharmaceutical Performance Testing Of Commercially Available Calcium Supplements, Jianqing Liu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In our research, the quality of a number of calcium supplements was evaluated by their physical properties, disintegration and dissolution profiles. Physical tests and disintegration did show a pH sensitivity. Disintegration confirmed the good uniformity of the products. In the USP required dissolution test, most of the products did not achieve acceptable drug release in the specified time period. While formulation factors and the salt form of calcium supplements can to some extent affect their dissolution pattern, it was ultimately considered that the failure may be related to the poor solubility of the calcium salts.;Based on the results and the …


Validating A Neural Network-Based Online Adaptive System, Yan Liu Jan 2005

Validating A Neural Network-Based Online Adaptive System, Yan Liu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Neural networks are popular models used for online adaptation to accommodate system faults and recuperate against environmental changes in real-time automation and control applications. However, the adaptivity limits the applicability of conventional verification and validation (V&V) techniques to such systems. We investigated the V&V of neural network-based online adaptive systems and developed a novel validation approach consisting of two important methods. (1) An independent novelty detector at the system input layer detects failure conditions and tracks abnormal events/data that may cause unstable learning behavior. (2) At the system output layer, we perform a validity check on the network predictions to …


Multi-Layer Feed Forward Neural Networks For Foreign Exchange Time Series Forecasting, Bina R. Setyawati Jan 2005

Multi-Layer Feed Forward Neural Networks For Foreign Exchange Time Series Forecasting, Bina R. Setyawati

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation examines the forecasting performance of multi-layer feed forward neural networks in modeling five weekly foreign exchange rates: Australian Dollars/U.S. Dollars (AUS/USD), Euro/U.S. Dollar (EUR/USD), Swiss Franc/U.S. Dollar (CHF/USD), British Pound sterling/U.S. Dollars (GBP/USD), and Japanese Yen/U.S. Dollars (JPY/USD). There are five objectives to accomplish. The first is to determine the key modeling factors that should be considered in topology determination. The second is to compare the performances of Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Modified Tabu Search (TS) in choosing the topology for Neural Networks (NN) implementation. The third is to investigate the suitable learning algorithm for NNs for time …


Amending Subsoil With Composted Poultry Litter: Effects On Soil Physical And Chemical Properties, Turfgrass Establishment And Weed Pressure, Mili Mandal Jan 2005

Amending Subsoil With Composted Poultry Litter: Effects On Soil Physical And Chemical Properties, Turfgrass Establishment And Weed Pressure, Mili Mandal

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Experiments were established in fall 2003 at West Virginia University to evaluate the effects of incorporation of composted poultry litter (CPL) on subsoil physical and chemical properties, Kentucky bluegrass ( Poa Pratensis L.) establishment, root depth, and weed pressure. Twenty cm of topsoil was removed and CPL was incorporated to a depth of 12.7 cm at 10%, 20%, and 40% v/v prior to seeding or sodding. Composted plots were compared to N-fertilized (454 Kg ha-1) and control plots. Positive linear increases in total water content (thetaT), organic matter, pH, and CEC were observed following compost incorporation with a decrease in …


Identification Of Athd2c As A Novel Regulator Of Aba Signaling In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Sunandini Sridhar Jan 2005

Identification Of Athd2c As A Novel Regulator Of Aba Signaling In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Sunandini Sridhar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This report describes AtHD2C as a regulator of the ABA controlled events. AtHD2C is a member of the HD2-type histone deacetylase family. Results indicated an overall physiological significance for the HD2 proteins as well as a possible involvement in embryo development. In continuum with this, seeds overexpressing AtHD2C were insensitive to ABA, NaCl and mannitol at germination. This phenotype was supported by ABA-responsive gene expression patterns in the transgenic plants that implicated a negative role for AtHD2C in ABA response regulation in this developmental window. Additionally, the AtHD2C transcript accumulation was down-regulated by ABA that was reflected by the down-regulation …


Role Of The Host Cell In The Type Iii Translocation Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Exoenzyme S, Elizabeth A. Rucks Jan 2005

Role Of The Host Cell In The Type Iii Translocation Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Exoenzyme S, Elizabeth A. Rucks

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Exoenzyme S (ExoS) is a bifunctional toxin that is directly translocated into eukaryotic cells by the Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) type III secretory (T3S) process. The N-terminal region of ExoS includes a GTPase activating protein (GAP) activity and the C-terminal region includes an ADP-ribosyltransferase (ADPRT) activity. The T3S-translocation (T3S-T) of ExoS allows the bacteria to directly manipulate host cell function, thereby contributing the virulence of Pa. A cell culture model of infection was developed to study the effects of ExoS on cell function, which differentiates the effects of ExoS expression from other bacterial effects. Previous studies found that ExoS inactivates cell …


Quality Of Life And Clinical Outcomes In Type 2 Diabetes Patients At The Primary Care Clinics Of The West Virginia University Hospital, Murali Sundaram Jan 2005

Quality Of Life And Clinical Outcomes In Type 2 Diabetes Patients At The Primary Care Clinics Of The West Virginia University Hospital, Murali Sundaram

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examines relationships between quality of life (QoL) and clinical outcomes, specifically A1C, in Type 2 diabetes patients. Type 2 diabetes patients at the outpatient clinics of a university hospital completed the SF-12 and the Audit of Diabetes Dependent Quality of Life (ADDQoL), and this was merged with a retrospective collection of his/her clinical and utilization data, including A1C. Usable response rate was 44.3% (n = 385). Mean A1C of respondents was 7.2 (+1.4), mean diabetes duration was 10.2 (+9.1), and 62.1% were obese. Only ADDQoL scores showed significant correlation with A1C (r = -0.19, p < 0.000). Hierarchical regression models were used to explain the effect of A1C on QoL controlling for demographics and clinical variables. A1C was not a significant predictor in any regression model, although univariate analyses indicated significantly lower ADDQoL and SF-12 PCS in the group with A1C > 7.0. Obesity was …


The Role Of Apoptosis In Muscle Remodeling, Parco Ming-Fai Siu Jan 2005

The Role Of Apoptosis In Muscle Remodeling, Parco Ming-Fai Siu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Apoptosis has been implicated in mediating the process of muscle loss during muscle disuse and with aging. However, the physiologic role of apoptosis in muscle remodeling is largely unknown. The purposes of this dissertation were to examine the role of apoptosis in different muscle remodeling conditions including muscle denervation, hindlimb suspension, muscle unloading following overload, endurance treadmill training, and muscle overload in mice, rats, or quails. Apoptotic signaling components and cellular stress markers including Bax, Bcl-2, Apaf-1, cytochrome c, caspases, Smac/DIABLO, XIAP, ARC, FLIP, AIF, p53, Id2, p21, c-Myc, PARP, HSP70, HSP27, HSP60, MnSOD, CuZnSOD, catalase, H2O2, MDA/4-HAE, nitrotyrosine or …


Generic Multimodal Biometric Fusion, Yash Shah Jan 2005

Generic Multimodal Biometric Fusion, Yash Shah

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Biometric systems utilize physiological or behavioral traits to automatically identify individuals. A unimodal biometric system utilizes only one source of biometric information and suffers from a variety of problems such as noisy data, intra-class variations, restricted degrees of freedom, non-universality, spoof attacks and unacceptable error rates. Multimodal biometrics refers to a system which utilizes multiple biometric information sources and can overcome some of the limitation of unimodal system. Biometric information can be combined at 4 different levels: (i) Raw data level; (ii) Feature level; (iii) Match-score level; and (iv) Decision level. Match score fusion and decision fusion have received significant …


Drosophila Melanogaster Protein Kinase Ck2 Interacts With And Phosphorylates The Neurogenic Repressor M8 Resulting In The Production Of A Novel Eye Phenotype, Regina L. Trott Jan 2005

Drosophila Melanogaster Protein Kinase Ck2 Interacts With And Phosphorylates The Neurogenic Repressor M8 Resulting In The Production Of A Novel Eye Phenotype, Regina L. Trott

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Protein kinase CK2 is a serine/threonine protein kinase ubiquitously expressed in eukaryotic organisms. The enzyme is composed of 2 alpha (catalytic) subunits and 2 beta (regulatory) subunits. The minimum consensus site for CK2 phosphorylation is S/TXXD/E, where "X" is any non-basic amino acid. Substrates so far identified include proteins associated with cell cycle regulation and development.;In Drosophila melanogaster, the Notch pathway activates members of the Enhancer-of-split Complex [E(spl)-C]. m8, which is a member of the E(spl)-C, was found to interact with and be phosphorylated by CK2. The physiological affects of CK2 phosphorylation were studied in vivo through the Gal4-UAS system. …


Mass Spectrometry Of Metallothionein Adducts As Candidate Biomarkers Of Styrene Oxide And 1-Phenylpropylene Oxide, Sandra G. Tarr Jan 2005

Mass Spectrometry Of Metallothionein Adducts As Candidate Biomarkers Of Styrene Oxide And 1-Phenylpropylene Oxide, Sandra G. Tarr

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Metallothioneins (MT) are cysteine-rich intracellular proteins that sequester epoxides, such as the genotoxic styrene metabolite, styrene oxide (SO). Covalent adduct formation by the ring-opening of SO and its homologue, 1-phenylpropylene oxide (trans), with MT forms stable complexes that potentially may serve as biomarkers for epoxide exposure. MT was reacted with SO and trans-phenylpropylene oxide (PPO) separately in water. Mass spectra of adducts were obtained using electrospray ionization with positive-ion detection in an ion trap mass spectrometer. MS/MS analysis established the covalent nature of the complexation. Further experiments were conducted to determine the site of adduct formation. Molecular modeling was used …


Predicting Treatment Completion: A Study Of The Federal Bureau Of Prisons' Residential Drug Abuse Program, Y. Tami Yanez Jan 2005

Predicting Treatment Completion: A Study Of The Federal Bureau Of Prisons' Residential Drug Abuse Program, Y. Tami Yanez

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Substance abuse and criminal behavior are two commonly associated social concerns. It is not surprising that substance abuse treatment also has demonstrated a reduction not only substance abuse, as well as criminal behavior. The Federal Bureau of Prisons' Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP) has demonstrated wide-reaching benefits. Understanding the 33% non-completion rate of RDAP, then, is an important component of the treatment process. This study, therefore, sought to identify factors present prior to RDAP participation that may predict program completion, which may also guide efforts to reduce relapse and recidivism rates. RDAP completers were slightly more likely to have fewer …


Synthesis Of Novel Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds Via Cascade Cyclizations Of Benzannulated Enyne-Allenes, Yanzhong Zhang Jan 2005

Synthesis Of Novel Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds Via Cascade Cyclizations Of Benzannulated Enyne-Allenes, Yanzhong Zhang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Under mild conditions, a diindeno-fused 4H-cyclopenta[ def]phenanthrene was successfully synthesized through the thionyl chloride-induced cascade cyclizations of the corresponding enediynyl propargylic alcohol with the formation of four new rings in one operation. The diindeno-fused 4H-cyclopenta[def]phenanthrene has a 41-carbon framework represented on the surface of C60.;A variety of helicenes with one or two phenyl substituents at the most sterically hindered position were also successfully synthesized through a cascade sequence of reactions involving a Schmittel cyclization reaction of the corresponding benzannulated enyne-allenes followed by an intramolecular radical-radical coupling reaction to afford the formal Diels-Alder adducts. The helical structures were produced either by …