Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

2007

Discipline
Institution
Keyword
Publication
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 16621 - 16650 of 17823

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

The Doubtful Validity Of Victim-Specific Libel Laws, Nat Stern Jan 2007

The Doubtful Validity Of Victim-Specific Libel Laws, Nat Stern

Villanova Law Review (1956 - )

No abstract provided.


Civil Liberties In Uncivil Times: The Perilous Quest To Preserve American Freedoms, Kenneth Lasson Jan 2007

Civil Liberties In Uncivil Times: The Perilous Quest To Preserve American Freedoms, Kenneth Lasson

All Faculty Scholarship

The perilous quest to preserve civil liberties in uncivil times is not an easy one, but the wisdom of Benjamin Franklin should remain a beacon: "Societies that trade liberty for security end often with neither." Part I of this article is a brief history of civil liberties in America during past conflicts. Part II describes various actions taken by the government to conduct the war on terrorism - including invasions of privacy, immigration policies, deportations, profiling, pre-trial detentions, and secret military tribunals. Part III analyzes the serious Constitutional questions raised by the government's actions in fighting terrorism. The thesis throughout …


Localization And Function Of G2e3, William Samuel Brooks Jan 2007

Localization And Function Of G2e3, William Samuel Brooks

All ETDs from UAB

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 …


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

All ETDs from UAB

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 …


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

All ETDs from UAB

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 …


Factors Associated With Sexual Debut And Depression Among Adolescents In Rural Jamaica, Olaniyi J. Ekundayo Jan 2007

Factors Associated With Sexual Debut And Depression Among Adolescents In Rural Jamaica, Olaniyi J. Ekundayo

All ETDs from UAB

Individual and family factors have been hypothesized to influence adolescent sexual behavior and depression, but the extent to which this is true for adolescents in Jamaica as a whole and for those in rural areas in particular, has not been well studied. The objective of this dissertation was to identify individual and family factors associated with sexual debut and depression among rural Jamaican adolescents. To elucidate these factors and to provide information to guide future interventions, we analyzed data on 748 adolescents attending public high schools in the rural parish of Hanover, Jamaica. Multivariate logistic regression was used to predict …


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

All ETDs from UAB

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 …


Fuzzy Systems Simulation: Models, Foundations, And Systems Development, Leonard J. Jowers Jan 2007

Fuzzy Systems Simulation: Models, Foundations, And Systems Development, Leonard J. Jowers

All ETDs from UAB

Simulations of modeled systems are e®ective tools for evaluating system attributes; fuzzy logic provides for simulation of systems with inherent uncertainties. This re- search to advance simulation of fuzzy systems involves several studies in a planned sequence. Continuous fuzzy system modeling activities constitute a ¯rst stage of re- search action, a natural °ow from earlier work on modeling discrete fuzzy systems; the notion of using crisp simulation to carry out fuzzy computations is at the heart of the work. This activity requires choosing tools and problems with which to demon- strate feasibility and broad applicability of the approach. Some fundamental …


Characterization Of A Global Regulatory Pathway In Streptococcus Pneumoniae, Greer E. Kaufman Jan 2007

Characterization Of A Global Regulatory Pathway In Streptococcus Pneumoniae, Greer E. Kaufman

All ETDs from UAB

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a versatile organism that adapts to many different environments in the host. S. pneumoniae can asymptomatically colonize the nasopharynx of humans. However, dissemination of the bacterium from the nasopharynx to different locations in the body can lead to invasive diseases such as pneumonia, bacteremia, and meningitis. How S. pneumoniae modulates factors that are important for survival in these niches has not been well characterized. In the studies described here, we propose that S. pneumoniae may modulate gene expression in these niches by sensing the different glu-cose concentrations via carbon catabolite control protein A (CcpA). Initially we characterized …


Mcmv Induced Cerebellar Maldevelopment, Thadeus B. Koontz Jan 2007

Mcmv Induced Cerebellar Maldevelopment, Thadeus B. Koontz

All ETDs from UAB

Congenital Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection represents a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in infants and children. While most of the systemic damage incurred by the infant in the course of the infection resolves without permanent consequence, the pathological manifestations of infection in the central nervous system (CNS) are often permanent. Children born with congenital HCMV infection may exhibit hearing loss and cognitive impairment in various degrees. These neurological disabilities are correlated with pathological findings in various permutations including infection of the inner ear, ventricular calcifications, ventriculomegaly, microgyria, lissencephaly, and cerebellar hypoplasia. To develop a therapeutic or preventive strategy, HCMV …


Joining Of Aluminum And Long Fiber Thermoplastic (Lft) Composites, Rahul R. Kulkarni Jan 2007

Joining Of Aluminum And Long Fiber Thermoplastic (Lft) Composites, Rahul R. Kulkarni

All ETDs from UAB

Metal/polymer joints are used in variety of areas: aerospace, automotive, prosthetic devices, electronic packaging, etc. The present study involves a tailcone, which is currently made of aluminum and a new design will involve a joint between aluminum and long fiber thermoplastic (LFT) composite. The new tailcones were processed by insert molding, also called as extrusion-compression molding. Finite element (FE) models were used to obtain a temperature profile during cooling of tailcone from processing and to estimate thermal stresses generated. Experimental verification of the temperature profile was obtained by IR thermography. It was observed that the LFT part of the tailcone …


Teaching Reading Using Informational Texts In Third Grade Classrooms: A Case Study In An Urban School District, Dimple J. Martin Jan 2007

Teaching Reading Using Informational Texts In Third Grade Classrooms: A Case Study In An Urban School District, Dimple J. Martin

All ETDs from UAB

The purpose of these multiple descriptive case studies was to describe and analyze the perspectives of three third grade classroom teachers and two third grade reading coaches regarding the use of informational texts and their influence on reading instruction. The research design involved interviews, and observations using a sample composed of three third grade classroom teachers and two third grade reading coaches in five urban, public elementary schools in the Southeastern United States. The aim of this research was to portray a vivid description of the reading episodes in third grade classrooms. The key findings from the study were that …


Directing Akt And Gsk3ss: Molecular Insights Into Cell Signaling And Survival, Gordon P. Meares Jan 2007

Directing Akt And Gsk3ss: Molecular Insights Into Cell Signaling And Survival, Gordon P. Meares

All ETDs from UAB

Proper regulation of survival signaling is critical for all organisms. One important signaling cascade involved in the coordinated effort to control signals influencing cell fate is the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt-glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) signaling cascade. Following activation by growth factors the PI3K-Akt pathway promotes cell survival and, cell death is facilitated following inhibition of Akt. Many factors influence the function of the Akt-GSK3β signaling dyad, including phosphorylation, protein complex formation and subcellular localization. Previous work had demonstrated that the 90kDa heat shock protein, HSP90, directly binds and stabilizes Akt. Furthermore, several heat shock proteins including HSP90 and HSP105 can …


Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells And The Insulin-Like Growth Factor System In Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy, Sudipto Mukherjee Jan 2007

Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells And The Insulin-Like Growth Factor System In Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy, Sudipto Mukherjee

All ETDs from UAB

The goal of this study was to determine the influence, if any, of the insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) on retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell tractional force generation and the contributions of vitreous insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) towards control of IGF activity. Another objective was to evaluate RPE cells as a potential source of all six high-affinity IGFBPs and to determine if IGFBP biosynthesis is modulated in concert with phenotype changes and growth factor stimuli known to be present in disease. RPE generate tractional forces in response to IGF-I and -II with IGF-I being the more potent stimulus. Differential …


Genetic And Epigenetic Modulation Of Telomerase Activity In Development And Disease, Sharla Marion Ostein Phipps Jan 2007

Genetic And Epigenetic Modulation Of Telomerase Activity In Development And Disease, Sharla Marion Ostein Phipps

All ETDs from UAB

The end replication problem of linear chromosomes leads to the erosion of telomeric DNA with each cell division. A mechanism to counteract telomeric attrition involves the activity of the specialized ribonucleoprotein telomerase. Expression of the catalytic subunit of telomerase, hTERT, is tightly regulated and this regulation is achieved through both genetic and epigenetic mechanisms. Activators such as c- MYC and SP1 and repressors such as MAD1, Menin, and p53 mediate hTERT transcription. Epigenetic control mediated by DNA methylation and histone modifications such as methylation and acetylation can reversibly and potently regulate telomerase activity. Not only is there synergism between the …


Enterprise Configuration Management In A Service-Oriented Architecture Environment Delivering It Services, Robert E. Raygan Jan 2007

Enterprise Configuration Management In A Service-Oriented Architecture Environment Delivering It Services, Robert E. Raygan

All ETDs from UAB

Information Technology (IT) is a collaboration environment for business and engineering. The past decade has seen a reduction in business understanding of engineering principles because of the lack of trained engineers working in IT, while businesses have become increasingly dependent upon new and complex technologies. These new technologies, often still evolving, are system-of-systems environments and present significant challenges to early implementers. Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) is one such system-of-systems that pushes the discipline of Software Configuration Management (SCM) beyond traditionally defined bounds. Evolving standards associated with SOA and the nature of SOA contribute to these challenges of governance and management: loose …


In Vivo Imaging Studies In Animal Models Of Myocardial Infarction With And Without Cell Injections, Balazs Ruzsics Jan 2007

In Vivo Imaging Studies In Animal Models Of Myocardial Infarction With And Without Cell Injections, Balazs Ruzsics

All ETDs from UAB

After prolonged myocardial ischemia, myocardial infarction occurs. Several tissue changes are associated with myocardial infarction and iron labeled cell injections. In the present thesis our major aim was to develop methods to monitor these tissue changes with MRI and MDCT. In the first chapter we used transendocardial injection to deliver iron labeled allogen skeletal myoblasts one week after myocardial infarction. Our goal was to identify the cells and/or injection sites in the myocardium. We used our new Tissue Characterization Mapping method to delineate tissue edema and hemorrhage in the myocardium. The T2 weighted signal intensity enhancement, T2w SIE region was …


A Study Of Perceived Stress, Anxiety, Somatic Symptoms, And Spirituality In Practitioners Of The Martial Art Aikido, Howell E. Tapley Jan 2007

A Study Of Perceived Stress, Anxiety, Somatic Symptoms, And Spirituality In Practitioners Of The Martial Art Aikido, Howell E. Tapley

All ETDs from UAB

The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between physical, mental and spiritual health. An additional purpose was to determine if the practice of aikido was associated with measurable levels of somatic symptoms, perceived stress, anxiety and spirituality. Measurement instruments included Cohen’s 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Spielberger’s 20-item Trait Anxiety Inventory (TAI), the Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15), and the 16-item Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale (DSES). A cross-sectional research design was utilized in this study to test the following hypotheses: 1) After controlling for demographic variables, daily spiritual experience will explain variability in perceived stress, anxiety and somatic symptoms, …


Influence Of A Sacs Review Of One Previously Unaccredited, Urban Middle School: A Qualitative And Quantitative Analysis, Carole Elaine Braden Tull Jan 2007

Influence Of A Sacs Review Of One Previously Unaccredited, Urban Middle School: A Qualitative And Quantitative Analysis, Carole Elaine Braden Tull

All ETDs from UAB

The need for data-driven education and proof of accountability has become apparent since the reform movement in American education that began with A Nation at Risk (National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1983). Accreditation identifies schools as quality institutions, yet little K-12 research is available pertaining to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). In this longitudinal study, quantitative and qualitative methods were used to explore the impact of an initial SACS review on an urban, Title I middle school. The target school gained full SACS membership in May 2004. For the next three years the researcher gathered Stanford …


The Study Of Gfap Transcription., Youngjin Lee Jan 2007

The Study Of Gfap Transcription., Youngjin Lee

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.


Proteolysis And The Growth Hormone Receptor: Identification And Characterization Of Ghr As A Γ-Secretase Substrate, Jon Walter Cowan Jan 2007

Proteolysis And The Growth Hormone Receptor: Identification And Characterization Of Ghr As A Γ-Secretase Substrate, Jon Walter Cowan

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.


Cost-Effectiveness Of A Multi-Stage School-Based Asthma Case Detection Program In An Urban School System, Joe K. Gerald Jan 2007

Cost-Effectiveness Of A Multi-Stage School-Based Asthma Case Detection Program In An Urban School System, Joe K. Gerald

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.


Dysregulated Enac And Nhe Function In Cilium-Deficient Renal Collecting Duct Cell Monolayers, A Model Of Polycystic Kidney Disease, Dragos S. Olteanu Jan 2007

Dysregulated Enac And Nhe Function In Cilium-Deficient Renal Collecting Duct Cell Monolayers, A Model Of Polycystic Kidney Disease, Dragos S. Olteanu

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.


Sturctural And Functional Analysis Of Klf4, Ashka Y. Pandya Jan 2007

Sturctural And Functional Analysis Of Klf4, Ashka Y. Pandya

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.


Sunscreen Fluorescence In Skin, Skin Cells, And Dielectric Nanospheres: A New Method To Evaluate Sunscreen In A Novel Model System For Skin, Rajagopal Krishnan Jan 2007

Sunscreen Fluorescence In Skin, Skin Cells, And Dielectric Nanospheres: A New Method To Evaluate Sunscreen In A Novel Model System For Skin, Rajagopal Krishnan

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.


Role Of Hypoxia In Epithelial Gene Regulation, Jennifer S. Guimbellot Jan 2007

Role Of Hypoxia In Epithelial Gene Regulation, Jennifer S. Guimbellot

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.


The Specter Of Post-Communism : Competing Explanations For Health Crisis In The Post-Soviet States, Brian Philip Hinote Jan 2007

The Specter Of Post-Communism : Competing Explanations For Health Crisis In The Post-Soviet States, Brian Philip Hinote

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.


Regulation Of Gene Expression In Response To Continuous Low Intensity Direct Current Electrical Fields, Jessica Amber Jennings Jan 2007

Regulation Of Gene Expression In Response To Continuous Low Intensity Direct Current Electrical Fields, Jessica Amber Jennings

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.


Effects Of Pulsed Electromagnetic Stimulation On Cultured Dermal Fibroblasts From Diabetic And Non-Diabetic Rats, Cara Rouse Davis Jan 2007

Effects Of Pulsed Electromagnetic Stimulation On Cultured Dermal Fibroblasts From Diabetic And Non-Diabetic Rats, Cara Rouse Davis

All ETDs from UAB

Diabetes is a disease affecting an increasing number people each year. The medical costs of patients with diabetes are substantial due to the many complications associated with the disease. Dermal wounds are one of these complications and are often very difficult to properly heal. Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields (PEMFs) have been introduced as a method by which to speed the healing of dermal wounds. In this study, a device (provided by Biomet/EBI, Parsippany, NJ) for supplying PEMFs in vitro was used to stimulate dermal fibroblasts, one of the key cells in wound healing. These cells were isolated from the genetically diabetic …


In Vitro Compressive Fracture Resistance Of The Human Maxillary First Premolar With Different Mod Cavity Design And Restorative Materials, Wen-Chou Wu Jan 2007

In Vitro Compressive Fracture Resistance Of The Human Maxillary First Premolar With Different Mod Cavity Design And Restorative Materials, Wen-Chou Wu

All ETDs from UAB

Cuspal failures of MOD (mesial-occlusal-distal) restored teeth have been constantly observed in clinic especially those restored with amalgam. As the pulpal depth and isthmus width of the preparation increases, the strength decreases. A number of studies have investigated the adhesive technique which is intended to increase the fracture resistance by bonding the tooth structure. The results of the studies are controversial because of the differences of research design among studies. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the fracture resistance of the human maxillary first premolar restored with condensable composite (Surefil, Dentsply) and CEREC 3D ProCAD leucite-reinforced ceramic inlays …