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2010

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Cardiovascular Endothelial Regeneration On An Electrospun Scaffold, Xing Zhang Jan 2010

Cardiovascular Endothelial Regeneration On An Electrospun Scaffold, Xing Zhang

All ETDs from UAB

A bi-layer electrospun nano-fibrous scaffold comprising synthetic polymers and natural proteins was constructed as the prototype of an arterial substitute for coronary ar-tery disease. This scaffold featured a highly porous microstructure analogous to native extracellular matrix. Uni-axial tensile test suggested that its excellent mechanical strength could restore normal blood flow immediately after implantation. Subsequent biocompati-bility study demonstrated that scaffolding materials, either traditional or degraded, were non-toxic to the regenerated human endothelium on the luminal layer. Moreover, this re-generated endothelium possessed critical functions, such as the formation of tight junc-tions, the secretion of prostacyclin, and the prevention of platelet adhesion. Thereafter, …

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A Ck2-Dependent Mechanism For Activation Of The Jak-Stat Signaling Pathway: Implications For Cancer Biology, Ying Zheng Jan 2010

A Ck2-Dependent Mechanism For Activation Of The Jak-Stat Signaling Pathway: Implications For Cancer Biology, Ying Zheng

All ETDs from UAB

Janus Kinase (JAK)-Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (STAT) signaling is involved in regulation of cell survival, proliferation and differentiation. JAK tyrosine kinases can be transiently activated by cytokines or growth factors in normal cells, while they become constitutively activated as a result of mutations that affect their function in tumors. Specifically, the JAK2V617F mutation is present in the majority of patients with myeloproliferative disorders (MPDs) and is implicated in the pathogenesis of these diseases. In this dissertation, we report the identification of the serine/threonine kinase CK2 as a novel interactor and important regulator of activation of the JAK-STAT signaling …

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Roles Of Nr4a3 In Insulin Sensitivity In Skeletal Muscle, Xiaolin Zhu Jan 2010

Roles Of Nr4a3 In Insulin Sensitivity In Skeletal Muscle, Xiaolin Zhu

All ETDs from UAB

For the past several decades, the prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes and the metabolic syndrome has been increasing. Insulin resistance is the central pathogenic event for these diseases. We previously reported that the NR4A family of orphan nuclear receptors augments insulin sensitivity in adipocytes. We now found that lentiviral mediated NR4A3 hyper-expression increased insulin stimulated glucose transport (ISGT) in C2C12 myocytes while NR4A3 knock-down exhibited opposite effect. We also examined the effects of prostaglandin A2 (PGA2) on insulin action and NR4A3 trans-activation in C2C12 myocytes. PGA2 augmented ISGT and insulin stimulated AKT phosphorylation in C2C12 myocytes. Importantly, PGA2 treatment led …

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Diversity, Commonality, And Stability Of Mutans Streptococci In High Caries Risk Children, Kyounga Cheon Jan 2010

Diversity, Commonality, And Stability Of Mutans Streptococci In High Caries Risk Children, Kyounga Cheon

All ETDs from UAB

Mutans streptococci (MS), Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus are associated with the initiation of dental caries in humans. Initially, a single S. mutans genotype has been shown to colonize primary molars soon after eruption. More genotypes can be acquired with age and further dental development. Current methods used to genotype isolates from an individual have not systematically determined the minimum number required to demonstrate an individual's genetic diversity. The purpose of this study was to determine the optimum number of oral isolates of MS (i.e., from plaque samples) to genotype in order to demonstrate diversity. This study also initiated a …

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Protective Antibodies To The Proline-Rich And Alpha Helical Regions Of Pneumococcal Surface Protein A And Their Detection In An In Vitro Surrogate Assay, Calvin Clay Daniels Jan 2010

Protective Antibodies To The Proline-Rich And Alpha Helical Regions Of Pneumococcal Surface Protein A And Their Detection In An In Vitro Surrogate Assay, Calvin Clay Daniels

All ETDs from UAB

Current pneumococcal vaccines containing pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide antigens protect against infection by pneumococci. However, this protection is limited to strains expressing the capsule types included in the vaccine. Since the introduction of these vaccines, the increase in incidence of infection by serotypes not targeted by the vaccine, a process called "serotype replacement," and the growing antibiotic resistance of replacement strains both stress the need for vaccines with broader protection. The alpha-helical region of a protein present on all clinical isolates of pneumococci, Pneumococcal Surface Protein A (PspA), elicits protective immunity. Downstream of the alpha-helical region is a highly conserved region …

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From Urban Student To Urban Educator: A Narrative Of The Lived Experiences Of Urban Middle School Teachers In A Southeastern School District, Nichole S. Davis Jan 2010

From Urban Student To Urban Educator: A Narrative Of The Lived Experiences Of Urban Middle School Teachers In A Southeastern School District, Nichole S. Davis

All ETDs from UAB

ABSTRACT The purpose of this narrative study was to explore the thoughts, perceptions, and experiences of 12 urban middle school teachers who were once urban middle school students. The study sought to discover reasons why these teachers returned to urban middle schools to teach and why they decided to stay. A qualitative methodology, using the narrative design, was chosen for this study and interviews were conducted in order to obtain quality re-tellings of authentic experiences. The researcher sought to gain an understanding of life in the urban middle school environment. Purposeful sampling was used to select the 12 participants. The …

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An Investigation Of The Molecular Mechanisms Involved In The Generation Of Breast Cancer, Joseph Tyson Deangelis Jan 2010

An Investigation Of The Molecular Mechanisms Involved In The Generation Of Breast Cancer, Joseph Tyson Deangelis

All ETDs from UAB

Cell culture models of oncogenesis that use cellular reprogramming to generate a neoplastic cell from a normal cell provide one of the few opportunities to study the early stages of breast cancer development. Human mammary epithelial cells (HMECs) were induced to undergo a neoplastic transformation using defined genetic elements to generate transformed HMECs (THMECs). We conducted proteomic and transcriptomic analysis of three points in the neoplastic progression of breast cancer. First we monitored alterations in the proteome that revealed a progressive trend towards a metastatic state. Next, we identified a set of genes from transcriptomic analysis that displayed this same …

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Evolution And Genetic Diversity In Streptococcus Pneumoniae, Diana Lee Dupraw Jan 2010

Evolution And Genetic Diversity In Streptococcus Pneumoniae, Diana Lee Dupraw

All ETDs from UAB

The relative contributions of point mutations and intergenomic recombination via lateral gene transfer (LGT) determine the population structure and evolutionary style for a given bacterial species. Streptococcus pneumoniae has a weakly clonal population structure; adaptive clonal complexes can be detected; however, these can also be rapidly lost due to the high rate of recombination. To characterize the diversity of pneumococcal isolates in clonal complex, and to elucidate possible mechanisms for the long-term stability of such complexes, 35 serotype 6B strains belonging to a previously identified clonal complex, CC14, were assayed by Comparative Genome Hybridization (CGH) and Multi Locus Sequence Typing …

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Brms1 Coordinately Regulates Microrna To Suppress Breast, Mick D. Edmonds Jan 2010

Brms1 Coordinately Regulates Microrna To Suppress Breast, Mick D. Edmonds

All ETDs from UAB

The majority of cancer related mortality is attributed to complications associated with metastatic disease. Breast cancer metastasis suppressor 1 (BRMS1) suppresses metastasis of multiple cancer types in vivo and loss of nuclear BRMS1 is associated with ER-negative cancers and a high rate of proliferation. Many groups have shown BRMS1 to regulate the expression of multiple metastatic genes, yet until now no one has been able to account for how these many changes in gene expression occur. In this work, we report that BRMS1 regulates a select set of genes called microRNA (miRNA), and these miRNA themselves can regulate metastasis. Using …

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Characteristics Of Fundraising For Nonprofit Hospital Organizations, Cathleen Owens Erwin Jan 2010

Characteristics Of Fundraising For Nonprofit Hospital Organizations, Cathleen Owens Erwin

All ETDs from UAB

This study addresses a gap that has been noted in the charitable fundraising literature, which is a scarcity of theoretically-based studies of fundraising by nonprofit organizations and the need to study fundraising within sub-sectors of organizations rather than the full nonprofit sector. The study uses institutional theory and strategic management constructs to examine the characteristics of the fundraising operations of nonprofit organizations. A categorization scheme is created based on nonprofit organizational effectiveness and performance characteristics to analyze fundraising by nonprofit hospital organizations as an organizational field. The categorization scheme identifies distinct clusters of organizations that are then investigated to determine …

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Preclinical Pharmacology Of Novel Synthetic Iminoquinones As Anticancer Agents, Scharri Ezell Jan 2010

Preclinical Pharmacology Of Novel Synthetic Iminoquinones As Anticancer Agents, Scharri Ezell

All ETDs from UAB

Prostate cancer is the most common male malignancy and the second leading cause of cancer related death in the United States. Despite recent advances in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of prostate cancer, there is a need for more effective therapies. Unfortunately, most conventional therapeutic modalities, such as androgen ablation therapy, frequently result in androgen-independent cancers. These cancers are typically more aggressive, metastatic, and resistant to chemotherapeutic agents than androgen-dependent prostate cancer. Therefore, agents that are effective against both androgen-sensitive and androgen-independent, as well as genetically diverse cancers are critically needed. The objective of the dissertation research was to address …

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The Bacterial Community Of A Freshwater Sponge, Radiospongilla Cerebellata: A Comparison Of Terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms (T -Rflp) And 16s Rrna Clone Library Methods, Andrew Stephen Mobley Jan 2010

The Bacterial Community Of A Freshwater Sponge, Radiospongilla Cerebellata: A Comparison Of Terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms (T -Rflp) And 16s Rrna Clone Library Methods, Andrew Stephen Mobley

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

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Microhardness And Caries Resistance Of An Infiltrant Resin In A Novel Artificial Mouth, Ian Saad Mugisa Jan 2010

Microhardness And Caries Resistance Of An Infiltrant Resin In A Novel Artificial Mouth, Ian Saad Mugisa

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

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Assessment Of Water Samples From The Cahaba River And Buck Creek For The Presence Of Estrogenic Compounds, Patricia Jackson Jan 2010

Assessment Of Water Samples From The Cahaba River And Buck Creek For The Presence Of Estrogenic Compounds, Patricia Jackson

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

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Methods For Estimating Mediation Effect In Survival Analysis: Does Weight Loss Mediate The Undernutrition-Mortality Relationship In The Older Adults?, Yanhui Sun Jan 2010

Methods For Estimating Mediation Effect In Survival Analysis: Does Weight Loss Mediate The Undernutrition-Mortality Relationship In The Older Adults?, Yanhui Sun

All ETDs from UAB

The influence of undernutrition on mortality and other adverse outcomes through the mechanism of unintentional weight loss in older adults is often assumed, but the analytic methods to test these mediation mechanisms are not well-developed, and the need for methodological advances in this area motivated this program of research. We first examined the test-retest reliability and predictive validity of self-reported caloric intake as a measure of undernutrition. Acceptable reliability was observed, consistent with previous reports, but the evidence for predictive validity was inconsistent and self-reported caloric intake deficiency was not found to be related to observed weight loss. We then …

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Roles Of Adiponectin And Its Receptors In Foam Cell Transformation, Ling Tian Jan 2010

Roles Of Adiponectin And Its Receptors In Foam Cell Transformation, Ling Tian

All ETDs from UAB

Macrophages play a critical role in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis by producing pro-inflammatory mediators and transforming into lipid-laden foam cells. The prevention of lipid accumulation and inflammation in macrophage foam cells, therefore, represents a promising target for effective therapy for atherosclerosis. Adiponectin is a circulating cytokine primarily expressed and secreted by adipocytes, and is downregulated in obesity-linked diseases including type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease and hypertension. In oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL)-induced human THP-1 macrophage foam cells, adiponectin suppresses lipid accumulation through decreasing lipid uptake and increasing high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-mediated lipid efflux. The potential mechanisms that adiponectin utilizes …

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Cgmp Pde As A Novel Molecular Target For The Prevention And Treatment Of Breast Cancer, Heather Nicole Tinsley Jan 2010

Cgmp Pde As A Novel Molecular Target For The Prevention And Treatment Of Breast Cancer, Heather Nicole Tinsley

All ETDs from UAB

Breast cancer remains a major health concern, despite efforts to develop improved therapeutics. Chemoprevention is a promising strategy for reducing breast cancer-related morbidity and mortality. However, with the exception of the selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), which have limited efficacy and severe toxicities, no drugs have been approved for breast cancer chemoprevention. Studies demonstrate that certain nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) display promising chemopreventive efficacy. Unfortunately, the depletion of physiologically important prostaglandins due to inhibition of the cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes results in potentially fatal toxicities, which exclude the use of NSAIDs and COX-2 selective inhibitors for chemoprevention. Ample data, however, suggest …

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Growth Of Chromium-Doped Zinc Selenide Thin Films By Pulsed Laser Deposition For Mid-Infrared Applications, Jonathan Ezekiel Williams Jan 2010

Growth Of Chromium-Doped Zinc Selenide Thin Films By Pulsed Laser Deposition For Mid-Infrared Applications, Jonathan Ezekiel Williams

All ETDs from UAB

Transition metal doped II-VI semiconductor materials features excellent spectroscopic and lasing characteristics in the middle infrared (mid-IR). Among this class of laser material, the most impressive results have been obtained from chromium-doped zinc selenide (Cr2+:ZnSe) crystals. To date, Cr2+:ZnSe materials are arguably the best choice of laser gain material for the advancements of high power mid-IR lasers broadly tunable over the 2-3 μm spectral range. The dissertation objectives are to demonstrate technological advancements in the development Cr2+:ZnSe thin films by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) thus establishing a viable route for the synthesis of mid-IR laser gain media based on Cr2+:ZnSe …

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Contributions Of The Atrial Natriuretic Peptide Gene System To The Relationship Between Pediatric Body Fat, Free Fatty Acids, And Blood Pressure, Amanda Willig Jan 2010

Contributions Of The Atrial Natriuretic Peptide Gene System To The Relationship Between Pediatric Body Fat, Free Fatty Acids, And Blood Pressure, Amanda Willig

All ETDs from UAB

Elevated blood pressure and nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) in children can lead to increased chronic disease risk during adulthood. The atrial natriuretic peptide precursor A (NPPA) and natiuretic peptide receptor A (NPR1) genes encode for atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and its cell receptor, respectively, and may influence levels of blood pressure and NEFA. Additionally, it is unclear how body composition, physical activity, physical fitness, and racial genetic ancestry influence pediatric NEFA and blood pressure. In order to understand the associations among these factors, five investigations were performed. For experimental aim 1, the association between blood pressure and body composition measures …

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Accuracy And Reliability Of Plaster Models Vs Electronic Models, Thomas E. Berchtold Jan 2010

Accuracy And Reliability Of Plaster Models Vs Electronic Models, Thomas E. Berchtold

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

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Gastric Th17 Response To Helicobacter Pylori Infection In Children, Shelton W. Wright Jan 2010

Gastric Th17 Response To Helicobacter Pylori Infection In Children, Shelton W. Wright

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

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Expansion And Differentiation Of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells In A Perfusion And Surface Shear Stress Biore Actor For Engineered Tissue Cartilage, Carlos A. Carmona-Moran Jan 2010

Expansion And Differentiation Of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells In A Perfusion And Surface Shear Stress Biore Actor For Engineered Tissue Cartilage, Carlos A. Carmona-Moran

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

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Wear Of Enamel Antagonist Against Ceramic Restorative Materials, Taneet Ghuman Jan 2010

Wear Of Enamel Antagonist Against Ceramic Restorative Materials, Taneet Ghuman

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

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Potential Chemical Defenses Against Diatom Fouling In Macroalgae From The Antarctic Peninsula: Insights From Bioassay Guided Fractionation, Hamel P. Sevak Jan 2010

Potential Chemical Defenses Against Diatom Fouling In Macroalgae From The Antarctic Peninsula: Insights From Bioassay Guided Fractionation, Hamel P. Sevak

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

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Pregnancy, Work, And The Promise Of Equal Citizenship, Joanna L. Grossman Jan 2010

Pregnancy, Work, And The Promise Of Equal Citizenship, Joanna L. Grossman

Faculty Journal Articles and Book Chapters

No abstract provided.

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Recalibrating The Legal Risks Of Cross-Border Health Care, Nathan Cortez Jan 2010

Recalibrating The Legal Risks Of Cross-Border Health Care, Nathan Cortez

Faculty Journal Articles and Book Chapters

The nascent scholarship surrounding "medical tourism" assumes, without much scrutiny, that foreign jurisdictions provide few legal remedies to patients, instead focusing on whether U.S. patients can sue in U.S. courts. This article tests that assumption by examining whether patients might recover adequate compensation not only in the United States, but in four common destinations: India, Thailand, Singapore, and Mexico. I analyze how each jurisdiction handles medical malpractice complaints and discuss the unique obstacles patients might face when navigating each of these systems. I conclude that U.S. patients will struggle to recover remotely adequate compensation in each of these jurisdictions. This …

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Study Of The Microbial Diversity And Antimicrobial Properties Of Irish Edible Brown Seaweeds, Shilpi Gupta, Gaurav Rajauria, Nissreen Abu-Ghannam Jan 2010

Study Of The Microbial Diversity And Antimicrobial Properties Of Irish Edible Brown Seaweeds, Shilpi Gupta, Gaurav Rajauria, Nissreen Abu-Ghannam

Articles

Brown Irish edible seaweeds, Himanthalia elongata, Laminaria sachharina and Laminaria digitata, were evaluated for the microbiota in raw and heat processed form. Raw seaweeds showed complete absence of aerobic mesophiles, halophiles, yeasts and molds. However, heating at 85 C for 15 min resulted in spore germination. Bacterial counts as high as 107 were observed for aerobic mesophiles and halophiles. Heating above 95 C for 15 min resulted in complete inactivation of surface microflora. Bacteria belonging to Bacillaceae, Paenibacillaceae, Moraxellaceae and Enterobacteriaceae family were identified by 16S rRNA sequencing. In vitro antimicrobial activity of the methanolic extracts of the seaweed on …

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Growth And Kinetics Of Lactobacillus Plantarum In The Fermentation Of Edible Irish Brown Seaweeds, Shilpi Gupta, Nissreen Abu-Ghannam, Amalia G.M. Scannell Jan 2010

Growth And Kinetics Of Lactobacillus Plantarum In The Fermentation Of Edible Irish Brown Seaweeds, Shilpi Gupta, Nissreen Abu-Ghannam, Amalia G.M. Scannell

Articles

The aim of the present study was to see the applicability of using brown edible seaweeds as a sole source of nutrition for the growth of lactic acid bacteria. Growth kinetics of lactic acid bacteria (LAB; Lactobacillus plantarum) was studied using three species of edible Irish brown seaweeds Himanthalia elongata, Laminaria digitata and Laminaria saccharina. As part of the screening process, growth of the LAB was carried out on raw and heat treated forms of seaweeds. The seaweed species in their raw state could not support the growth of L. plantarum. Heat treatment resulted in almost 4 times increase in …

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Inactivation Of Escherichia Coli By Ozone Treatment Of Apple Juice At Different Ph Levels, Sonal Patil, Vasilis Valdramidis, Patrick J. Cullen, Jesus Maria Frias, Paula Bourke Jan 2010

Inactivation Of Escherichia Coli By Ozone Treatment Of Apple Juice At Different Ph Levels, Sonal Patil, Vasilis Valdramidis, Patrick J. Cullen, Jesus Maria Frias, Paula Bourke

Articles

This research investigated the efficacy of gaseous ozone for the inactivation of Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and NCTC 12900 strains in orange juice. Orange juice inoculated with E. coli (106 CFU mL-1) as a challenge microorganism was treated with ozone at 75-78µg mL-1 for different time periods (0-18 min). The efficacy of ozone for inactivation of both strains of E. coli was evaluated as a function of different juice types: model orange juice, fresh unfiltered juice, juice without pulp, and juice filtered through 500mm or 1mm sieves. Fast inactivation rates for total reduction of E. coli …

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Influence Of Cultivation Conditions On The Production Of A Thermostable Extracellular Lipase From Amycolatopsis Mediterranei Dsm 43304, Dharmdendra Dheeman, Jesus Maria Frias, Gary Henehan Jan 2010

Influence Of Cultivation Conditions On The Production Of A Thermostable Extracellular Lipase From Amycolatopsis Mediterranei Dsm 43304, Dharmdendra Dheeman, Jesus Maria Frias, Gary Henehan

Articles

Among several lipase producing actinomycete strains screened, Amycolatopsis mediterranei DSM 43304 was found to produce a thermostable, extracellular lipase. Culture condition and nutrient source modification studies involving carbon sources, nitrogen sources, incubation temperature and medium pH were carried out. Lipase activity of 1.37 ± 0.103 IU/ml of culture medium was obtained in 96 h at 28 °C and pH 7.5 using linseed oil and fructose as carbon sources and a combination of phytone peptone and yeast extract (5:1) as nitrogen sources. In optimal culture conditions the lipase activity was enhanced 12-fold with a 2-fold increase in lipase specific activity. The …

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