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2012

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Extraction Optimization And Determination Of The Absolute Configuartion Of Clathric Acid, De Leon Rolando Rueda Jan 2012

Extraction Optimization And Determination Of The Absolute Configuartion Of Clathric Acid, De Leon Rolando Rueda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Current research in natural products has heavily focused on the identification of potent biologically active compounds, specifically for drug development. The project detailed in this thesis focuses on the extraction of compounds from marine invertebrates as well as defining the absolute configuration for a compound. Utilizing marine invertebrates, the sonications method developed in this thesis provides an alternative approach to rapidly extract compounds for primary screening. This method is viable compared to a traditional overnight extraction method, without suffering compound degredation... Previously, clathric acid was isolated from an unknown Clathria sp. This compound is a bibyblic C-21 terpenoid shown to …

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Family Resiliency, Family Needs And Community Re-Integration In Persons With Brain Injury, Julianne Agonis Jan 2012

Family Resiliency, Family Needs And Community Re-Integration In Persons With Brain Injury, Julianne Agonis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a disability resulting in functional impairments and heightened dependence on others. Family members of persons with TBI can assume added responsibilities during the adjustment to the disability and rehabilitation process, placing strain on the family system. Community re-integration is a primary goal of the rehabilitation process for persons with TBI as this is a step in developing autonomy and promoting independence and productive activity throughout different areas of the person's life (e.g., work, social networks, and home life). This study was designed to examine predictors of community re-integration outcomes of TBI survivors and empirically test …

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Fatigue And Fracture Of Foam Cores Used In Sandwich Composites, Elio. Saenz Jan 2012

Fatigue And Fracture Of Foam Cores Used In Sandwich Composites, Elio. Saenz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

This study focused on the fracture and fatigue crack growth behavior in polyvinylchloride (PVC) and polyethersulfone (PES) foams. A new sandwich double cantilever beam (DCB) test specimen was implemented. Elastic foundation and finite element analysis and experimental testing confirmed that the DCB specimen is appropriate for static and cyclic crack propagation testing of soft polymer foams. A comprehensive experimental mechanical analysis was conducted on PVC foams of densities ranging from 45 to 100 kg/m3 and PES foams of densities ranging from 60 to 130 kg/m3. An in-situ scanning electron microscope study on miniature foam fracture specimens showed that crack propagation …

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Feasting With Panthers", Albert. Morris Jan 2012

Feasting With Panthers", Albert. Morris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

The purpose of this study is to analyze the problem posed by homosexuality in Dante's Commedia. I look at several topics and questions : A) What are the implications of homosexuality in regards to both justice in the polis and to divine justice in the next world? B) What are the poetics of queer variance? C) What are the oedipal issues surrounding the Dantean father-figures VIrgil, Brunetto Latini, and other males? D) What is the role of the pedagogic Eros in promoting a strong national bond and social ethos? E) Where does Dante situate "sodomites" (and, by extension, what role …

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Fight For Education, Fight For Freedom, Samantha. Messinger Jan 2012

Fight For Education, Fight For Freedom, Samantha. Messinger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

The three novels examined in this thesis do not deal with the subject of slavery directly; however, I argue that, much like slave narratives, they all depict oppressive master/slave relationships and feature protagonists who fight for freedom through literacy and/or education. This thesis outlines three contemporary novels that take place during or after the Civil Rights Movement, what I call "freedom narratives," that not only signify on, but pay tribute to, the slave and neo-slave narrative tradition. These novels borrow from the tradition, not only in terms of structure, but also in terms of plot, point of view, theme, and …

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Food Habits Of Breeding Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus Leucocephalus) In Florida Bay, Everglades National Park, Matthew Hanson Jan 2012

Food Habits Of Breeding Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus Leucocephalus) In Florida Bay, Everglades National Park, Matthew Hanson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

The population of Bald Eagles in Florida Bay, Everglades National Park has declined over the past few decades. It is hypothesized that changes in prey availabilities from alterations to ecosystem conditions have contributed to this decline. Our goals were to document diet and explore how prey availabilities may affect the Bald Eagle. For the 2009 and 2010 breeding seasons we collected prey remains from nest sites and video monitored provisioning of prey. Prey remains consisted of 33 species and were compositionally different than prey remains collected prior to ecological changes, suggesting changes in prey availabilities. Also, provisioning rates were significantly …

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Functional Constraints On Young Children's Object Problem Solving, Sarah Bidmead Jan 2012

Functional Constraints On Young Children's Object Problem Solving, Sarah Bidmead

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Although some research has suggested that very young children are "immune" to functional fixedness (FF), other work has shown that young children form robust associations between objects and their prescribed functions. Across two studies, I investigated (a) the developmental trajectory of FF and (b) its relationship with executive function components (inhibitory control and working memory) in 3- to 6-year old children. Both older and younger children experience FF, but older children use familiar tools more flexibly than younger children (3- and 4-year olds). Furthermore, inhibitory control was related to overcoming FF, indicating that it may be an important cognitive capacity …

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Gaze To Discover, Tabitha. Pennekamp Jan 2012

Gaze To Discover, Tabitha. Pennekamp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Gaze to discover is the approach a viewer should take as s/he encounters the work within this exhibition. The main idea is that the work should be interactive. Developing this interaction is the objective of each piece. To engage viewers to interact with a piece of art coincides with the ability to acquire their undivided attention. The realization that it is difficult for a viewer to have a tangible interaction with artwork in a gallery setting leads to asking the viewer to interact visually, "to look fixedly" - to gaze (Webster's Dictionary). Gazing at the work will direct the viewer …

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Gender, Disability, And Literature In The Global South, Tulasi. Acharya Jan 2012

Gender, Disability, And Literature In The Global South, Tulasi. Acharya

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

This thesis explores gender, disability and literature in the Global South through an examination of the writings of two physically disabled contemporary women writers from Nepal, BIshnu Kumari Waiwa and Jhamak Ghimire. I show how these renowned contemporary writers challenge stigmas of the disabled body by deconstructiong the "ideology of ability" through their poetry, fiction, and autobiographical narratives. Religious and cultural values disable women's autonomy in general, and create even greater disadvantages for women who are physically disabled. Challenging these cultural stigmas, Waiwa and Ghimire celebrate sexuality and disability as sources of creativity, agency, and identity in narratives that deconstruct …

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Gendered Images Of Expertise, Leadership And Virture, Robin Lynn Larson Jan 2012

Gendered Images Of Expertise, Leadership And Virture, Robin Lynn Larson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

In this dissertation, a theoretical framework is developed from Camilla Stivers' (2002) argument that images of expertise, leadership and virtue are used to defend public administration's legitimacy in the face of criticisms about the inefficiencies of government and the power wielded by bureaucrats. Stivers argues that these legitimizing and traditional images have historical and cultural roots in ideas associated with masculinity, and that this harms women in the public sector. The realm of policing faced similar criticisms and defended its legitimacy by altering practices, the day-to-day actions of police practitioners. The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the possibility …

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Generating Narratives, Samuel. Greene Jan 2012

Generating Narratives, Samuel. Greene

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

In order to facilitate the development, discussion, and advancement of the relatively new subfield of Artificial Intelligence focused on generating narrative content, the author has developed a pattern language for generating narratives, along with a new categorization framework for narrative generation systems. An emphasis and focus is placed on generating the Fabula of the story (the ordered sequence of events that make up the plot). Approaches to narrative generation are classified into one of three categories, and a pattern is presented for each approach. Enhancement patterns that can be used in conjunction with one of the core patterns are also …

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Global Distribution Of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (Otec) Resources And Applicability In U.S. Waters Near Florida, Lynn. Rauchenstein Jan 2012

Global Distribution Of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (Otec) Resources And Applicability In U.S. Waters Near Florida, Lynn. Rauchenstein

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

The following study explores the worldwide spatial and temporal distributions of electrical power that can be extracted from the ocean's stored solar energy via the process of closed-cycle ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC). Special emphasis is placed on resources surrounding the state of Florida. The study combines oceanographic input from a state-of-the-art ocean circulation model, the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model, with a state-of-the-industry OTEC plant model to predict achievable power values across the world. These power predictions are then constrained by local replenishment rates of cold deep sea water to provide an upper limit to the sustainable OTEC resource. Next, …

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Habitat Location And Selection By The Sargassum Crab Portunus Sayi, Lorin E. West Jan 2012

Habitat Location And Selection By The Sargassum Crab Portunus Sayi, Lorin E. West

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

The Sargassum community consists of a unique and idverse assemblage of fauna critical to pelagic food chains. Associated organisms presumably have adaptations to assist in finding Sargassum. This study investigated cues used for habitat location and selection by the Sargassum crab, Portunus sayi. Chemical detection trials were conducted with a two-chamber choice apparatus with Sargassum spp. and Thalassia testudinum as source odors. Visual detection trials (devoid of chemical cues) and habitat selection trials were conducted in which crabs were given a choice of habitats. Results showed that P. sayi respoded to chemical odors from Sargassum spp. Crabs visually located habitats …

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Habitat Selection Among Fishes And Shrimp In The Pelagic Sargassum Community, Chelsea Bennice Jan 2012

Habitat Selection Among Fishes And Shrimp In The Pelagic Sargassum Community, Chelsea Bennice

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Pelagic Sargassum was used to determine the effects of habitat architecture for one species of shrimp (Leander tenuicornis) and two species of fish (Stephanolepis hispidus and Histrio histrio). Inter-thallus spacing (low, medium, and high) and depth (shallow versus deep) were manipulated independently to test whether the spatial components of habitat architecture. Two differing habitats (Sargassum versus seagrass species) were tested for the structural component of habitat architecture. There were no significant results for inter-thallus spacing experiments for L. tenuicornis and S. hispidus. H histrio selected habitats with medium inter-thallus spacing in two treatments. Large individual H. histrio contributed mostly to …

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Heaven's Fertile Soil, Ashley. Santy Jan 2012

Heaven's Fertile Soil, Ashley. Santy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

This thesis explores W.P. Kinsella's emphasis on love for land, family, and baseball in discussing relationships between characters in his short story "Shoeless Joe Jackson Comes to Iowa". Chapter I introduces the characters, their role in establishing this as a tale of conservation through agrarianism, and how Kinsella's choice to write a positive story creates unique potential for healing. Chapter II establishes similarities between the father's war experiences and Jackson's exile from baseball, underscoring its mythic importance. Chapter III examines the relationship between the protagonist and his wife, and how their relationship symbolically fosters love for nature through farming, and …

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High Summer, Martinez Michelle Hasler Jan 2012

High Summer, Martinez Michelle Hasler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

High Summer is a manuscript-length compilation of narrative science essays that trace the relationship the narrator has with her father. These essays focus on the ongoing presence of drugs, their historical basis, and their pharmacological effects on the body.

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Helicopter Stability During Aggressive Maneuvers, Ranjith. Mohan Jan 2012

Helicopter Stability During Aggressive Maneuvers, Ranjith. Mohan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

The dissertation investigates helicopter trim and stability during level bank-angle and diving bank-angle turns. The level turn is moderate in that sufficient power is available to maintain level maneuver, and the diving turn is severe where the power deficit is overcome by the kinetic energy of descent. The investigation basically represents design conditions where the peak loading goes well beyond the steady thrust limit and the rotor experiences appreciable stall. The major objectives are: 1) to assess the sensitivity of the trim and stability predictions to the approximations in modeling stall, 2) to correlate the trim predictions with the UH-60A …

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Historical And Analytical Overviews On Dmitri Shostakovich's Twenty-Four Preludes And Fugues, Jihong. Park Jan 2012

Historical And Analytical Overviews On Dmitri Shostakovich's Twenty-Four Preludes And Fugues, Jihong. Park

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

The goal of this research is to discover Shostakovich's inspiration and motivation for writing the Twenty-Four Preludes and Fugues. Through the in-depth research of the cycle, this thesis will discuss the different aspects of the unique harmonic ambiguity of both the preludes and the fugue subjects so that readers understand Shostakovich's language of musical communication. Shostakovich lived during a transitional period in the history of Russia when totalitarianism was being challenged. The research will also explore how the political environment influenced his composition during those years.

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History Of Kakawangwa, Kristen. Mcnair Jan 2012

History Of Kakawangwa, Kristen. Mcnair

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Trapped in the hurricane of a changing cultural landscape, the young women of Kakawangwa, Florida must choose to clutch tradition or side with the times. Pearl and Jasmine are two sisters who come of age after being raised by a single mother in a religious household. Whitney, born a hermaphrodite, must determine her gender and sexuality, despite being married to her husband, Joe. Celeste, a college dropout, returns home to Kakawangwa in disgrace. Blackie, who lives life without inhibition, must cope with the consequences of the choices she makes. Filled with language that is pithy, abrupt, direct, and melodious, The …

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Home On The Range, Bethany. Augliere Jan 2012

Home On The Range, Bethany. Augliere

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

I examined summer home range use of Altantic spotted dolphins in the Bahamas from 1991-2004. Home ranges for 86 dolphins using the 95% Fixed Kernel Density (FKD) estimator averages 62.o km2+=22.96 km2 and ranged from 24.8 km2 to 148.4 km2. Older animals and males had the largest ranges. Home range size did not vary with female reproductive status. core areas were defined by the 50% FKD contour and averaged 10.32 km2 +=5.47 km2. Habitat use was different between reproductive states for females. Non-reproductively active (NRA) females used deeped habitat. Behavioral use of the home range varied spatially. The core area …

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Hope On The Horizon, Valorie. Ebert Jan 2012

Hope On The Horizon, Valorie. Ebert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

This project considers the future, and the hope for humanity within three dystopian science fiction works : Mordecai Roshwald's Level 7, Cordwainer Smith's "The Dead Lady of Clown Town," and James Tiptree, Jr.,'s "The GIrl Who Was Plugged In". There are many aspects and different manifestations of hope in science fiction, even in authors who show readers the darkest side of human nature and what will become of humans, and by default earth, if an effort is not made to change the world's direction. Though some dystopian stories show horrible possible futures, there is an underlying hope within these stories …

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Housing Identity, Stephanie Derisi Jan 2012

Housing Identity, Stephanie Derisi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

This thesis represents a study of The Years by Virginia Woolf and Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. Both novels attempt to redefine the role of women in patriarchal society during the 1930s. The domestic role women had to fill within a masculine household constrained their ability to form an independent "self," apart from fathers and husbands. I argue that these novels articulate the possibility for women to access an independent self by examining the meaning behind domestic objects in and of the house. Lucy Irigaray asserts that women were, and still are, associated with being valued as a desirable "commodity". …

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Humdrum Aha!, Dana Odwazny Pell Jan 2012

Humdrum Aha!, Dana Odwazny Pell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Following the work of Sara Houghton-Walker and Edward Strickland, this thesis theorizes the "mundane sublime" as encountered in romanticist John Clare's poetry. Instead of being oriented upward, as with Longinus's elevatory sublime, Clare's mundane sublime brings the subject downward to earth. While the sublime of the Burkean tradition begins with terror, I claim that the mundane sublime emerges out of love for that which is commonplace. Still revelatory, it may be further characterized by an engagement with ecosystems, eternity, divinity, and nature as a whole. Clare's style scaffolds images resulting in a profusion of detail that arrests the mind and …

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Hydrokinetic Resource Assessment Of The Florida Current, Alana E. Smentek-Duerr Jan 2012

Hydrokinetic Resource Assessment Of The Florida Current, Alana E. Smentek-Duerr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

The Straits of Florida has been noted as a potential location for extraction of the kydrokinetic energy of the Florida Current, in view of the strength of the current and its proximity to the shore. ... This research explores the Florida Current as a potential renewable energy source. By utilizing historical data, in situ observations of the Florida Current, and computer model data, the hydrokinetic resource of the Florida Current is characterized both spatially and temporally. Subsequently, based on the geographic variability of the hydrokinetic power and other factors that impact the economy of a hydrokinetic turbine array installation, the …

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Hypoxia-Regulated Glial Cell-Specific Gene Therapy To Treat Retinal Neovascularization, Manas Ranjan Biswal Jan 2012

Hypoxia-Regulated Glial Cell-Specific Gene Therapy To Treat Retinal Neovascularization, Manas Ranjan Biswal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Diabetic retinopathy is an ischemic retinal neovascular disease causing vision loss among adults. The studies presented involve the design and testing of a gene therapy vector to inhibit retinal revascularization, similar to that found in diabetic retinopathy. Gene therapy has proven to be an effective method to introduce therapeutic proteins to treat retinal diseases. Targeting a specific cell type and expression of therapeutic proteins according to the tissue microenvironment should have an advantage over traditional gene therapy by avoiding unwanted transgene expression. Hypoxia plays a significant role in the pathophysiology of many retinal ischemic diseases. Retinal Mèuller cells provide structural …

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Identification Of Others Using Biological Motion, Sara. Manuel Jan 2012

Identification Of Others Using Biological Motion, Sara. Manuel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

The literature regarding biological motion suggests that people may accurately identify and recognize the gender of others using movement cues in the absence of typical identifiers. This study compared identification and gender judgments of traditional point-light stimuli to skeleton stimuli. Controlling for previous experience and execution of actions, the frequency and familiarity of movements was also considered. Watching action clips, participants learned to identify 4 male and 4 female actors. Participants then identified the corresponding point-light or skeleton displays. Although results indicate higher than chance performance, no difference was observed between stimuli conditions. Analyses did show better gender recognition for …

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Impact Of Satisfaction With Care And Empowerment On Glycemic Control Among Older African American Adults With Diabetes, Bridgette M. Johnson Jan 2012

Impact Of Satisfaction With Care And Empowerment On Glycemic Control Among Older African American Adults With Diabetes, Bridgette M. Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

atisfaction with diabetes care, perceived feelings of empowerment to participate in self-care management, and glycemic control in a sample of older African American men and women with diabetes. A descriptive correlational quantitative design was used. The participants in this study were 73 men and women of African descent who were at least 50 years, English speaking, and diagnosed with diabetes for at least one year. The participants were asked to complete three survey instruments: the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire-18 (PSQ-18), which measured how satisfied the participants were with their medical care; the Diabetes Empowerment Scale-Short Form (DES-SF), which measured attitudes towards …

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Impacts Of Queue Jumpers And Transit Signal Priority On Bus Rapid Transit, R.M. Zahid Reza Jan 2012

Impacts Of Queue Jumpers And Transit Signal Priority On Bus Rapid Transit, R.M. Zahid Reza

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Exclusive bus lanes and the Transit Signal Priority are often not effective in saturated peak-traffic conditions. An alternative way of providing priority for transit can be queue jumpers, which allows buses to bypass and then cut out in front of waiting queue by getting an early green signal. Utah Transit authority deployed Bus Rapid Transit system at Salt Lake County, Utah along W 3500 S. This research evaluates the impacts of queue jumpers with TSP on Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and private vehicular traffic. Four VISSIM models were developed for analysis : Basic scenario, no TSP with queue jumpers, TSP …

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Impact Of Stress On Elementary School Principals And Their Effective Coping Mechanisms, Joyce. Krzemienski Jan 2012

Impact Of Stress On Elementary School Principals And Their Effective Coping Mechanisms, Joyce. Krzemienski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

In today's era of high stakes testing and accountability, school principals are confronted with many difficult challenges in addition to those traditionally experienced by principals given the advent of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and the many mandates each school principal must report on annually. With mandated curriculum standards and widespread demand to improve student achievement, principals face a multitude of administrative tasks. As the school accountability deadline to meet the 2014 federal objective of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 rapidly draws closer for the majority of states, this federal legislation has created increasingly high stress levels, …

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Inflammatory Response In Stress And The Role Of Autophagy In Breast Cancer, Lillian C. Onwuha-Ekpete Jan 2012

Inflammatory Response In Stress And The Role Of Autophagy In Breast Cancer, Lillian C. Onwuha-Ekpete

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

We attempted to understand the molecular regulators that impact inflammation using a rat model of human sensation-seeking/risk-taking trait for drug and stress vulnerability, based on their exploratory behavior displaying high rates (HRs) or low rates of locomotor reactivity (LRs) to environmental stress. We found that HRs have a pro-inflammatory phenotype as indicated by increased protein expression of the inflammatory cytokine TNF-(Sa(B. Furthermore, we found that HRs have a lower gene expression of the glucocorticoid receptor and histone deacetylase 2 which are known to play an immunosuppressive role. Autophagy (macroautophagy) is a homeostatic process needed for cell maintenance, growth and proliferation …

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