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Articles 3541 - 3570 of 5836

Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities

Impulsivity As A Predictor Of Smoking Cessation Outcomes In Bupropion Treatment Of Community Corrections Smokers, Adam Clay Perkins Jan 2013

Impulsivity As A Predictor Of Smoking Cessation Outcomes In Bupropion Treatment Of Community Corrections Smokers, Adam Clay Perkins

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Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of death and disability in the United States. Prevalence of smoking among participants in community corrections far exceeds those in the general population. The purpose of the study was to examine predictors of smoking cessation outcome among community correction participants who were enrolled in a randomized control trial that used bupropion to treat tobacco dependence. This study found that inattention was a significant barrier to treatment. Specifically, performance on measures of attention including number of omissions errors on the Conner's Continuous Performance Task - Second Edition (CPT-II) and time to complete Trails A were …


Non-Random Snp Formation And Contextual Bias Within Murine And Hominid Genomes, Zackery Ezekiel Plyler Jan 2013

Non-Random Snp Formation And Contextual Bias Within Murine And Hominid Genomes, Zackery Ezekiel Plyler

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Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) are traditionally seen as forming in a stochastic manner, with final distribution ascribed to processes such as purifying natural selection, genetic drift, shift, etc. The present study investigated contextual biases that underlie SNP patterns in 16 distinct murine strains, and tested relevance of these observations to human genomic DNA. We establish stereotypic nucleotide motifs that surround single base replacements in mammalian genes and propose a novel mechanism of SNP regulation. The findings contrast traditional notions in which SNPs occur `randomly' followed by purifying selection or are attributable to more `neutral' (unselected) formation. Instead, we propose that …


Laminations And The Dynamics Of Iterated Cubic Polynomials, Ross Ptacek Jan 2013

Laminations And The Dynamics Of Iterated Cubic Polynomials, Ross Ptacek

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In this dissertation we study the Julia sets of cubic polynomials using both analytic and topological methods. The main topological method that we employ is the use of invariant laminations to model polynomial Julia Sets. Our particular focus is on polynomials from the boundary of the degree three Principal Hyperbolic Domain. Such polynomials have simple yet nontrivial dynamics. Furthemore, they satisfy certain conditions on their periodic cut points. We call the set of polynomials which satisfy these conditions the Main Cubioid and characterize laminations that correspond to such polynomials. Small perturbations of a quadratic polynomial with an indifferent fixed point …


Epigenetic Regulation Of Hippocampus-Dependent Learning, Laura Qadri Jan 2013

Epigenetic Regulation Of Hippocampus-Dependent Learning, Laura Qadri

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Knowledge of the molecular mechanisms that underlie learning and memory has advanced a great deal. Research into the role of epigenetics, or modifications above the genome, has the promise of providing an even greater understanding of the precise mechanisms involved in memory formation. Studies of epigenetic regulation of memory in the rodent hippocampus have primarily focused on associative learning using contextual fear conditioning. While these studies have provided valuable insight into the role that epigenetics plays in cognition, it remains to be seen whether the findings generalize to other forms of hippocampus-dependent learning. This work examines the role of epigenetic …


High Frequency Resolution Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy, Bagvanth Reddy Sangala Jan 2013

High Frequency Resolution Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy, Bagvanth Reddy Sangala

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A new method for the high frequency resolution terahertz time-domain spectroscopy is developed based on the characteristic matrix method. This method is useful for studying planar samples or stack of planar samples. The terahertz radiation was generated by optical rectification in a ZnTe crystal and detected by another ZnTe crystal via electro-optic sampling method. In this new characteristic matrix based method, the spectra of the sample and reference waveforms will be modeled by using characteristic matrices. We applied this new method to measure the optical constants of air. The terahertz transmission through the layered systems air-Teflon-air-Quartz-air and Nitrogen gas-Teflon-Nitrogen gas-Quartz-Nitrogen …


The Relationship Between Inflammatory Biomarkers And Cognitive Function In Older Adults, Andrea C. Sartori Jan 2013

The Relationship Between Inflammatory Biomarkers And Cognitive Function In Older Adults, Andrea C. Sartori

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Recent literature indicates associations between inflammation, aging, and cognitive function. Inflammatory processes have also been implicated in the onset of pathological and neurodegenerative conditions. Current study aims were to examine the associations between inflammatory biomarkers and cognitive function in older adults, and to explore the interrelationships of inflammatory biomarkers, depressive symptoms, health conditions, and cognitive function. Two studies were utilized for the current project: 1) a cross-sectional sample of sedentary older adults aged 65+ from the Physical and Cognitive Exercise Study (PACES; n=54); and 2) a longitudinal study (UAB Study of Aging) of community-dwelling older African Americans and Caucasians (n=393). …


An Examination Of The Feeding Preferences Of The Freshwater Amphipod Hyalella Azteca For Aquatic Vascular Plants And Macro Algae: The Potential Roles Of Prey Nutrional Quality, Chemical And/Or Structural Defenses, Kevin Emmanuel Scriber Jan 2013

An Examination Of The Feeding Preferences Of The Freshwater Amphipod Hyalella Azteca For Aquatic Vascular Plants And Macro Algae: The Potential Roles Of Prey Nutrional Quality, Chemical And/Or Structural Defenses, Kevin Emmanuel Scriber

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Many factors influence the palatability and feeding preferences of predators for their prey. The present study tested the null hypothesis that the common freshwater amphipod Hyallela azteca presented three species of vascular plants and two species of filamentous algae displayed feeding rates indicative of no differences in prey palatability. Differences in prey palatability were found and pairwise-choice feeding assays were conducted and preferences for particular foods established. Subsequent feeding bioassays using standard techniques demonstrated that tissues of the vascular plant Vallisneria americana were chemically defended against amphipod grazing, and that extracts from this vascular plant could inhibit feeding by amphipods …


The Bus Transit System In Birmingham: A Rider's Approach, Jennifer Elaine Harrell Jan 2013

The Bus Transit System In Birmingham: A Rider's Approach, Jennifer Elaine Harrell

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Citizen participation has become an integral part of implementing bus transit oriented development in many U.S. cities. The method of bus rider surveying is a traditional technique used to encourage diverse citizen participation. From November 2012 to January 2013, a Birmingham bus rider survey questionnaire study was conducted in the BJCTA (Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority) Central Station lobby. Although previous BJCTA bus rider surveys have been used to gather accurate route and demographic data, there has never been a bus rider survey that addresses the quality of transit service and performance in the Birmingham-Jefferson County area. In 2000, the National …


Kitten Has Claws: The Feminine, The Feline, And The Threat Of The New Woman In Cecilia Beaux's "Sita And Sarita", Alexa Hayes Jan 2013

Kitten Has Claws: The Feminine, The Feline, And The Threat Of The New Woman In Cecilia Beaux's "Sita And Sarita", Alexa Hayes

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This thesis examines Cecilia Beaux's painting "Sita and Sarita" (1893-1894) as it expresses the conflicts of the women's rights movement, changing gender roles, and shifts in the perception of female sexuality and intellectualism in the late nineteenth century. The argument hinges on the quality of the woman's gaze and the anthropomorphic nature of the cat, which encompass growing interests in and fears of female mental capacity, sexuality, and animality. Examining how the portrait functions within three major traditions--depictions of young women in white dresses; women lost in thought or in reverie; and portraits of people with their pets, specifically women …


Homoepitaxial Deposition Of Boron-Doped Single Crystal Diamond, Sunil Kumar Lal Karna Jan 2013

Homoepitaxial Deposition Of Boron-Doped Single Crystal Diamond, Sunil Kumar Lal Karna

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The boron-doped single crystal diamond films were grown homoepitaxially on synthetic (100) Type Ib diamond substrates using a microwave plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition. The optical transmittance of the films was observed to change with the increasing boron content in the film. The effect of boron and nitrogen on the surface morphology of the film has been studied using atomic force microscopy. Use of nitrogen in process gas during boron doping improves the surface topography as well as gives rise to an increase in growth rate of diamond film. However, presence of nitrogen in the process gas significantly lowers the …


Assessing Sociometric Status And Impacts Of Behavior Problems In Preschool Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Sarah Ellen Edwards Leger Jan 2013

Assessing Sociometric Status And Impacts Of Behavior Problems In Preschool Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Sarah Ellen Edwards Leger

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Obtaining information regarding the social status of preschool children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) has not been a focus of any sociometric research to date. It is also unknown whether the impact of social behavior problems on the social status of children with ASD emerges before school age. This study addressed this gap by examining the social status of young children with ASD. Data were collected at an early intervention preschool program designed for children with ASD. Both students and teachers provided information on acceptance, rejection and popularity. Results indicate that students and teachers reported children with ASD to have …


Eight Days In Oak Lake, Cyndi Eubanks Jan 2013

Eight Days In Oak Lake, Cyndi Eubanks

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Eight Days in Oak Lake is an incomplete fictional novel about teenage Laine Reardon, who finds her life in turmoil after her family embarks on a trip to Oak Lake, Mississippi, for a family reunion. On the trip, Laine learns a disturbing secret about her father, and she is reunited with her childhood friend, Jake Donnelly. With sisters she often does not understand and parents who have their own problems, Laine seeks solace in the now-grown boy she grew up with. As she struggles to understand her feelings for Jake and deal with the revelation about her father, Laine is …


Comparison Of The Lenstar Optical Biometer And A-Scan Ultrasonography To Measure Ocular Components, Drew W. Gann Jan 2013

Comparison Of The Lenstar Optical Biometer And A-Scan Ultrasonography To Measure Ocular Components, Drew W. Gann

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The purpose of this study was to compare ocular component dimensions and treated minus control eye differences measured with the Lenstar optical biometer to those measured with A-scan ultrasound in the tree shrew model of refractive development and induced myopia. A-scan ultrasonographic measures (A-scan) were taken with a 15 MHz focused pulser/receiver and compared with measures made with the Lenstar LS900 optical biometer (Haag-Streit, Basel, Switzerland). Anterior segment depth (ASD), lens thickness (LT), vitreous chamber depth (VCD), and axial length (AL) were measured in treated eyes (30), fellow control eyes (30), and normal eyes (86) in tree shrews (n=146), between …


Small Perturbations In Hard Balls Dynamics, Alexey Korepanov Jan 2013

Small Perturbations In Hard Balls Dynamics, Alexey Korepanov

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This dissertation consists of three articles written in cooperation with F. Bonetto, N. Chernov, J. Lebowitz and N. Simanyi. The common theme is small perturbations of hard balls dynamics on a flat table with obstacles. While the original dynamics preserves the Lebesgue measure and is hyperbolic and ergodic for all models that we have considered, even smallest perturbations may significantly change the nature of the dynamics. Physically observable invariant measure may become singular with respect to Lebesgue measure, or even fail to exist. In some cases the dynamics collapses to a continuum of degenerate stable regimes. In Spatial Structure of …


Characterization Of Legal Highs And Their Pyrolysis Products, Emily Denise Bouso Jan 2013

Characterization Of Legal Highs And Their Pyrolysis Products, Emily Denise Bouso

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Legal highs are any mind-altering substance produced and sold in a manner to avoid the legal consequences of illicit substances. They have been advertised and sold as Spice, Bath Salts, plant food, and research chemicals. Not only are these drugs presenting major problems to law enforcement, but also to health care providers. The exact composition for many of these substances is not known. Therefore, treatment for patients who have taken these drugs is limited to symptomatic care. Harmful exposure to these substances is not limited to the primary components within the drugs, but can include potentially toxic by-products that result …


Reckless Reevaluated: Containment Theory And Its Ability To Explain Desistance Among Serious Adolescent Offenders, Stephanie Michelle Cardwell Jan 2013

Reckless Reevaluated: Containment Theory And Its Ability To Explain Desistance Among Serious Adolescent Offenders, Stephanie Michelle Cardwell

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Social control theorists posit that crime and delinquency occur among members in society because an individuals' behavior is not well regulated. Recent control theories have emphasized the importance of high self-control and strong bonds to society in deterring criminal behavior. However, one of the original theories of self-control has been largely ignored among scholars. Developed by Walter Reckless in the 1960s, containment theory suggests that individuals are pushed and pulled into crime. Pushes are elements that pressure individuals to engage in delinquency while pulls draw individuals away from accepted forms of behavior. The theory states that pushes and pulls are …


The Flow Of The Social: Developing A Constructal Systemic Approach To The Study Of Health Inequalities, William A. Anderson Jan 2013

The Flow Of The Social: Developing A Constructal Systemic Approach To The Study Of Health Inequalities, William A. Anderson

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Society is a dynamic, living system. People, groups, institutions, and cultures are intricately interconnected. Changes in one area of society create changes in other areas. Causes and results may be closely linked or separated by time and space. Sociologists readily acknowledge this dynamic reality. However, our mainstream theories and methods often fail to account for it. Even after decades of research into social inequalities in health, medical sociology still seems far away from being able to offer any definitive ideas about why such inequalities exist and persist despite efforts to alleviate them. Medical sociology (and sociology in general) is centered …


The Interactional Effects Of Incentive Value And Task Difficulty: A Partial Explanation For Gender Differences In Cardiovascular Response To A Performance Challange., Patricia Barreto Jan 2013

The Interactional Effects Of Incentive Value And Task Difficulty: A Partial Explanation For Gender Differences In Cardiovascular Response To A Performance Challange., Patricia Barreto

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Participants were presented an impossible or moderately difficult mental addition task; half of them were led to believe that they could win a traditionally masculine incentive by meeting a certain performance standard and half of them were led to believe that they could win a traditionally feminine incentive if they met the same performance standard. In the feminine incentive group, Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) during the work period was stronger under difficult than impossible conditions among women, but low under both difficulty conditions among men. In the masculine incentive group, blood pressure measures (SBP, diastolic blood pressure, and mean arterial …


Environmental Specific Effects On Life History And Energy Metabolism Traits In A Permethrin Resistant Strain Of Anopheles Gambiae, Dennis Otali Jan 2013

Environmental Specific Effects On Life History And Energy Metabolism Traits In A Permethrin Resistant Strain Of Anopheles Gambiae, Dennis Otali

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Widespread use of pyrethroids for control of malaria vectors together with use in agriculture for pest control has led to an increase in emergence of populations of pyrethroid resistant phenotypes. Insecticide resistance can likely alter vector development time, reproduction, behavior, and longevity, all of which can affect the potential for disease transmission. In this study we assessed whether the genetic modifications (kdr mutation, cytochrome P450 and esterase detoxification) in a permethrin resistant strain of An. gambiae influence traits related to fitness. The performances of these traits were compared between two strains of An. gambiae, one permethrin susceptible (ASEMBO1) and the …


Computational Studies On Metal Bound Amyloid-Ss Peptide Complexes: Implications For Oligomerization, Lurong Pan Jan 2013

Computational Studies On Metal Bound Amyloid-Ss Peptide Complexes: Implications For Oligomerization, Lurong Pan

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Amyloid-beta (Abeta) peptide is the primary component of the senile plaques that char-acterize Alzheimer's disease (AD). Numerous studies have shown that small soluble oligomers of Aß have higher neurotoxicity than large, insoluble aggregates and fibrils. Brain tissue analysis has shown that excessive metal ions including zinc, copper and iron are co-localized with the plaques. In addition, in vitro studies suggest that these ions play an important role in the aggregation and toxicity of Abeta. Nevertheless, due to the large number of variables that must be controlled it is difficult to characterize the detailed mechanisms by which metal ions modulate Abeta …


Characterization Of The Retina In The Alpha 7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Knockout Mouse, Marci Lynn Smith Jan 2013

Characterization Of The Retina In The Alpha 7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Knockout Mouse, Marci Lynn Smith

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Acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) are involved in visual processing and are expressed by inner retinal neurons in all species studied to date (Keyser et al., 2000; Dmitrieva et al., 2007; Liu et al., 2009), but their distribution in the mouse retina remains unknown. Reductions in alpha 7 nicotinic AChRs (nAChRs) are thought to contribute to memory and visual deficits observed in Alzheimer's and schizophrenia (Coyle et al., 1983; Nordberg et al., 1999; Leonard et al., 2006). However, the alpha 7 nAChR knockout (KO) mouse has a mild phenotype (Paylor et al., 1998; Fernandes et al., 2006; Young et al., 2007; Origlia …


The Effect Of Incentive Strategy On Health Behaviors And Outcomes In The Workplace, Lindsay M. Sutton Jan 2013

The Effect Of Incentive Strategy On Health Behaviors And Outcomes In The Workplace, Lindsay M. Sutton

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This study examined participation, engagement, and achievement of health-related targets under two sequentially administered wellness programs for approximately 2,000 full-time city personnel of a Southern municipal government. Program A utilized paper fliers and community posters as the primary communication strategy and incented employees for achieving 3 health outcomes only by a lump-sum, one-time monetary reward distributed at the end of the year. Program B subsequently utilized a web-based site where employees logged into individualized accounts and received points that accrued for both completing behaviors and achieving health outcomes. Both electronic and paper communication strategies were utilized to as primary mediums …


Effects Of Light Spectra And Uv Radiation In Relation To Dietary Carotenoids On The Sea Urchin Lytechinus Variegatus, James Christopher Taylor Jan 2013

Effects Of Light Spectra And Uv Radiation In Relation To Dietary Carotenoids On The Sea Urchin Lytechinus Variegatus, James Christopher Taylor

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An important factor in the marketability of sea urchin gonad is color. A marketable color is suggested to be dependent upon the in vivo accumulation of red and yellow carotenoid pigments within the gonad. Carotenoids obtained through the diet can be modified in sea urchins, but the function of these carotenoids is unknown. We hypothesize that differential light exposure can affect carotenoid deposition and, as a consequence, gonad color in sea urchins. We performed two experiments to determine if light spectra affect gonad color of Lytechinus variegatus. In the first experiment, urchins were fed a formulated feed supplemented with or …


Psychological Effects Of Spiritually Integrated Therapy For Infertile Women, Shiquina Andrews Jan 2013

Psychological Effects Of Spiritually Integrated Therapy For Infertile Women, Shiquina Andrews

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Like other medical conditions, infertility is often unforeseen and difficult to resolve. Though both genders are impacted, women exhibit the most psychological distress following the diagnosis. Among other coping strategies, some women use their religious or spiritual beliefs to cope with the crisis of infertility. While projects investigating the role of spirituality in mental and physical health are growing in momentum, none has integrated religious or spiritual beliefs into a formal psychological intervention for infertile women. This project aimed to evaluate the efficacy, feasibility, and acceptability of such a 6-week, phone-based, spiritually-integrated therapy (SIT) program for infertile women. In the …


Predictors Of Physical Activity In Child And Adolescent Survivors Of Cancer, Margaux Barnes Gilliam Jan 2013

Predictors Of Physical Activity In Child And Adolescent Survivors Of Cancer, Margaux Barnes Gilliam

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Childhood cancer survivors are at increased risk for future health problems. As such, physical activity (PA) has been targeted as a health promotion priority in child and adolescent cancer survivors. Despite research suggesting PA has protective health benefits, a large proportion of survivors do not meet PA recommendations. Development of effective interventions to increase PA in pediatric cancer survivors requires an understanding of the processes that determine survivor PA. Research on the determinants of PA in child and adolescent survivors is sparse, with most research focusing on late adolescent, young adult, and adult survivors of childhood cancer. The following papers …


Suicide And Eating Disorders: The Role Of Religiosity, Spirituality And Religious Coping Style, Natalie Goodwin Jan 2013

Suicide And Eating Disorders: The Role Of Religiosity, Spirituality And Religious Coping Style, Natalie Goodwin

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Suicide is a leading cause of death in persons diagnosed with an eating disorder. Religious factors have been demonstrated to be protective against many negative outcomes, including suicidality. Research has demonstrated that religious factors may be important in both the development and treatment of an eating disorder. The present study examines whether religiosity, spirituality, positive and negative religious coping style are protective against suicidal ideation and retrospective report of suicide attempts. The study included 91 mostly White, female participants from a residential treatment center for eating disorders. Participants were diagnosed with either anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN) or eating …


Eye Gaze Patterns During Live Social Interactions In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Michael Warren Gower Jan 2013

Eye Gaze Patterns During Live Social Interactions In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Michael Warren Gower

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Children with autism have been shown to demonstrate deficits in their facial processing skills and are known to make less eye contact than typically developing children. It has also been assumed that children with autism are more anxious during social interactions than typically developing children. It has been hypothesized that these deficits manifest themselves as the use of a localized facial processing style in which children with autism focus primarily on the mouth and miss much of the pertinent social information conveyed by the eyes. More recent research, however, has found contradictory evidence. Specifically, some studies have shown that children …


Socioeconomic Status, Social Relationships, And Higher Weight Status, Anthony David Campbell Jan 2013

Socioeconomic Status, Social Relationships, And Higher Weight Status, Anthony David Campbell

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This thesis serves two main research objectives. The first objective is to examine the extent to which higher weight status is patterned by indicators of socioeconomic status. The second objective is to explore the involvement of social relationships in the association between socioeconomic status and weight status. I use a theoretical framework incorporating aspects of fundamental cause theory and insights from the literature on social relationships and health. Data for this study were obtained from the 2003-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (n = 3,957). The analytic sample focused on Black and White respondents over the age of 40. …


Targeting Ovarian Cancer Through Epigallocatechin Gallate And Sulforaphane Combinational Treatment, Huaping Chen Jan 2013

Targeting Ovarian Cancer Through Epigallocatechin Gallate And Sulforaphane Combinational Treatment, Huaping Chen

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The cellular development of resistance to chemotherapy contributes to the high mortality noted in patients affected by ovarian cancer. Novel compounds that can enhance efficacy of conventional chemotherapy or target both drug-sensitive and -resistant ovarian cancers directly are highly desired. Previous epidemiological studies indicate that consumption of green tea and cruciferous vegetables is inversely associated with occurrence of ovarian cancer. Therefore, revealing the effects and mechanisms of major components of green tea (epigallocatechin gallate, EGCG) and cruciferous vegetables (sulforaphane, SFN) on ovarian cancer cells will provide necessary knowledge for developing potential novel treatments for the disease. Since drug resistance generation …


Cortical Thickness In Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment And Its Relationships With Neuropsychological Functioning And Financial Capacity, Jacquelynn Nicosia Copeland Jan 2013

Cortical Thickness In Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment And Its Relationships With Neuropsychological Functioning And Financial Capacity, Jacquelynn Nicosia Copeland

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Diagnostic criteria for amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) include subjective memory complaint, objective memory impairment, preserved general cognitive function, intact functional abilities, and absence of dementia diagnosis (Petersen, 2004). However, there is evidence to suggest that some aMCI patients show declines in complex instrumental activities of daily living. Under the conceptual model proposed in this study, neuropathological changes occurring in the brain of aMCI and Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients underlie specific forms of neurocognitive dysfunction, which in turn drive decline in everyday functional skills such as financial capacity. The current study examined the relationships between structural brain changes in aMCI, …