Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2006. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

No description available.

The measurement of glycated proteins, in particular, glycated albumin using specific antibodies offers the much-needed possibility of a (semi) automated method for the diagnosis and monitoring of diabetic control. Glycated proteins would appear to be poor immunogens as is evident by the lack of antibodies successfully raised against them when compared against the number of antibodies recognising reduced-glycated proteins. This study has successfully overcome this problem by synthesing several different glycated compounds as haptens and then using them in conjunction with a carrier protein to raise antisera in sheep. The binding of one of these antisera, with a titre 1:100000 showed considerable displacement when incubated with diabetic plasma at various dilutions. Western blot analysis on human plasma confirmed that the antiserum specifically recognised a continuous epitope on glycated human serum albumin. Affinity purified antibodies were used to develop both an indirect competitive ELISA and later a direct non-competitive ELISA for glycated serum albumin which does not require prior reduction of the glycated protein to the glucitol form. These assays have a dynamic range at 0 to 100 mug/ml and 0 to 50mug/ml of glycated human serum albumin respectively. The competitive ELISA exhibited < 0.15% cross reactivity with both sodium borohydride and sodium periodate treated human serum albumin. Further work was needed to be undertaken to develop a rugged ELISA that could discriminate between diabetics and normals by routinely measuring glycated human serum albumin levels.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to compare two conflicting theoretical perspectives on the relationship between intelligence and sustained attention. The cognitive resources theory assumes that lower IQ subjects are required to allocate greater amounts of their limited attentional resources during information-processing tasks than higher IQ subjects. The arousal theory assumes that there is an optimal level of arousal associated with task performance, and that an increase or decrease in arousal produces impairment in performance. Additionally the arousal theory predicts that increased time on task leads to a decrement in arousal as a function of IQ levels. Signal detection theory applications were used to operationalize and compare the two theories. Specifically, the signal detection parameters of sensory acuity ( d’), the decision criterion (a), correct detections, and false alarms were used to determine subject performance across three time periods ( 2, 4, and 6 mm.) on a visual continuous performance task. Twenty-nine teacher-nominated at-risk for learning difficulties and twenty-nine normally achieving kindergarten students were adminstered the Stanford-Binet:Fourth Edition (SB:FE) and the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Revised (WPPSI.R), as well as the Gordon Diagnostic System (GDS) Vigilance Task. The GDS is a standardized behaviour-based measure of sustained attention. The results of this study were interpreted as suggesting that ability group differences reflect attentional capacity. Two findings were important in this interpretation. First, regardless of IQ, the groups varied on the signal detection discrimination index. Second, these measures did not vary over time in either group. Thus, the arousal theory was not supported. IQ and attention intercorrelation patterns were higher for the at-risk group compared to the normally achieving group. Exploratory maximum-likelihood factor analyses indicated that intelligence plays a greater role in relation to vigilance for the at-risk for learning difficulties group than the normal achieving group. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

Catch rates of age-0 and adult crappies Pomoxis spp. were compared between floodplains and coves to determine if differences in densities existed between habitats, and to determine if water levels influenced density relationships. Habitat in a cove and a floodplain of Enid Reservoir was mapped to describe differences in vegetation. Adult crappies were collected with electrofishing and age-0 crappies were collected with trap nets. Coves had the greatest spring densities of adults in 2009 and 2010, whereas floodplains attracted adults earlier in the spawning season. Recruitment of age-0 crappies was related inversely to high water levels during months preceding the spawning period, but related directly to high water levels during the spawning period. Floodplains had the greatest densities of age-0 crappies in most years and reservoirs. These results suggest that management to improve recruitment could focus on timing of water level rises and protection of floodplain habitats.

<p> Low-lying nuclear energy levels are analyzed in terms of certain parameters of the correlation between the level spacing and the excitation energy. The statistical properties of the estimates for the parameters arising from a constant nuclear temperature model are examined. Estimates are made for the parameters for the levels of Mn^56 inferred from capture gamma spectra.</p> / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

<p> The following thesis comprises the study of six resonances in the Na^23(p,γ)Mg^24 reaction, using a 40 cu. cm. Ge(Li) detector. These resonances are at proton energies, Ep = 512 Kev, 987 Kev, 1020 Kev, 1174 Kev, 1318 Kev and 1416 Kev. The decay scheme and branching ratios have been found for each of these resonances. Also the gamma transition widths have been found for all of these resonances, except the 1416 Kev resonance, and these transition widths have been employed in calculating the reduced gamma transition strengths for the above decays.</p> / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

No description available.

The aim of this study was to investigate noise levels in the New Zealand health industry. The goal was to investigate the room acoustics and the characteristics of the noise sources along with noise exposure of health care workers, in New Zealand, in dental clinics and orthopaedic cast clinics and assess whether they are at risk of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). A literature review was conducted to determine the definition, cause, and ways to prevent NIHL in relation to the dental clinics and orthopaedic cast clinics. Also determined from a review of the literature were ways to assess and monitor the acoustics of these spaces. Initially room acoustic measurements of background noise levels as well as reverberation times were made and frequency information on the major noise sources was obtained. This was followed by measurement of the daily noise dose exposure of staff working in the participating dental clinics and orthopaedic cast clinics. It was found that noise dose levels did not exceed the damage risk criterion set by The New Zealand Occupational Safety and Health Service of Leq8h of 85 dBA and therefore staff were considered to not be at risk of NIHL. However, the background noise levels measured may be putting healthcare workers at risk of non-auditory related effects of noise exposure, affecting work performance, cognitive abilities and vital communication between staff and patients. Healthcare workers may also be at risk of non-auditory health effects due to increased noise annoyance leading to raised stress levels, which may ultimately lead to pathophysiological changes in the myocardium. Future research in the area of noise levels in the New Zealand health industry should be performed to obtain noise data on a larger sample and look further at the non-auditory health effects of exposure to noise in the health industry.