Previous in vitro studies have shown that shark cartilage extracts stimulate human leukocytes to release significant levels of TNFα, a cytokine typical of a Th1 immune response. The purpose of this study was to investigate further the effects of shark cartilage on cellular immune function, particularly cell proliferation, apoptosis, and IL-4 and INFγ production. The viability and proliferation of cell cultures grown in the presence of shark cartilage extract was not significantly different from unstimulated control cultures or those stimulated with mitogens (Con A, PMA, LPS), respectively. The effect of shark cartilage on apoptosis was determined by microscopic analysis of morphological apoptotic changes and by the detection of DNA fragmentation observed as characteristic ladder formation in agarose gel electrophoresis. While DNA fragmentation could not be demonstrated for cartilage-stimulated cells, characteristic morphological changes, indicative of apoptosis, were observed in leukocytes following incubation with shark cartilage extract. A statistically significant difference was not noted in the number of apoptotic cells present in cartilage-stimulated leukocytes and those stimulated with 0.5 μM/ml of staurosporine, suggesting that apoptosis is induced in the presence of cartilage extract. Culture supernatants of cartilage-stimulated leukocytes were assayed for IL-4 and IFN-γ by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Although a low level of IL-4 and INFγ was detected in culture supernatants of Con A and PMA stimulated cells it was not significantly different from that of unstimulated control cultures. Thus the significance of the absence of detectable IL-4 or INFγ in supernatants of cartilage- stimulated cultures could not be determined. However, as previously shown, supernatants did contain TNFα. Results of the study did not show a definitive pattern of cytokine production, characteristic of either a Th1 or Th2 type immune response.

To discover possible avenues for countering low attendance at the University of Southern Indiana's writing center by students in the two pre-core curriculum basic writing classes, this study explored the basic writing students' reasons for not attending the writing center. Since their attitudes toward writing and collaboration as well as some of their perceptions of the writing center seemed likely to influence their decision to attend or not attend, the study explored these areas as well. A survey of students in nineteen sections of the two classes, General Studies 098 and English 100, was the main method used in the study, with interviews with several volunteers from these courses supplementing the surveys. These methods resulted in a number of findings. First, the majority of students in both the surveys and interviews expressed preference for feedback from instructors over other resources, including writing consultants. The surveys also revealed possible gender and ethnicity differences in attitudes toward writing center use, including that males might be more reluctant to use the writing center than females and that non-white students were more likely to use the writing center than white students in spite of being less likely to perceive that the writing consultants care about their success. The survey results suggest a correlation between familiarity with the Writers' Room and positive perceptions of the service, although this finding was contradicted by the responses of one of the interviewed English 100 students and thus would benefit from investigation through further research. Finally, the survey results showed that even though students who expressed generally positive attitudes toward collaboration and viewed writing consultants as caring did not perceive the writing consultants as particularly helpful compared to other resources. These findings suggest that greater familiarity with the writing center--such as through required visits for students in the lower level course--might result in more students visiting as well as more positive attitudes toward the writing center.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

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Black Americans experience poverty at disproportionately high rates that are concerning both because of the perils of poverty as well as the belief that one’s race should not affect one’s opportunities in life. This paper extends the Capability Approach and argues that basic needs play an important economic role in providing people with a minimum level of opportunity that allows them to avoid poverty. Using MSA-level data on basic needs access and poverty rates, this paper finds that increasing rates of homeownership, high school graduation, and car access as well as decreasing rates of disability are all significantly associated with lower poverty rates for Black Americans. However, the empirical results also show that higher rates of high school graduation and car access for White populations are associated with higher rates of Black poverty, likely due to spillover effects in the labor market that crowd out Black workers.