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The Effect Of An Intensive Oral Hygiene Regimen On Gingival Inflammation During Pregnancy: Clinical And Laboratory Analysis, Maninder Kaur Jan 2013

The Effect Of An Intensive Oral Hygiene Regimen On Gingival Inflammation During Pregnancy: Clinical And Laboratory Analysis, Maninder Kaur

All ETDs from UAB

Background: Recent evidence suggests that systemic inflammation as host immune response to oral microbial challenge may well underlie the observed association between periodontal disease and preterm birth/low birth weight (PTB/LBW). The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the effect of vigorous oral hygiene regimen on gingival inflammation and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF)/serum biomarkers (TNF-&alpha, IL-1&beta and IL-6) during pregnancy and its impact on pregnancy outcome. Methods: 120 participants with pregnancy between 16-24 weeks gestation and with gingival index (GI) scores &ge 2 at &ge 50 % of tooth sites were recruited from the available pool of patients at …


Relationships Between Latino Parental, Adolescent And Cultural Variables On Adolescents' Attitudes, Norms, Self-Efficacy, And Sexual Intentions, Vanessa Pirani Gaioso Jan 2013

Relationships Between Latino Parental, Adolescent And Cultural Variables On Adolescents' Attitudes, Norms, Self-Efficacy, And Sexual Intentions, Vanessa Pirani Gaioso

All ETDs from UAB

The quantity and quality of parent-adolescent sexual communication has been suggested as the best predictor on adolescent sexual behavior. The purpose of this study was to test a theoretical model based on the Parent-Based Expansion of the Theory of Planned Behavior (PETPB) examining relationships between selected parental, adolescent and cultural variables and Latino adolescents' intentions to engage in sexual behavior. This study used a cross-sectional correlational design based on a secondary data analysis of 130 Latino parent and adolescent dyads. Regression and path analysis procedures were used to test seven research hypotheses and the results demonstrated partial support for the …


Genetic And Biochemical Characterizations Of The Capsular Glycosyltransferases In Streptococcus Pneumoniae Serotype 2, David Boyd Anthony James Jan 2013

Genetic And Biochemical Characterizations Of The Capsular Glycosyltransferases In Streptococcus Pneumoniae Serotype 2, David Boyd Anthony James

All ETDs from UAB

The principle objective of this dissertation is to develop a thorough understanding of the genetics and biochemistry of capsule synthesis. Specifically, it involves the identification and characterization of the capsular glycosyltransferases in Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 2, with investigations into their regulation. S. pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) is a significant human pathogen that has the ability to persist as a commensal and then transition to a virulent state, the latter of which is a major contributor to global morbidity and mortality. The capsular polysaccharide (CPS) of S. pneumoniae is a protective surface structure that plays an integral role in this disease process. …


Determinant Of G-Chain Mediated Fc Receptor Signaling, Spandan Shah Jan 2013

Determinant Of G-Chain Mediated Fc Receptor Signaling, Spandan Shah

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Fc receptors provide an interface between humoral immunity and cellular immunity by binding to the Fc portion of immunoglobulin and mediating effector functions. Cells expressing Fc receptors play a major role in immune complex clearance via phagocytosis, leading to a context dependent pro- or anti-inflammatory environment. Signaling by multi-chain Fc receptor complexes, including FcgRI, FcgRIII, FceRI and FcaRI is mediated by the ITAM-containing common FceRIg (g-chain) subunit. However, despite the use of a common g-chain, different Fc receptor complexes elicit specific cellular programs, suggesting additional layers of regulation of tyrosine based signaling by g-chain. We hypothesized that the unique g-chain …


Role Of Gsk3 In The Immunopathogenesis Of Eae, Amber Rowse Jan 2013

Role Of Gsk3 In The Immunopathogenesis Of Eae, Amber Rowse

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Lithium, a glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) inhibitor, ameliorates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), the murine model of multiple sclerosis (MS) in different mouse models. However, the mechanism of lithium's attenuation of EAE and the role of GSK3 in these processes are currently unknown. IFN-g producing Th1 cells and IL-17-producing Th17 cells are both effector cells in MS and in EAE models. However, relapsing remitting MS patients segregate into Th1 or Th17 serum cytokine signatures and each is differentially responsive to IFN-ß therapy, a first line therapy for MS. Studies in this dissertation revealed a differential effect of lithium on Th1 …


Blood Pressure Control And Perceived Stress, Job Satisfaction, Life Satisfaction, And Perceived Health Status In Municipal Workers, Debra D. Baldwin Jan 2013

Blood Pressure Control And Perceived Stress, Job Satisfaction, Life Satisfaction, And Perceived Health Status In Municipal Workers, Debra D. Baldwin

All ETDs from UAB

Although hypertension is highly prevalent, associated with serious health consequences and treatable, fewer than half of those with hypertension have achieved blood pressure control (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2011b). Limited studies have examined the influence of perceived stress, job satisfaction, life satisfaction, and perceived health status may have on blood pressure control, although epidemiological evidence reveals psychological factors can mediate and negatively influence health behavior leading to hypertension (Blanchflower & Oswald, 2008; Kulkarni, Farrel, Erasi, & Kochar, 1998; Walcott-McQuigg, 2000). The purpose of this study was to explore the prevalence of hypertension, obesity, and blood pressure control …


The Impact Of Weight Status On The Adoption Of Self-Care Behaviors Among Heart Failure Patients, Bern'nadette Knight Jan 2013

The Impact Of Weight Status On The Adoption Of Self-Care Behaviors Among Heart Failure Patients, Bern'nadette Knight

All ETDs from UAB

Self-care is a major component of heart failure management. Excess weight is a disease that may negatively affect a patient's ability to effectively practice self-care. The project aimed to assess 1) the relationship between weight status and heart failure self-care behaviors and 2) the modification of the relationship between social support and heart failure self-care by weight status. This cross sectional study utilized baseline data from a cohort of African-American and Caucasian participants diagnosed with heart failure. The heart failure cohort was formed from three larger studies (n=690) designed to assess the relationships among social support, self-care behaviors and hospital …


Gender Norms, Sexual And Reproductive Behaviors And Acceptability Of Male Circumcision Among Men In Western Jamaica, Melonie Walcott Jan 2013

Gender Norms, Sexual And Reproductive Behaviors And Acceptability Of Male Circumcision Among Men In Western Jamaica, Melonie Walcott

All ETDs from UAB

This dissertation consists of three papers designed to assess the association between gender norms and men's sexual behaviors, reproductive practices, and acceptability of male circumcision (MC). The data for this study were obtained from a cross-sectional, interviewer-administered questionnaire survey of 549 men aged 19-54 years, conducted in the western region of Jamaica between June to August 2011. In the first paper we found increased odds of reporting multiple sex partners among men with moderate (AOR =2.2; 95% CI=1.4 - 3.5) and high (AOR = 4.4; 95% CI =2.2 - 8.8) support for inequitable gender norms. Similarly, men with moderate (AOR= …


Host Genetic Factors Associated With Cervical Human Papillomavirus Clearance, Staci Lynn Sudenga Jan 2013

Host Genetic Factors Associated With Cervical Human Papillomavirus Clearance, Staci Lynn Sudenga

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This dissertation research focuses on how variants in various host genes are associated with clearance of HPV in three longitudinal cohorts from the United States. I first examined the definition of the intermediate phenotype to cervical cancer, HPV persistence and then I incorporated this phenotype in all my three aims by examining variations in xenobiotic metabolism genes in HIV-1 negative and immune-related genes in HIV-1 positive females and how these contribute to HPV infection outcomes. Several significant variants were associated with HPV clearance for the three aims. For the first aim, in ALTS assessing functional variants within xenobiotic metabolism genes …


Intrinsic And Extrinsic Factors Required For Cd4 T Memory Cell Formation And Function, Sarah B. Mollo Jan 2013

Intrinsic And Extrinsic Factors Required For Cd4 T Memory Cell Formation And Function, Sarah B. Mollo

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CD4 T cells are central to the organization of the immune response through the secretion of cytokines that recruit and activate other immune cells. Following infection and pathogen control, the majority of the effector CD4 T cells undergo apoptosis, leaving a subset that persists and gives rise to the memory T cell pool. Upon encountering the same pathogen, memory CD4 T cells respond rapidly, providing enhanced protection from re-infection. What determines which effector CD4 T cells will survive is unclear; however, there are a number of factors both intrinsic to the cell as well as external signals from the environment …


Socioeconomic Predictors Of 30-Day Readmission Of Elderly Patients With Initial Discharge Destination Of Home Health Care, Dianne Marrie Richmond Jan 2013

Socioeconomic Predictors Of 30-Day Readmission Of Elderly Patients With Initial Discharge Destination Of Home Health Care, Dianne Marrie Richmond

All ETDs from UAB

Introduction The purpose of this study was to examine the association of social determinants of health with 30-day rehospitalization among elderly patients who were discharged from an acute care hospital with an initial discharge destination of home with home health care support and to explore the social determinants' ability to accurately predict the odds of rehospitalization. Methods A secondary data analysis was performed on data obtained from the home healthcare agency. A total of 4,717 unique patients found in the data set. Some patients were represented in the data more than once during the observation period. To examine the relationship …


The Relationship Of Maternal Depressive Symptoms Among First Time Adolescent And Adult Mothers And Their Safe Parenting Practices And Child Injuries, Angela Warren Baumann Jan 2013

The Relationship Of Maternal Depressive Symptoms Among First Time Adolescent And Adult Mothers And Their Safe Parenting Practices And Child Injuries, Angela Warren Baumann

All ETDs from UAB

Maternal depressive symptoms have been associated with deficits in parenting practices that protect children from injuries; however, few studies have been conducted to examine these relationships. Using data from a multisite longitudinal study of 252 first-time mothers, the relationships between the use of safe parenting practices and maternal depressive symptoms was examined, taking into account mother's resources (as defined by age and education level) and race at five time points during the first 3 years of the child's life. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory. Measures of maternal depressive symptoms, safe parenting practices (use of car seat, …


The Role Of Il-21 And Il-17 In Regulating Follicular T Helper Cells In Germinal Center Response Of Autoimmunity, Yanna Ding Jan 2013

The Role Of Il-21 And Il-17 In Regulating Follicular T Helper Cells In Germinal Center Response Of Autoimmunity, Yanna Ding

All ETDs from UAB

Overreactivity of the germinal center (GC) is a central feature of autoantibody-mediated autoimmune diseases. Follicular T helper (Tfh) cells are the primary T helper subset that migrates to the incipient GC and forms close contacts with GC-B cells to promote GC formation and help GC-B cell differentiation, resulting in high-affinity antibody production. Increased levels of interleukin (IL)-21 and aberrant accumulation or function of Tfh cells have been associated with autoimmune disease severity in humans and lupus-prone mice. Follicular regulatory T (Tfr) cells are the regulatory T cell subset that also localizes in the GC and inhibits GC B cell differentiation. …


The Role Of Autosomal Dominant Retinitis Pigmentosa Rhodopsin Mutant Ter349glu In Rod Cell Biogenesis And Retinal Inflammation, Tj Hollingsworth Jan 2013

The Role Of Autosomal Dominant Retinitis Pigmentosa Rhodopsin Mutant Ter349glu In Rod Cell Biogenesis And Retinal Inflammation, Tj Hollingsworth

All ETDs from UAB

Retinitis pigmentosa is one of the most common inherited blinding disorders, affecting 1 in 4000 individuals world-wide. Approximately 30% of retinitis pigmentosa cases are dominantly inherited and approximately 30% of these dominant mutations are found in rhodopsin. Most rhodopsin mutations result in misfolded protein aggregates and subsequent apoptosis while others have been shown to result in apoptosis associated with mislocalization, diminished/enhanced activity, or faulty protein-protein interactions. This work serves to test for mechanisms by which the naturally-occurring Ter349Glu rhodopsin mutation causes rod cell death. Ter349Glu rhodopsin was tested for the ability to bind the ligand 11-cis retinal, photoactivate, and activate …


In Vitro Wear Of Nine Cements Against Enamel, Mohamad Kyson Jan 2013

In Vitro Wear Of Nine Cements Against Enamel, Mohamad Kyson

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The objective of this study was to measure and compare in vitro wear resistance of nine cements against human enamel cusps in glycerol media using UAB second generation wear machine (hit and slide). Six cements were dual cured polymer-based cements; total-etch: Variolink II (Ivoclar Vivadent), self-etch: Multilink Automix (Ivoclar Vivadent) and self-adhesives: Maxcem Elite (Kerr), RelyX Unicem 2 (3m ESPE), PANAVIA SA (Kuraray) and G-CEM LinkAce (GC America). Three cements were water-based chemical cured cements; Zinc-phosphate: Harvard Cement (Harvard) and resin modified glass ionomers cements: RelyX Luting Plus (3M ESPE) and GC FujiCEM 2 (GC America). Samples were scanned after …


The Burden Of Chronic Conditions On Self Reported Health Status In A Medicare Advantage Plan Population, Barbara Ann Guerard Jan 2013

The Burden Of Chronic Conditions On Self Reported Health Status In A Medicare Advantage Plan Population, Barbara Ann Guerard

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THE BURDEN OF CHRONIC CONDITIONS ON SELF REPORTED HEALTH STATUS IN A MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN POPULATION BARBARA GUERARD ADMINISTRATION-HEALTH SERVICES ABSTRACT This dissertation was a multi-staged research study with two goals. The first goal was to assess survey respondents' characteristics to better understand the influence of the characteristics on the validity of self-reported survey responses. Second, the study analyzed the relationship between certain chronic conditions and survey participants' responses to questions related to their overall physical health and mental health to further understand the burden of chronic conditions on self- reported survey responses. Secondary data derived from a patient satisfaction …


Investigation Of Death Receptor-5 Mediated Apoptosis And Inhibition Of Wnt/Ss-Catenin Signaling In Basal-Like Breast Cancer Stem Cells, Angelina Ix-Ik' Londono-Joshi Jan 2013

Investigation Of Death Receptor-5 Mediated Apoptosis And Inhibition Of Wnt/Ss-Catenin Signaling In Basal-Like Breast Cancer Stem Cells, Angelina Ix-Ik' Londono-Joshi

All ETDs from UAB

Basal-like breast cancers (BLBC) display aggressive clinical behavior attributed to the presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs). TRA-8, a monoclonal antibody that binds specifically to TRAIL death receptor 5, preferentially induces apoptosis in BLBC subtype cells; however it is unknown if TRA-8 is also cytotoxic to the CSC population. Moreover, some BLBC cell lines are resistant to TRA-8, and overcoming resistance is critical for clinical translation of this therapy. One potential approach to overcome TRA- 8 resistance is to target the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway. LRP6 is a cell surface receptor that is an indispensable element of the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway that …


Tuberculosis Screening And Treatment Outcomes In Zambia, Jennifer Harris Jan 2013

Tuberculosis Screening And Treatment Outcomes In Zambia, Jennifer Harris

All ETDs from UAB

Zambia is a country in Southern Africa with dual HIV and tuberculosis (TB) epidemics. The annual TB incidence is 444/100,000 and 64% of TB patients are co-infected with HIV. Accurate screening and diagnosis for TB is challenging since it often presents with non-specific signs and symptoms and the available diagnostics are neither sensitive nor specific. Papers one and two of this dissertation focus on the derivation of TB screening rules to more accurately identify high-risk persons in two Zambian populations: inmates and HIV clinic patients. Among inmates, being HIV positive and having a body mass index < 18.5 most strongly predicted HIV disease. Chest pain was also strongly associated, but this may have been a chance finding. For HIV clinic patients, we developed four rules with increasing complexity of clinical tools used for screening. Sensitivity was very high with all rules; the addition of vital signs and pulmonary exam findings to symptom-based screening rules greatly increased the rules' specificity. Furthermore, a rule incorporating pulmonary exam findings performed similarly to a rule with chest radiography suggesting pulmonary exam may be an inexpensive alternative to x-ray. The final paper looks at TB incidence, mortality and intermediate clinical outcomes in a cohort of HIV clinic patients with and without TB during their first 12 months of HIV care. TB incidence was very high during this time period, despite thorough screening at baseline. Mortality was elevated in both culture-confirmed and clinically-diagnosed TB patients, with much of the elevated risk concentrated in TB patients who had culture-confirmed but clinically-unapparent disease. Looking at intermediate outcomes among patients who started anti-retroviral therapy, the change in CD4 cell count was similar for patients with and without TB. TB patients started off with lower mean body weights and hemoglobin concentrations but also showed greater increases over 12 months, thus `catching up' with the TB-negative patients. If these findings are replicable in other cohorts they could have substantial impact on TB screening and diagnostic procedures in resource limited, high burden countries like Zambia.


Surveying The Serum Proteome For Biomarkers Of Early-Stage Pancreatic Cancer, Michael Robert Ludwig Jan 2013

Surveying The Serum Proteome For Biomarkers Of Early-Stage Pancreatic Cancer, Michael Robert Ludwig

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SURVEYING THE SERUM PROTEOME FOR BIOMARKERS OF EARLY STAGE PANCREATIC CANCER MICHAEL ROBERT LUDWIG MICROBIOLOGY ABSTRACT Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a uniformly fatal disease due to its refractory nature to conventional therapies at the time of initial diagnosis. In order to in-crease the curative potential of surgical resection, early detection of organ-confined neoplasia is needed. Currently, no effective diagnostic tools are available to detect early-stage pancreatic ductal lesions termed pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) or lo-cally invasive, organ-confined disease. One way to identify biomarkers that may be use-ful for the early detection of PDAC is through the study of the …


Polymerization Shrinkage Strain Versus C-Factor And Placement Method For Dental Composites, Shashank Godbole Jan 2013

Polymerization Shrinkage Strain Versus C-Factor And Placement Method For Dental Composites, Shashank Godbole

All ETDs from UAB

Polymerization shrinkage is an important property when restoring teeth with dental composites since resins shrink during polymerization creating stress and strain around the restoration. This may produce failure at the composite-tooth interface. This leads to marginal gaps, staining, post-operative sensitivity, secondary caries, and crack development within the body of a tooth. It is critical to be able to measure polymerization strain produced during composite polymerization. Objective: To measure and compare the polymerization shrinkage strain of various bulk and incrementally placed composites using a novel and recently developed model with different C-factors. Methods: Teflon molds were used to prepare Z100 composite …


Commensal Microbiota And Its Impact On Health And Autoimmune Diabetets, Kyle James Wolf Jan 2013

Commensal Microbiota And Its Impact On Health And Autoimmune Diabetets, Kyle James Wolf

All ETDs from UAB

Environmental exposures such as diet, use of antibiotics, and lifestyle have significant impact on the health of an individual. One mechanism that acts as a major pathway in these environmental exposures is the role intestinal commensal microbiota play in both metabolic and immunological responses. Metabolic pathways are altered through changes in metabolites provided by commensal microbiota; alterations in microbial make-up can have drastic impacts on metabolic function. Similarly, the development and maturation of the immune system is dependent on the intestinal microbes to induce tolerance and act as both an immune modulator as well as a barrier against pathogens. We …


Adapter Based Strategies For Adenovirus Vector Retargeting To T Lymphocytes, Matthew S. Beatty Jan 2013

Adapter Based Strategies For Adenovirus Vector Retargeting To T Lymphocytes, Matthew S. Beatty

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Adenoviruses are the most commonly used gene therapy vector for cancer therapy clinical trials. While adenovirus has shown a great track record in a variety of cancer therapeutics it has not progressed as a vector system for the modification of T lymphocytes. One of the major roadblocks towards utilizing adenovirus for T cell therapy is the lack of coxsackie virus and adenovirus receptor on the cell surface of T cell lineages. Exploitation of alternative receptors has allowed adenovirus vectors to be utilized in a variety of cell types that native adenovirus type 5 cannot infect. Thus, retargeting adenovirus to an …


Impact Of Quality Performance On Financial Risk And Cost Of Capital In Hospitals, James D. Byrd Jr Jan 2013

Impact Of Quality Performance On Financial Risk And Cost Of Capital In Hospitals, James D. Byrd Jr

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This study evaluated the relationship of hospital quality of care as measured by mortality scores to hospital cost of capital as represented by average cost of debt. A composite mortality score (weighted average of Hospital Compare's risk adjusted mortality rate for each hospital) was regressed against the hospitals' average cost of debt using OLS and the Stata 11 robust clustering function to adjust for repeated occurrences of hospitals across years. The data base consisted of acute care hospitals with interest expense observed over the three year period 2008 - 2010 (n=3420). Control variables included a number of hospital characteristic (e.g., …


O-Linked Beta-N-Acetylglucosamine (O-Glcnac) And The Mitochondrion, Christopher Calderon Jan 2013

O-Linked Beta-N-Acetylglucosamine (O-Glcnac) And The Mitochondrion, Christopher Calderon

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O-linked beta-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) is a dynamic and ubiquitous posttranslational modification of serine and threonine residues on nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins. O-GlcNAc has emerged as an important regulator of cellular processes such as cell signaling, transcription, translation, apoptosis, and cell cycle regulation, among others. O-GlcNAc is thought to be a contributor to pathologies such as hyperglycemia and insulin resistance. O-GlcNAc has been viewed as an indicator of cellular energy levels and is associated with diabetic complications under nutrient excess. Other studies have shown that a variety of stress stimuli increase the levels of protein O-GlcNAc in mammalian cells, and this increase …


Tgf-Ss And Erg In Intervertebral Disc Development, Megan Karen Cox Jan 2013

Tgf-Ss And Erg In Intervertebral Disc Development, Megan Karen Cox

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The intervertebral disc (IVD) is a fibrocartilaginous tissue that acts as a shock absorber between adjacent vertebrae in the spinal column. It is comprised of two parts, the inner jelly-like nucleus pulposus (NP) and the outer more fibrous annulus fibrosus (AF). Most IVD research has focused on the development of the NP, which is derived from condensations of the notochord involving sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling. In contrast, very little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying the specific development of the AF of the IVD. The AF is derived from the sclerotome, which is formed by the ventral half of …


Hospitalists And Organizational Performance, Josué Patien Epané Jan 2013

Hospitalists And Organizational Performance, Josué Patien Epané

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Two decades ago, a group of hospital-based physicians (hospitalists) specializing in the practice of hospital medicine were introduced in the U.S. health care system. Since then, this group of physicians has experienced an unprecedented growth. Prior studies on hospitalists have focused on benefits associated with the use of hospitalists. Compared to non-hospitalists, these studies revealed that hospitalists are more efficient as they are able to reduce length of stay and costs while achieving similar or better quality of care. However, most of these studies have been cross-sectional, limited to few hospitals, and limited to pediatric and teaching hospitals. Very little …


Adap1 And Arf6 Mediate Regulated Secretory Trafficing In Neurosecretory Cells And Neurons, Sharday Ewell Jan 2013

Adap1 And Arf6 Mediate Regulated Secretory Trafficing In Neurosecretory Cells And Neurons, Sharday Ewell

All ETDs from UAB

ADP ribosylation factor 6 (Arf6) is a member of the Arf family of small GTPases known to function in vesicular membrane trafficking and cytoskeletal organization. Arf6 cycles between its GTP and GDP bound states, facilitated by GTP exchange factors (GEFs) and GTPase activating proteins (GAPs), respectively. In my dissertation studies I have investigated the neuronal functions of Arf6 and ADAP1, an Arf6 GAP and candidate PI 3-kinase target required for dendritic differentiation in developing neurons. I demonstrated that in neurosecretory PC12 cells and neurons, ADAP1 and Arf6 colocalize with regulated secretory granules (SGs) that traffic chromogranin B and brain-derived neurotrophic …


Neuropathological Alterations In Alzheimer's Disease: An Up Close Look At Sympathetic Sprouting, Amy Renee Nelson Jan 2013

Neuropathological Alterations In Alzheimer's Disease: An Up Close Look At Sympathetic Sprouting, Amy Renee Nelson

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Pathological hallmarks of AD include neurofibrillary tau tangles, amyloid beta (Abeta) accumulation and cholinergic degeneration. Cholinergic degeneration can be mimicked in rats by lesioning cholinergic neurons in medial septum. Hippocampal cholinergic denervation disrupts retrograde transport of nerve growth factor (NGF), leading to its accumulation, which subsequently triggers sprouting of noradrenergic sympathetic fibers from the superior cervical ganglia into hippocampus. Dr. McMahon's lab previously reported that coincident with this sprouting, there is an increase in cholinergic innervation that correlates with a recovery of M1 muscarinic receptor dependent plasticity at CA3-CA1 synapses and visual cortex. These findings suggest that noradrenergic sympathetic sprouting …


The Comparison Of Dental Arch Forms Obtained From Teeth, Alveolar Bone, And The Overlying Soft Tissue, Patrick O'Neil Jan 2013

The Comparison Of Dental Arch Forms Obtained From Teeth, Alveolar Bone, And The Overlying Soft Tissue, Patrick O'Neil

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THE COMPARISON OF DENTAL ARCH FORMS OBTAINED FROM TEETH, ALVEOLAR BONE, AND THE OVERLYING SOFT TISSUE Patrick D. O'Neil, DMD UAB DEPARTMENT OF ORTHODONTICS: DENTISTRY ABSTRACT Objective: The objective of this study was to determine if a difference existed between arch forms created from tooth surfaces, alveolar bone, and overlying soft tissue. Materials and Methods: The sampling population for this study was 18 individuals with a Class I malocclusion, mild crowding, and a CBCT image of good diagnostic quality. The Facial-axis point was chosen to create the arch form from teeth, the Bowman-Kau point was used to establish the arch …


High Density Genotyping For Immunogenetic Polymorphisms Associated With Transmission And Control Of Hiv-1 Infection In Zambian Heterosexual Serodiscordant Couples, Heather Prentice Jan 2013

High Density Genotyping For Immunogenetic Polymorphisms Associated With Transmission And Control Of Hiv-1 Infection In Zambian Heterosexual Serodiscordant Couples, Heather Prentice

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Understanding host genetic correlates of HIV-1 outcomes in sub-Saharan African populations is of continued importance due to the disproportionate disease burden in this population. We sought to identify genetic variants associated with HIV-1 acquisition in a sample of 439 initially seronegative individuals enrolled in the Zambia-Emory HIV Research Project, as well as novel variants associated with viral load (VL) in a sample of 172 seroconverters (SCs) with an estimated date of infection and 449 seroprevalent individuals (SPs). We were unable to detect any statistically significant associations in our analysis of HIV-1 acquisition, though one signal in the HLA-DOA gene associated …