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Dopamine-Dependent Transcriptional Dynamics In Striatal Physiology And Cocaine Reward, Morgan Elizabeth Zipperly Jan 2020

Dopamine-Dependent Transcriptional Dynamics In Striatal Physiology And Cocaine Reward, Morgan Elizabeth Zipperly

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Exposure to drugs of abuse alters transcriptional programs and neuronal activity, leading to long-lasting cellular and behavioral adaptations that may contribute to addiction. The nucleus accumbens (NAc), part of the mesocorticolimbic dopamine pathway, plays a central role in motivation, reward, and reward-related learning, and this brain region is highly implicated in the development and maintenance of addiction. However, the specific contributions of defined cell populations in the NAc to drug reward processes is still poorly understood. Here, we used electrophysiological, optogenetic, and single-nucleus RNA-sequencing (snRNA-seq) approaches in a rodent model system to define the acute physiological and transcriptional responses of …


Health Systems And Societal Level Community Benefit, Meghan Blueberry Mccarthy Jan 2020

Health Systems And Societal Level Community Benefit, Meghan Blueberry Mccarthy

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In America, the amount spent on community benefit as tax exemption justification for not-for-profit health care is approaching 100 billion dollars annually. There are multiple categories for community benefit as defined by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The overwhelming majority of these funds are spent on individual financial assistance rather than societal level community health investments to address social determinates of health. Societal level community benefit is defined as the total spending on community health improvement, cash & in-kind donations to community groups and community building as reported on IRS form 990 Schedule H. These three combined itemized areas of …


Life-Space And Cognitive Function By Cardiovascular Disease Risk: A Cross-Sectional Analysis From The Regards Study, Emiri Matsuda Jan 2020

Life-Space And Cognitive Function By Cardiovascular Disease Risk: A Cross-Sectional Analysis From The Regards Study, Emiri Matsuda

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Performance on mobility assessments has been extensively linked to processing speed and executive function among older adults. However, less is known about the relationship between cognitive function and functional mobility as part of day to day life. African American individuals are at higher risk of cardiovascular complications, functional mobility, and cognitive decline compared to Whites. In addition, cardiovas-cular disease risk factors and neuropathology have been linked to impairment in several domains of cognitive function, including processing speed. The current study examined the cross-sectional association between life-space and cognitive function, specifically performance on the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), a measure …


Pheochromocytoma: A Systematic Review Of The Diagnosis, Treatment, And Risk Factors, Brandon A. Singletary Jan 2020

Pheochromocytoma: A Systematic Review Of The Diagnosis, Treatment, And Risk Factors, Brandon A. Singletary

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ABSTRACT Pheochromocytomas and extra-adrenal paragangliomas (PGLs) are forms of neuroendocrine tumors which when left untreated lead to debilitating complications of cerebral hemorrhaging, stroke, and death. Typically, the tumors present with symptoms of episodic headaches, sweating, and palpitations, however hypertension is considered one of the more predominant signs. As a result of the rarity of the disease and wide range of symptoms, there are often difficulties in screening and diagnosis to identify these tumors. While there are many case studies and results in small populations, large epidemiologic driven studies are limited. To date the majority of large-scale studies exist in countries …


Hospital Charge And Ricing Transparency, Kunal N. Patel Jan 2020

Hospital Charge And Ricing Transparency, Kunal N. Patel

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Hospital pricing is not uniformly disclosed to patients up-front before the delivery of healthcare. Moreover, pricing is not commonly understood by consumers and researchers, because the information was largely unavailable due to the lack of a federal policy mandate to make the information publicly available up until recently. The federal government instituted a series of regulations that initially began to take effect in 2019 in order to increase hospital pricing transparency with the aim of bending the healthcare cost curve. In this dissertation, hospital response, hospital standard charge variation, and healthcare management and policy expert opinion surrounding the implementation of …


Pharmacodynamic Responses And Efficacies Associated With Lrrk2 Inhibition, Kaela Kelly Jan 2020

Pharmacodynamic Responses And Efficacies Associated With Lrrk2 Inhibition, Kaela Kelly

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Parkinson’s disease (PD) is an age-related, progressive, movement disorder pathologically characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and the presence of proteinaceous aggregates, termed Lewy bodies, that are largely comprised of αSynuclein (αSyn). Missense mutations in the leucine-rich repeat kinase (LRRK2) gene are the most common genetic cause of PD and lead to gain-of-function increases in kinase activity. The G2019S-LRRK2 mutation is the most frequent mutation and elevates kinase activity by ~2-3 fold. Genetic and biochemical evidence suggest elevated LRRK2 kinase activity plays a pathogenic role in the development of PD, implicating LRRK2 …


Elucidating The Role Of Hedgehog Signaling In Tumor Cell Response To Dna Damage And Microenvironmental Stress, Tshering Dolma Lama-Sherpa Jan 2020

Elucidating The Role Of Hedgehog Signaling In Tumor Cell Response To Dna Damage And Microenvironmental Stress, Tshering Dolma Lama-Sherpa

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Hypoxia within solid tumors presents as a barrier to the effectiveness of cancer treatment. Hypoxia has been implicated in cancer cell resistance to standard therapies used in the clinic to treat breast cancer. Additionally, the treatment resistance mechanisms in cancer cells are exacerbated by oncogenic pathways that enable adaptation to the hypoxia and facilitate therapy resistance. Cancer cells often co-opt signaling pathways essential for embryonic development as a defense against cellular attacks. Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway is one of such embryonic development pathways that have been implicated in mitigating cancer growth, metastasis, and resistance to therapy. Hh signaling pathway promotes …


Protective Host Responses During Acute And Chronic Lung Exposure To Aspergillus Fumigatus, Joseph Mackel Jan 2020

Protective Host Responses During Acute And Chronic Lung Exposure To Aspergillus Fumigatus, Joseph Mackel

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Aspergillus fumigatus is an environmental airborne fungus that acts as both an opportunistic pathogen and an allergen. In immunocompromised hosts, A. fumigatus can germinate in the lung, cause tissue damage and pneumonia, and disseminate to other organs, causing a disease termed invasive aspergillosis (IA). In severe asthma, sensitization to fungi such as A. fumigatus is associated with more severe disease. Determination of host and fungal factors that drive immunoprotection versus immunopathogenesis in both of these settings will ultimately enable therapeutic modulation of immune responses to improve disease outcomes. In this body of work, we build on recent findings that implicate …


Deficiency Of Tumor Suppressor Merlin Induces Metabolic Reprogramming In Breast Cancer, Mateus Mota Jan 2020

Deficiency Of Tumor Suppressor Merlin Induces Metabolic Reprogramming In Breast Cancer, Mateus Mota

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The tumor suppressor Merlin is encoded by Neurofibromin 2 (NF2) gene. Merlin is predominantly located in the cell cortex where regulates cell proliferation by mediating cell contact-dependent growth inhibition. Metastatic breast cancer tissues presented with a remarkable loss of Merlin protein, revealing clinical relevance of Merlin. In order to examine the cellular effect of Merlin deficiency, breast cancer cell lines were silenced for NF2. Additionally, to assess the impact of Merlin loss at the organismal level, a mammary-specific NF2 knockout mouse mammary tumor model was engineered. Merlin deficiency induced a metabolic shift from mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation to aerobic glycolysis. Furthermore, …


Genetic And Immunologic Predictors Of Genital Chlamydia Reinfection In African American Women Using Bayesian Hierarchical Models, Kristin Olson Jan 2020

Genetic And Immunologic Predictors Of Genital Chlamydia Reinfection In African American Women Using Bayesian Hierarchical Models, Kristin Olson

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Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infection is the most common sexually transmitted infec-tion. The burden is greatest in young, African American women. CT reinfections are common and increase risk for reproductive morbidity. Why some women are more sus-ceptible to reinfection is not well understood. Emerging evidence suggests immunologic and genetic variants may predict reinfection susceptibility. The primary goal of this dissertation is to evaluate immunologic and genetic vari-ants as predictors of CT reinfection in young, African American women using different modeling approaches, which has never been reported previously. To evaluate a much larger number of potential predictors than our sample size (a …


Role Of Trib3 In Progression And Pathogenesis Of Diabetic Retinopathy, Priyamvada Milind Pitale Jan 2020

Role Of Trib3 In Progression And Pathogenesis Of Diabetic Retinopathy, Priyamvada Milind Pitale

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Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is reported to be one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States by Center for Disease Prevention and Control. As the estimated prevalence of the disease will likely triple by 2020, the research in this area should focus on identifying novel targets and therapeutic approaches. One of the therapeutic approaches for DR is the reprograming of retinal metabolism to delay the progression of the disease. The unfolded protein response (UPR) is recognized as a cellular pathway activated in diabetic retina which interacts with key transcription factors to physiologically regulate glucose, lipid homeostasis, and angiogenic …


Disease Specific Dysregulation Of Stat1 And Stat5 Activation In Mature Cd4+ And Cd8+ T Cells Influences Enhanced Kinetic Responses And Inflammation In Patients With Treatment-Naïve Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (Rrms), Brandon Jay Pope Jan 2020

Disease Specific Dysregulation Of Stat1 And Stat5 Activation In Mature Cd4+ And Cd8+ T Cells Influences Enhanced Kinetic Responses And Inflammation In Patients With Treatment-Naïve Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (Rrms), Brandon Jay Pope

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Autoimmunity is propagated through the lack of effective mechanisms of central and peripheral tolerance. In relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), dysregulated adaptive immune cells have been shown to contribute to disease morbidity through the influence of immune-modulating cytokines in the peripheral blood. Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is a cytokine with several key functions in regulating homeostatic mechanisms within the human immune system. Interferon gamma (IFNγ) is a type II interferon that is needed for an effective response to intracellular bacteria infection through the actions of Th1 cells. IL-2 and IFNγ signaling occurs primarily through signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) activation. …


Investigating The Roles Of The Renal Primary Cilium Through The Use Of Intravital Imaging, Dustin Zachary Revell Jan 2020

Investigating The Roles Of The Renal Primary Cilium Through The Use Of Intravital Imaging, Dustin Zachary Revell

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Primary cilia are small microtubule based appendages present on nearly every cell type in the mammalian body, and are highly conserved from organisms as simple as algae to humans. Cilia function as complex signaling centers integrating a variety of pathways and play critical roles throughout development and in maintaining homeostasis. Mutations to ciliary proteins in humans result in a wide array of diseases termed ciliopathies, which have a broad range of symptoms affecting nearly every organ in the body. Renal primary cilia are present on the apical side of tubular epithelium, where they project into the lumen and are thought …


Exploring Diet Quality In Early Care And Education Centers: Measures, Policies, And Center Characteristics, Elizabeth Kroeger Jan 2020

Exploring Diet Quality In Early Care And Education Centers: Measures, Policies, And Center Characteristics, Elizabeth Kroeger

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Over 65% of children ages 2-5 years attend Early Care and Education (ECE) centers where they consume most of their daily caloric intake; however, children at these centers are not meeting the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). This could suggest poor diet quality, which is a risk factor for diet-related diseases. Currently, diet quality in ECE centers is measured through the assessment of either the food/beverages listed on the lunch menu (menu), served to the children during lunch (served), or consumed by the children during lunch (consumed). However, the lunch meal may be better viewed as a process, rather than …


Translating Public Health Strategies To Examine Hypertensive Disorders Of Pregnancy In Alabama, Matthew Dean Moore Jan 2020

Translating Public Health Strategies To Examine Hypertensive Disorders Of Pregnancy In Alabama, Matthew Dean Moore

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Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are on the rise in the United States and contribute significantly to maternal and infant morbidity and mortality. The impact of such disorders is especially burdensome for women insured by Medicaid, for those who live in the South, and for those representing racial and ethnic minorities. It is evident across the aims of this dissertation that HDP remains an important public health concern to stakeholders in Alabama, its diagnosis is influenced by various maternal characteristics, and it can result in disparate severe outcomes for some populations. The first aim examines systems level decision-making in the …


Peace. Love. Youth. (In) Yoga: Development Of A Mental Health Program Among Adolescents Living In The Inner City, Sherilyn Jonnell Garner Jan 2020

Peace. Love. Youth. (In) Yoga: Development Of A Mental Health Program Among Adolescents Living In The Inner City, Sherilyn Jonnell Garner

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Adolescence is a unique developmental stage during which physical, cognitive, social, and emotional changes occur simultaneously and the traumatic effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can be particularly salient for the emotional and cognitive development of adolescents as they navigate and adjust to the social environment (Blakemore & Mills, 2014). Seventy-seven percent of Black adolescents have unmet mental health needs, and only 13% of those adolescents receive services compared to 31% of White adolescents. Meeting mental health needs of Black adolescents is imperative as their mental health needs continue to grow and resources become increasingly scarce. Innovative, culturally acceptable, accessible …


Immunopathogenesis In Fungal Asthma, Matthew Stephen Godwin Jan 2020

Immunopathogenesis In Fungal Asthma, Matthew Stephen Godwin

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Asthma patients are increasingly presenting with asthma that is more difficult to control and treat than in years past. A subset of these patients who are sensitive to fungal species are described as having severe asthma with fungal sensitization (SAFS). Given the severity of disease, there is ever increasing interest in identifying the immune processes underlying SAFS disease pathology and the development of novel therapeutics to improve management. While sensitivity to multiple fungal species has been described in SAFS, none is more common than Aspergillus fumigatus. Here, we describe two previously unrecognized contributors to the amelioration of disease pathology in …


The Influence Of Maxillary Sinus Anatomy On Schneiderian Membrane Perforation During Lateral Wall Sinus Augmentation: A 5-Year Retrospective Study, Andrea Pizzini Jan 2020

The Influence Of Maxillary Sinus Anatomy On Schneiderian Membrane Perforation During Lateral Wall Sinus Augmentation: A 5-Year Retrospective Study, Andrea Pizzini

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Although previous studies have attempted to identify risk factors for membrane perforation, limited information with conflicting data exists regarding the significance of the relationship between buccal wall thickness and membrane perforation. Access to the Schneiderian membrane during the sinus augmentation procedure is obtained through the buccal wall, thus the importance of understanding whether its thickness plays a role in membrane perforations. In addition, the anatomy of the sinus cavity plays an important role in rendering the sinus augmentation procedure straightforward or rather complex. It is theorized that the narrower the sinus cavity, the higher the risk of membrane perforation. Residual …


Locus Coeruleus Degeneration In Alzheimer’S Disease And Its Effect On Beta-Adrenergic Signaling In The Hippocampus, Bethany Langner Jan 2020

Locus Coeruleus Degeneration In Alzheimer’S Disease And Its Effect On Beta-Adrenergic Signaling In The Hippocampus, Bethany Langner

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Locus coeruleus (LC) degeneration in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and loss of noradrenergic (NA) innervation in hippocampus contributes to learning and memory deficits. Recently, a novel rat model (TgF344-AD) has been created that allows for a more thorough investigation into these mechanisms due to its similarity to human AD pathology. The McMahon lab has recently demonstrated heightened long-term potentiation (LTP) and a ‘supersensitivity’ of -adrenergic receptors (-ARs) at excitatory synapses in the dentate gyrus (DG) in TgF344-AD rats. These mechanisms could be responsible for maintaining learning and memory during buildup of AD pathology. The first goal of this Master’s thesis was …


The Relationship Between Asthma And Electronic Cigarette Use Among Youth And Young Adults: Mediation And Moderation Approaches, Abdullah M M Alanazi Jan 2020

The Relationship Between Asthma And Electronic Cigarette Use Among Youth And Young Adults: Mediation And Moderation Approaches, Abdullah M M Alanazi

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Asthma is associated with a higher likelihood of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use, which may increase the risk of pulmonary complications. Therefore, we sought to identify factors that influence e-cigarette use that may inform future behavior interventions targeting e-cigarette use prevention. In this dissertation, we used mediation and moderation to model the relationship of health beliefs, psychosocial and behavioral factors that may affect the relationship between e-cigarette use and asthma. We used national samples from public datasets, and a clinical sample recruited from healthcare facilities in Alabama. The results of this study are reported in three different papers. In the first …


Tau-Dependent Regulation Of Network Hyperexcitability By Alzheimer’S Disease Risk Gene Bin1, Yuliya Voskobiynyk Jan 2020

Tau-Dependent Regulation Of Network Hyperexcitability By Alzheimer’S Disease Risk Gene Bin1, Yuliya Voskobiynyk

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Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the leading neurodegenerative disorder that affects an astonishing 5.8 million Americans, a number projected to reach 14 million by the year 2050. While only about 1% of all AD cases are caused by mutations in APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2, the cause of sporadic AD remains unknown. Variations in several risk genes have been proposed to contribute to the development of sporadic AD cases. Since, currently, there are no disease-modifying therapies for families affected by AD and multiple anti-amyloid-beta therapies failed in clinical trials, determining how these risk genes contribute to the development of AD is crucial …


Gene–Environment Interaction In Parkinson Disease: The Gut Microbiome, Zachary D. Wallen Jan 2020

Gene–Environment Interaction In Parkinson Disease: The Gut Microbiome, Zachary D. Wallen

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GENE–ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION IN PARKINSON DISEASE: THE GUT MICROBIOME ZACHARY D. WALLEN GENETICS, GENOMICS, AND BIOINFORMATICS ABSTRACTParkinson disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with no cure. Majority of cases are idiopathic, and the cause is unknown. Studies have been conducted in human and animals to identify PD risk factors, resulting in a list of genetic and environmental factors that modestly increases risk of PD. Still, no individual risk factor fully explains the cause of PD, and neither has the combination of these factors. Additional avenues of research are being investigated to find potential triggers of PD, and factors that might …


The Mir-23a Cluster Controls An Epigenetic Axis In Osteoblast Development During Bone Formation, Benjamin J. Wildman Jan 2020

The Mir-23a Cluster Controls An Epigenetic Axis In Osteoblast Development During Bone Formation, Benjamin J. Wildman

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Differentiation of pre-osteoblasts is critical to controlling in-vivo development and growth of bone. Recent studies highlight the importance of epigenetic regulation in directing osteoblast commitment and function. Here we show that the microRNA-23a cluster (miR-23a, 27a, and 24-2) controls bone mass in-vivo through a previously unknown epigenetic mechanism. MiR-23a cluster knockdown increased the intensity of Alkaline Phosphatase staining in MC3T3-E1 cells. Additionally, it upregulated mRNA expression of osteogenic marker genes such as Runx2 and Osteocalcin. Micro-CT analysis of 2-month and 6-month femurs showed that trabecular bone volume and trabecular number significantly increased in miR-23aClZIP mice as compared to controls. Histological …


Race, Type Ii Diabetes Mellitus And Vertebral Fragility Fractures: A Cross-Sectional Analysis From Nhanes, Yuchen At Xiao Jan 2020

Race, Type Ii Diabetes Mellitus And Vertebral Fragility Fractures: A Cross-Sectional Analysis From Nhanes, Yuchen At Xiao

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IntroductionThis study examined the association between race and bone health, and if T2DM modifies this association in a diverse sample of adults. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study using the 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examine Survey (NHANES) data. Bone health outcomes included lumbar spine BMD (lowered BMD based on T-scores <-1), and vertebral deformities, assessed via vertebral fracture assessment (VFA), including presence, number of deformities, and severity ratio of deformities. T2DM status and other demographic, lifestyle, and health characteristics were self-reported via questionnaire data. To assess if T2DM modifies the association between race and bone health outcomes, we conducted stratified analyses using logistic regression for dichotomous outcomes, Poison regression for count outcomes, and linear regression for continuous outcomes. Results Non-Hispanic (NH) Blacks have significantly less odds of being lowered BMD and osteoporosis comparing to NH-Whites in the crude model and significantly less odds of having vertebral deformities comparing to NH-White in both crude and adjusted model for non-diabetic participants. Such differences are not observed in diabetic groups. Participants in Other race group have significantly more odds of being lowered BMD comparing to NH-Whites in the adjusted model for both diabetic and non-diabetic groups. And have significantly more odds of having vertebral deformities in the diabetic group, crude and adjusted, yet the differences are not significant in non-diabetic groups. Similar results were seen in the number of deformities and total bone loss ratio. The potential modification effect of T2DM was not significant in these models. Conclusions In our national evaluation, bone health differs not only by race and ethnic group but also by T2DM status. The protective vertebral fragility effects observed among NH-Blacks was no longer present among those with diabetes. Likewise, among participants in other racial and ethnic groups, T2DM seemed to magnify the association of worse vertebral fragility. Such trends indicate a potential modifying effect of participants’ T2DM status and should be noted clinically, yet more studies are required for more precise results.


Co-Factors In Fgf Signaling, Christopher Yanucil Jan 2020

Co-Factors In Fgf Signaling, Christopher Yanucil

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The fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family consists of a group of proteins whose diverse biological functions are mediated by receptor tyrosine kinases, termed FGF receptors (FGFR) 1-4. While paracrine FGFs require heparin sulfate as a co-factor for FGFR bind-ing and signaling, it has been assumed that endocrine FGFs, such as FGF23, do not bind heparin but instead require klotho, a family of transmembrane proteins, as a co-receptor on specific target cells. FGF23 acts as bone-derived hormone that targets tubular epitheli-al cells in the kidney via FGFR1 and α-klotho to reduce renal phosphate uptake. In chron-ic kidney disease (CKD), the kidney …


Development Of Natural Language Processing Algorithm For Dental Charting, Yi-Fan Zhang Jan 2020

Development Of Natural Language Processing Algorithm For Dental Charting, Yi-Fan Zhang

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Purpose: The purpose was to develop a natural language processing algorithm, which will input data from oral examination transcripts to a structured database. Methods: Four case vignettes were produced for primary, mixed, and permanent dentition patients with varying degree of soft tissue pathology, caries, existing restorations and occlusion relationships. After calibration, dental students were instructed to perform simulated oral examinations based on the case vignettes, using natural language as they would to an assistant who was charting the case. The investigator transcribed the audio recordings of the simulated oral exams. Twenty simulated oral examinations were collected to develop a natural …


Dietary Nitrate And The Oral Microbiome In Obesity, Health And Exercise, Christian E. Behrens Jan 2020

Dietary Nitrate And The Oral Microbiome In Obesity, Health And Exercise, Christian E. Behrens

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Obesity ranks among the top growing health concerns worldwide. The prevalence of obesity at all life stages continues to rise with nearly 40% of adults and 35% of children/adolescents being affected. Equally troublesome is the increased risk for a number of comorbidities associated with obesity including cardiovascular disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and certain types of cancer. The successful treatment of obesity, particularly long-term, continues to prove challenging and is often met with limited success. This highlights the importance of continued investigation into alternative strategies that may reduce the incidence and severity of obesity and associated pathophysiologies. Regular physical …


Lim Transcriptional Complexes That Impact Endocrine Pancreas Development And Function, Maigen Bethea Jan 2020

Lim Transcriptional Complexes That Impact Endocrine Pancreas Development And Function, Maigen Bethea

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The Ldb1:Isl1 LIM transcriptional complex is critical for endocrine pancreas development as well as b-cell terminal differentiation. These complexes have been shown to interact with various proteins to elicit transcriptional regulation in other tissues, yet few interactors have been identified in b-cells. Therefore, the objective of this dissertation was to identify interactors of Ldb1 and Isl1 and assess their contributions to endocrine pancreas development and function. Using a reversible crosslink immunoprecipitation (ReCLIP) and mass spectrometry (MS) strategy to isolate endogenous Ldb1 and/or Isl1 interacting protiens, SSBP3, Rnf20, and Rnf40 (E3 ubiquitin ligases) coregulators were identified. SSBP3 was found to interact …


Disparities In End-Of-Life Care In Children Dying Of Cancer In Alabama: A Cross Sectional Study, Elizabeth Statham Davis Jan 2020

Disparities In End-Of-Life Care In Children Dying Of Cancer In Alabama: A Cross Sectional Study, Elizabeth Statham Davis

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Regional studies show that children dying of cancer receive medically intense end-of-life care but there is limited information about end-of-life care in the Deep South and limited information about hospice and palliative care involvement at EOL. We conducted a retrospective electronic medical record review of children (0-x years) that died of cancer between 2010-20199 who received cancer directed therapy at Children’s of Alabama. We collected patient clinical and sociodemographics factors, including sex, race, and area deprivation index, cancer diagnosis and treatment, palliative care and hospice involvement, location of death, and medical care in the last 30d of life, including chemotherapy …


Novel Mechanisms Of Nitric Oxide Activation In The Kidney, Randee Sedaka Jan 2020

Novel Mechanisms Of Nitric Oxide Activation In The Kidney, Randee Sedaka

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Globally, adult sodium consumption has far exceeded daily intake recommendations, leading to one in ten cardiovascular deaths. Given the rise in hypertension prevalence, uncontrolled hypertension with antihypertensive medication use, and significant associations between high salt intake and high blood pressure, there is a need to better understand the mechanisms involved in hypertension. Nitric oxide synthase 1 (NOS1) is a well-established regulator of fluid and electrolyte balance in the renal collecting duct (CD) with highest activity in the inner medulla (IM). We previously reported that high salt (HS) intake stimulates CD endothelin B receptor (ETBR)/NOS1-dependent generation of NO, thereby inhibiting the …