Digital Commons Network^™

A Method Of Identifying Hazardous Highway Locations Using The Principle Of Individual Lifetime Risk, Paul J. Ossenbruggen

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Dr. Ossenbruggen presents a scientific framework for identifying hazardous highway locations that may be more easily understood by non-scientists and has potential for comparing highway with other risks to health.

Interventions For Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Justin M. Larson

Graduate Research Papers

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) continues to be widely studied within the literature and researchers continue to investigate interventions and environments which allow for success. Whalen and Renker (1991) argue that multiple intervention methods are needed for success of children and adolescents in social situations. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature, and review interventions used to facilitate appropriate behaviors in children, aged six to eleven, with a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Molecular Analysis Of The Factor V-Leiden Mutation In A Cardiac Transplant Patient Population, Caroline Maher

Theses

Venous thrombosis is a serious health problem affecting 1 in 1000 individuals annually. Until recently the pathogenic factors underlying thrombosis were associated with genetic defects in protein C, protein S and antithrombin III. However these were recognised in fewer than 5-10% of thrombotic patients. A breakthrough was made with the discovery of activated protein C resistance (APCr) which is associated in 90% of cases v/herein a G-->A transition in the factor V gene results in an abnormal molecule, Factor V Leiden. APCr is a major risk factor for thrombosis being present in 20-60% of thrombotic patients. Recently a G-^A …

Development Of An Elisa Method For The Measurement Of Cd44 Expression In Human Serum, Ciara Hurley

Theses

CD44 is a cell surface glycoprotein (mol. wt. =85-95 kDa) which has been implicated in lymphocyte-HEV interactions and the process of lymphocyte homing. CD44 is a complex glycoprotein which undergoes extensive alternative splicing to generate various CD44 isoforms. CD44 functions include the delivery of an activation signal to T-cells, binding to hyaluronate, mediation of lymphocyte homing, and the spread of metastatic cells. CD44 has been particularly implicated in the dissemination of non- Hodgkin's lymphoma and as such may serve as a useful prognostic marker of disease progression. CD44 measurement in serum may provide a rapid, inexpensive and relatively non-invasive prognostic …

Development And Validation Of An Improved Ultrasensitive Assay For Cardiac Troponin I (Ctni), William G. Blake

Theses

Cardiac troponin I (cTnl) has been reported to be a highly specific marker for myocardial injury. In patients suffering from acute coronary syndromes, a sensitive serum marker which is closely related to the extent of myocardial damage which provides prognostic data and which can be measured rapidly is desirable. In this thesis a “sandwich” enzyme immunoassay was developed to measure cTnI. The developed assay was reproducible with the inter assay precision ranging from 4.8-14% and the intra assay precision ranging from 3.1-9.5%. The limit of detection of the assay was calculated as 0.385 ng/ml. The upper reference range (non-parametric 95% …

Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (Mrsa): Molecular Detection And Dna Fingerprinting, Leslie Cotter

Theses

Throughout the 1990s, the incidence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has increased in many health care areas including acute and chronic care facilities, outpatient clinics and in the community. Once introduced into a health care environment, this nosocomial pathogen can spread rapidly and as MRSA are resistant to multiple antibiotics, treatment is often difficult. Therefore effective infection control measures are required to prevent cross-infection and further spread of endemic strains.

In this study, a sensitive and specific triplex-PCR assay was designed for MRSA detection, wherein three genes, the methicillin resistance gene (mecA). femA and the extracellular thermonuclease gene (rmc) were simultaneously …

Development Of An Atomic Force Microscopic Immunosensor For The Ferritin Antigen, Brendan O'Connell

Theses

The adsorption conditions for a range of different immunoreactants to both polystyrene and ultrasmooth silanised silicon surfaces are optimised. The conditions studied were concentration of protein, time and temperature of incubation, pH, molarity and ionic strength of the buffer. The anti-ferritin surface was selected as our model system. This immunosensor was used to develop and evaluate a millispot ELISA for ferritin. The millispot ferritin ELISA developed utilises a sample volume of 6pl and a sample incubation time of 10 minutes. Precision and accuracy studies show the assay to have a dynamic assay range of 7.8-lOOng/ml ferritin. The millispot ELISA detected …

Effects Of Prenatal Drug Exposure On Neurobehavioral Functioning In Young Infants, Yvette Blanchard, Patricia E. Suess, Marjorie Beeghly

All PTHMS Faculty Publications

In the newborn period, infants prenatally exposed to cocaine and other drugs show low scores on the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale. Beyond that period, research is limited on the effects of prenatal drug exposure on neurobehavioral functioning. In this study we compared infants exposed to cocaine and other drugs and control infants from low socioeconomic backgrounds on measures of neurobehavioral functioning during neuromotor assessment at 1, 4 and 7 months of life. None of the measures of neurobehavioral functioning showed any significant group differences. This study did not support the hypothesis of disrupted neurobehavioral functioning beyond the neonatal period in …

Selecting Linear-Score Distributions For Modeling Milk-Culture Results, H. G. Allore, David J. Wilson, H. N. Erb, P. A. Oltenacu

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

The data for this cross-sectional retrospective study are from surveys of 65 dairy-cattle herds in central New York, USA sampled between February, 1993 and March, 1995. The objective was to identify probability distributions of logarithmically transformed somatic-cell counts (linear score) for use in a simulation model of mastitis and milk quality. Probability density functions were estimated using maximum-likelihood estimators for the linear score of individual-cow composite milk samples culture negative and culture positive for the pathogens Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus non-agalactiae, Staphylococcus aureus, and coagulase-negative staphylococci for the complete dataset and by bulk-tank somatic-cell count group (< 500 000, ≥ 500 000 SCC/ml). Based on the rankings of three goodness-of-fit tests (Anderson-Darling, Kolmogorov-Smirnov and x^{2 …}

Virginia Dental Journal (Vol. 75, No. 2, 1998)

Virginia Dental Journal

No abstract provided.

Gene Delivery By Negatively Charged Ternary Complexes Of Dna, Cationic Liposomes And Transferrin Or Fusigenic Peptides, Sérgio Simões, Vladimir Slepushkin, R. Caspar, Maria C. Pedroso De Lima, Nejat Düzgüneş

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

Potential problems with the use of viral vectors for gene therapy necessitate the development of efficient nonviral vectors. The association of transferrin, or the pH-sensitive peptide GALA, with cationic liposomes composed of 1,2-dioleoyl-3-(trimethylammonium) propane and its equimolar mixture with dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine, under conditions where the liposome/DNA complex is negatively charged, drastically increased luciferase expression from pCMVluc. The percentage of cells transfected, measured by β-galactosidase expression, was also increased by about 10-fold. The zeta potential of the ternary complexes was lower than that of the liposome/DNA complexes. Transfection activity of positively charged complexes was also enhanced by association with transferrin, GALA or …

Polyadenylation Of Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Mrna Dictates Efficient Transcription Termination At The Intercistronic Gene Junctions, Leroy N. Hwang, Nathan Englund, Asit K. Pattnaik

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

The intercistronic gene junctions of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) contain conserved sequence elements that are important for polyadenylation and transcription termination of upstream transcript as well as reinitiation of transcription of downstream transcript. To examine the role of the putative polyadenylation signal 3' AUACU₇5' at the gene junctions in polyadenylation and transcription termination, we constructed plasmids encoding antigenomic minireplicons containing one or two transcription units. In plasmid-transfected cells, analyses of the bicistronic minireplicon containing the wild-type or mutant intercistronic gene junctions for the ability to direct synthesis of polyadenylated upstream, downstream, and readthrough mRNAs showed that the AUACU …

Mummies And Mummification Practices In The Southern And Southwestern United States, Mahmoud Y. El-Najjar, Thomas M. J. Mulinski, Karl Reinhard

Karl Reinhard Publications

Mummification was not intentional for most North American prehistoric cultures. Natural mummification occurred in the dry areas of North America, where mummies have been recovered from rock shelters, caves, and overhangs. In these places, corpses desiccated and spontaneously mummified. In North America, mummies are recovered from four main regions: the southern and southwestern United States, the Aleutian Islands, and the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas. This chapter is limited to a discussion of burial practices and a tabulation of the location of mummies in the southwestern United States with some comments on mummies of the southern United States, including the Ozarks.

Human Dental Microwear Caused By Calcium Oxalate Phytoliths In Prehistoric Diet Of The Lower Pecos Region, Texas, Dennis Danielson, Karl Reinhard

Karl Reinhard Publications

Recent research demonstrates that silica phytoliths of dietary origin are associated with microwear of human teeth. Previous research has shown that severe enamel microwear and dental wear characterizes Archaic hunter-gatherers in the lower Pecos region of west Texas. Calcium oxalate crystals are especially common in Archaic coprolites. The vast majority are derived from prickly pear and agave, which were the dietary staples in west Texas for 6,000 years. The calcium oxalate phytoliths are harder than enamel. Therefore, calcium oxalate crystals are the most likely source of previously documented dental microwear and wear in the lower Pecos region.Am J Phys Anthropol …

The Role Of Leukotrienes In The Pathogenesis Ofsteroid-Sensitive Nephrotic Syndrome, Sevgi Mi̇r, Afig Hüseyi̇nov, Mehmet Kantar, Caner Kabasakal, Alphan Cura, Işıl Çoker

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Endogenous leukotrienes (LT) levels in plasma and urine samples, and LT levels released from stimulated leukocytes in vitro were examined in children with steroid sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS). Plasma LT concentrations were found to be higher in the SSNS group than in healthy subjects. Subjects with SSNS were also shown to have high levels of urinary cysteinyl-LTs and LTB 4 , while healthy children had only urinary LTE 4 levels. In the second part of the study, peripheral leukocytes of patients and heatlhy children were stimulated by Ca ionophore, A23187. We detected significantly higher levels of LTs in patients with …

The Effect Of Eccentric Fatigue Of The Hamstrings On Knee Joint Proprioception, Kenneth M. Arends, Scott T. Miller, John T. Vandermaas

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of eccentric hamstring fatigue on the ability to accurately reproduce different knee joint angles. Thirty-one males and 29 females, 18-40 years old, were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups. Using the Biodex®, proprioceptive pre-test and post-test measurements were taken having the blindfolded participant replicate predetermined angles of 25°, 45°, and 65°. The control group underwent a passive movement protocol and the treatment underwent a fatigue protocol. Data Analysis was performed using 2-tailed t-test comparing the means of pre-test and post-test angle accuracy measurements for the control and treatment groups. …

Crosstalk: Surface Versus Intramuscular Electrodes For The Peroneus Brevis And Peroneus Longus, Tanya Cardillo, Susan Dresden, Jacquelyn Solem

Masters Theses

The purpose of this descriptive study was to measure crosstalk when using surface electrodes over the peroneus brevis and peroneus longus muscles. EMG was recorded from the right lower extremity of 14 normal subjects, taken from a sample of convenience. Surface electrodes were applied over the peroneus brevis and peroneus longus muscles; fine wire electrodes were inserted into the peroneus longus, peroneus brevis, anterior tibialis and extensor digitorum longus muscles of each subject. During manual muscle tests for the peroneals, anterior tibialis, and extensor digitorum longus, data were recorded from all electrodes simultaneously over 5 trials of each. Pearson product-moment …

The Effects Of An Articulated Ankle-Foot Orthosis On Dynamic Balance In Elderly Subjects With Hemiplegia, Cathi Logan, Traci Roon

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine If a difference exists in dynamic balance of elderly subjects with hemiplegia when the affected lower extremity Is braced with an articulated ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) versus unbraced. Participants were volunteers with a history of a cerebral vascular accident resulting In hemiplegia who required the use of an articulated AFO for ambulation. Balance data was obtained from the random limits of stability test on the Balance Master* version 3.4. Path length and limits of stability were analyzed using a multifactorial ANOVA. The AFO did not have a statistically significant effect on path length …

Music And The Effect It Has On The Motor Learning Of A Serial Task In Children, Ages Seven And Eight, Karen L. Kurncz, Tara K. Nielsen

Masters Theses

Purpose: To study the hypothesis that music will improve the motor learning of a serial task in seven and eight year old children.

Design: Acquisition - Retention Design

Intervention: The twenty-one subjects were randomly divided into two conditional groups, those who received musical intervention and those who did not. Each subject performed the serial task eleven times during the acquisition session. During the acquisition session, the only difference between the groups was the addition of music to the verbal cues in the experimental group. Approximately twenty-four hours later, each subject returned for a retention session to assess the motor learning …

The Hidden Age Revolution: Emergent Integration Of All Ages, Matilda White Riley

Center for Policy Research

Over the past 30 years my colleagues and I have been focusing on conceptual and empirical work (the aging and society paradigm) that does not create policies, but can inform them. The most immediate phase of this long cumulative history is leading us now to hidden changes in people's lives and social institutions that herald a new phenomenon world-wide--a phenomenon that may have momentous implications for the policies of the future. We call it "age integration" because it *integrates* older people with others of every age. When I come to the end of my lecture, I hope you will see …

Outcomes Of Comfort Touch In Institutionalized Elderly Female Residents., Mary Jane Butts

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Effectiveness Of Tactile Stimulation For Task-Related Behaviors And Language Comprehension On Two Children With Autism, Lynn A. Patterson

Masters Theses

Previous research has investigated the effects of tactile stimulation on autistic behavior in the realm of occupational therapy (McClure, & Holtz-Yotz, 1991; Zissermann, 1991); however, no studies were found which investigated the effects of tactile stimulation on autistic behavior within the realm of speech-language pathology. This study was conducted to examine the effects of tactile stimulation on task-related behaviors and language comprehension.

The subjects were two school-aged males with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (Autism) grouped for speech-language therapy. The subjects exhibited difficulties in modulating sensory input in the areas of tactile/proprioceptive functioning, as assessed by an occupational therapist. Both subjects were …

A Comparison Of Blood Cholesterol Levels And The Intake Of Dietary Trans Fatty Acids In Post-Menopausal Women, Bridget Cartwright

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation between dietary trans fatty acids and levels of total serum cholesterol, high and low density lipoproteins, and the ratio of total serum cholesterol to HDL in apparently healthy post-menopausal women.

Subjects (n = 21) were current members of the Eastern Illinois University Adult Fitness Program. All were moderately active Caucasian women determined to be post-menopausal and not taking hormone replacement therapy or lipid lowering medications. Mean age of the subjects was 69.1 ± 9.1 years.

Dietary intakes were assessed with the use of a multiple day food record and personal …

Hazardous Waste Determination And Government Enforcement Actions In The Resource Conservation And Recovery Act And The Law No. 24051: Comparison Between The United States And Argentina, Eduardo Jose Conghos

LLM Theses and Essays

The incremental generation and disposal of hazardous waste, causing severe environmental pollution, has become one the world’s most important ecological problems starting with the Stockholm Conference in 1972. This paper examines two legislative reactions to pollution caused by hazardous wastes in the United States, under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act 1976 (RCRA), and Argentina, in Law No. 24051. This paper makes a comparative analysis of the material provisions of both the RCRA and the Law with emphasis on the tools and actions provided for the enforcement of the RCRA and the Law. The paper concludes that the RCRA and …

Grandparents Today: A Demographic Profile, Maximiliane E. Szinovacz

Sociology & Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

This article presents a demographic profile of grandparents, using the National Survey of Families and Households. Specific dimensions of grandparenthood addressed include grandparents' survival, the timing of grandparenthood, grandparents' involvement in other roles, surrogate parenting, and stepgrandparents. The data indicate considerable heterogeneity among grandparents of different genders and races or ethnicities. They also suggest modifications in previous descriptions of modern grandparenthood.

The Impact Of Shared Governance On Decisional Condition, Job Satisfaction, And Intent To Leave Among Staff Nurses In Hospitals., Maxine E. Bernreuter

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

Self-Care Agency, Learned Helplessness, And Health Status In Elderly Adults., Carol Dennis

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

The Caregiver's Experience Of Deliberative Mutual Patterning With Pain-Ridden Substance Users, Gaile Hausaman Nellett

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Forgotten Grievers- Loss And Grief As Experienced By Young Adults In The Higher Educational Setting, Leona A. Garchow

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Development And Validation Of Flow-Injection (Continuous-Flow) Elisa Techniques., Declan Gerard Spillane

Theses

A flow-through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was developed based on affinity chromatography using the determination of ferritin in serum as a model system. In this method, samples and standards are introduced to separate columns containing immobilised anti-ferritin antibody, and antigen bound by solid-phase antibody is subsequently detected using an anti-ferritin-alkaline phosphatase conjugate. To detect immobilised label, p-nitrophenyl phosphate is added and product is developed in the column at room temperature. Following elution of product from the column, the absorbance is measured and the columns are regenerated using a low pH elution. The final developed system requires approximately 1.5 h for the …