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Vulcan Historical Review 25 (Complete Issue), Vulcan Historical Review Staff

Vulcan Historical Review

No abstract provided.

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Celebrating 25 Years Of The Vulcan Historical Review, Kendra Bell, Sarah Coley

Vulcan Historical Review

pp. 8-10

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Vulcan Historical Review 25 (End Matter), Vulcan Historical Review Staff

Vulcan Historical Review

No abstract provided.

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Towards A Resilient Community: Application Of Advanced Computational Models And Big Data Analytics, Md Golam Rabbani Fahad

All ETDs from UAB

Human-induced climate change has affected the ecosystems and communities across the world in numerous ways. The cascading consequences of climate change have already impacted our infrastructure, human health, energy, and productivity. Climate change likely caused significant changes in weather patterns with devastating effects such as droughts and flooding, sea-level rise, high-intensity rainfall, extreme heat stress, and much more. High fidelity quantification of the associated risk and resiliency to mitigate the impact of extreme weather events has become necessary as communities across the United States are suffering from the repetitive occurrence of natural disasters such as hurricanes, storm surges, and urban …

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Evaluation Of Flexural Strength, Modulus, Translucency, Stain Resistance, And Gloss Of Different 3d Printing Materials, Shantanu Mankar

All ETDs from UAB

Background: 3D printing, the next step in digital dentistry, has improved the technical accuracy in treating patients. There are many advantages of 3D-printed techniques in the field of prosthodontics. It can be clearly experienced from an intraoral scanner, with its digital data, making many physical working models. With the recent 3D-printed, we can eliminate the traditional impression technique, similar to the fabrication procedure. The milling method, which includes a computerized programmed pattern of cutting the material with, but can be a wastage of materials along with producing noise, heat, and other components (Park, Ahn, Cha, & Lee, 2018)Objectives: To evaluate …

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Investigation Into The Structure And Function Of Streptococcal Antigen I/Ii Family Of Proteins, Joshua L. Mieher

All ETDs from UAB

Streptococci are involved in the infections of the oral cavity as well as at various sites throughout the body. Their initial contact with tissues/surfaces is enabled by adhesins present on the microbial surface. Among these the Antigen I/II- family (AgI/II) of adhesins are known be important factors in these infections as they enable adherence to multiple host proteins thus allowing the bacteria to gain a foot hold. In this thesis, we have structurally and functionally characterized yet another adhesin on S. mutans, the glucan binding protein C, which resembles the V-region of AgI/II. In addition, we have also resolved the …

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An Investigation Of Endogenous Pain Modulation And Inflammatory Biomarkers In Non-Specific Chronic Low Back Pain, Demario Overstreet

All ETDs from UAB

ABSTRACT Chronic low back pain (cLBP) is one of the most common disabling conditions in the world, and is one of the leading contributors to medical care seeking in adults. The worldwide prevalence of activity-limiting (acute and chronic) low back pain is about 12%, which equates to approximately 933 million people globally suffering with low back pain at any given time. Despite the prevalence and frequency of medical intervention, sustained pain relief and functional restoration are rarely achieved for those with cLBP. The vast majority of cLBP is “non-specific” with no identifiable pathology of the spine or related tissues. Without …

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Psychosocial Risk And Resiliency Factors For Pain Severity Among African Americans With Chronic Low Back Pain, Terence Matthew Penn

All ETDs from UAB

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is among the most prevalent, disabling, and painful health conditions worldwide, contributing to significant economic and societal costs. In the United States, the burden of chronic pain – including CLBP – disproportionately affects non-Hispanic Blacks (“Blacks”) compared to non-Hispanic Whites (“Whites”), with Blacks consistently displaying greater pain severity and frequency across multiple studies. To help understand these racial pain disparities, researchers have adopted a biopsychosocial model of chronic musculoskeletal pain, examining how cognitive, behavioral, social/environmental, and biomedical factors collectively influence pain outcomes. Different lines of research have investigated the impact of distressing social experiences on …

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Efficacy Of Lower Incisor Intrusion Using Clear Aligners, Cason Roberson

All ETDs from UAB

Objective: The primary objective of this study is to evaluate pre and posttreatment lateral cephalometric radiographs on patients treated with Invisalign by the same orthodontist where lower incisor intrusion was prescribed and to determine the amount of true lower incisor intrusion achieved during treatment. Methods: This retrospective case series study included 48 patients with an overbite exceeding 2mm, who were treated with Invisalign clear aligner therapy, and whose Clincheck treatment plan included lower incisor intrusion. The mean age of the study group was 27 years with 14 (29%) of the subjects being male and 35 (71%) being female. The mean …

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Examining The Trends Of Craft Beer Legislation In The U.S., Erica Techo

All ETDs from UAB

Brewing and beer production historically have been intertwined with government, politics, and regulation in the United States. With the growth of the craft beer industry, discussions surrounding brewing regulation have refocused on their impact on smaller businesses and this growing segment of the alcohol beverage market. The history of beer and craft beer in the United States has been studied, as well as the impact of taxation and regulation on business, but research on craft brewing regulation has been relegated to broad studies of specific regulation or case studies of cities and states covering several regulations. This present research seeks …

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The Impact Posttraumatic Stress Disorde On The Developing Brain And Educational Considerations, Kristen N. Buford

All ETDs from UAB

About 90% of the population will experience a traumatic event within their lifetime, but only a small percentage of this population will develop Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD has a profound impact on the developing brain, specifically neural circuits that support fear learning, memory, and regulation processes. Child PTSD is associated with structural and functional abnormalities in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, and anterior cingulate cortex, which effect emotion regulation, memory, threat processing, and fear extinction. These neurological effects on the developing brain have serious implications for academic achievement, but with institutional interventions, schools have been able to effectively reduce …

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Statistical Methods For Evaluating Confounding In Nutritional Epidemiology: Examining The Association Of Dietary Measures And Incident Type 2 Diabetes, Stephanie E. Tison

All ETDs from UAB

Nutrition is a key factor in the development of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and cancer, which are continuing to increase globally. Research on dietary patterns is crucial for informing what aspects of diet are most critical for preventing and possibly reversing chronic disease. Dietary patterns focus on the types of food that are consumed which reflects the complexity and cultural aspects of diet rather than focusing on a single food or nutrient. Observational cohort studies are able to observe typical dietary intake and thus better reflect the real association between diet and chronic disease. In …

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Pain Among Older Adults With Cancer-Results From The Cancer And Aging Resilience Evaluation (Care) Registry, Mustafa Al Obaidi

All ETDs from UAB

Purpose: The impact of pain on functional status and mental health among older adults with cancer is a relevant, yet understudied issue. Our aim of this study sought to identify prevalence of pain at diagnosis in older adults with cancer and evaluate the association with functional status limitations, cognition, and mental health issues. Methods: This study included patients diagnosed with cancer at age ≥60 enrolled in the CARE Registry at University of Alabama at Birmingham. Patients completed a patient-reported geriatric assessment at the time of their initial visit with a medical oncologist. Pain measured in numeric rating scale from 0-10. …

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Statistical Methodology For Mendelian Randomiztion Analysis, Phillip Hunter Allman

All ETDs from UAB

Instrumental variable (IV) methods are causal analysis techniques used on observational data to address confounding, provided that certain assumptions are met. In the usual observational setting, some exposure of interest �� is associated with some outcome of interest ��, but confounders �� could distort the measure of the association between �� and ��. A valid IV is a proxy of sorts for �� which behaves in a very specific way, in that the IV operates analogously to the treatment group assignment seen in randomized trials. Finding a valid IV is no trivial task, but if one exists and we identify …

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The Association Between Post-Stroke Delirium And Mortality Among Stroke Patients In Long-Term Facilities, Nuo Xu

All ETDs from UAB

Delirium is a common neurobehavioral complication following a stroke. Patients who have post-stroke delirium (PSD) are more likely to have severe prognoses, such as physical function decline, high mortality and an increased need for long-term care. Nursing home residents as one of the fragile and special populations sharing the attributes of old age, and high prevalence of chronic diseases and limited mobility. However, there only a few studies have investigated the association between PSD and mortality among individuals admitted to a long-term care facility. This retrospective cohort study aimed to examine the association between PSD and mortality among the participants …

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The Association Between Sleep Disturbance And The Neurocognitive Function In Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease, Tiffany D. Tucker

All ETDs from UAB

Background and objective: Youth with sickle cell disease (SCD) without neurological complications continue to be at increased risk of neurocognitive difficulties. Nocturnal hypoxemia is associated with neurocognitive outcomes and has been identified as a chronic complication in youth with SCD. The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between sleep disturbances and neurocognitive functioning in youth with SCD, while taking into account demographics and socioeconomic factors. Methods: Youth with SCD were identified through retrospective chart review who underwent a standardized polysomnography (PSG) and completed a neuropsychological testing battery to assess cognitive skills, including verbal comprehension, working memory, processing …

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Black Women's Clubs: A Catalyst To The Black Kindergarten Movement, Dessilyn Chappell

All ETDs from UAB

e purpose of this narrative inquiry was to describe the Black Kindergarten Movement through efforts of the Black Women’s Clubs and their communities at the time right after the Reconstruction and into the Progressive Era. The common documents that were used in the data collection process included official records, newspapers, magazine articles, journal articles and historical accounts. These documents were used for the “restorying” of events. The key to this type of study is to use stories as data, especially first-person accounts of experience told in story form while having a beginning, middle, and end. The following questions guided this …

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Nutritional And Metabolic Effects Of Elexacaftor/Tezacaftor/Ivacaftor In Adults And Adolescents With Cystic Fibrosis, Julianna Bailey

All ETDs from UAB

Background: Since malnutrition is a main clinical consequence of CF, a high-calorie, high-fat diet is recommended. Highly effective cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulators promote improved growth and weight gain in subsets of the CF population. Recently Elexacaftor/Tezacaftor/Ivacaftor (ETI) was approved for use in up to 90% of people with CF. Our single center open-label observational cohort study aimed to explore the changes in dietary and metabolic outcomes with use of ETI. Methods: Participants underwent baseline (V1) measurements prior to taking their first dose of ETI. Follow-up measurements were obtained at 28 days (V2) on ETI and > 6 months …

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Cardiovascular Disease Risk In Head Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients: Using Electronic Medical Records Data, Amrita Mukherjee

All ETDs from UAB

The objective of my dissertation research was to assess burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in Head Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) patients and to determine the association of traditional CVD risk factors and HNSCC-related factors with incident CVD outcomes. For this clinical cohort study, I analyzed electronic medical records (EMR) and tumor registry data on HNSCC patients diagnosed between January 2012 and December 2018 at UAB hospital and O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center. First, I assessed prevalence and incidence of traditional CVD risk factors at HNSCC diagnosis (baseline) and at one-year post HNSCC diagnosis, respectively. Then I determined the …

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The 340b Drug Pricing Program: Are 340b Covered Entities Providing More Services And More Uncompensated Care?, Isabell M. Pacheco

All ETDs from UAB

The 340B Drug Pricing Program enacted in 1992 requires pharmaceutical manufacturers participating in the Medicaid program to provide statutorily defined discounts on "covered outpatient drugs" purchased by government-supported facilities, known as covered entities, that are expected to serve the nation's most vulnerable patient populations. The Program has been under copious scrutiny by industry stakeholders and Presidential Executive Orders that threaten its macrocosm. While previous research suggests that health systems with a mix of 340B participating and non-participating locations are not associated with expanded access to care, additional research is needed to determine if entities participating in the 340B Drug Pricing …

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The Relationship Of Debt Ratio And Financial Performance For Large Nfp Health Systems, Mark Lombardi

All ETDs from UAB

This dissertation was a quasi-experimental research study exploring the relationship between long-term to debt capitalization ratio and financial performance in an environment where interest rates remained historically low and stable, while investment returns in the U.S. equity markets increased year over year. The study reviewed 142 not for profit health systems and examined total and non-operating margins along with long-term debt to capitalization ratio to determine if margins increased as long-term debt increased. Researchers have discussed the opportunity that not for profit health systems have to utilize low cost, tax-exempt debt to maintain or grow their endowments and in turn …

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Production And Purification Of Titanium-45 For Imaging Of Psma+ Prostate Cancer, Ivis Francis Chaple

All ETDs from UAB

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) has revolutionized the world of molecular imaging, increasing the potential for improved diagnosis and characterization of various disease states, including cancer. Molecular biology has afforded the knowledge that each type of cancer cell is different, and these differences can be leveraged to develop methods for targeting these cells for imaging or therapy, as well as understanding of other characteristics. Due to the increased diversity in available targets, there has been an equal need to develop new agents used to image these receptors. Radioisotopes with varying halflives, chemical and nuclear properties have been studied in recent years …

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Fqhcs, Health Center Controlled Network Affiliation And Performance, Armika Jessica Berkley

All ETDs from UAB

Since the mid-1960s, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) have been funded by the U.S. federal government to provide access to preventative and primary care for medically underserved communities. The federal government’s involvement in the funding of FQHCs was a response to extreme poverty, economic instability, and civil unrest related to the Civil Rights movement. Adoption of value-based care delivery practices to improve clinical and financial performances among FQHCs has been slow. This slow adoption has been attributable to cost, lack of expertise, and support. Since August 1994, the Department of Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the funding source for …

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Self-Efficacy And Sexual And Reproductive Health In Women With Cystic Fibrosis: A Mixed Methods Study, Janet L. Brown

All ETDs from UAB

SELF-EFFICACY AND SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH IN WOMEN WITH CYSTIC FIBROSIS: A MIXED METHODS STUDY JANET BROWN DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN NURSING ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common life-limiting genetic disorder among Caucasians. There are approximately 30,000 individuals with CF in the United States and over 70,000 worldwide, with approximately 1,000 new cases diagnosed globally each year. In other chronic diseases, a positive relationship between self-efficacy and behavior has been identified. Self-efficacy may be a factor related to behaviors, including underutilization of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care services for women with CF.METHODS: Self-efficacy and utilization of …

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Likelihood Based Inferential Methods To Analyze Trials Incorporating Patient's Treatment Choice, Rouba A. Chahine

All ETDs from UAB

Randomized clinical trials (RCT) are the gold standards for clinical trials as they reduce bias and minimize variability between different arms of a study. One of the drawbacks of these designs is their lack of flexibility to incorporate patient’s preference, which may reduce recruitment rates and/or reduce patient’s tolerance if they receive a non-preferred treatment. Designs incorporating choice allow a subset of participants to choose a preferred treatment. Some of these designs are Zelen’s (1979), Brewin’s (1989), and Rucker’s (Two-Stage RCT, 1989). Current methods to analyze two-stage RCT are based on an analysis of variance (ANOVA) approach that do not …

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The Function Of Tgfβr3 (Betaglycan) In The Differentiation And Proliferation Of T Cells, Samuel Duesman

All ETDs from UAB

TGFβR3 is a membrane bound co-receptor to many members of the TGFβ superfamily of ligands and is broadly expressed in the human body. TGFβR3 is known to modulate immune system function, but its exact role is at this time poorly understood. Work by Aleman-Muench et al., (2012) suggests that TGFβR3 regulates T cell development in the thymus. In order to further investigate the role of TGFβR3 in the immune system our lab developed a mouse which lacks TGFβR3 selectively in mature T cells. The contribution of TGFβR3 on in vivo activation and differentiation of T cells was investigated by utilizing …

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Mental Health And Chronic Disease Management: Examining The Association Between Depression And Multiple Sclerosis (Ms) Outcomes, Christina J. Glenn

All ETDs from UAB

The aim of this dissertation is to determine whether depression is associated with clinical (relapses and disability worsening) and MRI outcomes in multiple sclerosis (MS) by conducting a secondary data analysis of the CombiRx clinical trial. Psychiatric comorbidities, including depression are common in people living with MS (PwMS), often underreported, and contribute to reduced quality of life and mortality associated with the disease. Most clinical studies that have examined the relationship between depression, depression medication usage, and MS outcomes have been small, excluded participants with relapsing-remitting subtypes and severe depressive symptoms, and had relatively short study periods—all shortcomings this thesis …

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Religion, Spirituality, Faith, Centeredness And Wellbeing: An Exploration Of How These Elements Impact Individual Wellbeing, Carol Griggs

All ETDs from UAB

Wellness and wellbeing have been a national priority in the United States of American for many years. Since 1961, wellbeing models have been created and reconstructed to define our understanding of what wellbeing is as well as what it should or could potentially be. These endeavors have contributed to a body of research that serve as a foundation for this study. The aim of this study was to review current theory and design a qualitative study to determine if current theory could be expanded upon utilizing religion, spirituality, faith and centeredness as central grounding principles for the model. This was …

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Stress, Inflammation, And Mood: A Role For Leptin?, Kathleen Hodgin

All ETDs from UAB

Prior research has suggested a possible role for the proinflammatory adipokine leptin in depression. Leptin has also been associated with stress, a known predictor of depression. The purpose of this project was to investigate associations between stress, leptin, and depressed mood. We used data from a larger observational study that collected daily levels of plasma leptin and self-reported stress and depressed mood from 55 women over 25 days. Women with and without chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) were included. We hypothesized the following: increased stress would be associated with both worsened mood and higher leptin, and that leptin would be positively …

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Laser Spectroscopy, Amplification, And Laser Properties Of Fe:Znse Mid-Ir Gain Media Under Er:Yag Laser Excitation, Krishna Karki

All ETDs from UAB

Many organic molecules exhibit strong and narrow absorption in the middle infrared (mid-IR) 2-8 μm and long-wavelength-infrared (LWIR) 8-20 μm spectral ranges. Hence, this infrared laser radiation is of interest for spectroscopy, remote sensing of atmospheric constituents, oil prospecting, as well as the number of applications such as free-space optical communication, laser surgical and dental treatment, and many defense-related applications. Transition metal (TM) doped II-VI semiconductors exhibit highly favorable spectroscopic properties for many mid-IR laser applications. Among these materials the most significant results have been obtained with the use of Fe:ZnSe crystals because of their unique properties such as broad …

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Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Vulcan Historical Review 25 (Complete Issue), Vulcan Historical Review Staff

Vulcan Historical Review

Celebrating 25 Years Of The Vulcan Historical Review, Kendra Bell, Sarah Coley

Vulcan Historical Review

Vulcan Historical Review 25 (End Matter), Vulcan Historical Review Staff

Vulcan Historical Review

Towards A Resilient Community: Application Of Advanced Computational Models And Big Data Analytics, Md Golam Rabbani Fahad

All ETDs from UAB

Evaluation Of Flexural Strength, Modulus, Translucency, Stain Resistance, And Gloss Of Different 3d Printing Materials, Shantanu Mankar

All ETDs from UAB

Investigation Into The Structure And Function Of Streptococcal Antigen I/Ii Family Of Proteins, Joshua L. Mieher

All ETDs from UAB

An Investigation Of Endogenous Pain Modulation And Inflammatory Biomarkers In Non-Specific Chronic Low Back Pain, Demario Overstreet

All ETDs from UAB

Psychosocial Risk And Resiliency Factors For Pain Severity Among African Americans With Chronic Low Back Pain, Terence Matthew Penn

All ETDs from UAB

Efficacy Of Lower Incisor Intrusion Using Clear Aligners, Cason Roberson

All ETDs from UAB

Examining The Trends Of Craft Beer Legislation In The U.S., Erica Techo

All ETDs from UAB

The Impact Posttraumatic Stress Disorde On The Developing Brain And Educational Considerations, Kristen N. Buford

All ETDs from UAB

Statistical Methods For Evaluating Confounding In Nutritional Epidemiology: Examining The Association Of Dietary Measures And Incident Type 2 Diabetes, Stephanie E. Tison

All ETDs from UAB

Pain Among Older Adults With Cancer-Results From The Cancer And Aging Resilience Evaluation (Care) Registry, Mustafa Al Obaidi

All ETDs from UAB

Statistical Methodology For Mendelian Randomiztion Analysis, Phillip Hunter Allman

All ETDs from UAB

The Association Between Post-Stroke Delirium And Mortality Among Stroke Patients In Long-Term Facilities, Nuo Xu

All ETDs from UAB

The Association Between Sleep Disturbance And The Neurocognitive Function In Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease, Tiffany D. Tucker

All ETDs from UAB

Black Women's Clubs: A Catalyst To The Black Kindergarten Movement, Dessilyn Chappell

All ETDs from UAB

Nutritional And Metabolic Effects Of Elexacaftor/Tezacaftor/Ivacaftor In Adults And Adolescents With Cystic Fibrosis, Julianna Bailey

All ETDs from UAB

Cardiovascular Disease Risk In Head Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients: Using Electronic Medical Records Data, Amrita Mukherjee

All ETDs from UAB

The 340b Drug Pricing Program: Are 340b Covered Entities Providing More Services And More Uncompensated Care?, Isabell M. Pacheco

All ETDs from UAB

The Relationship Of Debt Ratio And Financial Performance For Large Nfp Health Systems, Mark Lombardi

All ETDs from UAB

Production And Purification Of Titanium-45 For Imaging Of Psma+ Prostate Cancer, Ivis Francis Chaple

All ETDs from UAB

Fqhcs, Health Center Controlled Network Affiliation And Performance, Armika Jessica Berkley

All ETDs from UAB

Self-Efficacy And Sexual And Reproductive Health In Women With Cystic Fibrosis: A Mixed Methods Study, Janet L. Brown

All ETDs from UAB

Likelihood Based Inferential Methods To Analyze Trials Incorporating Patient's Treatment Choice, Rouba A. Chahine

All ETDs from UAB

The Function Of Tgfβr3 (Betaglycan) In The Differentiation And Proliferation Of T Cells, Samuel Duesman

All ETDs from UAB

Mental Health And Chronic Disease Management: Examining The Association Between Depression And Multiple Sclerosis (Ms) Outcomes, Christina J. Glenn

All ETDs from UAB

Religion, Spirituality, Faith, Centeredness And Wellbeing: An Exploration Of How These Elements Impact Individual Wellbeing, Carol Griggs

All ETDs from UAB

Stress, Inflammation, And Mood: A Role For Leptin?, Kathleen Hodgin

All ETDs from UAB

Laser Spectroscopy, Amplification, And Laser Properties Of Fe:Znse Mid-Ir Gain Media Under Er:Yag Laser Excitation, Krishna Karki

All ETDs from UAB