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Incorporating Spatial Structure Into Bayesian Variable Selection Using Spike-And-Slab Priors With Application To Imaging Data, Justin Leach Jan 2020

Incorporating Spatial Structure Into Bayesian Variable Selection Using Spike-And-Slab Priors With Application To Imaging Data, Justin Leach

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Many applications in neuroscience, psychology, medicine, and public health require collecting and analyzing imaging data. While fine resolution images may appear continuous to the naked eye, they are in fact made up of measurements at discrete locations, either pixels in 2D or voxels in 3D. These data may be treated as the scientific outcomes of interest, or as predictors of outcomes of interest. Here, the concern is with the latter situation, which involves converting images into formats amenable to a linear modeling framework; i.e., each subject’s image is converted into a vector, and used to model the subject’s (scalar) outcome …


A Preliminary Analysis On The Effects Of Acute Beetroot Juice Intake On Glycemic And Blood Pressure Control In Type 2 Diabetes, Braxton Linder Jan 2020

A Preliminary Analysis On The Effects Of Acute Beetroot Juice Intake On Glycemic And Blood Pressure Control In Type 2 Diabetes, Braxton Linder

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Cardiometabolic diseases are becoming increasingly prevalent in modern society due to low activity lifestyles and poor nutrition. Inorganic dietary nitrate (diNO3) has shown to potentially improve cardiometabolic health in a number of different populations but remains to be corroborated in humans with type 2 diabetes (T2D). This preliminary analysis aimed to determine the effects of consuming an acute, concentrated dose of diNO3 containing beetroot juice (BRJ) on hemodynamic and glycemic responses in humans with T2D while controlling for pharmacological influences. Three participants with a clinical diagnosis of T2D were recruited into this study. Pulsewave Velocity (PWV) was used to assess …


The Retention Of Zirconia Crowns Luted With Resin And Rmgi Cements And The Effect Of Salivary Contamination, Stephen Liu Jan 2020

The Retention Of Zirconia Crowns Luted With Resin And Rmgi Cements And The Effect Of Salivary Contamination, Stephen Liu

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Purpose: To measure retention of zirconia crowns bonded with resin and RMGI cements and the effect of salivary contamination following 10,000 cycles of thermocycling. Materials and Methods: 64 extracted human mandibular premolars were divided into eight groups (n = 8/group). The specimens in each group were prepared for Katana HT zirconia (eight groups) and one of four luting cements (one for each group): 3M ESPE RelyX Luting Plus RMGI, 3M ESPE Rely X Unicem 2 self-adhesive, Kuraray Panavia SA Universal self-adhesive, and 3M ESPE RelyX Ultimate dual cure resin cement with Scotchbond Universal. The roots of the selected teeth were …


Nonsyndromic Hypodontia Of Maxillary Lateral Incisors, Its Genetics And Its Association With Other Dental Anomalies, Giana Lupinetti Jan 2020

Nonsyndromic Hypodontia Of Maxillary Lateral Incisors, Its Genetics And Its Association With Other Dental Anomalies, Giana Lupinetti

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NONSYNDROMIC HYPODONTIA OF MAXILLARY LATERAL INCISORS, ITS GENETICS, AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH OTHER DENTAL ANOMALIES GIANA LUPINETTIDEPARTMENT OF ORTHODONTICS ABSTRACT Congenital absence of maxillary lateral incisors presents a difficult situation for clini-cians for restorative and orthodontic purposes. Further, missing lateral incisor agenesis (MLIA) has been associated with other dental anomalies and cancer. 1 Few studies have targeted MLIA as a specific subtype of hypodontia. WNT10A is a candidate gene for MLIA. 2 The hypothesis was that genetic mutations in WNT10A affect maxillary lateral tooth development and can contribute to other dental anomalies. The first aim was to evaluate patients with …


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 …


Gp44, A Minor Protein With A Major Role In Bacteriophage 80Α Infection, Keith Allen Manning Jan 2020

Gp44, A Minor Protein With A Major Role In Bacteriophage 80Α Infection, Keith Allen Manning

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Bacteriophage 80α is a temperate double-stranded DNA phage that infects Staphylococcus aureus and is capable of mobilizing a variety of mobile genetic elements named S. aureus Pathogenicity Islands. The capsid of the mature virion is composed of subunits of the capsid protein, portal protein, and a minor capsid protein gp44 as well as packaged phage genomic DNA. The loss of the gp44 protein completely eliminates the phage titer of 80α but does not eliminate the transduction of the pathogenicity islands. In this dissertation, I show that the minor capsid protein is primarily active in a post-ejection role. Without gp44 the …


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 …


The Role Of The Β-Catenin Signaling Pathway In Modulating The Nucleolar Proteome Of Triple Negative Breast Cancer, Shannon E. Meier Jan 2020

The Role Of The Β-Catenin Signaling Pathway In Modulating The Nucleolar Proteome Of Triple Negative Breast Cancer, Shannon E. Meier

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Previously, abnormal nucleoli were noted as indicators of cancerous lesions andused as a pathologic readout of neoplasia. Nucleolar hypertrophy and increased nucleolar number have been correlated with increased breast cancer (BC) mortality rates. Although various functions of the nucleolus have been investigated, it remains widely understudied in the context of cancer. The nucleolus was initially thought to be solely the site of ribosome biogenesis. However, over half of the proteins found in the nucleolus are associated with other biological functions. It is evident that the nucleolus plays major roles in stress response, DNA repair, and critical cellular aspects that influence …


Evaluation Of The Effectivenss Of Rotc Army Cadet Exercise Training For The Army Combat Fitness Test, Jake Mintz Jan 2020

Evaluation Of The Effectivenss Of Rotc Army Cadet Exercise Training For The Army Combat Fitness Test, Jake Mintz

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The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of ROTC Army cadet exercise training for the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT). A secondary purpose was to evaluate the effectiveness and perception of a remote training program. The cadets performed an 8-week training program that consisted of similar movements to the movements seen on the ACFT. Following 8 weeks, the cadets retested the ACFT. Performance measures were in-creased in the scores and scoring variable of the 3-repetition deadlift and 2-mile run (p < .005). The overall testing score also improved significantly. These results imply that an 8-week training program focusing on movements similar to those tested by the ACFT could improve ACFT score.


Advancing Single Cell And Crispr/Dcas9 Technologies For The Study Of Reward Learning And Addiction, Corey Grant Duke Jan 2020

Advancing Single Cell And Crispr/Dcas9 Technologies For The Study Of Reward Learning And Addiction, Corey Grant Duke

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Drug addiction is a chronic relapsing condition inflicting tremendous harm to individuals and society with ineffective treatment options available to most people. Drugs of abuse elevate dopamine levels in a brain region known as the nucleus accumbens (NAc), and activate gene programs considered essential for producing lasting synaptic and cell state changes which underlie the generation of addictive behavior. These gene expression changes remain poorly understood due to a complex heterogenous cellular architecture, and the rapidly fluctuating nature of the transcriptional processes themselves which make investigation difficult. Recent technical advances increase access to both profiling and manipulating these transcriptional changes …


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, …


Downstream Pathways Of Glucagon Receptor Agonism In Obesity, Shelly Nason Jan 2020

Downstream Pathways Of Glucagon Receptor Agonism In Obesity, Shelly Nason

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Obesity is highly prevalent and strategies to improve weight loss maintenance are critical for healthcare. Behavioral interventions are effective but require major lifestyle changes that are often difficult to maintain long-term. Therefore, modifying energy balance with pharmacotherapy is a strategy to combine with lifestyle modifications for sustained weight loss. Glucagon, a hormone involved in maintaining glucose homeostasis, also regulates energy expenditure, food intake, and lipid metabolism. As such, glucagon-based therapies have gained attention as an attractive clinical target. Glucagon Receptor (GCGR) mono-agonism induces glucose intolerance; therefore, dissecting the mechanisms by which GCGR signaling mediates energy balance are clinically relevant to …


Protective Effects Of Thioredoxin Reductase Inhibition In The Murine Lung: The Regulation And Contribution Of Heme Oxygenase-1, Katelyn Louise Dunigan-Russell Jan 2020

Protective Effects Of Thioredoxin Reductase Inhibition In The Murine Lung: The Regulation And Contribution Of Heme Oxygenase-1, Katelyn Louise Dunigan-Russell

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Endogenous antioxidant responses defend the lung against oxygen toxicity. In premature neonates, oxygen toxicity and impaired antioxidant defenses contribute to the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), the leading cause of long-term morbidity among premature infants. In adults, oxygen toxicity and impaired antioxidant defense contributes to the pathogenesis of acute lung injury (ALI). Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), a severe form of ALI, can cause permeant lung damage and mortality. Our lab has established that pharmacologic thioredoxin reductase-1 (TXNRD1) inhibition attenuates lung injury in murine BPD and ALI models. The protective effects of TXNRD1 inhibition are mediated by the activation of …


Between Breaths, Kristin Entler Jan 2020

Between Breaths, Kristin Entler

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This collection evaluates, primarily, the nature of absence through a study of negative space, which acts as the common thread that stitches this collection together into a cohesive whole. Through evaluation of relationships, both familial and romantic, with the external world and with the self, I’ve worked to evaluate the space that’s left behind. Each poem features the absence of something or someone that then acts as a mirror to reflect the self, the emotional state that remains. In many, the loss of a close friend is in the fore, where that absence is taken up by grief, longing, and …


Perceptions Of Assistant Principals Of Curriculum And Instruction Regarding The Effectiveness Of Their Role, Patton Barrett Furman Jan 2020

Perceptions Of Assistant Principals Of Curriculum And Instruction Regarding The Effectiveness Of Their Role, Patton Barrett Furman

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This qualitative phenomenological study explored what assistant principals of curriculum and instruction (APCIs) in a large metropolitan area in central Alabama thought about the effectiveness of their role. APCIs are an emerging role in school administration, therefore there is limited research involving APCIs, including whether the position is effective in practice. More research is needed that pertains to the assistant principal role, but more specifically it is needed for those assistant principals charged primarily with curriculum and instruction (Gurley, Peters et al., 2015). My study will help to fill the gap by looking at the perceptions of current APCIs. This …


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 Validation Of The Synthetic Cannabinoid 5-Fluoro Pb-22, Trista M. Gray Jan 2020

The Validation Of The Synthetic Cannabinoid 5-Fluoro Pb-22, Trista M. Gray

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The first synthetic cannabinoid was developed in the late 1980s by chemist John W. Huffman in an effort to understand the two cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2). The cannabinoid receptors are not only involved in the high experienced by marijuana users, but also the control of appetite, pain, and sleep. While the development of synthetic cannabinoids led to a greater understanding of the cannabinoid receptors, it also precipitated an entirely new drug market. Clandestine chemists hijack scientific research, using methods published in scientific articles to synthesize cannabinoids for distribution in the gray market. Products containing synthetic cannabinoids are marketed as …


Employer Sponsored Health Insurance And Children With Special Health Care Needs, Kathryn Corvey Jan 2020

Employer Sponsored Health Insurance And Children With Special Health Care Needs, Kathryn Corvey

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This dissertation is composed of three papers related to children with special health care needs (CSHCN) who are covered by private health insurance, including employer sponsored health insurance. Over the past couple of decades, researchers and advocates have expressed concern about the impact that widespread changes in private insurance coverage may have on families of CSHCN. These researchers point to the rise in high deductible plans and declining generosity in the form of higher premiums and copayments in more traditional plans offered by employers. Despite this expressed concern, little research has been conducted examining how these changes in employer sponsored …


Quality Of Life, Reading And Accommodation In Children With Low Vision, Dawn Kissner Decarlo Jan 2020

Quality Of Life, Reading And Accommodation In Children With Low Vision, Dawn Kissner Decarlo

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Childhood permanent, uncorrectable vision impairment (VI) is rare, yet it is a public health burden as the impairment lasts a lifetime. Vision impairment describes decreased vision that affects everyday activities. Acuity cut-points commonly used include 20/40, 20/60 or 20/70. Blindness often refers to legal blindness (best corrected visual acuity of 20/200 or worse or a visual field less than 20 degrees). Children with VI often have hereditary conditions such as albinism, optic atrophy and retinal degenerations and are different in many ways than adults with VI. The majority have conditions with onset at or near birth and as a result …


Adolescent Fast Food Consumption: Underlying Factors And Related Health Outcomes, Lindsay Marie Stager Jan 2020

Adolescent Fast Food Consumption: Underlying Factors And Related Health Outcomes, Lindsay Marie Stager

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Obesity represents one of our nation’s leading public health issues. In 2017, over 30% of U.S. high school students presented with either overweight (15.6%) or obesity (14.8%). These trends are alarming as early childhood and adolescence are critical developmental periods for establishing healthy eating and exercise behaviors. Though past research has uncovered many factors related to adolescent eating behaviors, few studies have examined the longitudinal impacts of parenting and family variables on diet across the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Further, there is a lack of longitudinal research regarding health outcomes of fast food consumption during this same developmental period. …


The Relationship Between Accreditation And Performance Among Federally Qualified Health Centers, Henry Thompson Jan 2020

The Relationship Between Accreditation And Performance Among Federally Qualified Health Centers, Henry Thompson

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While past studies have examined the relationship between accreditation and hospital performance, no previous studies have evaluated the relationship between Joint Commission accreditation and Federal Qualified Health Center (FQHC) performance. Multiple regression analyses were used to evaluate the relationship between Joint Commission accreditation and variables of interest. Joint Commission accreditation was utilized as the dependent variable in the evaluation of organizational and environmental market factors, and utilized as the independent variable in the evaluation of clinical and non-clinical performance outcomes. This study applies a novel approach to determine the relationship between Joint Commission accreditation and adoption among FQHCs, and organizational …


Effect Of Cement Selection On Retention Of Zirconia And Lithium Disilicate Crowns, Chan-Te Huang Jan 2020

Effect Of Cement Selection On Retention Of Zirconia And Lithium Disilicate Crowns, Chan-Te Huang

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Background: Ceramic crowns (lithium disilicate and zirconia) have become the most prescribed material for the restoration of anterior and posterior teeth due to the esthetic concerns of patients and the high cost of noble alloys. Different types of cements are used for luting crowns such as zinc phosphate, glass ionomer, resin modified glass ionomer (RMGI), resin cements and bioactive cements. Selection of different cements and bonding protocols for zirconia or lithium disilicate crowns to increase their bonding strength remains a clinical challenge for dentists. Objectives: To measure the retention strength of lithium disilicate and zirconia crowns cemented with different cements. …


C-Reactive Protein Subverts The Myeloid Lineage: Implications For Renal Injury, Rachel Jimenez Jan 2020

C-Reactive Protein Subverts The Myeloid Lineage: Implications For Renal Injury, Rachel Jimenez

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C-reactive protein (CRP) is an evolutionarily conserved pattern recognition molecule that was first characterized for its participation in the acute phase response to bacterial infection. In the last 90 years, knowledge of CRP biology in innate immunity has expanded significantly. CRP is known to bind and activate the classical pathway of complement, to opsonize bacteria and inflamed tissue, and to modulate myeloid cell functions. CRP is normally present in the blood at low levels with its biosynthesis and serum concentration rapidly rises upon systemic inflammation. For example, high levels of serum CRP are found following acute kidney injury (AKI) in …


In Vitro Evaluation Of Candida Albicans Adherence And Disinfection Techniques On Cad/Cam Milled, 3d Printed, And Heat-Cured Pmma, Mohammad Amir Koujan Jan 2020

In Vitro Evaluation Of Candida Albicans Adherence And Disinfection Techniques On Cad/Cam Milled, 3d Printed, And Heat-Cured Pmma, Mohammad Amir Koujan

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INTRODUCTION: Candida albicans has been regarded as the most predominant oral fungal pathogen and the main causative of denture stomatitis. Modern denture are fabricated from various types of polymers commonly: CAD/CAM or heat-cured. C. albicans adherence rate to these polymers and disinfection efficacy of adherent fungal biofilms are multifactorial processes and differ depending on the physical characteristics of the targeted surface. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate Candida albicans adherence to specimens from three types of polymers namely: heat-cured PMMA, CAD/CAM milled and 3D printed. The second part compares the efficacy of four common disinfection techniques on …


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 …


Quest Towards The Development Of Human Cardiac Tissue Equivalents Made From Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Derived Cardiac Cells, Wesley Labarge Jan 2020

Quest Towards The Development Of Human Cardiac Tissue Equivalents Made From Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Derived Cardiac Cells, Wesley Labarge

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The human heart is one of the more complex organs in the body to study and understand given the structural and functional characteristics it possesses. These characteristics work in synchrony to transfer oxygen-rich blood to vital organs throughout the body and oxygen-deficient blood back to the lungs for oxygenation. Furthermore, it can be reasoned that when these complexities are compounded with disease states which negatively affect the structure and function of the heart, determining the best treatments while also limiting adverse side effects becomes increasingly more challenging. While the goal of having patient-specific therapies has not completely been realized, the …


Understanding And Targeting Glucose Transporter 3 In Glioblastoma, Catherine Jeanne Libby Jan 2020

Understanding And Targeting Glucose Transporter 3 In Glioblastoma, Catherine Jeanne Libby

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Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common adult primary malignant brain tumor with a median survival of about 15 months, even after aggressive treatment. Treatment of GBM is difficult for multiple reasons including the location of the tumor, tumor invasiveness, and the high degree of both inter-and intra-tumoral heterogeneity. Contributing to intratumoral heterogeneity are highly tumorigenic, stem-like tumor cells, with the capacity to self-renew and propagate the tumor, termed brain tumor initiating cells (BTICs). BTICs are also commonly therapy resistant, highly invasive, and metabolically plastic with elevated expression of glucose transporter 3 (GLUT3) allowing them to preferentially survive in low nutrient …


Analyzing Spinach Growth Using Vertical Garden Techniques And Local Water Sources For Urban Gardens, Julia Ashlyn Manzella Jan 2020

Analyzing Spinach Growth Using Vertical Garden Techniques And Local Water Sources For Urban Gardens, Julia Ashlyn Manzella

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The University of Alabama at Birmingham undergraduate and graduate programs’ continued involvement in the Birmingham-Jefferson County community have identified food insecure areas, known as food deserts, and associated health issues negatively impacting the community due to poor diets and lack of access to healthy foods. Farm stands and community gardens around the Birmingham-metropolitan area have increased healthy food availability during the past several years to encourage healthier eating habits. To combat food insecurity, sustainable alternative growing techniques for urban agriculture need to be implemented and incorporated into local community gardens. Alternative gardening techniques such as vertical gardens maximize yield in …


A Computational Method For The Analysis Of Magnetic Resonance Images Using Morphological Analysis, Jon Rolf Marstrander Jan 2020

A Computational Method For The Analysis Of Magnetic Resonance Images Using Morphological Analysis, Jon Rolf Marstrander

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Neurodegenerative diseases are an increasingly significant source of health problems in recent years. The prevalence and severity of these diseases is only expected to grow with the aging of the population. There is a large and and growing research effort to understand, diagnose and develop treatments for this class of diseases. Many of these diseases are not well understood, and there is a dearth of approved biomarkers and other techniques to definitively diagnose these diseases. The field of computational neuroimaging has been developed as part of the effort to study and diagnose these diseases. This field has undergone explosive growth …