Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Discipline
Keyword
Publication Year
Publication
Publication Type

Articles 1111 - 1140 of 2603

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Environmental Specific Effects On Life History And Energy Metabolism Traits In A Permethrin Resistant Strain Of Anopheles Gambiae, Dennis Otali Jan 2013

Environmental Specific Effects On Life History And Energy Metabolism Traits In A Permethrin Resistant Strain Of Anopheles Gambiae, Dennis Otali

All ETDs from UAB

Widespread use of pyrethroids for control of malaria vectors together with use in agriculture for pest control has led to an increase in emergence of populations of pyrethroid resistant phenotypes. Insecticide resistance can likely alter vector development time, reproduction, behavior, and longevity, all of which can affect the potential for disease transmission. In this study we assessed whether the genetic modifications (kdr mutation, cytochrome P450 and esterase detoxification) in a permethrin resistant strain of An. gambiae influence traits related to fitness. The performances of these traits were compared between two strains of An. gambiae, one permethrin susceptible (ASEMBO1) and the …

Go to article

Urban Kindergarten Teachers' Perceptions Of Former Head Start Students And Their Readiness For School, Stephanie Hardy Parker Jan 2013

Urban Kindergarten Teachers' Perceptions Of Former Head Start Students And Their Readiness For School, Stephanie Hardy Parker

All ETDs from UAB

The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the experiences and instruction of kindergarten teachers in an urban school district who are teaching students who were previously enrolled in a Head Start program. Eleven kindergarten teachers who taught in an urban school district in the southeastern United States participated in this study. Data sources collected for this multiple case study included: (a) semi-structured interviews, (b) observations, and (c) curriculum documents. Results from the study revealed mixed experiences teaching former Head Start students. While some teachers expressed positive experiences teaching former Head Start students, others indicated teaching former …

Go to article

The Effect Of Incentive Strategy On Health Behaviors And Outcomes In The Workplace, Lindsay M. Sutton Jan 2013

The Effect Of Incentive Strategy On Health Behaviors And Outcomes In The Workplace, Lindsay M. Sutton

All ETDs from UAB

This study examined participation, engagement, and achievement of health-related targets under two sequentially administered wellness programs for approximately 2,000 full-time city personnel of a Southern municipal government. Program A utilized paper fliers and community posters as the primary communication strategy and incented employees for achieving 3 health outcomes only by a lump-sum, one-time monetary reward distributed at the end of the year. Program B subsequently utilized a web-based site where employees logged into individualized accounts and received points that accrued for both completing behaviors and achieving health outcomes. Both electronic and paper communication strategies were utilized to as primary mediums …

Go to article

Effects Of Light Spectra And Uv Radiation In Relation To Dietary Carotenoids On The Sea Urchin Lytechinus Variegatus, James Christopher Taylor Jan 2013

Effects Of Light Spectra And Uv Radiation In Relation To Dietary Carotenoids On The Sea Urchin Lytechinus Variegatus, James Christopher Taylor

All ETDs from UAB

An important factor in the marketability of sea urchin gonad is color. A marketable color is suggested to be dependent upon the in vivo accumulation of red and yellow carotenoid pigments within the gonad. Carotenoids obtained through the diet can be modified in sea urchins, but the function of these carotenoids is unknown. We hypothesize that differential light exposure can affect carotenoid deposition and, as a consequence, gonad color in sea urchins. We performed two experiments to determine if light spectra affect gonad color of Lytechinus variegatus. In the first experiment, urchins were fed a formulated feed supplemented with or …

Go to article

Blood Pressure And Tobacco Exposure Among Rural Adolescents Ages 15-18, Luz Huntington-Moskos Jan 2013

Blood Pressure And Tobacco Exposure Among Rural Adolescents Ages 15-18, Luz Huntington-Moskos

All ETDs from UAB

High blood pressure is a prevalent precursor to cardiovascular disease. An estimated 3% of US adolescents have hypertension. In addition, prehypertension is predictive of hypertension in adolescents, with progression between these stages at approximately 7% per year. Tobacco use/exposure is strongly linked to cardiovascular risk and disease in adults. Further, rural communities have higher tobacco use prevalence and fewer community policies restricting tobacco use. Little is known about the effects of tobacco exposure on blood pressure and the mediating effects of inflammation (salivary C-reactive protein (CRP)) in rural adolescents. The purpose of this study is to determine the relationships between …

Go to article

Predictors Of Physical Activity In Child And Adolescent Survivors Of Cancer, Margaux Barnes Gilliam Jan 2013

Predictors Of Physical Activity In Child And Adolescent Survivors Of Cancer, Margaux Barnes Gilliam

All ETDs from UAB

Childhood cancer survivors are at increased risk for future health problems. As such, physical activity (PA) has been targeted as a health promotion priority in child and adolescent cancer survivors. Despite research suggesting PA has protective health benefits, a large proportion of survivors do not meet PA recommendations. Development of effective interventions to increase PA in pediatric cancer survivors requires an understanding of the processes that determine survivor PA. Research on the determinants of PA in child and adolescent survivors is sparse, with most research focusing on late adolescent, young adult, and adult survivors of childhood cancer. The following papers …

Go to article

Prevalence Of Overweight And Obesity In Classic Rett Syndrome., Kathrine Clova Grigsby Jan 2013

Prevalence Of Overweight And Obesity In Classic Rett Syndrome., Kathrine Clova Grigsby

All ETDs from UAB

Introduction: Rett syndrome (RTT) is a genetic, neurodevelopmental disorder that displays high incidence of growth failure, variations in body composition, feeding/gastrointestinal complications, and undernutrition. The ongoing Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network (RDNCRN) Rett Syndrome Natural History Research Project has yielded observations regarding the less recognized occurrence of overnutrition in adult females with classic Rett syndrome. The purpose of this study was the determine the prevalence of overweight/obesity in children and young adults with classic Rett syndrome, the percent overweight and obese among adults with classic Rett syndrome, and to determine if the prevalence of overnutrition increases after the puberty years …

Go to article

Socioeconomic Status, Social Relationships, And Higher Weight Status, Anthony David Campbell Jan 2013

Socioeconomic Status, Social Relationships, And Higher Weight Status, Anthony David Campbell

All ETDs from UAB

This thesis serves two main research objectives. The first objective is to examine the extent to which higher weight status is patterned by indicators of socioeconomic status. The second objective is to explore the involvement of social relationships in the association between socioeconomic status and weight status. I use a theoretical framework incorporating aspects of fundamental cause theory and insights from the literature on social relationships and health. Data for this study were obtained from the 2003-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (n = 3,957). The analytic sample focused on Black and White respondents over the age of 40. …

Go to article

Targeting Ovarian Cancer Through Epigallocatechin Gallate And Sulforaphane Combinational Treatment, Huaping Chen Jan 2013

Targeting Ovarian Cancer Through Epigallocatechin Gallate And Sulforaphane Combinational Treatment, Huaping Chen

All ETDs from UAB

The cellular development of resistance to chemotherapy contributes to the high mortality noted in patients affected by ovarian cancer. Novel compounds that can enhance efficacy of conventional chemotherapy or target both drug-sensitive and -resistant ovarian cancers directly are highly desired. Previous epidemiological studies indicate that consumption of green tea and cruciferous vegetables is inversely associated with occurrence of ovarian cancer. Therefore, revealing the effects and mechanisms of major components of green tea (epigallocatechin gallate, EGCG) and cruciferous vegetables (sulforaphane, SFN) on ovarian cancer cells will provide necessary knowledge for developing potential novel treatments for the disease. Since drug resistance generation …

Go to article

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

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

All ETDs from UAB

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

Go to article

Anti-Group B Streptococci Monoclonal Antibodies Protect Against Invasive Aspergillosis, Rebekah Wharton Jan 2013

Anti-Group B Streptococci Monoclonal Antibodies Protect Against Invasive Aspergillosis, Rebekah Wharton

All ETDs from UAB

Aspergillus fumigatus is a ubiquitous saprophytic fungus which can potentially cause life-threatening infections in immunocompromised individuals. Although a serious threat, current treatments are largely ineffective at reducing morbidity and mortality. To this end, we have characterized a monoclonal antibody generated against Group B Streptococci, type Ib, which also recognizes Aspergillus fumigatus conidia and hyphae. We show that this antibody appears to bind a similar epitope on both pathogens and provides a significant degree of protection in a murine model of invasive aspergillosis via a mechanism that appears to be dependent on complement. The studies we performed using this antibody should …

Go to article

Use Of Social Ecology And Mixed Methods Research To Develop An Instrument To Assess Determinants Of Hiv/Sti Risk Among A Young Adult Population, Lasonja Bonita Kennedy Jan 2013

Use Of Social Ecology And Mixed Methods Research To Develop An Instrument To Assess Determinants Of Hiv/Sti Risk Among A Young Adult Population, Lasonja Bonita Kennedy

All ETDs from UAB

Globally, 340 million people are affected by HIV/AIDS. Approximately 50,000 are newly infected within the United States each year with HIV. One in five of those infected is unaware of his/her status. Young adults are particularly impacted by the disease; 39% of new HIV infections are diagnosed in individuals between the ages of 13 and 29. To comprehensively examine the independent and interrelated determinants of HIV/STI risks among young adults, the researcher developed, validated, and psychometrically examined a self-report instrument guided by constructs from the Social Ecological Model (SEM). Development and validation of the content within the survey was conducted …

Go to article

Hepatitis B Vaccination Among High-Risk Adults: Results From The National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey (Nhanes), 2007-2010, Hope S. King Jan 2013

Hepatitis B Vaccination Among High-Risk Adults: Results From The National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey (Nhanes), 2007-2010, Hope S. King

All ETDs from UAB

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection can be prevented and controlled through vaccination. However, only 24%-50% of high-risk adults in the United States (U.S.) have been vaccinated against HBV infection. Methods: Data were analyzed from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for two time periods, 2003-2006 (n=6459 adults) and 2007-2010 (n=6652 adults) to (1) assess the prevalence of hepatitis B vaccination uptake and the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and organizational level factors that may be associated with receiving hepatitis B vaccination among U.S. adults and (2) assess whether any changes occurred in the prevalence of and factors associated with hepatitis …

Go to article

Hard On Your Heart: A Qualitative Description Of Adolescent Prenatal Stress, Candace Clayton Knight Jan 2013

Hard On Your Heart: A Qualitative Description Of Adolescent Prenatal Stress, Candace Clayton Knight

All ETDs from UAB

Introduction: Pregnancy during adolescence is potentially stressful due to the concurrent tasks of navigating the typically tumultuous adolescent stage of development and the life altering experience of pregnancy (Kaye, 2008). There is a growing body of research linking prenatal stress to poor birth and developmental outcomes such as premature birth and low birth weight infants (K. Keenan, Sheffield, & Boeldt, 2007; Mulder et al., 2002), which makes describing the relatively unexplored perceptions and experience of stress during adolescent pregnancy important. The life course framework, with its emphasis on social, environmental, and family risk factors, has implications for reducing disparities among …

Go to article

Temp, Callie Gartrell Mauldin Jan 2013

Temp, Callie Gartrell Mauldin

All ETDs from UAB

Temp is a collection of short stories about four young women living in New York City. Each woman struggles with her own identity while tethered to a family past that informs her current situation. Through failures and flirtations with disaster, Hannah, Anna, Liz, and Rachel learn how to accept themselves and the lives they've been dealt. The stories, ultimately, explore loss and acceptance through connections and relationships with others.

Go to article

Cooking With Caste Iron: Food System Modernization In Birmingham, 1910-1964, Thomas Carl Mclemore Jan 2013

Cooking With Caste Iron: Food System Modernization In Birmingham, 1910-1964, Thomas Carl Mclemore

All ETDs from UAB

This thesis aims to capture the social and political conditions that contributed to the rise of class and racial disparities in Birmingham's food system. The way in which all Birmingham residents located, grew, raised, purchased, cooked, and consumed food reinforced and furthered a caste system of social dispossession and black oppression. An overview of the poor health conditions of the pre-modern, industrial city provides a basis for understanding the reasoning of later efforts in systematic modernization. These efforts took place amid broader, national contexts of political and social Progressivism and the emerging paradigm of the New South. These trends contributed …

Go to article

Apparent Change In Obesity-Mortality Associations: Methodological Issues In Survival Analyses With Censored Outcomes, Tapan Shirish Mehta Jan 2013

Apparent Change In Obesity-Mortality Associations: Methodological Issues In Survival Analyses With Censored Outcomes, Tapan Shirish Mehta

All ETDs from UAB

Analyses of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) have suggested that the mortality rate (MR) associated with obesity has decreased over calendar time. However, there has been conflicting evidence about the apparent change in the obesity-MR over calendar time. This dissertation investigates some of the empirical and methodological issues involved in assessing the longitudinal change in the obesity-mortality associations. In the first manuscript, Obesity and Mortality: Are the Risks Declining? Evidence from Multiple Prospective Studies in the U.S., a multiple longitudinal design is proposed and implemented to evaluate whether the obesity-mortality associations have declined over calendar time after …

Go to article

Msx1 Mutations And Their Binding Interactions, Divakar Prakash Jan 2013

Msx1 Mutations And Their Binding Interactions, Divakar Prakash

All ETDs from UAB

Orofacial clefting (OFC), also called cleft lip and/or palate, is the most common congenital birth anomaly that involve the craniofacial region in humans. The etiology of Non-Syndromic OFC (NS-OFC) is complex and multifactorial; a slew of genetic mutations, standing alone or in combinations, along with several environmental factors, play a major role in the disease process. Numerous linkage and association studies in humans, as well as expression studies and knockout mouse models, have implicated Muscle segment homeobox gene 1 (MSX1), which encodes a homeodomain/DNA binding domain (HD) containing transcription factor as a strong candidate contributing to NS-OFC and Tooth Agenesis …

Go to article

Plant Selection, Community Dynamics, Ecophysiology, And Stormwater Mitigation On Green Roofs In The Southeastern U.S., Julie G. Price Jan 2013

Plant Selection, Community Dynamics, Ecophysiology, And Stormwater Mitigation On Green Roofs In The Southeastern U.S., Julie G. Price

All ETDs from UAB

Green roofs offer the opportunity to transform impervious surfaces into multifunctional constructed ecosystems. Plant selection for green roofs is often limited to drought-tolerant succulent species, but more diverse assemblages enhance habitat and biodiversity in urban areas and have the potential to improve green roof performance. Nineteen taxa were evaluated under irrigated and non-irrigated conditions over three growing seasons. Individual taxa were evaluated for survival and amount and mechanism of colonization, and the effect of irrigation on plant community structure and vegetation coverage was examined. Only succulent species survived under non-irrigated conditions. Irrigated plots had more taxa, higher diversity index, less …

Go to article

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

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

All ETDs from UAB

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

Go to article

Using A Mixed Methods Sequential Design To Identify Factors Associated With African American Mothers' Intention To Vaccinate Their Daughters Aged 9 To 12 For Hpv With A Purpose Of Informing A Culturally-Relevant, Theory-Based Intervention, Jennifer Cunningham Jan 2013

Using A Mixed Methods Sequential Design To Identify Factors Associated With African American Mothers' Intention To Vaccinate Their Daughters Aged 9 To 12 For Hpv With A Purpose Of Informing A Culturally-Relevant, Theory-Based Intervention, Jennifer Cunningham

All ETDs from UAB

The purpose of this sequential, explanatory mixed methods research study was to understand what factors influenced African American maternal intentions to get their daughters aged 9 years to 12 years vaccinated in Alabama. In the first, quantitative phase of the study, the research questions focused on identifying the predictive power of eleven variables, representing selected factors associated with maternal intentions to vaccinate their daughters. The data were collected via a self-developed instrument that used a mixed mode survey design that was web-based (N = 14) and paper-based (N = 228). Participant demographics were analyzed using descriptive statistics. A binary, logistic …

Go to article

Indebtedness, Debt Stress, And Health-Related Behaviors: A Study Of Alabamians' Financial Well-Being And Physical Health, Lingfei Guo Jan 2013

Indebtedness, Debt Stress, And Health-Related Behaviors: A Study Of Alabamians' Financial Well-Being And Physical Health, Lingfei Guo

All ETDs from UAB

In order to better understand the SES-health relationship and gain a more accurate estimation of SES on physical health, the primary objectives of this research are: (1) to test the relationship between Alabamians' indebtedness and their health-related behaviors; (2) to test the mediating effect of Alabamians' socioeconomic and sociodemographic status in the relationship of indebtedness and health-related behaviors; and, (3) to test the possible mediating effect of debt stress on indebtedness and health-related behaviors. The health lifestyle theory guides this research. Research has advanced two views that explain the interrelationship between socioeconomic status and physical health. The first view deals …

Go to article

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

Tuberculosis Screening And Treatment Outcomes In Zambia, Jennifer Harris

All ETDs from UAB

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

Go to article

Uab School Of Nursing Gets $1.4m To Craft Practice Model, Expand Free Care, Jim Bakken Dec 2012

Uab School Of Nursing Gets $1.4m To Craft Practice Model, Expand Free Care, Jim Bakken

Browse All News

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Continuous Dialysis For Icu Patients Provides Better Fluid Removal, Staff Dec 2012

Continuous Dialysis For Icu Patients Provides Better Fluid Removal, Staff

Browse All News

No abstract provided.

Go to article

December 19, 2012 Greenmail, University Of Alabama At Birmingham Dec 2012

December 19, 2012 Greenmail, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

GreenMail (student newsletter through 2024)

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Tis The Season To Be Healthy - Tips For Eating Well This Holiday, Jim Bakken Dec 2012

Tis The Season To Be Healthy - Tips For Eating Well This Holiday, Jim Bakken

Browse All News

No abstract provided.

Go to article

December 12, 2012 Greenmail, University Of Alabama At Birmingham Dec 2012

December 12, 2012 Greenmail, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

GreenMail (student newsletter through 2024)

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Should Santa Be On A Diet? Uab Nutrition Scientist Weighs In, Alicia Rohan Dec 2012

Should Santa Be On A Diet? Uab Nutrition Scientist Weighs In, Alicia Rohan

Browse All News

No abstract provided.

Go to article

December 5, 2012 Greenmail, University Of Alabama At Birmingham Dec 2012

December 5, 2012 Greenmail, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

GreenMail (student newsletter through 2024)

No abstract provided.

Go to article

First Prev Next Last