Digital Commons Network^™

A Lament For The Perishing Barbarians Of Edith Wharton’S Summer, Anna Marsh

All ETDs from UAB

This thesis considers Edith Wharton’s Summer through a Darwinian perspective. Wharton studied Darwin’s works extensively, so applying The Descent of Man to Summer’s communities has merit. Specifically, I consider Darwin’s writings on evolution as evolution may be altered by feelings of sympathy. In Summer, it is sympathy, loyalty, and ultimate benevolence for one’s people that furthers community evolution as a whole. This relationship between sympathy and community evolution seems to be one Wharton focuses on in Summer. The urban communities of Wharton’s novel pretended to be the most civil and therefore the most evolved, but it is their Mountain neighbors …

Evaluating Multiparametric Imaging Biomarkers For Guiding Targeted Therapies In Her2+ Breast Cancer, Ameer Mansur

All ETDs from UAB

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive (HER2+) breast cancer is a biologically diverse disease, in which intratumoral heterogeneity plays a significant role in tumor progression. Advanced medical imaging and image processing techniques offer the potential to noninvasively characterize the underlying intratumoral biology. Capturing these complex changes can allow for assessing therapeutic response and eventually guiding personalized therapeutic strategies. This work evaluates single and multiparametric imaging biomarkers to characterize tumor biology, identify treatment-induced changes, and predict response to targeted therapies. First, the utility of 3’-Deoxy-3’-[18F]Fluorothymidine positron emission tomography ([18F]FLT-PET) was assessed as a biomarker of proliferation for monitoring response to …

Investigating Potential Therapeutic Vulnerabilities And Elucidating Molecular Mechanisms For The Tumor Suppressors Nfkbia And Anxa7 In Diffuse Gliomas, Aran Merati

All ETDs from UAB

Gliomas, and especially diffuse gliomas, can be a devastating disease when attempting treatment in the clinic. Diffuse gliomas are typically malignant and pose definitive problems with respect to patient care predominantly due to their ability to exist outside of the bulk tumor by invading into the surrounding brain parenchyma. Consequently, not every cancerous cell can be fully removed by surgical resection and therapeutic resistance, so the stem-like population left behind can repopulate a recurrent tumor from a single cell. There is a desperate need for pinpointing novel therapeutic vulnerabilities in diffuse gliomas, which could potentially involve the targeting of key …

Maternal Immune Activation Causes Oligodendrocyte Deficits In The Hypothalamus, Kate Miller

All ETDs from UAB

Maternal immune activation (MIA) refers to the occurrence of an inflammatory immune response during any stage of pregnancy. This manifests as the upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines and can be caused by air pollution, obesity, or viral infection. When this occurs during the first trimester in humans, it increases the offspring’s susceptibility to developing neuropsychiatric disorders such as autism (ASD) and schizophrenia (SZ), in males more commonly than females. In addition to behavioral manifestations of neuropsychiatric disorders, metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a common comorbidity, defined as the co-occurrence of three or more symptoms including but not limited to hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and …

Reducing Stress: The Role Of The Rcl Operon In Bacterial Stress Response To Hypothiocyanite, Julia Meredith

All ETDs from UAB

The human immune system utilizes a variety of weapons against bacterial communities within the body, which allow it to control the overall microbial population. Understanding how some bacterial species are able to better deal with and survive damage by the immune system while others are not, can help us elucidate the complex relationship between us and our microbiome. One tool that immune cells use for microbial control is the potent oxidant hypothiocyanite/hypothiocyanous acid (-OSCN/HOSCN). The response mounted by Escherichia coli and other bacterial species in order to survive damage caused by HOSCN is the focus of this dissertation. In the …

Understanding Submerged Plant Microbiome And Exploring Plant Microbe Interaction Through Plasma Optimization Studies, Binoop Mohan

All ETDs from UAB

The master's thesis presents research on enhancing plant resilience and growth through the study of the microbiome of submerged aquatic plants and the application of plasma technology in agriculture. We isolated 177 endophytic microbial strains from submerged plants collected from various locations. Screening revealed 50 strains producing ACC deaminase, an enzyme that mitigates plant stress by reducing ethylene levels. Predominant genera included Pseudomonas, Bacillus, and Acinetobacter. Metagenomic analysis characterized the diverse bacterial communities associated with these plants. Different plasma treatments were tested to optimize their effects on plant growth. Atmospheric jet and globe plasma treatments significantly improved root length and …

An Investigation Into The Effects Of Preservatives On Ss-Hydroxybutyrate Concentrations Measured By Commercial Ketone Meter And Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, Kerry F. Murr

All ETDs from UAB

Ketoacidosis occurs when fatty acids are metabolized into ketone bodies in the liver and released into the bloodstream. This condition, which can be fatal, is commonly observed in diabetics, alcoholics, and individuals who experienced starvation or hypothermia. Although the ketone ß-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) is an accepted biomarker of ketoacidosis, the effects of preservatives on BHB concentrations in postmortem blood are unaddressed. The first aim of this research was to determine whether preservatives affect ketone levels as measured by a point-of-care device. Paired preserved and unpreserved blood samples were obtained from the Jefferson County morgue: preserved samples in grey top tubes and …

Therapeutic Implications Of Fractionated Radiotherapy And Marcks’ Regulation Of Tunneling Nanotubes In Glioblastoma, Lauren Catherine Nassour-Caswell

All ETDs from UAB

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary brain malignancy in adults and the gradual development of treatment resistance prevents patients from achieving remission. A primary objective in the field is to devise strategies to overcome this. We predicted this could be achieved by improving existing therapies, creating better models to study GBM, and by identifying a potential therapeutic target. Fractionated radiotherapy (RT) has been used in GBM standard of care for over a century but does not account for GBM heterogeneity. We first hypothesized that in silico mathematical modeling would be a useful tool for cytotoxicity prediction. While this model …

Environmental Exposure To Metals In Children And Their Effects On Autism Spectrum Disorder, Oludesola Ogunesan

All ETDs from UAB

ABSTRACT As scientific understanding of environmental determinants of health advances, growing attention has turned to the role of toxic metal exposures in exacerbating neurodevelopmental outcomes, particularly in vulnerable populations such as children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This dissertation investigates the intersection of environmental metal exposure, biomonitoring innovation, and social factors shaping ASD severity in Alabama. Using a multidisciplinary framework, four interrelated studies explore biological, environmental, and participatory dimensions of ASD research and public health. The first study evaluates the utility of Volumetric Absorptive Microsampling (VAMS) for measuring exposure to cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), and mercury …

Sex Differences In The Development Of T-Bet+ B Cells In Lupus, Kathryn A. Sullivan

All ETDs from UAB

Cardinal features of lupus include elevated B cell activation and autoantibody production with a female sex preponderance. Development of T-bet+ B cells, driven by aberrant TLR7 and interferon (IFN) signaling, is a key pathogenic feature of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In the present study, we developed two novel approaches to elucidate the mechanisms of female sex predisposition to lupus. We (i) quantified interactions of sex and genetic variation on the development of autoimmune B-cell phenotypes and autoantibodies in the BXD2 murine model of lupus using a cohort of backcrossed progeny (BXD2 x C57BL/6J) x BXD2; (ii) used a combination approach …

Parsing Clinical And Neurobiological Heterogeneity In First-Episode Psychosis Patients With And Without Features Of The Deficit Syndrome Of Schizophrenia, Matheus Teles Gomes De Araujo

All ETDs from UAB

Schizophrenia is highly heterogeneous in its neurobiological and clinical presentations, which hinders attempts to understand its pathophysiology, limits efforts to identify biomarkers, and deters optimal patient care. A way to parse clinical heterogeneity is to subtype patients based on clinical presentations. The deficit syndrome (DS) is a possible subtype, characterized by primary and enduring negative symptoms. Evidence for neurobiological abnormalities dissociating DS from other forms of schizophrenia is inconsistent as most studies do not account for heterogeneity within patient groups due to limitations of group-level comparisons. The question remains whether DS presents a unique and less heterogeneous neurobiological phenotype. The …

An Examination Of Sleep Quality And Experimental Pain Sensitivity In People With Hiv And Insomnia, Caroline Kathryn Webb

All ETDs from UAB

Prior research has established a bidirectional relationship between sleep and pain, yet this relationship has been understudied in people living with HIV. The current study investigated the relationship between HIV status (H+/H-) and insomnia status (I+/I-) on sleep and quantitative sensory testing (QST) variables. The study was comprised of two research visits where participants were screened and completed the QST protocol. Participants completed the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep (DBAS), and actigraphy as subjective and objective measures of sleep. There were four groups: H-/I- (n=46), H-/I+ (n=37), H+/I- (n=14), and H+/I+ (n=39) (N=136). Results showed …

Exploring Environmental Health Awareness And Knowledge In 9th – 12th Grade Students: A Mixed Methods Approach, Crystal Stephens

All ETDs from UAB

EXPLORING ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS AND KNOWLEDGE IN 9TH – 12TH GRADE STUDENTS: A MIXED METHODS APPROACH CRYSTAL T. STEPHENS ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES ABSTRACT Safe environments provide accessibility and community protections preventing residents from exposure to contaminants or facing health risks. Unfortunately, environmental exposures such as air pollution and neighborhood-level concerns can adversely impact human health. Environmental justice communities are overburdened with increased adverse environmental exposures and subsequent health disparities. Adolescents may be more vulnerable to exposure risks and provide an opportunity to introduce environmental health education. With their power of peer association and determination, adolescents can influence the health and …

Eleven Quick Tips For Properly Handling Tabular Data, Marla Hertz, Ashley Mcneill

Libraries Professional Work

Proper handling of tabular data, i.e., spreadsheets, is an essential skill for most researchers. Well-curated tabular data has built-in quality control, is machine readable by downstream analysis applications, and ultimately saves researchers’ time. The increased expectation of data sharing grounded by funder and publisher policies has made it even more crucial to format and describe tabular data properly to ensure that it is FAIR—findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable [1]. However, many researchers are not formally trained in the data management skills necessary to build strong tabular datasets. They may also struggle to anticipate the future needs and potential applications of …

Uab Biologist To Co-Lead A Five-Year Nih Grant To Investigate Social Impacts On Lifespan, Staff

Browse All News

No abstract provided.

Uab Mathematics Sophomore Is On The Fast Track To Success, Staff

Browse All News

No abstract provided.

The New Miss Uab Is Melissa Mercer, Staff

Browse All News

No abstract provided.

November 13, 2024 Blazer Weekly, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

Blazer Weekly (student newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Uab Professor Receives Prestigious National Lifetime Achievement Award For Fostering Values Of Mentoring, Staff

Browse All News

No abstract provided.

Winter Woes: Understanding Seasonal Affective Disorder, Staff

Browse All News

No abstract provided.

November 5, 2024 Ereporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Child Risk For Obesity And Physical Activity, Bethany Moore

All ETDs from UAB

Childhood obesity is a significant health problem in the United States with consequences presenting themselves in the short- and long-term. Physical activity is a modifiable factor associated with adiposity and can at least partially attenuate the consequences of childhood obesity. There are many factors which influence children’s participation in regular physical activity, some of which are also associated with pediatric obesity. The overarching purpose of this research is to investigate potential influences on the association of obesity and physical activity among typically developing children. Aim 1 used a secondary analysis of n=163 children to explore independent and interactive effects of …

October 25, 2024 Ereporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Investigating Hira’S Role In Melanocyte Stem Cell Differentiation And Hair Graying Induced By Ionizing Radiation, Kelly Barajas, Ian Baranyk, Sakshyat Chhetry, Peter D. Adams, Melissa Harris

Expo Student Presentations

2024 Fall Expo Poster Presentation

Impact Of Propionate On Glioma Cell Migration: A Potential Therapeutic Target, Anna Claire E Potier, George B H Green, Alexis N. Cox-Holmes, Gillian H. Marlowe, Braden Mcfarland

Expo Student Presentations

2024 Fall Expo Poster Presentation

Pathogenic Variant In Atm Gene (P.Gly301arg) Due To Missense/Snv Mutation, Lena Lutz

Expo Student Presentations

2024 Fall Expo Poster Presentation

Enhancing Diagnostic Accuracy In Laryngeal Cancer: A Comprehensive Cle Scoring System, Rishab Samant, Akhilesh Wodeyar, Sherin James, Benjamin B. Kasten, Jason Warram

Expo Student Presentations

2024 Fall Expo Oral Presentation

Investigating The Impact Of Nmdar Loss On The Maturation Of Somatostatin Interneurons In Mpfc Of The Mouse Brain, Muhammed Shalan, Zoya Fazal, Gülcan Akgül, Natalia De Marco Garcia

Expo Student Presentations

2024 Fall Expo Online Poster Presentation

• Biological & Life Sciences

---

Go to article

New Jersey Noir, Stephanie Dickinson

PoemMemoirStory (literary magazine)

pp. 88-102

Traffic, Heal Mcknight

PoemMemoirStory (literary magazine)

pp. 57-64