Digital Commons Network^™

Modifiable Risk Factors And Subsequent All-Cause And Cause-Specific Late Mortality After Blood Or Marrow Transplanta-Tion (Bmt), Nora Balas

All ETDs from UAB

The objective of this dissertation was to examine the association between modifiable risk factors and subsequent all-cause and cause-specific late mortality among blood or marrow transplantation (BMT) recipients. I analyzed data for participants who were ≥18 years (y) at study participation from the BMT Survivor Study (BMTSS). BMTSS (U01 CA213140, PI: Bhatia) is a cohort study designed to examine the long-term outcome of individuals who survived ≥2y after undergoing BMT between 1974 and 2014, at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, City of Hope, or University of Minnesota. BMTSS also examines outcomes in an unaffected comparison group drawn from the …

Regulatory Elements Of Polyphosphate Biosynthesis, Marvin Qortez Bowlin

All ETDs from UAB

Polyphosphate (polyP) is an ancient, conserved, inorganic biomolecule. Biological systems have adapted many functions for this high-energy molecule, ranging from immune regulation in mammals to gene regulation in prokaryotes. Of particular interest is its use in bacterial stress responses. Bacteria use polyP to resist hazardous environmental elements like toxic molecules or nutrient starvation. In many bacterial species, polyP is synthesized by polyphosphate kinases (PPKs). PPK – discovered in Escherica coli (E. coli) – hydrolyzes adenosine-5’-triphosphate (ATP) to synthesize polyP. Species that use PPK develop multiple pathogenic defects when PPK activity is impaired, including, among others, antibiotic susceptibility. There is no …

The Influence Of Proximity On Patient Outcomes For Differently Structured Ambulatory Surgery Centers, Wendy Michelle Smith

All ETDs from UAB

THE INFLUENCE OF PROXIMITY ON PATIENT OUTCOMES FOR DIFFERENTLY STRUCTURED AMBULATORY SURGERY CENTERSWENDY SMITH HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION ABSTRACT This study examines the complication rates and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for total hip and knee replacement surgeries conducted in one of two differently structured ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) with varying interprofessional surgical teams. There is an ongoing shift from in-hospital total joint replacement surgeries to ASCs. Additionally, there is specialization occurring within ASCs. In this study, we compare single specialty ASCs designed to perform solely TJR surgeries with one orthopedic group and interprofessional team, with multi-specialty ASCs that perform an array …

Analytical Fundamentals For Advancing Aero-Road/Terrain Multibody Morphing Dynamics And Stability Of Autonomous Utility Truck In Hazardous Environments, Parth Y. Patel

All ETDs from UAB

Severe weather conditions have steadily increased over the last two decades. Therefore, the safety of the rescue and repair team is of paramount importance while they attend to emergencies due to these severe weather conditions. Utility trucks are the first responders in these extreme climate and weather situations for cutting trees to restore traffic, recovering life beings from destroyed properties, repairing electric posts, and restoring power. Such trucks with morphing capabilities of the boom equipment can increase the possibility of road accidents in several ways and create hazardous situations on the roads and off-road conditions while moving and performing critical …

Manipulation And Dependence On Host Cell Cycle By Human Rna And Dna Viruses: Human Coronavirus Oc43 And Bk Polyomavirus, Jason M. Needham

All ETDs from UAB

Cell cycle is a universal necessity of cellular life and impacts nearly every process within the cell. However, despite over one hundred years of research, there still remain questions concerning the mechanisms and regulation of eukaryotic cell cycle. From the beginning, viruses have informed our knowledge of cell cycle. Many key regulators such as the E2F transcription factors, Src kinase, and p53 were originally discovered while studying the interactions between viruses and the cell. Herein, we continue the investigation of viral interactions with cell cycle machinery by researching an RNA virus and a DNA virus. These viruses, human coronavirus OC43 …

A Tale Of Two Waves: The Role Of Genomic Enhancers In Regulating Transcriptional And Epigenetic Responses To Neuronal Activitiy, Robert A. Phillips

All ETDs from UAB

The mesolimbic dopamine (DA) pathway, which consists of dopaminergic neurons that project from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to the nucleus accumbens (NAc), is heavily implicated in drug addiction. Exposure to drugs of abuse results in increases in extracellular concentrations of DA in the NAc, which in turn activates an immediate early gene (IEG) expression program that primarily consists of activity-dependent transcription factors, such as the AP1 subunits Fos and JunB. IEGs engage a set of temporally and functionally distinct genes, termed the late response gene (LRG) expression program. While gene expression changes are critical for drug-dependent adaptations, two major …

Randomized Control Trial Of A Novel Dental Gel As An Adjunct To Scaling And Root Planing In Subjects With Stage Ii & Iii Periodontitis, Sarah Pham

All ETDs from UAB

The current standard of care for treating chronic periodontitis is scaling and root planing (ScRP) followed by supportive periodontal therapy (SPT) (Cobb et al., 2021; Ramfjord et al., 1987). The goal of ScRP is to eliminate supra- and subgingival bacterial deposits and to reduce periodontal pathogens, inflammation, and pocket depths (Greenstein, 2000). Although ScRP has been shown to significantly improve baseline clinical parameters, moderate to advanced cases may require additional surgical therapy which many patients resist (Stambaugh, 1981; Becker et al., 2001). Currently, no dentifrice used adjunctively has been proven to increase the therapeutic effects of scaling and root planing. …

Controlling Mechanical Properties In Thim Multilayer Hydrogels Through Network Structure, Maksim Dolmat

All ETDs from UAB

Polymer thin films possess unique properties, cost-effectiveness, and flexibility, making them vital for enhancing surface functionality. Layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly allows for synthesis of ultrathin polymeric films with precise control over film thickness, material selection, surface chemistry, and responsiveness. Current advancements in LbL assembly focus on understanding film formation and deposition conditions on film’s structure and properties. Covalent cross-linking of physically bonded LbL networks forms multilayer hydrogel networks capable of absorbing large amounts of water. The use of stimuli-responsive polymers has facilitated the advancement of "smart" materials capable of responding to external stimuli. Stimuli-responsive hydrogels exhibit reversible volume changes, making them …

Differential Mechanisms Of Intestinal Inflammation Drive Pathogenesis Of Diabetic Retinopathy In Type 1 And Type 2 Diabetes, Jason Levi Floyd

All ETDs from UAB

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the most common microvascular complication of diabetes and, along with diabetic macular edema (DME), accounts for the greatest source of vision-threatening eye disease in the working-age community. DR is caused by weakening of the retinal vasculature, the blood-retinal barrier (BRB), by high levels of blood glucose (hyperglycemia), exacerbations of oxidative stress, and systemic inflammatory factors. Many of these inflammatory factors are metabolic by-products and cell membrane constituents of the gut microbiota, the resident community of microbial species which inhabit the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract. These factors are collectively termed gut microbial antigens (GMAs). In diabetes, …

Factors Influencing Physical Activity Among Us Adults With Chronic Health Conditions: Mediation And Moderation Analysis, Sami M. Alqahtani

All ETDs from UAB

The prevalence of chronic health conditions (CHCs) is rising across all age groups, genders, and racial/ethnic groupings, making them the main cause of death globally. The majority of CHCs deaths occur in middle-to-low-income countries, although they are also a significant health issue in developed countries. A higher risk of developing CHCs is linked to physical inactivity. Global societies are experiencing increased prevalence of CHCs, which are directly assoicated with rising healthcare costs, workforce attendance, productivity challenges, and academic success. However, increased exercise and physical activity (PA) are linked to lower odds of developing CHCs. In fact, regular PA can help …

Protein-Carbohydrate Ratio Affects Blastema Formation During Wound Healing In The Zebrafish Danio Rerio, Jonathan T. Flowers

All ETDs from UAB

Tissue damage, whether a traumatic injury or surgically-induced, can compromise organ structure and function. Traumatic injury affects 38 million people annually in the U.S alone, costing around 4.8 billion dollars. Much research has been accomplished on defining the pathways associated with recovery, but research on understanding the role of nutrition in wound healing is limited. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) provide a high-throughput model to elucidate nutrients that are important in the regenerative process due to their reproductive capacity, rapid development, cost compared to other animal models and, lastly, their ability for tissue regeneration. Specifically caudal fin amputation is of interest because …

Examination Of The Bidirectional Relationship Between Anhedonia And Vaporized Cannabis Use In Adolescents: A Longitudinal Cohort Analysis, Cynthia Estrella Ortiz

All ETDs from UAB

Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit substance in the United States, and the prevalence of cannabis use has increased in recent years following changes in. One method that has become increasingly popular among adolescents is vaporized cannabis. Current research appears to be contradictory, whereas some studies indicate that vaporized cannabis use can boost mood, other investigations have indicated that vaporized cannabis use is associated with an increase in depressive symptoms. A limited number of research studies have also identified a relationship between cannabis use and anhedonia, however, this relationship is unclear, particularly among adolescents. Due to the reported adverse …

Gay Emancipation: The Effort To Delete Paragraph 175, Luke Goodwin

Vulcan Historical Review

pp. 8-21

Inquiro 11 (Front Matter), Inquiro Staff

Inquiro (undergraduate research journal)

pp. -6

Letter from the editors: https://www.uab.edu/inquiro/issues/past-issues/volume-11/letter-from-the-editors

Semaglutide As A Possible Therapy In Binge Eating Disorder?, Rebecca Pearlman, Janaki Nimmagadda

UAB Huntsville Research Day - All Presentations

2023 clinical vignette poster

Adrenal Cancer Presenting As Bilateral Lower Extremity Edema And Hirsutism, Hunter Soleymani, Rafik Elbeblawy, Tyler Newell, Dyan Alvarez, Parekha Yedla

UAB Huntsville Research Day - All Presentations

2023 oral presentation

Development And Preliminary Validation Of The Team-Based Learning Student Outcomes Measure (Tbl-Som), Christopher Allen Eidson

All ETDs from UAB

Team-based learning (TBL) is an active pedagogical approach that emphasizes individual and team accountability through specific structuring of classroom assignments and course content. It is widely used throughout the world and across all disciplines of study, although use has increased significantly in the last 20 years, particularly in medicine and health-related fields. In 2008, the conceptual model of TBL was proposed to aid in TBL-related scholarship. While there have been scales designed for use with TBL that pertain to student learning outcomes, most of these focus on student perception and satisfaction, and none of these have used the conceptual model …

Machine Learning And Latent Space Representation Of Optical Responses In Nanostructures And Thin Films, David J. Hoxie

All ETDs from UAB

The ability to tune optical responses in nanophotonics makes this class of materials useful for a broad range of applications, such as drug delivery systems, molecular sensing, green energy, and telecommunications, to name a few. Optical responses that offer strong resonance at small optical mode volume are often sought, requiring manipulation of many material properties i.e., refractive index and nanostructure shape. Machine learning has recently been employed to optimize photonic elements more efficiently. Machine learning optimization of optical responses suffers from reproducibility and accuracy issues due different nanostructures producing similar optical responses. To increase reliability and accuracy in recent neural …

The Association Of Cognitive And Physical Functioning With Health And Mortality Outcomes Among Puerto Ricans, Cheyanne Celine Barba

All ETDs from UAB

Puerto Rico has experienced a rapid increase in the older adult population over the last decade. With a growing older adult population, the importance of healthy aging becomes increasingly more important to understand. Understanding the impact that impairments in cognitive and physical functioning have on older adults in Puerto Rico will be important to supporting the rapidly aging population. The current project proposed to (1) examine predictors of transition to frailty, (2) examine whether cognitive function and frailty are associated with healthcare utilization, and (3) examine frailty and cognitive impairment as predictors of mortality and Alzheimer’s disease related cause of …

Analytical Methods Using Cardiac Mri To Assess Systolic And Diastolic Ventricular Function, Muhammad Rifqi Aufan

All ETDs from UAB

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has proven invaluable for clinical and research investigations due to its minimal invasiveness and excellent measurement precision and reproducibility. In particular, Cardiac MRI (CMR) is a powerful tool for evaluating anatomical and functional properties of the left ventricle (LV). In this study, two aspects of CMR applications of the LV are investigated: 1) assessment of diastolic function by quantifying LV stiffness index and related properties as a representation of intrinsic myocardium properties in patients with diastolic dysfunction and 2) evaluation of systolic function by relating myocardial strain and LV geometrical configuration with ejection fraction (EF). The …

Indicators Of The Social Environment And Cognition In An Older Population Of Puerto Rican Adults, Erin E. Ballard

All ETDs from UAB

Isolation and other indicators of poor social environment have been associated with a higher risk of cognitive decline. Overall evidence for this association is mixed, with most studies being conducted in Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic (aka “WEIRD”) societies. Religiosity may moderate this relationship between less robust social environments and cognition by buffering the negative effects of stress. The primary aim of this study is to assess the relationship between indicators of the social environment and psychological distress (depressive symptoms) and cognitive decline in a population-based sample of older Puerto Rican adults (n=3,557) across two time-points. Social environment included …

Analyzing Cannabinoid Stability In Different Conditions And Validating Novel Cannabinoids For Oral Fluid Analysis, Cody Paseur

All ETDs from UAB

Oral fluid (OF) drug testing has been expanded to laboratory evidentiary confirmation testing in driving under the influence (DUI) cases. OF samples are collected by officers at the roadside using collection devices such as the Quantisal® device. Tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) was the most prevalent drug in Alabama DUI casework in 2022. Δ9-THC remains a Schedule I drug in Alabama and federally. Current validated targets in cannabinoid oral fluid testing include Δ9-THC, Δ8-THC, 9R-Δ10-THC, 9S-Δ10-THC 11-hydroxy-Δ9-THC (THC-OH), 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-THC (THC-OOH), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabidiol (CBD), and cannabinol (CBN). Due to the 2018 Farm Bill, cannabinoids derived from hemp with a Δ9-THC concentration less than …

Development And Validation Of A Multiplex Str Amplification Reaction For Academic And Research Purposes, Ahana Chatterjee

All ETDs from UAB

Short Tandem Repeat (STR) typing has been accepted globally as a gold standard for human identity testing. In 1997, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Laboratory’s newly developed Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) consisted of 13 core loci to be targeted while DNA typing. In this context, leading biotechnology companies like Promega (Madison WI), Applied Biosystem/Life Technologies (Foster City, CA) etc. offer commercial STR typing kits for crime laboratories. However, these expensive kits are not the most suitable for academic and research laboratories. Students learning the method of STR typing and researchers showing proof of concept do not require identifying …

Synthesis, Characterization, And Evaluation Of A Bionanomatrix And Antibiotic-Releasing Liposomes On Osseointegration, Vascularization, Inflammation, And Antibacterial Efficacy, Benjamin Kade Estep

All ETDs from UAB

Percutaneous osseointegrated prostheses (POP) implants combat the multitude of issues and limitations of contemporary prosthetic sockets/limbs, including range of motion, comfort/fit, irritation, gait, and osseoproprioception. However, POP implants lack long-term clinical success; specifically, several risks exist at the bone-implant interface, including superficial/deep infections, inflammation, poor vascularization, and inadequate osseointegration, resulting in implant loosening over time and ultimately removal of the implant. The goal of this thesis is to evaluate a multifunctional, nitric oxide-releasing bionanomatrix incorporated with antibiotic-releasing liposomes on osseointegration, inflammation, vascularization/angiogenesis, and bacterial infection. We successfully synthesized the bionanomatrix, and the antibiotic-releasing liposomes readily encapsulated the antibiotics. The antibiotic-releasing …

Accuracy Of Ancestry Estimation In Forensic Anthropology: An Examination Of Select Nonmetric Methods, Mackenzie Miller

All ETDs from UAB

A goal of forensic anthropology is to aid in identifying unidentified human remains, often by creating a biological profile. An important piece of this profile is an ancestry estimate, and methodological accuracy is taken seriously. Traditional typological nonmetric methods of ancestry are heavily critiqued for being subjective and lacking scientific rigor in analysis. In addition, these methods are noted for conflating morphological traits with specific ancestral categories, ignoring the reality of continuous human variation. To combat this, scholars have proposed morphoscopic nonmetric methods as an alternative because they retain the accessibility popularized by typological methods but add a layer of …

Increasing Naloxone Access For Persons Who Use Opioids: An Online Recruitment And Training Approach To Opioid Overdose Education And Naloxone Distribution, Michelle L. Sisson

All ETDs from UAB

Drug overdose is the primary cause of accidental death in the United States, with a majority of those fatalities involving opioids. Annual rates of fatal opioid overdoses have exponentially increased over the past two decades, leading to the declaration of the current opioid epidemic. The severity of the epidemic has increased due to an upsurge in the use of heroin, synthetic opioids (e.g., fentanyl), and the lacing of other substances with synthetic opioids. As such, federal agencies have made recommendations aimed at combating fatal opioid overdose including the enhancement of naloxone distribution. Administration of naloxone has been expanded from emergency …

Quantitative Analysis Of The Impact Of Automatically Generated Normal Tissue Contours On Knowledge-Based Planning Model Quality, Samuel Christopher Baker Arnold

All ETDs from UAB

While radiotherapy has become one of the primary standards of treatment for cancer in areas such as the brain, treatment plans are limited by the time it takes physicians to contour CT images used for dose distribution calculations. Automation of the contouring process can not only improve the rate of plan formation but establish an improved standard of care. With the development and implementation of knowledge-based planning (KBP) in radiation oncology, information derived from treatment plans provide machine learning models with years of experience to assess and create future treatment plans. Since KBP model quality rely on contouring from training …

Unveiling The Unknown Rna-Binding Landscape Of Srsf1, Naiduwadura Ivon Upekala De Silva

All ETDs from UAB

SRSF1 is a prototypical SR protein and its interactions with single stranded RNA (ssRNA) are crucial in mRNA splicing. Its RNA-binding specificity is governed by the RNA-binding Domain (RBD), which contains two RNA Recognition Motifs (RRMs) tethered by a flexible linker. Its C-terminal unstructured Serine-Arginine-rich (RS) domain has been believed to bind RNA non-specifically so far. Although SRSF1 is known to bind a variety of RNA containing its RRM-cognate motifs, its interactions with such RNA have been poorly characterized. Therefore, we explore how SRSF1 achieves a broad RNA-binding specificity ranging from ssRNA to G-quadruplex (GQ) RNA. According to our Fluorescence …

The Er Stress-Pathogen Nexus In Regulation Of Cell Death In Arabidopsis Immunity, Danish Diwan

All ETDs from UAB

Pathogens and plants are involved in a coevolutionary battle for dominance. As plants lack adaptive immune systems, they rely on their innate immunity to protect themselves from infectious agents. Upon pathogen attack, plant cells activate their pro-survival strategy by recognizing the pathogen and actively transcribing and translating proteins to effectively defend against the pathogen infection. As the intensity of infection increases, the heightened demand for proteins places an excessive burden on the ER machinery resulting in the accumulation of misfolded or unfolded proteins within the ER. To restore the protein homeostasis, a cellular relief signaling pathway called Unfolded Protein Response …

Investigation Of Reversibility And Nucleotide Effects In The Kinetic Mechanisms Of Nucleotide Addition In The Eukaryotic Rna Polymerases, Kaila B. Fuller

All ETDs from UAB

Eukaryotes utilize at least three multi-subunit DNA dependent RNA polymerases (Pol I, II, and III) to synthesize RNA. The Pols are similar in structure but have distinct kinetic mechanisms that describe nucleotide addition. The product of Pol I synthesis, ribosomal RNA (rRNA) comprises the majority of the ribosome and is necessary for gene expression. Despite the importance of Pol I transcription in the cell, there is still much to understand about the roles of specific subunits in Pol I and the different factors that affect the kinetic mechanism of nucleotide addition catalyzed by Pol I. Our group has previously published …