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Influencing The Positive Mental Health Of Non-Kinship Foster Children: The Lived Experiences Of Foster Parents In Alabama, Sarah Catherine Tucker Jan 2019

Influencing The Positive Mental Health Of Non-Kinship Foster Children: The Lived Experiences Of Foster Parents In Alabama, Sarah Catherine Tucker

All ETDs from UAB

This Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) qualitative study interviewed fifteen non-kinship foster parents in Alabama to explore their lived experiences of influencing the positive mental health of their foster children. This phenomenological approach allowed for a deeper understanding of the challenges foster caregivers face when facilitating improved psychological and social well-being of their foster children. In 2015, there were 427,910 children in foster care, with 45% of these children residing in a non-kinship foster home (Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System [AFCARS], 2016). Children in foster care, especially children in non-kinship care arrangements, often have significant and complex mental …

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Effect Of Antidepressants On Cytokines Profiles Seen In Inflamed Tissue And Serum Samples In Patients With Moderate Chronic Periodontitis, Silvia M. Villalobos Jan 2019

Effect Of Antidepressants On Cytokines Profiles Seen In Inflamed Tissue And Serum Samples In Patients With Moderate Chronic Periodontitis, Silvia M. Villalobos

All ETDs from UAB

This study evaluated whether depression with or without the use of antidepressant was associated with changes in inflammatory markers, intraorally and systemically, GCF volume, serum biomarker levels. Cross-sectional data were collected from individuals with moderate periodontitis who were assigned to one of three groups based upon their medical history, medication usage, and answers to a validated survey instrument that assessed their level of clinical depression. Three groups of patients were compared: 1) patients with clinically diagnosed depression taking antidepressant medications [selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor (NDRIs), or serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)]. 2) patients with clinically …

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Modulation Of Klotho Affects Dendritic Spine Remodeling And Neuronal Network Activity, Hai T. Vo Jan 2019

Modulation Of Klotho Affects Dendritic Spine Remodeling And Neuronal Network Activity, Hai T. Vo

All ETDs from UAB

Klotho protein expression has profound effects on lifespan where klotho-deficient mice exhibit premature aging phenotypes and live only to ~8 weeks of age while klotho-overexpressing mice have lifespans that are at least 20% longer than wild-type mice. Klotho expression also has similar effects on cognitive function as klotho-deficient mice develop cognitive impairment by 7 weeks of age and klotho-overexpressing mice show enhanced cognitive function. These effects also extend to humans as polymorphisms that alter circulating levels of klotho have likewise effects on lifespan and brain function. Despite the fact that modulation of klotho expression has reciprocal effects on cognitive function, …

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An Assistive Device That Aids The Visiually Imparied People To The Crosswalk, Jiayue Wang Jan 2019

An Assistive Device That Aids The Visiually Imparied People To The Crosswalk, Jiayue Wang

All ETDs from UAB

The visually impaired people mostly rely on a blind cane or specially trained the dogs (Guide dogs) to help them walk or cross the road safely. However, the white canes are for only avoiding obstacles on the roadway and training the guide dogs is a long-term process. Deficiency of reliable assistive tools, traffic accidents seem to be inevitable, especially to visually impaired or blind people. In order to address this problem and decrease the accidents of this nature, technologically more advanced and intelligent tools are necessary. This proposed thesis work will help visually impaired individuals, without affecting their daily activities …

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Discovering The Genetic Architecture Underlying Exercise Response Using Drosophila Melanogaster, Louis P. Watanabe Jan 2019

Discovering The Genetic Architecture Underlying Exercise Response Using Drosophila Melanogaster, Louis P. Watanabe

All ETDs from UAB

The growth of modern jobs, technology, and transportation has coincided with increased sedentary behavior in many developed nations. In the United States, this increase has contributed partially to rising rates of obesity, leading to more than 78 million obese individuals. The annual medical costs associated with obesity are thought to range from 147 to 210 billion dollars. The initial treatment recommendations for individuals with obesity are increased exercise and changes in diet. Despite the strong narrative pushing exercise as a health benefit, individual responses can vary widely, and little is known regarding the genetic networks modulating exercise response. In order …

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Perceptions Of The Police By Queer Women, Marshall Lorraine White Jan 2019

Perceptions Of The Police By Queer Women, Marshall Lorraine White

All ETDs from UAB

Queer communities have historically had a strained relationship with the police. In recent years, scholars have begun to examine perceptions of the police by these communities in an attempt to fill an important gap in the literature. The current study examines perceptions of the police by queer women in Birmingham, AL. The focus on queer women is attributed to recent findings that queer women (lesbian, bisexual, transgender, etc.) report more negative perceptions of the police than others in queer communities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 self-identified White, queer women about their experiences growing up, broad views about the police, …

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The Role Of The Principal In Promoting Teacher Collective Efficacy Through Enabling School Structures:A Mixed Methods Study, Cynthia Coshatt Willingham Jan 2019

The Role Of The Principal In Promoting Teacher Collective Efficacy Through Enabling School Structures:A Mixed Methods Study, Cynthia Coshatt Willingham

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THE ROLE OF THE PRINCIPAL IN PROMOTING TEACHER COLLECTIVE EFFICACY THROUGH ENABLING SCHOOL STRUCTURES: A MIXED METHODS STUDY CYNTHIA WILLINGHAM ABSTRACT This explanatory mixed methods research study was designed to utilize teacher perspectives to investigate methods by which principals develop and maintain teacher collective efficacy in their schools through enabling school structures. The research utilized quantitative surveys given to teachers in selected high schools followed by interviews with nine teachers in designated schools to answer three research questions. The research questions were designed to a) determine the relationship between teacher collective efficacy and enabling structures in high achieving high schools, …

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Occupational Health Outcomes In Women Living With And At Risk For Hiv, Jenni Wise Jan 2019

Occupational Health Outcomes In Women Living With And At Risk For Hiv, Jenni Wise

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Women living with HIV (WLWH) are now able to work and need to work to attain the fruitful benefits of employment. Regardless of the need for income, employment provides esteem, confidence, structure, social support, and is associated with improved physical and psychological outcomes. Yet, in spite of the documented benefits associated with employment, an estimated 60% of WLWH are not employed. Thus, occupational disparities among WLWH contribute to disparities in health and quality of life among this population. While the historical trajectory of HIV is unique compared to other populations with chronic disease, evidence suggests that gender-specific difference in socioeconomic, …

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The Closed Eye As A Model For Dry Eye Disease, Cameron Kenneth Postnikoff Jan 2019

The Closed Eye As A Model For Dry Eye Disease, Cameron Kenneth Postnikoff

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Every night, during sleep, the tears of the closed eye become significantly more inflammatory, with a notable influx of neutrophils. Preliminary studies suggested that these neutrophils were significantly different than blood-isolated neutrophils, with an increased concentration, upregulated surface expression of inflammatory membrane receptors, but inability to respond to inflammatory stimuli. The purpose of this dissertation was to better understand the contribution of this neutrophil population to ocular surface homeostasis and dry eye disease. Chapter One presents an introduction to the tear film and ocular surface, along with an introduction to dry eye disease and neutrophil biology. Chapter One also discusses …

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Synthesis And Ion Conducting Properties Of Barium Zirconate Based Thin Films, Eric Remington Jan 2019

Synthesis And Ion Conducting Properties Of Barium Zirconate Based Thin Films, Eric Remington

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Solid oxide fuel cells are electrochemical systems that convert chemical energy into electricity using ion-conducting oxide ceramics as electrolytes. These devices are widely considered as an important technology in addressing the future demands for low-carbon electrical power generation. Oxide ceramics in which the active ionic species is the proton ion (H+), are of particular current interest because they exhibit ionic conductivities that are two-to-three orders of magnitude higher than ceramics that rely on transport of oxide ions (O2−). Accordingly, these so-called protonic oxide conductors are being investigated vigorously in a variety of bulk and thin film configurations. A major goal …

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Emergence Of Restricted Repetitive Behaviors In Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder And Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, Helen Root Jan 2019

Emergence Of Restricted Repetitive Behaviors In Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder And Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, Helen Root

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Genetic disorders are ideal populations through which to study the development of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD; Moss, Richards, Nelson & Oliver, 2012). Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) is a particularly compelling population due to the high prevalence of ASD and prenatal diagnostic ability (Jeste, Wu, Senturk, Varcin, McCarthy, Shimzu, ScM, Vogel-Farley, Sahin & Nelson, 2014; McDonald, Varcin, Bhatt, Wu, Sahin, Nelson & Jeste, 2017; Sundberg & Sahin, 2015). However, findings related to the two core symptom domains of ASD within TSC are mixed, with little research examining restricted repetitive behaviors (RRBs). The current study aimed to define the presence and profile …

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Fractional Calculus And Applications To Fractional Oscillation And Anomalous Diffusion, Norman W. Schmitz Jan 2019

Fractional Calculus And Applications To Fractional Oscillation And Anomalous Diffusion, Norman W. Schmitz

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Fractional calculus has existed since 1695, when L'Hôpital asked Leibniz about his notation for a derivative, $\dfrac{d^nf\left(x\right)}{dx^n}.$ L’Hôpital asked what the result would be if $n$ were $\dfrac{1}{2}$. Leibniz's response: ``An apparent paradox, from which one day useful consequences will be drawn.'' While fractional calculus has only been intensely explored in recent decades, this prediction seems to have been true, with fractional derivatives often seeming contradictory and difficult to work with. However, our exploration has found that these definitions are far more compatible after looking at their non-local properties, in particular their ability to account for causality. We then looked …

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Transcriptional Dynamics Of Dopaminergic Signaling, Katherine Elizabeth Savell Jan 2019

Transcriptional Dynamics Of Dopaminergic Signaling, Katherine Elizabeth Savell

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Drugs of abuse increase dopamine concentrations in the nucleus accumbens, a key reward structure that integrates contextual and cue-related information and regulates motivated behavior. This surge of dopamine triggers cell signaling cascades that converge in the nucleus to cause changes in gene expression, which are thought to lead to the observed functional and structural alterations in the reward circuit after exposure to drugs of abuse. However, while various drugs of abuse cause transcriptional changes, previously available tools have not had the capacity to deeply characterize these gene programs. Therefore, we optimized a dual lentivirus CRISPR system for targeted gene modulation …

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Intracellular Compartment-Specific Abnormalities In Proteasome Expression And Activity In The Superior Temporal Gyrus In Schizophrenia, Madeline R. Scott Jan 2019

Intracellular Compartment-Specific Abnormalities In Proteasome Expression And Activity In The Superior Temporal Gyrus In Schizophrenia, Madeline R. Scott

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Protein homeostasis is an emerging component of schizophrenia (SZ) pathophysiology. Proteomic alterations in SZ are well-documented; however the underlying mechanism driving these changes remains unknown. The ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) is fundamental to protein homeostasis regulation, and UPS transcript abnormalities in both blood and brain have been observed in SZ. Supporting a role for UPS dysfunction in SZ, we have reported decreased protein expression of ubiquitin-associated proteins in SZ brain. However, previous work on the proteasome has been limited to transcript expression. In the following studies we sought to address this gap in knowledge by characterizing proteasome dysfunction in the …

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Designing And Implementing Inclusive Community-Based Health Promotion Intiatives, Cassandra Herman Jan 2019

Designing And Implementing Inclusive Community-Based Health Promotion Intiatives, Cassandra Herman

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Background: People with disabilities (PWDs) have poorer health outcomes, yet are they are underserved by public health initiatives. PWDs face numerous barriers to participation in community-based health programs despite mounting evidence about these barriers along with recommendations and guidelines to become more inclusive of disability. Policy, system, and environmental (PSE) changes that are inclusive of PWDs can help create access to health promotion programs for PWDs. Systematically implementing inclusive PSE changes using implementation science principles can support effective and sustainable changes are implemented for each unique community context. The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the experiences of public …

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Social Support And Self-Care Efficacy As Mediators Of Racial Disparities In Diabetes Health In Older Adults, Wesley Browning Jan 2019

Social Support And Self-Care Efficacy As Mediators Of Racial Disparities In Diabetes Health In Older Adults, Wesley Browning

All ETDs from UAB

Diabetes is a health problem that affects millions of Americans annually, and Black Americans have a higher prevalence with more complications than White Americans. A disparity exists between Black and White older adults living with diabetes in distress related to symptoms, treatment, and complications associated with the disease. Additionally, there are differences in levels of performing diabetes self-care behaviors between Blacks and Whites. One series of factors that may predict better diabetes self-care and diabetes distress in older adults are self-care efficacy and components of social support. This study used linear regression models to predict racial differences between Blacks and …

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Role Of Developmental Protein, Nudc, In The Retina, Skyler Boehm Jan 2019

Role Of Developmental Protein, Nudc, In The Retina, Skyler Boehm

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Rod photoreceptors are the most prominent light sensitive cell in the retina of most mammals. The outer segments of photoreceptors contain the cellular machinery necessary for phototransduction to occur. The process of generating the phototransduction components occurs in the inner segment before being trafficked to the outer segment. These processes are highly regulated and require many different trafficking proteins and chaperones. The developmental protein nuclear distribution gene C (nudC) was found to be present in the photoreceptor, but its function is yet to be determined. Here we confirm that nudC is present in the retina and necessary in the photoreceptors. …

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Vagal Mediated Heart Rate Variability And Cognitive Impairments In Hiv-Seropositive Women, William C. Nicholson Jan 2019

Vagal Mediated Heart Rate Variability And Cognitive Impairments In Hiv-Seropositive Women, William C. Nicholson

All ETDs from UAB

Regardless of sufficient viral suppression, HIV exerts an ongoing inflammatory process that promotes chronic autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction, accelerates physiological aging, and increases the risk of developing a spectrum of cognitive disorders (known as HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders [HAND]). Given this, identifying pathological mediators of this inflammatory response could provide insight into the mechanisms driving HAND. The vagus nerve (indexed by vagal-mediated heart rate variability [vmHRV]) could provide such a mediator as it regulates ANS activity via reciprocal cardio-neural pathways, which regulate inflammation and homeostasis. Vagal dysfunction is associated with persistent inflammatory signaling (e.g., stress or inflammatory-based disorders [such as …

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Hpv And Hsv Associated Clinical Conditions Among People Living With Hiv-1 Infection, Yuanfan Ye Jan 2019

Hpv And Hsv Associated Clinical Conditions Among People Living With Hiv-1 Infection, Yuanfan Ye

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This dissertation research focuses on investigating health burdens of HPV- and HSV- associated clinical conditions (CC) in people living with HIV-1 infection (PLWH) in the Southeastern United States. I designed a retrospective study using the UAB 1917 HIV Clinic Cohort. Electronic health records of PLWH attending the clinic for HIV-care between January 2006 and March 2019 were obtained and reviewed. I first examined incidence rates and trends of anogenital HPV- and HSV-associated CC. Then I adopted a new algorithm to group longitudinal CD4 cell counts based on their trajectories. I compared it with nadir and median CD4 cell counts in …

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Proceedings Of The 19th Annual Early Career Technical Conference (Front Matter), Ectc Coordinating Committee Jan 2019

Proceedings Of The 19th Annual Early Career Technical Conference (Front Matter), Ectc Coordinating Committee

Early Career Technical Journal (ECTJ)

Proceedings of the 19th Annual Early Career Technical Conference, November 2-3, 2019. School of Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama; pp. i-xii

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Section 1: Materials & Design, Ectc Coordinating Committee Jan 2019

Section 1: Materials & Design, Ectc Coordinating Committee

Early Career Technical Journal (ECTJ)

Proceedings of the 19th Annual Early Career Technical Conference, November 2-3, 2019. School of Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama; pp. 1-21

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Section 2: Materials & Testing, Ectc Coordinating Committee Jan 2019

Section 2: Materials & Testing, Ectc Coordinating Committee

Early Career Technical Journal (ECTJ)

Proceedings of the 19th Annual Early Career Technical Conference, November 2-3, 2019. School of Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama; pp. 22-41

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Section 3: Robotics & Computing, Ectc Coordinating Committee Jan 2019

Section 3: Robotics & Computing, Ectc Coordinating Committee

Early Career Technical Journal (ECTJ)

Proceedings of the 19th Annual Early Career Technical Conference, November 2-3, 2019. School of Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama; pp. 42-75

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Section 4: Sustainability & Design, Ectc Coordinating Committee Jan 2019

Section 4: Sustainability & Design, Ectc Coordinating Committee

Early Career Technical Journal (ECTJ)

Proceedings of the 19th Annual Early Career Technical Conference, November 2-3, 2019. School of Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama; pp. 76-95

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Section 6: Thermal Sciences, Ectc Coordinating Committee Jan 2019

Section 6: Thermal Sciences, Ectc Coordinating Committee

Early Career Technical Journal (ECTJ)

Proceedings of the 19th Annual Early Career Technical Conference, November 2-3, 2019. School of Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama; pp. 113-145

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Section 5: Materials, Ectc Coordinating Committee Jan 2019

Section 5: Materials, Ectc Coordinating Committee

Early Career Technical Journal (ECTJ)

Proceedings of the 19th Annual Early Career Technical Conference, November 2-3, 2019. School of Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama; pp. 96-112

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Proceedings Of The 19th Annual Early Career Technical Conference (Complete Issue), Ectc Coordinating Committee Jan 2019

Proceedings Of The 19th Annual Early Career Technical Conference (Complete Issue), Ectc Coordinating Committee

Early Career Technical Journal (ECTJ)

Proceedings of the 19th Annual Early Career Technical Conference, November 2-3, 2019. School of Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama

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Optimization Of Mechanical Properties In Magnesium Zinc Alloys, Christopher Hale, Zhigang Xu, Honglin Zhang, Sergey Yarmolenko, Jagannathan Sankar Jan 2019

Optimization Of Mechanical Properties In Magnesium Zinc Alloys, Christopher Hale, Zhigang Xu, Honglin Zhang, Sergey Yarmolenko, Jagannathan Sankar

Early Career Technical Journal (ECTJ)

Section 1: Materials & Design; pp. 3-7

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High Strain-Rate Sensitivity And Energy Absorption Of Duroprotect, A Fiber-Reinforced Ballistics Composite, Ivy Turner, Rowan Baird, Sofia Serafin, Birendra Chaudhary, Jose Torrado, Damian Stoddard Jan 2019

High Strain-Rate Sensitivity And Energy Absorption Of Duroprotect, A Fiber-Reinforced Ballistics Composite, Ivy Turner, Rowan Baird, Sofia Serafin, Birendra Chaudhary, Jose Torrado, Damian Stoddard

Early Career Technical Journal (ECTJ)

Section 1: Materials & Design; pp. 8-14

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Section 7: Numerical Methods, Ectc Coordinating Committee Jan 2019

Section 7: Numerical Methods, Ectc Coordinating Committee

Early Career Technical Journal (ECTJ)

Proceedings of the 19th Annual Early Career Technical Conference, November 2-3, 2019. School of Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama; pp. 146-178

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