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Associations Among Measures Of Engagement With Kp.Org And Clinical Outcomes, Heather J. Sobko Jan 2011

Associations Among Measures Of Engagement With Kp.Org And Clinical Outcomes, Heather J. Sobko

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USING MEASURES OF ENGAGEMENT WITH KP.ORG TO DETERMINE ASSOCIATIONS WITH SELECTED CLINICAL OUTCOMES HEATHER J. SOBKO SCHOOL OF NURSING ABSTRACT Introduction The purpose of this retrospective cohort study was to examine patterns of use of an electronic personal health record among adults diagnosed with diabetes, hypertension or hyperlipidemia. Intermediate behavioral measures (medication possession ratios) and physiological measures of metabolic control for diabetes (hemoglobinA1c), hypertension (blood pressure) and hyperlipidemia (low density lipoprotein) were examined. Methods Administrative data from Kaiser Permanente Georgia were analyzed. Adult members of with selected chronic diseases of diabetes, hypertension or hyperlipidemia who used the Kaiser Permanente electronic …

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"The Role Of Health Promotion In Physical Therapy Survey" Reliability And Validity Testing", Jaca Stephens Jan 2011

"The Role Of Health Promotion In Physical Therapy Survey" Reliability And Validity Testing", Jaca Stephens

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ABSTRACT Purpose: Physical therapists (PTs) have a unique opportunity to play a meaningful role in educating patients on health and wellness to prevent chronic conditions, such as cardiac disease, cerebrovascular disease, pulmonary disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. No instrument has been validated to measure physical therapists' views on health promotion and their practices. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of a health promotion survey designed for physical therapists. Method: An expert panel of 9 physical therapists assessed the content validity of "The Role of Health Promotion in Physical Therapy Survey." as developed by Rea …

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Role Of Vdr In Host Immune Response To Porphyromonas Gingivalis Infection, Gulam Yezdani Jan 2011

Role Of Vdr In Host Immune Response To Porphyromonas Gingivalis Infection, Gulam Yezdani

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Porphyromonas gingivalis is one of the etiologic factors of periodontal disease, a chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by the destruction of periodontal connective tissue and the subsequent loss of alveolar bone. Epidemiological and genetic studies have indicated an association between periodontal disease and the vitamin D system. However, little is known regarding how vitamin D signaling regulates the inflammatory immune process of this disease. The purpose of the study was to understand the role of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) in regulating the host response to P. gingivalis infection by using a dual chamber mouse model. These chambers served both as …

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Parallel Confocal Recording Of Localized Retinal Photoreceptor Responses, Qiuxiang Zhang Jan 2011

Parallel Confocal Recording Of Localized Retinal Photoreceptor Responses, Qiuxiang Zhang

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The primary purpose of my thesis research is to validate parallel confocal recording of intrinsic optical signals (IOSs) correlated with localized retinal photoreceptor responses. IOS imaging promises a noninvasive method for retinal disease detection and treatment evaluation. However, IOS identification of localized retinal dysfunction is still challenging due to the complexity of retinal structure. Stimulus-evoked IOSs have been observed in both photoreceptors and inner retinal neurons. IOS pattern of retinal photoreceptor layer may contain cross-talk noise from inner retinal layers. In order to detect localized retinal photoreceptors response without significant contamination from other retinal volumes, we designed a rapid functional …

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Teaching Breast Health To Adolescent Females In High School: Comparing Interactive Teaching With Traditional Didactic Methods, Jacqueline Anita Horton Jan 2011

Teaching Breast Health To Adolescent Females In High School: Comparing Interactive Teaching With Traditional Didactic Methods, Jacqueline Anita Horton

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Breast Health Knowledge Breat Health Beliefs

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Effects Of Growth Factor Induced Pathways On Differentiation Of The Human Neuronal Cell Line Sh-Sy-5y., Ashish D. Dwary Jan 2011

Effects Of Growth Factor Induced Pathways On Differentiation Of The Human Neuronal Cell Line Sh-Sy-5y., Ashish D. Dwary

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Background: The VSNL1 gene product, Visinin-like-protein-1 (VILIP-1), is a member of the neuronal EF-hand Ca2+-sensor protein family. Previously, VILIP-1 mRNA and protein expression were shown to be altered in animal models and in schizophrenia patients. VILIP-1 influences cytosolic cAMP levels, cell migration, exocytotic processes and differentiation in the periphery. This raises the question, whether similar to other potential schizophrenia susceptibility genes, such as Disc1, PDE4B and Akt, VILIP-1 may be associated with schizophrenia-related measures, and if it could mechanistically affect cAMP signaling and neurite outgrowth in neurons. Methods: 627 people with schizophrenia and 541 control subjects were ascertained and the …

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Vitamin D And Insulin Sensitivity Among African American And European American Adolescents And Adults, Jessica Alejandra Alvarez Jan 2011

Vitamin D And Insulin Sensitivity Among African American And European American Adolescents And Adults, Jessica Alejandra Alvarez

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Adequate vitamin D status is associated with a reduced risk for type 2 diabetes (T2DM); the relationship may be mediated by insulin sensitizing effects of vitamin D. African Americans (AA) are at a greater risk for T2DM and insulin resistance, as well as vitamin D deficiency, compared to European Americans (EA). The primary objective of this dissertation was to investigate the independent relationships of vitamin D with various measures of insulin sensitivity. Investigations were performed in a series of studies involving adolescent and adult female cohorts. The intravenous glucose tolerance test-derived insulin sensitivity index (SI) or the oral glucose tolerance …

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Significance And Regulation Of Cd68 Expression In The Osteoclast, Jason Waid Ashley Jan 2011

Significance And Regulation Of Cd68 Expression In The Osteoclast, Jason Waid Ashley

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The mucin-like Lysosome Associated Membrane Protein (LAMP) family member CD68 is a primarily myeloid lineage restricted transmembrane protein that is expressed in macrophages and osteoclasts. While the existence and expression pattern of human CD68 and mouse CD68 (sometimes called macrosialin) are well-known, and these molecules are routinely used as histological markers of tissue macrophages, the functional signific-ance of CD68 expression remains an unanswered question. Our overall goal is to deter-mine the significance and characterize the function of CD68 in osteoclasts and explore the effects of Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor κB (RANK) signaling on CD68 post-translational modification. To achieve this …

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An Evaluation Of Dietary Lipids On Growth Performance In The Sea Urchin, Lytechinus Variegatus (Echinodermata: Echinoidea), Victoria K. Gibbs Jan 2011

An Evaluation Of Dietary Lipids On Growth Performance In The Sea Urchin, Lytechinus Variegatus (Echinodermata: Echinoidea), Victoria K. Gibbs

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Sea urchin fisheries are declining across the world, and sea urchin aquaculture will be an important alternative to wild-caught fisheries. A significant aspect of a successful sea urchin culture operation is the formulation of nutritionally-complete diets with the potential to support optimal growth and health to sea urchins at different life stages. Due to the ecological variety of sea urchin species, the inclusion level and source of the various macronutrients and micronutrients needed for a complete diet must be carefully considered for each sea urchin species. Lytechinus variegatus is an echinoid species commonly found in the northern Gulf of Mexico, …

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Pediatric Obesity And Traumatic Lower Extremity Long Bone Fracture Outcomes, Ian Charles Backstrom Jan 2011

Pediatric Obesity And Traumatic Lower Extremity Long Bone Fracture Outcomes, Ian Charles Backstrom

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Background: Pediatric obesity is associated with lower extremity injuries and poor outcomes after blunt trauma. Our aim was to determine if obese pediatric patients with femur and tibia fractures have more severe injury patterns and worse outcomes compared to non-obese patients. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of obese and non-obese pediatric patients with femur or tibia fractures treated at two Level-1 trauma centers from 2004-2010. Patients weighing ≥ 95th percentile for age and gender were classified as obese. Patients were compared regarding demographics, Injury Severity Score (ISS), intra-abdominal, and orthopedic injuries. Outcomes included fracture treatment, orthopedic complications, ICU …

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Comparison Of Vitamin D Supplementation Regimens In Pediatric Patients With Cystic Fibrosis, Julianna Bailey Jan 2011

Comparison Of Vitamin D Supplementation Regimens In Pediatric Patients With Cystic Fibrosis, Julianna Bailey

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COMPARISON OF VITAMIN D SUPPLEMENTATION REGIMENS IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS WITH CYSTIC FIBROSIS JULIANNA BAILEY CLINICAL NUTRITION ABSTRACT The objective of this randomized prospective study was to determine the most efficacious form of vitamin D supplementation for pediatric patients with Cystic Fibrosis (CF). We hypothesized that 50,000 IU monthly cholecalciferol would be as effective in raising serum 25-hyrdroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations as routine daily supplementation of 1000-2000 IU cholecalciferol in pediatric patients with CF, birth to 20 years of age, over a period of 3 months. Data collected at baseline included serum 25(OH)D concentration, gender, genotype, race, age, FEV1, height, weight, …

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The Requisite Role Of Dectin-1 And Il-17 In Innate Host Defense Against Aspergillus Fumigatus, Jessica L. Werner Jan 2011

The Requisite Role Of Dectin-1 And Il-17 In Innate Host Defense Against Aspergillus Fumigatus, Jessica L. Werner

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Immune suppression increases the incidence of invasive fungal infections, particularly those caused by the opportunistic mold Aspergillus fumigatus. We show that non-immunosuppressed mice lacking the beta-glucan receptor Dectin-1 (Dectin-1-/-) are more susceptible to intratracheal challenge with A. fumigatus than control mice, exhibiting >80% mortality within 5 days; ultimately attributed to a compromise in respiratory mechanics. In response to A. fumigatus challenge, Dectin-1-/- mice demonstrated impaired inflammatory response as seen through defective cytokine and chemokine production, which resulted in insufficient lung neutrophil recruitment and uncontrolled A. fumigatus lung growth. Alveolar macrophages from Dectin-1-/- mice failed to produce proinflammatory mediators in response …

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Neighborhood Characteristics And Weight Status In Preschool Children, Cynthia Irwin Joiner Jan 2011

Neighborhood Characteristics And Weight Status In Preschool Children, Cynthia Irwin Joiner

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Introduction: Childhood obesity is increasing at an alarming rate particularly among minority and low-income populations. More than 12 million children and adolescents are obese (Ogden, Carroll, Curtin, Lamb, & Flegal, 2010). Research on the neighborhood and built environment is relatively new. Few studies have examined the relationship of neighborhood characteristics and weight status, and studies in the preschool population are limited. Study Purpose: The study had three aims: 1) to examine the relationship between neighborhood characteristics (number of grocery stores and fast food restaurants, and number and quality of parks) and weight status (overweight and obese) in low income, preschool …

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Explaining Racial Differences In Mci Classification In The Active Sample, Bridgett Hill Kennedy Jan 2011

Explaining Racial Differences In Mci Classification In The Active Sample, Bridgett Hill Kennedy

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Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is 2 to 5 times more common than dementia and can be a predisposing marker for the development of dementia. African Americans are reported to be at an increased risk for developing MCI when compared to Caucasians. The purpose of the present study was to examine reasons for racial disparity in rates of MCI classification and, in particular, whether preservation of functional abilities over time occurs among African Americans so classified, suggesting possible misclassification. Level and quality of education and prevalence of vascular disease were examined as mediators of the racial disparity in MCI classification. Previously …

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An Examination Of Secondary Metabolites And Inorganic Acids As Chemical Defenses Against Predation And Fouling In Antarctic And Sub-Tropical Ascidians, Gil Koplovitz Jan 2011

An Examination Of Secondary Metabolites And Inorganic Acids As Chemical Defenses Against Predation And Fouling In Antarctic And Sub-Tropical Ascidians, Gil Koplovitz

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Palatability of outer tissues of 12 species of ascidians from the Western Antarctic Peninsula was evaluated using the sympatric, omnivorous predator fish Notothenia coriiceps and sea star Odontaster validus. Tissues of 100% of those tested were unpalatable to fish, while 58% were unpalatable to sea stars. Lipophilic and hydrophilic extracts of 11 species were incorporated into pellets and tested in fish and sea star bioassays. Only the lipophilic extract from Distaplia colligans caused sea star and fish feeding deterrence. Organic extracts from 10 ascidian species were also examined in food pellet assays using the sympatric, omnivorous amphipod Gondogeneia antarctica. Only …

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Study Of The Cold Adaptive Mechanisms In Antarctic Bacteria And Investigation Of The Chemotherapeutic And Antimicrobial Potential Of Their Pigments, Nazia Mojib Jan 2011

Study Of The Cold Adaptive Mechanisms In Antarctic Bacteria And Investigation Of The Chemotherapeutic And Antimicrobial Potential Of Their Pigments, Nazia Mojib

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Antarctic ecosystems are extreme environments to study the biodiversity, survival and adaptation of bacteria. The current study describes the rich and diverse heterotrophic bacterial communities from seasonally ice-free open lakes in East Antarctic Schirmacher Oasis and a perennially ice-covered Lake Joyce in West An-tarctic McMurdo Dry Valleys using culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches. Heterotrophic bacteria from three different Phyla: Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria were cultured from lakes of Schirmacher Oasis using 16S rRNA gene-based taxonomic analysis. However, similar approach applied on the community DNA of the Black Hole sediments in Lake Joyce exhibited previously undescribed heterotrophs from seven different phyla: Proteobacteria, …

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The Association Between The Body Mass Index (Bmi) Of African American College Women And Their Exposure To Magazine Advertisements, Candice P. Prince Jan 2011

The Association Between The Body Mass Index (Bmi) Of African American College Women And Their Exposure To Magazine Advertisements, Candice P. Prince

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The primary purpose of this study was to examine the association between body mass index (BMI) and exposure to magazine advertisements among African-American college women aged 19 to 29. This study also sought to determine how personal, behavioral, and environmental factors affect the BMI of African-American college women. A sample of 252 African-American college women enrolled in undergraduate degree programs in the Southeast United States completed a web-based survey on their weight-related health behaviors and magazine usage. Descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations, and multivariable regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Bivariate correlations showed significant associations between BMI and several …

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How Do Proponents And Opponents Of The United Nations Convention On The Rights Of The Child Explain Their Views Regarding Children's Participatory Rights? A Multiple Case Study, Marilee Manning Ransom Jan 2011

How Do Proponents And Opponents Of The United Nations Convention On The Rights Of The Child Explain Their Views Regarding Children's Participatory Rights? A Multiple Case Study, Marilee Manning Ransom

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The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), an international human rights treaty, has been ratified by every State except the United States and Somalia. It contains enumerated rights, including five articles pertaining to children's participation rights such as the right to speech, privacy, association, and religion. Ratification of the CRC is controversial, particularly because religious and social conservatives deem the CRC potentially harmful to families. Major education groups are among the myriad of CRC supporters in the Untied States. Thus far, supporters have been unable to achieve ratification. The purpose of this multiple case study was …

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Survival Analysis With Censored Outcomes, Henry T. Robertson Jan 2011

Survival Analysis With Censored Outcomes, Henry T. Robertson

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This dissertation is arranged in the three-paper format. The unifying theme of the dissertation is estimating longevity in terms of years of life lost (YLL). The papers are presented in order of increasing methodological focus. The first paper, No compelling evidence that sibutramine prolongs life in rodents despite providing a dose-dependent reduction in body weight, was published in the International Journal of Obesity in 2010. Although sibutramine reduced food intake and body weight, it had no association with longevity. The conclusions were based on data from a 2-year toxicology trial required by the FDA. Although this paper was largely applied …

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Health Status And Health Behavior As Factors Predicting Online Health Seeking, Timothy Hale Jan 2011

Health Status And Health Behavior As Factors Predicting Online Health Seeking, Timothy Hale

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The purpose of this dissertation is to examine why people use the Internet for health-related purposes and whether this usage is part of larger pattern of health-promoting behaviors, or health lifestyle. Pierre Bourdieu's concept of habitus provides the key theoretical concept that links health lifestyle theory and the digital inequality framework to explain how socioeconomic status and level of Internet access may contribute to status-specific attitudes and behaviors, or lifestyles. Two dependent variables are used to measure online health behavior: (1) online health information seeking, and (2) an index constructed from six types of online health-related activities. Path analysis is …

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Reconstructing The Southern Populists: Alabama Farmers Before Political Revolt, 1874-1889, Joshua Hodge Jan 2011

Reconstructing The Southern Populists: Alabama Farmers Before Political Revolt, 1874-1889, Joshua Hodge

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The traditional story of the Populist movement begins in 1887 where by the leadership of the Farmers' Alliance, agricultural organizations combined to initiate formal political action on behalf of farmers and laborers alike. But proper understanding of the Populists, this study suggests, must begin earlier, in the fluid era of Reconstruction when farmers first began to articulate their concerns and grapple with possible solutions. This study explores earlier manifestations of farmer solidarity, describing the community of like-minded farmers that organized into agricultural groups in the immediate post-Civil War period. Well before the political revolt of the 1890s, southern farmers participated …

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A Pilot Study Of A Computer-Tailored Program To Increase Calcium And Vitamin D Consumption In Young Women: Does Adding Heel Quantitative Ultrasound Feedback Change Outcomes?, Donald H. Lein Jan 2010

A Pilot Study Of A Computer-Tailored Program To Increase Calcium And Vitamin D Consumption In Young Women: Does Adding Heel Quantitative Ultrasound Feedback Change Outcomes?, Donald H. Lein

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Osteoporosis and osteoporosis-related fractures are costly personal and national

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Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Tgf-B3, And An Albumin Scaffold To Promote Full Thickness Wound Healing, John Felix Mccauley Jan 2010

Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Tgf-B3, And An Albumin Scaffold To Promote Full Thickness Wound Healing, John Felix Mccauley

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No abstract provided.

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The Bacterial Community Of A Freshwater Sponge, Radiospongilla Cerebellata: A Comparison Of Terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms (T -Rflp) And 16s Rrna Clone Library Methods, Andrew Stephen Mobley Jan 2010

The Bacterial Community Of A Freshwater Sponge, Radiospongilla Cerebellata: A Comparison Of Terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms (T -Rflp) And 16s Rrna Clone Library Methods, Andrew Stephen Mobley

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No abstract provided.

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Sexual Risk Behavior Among African-American Adolescents: Trajectories And Their Predictors, Maureen Muchimba Jan 2010

Sexual Risk Behavior Among African-American Adolescents: Trajectories And Their Predictors, Maureen Muchimba

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Although adolescents in the United States are at high risk of sexually transmitted infections and HIV, research indicates that many do not use condoms consistently and have high numbers of lifetime multiple sexual partners. Among adolescents, different subgroups exhibit distinct patterns of sexual behavior over time. The purpose of this dissertation was to identify trajectories of sexual risk behavior among adolescents and to determine individual, family and community factors that are predictive of membership to trajectory groups. Data were collected on sexual risk behavior among low-income African-American adolescents in Mobile County, Alabama. Gender-balanced subsamples of risky sex (N = 1294) …

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Oral Lesions As Clinical Markers For Antiretroviral Therapy Failure In Hiv Patients, Irene M. Tamí-Maury Jan 2010

Oral Lesions As Clinical Markers For Antiretroviral Therapy Failure In Hiv Patients, Irene M. Tamí-Maury

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The true nature of the association of oral lesions (OL) and gold standards of HIV progression, CD4+ T cell counts (CD4) and HIV-1 RNA viral load (VL), is not completely clear, especially when patients are on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Our aim was to assess the association between OL and virologic failure among HIV/AIDS patients on ART. We conducted a retrospective study of 744 HIV patients who entered care between 2000 and 2006 at the UAB 1917 Clinic. Data was collected for 2 years after enrollment. Prevalence of OL was 35.8%. Oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC) was the most prevalent OL (74.9%). Among …

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Contributions Of The Atrial Natriuretic Peptide Gene System To The Relationship Between Pediatric Body Fat, Free Fatty Acids, And Blood Pressure, Amanda Willig Jan 2010

Contributions Of The Atrial Natriuretic Peptide Gene System To The Relationship Between Pediatric Body Fat, Free Fatty Acids, And Blood Pressure, Amanda Willig

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Elevated blood pressure and nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) in children can lead to increased chronic disease risk during adulthood. The atrial natriuretic peptide precursor A (NPPA) and natiuretic peptide receptor A (NPR1) genes encode for atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and its cell receptor, respectively, and may influence levels of blood pressure and NEFA. Additionally, it is unclear how body composition, physical activity, physical fitness, and racial genetic ancestry influence pediatric NEFA and blood pressure. In order to understand the associations among these factors, five investigations were performed. For experimental aim 1, the association between blood pressure and body composition measures …

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Development And Validation Of A Scale To Measure Fear Of Physical Response To Exercise Among Overweight And Obese Adults, Brooks Cotton Wingo Jan 2010

Development And Validation Of A Scale To Measure Fear Of Physical Response To Exercise Among Overweight And Obese Adults, Brooks Cotton Wingo

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specified and alteration of both Type I and Type II error rates occurs. We examine

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Association Between Birth Outcomes And Aflatoxin B1-Biomarker Levels Among Pregnant Women In Kumasi, Ghana, Faisal Mohammed Barbas Shuaib Jan 2010

Association Between Birth Outcomes And Aflatoxin B1-Biomarker Levels Among Pregnant Women In Kumasi, Ghana, Faisal Mohammed Barbas Shuaib

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Aflatoxins are fungal metabolites that contaminate staple food crops in many developing countries. Although studies have linked these toxins to adverse health outcomes, few studies have investigated the association between birth outcomes and aflatoxin B1-lysine adduct levels among pregnant women. The objective of this dissertation was to investigate the association between birth outcomes and aflatoxin B1- lysine adduct levels among pregnant women in Kumasi, Ghana. In a cross-sectional study of 755 pregnant women, Aflatoxin B1-lysine adduct (AF-ALB) levels were determined by High Performance Liquid Chromatography. AF-ALB associations were assessed as both continuous and categorical values. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was …

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Arm Loss And Regenerative Capacity Of The Common Soft - Bottom Sea Star Luidia Clathrata Exposed To Near -Future Conditions Of Ocean Acidification, Julie B. Schram Jan 2010

Arm Loss And Regenerative Capacity Of The Common Soft - Bottom Sea Star Luidia Clathrata Exposed To Near -Future Conditions Of Ocean Acidification, Julie B. Schram

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No abstract provided.

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