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Factors Associated With Early Onset Anal Cancer And Facilitators And Barriers To Screening Among Men Living With Hiv And Their Providers In The Deep South: A Mixed Methods Investigation, Anna Junkins Sep 2024

Factors Associated With Early Onset Anal Cancer And Facilitators And Barriers To Screening Among Men Living With Hiv And Their Providers In The Deep South: A Mixed Methods Investigation, Anna Junkins

All ETDs from UAB

For my dissertation work, I aimed to 1) determine the occurrence of early onset (diagnosis at <50 years) anal cancer and the impact of HIV infection and other risk factors, and 2) utilize a mixed methods research approach to identify and explain factors associated with screening among men living with HIV (MLHIV) and their providers. In Aim 1, I used logistic regression to estimate the odds of early onset cancer by sociodemographic and clinical characteristics among anal cancer patients in the Alabama cancer registry from 2012-2018. Among 519 patients, 17.7% were diagnosed at <50 years. Male sex, Black race, and HIV infection were associated with younger age at diagnosis. Black patients had a 4-fold increased odds of early onset anal cancer compared to White patients and disproportionately lived in areas with higher social vulnerability. In Aim 2, I used logistic regression to estimate the odds of anal cancer screening by sociodemographic and sexual risk characteristics among MLHIV using retrospective survey data from 1917 Clinic in 2018. Among 1,114 men, 52% had received an anal pap within one year of completing the survey. Men who were screened were more likely to have multiple sexual partners. Heterosexual men had lower odds and men who reported unprotected anal sex had higher odds of screening. Older Black men were less likely to be screened. In Aim 3, I used thematic analyses to identify themes related to health beliefs, barriers and facilitators, and perceived and evaluated need of screening using in-depth interviews among MLHIV and their providers. Benefits of screening among MLHIV were early detection and awareness about one’s body. Suggestions for overcoming barriers to screening among providers included screening guidelines, patient education, inclusion of screening into routine care, and self-collection. Among men that were aware of HPV-associated cancers, there was perceived risk and desire to receive HPV vaccination. Individuals who are male, Black, or living with HIV may be at increased risk of developing anal cancer younger. Among MLHIV, improving education about HPV-associated cancer, and offering self-collected screening as part of routine care could facilitate screening in the South.

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Unraveling The Lymphatic Landscape In The Normal And Injured Kidney, Gelare Ghajar-Rahimi Sep 2024

Unraveling The Lymphatic Landscape In The Normal And Injured Kidney, Gelare Ghajar-Rahimi

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The lymphatic vascular system, tasked with managing interstitial fluid homeostasis, clearing cellular debris, and trafficking immune cells, is a promising yet largely untapped area for therapeutic intervention in kidney diseases. Clinically, kidney biopsies of patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) show evidence of injury-associated lymphangiogenesis. Recent pre-clinical studies have established that manipulation of the lymphangiogenic response greatly impacts the pathophysiology of serval kidney diseases. However, conflicting results in the literature, unresolved knowledge gaps, and technical challenges hinder the development of lymphatic-modifying therapeutics. Here, we interrogate the long-term effects of ischemia-reperfusion and aging in AKI and …

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Multi-Omics Analysis Of Nf1 Deficiency In Various Cell Types Implicates Roles Outside Of Ras For Cells And Their Microenvironment, Christian Xavier Fay Sep 2024

Multi-Omics Analysis Of Nf1 Deficiency In Various Cell Types Implicates Roles Outside Of Ras For Cells And Their Microenvironment, Christian Xavier Fay

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Neurofibromatosis type 1 is an autosomal dominant disease in which many patients develop the hallmark feature, neurofibromas, benign tumors that develop along the peripheral nerves. Currently there is no known cure for NF1, and more than 3000 germline pathogenic variants (PVs) in NF1 have been observed. The neurofibromin gene encodes the 320kDa NF1 protein which has multiple predicted functions. Its most under-stood molecular role is in binding GTP-Ras and stimulating Ras-GTPase to cleave GTP to GDP and inactivate Ras signaling. In fact, the only FDA-approved therapeutic is the MEK inhibitor selumetinib which acts downstream of Ras. NF1 also has Ras …

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Spatiotemporal Characterization Of The Immune Response In Acute Kidney Injury And Pig-To-Human Kidney Xenotransplantation, Matthew David Cheung Sep 2024

Spatiotemporal Characterization Of The Immune Response In Acute Kidney Injury And Pig-To-Human Kidney Xenotransplantation, Matthew David Cheung

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The kidney is an intricate organ responsible for filtering our blood, maintaining bone health, regulating blood pressure, and numerous other vital functions. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a temporary loss of kidney function, affecting up to 20% of hospitalized and 60% of critically ill patients. Despite the high mortality rate and frequency of occurrence, targeted therapies to treat AKI have not been successfully developed. Unresolved AKI confers an increased risk for the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and ultimately end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). Although dialysis can sustain life for individuals with ESKD, transplantation is the only definitive cure. With …

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Cross-Sectional Retrospective Study To Determine The Prevalence Of Periodontal Bone Loss As A Function Of Age In The Predoctoral Clinic Patient Population, Lincoln Nguyen Sep 2024

Cross-Sectional Retrospective Study To Determine The Prevalence Of Periodontal Bone Loss As A Function Of Age In The Predoctoral Clinic Patient Population, Lincoln Nguyen

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Age has a significant effect on the body’s ability fight off disease, recover, and maintain collagen structures, and it has been observed that older adults have a higher prevalence of periodontal diseases. Studies have shown that age is a risk factor for alveolar bone loss. However, there is a lack of research done looking at if this is a linear progression or if there is a specific age that susceptibility increases. The aim of this study is to investigate (1) changes in radiographic bone loss in varying age groups in the University of Alabama patient population and (2) to evaluate …

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Elucidating The Role Of Glut3 In Glioblastoma Invasion And The Tumor Microenvironment, Sarah Elizabeth Williford Sep 2024

Elucidating The Role Of Glut3 In Glioblastoma Invasion And The Tumor Microenvironment, Sarah Elizabeth Williford

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GBM is characterized by aggressive growth and therapy resistance, with a median survival of 14 months despite treatment. Brain tumor initiating cells (BTICs), as a subset of stem-like GBM cells known for their invasiveness, therapy resistance, and immune evasion. BTICs have increased GLUT3 expression, which is correlated with poor patient prognosis. This study identifies a novel role of GLUT3 in GBM invasion, distinct from its canonical function in glucose uptake and glycolysis, as well as a mechanism by which GLUT3 contained in exosomes promotes monocyte migration. Our data show that blocking phosphorylation of GLUT3 at T492, abolishes its pro-invasive phenotype, …

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Biomedical Informatic Analysis Of Critical Care Outcomes & Chronic Sequelae Of Sars-Cov-2 Infection, Michael John Patton Sep 2024

Biomedical Informatic Analysis Of Critical Care Outcomes & Chronic Sequelae Of Sars-Cov-2 Infection, Michael John Patton

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Infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative pathogen of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), resulted in an unprecedented loss of life over the past 4 years and has left an indelible mark on nearly every facet of medical care. Unlike pandemics of the 20th century or earlier, global adoption of electronic medical records (EMR) in the decade prior to the COVID-19 pandemic provided the bedrock for real-time healthcare innovation guided by biomedical informatics research. Mirroring the needs of healthcare providers, early informatics studies focused on identifying biomarkers and risk factors for severe presentations of COVID-19 and their …

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Uncovering The Contribution Of Desmoplakin Isoforms To Desmosome Structure And Function, Krishna Patel Sep 2024

Uncovering The Contribution Of Desmoplakin Isoforms To Desmosome Structure And Function, Krishna Patel

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UNCOVERING THE CONTRIBUTION OF DESMOPLAKIN ISOFORMS TO DESMOSOME STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION KRISHNA PATEL MULTIDISCIPLINARY BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE ABSTRACT Desmosomes are cell-cell junctions that maintain the integrity of tissues that experience significant mechanical stress, such as the skin and heart. Desmosomal plaque proteins are connected to the intermediate filaments by desmoplakin (DP), and genetic variants in DP are associated with several skin and heart pathologies, including erythrokeratodermia and arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. DP contains three domains: an N-terminal plakin head, a central rod, and an intermediate filament-binding C-terminal tail. Furthermore, DP has three splice isoforms (DPI, DPIa, and DPII) that differ only in the …

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Drug Resistance Mechanisms Of Trichomonas Vaginalis, Keonte Graves Sep 2024

Drug Resistance Mechanisms Of Trichomonas Vaginalis, Keonte Graves

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Trichomonas vaginalis is a facultative anaerobic parasitic protozoan and the main causative agent of the most common non-viral sexually transmitted infection, trichomoniasis. Trichomoniasis affects both men and women but is more commonly observed in women. The majority of infections are asymptomatic, but those with symptomatic infections often experience malodorous and discolored vaginal discharge, pruritis, dysuria, and/or dyspareunia. T. vaginalis infections have been associated with multiple adverse health outcomes including an increased risk of acquiring HIV and other STIs, infertility, adverse birth outcomes, and cervical cancer. The only current FDA-approved treatments come from the 5-nitroimidazole class of drugs (metronidazole, tinidazole, and …

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Investigating Molecular Mechanisms Behind Neuronotypic Gba1 Mutations In Lewy Body Dementias, Casey Mahoney-Crane Sep 2024

Investigating Molecular Mechanisms Behind Neuronotypic Gba1 Mutations In Lewy Body Dementias, Casey Mahoney-Crane

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Nonmotor deficits are present in nearly all Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients, with ~80% of these patients developing dementia. Importantly, expression of the severe GBA1 L444P heterozygous mutation increases the risk for Parkinson’s disease devel-opment by 5.43 times compared to mild mutation carriers. Currently, many PD treat-ments predominately focus motor symptoms, while treatments for nonmotor symptoms, such as visual-spatial difficulties and dementia, focus on symptom management and continue to remain elusive. Therefore, understanding the molecular mechanisms behind these nonmotor symptoms is essential for the development of effective therapeutics leading to slower disease progression. The work presented in this dissertation sought to …

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Health Systems' Adaptations To "Disruptive Primary Care Models", Jolynn R. Suko Sep 2024

Health Systems' Adaptations To "Disruptive Primary Care Models", Jolynn R. Suko

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Since the 1990s, hospitals and health systems have built primary care networks to establish market share and ensure sustainability. At this same time, the under?performance of the U.S. primary care system in terms of quality, service, and access has been widely documented. Value-based payment models have emerged. These trends created opportunities for new primary care market entrants. These market entrants may erode the primary care base of established health systems. This study examined how health systems may be adapting to a subset of new, disruptive primary care market entrants or disruptive primary care models. This study included disruptive primary care …

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Individualized Cellular Response To Influenza-A Infection, Abel Lopez Sep 2024

Individualized Cellular Response To Influenza-A Infection, Abel Lopez

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Influenza A Virus (IAV) presents a significant threat to global health, causing millions of severe cases and substantial mortality annually. This study uses single-cell RNA sequencing to investigate the individualized cellular response to IAV infection in human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs). We employed air-liquid interface (ALI) cultures to model the respiratory epithelium and differentiated HBECs into basal, ciliated, secretory (goblet/club), and rare cell types (Ionocytes). Following IAV infection, we analyzed transcriptional changes across these cell types, focusing on differential gene expression and pathway activation. Our results highlight the variability in IAV infection and the distinct cellular responses. Ciliated cells, the …

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The Effects Of Acute Beetroot Juice Intake On Glycemic And Blood Pressure Responses When Controlling For Medication In Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes, Andrew Tyler Sep 2024

The Effects Of Acute Beetroot Juice Intake On Glycemic And Blood Pressure Responses When Controlling For Medication In Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes, Andrew Tyler

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The prevalence of cardiometabolic diseases has continued to rise within the United. Physical activity and poor dietary choices are two factors that are known to contribute to the rise in cardiometabolic diseases. Thus, it is critical to identify strategies that may mitigate the negative impact from these behaviors. Several recent studies have shown that consumption of dietary inorganic nitrate (diNO3) may improve vascular health and glucose regulation in animal models and some human studies. However, the improvements in glucose regulation have yet to be corroborated in humans with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Thus, the purpose of this study was to …

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Prenatally-Derived Macrophages Regulate Choroidal Health And Are Depleted In Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Seth Daniel Fortmann Sep 2024

Prenatally-Derived Macrophages Regulate Choroidal Health And Are Depleted In Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Seth Daniel Fortmann

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The ocular choroid is the pigmented vascular bed that lies immediately deep to the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE). The principal function of the choroid is to supply the photoreceptors with oxygen and nutrients and to remove waste products from the outer retina. In age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the choroid is dysfunctional as evidenced by hallmark histopathological findings including accumulation of extracellular lipid and vasodegeneration of the choriocapillaris. How and why the choroid fails in AMD remains incompletely understood. To this end, much attention has been paid to the RPE and endothelium but less is known about the contributions of other …

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The Relationship Of Sleep Disturbance And Disease-Related Factors On Neural And Neurocognitive Function In Youth Living With Sickle Cell Disease, Tiffany Devaughn Tucker Sep 2024

The Relationship Of Sleep Disturbance And Disease-Related Factors On Neural And Neurocognitive Function In Youth Living With Sickle Cell Disease, Tiffany Devaughn Tucker

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Youth living with sickle cell disease (SCD) often face neurocognitive challenges, regardless of accompanying neurological issues. SCD involves red blood cell deformation, leading to complications including chronic anemia, vaso-occlusion, and acute crises such as pain and overt stroke. While screening and intervention advancements have improved survival, enhancing functional capacity and quality of life (QoL) remains a targeted area of intervention. Disease-related factors, sleep disturbances, and social determinants significantly impact neurocognitive health in youth living with SCD. Deficits across all cognitive domains, including attention, working memory, and executive function (EF), are common, affecting academic achievement and QoL. Brain-related issues, such as …

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Elucidating The Nanoscale Architecture Of The Desmosome, William F. Dean Sep 2024

Elucidating The Nanoscale Architecture Of The Desmosome, William F. Dean

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Desmosomes are intercellular anchoring junctions that are crucial for maintaining the mechanical integrity of tissues routinely subjected to large forces, such as epithelia and cardiac muscle. Adhesion in desmosomes is mediated by a specialized class of transmembrane glycoproteins known as the desmosomal cadherins (DCs). Defects in desmosomal adhesion are associated with severe disease of the heart and skin and are frequently linked to mutations in the DCs. It is therefore important to understand the relationship between DC architecture and desmosome function. Accordingly, several groups have attempted to elucidate DC architecture—primarily using electron tomography (ET). However, ET studies of the desmosome …

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Mapping Work Histories And Measuring Work Quality: Differences By Race, Gender, And Motherhood, Clifford James Ross Sep 2024

Mapping Work Histories And Measuring Work Quality: Differences By Race, Gender, And Motherhood, Clifford James Ross

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It is well-established that work has a strong association with health and that work is also a key driver of health inequality. However, there is little research that incorporates multiple components of work into one cohesive measure and examines how work patterns unfold over the life course. By incorporating three theoretical frameworks (1) The Sociology of Work and Health, (2) The Life Course, and (3) The Stress Process, and using over 40 years of employment data (collected from 1979-2018) from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (N=3,302), I introduce a comprehensive work measure called “Work Quality”. Then, using work …

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Pubertal Timing In Relation To Epigenetic Aging And Mortality Risk In Young Adulthood, Marlon Goering Sep 2024

Pubertal Timing In Relation To Epigenetic Aging And Mortality Risk In Young Adulthood, Marlon Goering

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Early pubertal timing is associated with adverse health outcomes in adulthood, which may be mediated by DNA methylation-based epigenetic changes associated with accelerated aging and mortality risk. However, only few studies examined links between pubertal timing and epigenetic aging and these focused mainly on females, relied on retrospective reports of single pubertal events, and did not examine protective factors and underlying mechanisms. Thus, this dissertation examined two distinct dimensions of pubertal timing (i.e., phenotypical pubertal timing relative to age and self-perceived pubertal timing relative to peers) in relation to subsequent epigenetic aging and mortality risk in adulthood together with sex …

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The T Cell Response In A Mouse Model Of Multiple System Atrophy, Nicole Jane Corbin-Stein Sep 2024

The T Cell Response In A Mouse Model Of Multiple System Atrophy, Nicole Jane Corbin-Stein

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Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) is a fatal and rare demyelinating synucleinopathy, characterized by the accumulation of alpha-synuclein (α-syn) in glial cytoplasmic inclusions (GCIs) within oligodendrocytes. This condition is marked by neuroinflammation, demyelination, and neurodegeneration in areas showing GCI pathology, involving antigen presentation by myeloid cells and infiltration of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Despite strong evidence of neuroinflammation in post-mortem MSA tissue, the specific mechanisms driving the disease pathogenesis remain elusive. In prior research using the Olig001-SYN mouse model, which involves the modified AAV vector, it was shown that depleting CD4+ T cells can reduce neuroinflammation and demyelination. Notably, this …

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Testicular Phenotypes Of Rdhe Dko Mice, Aja Slay Sep 2024

Testicular Phenotypes Of Rdhe Dko Mice, Aja Slay

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The bioactive form of vitamin A, all-trans-retinoic acid (RA), plays a critical role in cell differentiation, metabolism, and cellular proliferation by regulating gene transcription. RA signaling is critical during embryogenesis to ensure proper development and during adulthood for tissue maintenance. Disruption of the RA signaling pathway induced by vitamin A deficiency and genetic defects in vitamin A metabolizing enzymes results in embryonic malformations. Previous studies implicate the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) family members as important in RA synthesis. Among the SDR family are retinol dehydrogenase epidermal 2 (RDHE2) and RDHE2-similar (RDHE2S)- collectively RDHE. To gain insight into how RDHE influences the …

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Hope In Hyperbaric Medicine: A New Approach To Treat Neurological Injury, Lucas Andrew Lowe Sep 2024

Hope In Hyperbaric Medicine: A New Approach To Treat Neurological Injury, Lucas Andrew Lowe

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Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has emerged as a promising adjunctive treatment approach for various neurological diseases. This literature review explores the role of HBOT in the treatment of spinal cord injuries. The review discusses the mechanisms of action by which HBOT exerts its effects on neural tissues, such as oxygen delivery, anti-inflammatory actions and neuroprotection. The analysis also highlights the findings from cellular biology, animal studies and clinical trials, offering insights into the potential benefits of HBOT in improving neurological injury outcomes and enhancing patients' quality of life. Furthermore, it addresses the safety considerations and guidelines for the application of …

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Use Of Molecular Dynamics Simulations To Characterize Structural Interactions Of Protein And Drug In Antiviral Drug Discovery, Caitlin Joan Smith Sep 2024

Use Of Molecular Dynamics Simulations To Characterize Structural Interactions Of Protein And Drug In Antiviral Drug Discovery, Caitlin Joan Smith

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Since 2019, the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 the etiological cause of the COVID-19 pandemic has led researchers and physicians to look for effective antiviral treatments as interventions in mitigating COVID-19 disease. The severity of the disease and the limitations of current treatments have led to antiviral drug research beyond currently approved antiviral drugs. Many antivirals exist and are currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for other viral illnesses, yet currently only remdesivir and nirmatrelvir/ritonivir are approved for COVID-19 (October 2020, May 2023, respectively), while molnupiravir is still under emergency FDA use authorization [1, 2, 3]. Here, we have …

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Promoting Endogenous Cardiomyocyte Proliferation In Large Mammal Hearts Via Cell Transfer Therapy Or Apical Resection: Understanding The Underlying Mechanism, Yuhua Wei Sep 2024

Promoting Endogenous Cardiomyocyte Proliferation In Large Mammal Hearts Via Cell Transfer Therapy Or Apical Resection: Understanding The Underlying Mechanism, Yuhua Wei

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Cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes of global death. Due to the limit regenerative capacities of adult mammalian cardiomyocytes (CMs), myocardium is repaired with non-contractile fibrotic scar after a myocardial infarction (MI). Various strategies, including apical resection (AR) and cardiac cell therapy, are being explored to promote heart regeneration after MI. This dissertation research aimed to identify proliferating pig CM population after AR and understand the underlying mechanism of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) derived CMs (hiPSC-CMs) implantation for regenerating the pig hearts after MI. Our previous study showed that AR prolonged the heart regeneration window to postnatal day-28 …

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Surface-Engineered Nano/Micro-Hybrid Polymer Systems For Environmental Health And Safety, Renjith Rajan Pillai Sep 2024

Surface-Engineered Nano/Micro-Hybrid Polymer Systems For Environmental Health And Safety, Renjith Rajan Pillai

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Environmental pollution involves the introduction of harmful substances into the natural environment, leading to detrimental effects on ecosystems, wildlife, and human health. This dissertation aims to advance comprehension of environmental pollution and explore efficient, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective methods of remediation. Recently, there has been increasing concern about the environmental impact of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), a subgroup of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), and Heavy Metals (HMs) pollution, both known for their carcinogenic and mutagenic properties. These pollutants can significantly harm human health through inhalation, ingestion, or contact with contaminated soil, potentially resulting in conditions such as encephalopathy, kidney dysfunction, …

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A Histone Methyltransferase Contributes To Treatment Resistance In Npm1c Aml, Neha Srinivas Sep 2024

A Histone Methyltransferase Contributes To Treatment Resistance In Npm1c Aml, Neha Srinivas

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Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a blood cancer marked by the rapid growth of abnormal myeloid cells, driven by various genetic mutations. AML accounts for approximately 1% of all cancers and presents complicated prognosis and treatment. Menin inhibitors have shown potential in targeting AML. However, resistance to these inhibitors presents a significant clinical obstacle, as patients treated with menin inhibitors are increasingly developing resistance to the treatment. Using CRISPR-Cas9 mediated screening, we identified an epigenetic regulator contributing to resistance against menin inhibitors in AML. Utilizing knockout (KO) models of the epigenetic regulator in-vitro, ex-vivo, and in-vivo, we observed a growth …

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Improving Molecular Diagnosis Success Rates And Prognosis Prediction For Patients With Rare Diseases, Tarun Karthik Kumar Mamidi Sep 2024

Improving Molecular Diagnosis Success Rates And Prognosis Prediction For Patients With Rare Diseases, Tarun Karthik Kumar Mamidi

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Rare diseases are medical conditions that affect a small number of people compared to the general population. There are more than 10,000 estimated rare diseases with 80% being genetic in origin, which although individually have a relatively low prevalence, collectively impact the lives of hundreds of millions of people worldwide. The diagnosis process is usually difficult and slow, but an accurate and early diagnosis can be crucial for disease treatment and management. This dissertation focuses on some of the important problems in this area by investigating the application of advanced machine learning methods to enhance the accuracy, precision, and efficiency …

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Hydrogen Peroxide Regulates Protein N-Glycosylation, Alexandria Hernandez-Nichols Sep 2024

Hydrogen Peroxide Regulates Protein N-Glycosylation, Alexandria Hernandez-Nichols

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N-glycosylation is a co- and post-translational modification wherein a variety of sugars are added to proteins in a linear pathway progressing from high mannose (HM) to hybrid, to complex type N-glycans. This modification is important to the understanding of protein maturation, stability, and function. Studies have shown that changes in cell N-glycomes, in particular, the HM N-glycan category, could be hallmarks of various pathologies. The biosynthetic pathway for N-glycosylation is well studied and the key enzymes involved in the progression of HM to hybrid N-glycans are the a-mannosidases. Little is understood about the regulation of this highly complex post-translational modification …

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Investigating The Impacts Of Staphylococcus Aureus Small Colony Variant Infection In The Cystic Fibrosis Rat Lung, Gretchen E. Bollar Sep 2024

Investigating The Impacts Of Staphylococcus Aureus Small Colony Variant Infection In The Cystic Fibrosis Rat Lung, Gretchen E. Bollar

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Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal-recessive genetic disease characterized by recurrent and chronic airway infections. Staphylococcus aureus is currently the most common organism isolated from the CF lung, but its role as a pathogen has been historically difficult to characterize due to a broad range of genetic diversity and subtypes seen across infectious strains. Small colony variants (SCVs) are a subpopulation of S. aureus marked by slow growth rate and impaired metabolism that have been associated with worse respiratory outcomes in people with CF (pwCF). SCVs also exhibit altered colony morphology and can confound the results of traditional diagnostic assays, …

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Everyday Functioning In Middle Aged And Older Adults With Hiv: Factors That Influence Everyday Functioning And Awareness Of Functioning, Alexandra Elaine Jacob Sep 2024

Everyday Functioning In Middle Aged And Older Adults With Hiv: Factors That Influence Everyday Functioning And Awareness Of Functioning, Alexandra Elaine Jacob

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With combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), the population of older people living with HIV (PLWH) is growing. There is a need to better understand everyday functioning, including instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), to improve real-world outcomes for this clinical population. This dissertation attempts to (1) characterize factors related to self-report and performance of IADLs in PLWH, (2) examine correlates of self-awareness for functional abilities, and (3) apply a theoretical model to examine complex relationships between factors that impact self-awareness for functional abilities. Participants in these retrospective analyses included 260 PLWH who completed a comprehensive neurobehavioral evaluation including neuropsychological tests, measures …

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Interactions Between Oral Cancer Cells And Enterococcus Fecalis And Their Impact On Perineural Invasion, Sree Ramya Bhamidipaati Sep 2024

Interactions Between Oral Cancer Cells And Enterococcus Fecalis And Their Impact On Perineural Invasion, Sree Ramya Bhamidipaati

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Oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell cancers (OSCC and OPSCC) are some of the most common cancers in the world. The overall 5-year survival rate is 68.5%, which drops to 39.3% in patients with later-stage cancers. This research aims to evaluate the effects of Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) on the OSCC and OPSCC's tumor progression. E. faecalis is associated with asymptomatic, persistent endodontic infections and was found at a higher rate in OSCC patients. We hypothesize that cancer cells and Enterococcus faecalis (Ef) interact to affect the tumorigenic properties of oral cancer cells. OSCC cells from different parts of the oral …

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