Digital Commons Network^™

Examining Science Achievement Of African American Females In Suburban Middle Schools: A Mixed Methods Study., Kecia C. Topping

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

Inpatient Length Of Stay And Procedure Disparities In Acute Myocardial Infarction Treatment., Wensheng Fan

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

Questionnaires Based On Social Cognitive Theory Constructs Do Not Predict Exercise Adherence In Older Adults After Discharge From Home Health Physical Therapy., Jason Hardage

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

Mechanisms Of Effector Cd4+ T Cell Development And Trafficking., Paul R. Mangan

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Breast Cancer Risk, Psychological Distress, And Dispositional Optimism On Immune Responses In Healthy Women., Na-Jin Park

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

Verbal Learning And Mechanisms Of Adjustment To Disability During Inpatient Blind Rehabilitation., Margaret Mary Schmitt

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

Expression And Function Of Calcium -Activated Potassium Channels In Human Gliomas., Amy Katherine Weaver

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

Relationship Of Parenting Stress And Social Support To Adolescent Maternal Parenting Behavior And Child Abuse Potential., Katrina K. Gilbert

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

Fourth Graders' Reports Of Fruit And Vegetable Intake At School Lunch: Does Treatment Assignment Affect Accuracy?, Kathleen Fleege Harrington

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

Antenatal Syphilis Management In Sub -Saharan Africa: Public Health Management Challenges And The Impact Of New Hiv Programs In Zambia., Dara G. Potter

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

Medical Practice Variations Over Time In The United States., Charles Norman Saunders

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

Pediatric Iron Toxicity: The Impact Of Unit Dose Packaging., Ann P. Slattery

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

Multiple-Locus Variable-Number Tandem-Repeat Analysis (Mlva) For Clonal Characterization Of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Strains, Matthew Box

All ETDs from UAB

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains have been observed to be associated with community based individuals (CA-MRSA) and hospitalized patients (HA-MRSA). The CA-MRSA and HA-MRSA are no longer distinguishable based on the location of patient when the isolate was first obtained from the patient. These strains are now observed both in the hospital and community settings. While the origin of the isolate does not appear to be critical, it is important to genetically define these isolates to assist in epidemiological investigations and evaluation of infection control measures effectiveness. The conventional method for analyzing this genetic information has been pulsed-field gel …

Micro-Computed Tomographic Analysis Of Bone Healing Subsequent To Graft Placement, Preeti M. Chopra

All ETDs from UAB

A MicroCT analysis of bone healing subsequent to graft (tri calcium phosphate/TCP) placement in the maxillary sinus prior to dental endosteal implant placement was the objective of the current study. Ten trephined rod shaped human bone cores were obtained three months after the placement of particulate graft material and the samples were stored immediately in 10% neutral buffered formalin. Using a Microcomputed tomography, the samples were evaluated at resolutions of 6 and 20μm. The thresholds for bone and graft material were determined using visual image, intensity (grey level) and histogram analyses. The graft and bone threshold was 235 greylevel and …

Energy Audits Of State Buildings In Alabama, Harshad Prakash Shetye

All ETDs from UAB

The purpose of this project was to perform preliminary energy audits at various state buildings in Alabama. Energy audits were conducted for a total of 18 buildings at the Department of Youth Services (Chalkville campus) and the Alabama State Capitol complex. Facility reports and summaries were prepared with the help of data obtained from building managers. Our research team identified areas in these facilties where energy conservation could be employed at no or low cost. The energy savings resulting from these audits were estimated based upon the guidelines presented in the Science Technology and Energy Division Guide for Calculating Program …

Underlying Purinergic Signaling Important For Monociliumdependent Signaling In Ductal Epithelia: Implications For Polycystic Kidney Disease, Michael Hovater

All ETDs from UAB

This thesis concerns purinergic signaling in renal epithelial cells of normal and polycystic kidneys. The first section discusses first principles of “purinergic signaling” as they relate to the nephron and the urinary bladder. Remodeled and encapsulated cysts in autosomal dominant PKD (ADPKD) and remodeled “pseudocysts” in autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD) of the renal collecting duct create an ideal microenvironment for purinergic signaling. Once “trapped” in these microenvironments in a “closed system,” purinergic signaling becomes chronic and plays a significant epigenetic and detrimental role in the progression of ADPKD in particular, once the remodeling of the renal tissue has …

Investigation Of Routing Protocols In A Sensor Network, Ramesh Praveenkumar

All ETDs from UAB

The objective of this thesis is to model the communication and computation resources of the sensor netork, develop a framework for lifetime estimation and performance evluation of the network, and explore routing schemes so as to extend the functional lifetime of both the individual nodes and the entire network. The sensor network is severly constrained by limited resources, so, energy efficiency is the most important factor in designing the network. Designing an efficient routing protocol in a sensor network is challenging due to various factors, such as limited resources, concentration of load to a limited portion of the network, and …

Multimodality Image Registration, Persis Prasai

All ETDs from UAB

Image registration has been a major area of research in the last few decades. It is a complex problem that involves handling large data sets. The relation between the real object and the image is very intricate and encompasses the object’s shape, surface properties, position, and illumination. In this thesis, a general solution to this problem was devised that can be applied to multimodality and within-modality image registration. The approach followed here is such that various factors such as illumination do not affect the algorithm. The algorithm considers the intensity of the images as raw data for the registration. The …

The Association Between 2002 Office Chlamydia Screening Rates, Physician Perception, And Physician Behavior, Blanche C. Collins

All ETDs from UAB

Background: Chlamydia prevalence in reproductive-age females is 3-20%. This study aimed to determine if physicians’: • sexual activity prevalence perceptions • Chlamydia prevalence perceptions • Sexual history-taking were associated with mean office screening rates; and if physicians’ perceptions of: • sexual activity • Chlamydia were associated with sexual history-taking. Methods: A national MCO’s physicians participated and were asked about their perceptions of sexual activity and Chlamydia prevalence and their sexual history-taking. Data sources included mean office screening rates, online surveys, and AMA’s masterfile. Results: Only 15% of at-risk females were screened (n = 75). Physicians who estimated lower 18 year-old …

Modulation Of Cell Signaling By Tomoregulins In Embryogenesis And Cancer, Paul William Harms

All ETDs from UAB

Growth factor signals often regulate similar cellular processes both during embryogenesis and in adult homeostasis. Stringent control of these signals ensures proper embryonic development and correct cell physiology in mature individuals. Recently, a family of two members of Tomoregulin (or transmembrane protein with epidermal growth factor-like and two follistatin domains [TMEFF]) was found to interact with transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and ErbB signaling pathways, both of which are implicated in development and in cancer biology in the adult. The function as well as the mechanisms of TMEFFs in modulating these two signals has not been elucidated in detail. In this …

Lawrence County's Dropouts' Perceptions Of Why They Chose To Become Early Leavers., Jewell C. Satchel

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Environmentally-Related Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors On Mitochondrial Damage And Atherogenesis., Zhen Yang

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

Improving Judicial Settlement Conferences, Jeffrey A. Parness

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

Professors Molot, Fuller, Fiss, and Resnik, among others, have expressed concerns about the unbounded, unchecked, unbridled, and virtually unfettered judicial discretion of American trial court judges who preside over civil case settlement conferences. I am also concerned. But the best response is not to abolish or severely restrict judicial settlement conferences. Rather, it is to add more formality and more written guidelines. New guidelines would discourage each trial court judge from marching to the beat of her own drummer. These guidelines should involve, as suggested by Professor Fuller, both more adversary control and more detailed and written criteria. In addition, …

Family Acculturation, Family Leisure Involvement, And Family Functioning Among Mexican-Americans, Owen D. Christenson, Ramon B. Zabriskie, Dennis L. Eggett, Patti A. Freeman

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between acculturation and family leisure involvement and aspects of family functioning ( cohesion and adaptability) from Mexican-American parent, youth, and family perspectives. Acculturation was measured using the Bidimensional Acculturation Scale for Hispanics (BAS), family leisure involvement was measured using the Family Leisure Activity Profile (FLAP), and family functioning was measured using the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales (FACES II). The sample was obtained from communities in Texas and Utah and consisted of 74 Mexican-American families, including a parent and child from each family. After adjusting for sociodemographic variables, the …

Assessment Of Risk And Protective Factors For Homelessness : Preliminary Validation Of The Life Needs Inventory, Dena L. Brown-Young

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the LNI (Life Needs Inventory), used by the VOADV (Volunteers of America Delaware Valley) organization to identify risk factors, as well as protective strengths, associated with the securing of stable housing among the homeless population. Homelessness is a growing concern in the United States (Rosenberg, Solarz, & Bailey, 1991) and individuals or families who become homeless are at risk for many more problems. Finding suitable shelter is just the beginning, as physical safety and mental health issues become major concerns. Violence, drugs, risky sexual behaviors, lack of social support, limited employment opportunities, …

Survey Of Teacher Attitude Regarding Inclusive Education Within An Urban School District, Evangeline Kern

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

It is anticipated that inclusion will become more prevalent in classrooms over the next ten years as a result of increasingly stringent federal and state mandates. In order for inclusion to result in adequate yearly progress for all subgroups, it must be implemented properly. Research has demonstrated that a key component for proper implementation is an understanding of baseline attitudes regarding inclusive education held by teachers. The purpose of this study is to investigate the attitudes of K-12 regular and special education teachers regarding inclusive education, in an urban Pennsylvania school district, the Chester Upland School District. The study examines …

A Survey Assessment Of Veterinarians To Determine The Level Of Preparedness For An Infectious Disease Outbreak, Tamara Crutchley Bushell

All ETDs from UAB

Safeguarding animal health is of paramount importance to the US economy, public health and food safety. One of the most important causes of contamination in food products and of food-borne disease in humans is microorganisms that reside in the intestines of animals, such as Salmonella species and Escherichia coli O157:H7. A fundamental knowledge of the epidemiology of diseases, including an understanding of the agents and hosts, is a critical component of early (front-line) detection and prevention of contamination by microorganisms. Front-line detection is provided by animal handlers and personnel working with animals on a day-to-day basis, such as veterinarians. Currently …

Introduction To Volume 56

Russian Language Journal

In his recent study of the linkage between corpus and status planning in language policy formation, Joshua Fishman observes that “languages are increasingly viewed as scarce national resources (not unlike flora and fauna, agricultural or environmental resources, and all other such improvable or alterable resources whose quality can be influenced by planned human intervention).” Given the particular history of language policy development in Russia and the former Soviet states in the 20th century, the appearance in mid-2005 of the new Law on the State Language of the Russian Federation is an event of considerable potential impact on the study and …

Personal And Political Bias In The Debate Over Federal Income Taxation Rates And Progressivity, Richard Kovach

Akron Law Faculty Publications

Recently, the Boston College Law Review published a symposium issue containing twelve articles on federal income taxation issues pertaining to rates, progressivity, and budget processes. These articles are well written, copiously researched, and representative of contemporary legal scholarship. For the most part, these articles variously support the idea that our federal taxation system is insufficiently progressive. Often this body of work attributes deleterious social effects to insufficient progressivity caused by tax cuts legislated in 2001 and 2003. Some of the symposium writing advocates for increased federal taxation on wealthy taxpayers without structural limitations beyond those that might be necessary to …

Cancer In Louisiana: Volume 21, Mei-Chin Hsieh, Patricia A. Andrews, Xiao-Cheng Wu, Lesong Chen, Suling Huang, Edward S. Peters, Vivien W. Chen

Cancer in Louisiana

The Louisiana Tumor Registry is pleased to present Volume 21 of its annual Cancer in Louisiana publication series, documenting cancer incidence and mortality in Louisiana from 1999 through 2003. A list of earlier publications in this series can be found in Appendix 1.

The Louisiana Tumor Registry can be reached at [email protected]