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2009

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Characterizing The Role Of Primary Cilia In The Hair Follicle And Skin, Jonathan Merle Lehman Jan 2009

Characterizing The Role Of Primary Cilia In The Hair Follicle And Skin, Jonathan Merle Lehman

All ETDs from UAB

Primary cilia have been established as a nearly ubiquitous microtubule based signaling organelle, yet their function in many organs, including the hair and skin, is unknown. We hypothesized that the primary cilium would play vital roles in the hair follicle and skin based on the cilium's well characterized interactions with the Shh and Wnt developmental signaling pathways. This dissertation describes our efforts to determine the localization of the primary cilia in the murine hair follicle and assess the function of this organelle in the hair and skin. We used confocal immunofluorescence microscopy to virtually section the entire hair follicle and …

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“In The System:” A Qualitative Study Of African-American Women’S Foster Care Stories, Meghan Spell Jan 2009

“In The System:” A Qualitative Study Of African-American Women’S Foster Care Stories, Meghan Spell

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

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Analysis Of The Malaria Vaccine Potential Of Plasmodium Falciparum Merozoite Surface Protein-3, Stephen James Jordan Jan 2009

Analysis Of The Malaria Vaccine Potential Of Plasmodium Falciparum Merozoite Surface Protein-3, Stephen James Jordan

All ETDs from UAB

Malaria causes an estimated 1-3 million deaths each year, with the majority of deaths being a result of infection with Plasmodium falciparum. No commercially available vaccine currently exists, but multiple subunit-based vaccines are in development including one based on the promising vaccine candidate P. falciparum Merozoite Surface Protein-3 (PfMSP3). PfMSP3 varies in sequence between P. falciparum isolates, but all variation is restricted to the N-terminal domain. This observation has lead to the development of a PfMSP3-based vaccine comprised solely of the highly conserved, yet poorly immunogenic, C-terminal domain. The rationale for supporting the C-terminal domain relies entirely on its conserved …

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Polysaccharide Specific B Cells: A Study Of Their Development And Function, Jeremy B. Foote Jan 2009

Polysaccharide Specific B Cells: A Study Of Their Development And Function, Jeremy B. Foote

All ETDs from UAB

Polysaccharides are important structural components of bacterial capsule and cell walls. Polysaccharide-specific antibodies are an important component of serologic memory capable of protecting against infection by pathogenic microorganisms. An understanding of the biology and function of polysaccharide specific B cells is necessary for formulation of vaccines designed to induce polysaccharide specific memory and long-lived antibody production. The goal of this dissertation was to examine the development of naïve DEX-specific B cells and examine their capacity to generate memory and long-lived plasma cells in response to polysaccharide α 1→3-dextran (DEX), which is expressed by the opportunistic pathogens Enterobacter cloacae, Histoplasma capsulatum …

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Changing Patterns Of Family Care In Uganda: Father Absence And Patrilineal Neglect In The Face Of Hiv/Aids, Jini Roby, Stacey Shaw, Elinor Wanyama Chemonges, Cole D. Hooley Jan 2009

Changing Patterns Of Family Care In Uganda: Father Absence And Patrilineal Neglect In The Face Of Hiv/Aids, Jini Roby, Stacey Shaw, Elinor Wanyama Chemonges, Cole D. Hooley

Faculty Publications

In this study, 162 HIV-positive mothers in Uganda were interviewed about the involvement of fathers and paternal kin, regarding current support they provide to children and as child placement options in the event of the mother’s death. More than half of the children had fathers who were already deceased. Another one third had fathers who were alive but did not live with the children. Only 16% of the children were living with and being supported by their fathers. Mothers indicated a strong preference for placement with maternal kin, in contrast to traditional expectations of paternal kin care. Patterns of change …

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Mitochondrial Bioenergetics And Cellular Stress, Brian Dranka Jan 2009

Mitochondrial Bioenergetics And Cellular Stress, Brian Dranka

All ETDs from UAB

Mitochondria are responsible for most of the energy produced in human tissues, and this is dependent on the reduction of oxygen (O2) to water by the mitochondrial respiratory chain. Defects in mitochondrial energy production are now recognized to be involved in diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other pathologies. To date, studies of these defects have employed quantification of O2 consumption in isolated, purified mitochondria. By using this strategy however, the cellular context, role of glycolysis, and normal regulation of mitochondrial function by metabolite availability are lost. Thus, an understanding of how mitochondria function and respond to stimuli in an intact …

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Impact Of Genetic And Epigenetic Variability In Response To Two Test Drugs 5-Fluorouracil And Lansoprazole, Adam Michael Lee Jan 2009

Impact Of Genetic And Epigenetic Variability In Response To Two Test Drugs 5-Fluorouracil And Lansoprazole, Adam Michael Lee

All ETDs from UAB

Pharmacogenetics has proven to be an invaluable tool in predicting variability in drug response; however, there are numerous incidences where genetics cannot fully explain interindividual drug variability. Other factors, such as the epigenetic mechanism of DNA methylation, may offer an alternate explanation. Therefore, this dissertation focuses on both genetic and epigenetic regulation in order to gain a better understanding of the molecular basis behind drug response variability. Initial investigations focused on the antineoplastic agent 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU), which can produce severe toxicity in patients with deficiency in dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD). Genotypic studies have identified >32 sequence variants in the DPYD gene; …

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The Effect That Intercollegiate Athletic Participation Has On The Grade Point Averages Of African American Male Student Athletes At A Four Year Public Institution In The Black Belt Region Of Alabama, William Earl Brophy Jan 2009

The Effect That Intercollegiate Athletic Participation Has On The Grade Point Averages Of African American Male Student Athletes At A Four Year Public Institution In The Black Belt Region Of Alabama, William Earl Brophy

All ETDs from UAB

ABSTRACT There are many important factors that impact the grade point averages of African-American males at 4-year public institutions. Factors such as race, gender, SES, and ath-letic participation are potential influences that may have an effect on academic achieve-ment in a college setting in Alabama's Black Belt region as well. This study sought to de-termine if such factors coupled with other demands placed on African American male student athletes effected their respective academic achievement. Important questions an-swered in this study included how the variables above impacted the academic plights of the sample group that was examined. Research hypotheses examined the …

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Oxidative Stress-Stimulated Vascular Calcification, Chang Hyun Byon Jan 2009

Oxidative Stress-Stimulated Vascular Calcification, Chang Hyun Byon

All ETDs from UAB

Oxidative stress plays a critical role in pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. However, the effect of oxidative stress-induced molecular signaling in development of vascular calcification, a feature of advanced atherosclerosis, has not been defined. Osteogenic differentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) is critical in development of vascular calcification. We determined hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative stress promoted a phenotypic switch of mouse primary VSMC from contractile to osteogenic phenotype. This effect was associated with increased expression and transactivity of Runx2, a key transcription factor for osteogenic differentiation. Inhibition of Runx2 using short hairpin RNA blocked oxidative stress-induced VSMC calcification. By contrast, adenovirus-mediated …

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Oncostatin M-Induced Gene Expression And Regulation In Astrocytes And Microglia, Brandi Janece Baker Jan 2009

Oncostatin M-Induced Gene Expression And Regulation In Astrocytes And Microglia, Brandi Janece Baker

All ETDs from UAB

Astrocytes and microglia are specialized glial cells of the Central Nervous System (CNS) that modulate neural activity and regulate immunological and inflammatory events. These cells perform their functions, in part, through the secretion of soluble mediators such as cytokines and chemokines. However, in response to the same neurological insult or inflammatory stimuli, the responses of these cells can vary greatly. This notion of differential responses was examined in our studies using Oncostatin M (OSM). OSM is a member of the IL-6 family of cytokines, which can be produced by microglia, astrocytes, neurons, and infiltrating leukocytes in the CNS, and is …

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Psychosocial And Affective Mediators Of Ethnic Group Differences In Stressor-Evoked Changes In Systolic Blood Pressure And Pain Perception, Renata Okonkwo Jan 2009

Psychosocial And Affective Mediators Of Ethnic Group Differences In Stressor-Evoked Changes In Systolic Blood Pressure And Pain Perception, Renata Okonkwo

All ETDs from UAB

African Americans, compared to non-Hispanic whites, report greater levels of clinical pain and experience more pain-related disability (AmericanHeartAssociation, 2005; C. L.Edwards, Fillingim, & Keefe, 2001; R. R. Edwards, Doleys, Fillingim, & Lowery, 2001; McCracken, Matthews, Tang, & Cuba, 2001; J. L. Riley et al., 2002). Furthermore, African Americans consistently differ from primarily non-Hispanic white samples on experimentally induced pain. We examined ethnic group differences in the effects of exposure to a brief stressor on individuals' pain responses and changes in SBP and heart rate (HR). In addition, we examined the mediational role of perceived racial discrimination, and differences in the …

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Involvement Of Reactive Oxygen Species In The Acute Development Of Insulin Resistance Following Trauma And Hemorrhage, Lidong Zhai Jan 2009

Involvement Of Reactive Oxygen Species In The Acute Development Of Insulin Resistance Following Trauma And Hemorrhage, Lidong Zhai

All ETDs from UAB

Hyperglycemia develops in the intensive care unit in many patients following injury, infection and critical illness. However, little is known about the mechanism of acute development of insulin resistance that causes this hyperglycemia, even though reducing or normalizing the elevated glucose levels has become a major therapeutic target in many ICUs. Using rodent models of injury, acute hepatic insulin resistance occurs within minutes and continues for at least several hours even following fluid resuscitation. We have previously reported that TNF-alpha; is necessary for the hepatic insulin resistance in the rat following resuscitation. However, whether TNF-alpha; plays a role in the …

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The Effects Of Bisphenol A (Bpa) On Erbb2-Positive Breast Cancer, Sarah Jenkins Jan 2009

The Effects Of Bisphenol A (Bpa) On Erbb2-Positive Breast Cancer, Sarah Jenkins

All ETDs from UAB

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a synthetically made compound used to produce a myriad of consumer goods. Recent studies have shown BPA to leach from these products in appreciable amounts, resulting in nearly ubiquitous exposure. In this study, we assessed whether chronic administration to a range of low concentrations of BPA could accelerate spontaneously developing mammary cancer using a transgenic model that over-expresses wild type ErbB2/neu transgene (MMTV-erbB2). MMTV-erbB2 mice were provided drinking water containing 0 (control), 2.5 (BPA 2.5), 25 (BPA 25), 250 (BPA 250), or 2500 (BPA 2500) µg BPA/L from eight weeks of age until sacrifice. This range …

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Structural And Functional Studies On Heat Shock Protein Hsp40-Hdj1 And Golgi Er Trafficking Protein Get3, Junbin Hu Jan 2009

Structural And Functional Studies On Heat Shock Protein Hsp40-Hdj1 And Golgi Er Trafficking Protein Get3, Junbin Hu

All ETDs from UAB

Molecular chaperones are a large group of proteins that bind and stabilize nascent polypeptides and facilitate protein folding. One major function of chaperones is to bind hydrophobic segments of nascent polypeptides to prevent them from aggregating. How chaperone Hsp40 recognizes and interacts with polypeptides and cooperates with chaperone Hsp70 is a fundamental question. The crystal structure of the putative peptide-binding fragment of Hdj1, a human member of the type II Hsp40 family was determined, suggesting the domain I of Hsp40 may possess significant flexibility which is important for Hsp40 to regulate the size of the cleft. The flexibility may be …

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Probabilistic Analysis Of A Motif Discovery Algorithm For Multiple Sequences, Bin Fu, Ming-Yang Kao, Lusheng Wang Jan 2009

Probabilistic Analysis Of A Motif Discovery Algorithm For Multiple Sequences, Bin Fu, Ming-Yang Kao, Lusheng Wang

Computer Science Faculty Publications

We study a natural probabilistic model for motif discovery that has been used to experimentally test the quality of motif discovery programs. In this model, there are k background sequences, and each character in a background sequence is a random character from an alphabet Σ. A motif G = g1g2 · · · gm is a string of m characters. Each background sequence is implanted into a probabilistically generated approximate copy of G. For an approximate copy b1b2 · · · bm of G, every character bi is probabilistically generated such that the probability for r $b_i\neq g_i$ is at …

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The Role Of Vea On Aspergillus Flavus Infection Of Peanuts, Corn And Cotton, Ana M. Calvo, R.M. Duran, J.W. Cary Jan 2009

The Role Of Vea On Aspergillus Flavus Infection Of Peanuts, Corn And Cotton, Ana M. Calvo, R.M. Duran, J.W. Cary

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

The aflatoxin-producing fungus Aspergillus flavus is a causal agent of preharvest contamination of food commodities such as oil seed crops worldwide. Peanut, corn and cottonseed are among the oil seeds that are susceptible to aflatoxin contamination during invasion of these crops by A. flavus. Contamination of agricultural commodities with aflatoxins can result in serious economic hardships to producers and adverse health impacts in both humans and domestic animals. It is therefore of great importance to determine ways to control A. flavus dissemination, survival and toxin formation. In this study we demonstrate the role of the veA regulatory gene in the …

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The Development Of Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry Techniques For Studying The Surface Of Europa For Astrobiology, David A. Alvarez Jan 2009

The Development Of Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry Techniques For Studying The Surface Of Europa For Astrobiology, David A. Alvarez

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

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Expression Of Sox 11 During Tooth Formation, Reem Atout Jan 2009

Expression Of Sox 11 During Tooth Formation, Reem Atout

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

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A Sense Of Things To Come: Future Research Directions In Sensory Marketing, Ryan S. Elder, Nilufer Z. Aydinoglu, Victor A. Barger, Cindy Caldara, Helen Haeeun Chun, Chan Jean Lee, Gina Mohr, Antonios Stamatogiannakis Jan 2009

A Sense Of Things To Come: Future Research Directions In Sensory Marketing, Ryan S. Elder, Nilufer Z. Aydinoglu, Victor A. Barger, Cindy Caldara, Helen Haeeun Chun, Chan Jean Lee, Gina Mohr, Antonios Stamatogiannakis

Faculty Publications

The exciting exploration on sensory marketing presented in this book is just the foundation upon which to build future research. There are myriad unexplored questions and innumerable directions in which to take this research. Our goal in this chapter is not to provide an exhaustive array of these future directions, but rather to stimulate the reader into exploring new ideas. We present possible future directions for each sense individually (vision, audition, smell, touch, taste), and conclude with ideas for future research addressing the interplay among multiple senses within consumer behavior.

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Diagramming Tpack In Practice: Using An Elaborated Model Of The Tpack Framework To Analyze And Depict Teacher Knowledge, Suzy Cox, Charles R. Graham Jan 2009

Diagramming Tpack In Practice: Using An Elaborated Model Of The Tpack Framework To Analyze And Depict Teacher Knowledge, Suzy Cox, Charles R. Graham

Faculty Publications

The introduction of the TPACK model by Mishra and Koehler (2006) has had a profound impact on the field of educational technology. It has inspired teachers, teacher educators, and educational technologists to reevaluate their knowledge and use of technology in the classroom. While Koehler, Mishra, and others have attempted to define and measure TPACK, the framework is not yet fully understood (Angeli & Valanides, 2009). Thus far, the explanations of technological pedagogical content knowledge and its associated constructs that have been provided are not clear enough for researchers to agree on what is and is not an example of each …

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Hardware Accelerated Sequence Alignment With Traceback, Scott Lloyd, Quinn O. Snell Jan 2009

Hardware Accelerated Sequence Alignment With Traceback, Scott Lloyd, Quinn O. Snell

Faculty Publications

Biological sequence alignment is an essential tool used in molecular biology and biomedical applications. The growing volume of genetic data and the complexity of sequence alignment present a challenge in obtaining alignment results in a timely manner. Known methods to accelerate alignment on reconfigurable hardware only address sequence comparison, limit the sequence length, or exhibit memory and I/O bottlenecks. A space-efficient, global sequence alignment algorithm and architecture is presented that accelerates the forward scan and traceback in hardware without memory and I/O limitations. With 256 processing elements in FPGA technology, a performance gain over 300 times that of a desktop …

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The Cultural Worldview Of Allopthic And Naturopathic Physicians, Cullen Clark Jan 2009

The Cultural Worldview Of Allopthic And Naturopathic Physicians, Cullen Clark

All ETDs from UAB

Worldview is the socio-cultural compass with which we navigate the existential mysteries of life. It is our way of seeing – and being in – the world. As such it influences every aspect of culture from art to medicine. This exploratory study uses a sequential design combining quantitative and qualitative methodology to explore the worldview of allopathic and naturopathic physicians. Using survey research, the study identifies five basic components of competing worldviews among allopathic (n = 550) and naturopathic physicians (n = 399). It measures agreement among the two groups with these components and explores their influence upon support for …

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The Effect Of Stearic Acid On Breast Cancer Development And Progression, Lynda Michelle Evans Jan 2009

The Effect Of Stearic Acid On Breast Cancer Development And Progression, Lynda Michelle Evans

All ETDs from UAB

earate is an 18-carbon saturated fatty acid that is found in many foods in the western diet including beef and chocolate. Cell culture studies indicate stearate may have various anti-cancer properties including inhibition of cancer cell proliferation and invasion, morphological changes, and induction of apoptosis. Animal studies have found that dietary stearate delays tumor development and decreases tumor incidence. To date, many of the mechanisms underlying these processes are unclear. In this study, evidence is presented showing stearate induces morphological changes in breast cancer cells. Inhibition of de novo diacylglycerol (DAG) generation and subsequent protein kinase C (PKC) activation inhibits …

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The Protective Role Of Transglutaminase 2 In Ischemic Stroke, Anthony J. Filiano Jan 2009

The Protective Role Of Transglutaminase 2 In Ischemic Stroke, Anthony J. Filiano

All ETDs from UAB

Stroke is a leading cause of long term disabilities in the US. Currently, administration of thrombolytics is the only approved therapy. Due to the variability, small management time window, and lack of options for effective treatment, there is a clear need for new compounds to alleviate cell death post-stroke. Transglutaminase 2 (TG2) can decrease apoptotic signaling during stroke and lead to increased neuronal survival making it a potential target for therapeutic intervention. TG2, a multifunction enzyme that has both transamidase (TG) and GTPase activities, amongst others, has recently been shown to be upregulated in numerous neurodegenerative conditions, including stroke. In …

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Erythrocyte Invasion By Plasmodium Falciparum, Matthew L. Jones Jan 2009

Erythrocyte Invasion By Plasmodium Falciparum, Matthew L. Jones

All ETDs from UAB

Malaria poses a severe threat to global public health, with the majority of the world’s population living in malaria-endemic settings. Plasmodium falciparum is a major cause of malaria, and is the predominant cause of fatal malaria. This parasite, like other Plasmodium spp., has a complex life cycle, but causes disease only as a result of a lytic life cycle phase that occurs within the erythrocyte. As development within the erythrocyte is fully responsible for disease pathology, it follows that a detailed molecular understanding of the process of erythrocyte invasion by P. falciparum parasites would allow the development of new and …

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The Dape-Encoded N-Succinyl-L,L-Diaminopimelic Acid Desuccinylase From Haemophilus Influenzae Contains Two Active-Site Histidine Residues, Danuta Gillner, David L. Bienvenue, Boguslaw P. Nocek, Andzrej Joachimiak, Vincentos Zachary, Brian Bennett, Richard C. Holz Jan 2009

The Dape-Encoded N-Succinyl-L,L-Diaminopimelic Acid Desuccinylase From Haemophilus Influenzae Contains Two Active-Site Histidine Residues, Danuta Gillner, David L. Bienvenue, Boguslaw P. Nocek, Andzrej Joachimiak, Vincentos Zachary, Brian Bennett, Richard C. Holz

Physics Faculty Research and Publications

The catalytic and structural properties of the H67A and H349A dapE-encoded N-succinyl-l,l-diaminopimelic acid desuccinylase (DapE) from Haemophilus influenzae were investigated. On the basis of sequence alignment with the carboxypeptidase from Pseudomonas sp. strain RS-16, both H67 and H349 were predicted to be Zn(II) ligands. The H67A DapE enzyme exhibited a decreased catalytic efficiency (180-fold) compared with wild-type (WT) DapE towards N-succinyldiaminopimelic acid. No catalytic activity was observed for H349A under the experimental conditions used. The electronic paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and electronic absorption data indicate that the Co(II) ion bound to H349A-DapE is analogous to that of WT …

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Impacts Of Marine Docks On Eelgrass In New England: A Spreadsheet-Based Model For Managers And Planners, David M. Burdick, Frederick T. Short, Gregg Moore Jan 2009

Impacts Of Marine Docks On Eelgrass In New England: A Spreadsheet-Based Model For Managers And Planners, David M. Burdick, Frederick T. Short, Gregg Moore

Faculty Publications

none

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Birth Language Attrition And Reacquisition In Russian Adoptees, Avram J. Lyon Jan 2009

Birth Language Attrition And Reacquisition In Russian Adoptees, Avram J. Lyon

Russian Language Journal

The wave of adoption from Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union has brought a large number of incomplete Russian speakers into the United States; over 71,000 orphans from Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Belarus have been issued United States entry visas since 1992 (U.S. Department of State 2007 and 2009; Ruggiero 2007). This is part of a larger trend toward international adoption, amounting to several hundred thousand children in the past decades. Children adopted by American families experience a radical reduction in birth language exposure and must quickly acclimate to and become proficient in the language of the …

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Functional Characterization Of Pag1, The Α7 Subunit Of The 20s Proteasome And Of The Ubiquitin-Specific Protease Subfamilies Ubp12/13 And Ubp3/4 In Arabidopsis Thaliana., Gulsum Soyler-Ogretim Jan 2009

Functional Characterization Of Pag1, The Α7 Subunit Of The 20s Proteasome And Of The Ubiquitin-Specific Protease Subfamilies Ubp12/13 And Ubp3/4 In Arabidopsis Thaliana., Gulsum Soyler-Ogretim

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The ubiquitin/26S proteasome system (UPS) is conserved in all eukaryotic species. The 26S proteasome serves as the protease in this pathway and is responsible for the degradation of abnormal and short-lived proteins after their modification with a polyubiquitin tag. It consists of one or two ATP-dependent, 19S regulatory particles and an ATP-independent 20S core protease. PAG1 serves as one of at least 14 different subunits of the 20S core protease. In this study, the role of the 20S core protease in general and PAG1, the α7 subunit of the 26S proteasome, in particular during Arabidopsis growth and development was investigated …

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Polarity Inverted Gallium Nitride For Photonic Crystal Biosensors., Randy P. Tompkins Jan 2009

Polarity Inverted Gallium Nitride For Photonic Crystal Biosensors., Randy P. Tompkins

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Photonic crystals are periodic nanostructures used to control the propagation of electromagnetic waves. Depending on geometry and refractive index contrast between adjacent regions, periodic variation of the refractive index can result in a photonic band gap or non-allowed set of frequencies that cannot propagate through the crystal. Defects can be introduced at photonic crystal lattice sites, resulting in localized modes that lie within the photonic gap. Such defect cavities can be tuned to resonant frequencies of a defect mode and whole planes or lines of defects can be fabricated in photonic crystals resulting in optical confinement of defect modes. These …

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