Digital Commons Network^™

1,2,3-(Nh)-Triazoles: Its Metal-Free Synthesis And Application As Ligands In Transition Metal Catalysis, Sujata Sengupta

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

An intermolecular cross-double-Michael addition between nitro and carbonyl activated olefins has been successfully developed through Lewis base catalysis. The reaction tolerates a large substrate scope with a variety of beta-alkyl nitroalkenes and unsaturated ketones/esters being suitable, producing the allylic nitro compounds in good to excellent yields. This Lewis base approach was further expanded to a three component metal free cascade reaction for the synthesis of 4,5-disubstituted-1,2,3-(NH)-triazoles. More than 25 new (NH)-triazoles were prepared in good to excellent yields under mild reaction conditions. In addition, the availability of the C-4 vinyl group allows for the easy conversion into other triazole derivatives. …

Modeling Of Forest Harvest Scheduling And Terrestrial Carbon Sequestration, Benktesh Dash Sharma

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

It has generally been agreed that forests sequester atmospheric carbon and thus contribute to mitigating anthropogenic emissions in a cost effective manner compared to other available carbon sequestration techniques. With increasing concerns on global greenhouse gases and emerging carbon markets, additional carbon sequestered as a result of sustainable forest management activities can be of significant benefits for forest landowners. Harvesting, an important forest management activity, plays a crucial role in determining the forest's ability in sequestrating carbon. Harvesting modifies the forest carbon sequestration potential depending on time of harvest, age of stands, species composition, and types of harvest. The allocation …

Investigating The Potential Of Rna To Be Used In Forensic Casework Analysis, Tiffany Lynn Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

With the advent of quantitative reverse-transcription real-time polymerase chain reaction, RNA has increasingly become an invaluable tool to forensic science investigations. For instance, previous studies have shown that the age of a biological stain could be estimated using differential decay rates of different RNA segments, providing a temporal link between the suspect and the crime. By co-isolating RNA and DNA from the same sample, both a genetic profile and various other analyses can be conducted. RNA samples are frequently treated with DNase prior to analysis to rid samples of contaminating DNA. Although all manufacturers of DNase claim no loss of …

Preliminary Analysis Of The Environmental Effects On Rna Degradation: Modeling A Realistic Crime Scene, Beatriz A. Vianna

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In forensic science, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) became an indispensable tool given the limited amount of biological samples usually encountered at crime scenes. DNA analysis is used to identify the source of biological samples typically obtained from a single hair, or droplet of blood. Determining the source of the biological evidence can provide a spatial link, thereby including or excluding a suspect at a crime scene or other locations related to a crime investigation. In spite of the great efficiency in human identification, DNA analysis cannot provide any information regarding time of deposition of the sample. The ability to establish …

Examining The Influence Of Indicator Variables On Crowding And Visitor Experience: A Case Study Of The White Salmon River In Washington, Candace L. Weaver

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to assess social carrying capacity on the White Salmon River. The study chose a series of evaluative standards and indicator variables to test the relationship between possible predictors and feelings of crowding for river users. The study also sought to discover any relationships between the user's feelings of crowding and overall visitor satisfaction. Interviews and surveys were conducted during the summer of 2009 onsite at the three possible White Salmon River whitewater exit points. The findings were analyzed using SPSS statistical software. It was found that river users were very satisfied with their river …

Synthesis Of Helical And Bowl-Shaped Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds Via Benzannulated Enyne-Allenes, Bo Wen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The cascade radical cyclization of the benzannulated enyne-allenes provides an efficient synthetic pathway to a variety of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Three indeno-fused 4,5-diheteroarylphenanthrenes were synthesized by thermolysis of corresponding benzannulated enyne-allenes. Its X-ray structure shows that the substituents at C4 and C5 positions of the phenanthryl system are essentially parallel to each other and cause severe helical twist of the structures. The presence of two terpyridyl units in 2.2c allowed it to be used as a ligand for the synthesis of dinuclear ruthenium(II) bis(terpyridine) complexes possessing severe helical twists.;Several 1,4-naphthoquinone methides were synthesized via an unusual acid-catalyzed cascade cyclization sequence …

Long-Term Climate Trend In Mid-Atlantic Region, Usa, Chenjie Wu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Climate change on global scale has been studied by many researchers while regional studies are limited. The most recent international summary of climate change science (IPCC 2007) suggested a remarkable trend of increasing global surface temperature but no statistically significant trend in precipitation on a global average due to large variability in both space and time. Thus, this study focused on detecting climate changes and effects in the Mid-Atlantic Region, an important ecological system in the US and the world. Climate data from 25 stations with daily measurements for more than 100 years from the National Climate Data Center were …

The Role Of Nonmuscle Myosin Iia In Endothelial Cell, Jing Zhu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Myosins are molecular motors that convert chemical energy into mechanical force. Vertebrate cells contain three myosin II isoforms, designated as myosin IIA, IIB and IIC, and each isoform has unique biochemical and biophysical charasterics. It is generally accepted that all three isoforms are involved in regulating actin structures and cell contraction. However, it is unknown what role(s) each isoform plays in maintaining actin structures and generating cellular force. Experiments presented in this thesis will begin to document what role myosin IIA plays in endothelial cell contraction and actin dynamics.;Myosin IIA ablated from endothelial cells by infection with adenovirus encoding a …

A Closer Look At Law: Human Rights As Multi-Level Sites Of Struggles Over Multi-Dimensional Equality, Susanne Baer

Articles

In many societies, deep conflicts arise around religious matters, and around equality. Often, religious collectives demand the right to self-determination of issues considered - by them - to be their own, and these demands collide with individual rights to, again, religious freedom. These are thus conflicts of religion v. religion. Then, collective religious freedom tends to become an obligation for all those who are defined as belonging to the collective, which carries the problem that mostly elites define its meaning and they silence dissent. Usually, such obligations are also unequal relating to gender, with different regimes for women and for …

"My Kids And Wife Have Been My Life": Married African American Fathers Staying The Course, Loren Marks, Katrina Hopkins-Williams, Cassandra Chaney, Olena Nesteruk, Diane Sasser

Faculty Publications

On the opening page of a recent edited volume titled Black Fathers in Contemporary American Society, Blankenhorn and Clayton (2003:1) ask, "Is any demographic fact more disturbing, more demanding of our collective attention, than the fact that the great majority of African American children do not live with their fathers?" However, they hasten to add some good news as well. The same page reads, conversely: "Is any demographic fact more hopeful, or more demanding of our collective encouragement, than the fact the proportion of African American children living with both of their biological, married parents, although still quite low, …

Medial Septal Beta-Amyloid 1-40 Injections Alter Septo-Hippocampal Anatomy And Function, Luis V. Colom, María Teresa Castañeda Licón, C. Banuelos, Gustavo Puras, Antonio García-Hernández, Sofia Hernandez, Suzanne Mounsey, Joy Benavidez, Claudia Lehker

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

Degeneration of septal neurons in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) results in abnormal information processing at cortical circuits and consequent brain dysfunction. The septum modulates the activity of hippocampal and cortical circuits and is crucial to the initiation and occurrence of oscillatory activities such as the hippocampal theta rhythm. Previous studies suggest that amyloid β peptide (Aβ) accumulation may trigger degeneration in AD. This study evaluates the effects of single injections of Aβ 1–40 into the medial septum. Immunohistochemistry revealed a decrease in septal cholinergic (57%) and glutamatergic (53%) neurons in Aβ 1–40 treated tissue. Additionally, glutamatergic terminals were significantly less in …

The Role Of Fat Mass Index In Determining Obesity, Gerson Peltz, Maria Teresa Aguirre, Maureen Sanderson, Mary K. Fadden

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

Objectives: The objective of this study is to compare body mass index (BMI), percent body fat (PBF), and fat mass index (FMI) and to investigate the accuracy of FMI as a convenient tool for assessing obesity.

Design: Anthropometric measurements and bioelectrical impedance analyses were performed on 538 Mexican Americans (373 women and 165 men). Correlations between BMI and PBF and between FMI and PBF were investigated. The percentage of persons misclassified as obese using different classifications was calculated. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to generate predictive models of FMI for males and females separately.

Results: BMI and PBF were …

Third-Wave Feminism In Select Young Adult Literature, Colleen Mckinney

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

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

All ETDs from UAB

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 …

Growth Of Chromium-Doped Zinc Selenide Thin Films By Pulsed Laser Deposition For Mid-Infrared Applications, Jonathan Ezekiel Williams

All ETDs from UAB

Transition metal doped II-VI semiconductor materials features excellent spectroscopic and lasing characteristics in the middle infrared (mid-IR). Among this class of laser material, the most impressive results have been obtained from chromium-doped zinc selenide (Cr2+:ZnSe) crystals. To date, Cr2+:ZnSe materials are arguably the best choice of laser gain material for the advancements of high power mid-IR lasers broadly tunable over the 2-3 μm spectral range. The dissertation objectives are to demonstrate technological advancements in the development Cr2+:ZnSe thin films by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) thus establishing a viable route for the synthesis of mid-IR laser gain media based on Cr2+:ZnSe …

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

All ETDs from UAB

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 …

Small Molecule Inhibitors Of Acid Sensing Ion Channel-1, Yawar J. Qadri

All ETDs from UAB

Acid Sensing Ion Channel 1 is one of the many proteins in the Epithelial Sodium Channel/Degenerin family. The proteins in this family interact to form cation channels with unique biophysical properties and can all be inhibited by the small molecule amiloride. Their expression in many different cell types underlies their involvement in a large variety of physiological and pathophysiological processes. ASIC-1 containing channels, specifically, are an important therapeutic target for ischemic stroke, nociception, the invasiveness of glioblastoma cells, and many other processes including anxiety and memory formation. Of the members of the ENaC/Deg family, chicken ASIC-1 is the only protein …

The Relationship Among Couple Relationship Quality, Physical Functioning, And Depression In Multiple Sclerosis Patients And Partners, Justin K. Mcpheters, Jonathan G. Sandberg

Faculty Publications

Using Engel's biopsychosocial model and family systems theory, this study explored the associations between multiple sclerosis (MS) patient and partner reports of physical functioning, depression, and could relationship quality. Fifty-four couples recruited from the MS society completed self-reported questionnaires about couple relationship quality, demographic data, and physical functioning. In regression analyses, couple relationship quality positively related to MS patient physical functioning and depression negatively related to MS patient physical functioning. Both MS patient and partner reports of couple relationship quality negatively related to depression scores in partners. While MS patient reports of couple relationship quality negatively related to MS patient …

Parental Separation Anxiety And Shared Responsibility For Diabetes-Related Tasks In Adolescents Diagnosed With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, Kathryn Anne Sheppard

All ETDs from UAB

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) is most commonly diagnosed in children and young adults, and complications may be life-long as well as life threatening. Management of T1D has proven to be very challenging during adolescence, and parental involvement in diabetes management has been shown to improve adherence and glycemic control in children and adolescents. Middle adolescents should become increasingly responsible for diabetes-related tasks under the supervision and guidance of parents (shared management). However, adolescents spend less time with their family as they get older, resulting in parents' being unable to validate effective self-management; this inability may lead to anxiety about …

The Comparison Of Mitochondrial Functions Of 2 Drosophila Species: Drosophila Ananassae And Drosophila Subobscura, Hye J. Shin

All ETDs from UAB

Recently, it has been suggested that differences in mitochondrial function enabled Homo sapiens to migrate out of Africa by enabling humans to adapt to colder environments as they migrated to higher latitude areas. Through mitochondrial mutations that partially uncoupled oxidative phosphorylation, humans that moved to colder areas were able to generate more heat for better survival, while producing less energy. However, due to challenges in working with human populations, no specific studies have been able to show the existence of such differences in mitochondrial function within healthy humans. Because of numerous advantages of Drosophila as a developmental model, such as …

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

All ETDs from UAB

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 …

Assessment Of Water Samples From The Cahaba River And Buck Creek For The Presence Of Estrogenic Compounds, Patricia Jackson

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

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

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

Experimental Measurements During Combustion Of Moist Individual Foliage Samples, Brent M. Pickett, Carl Isackson, Rebecca Wunder, Thomas H. Fletcher, Bret Buitler, David R. Weise

Faculty Publications

Individual samples of high moisture fuels from the western and southern United States and humidified aspen excelsior were burned over a flat-flame burner at 987◦ ±12 C and 10±0.5 mol% O2. Time-dependent mass and temperature profiles of these samples were obtained and analysed. It was observed that significant amounts of moisture remained in the individual samples after ignition occurred. Temperature histories showed a plateau at 200◦–300 C at the leaf perimeter rather than at 100 C, with a plateau of 140 C for the leaf interior. Implications are that classical combustion models should be altered to reflect the behaviour of …

The Effect Of Autopolymerizing Acrylic Resin Thickness On The Bond Strength Of A Repaired Denture Tooth, Wendy A. Auclair

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

Validation Of Bioimpedance Spectroscopy By Assessing Precision And Accuracy Of In Vivo Body Composition In Mice, Matthew S. Carle

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

Expansion And Differentiation Of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells In A Perfusion And Surface Shear Stress Biore Actor For Engineered Tissue Cartilage, Carlos A. Carmona-Moran

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of Btbd9 Knockout Mice: A Potential Model Of Restless Legs Syndrome, Mark P. Deandrade

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

Phocine Distemper Virus Induced Demyelination In The Spinal Cord Of Infected Harbor Seals (Phoca Vitulina), Thomas Siemens

All Theses And Dissertations

Phocine Distemper Virus (PDV) is a Morbillivirus that has been responsible for the death of approximately 40,000 phocid seals in the last three decades. The most commonly reported pathology is virally induced demyelination of the cerebrum and brainstem which leaves axons bare and limits their conductivity of action potentials. While these conditions have been studied at length, there is little mention of spinal cord involvement. This study aims to determine whether demyelination found in the brainstem continues into the cervical spinal cord. The results indicate that demyelination in the cervical spinal cord does not occur alongside the brainstem. It is …

All In The Family, Angela Onwuachi-Willig, Jacob Willig-Onwuachi

Faculty Scholarship

Your essay “Pregnant Man?” highlights many significant issues concerning the intersection of law, gender, sexuality, race, class, and family. In an earlier article A House Divided: The Invisibility of the Multiracial Family, we explored many of these issues as they relate to multiracial families, including our own. Specifically, we, a black female-white male married couple, analyzed the language in housing discrimination statutes to demonstrate how law and society function together to frame the normative ideal of family as heterosexual and monoracial. Our article examined the daily social privileges of monoracial, heterosexual couples as a means of revealing the invisibility of …