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2012

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Neuropharmacology Of The Α2a Adrenergic Receptor In Disorders Of Mood And Cognition, Christopher Cottingham Jan 2012

Neuropharmacology Of The Α2a Adrenergic Receptor In Disorders Of Mood And Cognition, Christopher Cottingham

All ETDs from UAB

Depressive disorders carry relatively high lifetime risks of greater than 10%, and the antidepressant drugs used in the pharmacotherapy of these mood/cognitive disorders are among the most-prescribed pharmacological agents. However, a detailed understanding of both depressive etiology and the pharmacological mechanisms of action for antidepressant drugs remain elusive. The overall goal of this dissertation research is to provide novel in-sights through a detailed study of the neuropharmacology of the α2A adrenergic receptor (AR). α2ARs, as key regulators of noradrenergic neurotransmission, have been broadly understood to have some ill-defined role in both the neurobiology and neuropharmacology of depressive disorders. The studies …

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Beyond The Excuses: The Effect Of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy On African American Male Students, Kelly Cousette Jan 2012

Beyond The Excuses: The Effect Of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy On African American Male Students, Kelly Cousette

All ETDs from UAB

ABSTRACT Nearly 30 years have elapsed since the National Assessment of Educational Progress reported that America's public education system is failing African American male students. These widely used statistics state that compared to their White and African American female counterparts, African American male students underperform in nearly all educational measures (i.e. GPA, standardized test scores, graduation and dropout rates, etc.). The majority of the research on this academic achievement gap has focused on deepening our understanding of the barriers to educating African American males. While understanding the problem is a logical first step to resolving any dilemma, research on this …

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The Conformational Analysis And Biophysical Studies Of Retinoic Acid Interactions With Nuclear Receptor Homodimers And Heterodimers, Bryan Dean Cox Jan 2012

The Conformational Analysis And Biophysical Studies Of Retinoic Acid Interactions With Nuclear Receptor Homodimers And Heterodimers, Bryan Dean Cox

All ETDs from UAB

Vitamin A metabolites are compounds that perform critical functions for mammalian life. The retinoic acid metabolites of vitamin A regulate genetic transcription. Retinoic acids function by binding to type II nuclear receptor proteins (NRs), which modulates interactions between nuclear receptors and transcription initiation machinery (such as coactivator proteins). It is the focus of this dissertation to expand our understanding of retinoic acids in their interactions with the nuclear receptor protein Retinoid X Receptor alpha (RXR&alpha). Retinoic acids are composed of a trimethylcyclohexenyl ring, polyene chain, and terminal carboxylic acid. The first chapter investigates the energetics of the ring-chain conformation using …

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Are Enabling Services In Federally Qualified Health Centers Associated With Women Receiving Prenatal Care In The First Trimester?, Forrest A. Daniels Jan 2012

Are Enabling Services In Federally Qualified Health Centers Associated With Women Receiving Prenatal Care In The First Trimester?, Forrest A. Daniels

All ETDs from UAB

The purpose of this study was to examine whether enabling services in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) were associated with women receiving prenatal care services in the first trimester. The population for this study included FQHCs providing prenatal care services for the years 2008, 2009, and 2010. Data for this study were derived from two sources: Uniform Data System (UDS) and the Area Resource File (ARF). This study adopted the Andersen's (1973) Behavioral Model of Health Services Use. The study consisted of longitudinal panel data analysis. Univariate and bivariate statistics were calculated using PASW/SPSS statistical software, version 18. For the …

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An Information Theory Based Representation Of Software Systems And Design, Zekai Demirezen Jan 2012

An Information Theory Based Representation Of Software Systems And Design, Zekai Demirezen

All ETDs from UAB

Software designers can benefit from the experience of engineering designers and information theory formalism. Every design starts with uncertainty and the art of software design involves uncertainty reduction. Information theory enables software designers to adopt a systems view that facilitates intellectual control over a given software design. Since design imposes organization through successive transformations in reaching the final product, it is possible to formalize design with information theory. We investigated software design as a hierarchical decomposition of design spaces. We realized that before initiating the software design process there is minimal organization, representing higher entropy. The design decisions carrying out …

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The Effect Of Liver X Receptor Α Deficiency In Skeletal Muscle On Lipid Content In Mice, Yishu Ding Jan 2012

The Effect Of Liver X Receptor Α Deficiency In Skeletal Muscle On Lipid Content In Mice, Yishu Ding

All ETDs from UAB

Liver X receptors (LXRs) are important regulators of cholesterol, fatty acid, and glucose homeostasis. Many researchs focus on the liver, but tissue-specific roles of LXRs in other tissues remain elusive. Based on in vitro studies on cultured cells, the roles of LXRs in skeletal muscle have been proposed. Nevertheless, the in vivo roles of LXRs in skeletal muscle remain lacking. Skeletal muscle is an important insulin targeting tissue, which plays a key role in regulating insulin sensitivity. Abnormal lipid metabolism and homeostasis have been demonstrated to play a crucial role in the development of insulin resistance in skeletal muscle. To …

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The Impact Of Speed Of Processing Training On Physical Function And Mobility Trajectories In Old Age., Joan Elizabeth Dodson Jan 2012

The Impact Of Speed Of Processing Training On Physical Function And Mobility Trajectories In Old Age., Joan Elizabeth Dodson

All ETDs from UAB

Multiple research studies have shown transfer effects in everyday functioning with speed of processing training. Research has also shown that processing speed predicts physical function and mobility trajectories, with declining speed predicting weaker physical capacities and smaller life space. Additionally, it is well established that processing speed declines in older adults. As processing speed is a modifable cognitive ability, it is possible that speed of processing training may be useful to improve physical function and mobility outcomes in the aging population. The current study examined 5-year trajectories of mobility and physical function in 1400 older adults to ascertain if speed …

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The Impact Of The State Children's Health Insurance Program's Unborn Child Ruling On Foreign-Born Latina Prenatal Care Utilization And Birth Outcomes, 2000-2007, Jonathan Hawthorne Drewry Jan 2012

The Impact Of The State Children's Health Insurance Program's Unborn Child Ruling On Foreign-Born Latina Prenatal Care Utilization And Birth Outcomes, 2000-2007, Jonathan Hawthorne Drewry

All ETDs from UAB

In 2002 the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) "unborn child ruling" was established to provide prenatal care (PNC) to low income women otherwise without health insurance. The majority of foreign-born (FB) Latinas otherwise ineligible for PNC should have benefited most from the ruling. In late 2003 six states incorporated the UCR into their state plan amendments, providing a natural experiment for policy analysis. This study used cross-sectional pooled natality data from 2000-2007 to estimate the effect of the UCR on prenatal care utilization (PNCU) and birth outcomes. A differences-in-differences econometrics model was employed using policy enacting and non-enacting states, …

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Novel Device To Quantify The Mechanical Properties Of Electrospun Nanofibers, Timothy John Fee Jan 2012

Novel Device To Quantify The Mechanical Properties Of Electrospun Nanofibers, Timothy John Fee

All ETDs from UAB

Electrospun biomaterials are gaining popularity as scaffolding for engineered tissues. These fibrous scaffolds of natural or synthetic polymers can mimic the nano-scale properties of the natural extra-cellular matrix. It is becoming clear that the mechanical deformation of any electrospun matrix plays an important role in cell signaling. However, electrospun biomaterials have inherently complex geometries due to the random deposition of fibers during the electrospinning process. This complex fiber geometry complicates any attempt at quantifying forces exerted on adherent cells during electrospun matrix deformation. In order to quantify the mechanical properties of arrays of individual electrospun fibers in physiological conditions, a …

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Catherine Jeffrey Jones's Idyl: The Comic Strip In Science Fiction And Art, Stephen Hudson Smith Jan 2012

Catherine Jeffrey Jones's Idyl: The Comic Strip In Science Fiction And Art, Stephen Hudson Smith

All ETDs from UAB

Catherine Jeffrey Jones's comic strip Idyl ran for forty-four installments in the National Lampoon from January 1972 through February 1976. The work was typically published as one-page vignettes revolving around the meanderings of nude female figures, talking animals, and sentient vegetation. The large distribution of the magazine resulted in Idyl having an unusual reach and influence. Jones is one of the most recognizable artists in the fields of comic strip and science fiction art. The innovations she spearheaded would have a lasting influence and be critical in the evolution of these genres in the decade following the publication of Idyl. …

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Cardiovascular Disease Knowledge And Risk Perception Among Women With Recent Preeclampsia: Interventional Education In Disease Management And Prevention, Patsy M. Spratling Jan 2012

Cardiovascular Disease Knowledge And Risk Perception Among Women With Recent Preeclampsia: Interventional Education In Disease Management And Prevention, Patsy M. Spratling

All ETDs from UAB

There is a growing body of evidence linking preeclampsia to future development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Although CVD is well-known as the leading cause of death in women, a lack of evidence exists demonstrating that women with preeclampsia are routinely informed of their risks for future CVD. The specific aims of this study were to: (1) examine the levels of CVD knowledge and perception of CVD risk pre-CVD education; (2) explore relationships among age, race, parity, marital status, previous preeclampsia, income, education, CVD knowledge, and perception of CVD risk; and (3) examine the effect of a postpartum CVD educational intervention …

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Explaining The Link Between Parental Educational Expectations And Chinese High School Students' Academic Achievement: The Roles Of Psychological Distress, Parental Involvement, And Filial Piety, Wei Su Jan 2012

Explaining The Link Between Parental Educational Expectations And Chinese High School Students' Academic Achievement: The Roles Of Psychological Distress, Parental Involvement, And Filial Piety, Wei Su

All ETDs from UAB

The current study addressed the relationship between short-term and long-term parental educational expectations and Chinese high school students' academic achievement. We proposed five factors and mechanisms to explain this relationship, including nonlinear associations of parental educational expectations with adolescents' academic achievement, mediation effects of child psychological distress, mediation effects of parental involvement, effects of parent-child discrepancies in educational expectations, and moderating effects of filial piety. Four hundred and ninety-one 12th graders from a mainland Chinese high school and their parents were recruited in this study, with a mean age of 18.4 years and 57% girls. When not adjusting for previous …

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Background Or Experience? Using Logistic Regression To Predict College Retention, Tracee M. Synco Jan 2012

Background Or Experience? Using Logistic Regression To Predict College Retention, Tracee M. Synco

All ETDs from UAB

Tinto, Astin and countless others have researched the retention and attrition of students from college for more than thirty years. However, the six year graduation rate for all first-time full-time freshmen for the 2002 cohort was 57%. This study sought to determine the retention variables that predicted continued enrollment of entering freshmen at a large urban, four-year, public institution. Logistic regression was utilized to analyze the data collected over a four-year period. The population studied was 1,346 first-time full-time freshmen entering fall 2007. The variables chosen for analysis were ACT composite, cumulative GPA and high school GPA, ethnicity, gender, Pell …

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The Impact Of Community Health Centers On Prostate Cancer Screening Behaviors Of African American Males: A Mixed Methods Study, Michael C. Taylor Jan 2012

The Impact Of Community Health Centers On Prostate Cancer Screening Behaviors Of African American Males: A Mixed Methods Study, Michael C. Taylor

All ETDs from UAB

THE IMPACT OF COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS ON PROSTATE CANCER SCREENING BEHAVIORS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MALES: A MIXED METHODS STUDY MICHAEL C. TAYLOR UAB SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH BEHAVIOR ABSTRACT Federally qualified community health centers have a significant impact upon uninsured and low income populations in the United States by providing low cost primary care and preventive services. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine the impact of community health centers (CHCs) on African American males' prostate cancer screening behavior in a major Southern city. A sequential explanatory mixed method model was used to assess …

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Glutamate Release And Uptake At Cerebellar Synapses, Ming-Chi Tsai Jan 2012

Glutamate Release And Uptake At Cerebellar Synapses, Ming-Chi Tsai

All ETDs from UAB

Glutamate mediates excitatory synaptic transmission in the central nervous system (CNS). Regulation of glutamate release and uptake shapes the spatiotemporal dynamics of glutamate at and around synapses to influence information transfer between neural cells. This dissertation focuses on the modulation of glutamate release and uptake at excitatory synapses of cerebellar Purkinje cells (PC). In the first project we show that differential expression of PC glutamate transporters controls the amount of glutamate entering the extrasynaptic space, thereby influencing the excitatory responses in surrounding Bergmann glia. This work provides the first evidence that neuronal glutamate uptake affects glial glutamatergic signaling. In the …

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Adaptation To A Simulated Central Scotoma With Visual Search Tasks, Dave Walsh Jan 2012

Adaptation To A Simulated Central Scotoma With Visual Search Tasks, Dave Walsh

All ETDs from UAB

This study characterized the perceptual and oculomotor adaptation to a simulated central scotoma in normally-sighted subjects and characterized the effects of two different scotoma profiles on the adaptation process. Twelve normally-sighted subjects, 6 for each type of scotoma profile, prac-ticed a search task (finding an "O" target among "C" distracters) for 11 blocks (162 trials per block). Search reaction time (RT) and eye movement data were collected. A head-mounted eye tracker was used to simulate two 10 deg circular central scotomas (CS), one with a sharp change from seeing to unseeing (S-CS) and the other with a gradual transition (G-CS). …

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Suppression Of A Nonsense Mutation In A Mouse Model Of Hurler Syndrome, Dan Wang Jan 2012

Suppression Of A Nonsense Mutation In A Mouse Model Of Hurler Syndrome, Dan Wang

All ETDs from UAB

Nonsense suppression therapy utilizes compounds that suppress translation termination at disease-causing premature termination codons (PTCs) to restore full-length, functional protein synthesis. This approach may provide a treatment for many diseases caused by nonsense mutations including Hurler syndrome (mucopolysaccharidosis type I - Hurler, MPS I-H). MPS I-H is a lysosomal storage disease caused by severe &alpha-L-iduronidase deficiency and subsequent lysosomal glycosaminoglycan (GAG) accumulation. In this work, we investigated the effectiveness of nonsense suppression therapy as a treatment for MPS I-H. We first generated a targeted knock-in mouse model that carries the Idua-W392X nonsense mutation homologous to the human IDUA-W402X mutation frequently …

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Difference In Health Literacy Level Between Older Adults With And Without Low Vision, Mary L. Warren Jan 2012

Difference In Health Literacy Level Between Older Adults With And Without Low Vision, Mary L. Warren

All ETDs from UAB

Functional health literacy is the ability to understand and apply health information from printed documents and is dependent on reading. Few studies have examined functional health literacy levels in visual impaired older adults despite the fact low vision is common among older adults and impairs reading performance. This study investigated whether community dwelling older adults with moderate visual impairment from age-related macular degeneration had lower health literacy levels compared to older adults without low vision. The Test of Functional Health Literacy for Adults (TOFHLA) was administered to 50 adults aged 65- 94 years with AMD and 50 normally sighted adults …

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"The Soul To Feel The Flesh, And The Flesh To Feel The Chain": The Anticipation Of Nietzsche's Apollonian And Dionysian Duality In The Works Of The Brontës, Holly Watson Jan 2012

"The Soul To Feel The Flesh, And The Flesh To Feel The Chain": The Anticipation Of Nietzsche's Apollonian And Dionysian Duality In The Works Of The Brontës, Holly Watson

All ETDs from UAB

From their earliest reception, the works of Charlotte, Anne, and Emily Brontë have been met with hostility and confusion as a result of their deviation from the standards adopted by a majority of their contemporaries. While the works of the three sisters are anomalous within the context of their peers, both reader and critic alike have observed the similarities that exist among the family of works. As a result of their departure from societal norms, the Brontës have been recognized for their harshness and apparent rebellion; however, they were neither concerned with complete social upheaval, nor were they opposed to …

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Staying Power: A Multiple Case Study Of Spirituality As A Factor Of Resiliencey In Female Public School Superintendents In The Southeastern Region Of The United States, Kimberly Williams Jan 2012

Staying Power: A Multiple Case Study Of Spirituality As A Factor Of Resiliencey In Female Public School Superintendents In The Southeastern Region Of The United States, Kimberly Williams

All ETDs from UAB

This qualitative multiple case study explored female superintendents' experiences with spirituality as a factor of resiliency. A wide gap exists between the number of females and the number of males leading public school systems in America, and a high turnover rate exists for those leaders filling the superintendency. In an effort to increase the number of female superintendents and to equip them with the resources needed to have sustained leadership, focus needs to be placed on factors contributing to resiliency in leadership. Research has revealed spirituality as one factor impacting resilience in leadership. This study explored three female superintendents' perceptions …

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Malpractice Liability Related To Foreign Outsourcing Of Legal Services, Vincent R. Johnson, Stephen C. Loomis Jan 2012

Malpractice Liability Related To Foreign Outsourcing Of Legal Services, Vincent R. Johnson, Stephen C. Loomis

Faculty Articles

The outsourcing of client-related tasks to service providers in other countries is likely to generate malpractice claims against American law firms. This Article discusses the wide range of theories under which an outsourcing American law firm may be liable for its own negligence or for the actions of outsourcing providers. These theories include negligence by the outsourcing law firm, vicarious liability for the conduct of firm principals and employees, vicarious liability for the conduct of independent contractors, and vicarious liability for the conduct of business partners.

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“To Say Nothing”: Variations On The Theme Of Silence In Selected Works By Sor Juana Inés De La Cruz, Sandra Cisneros, And María Luisa Bombal, Hannah M. Frantz Jan 2012

“To Say Nothing”: Variations On The Theme Of Silence In Selected Works By Sor Juana Inés De La Cruz, Sandra Cisneros, And María Luisa Bombal, Hannah M. Frantz

Student Publications

This paper explores the various ways in which Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz’s La Respuesta, Sandra Cisneros’s “Woman Hollering Creek,” and María Luisa Bombal’s “The Tree” address the theme of silence. It interrogates how the female characters in each of these works are silenced as well as their responses to that oppression. Meaning is subjective, so writing is a safe outlet for the oppressed. These works each identify an oppressor, either a husband or the male dominated church, as well as an oppressed individual, who is the female lead. In La Respuesta, the Catholic church, and specifically …

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Contracted Hospitalists And Non-Contracted Hospitalists: Impact On Hospital Cost And Quality Care Outcomes, Kathleen L. Adams Jan 2012

Contracted Hospitalists And Non-Contracted Hospitalists: Impact On Hospital Cost And Quality Care Outcomes, Kathleen L. Adams

All ETDs from UAB

Background Changes in the health care delivery and policy environment are creating increased need for attention to health care costs and efficiency. Hospitals need to develop and implement oversight processes to effectively control costs and provide quality services. It is common for hospitals to contract with physician groups to staff various departments throughout the facility. Hospitalists are the most recent addition to hospital rosters. While some hospitals hire hospitalists directly as employees, others contract with physician groups to provide hospitalist services. The purpose of this study was to compare the potential benefits for hospitals that contracted with a hospitalist group …

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Introduction, Justin Hughes Jan 2012

Introduction, Justin Hughes

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

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Madisonian Fair Use, Michael J. Madison Jan 2012

Madisonian Fair Use, Michael J. Madison

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

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Antibiotic Resistance, Jessica Litman Jan 2012

Antibiotic Resistance, Jessica Litman

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

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Speaking Of Moral Rights, A Conversation, Eva E. Subotnik, Jane C. Ginsburg Jan 2012

Speaking Of Moral Rights, A Conversation, Eva E. Subotnik, Jane C. Ginsburg

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

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Bring In The Nerds: Secrecy, National Security, And The Creation Of International Intellectual Property Law, David S. Levine Jan 2012

Bring In The Nerds: Secrecy, National Security, And The Creation Of International Intellectual Property Law, David S. Levine

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

The negotiations of the international Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement and Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement have been conducted largely in secret, elevating intellectual property piracy to the level of national security concerns for purposes of accessing information through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). However, the level of actual secrecy has been tiered, with corporate interests enjoying far more access to negotiation information than the general public. At the same time, similar intellectual property issues were negotiated in the relative transparency of Congress' debate over the Stop Online Piracy Act and PROTECT IP Act, allowing for much greater public involvement. With national …

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Region Codes And The Territorial Mess, Peter K. Yu Jan 2012

Region Codes And The Territorial Mess, Peter K. Yu

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

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Copyright Law And The Management Of J.D. Salinger's Literary Estate, Kate O'Neill Jan 2012

Copyright Law And The Management Of J.D. Salinger's Literary Estate, Kate O'Neill

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

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