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2012

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Nasal Encephaloceles Presenting At Later Ages: Experience Of Otorhinolaryngology Department At A Tertiary Care Center In Karachi, Pakistan, Montasir Junaid, Zain-Ul-Abedeen Sobani, Adeel Ahmed Shamim, Maliha Kazi, Mumtaz Jamshed Khan Jan 2012

Nasal Encephaloceles Presenting At Later Ages: Experience Of Otorhinolaryngology Department At A Tertiary Care Center In Karachi, Pakistan, Montasir Junaid, Zain-Ul-Abedeen Sobani, Adeel Ahmed Shamim, Maliha Kazi, Mumtaz Jamshed Khan

Section of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery

Encephaloceles are anomalous herniations of the meninges, with or without brain matter. Globally the incidence of encephalocele is about 1 per 35,000 births, but it is more frequently reported in Southeast Asia. As the defect is more pertinent to embryological development, an encephalocele is a more common entity in an infant with a mean age of presentation ranging between 15.5 and 21 months; making an encephalocele presenting for the first time in a relatively, older individual a rare occurrence. Consequently a surgeon might not consider an encephalocele among his differentials. Here we present a series of encephaloceles that presented at …


A Case Report: Giant Cystic Parathyroid Adenoma Presenting With Parathyroid Crisis After Vitamin D Replacement, Ali Asghar, Mubasher Ikram, Najmul Islam Jan 2012

A Case Report: Giant Cystic Parathyroid Adenoma Presenting With Parathyroid Crisis After Vitamin D Replacement, Ali Asghar, Mubasher Ikram, Najmul Islam

Section of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery

Background: Parathyroid adenoma with cystic degeneration is a rare cause of primary hyperparathyroidism. The clinical and biochemical presentation may mimic parathyroid carcinoma. Case presentation: We report the case of a 55 year old lady, who had longstanding history of depression and acid peptic disease. Serum calcium eight months prior to presentation was slightly high, but she was never worked up. She was found to be Vitamin D deficient while being investigated for generalized body aches. A month after she was replaced with Vitamin D, she presented to us with parathyroid crisis. Her corrected serum calcium was 23.0 mg/dL. She had …


Perceptions Of Rural America: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Protest Elements In Popular Country Music, Natalee Denise Singleton Jan 2012

Perceptions Of Rural America: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Protest Elements In Popular Country Music, Natalee Denise Singleton

All ETDs from UAB

As rural America evolves from its agrarian roots, an onslaught of economic, geographic, and societal changes affect cultural tensions. During every significant cultural shift in America, pop culture and mass media outlets have been there to interpret it, commentate on it, and sometimes provoke it. Country music is no exception. A rhetorical analysis of popular contemporary country music shows that country artists are seeking expression on the topics of rural identity, cultural endangerment, and methods of cultural sustention. An exploration of the lyrical and musical elements of select songs, examined against scholarly studies of the protest and propaganda music of …


Stigma As A Barrier To Formal Treatment For Substance Use: A Gendered Analysis, Kristi Lynn Stringer Jan 2012

Stigma As A Barrier To Formal Treatment For Substance Use: A Gendered Analysis, Kristi Lynn Stringer

All ETDs from UAB

It is estimated that approximately 22 million Americans are in need of treatment for substance related disorders each year; however 20 million of those in need of substance treatment fail to utilize formal treatment services. The large gap between those who need formal treatment services and those who receive such services indicates that a better understanding of factors affecting treatment utilization is needed. Researchers have shown that stigmatizing attitudes towards substance use disorders are a leading cause for treatment delay and avoidance. Furthermore, gender role theories suggest that women may experience greater stigma (double stigma or triple stigma) related to …


The Role Of St6gal-I Sialylation In Fas (Cd95) Death Receptor Function And Tumorigenesis, Amanda F. Swindall Jan 2012

The Role Of St6gal-I Sialylation In Fas (Cd95) Death Receptor Function And Tumorigenesis, Amanda F. Swindall

All ETDs from UAB

The golgi glycosyltransferase, ST6Gal-I, adds a negatively-charged sialic acid in an alpha-2-6 linkage to N-linked glycans. ST6Gal-I is upregulated in many cancers, and is associated with increased metastasis and poor patient prognosis. ST6Gal-I expression has been shown to be driven by oncogenic-ras signaling. However, mechanistic details of the role ST6Gal-I plays in tumor initiation and progression are not well defined. Historically, studies have focused on contributions of ST6Gal-I to the malignant cell phenotypes of migration and invasion. Emerging evidence including studies contained in this dissertation have begun to elucidate a role for ST6Gal-I as a regulator of apoptotic signaling by …


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 …


Measuring Disease Activity And Use Of Complementary And Alternative Medicine In African-Americans With Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ashutosh Tamhane Jan 2012

Measuring Disease Activity And Use Of Complementary And Alternative Medicine In African-Americans With Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ashutosh Tamhane

All ETDs from UAB

The aims of this project were to: 1) compare disease activity scores 28 joints (DAS28) based on erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) versus that based on C-reactive protein (CRP), and 2) describe prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use and examine differences of CAM use stratified by disease duration and sex. This analysis included participants from the Consortium for the Longitudinal Evaluation of African Americans with Early Rheumatoid Arthritis (CLEAR) Registry. Using tender and swollen joint counts separate ESR-based and CRP-based DAS28 scores (DAS28-ESR3 and DAS28-CRP3) were calculated, as were DAS28-ESR4 and DAS28-CRP4, which included the patient¡¯s assessment of disease …


Regulatory T Cells In The Fvb.Mdr1a-/- Model Of Colitis, Scott Tanner Jan 2012

Regulatory T Cells In The Fvb.Mdr1a-/- Model Of Colitis, Scott Tanner

All ETDs from UAB

Regulatory T cells (Treg) are necessary for the maintenance of immune homeostasis, and have been implicated in several autoimmune diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Most murine studies focusing on the function of Tregs have been done on the C57BL/6 or BALB/c background, creating a bias towards these two strains. In addition, it has been shown that C57BL/6 and BALB/c Tregs function in different manners. To further investigate potential strain differences in Treg phenotype and function, we chose to analyze FVB/N Tregs. Several differences were observed, including de-creased FVB/N Treg suppression in a non-cell contact dependent manner, decreased FVB/N and …


Sleep Duration And Obesity: Longitudinal Study Of Adolescents, Herpreet Kaur Thind Jan 2012

Sleep Duration And Obesity: Longitudinal Study Of Adolescents, Herpreet Kaur Thind

All ETDs from UAB

Prevalence of obesity continues to be high in the United States with about one-third adults being overweight or obese. Among adolescents the rates of overweight/obesity have increased by three times in the past two decades. Moreover, the rates of obesity are disproportionately high among the minority population. Recently, sleep duration has emerged as an independent risk factor for obesity. Several cross-sectional and longitudinal studies worldwide have shown an inverse relationship between sleep duration and obesity. However, some studies do not support this association. Majority of the studies in the United States have been conducted on predominantly White populations. African Americans …


Lonesome And Maybe With Other Problems, Daniel Townsend Jan 2012

Lonesome And Maybe With Other Problems, Daniel Townsend

All ETDs from UAB

Lonesome and Maybe with Other Problems is a collection of short stories thematically centered on isolation and masculinity set in East Texas. These stories aim to explore the contradictory desires for social connection and unique identity. Through the use of humor and digressive narrative style, the stories capture the characters' struggles to maintain their independent identities while overcoming obstacles that keep them from ever fully participating in their families and communities. Each of these characters, though realized to the reader, must confront how they will become the men they perceive themselves to be.


Examining Spasticity After Spinal Cord Injury Using A Novel Robotic Assessment, Leslie R. Van Hiel Jan 2012

Examining Spasticity After Spinal Cord Injury Using A Novel Robotic Assessment, Leslie R. Van Hiel

All ETDs from UAB

This study investigated a novel robotic assessment of spasticity resulting from a spinal cord injury (SCI). Torque data was analyzed to provide a single measure spasticity score. Three participants with motor incomplete SCI and resultant spasticity were compared to three non-injured participants (NI) using three different angular velocities of passive lower extremity movement in the Lokomat gait orthosis. The mean spasticity scores (NI vs. SCI) at120°/s, 180°/s, and 240°/s were: 0.41 ± 0.30 vs. 3.70 ± 2.07; 0.65 ± 0.49 vs. 4.33 ± 3.57; and 1.55 ± 1.16 vs. 5.26 ± 3.99, respectively. Mean surface electrode electromyography measures (NI vs. …


Soy And Breast Cancer, Mandeep K. Virk-Baker Jan 2012

Soy And Breast Cancer, Mandeep K. Virk-Baker

All ETDs from UAB

The incidence of breast cancer is lower in Asia as compared to Western countries. However, the breast cancer risk among Asian immigrants living in Western countries reaches nearly as high as the Western country, suggesting environmental factors (e.g. diet and lifestyle) may be important for this geographical disparity. One dietary change of Asian immigrants is a reduction in soy consumption. Soy is rich in isoflavones, which compete with estrogen for receptor (ER) binding, and may protect against breast cancer. S-(-)equol, a metabolite of the soy isoflavone daidzein (DZ) has a higher bioavailability and greater affinity for ER than DZ. The …


Nanocomposite Coatings Based On Quaternary Metal-Nitrogen And Nanocarbon Systems, Michael James Walock Jan 2012

Nanocomposite Coatings Based On Quaternary Metal-Nitrogen And Nanocarbon Systems, Michael James Walock

All ETDs from UAB

For this project, CrN-WC coatings are investigated as a hybrid hard and tough material. The use of a hard-carbide with a corrosion-resistant nitride may produce tailored coatings with the desired combination of properties for use as a stand-alone protective coating, or as a basis for nanocrystalline diamond deposition. The work is divided into three stages. The initial study determined the viability of the CrN-WC system, and its use as an interlayer for nanocrystalline diamond. This successful study was followed by a variation of deposition conditions at low deposition temperature. By varying the deposition parameters, the microstructure, chemical, mechanical, and tribological …


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 …


Fiber Optic Sensors For Detection Of Biomarkers, Chun-Wei Wang Jan 2012

Fiber Optic Sensors For Detection Of Biomarkers, Chun-Wei Wang

All ETDs from UAB

A combination tapered fiber-optic biosensor (CTFOB) dip-probe for rapid and cost effective quantification of proteins in serum samples has been developed. This device relies on diode laser excitation and a charged coupled device (CCD) spectrometer, and functions on a technique of sandwich immunoassay. As a proof-of-principle, this technique was applied in a quantitative estimation of interleukin (IL-6) and Carcinoembyonic antigen (CEA) in human sera. The probes detected IL-6 at picomolar levels in serum samples obtained from a patient with lupus, an autoimmune disease, and a patient with lymphoma. The estimated concentration of IL-6 in lupus sample was 5.9 +/- 0.6 …


Mechanisms Of Lrrk2 Regulation, Philip J. Webber Jan 2012

Mechanisms Of Lrrk2 Regulation, Philip J. Webber

All ETDs from UAB

Non-synonymous mutations in LRRK2 are the most common known cause of familial and sporadic Parkinson's disease (PD). The dominant inheritance of these mutations in familial PD suggests a gain-of-function mechanism. Increased kinase activity observed in the most common PD associated LRRK2 mutation G2019S suggests that kinase activity is central to disease. However, not all mutations associated with disease are reported to alter kinase activity and controversy exists in the literature about the effects of mutations appearing in the GTPase domain on kinase activity. The studies conducted as a part of this work aim to characterize the mechanisms that regulate LRRK2 …


Siderophore-Mediated Iron Acquisition In Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Ryan Wells Jan 2012

Siderophore-Mediated Iron Acquisition In Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Ryan Wells

All ETDs from UAB

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a dangerous human pathogen that has the capacity to adapt to and survive within the harsh phagosomal environment of macrophages. One obstacle that must be overcome by pathogens is to acquire iron, an essential component and cofactor of proteins required for vital cellular processes. M. tuberculosis meets its iron demands in the face of an array of sequestration strategies of the host by synthesizing and secreting two siderophores called mycobactin and carboxymycobactin. Siderophores are low molecular weight high affinity iron binding compounds that steal iron away from host stores and have been shown to be important for …


C-C-Motif Chemokine Receptor/Ligand Gene Variants And Their Associations With Hiv-1 Transmission And Pathogenesis, Liangyuan Hu Jan 2012

C-C-Motif Chemokine Receptor/Ligand Gene Variants And Their Associations With Hiv-1 Transmission And Pathogenesis, Liangyuan Hu

All ETDs from UAB

Host factors including genes and their variants are important to HIV-1 acquisition, transmission and disease progression. In particular, chemokine (C-C motif) receptors 2 and 5 genes (CCR2 and CCR5) have multiple variants of interest. We first investigated the impact of CCR2-CCR5 haplotypes on several outcomes among 567 HIV-1 discordant Zambian couples. HHF*2 homozygosity was associated with significantly lower VL in seroconverters (mean beta=-0.58 log10 P=0.027) and the HHD/HHE diplotype was associated with significantly higher VL in the seroconverters (mean beta=0.54, log10 P=0.014) adjusted for age and gender in multivariable model. HHD/HHE was associated with more rapid acquisition of infection by …


Geometric Fitting In Error-In-Variables Model, Qizhuo Huang Jan 2012

Geometric Fitting In Error-In-Variables Model, Qizhuo Huang

All ETDs from UAB

This dissertation is devoted to the study of a popular regression model: Error-In-Variable Model, which has been commonly recognized as one of the key components of computer vision research. In EIV model, a set of data points whose (x,y) coordinates are subject to random errors is fitted by some geometric shapes such as lines, circles and ellipses. The geometric fitting which minimizes the sum of orthogonal distances from points to geometric shapes is universally recognized as the most desirable solution of the fitting problem. However, there is no explicit form of the solution for nonlinear models (circles, ellipses etc). The …


Subsistence Homesteads In Jefferson County: A Successful "Experiment"?, Susan Elizabeth Hunter Jan 2012

Subsistence Homesteads In Jefferson County: A Successful "Experiment"?, Susan Elizabeth Hunter

All ETDs from UAB

This work focuses on the history of subsistence homesteads built by the federal government in the 1930s. The homesteads were routinely referred to as "experiments." It is the intention of this author to examine the Jefferson County homesteads as successful or unsuccessful homesteads. Current research on this topic is sparse. The research contained in this thesis rests mainly on primary sources and focuses on the construction of the homes and the economic and social issues surrounding the homesteads. A brief synopsis of the condition of each of the Alabama homesteads is also included. This subsistence homestead program emerged from the …


Assessment Of Transit Oriented Development Impacts, Md Shah Imran Jan 2012

Assessment Of Transit Oriented Development Impacts, Md Shah Imran

All ETDs from UAB

The recent interest in smart growth, livable communities, and sustainability creates new opportunities for the adoption, expansion, and enhancement of transit services in communities across the U.S. Given that promoting livability and alternative modes is a key priority in the U.S. DOT's agenda, research on economic impacts from integration of transit is both timely and essential. This is important as many of the possible gains from such integration are not fully understood and properly measured to date, such as the related health and quality of life benefits. This thesis analyzes the economic impacts from the implementation of a transit improvement …


Acoustical Analysis Of Trained And Untrained Singers Onsite Before And After Prolonged Voice Use, Christophe E. Jackson Jan 2012

Acoustical Analysis Of Trained And Untrained Singers Onsite Before And After Prolonged Voice Use, Christophe E. Jackson

All ETDs from UAB

Controlled acoustic environments are important in voice research. Recording environment affects the quality of voice recordings. While sound booths and anechoic chambers are examples of controlled acoustic environments widely used in research, they are both costly and not portable. The long-term goal of this project is to compare the voice usage and efficiency of trained and untrained singers onsite immediately before and after vocal performance. The specific goal of this project is the further of development a Portable Sound Booth (PSB) and standardization of onsite voice recording procedures under controlled conditions. We hypothesized that the simple and controlled acoustic environment …


Retinoids And Abnormal Alveolar Development, Masheika L. James Jan 2012

Retinoids And Abnormal Alveolar Development, Masheika L. James

All ETDs from UAB

Extremely preterm infants are at high risk for a form of chronic lung disease called bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), which is characterized by impaired alveolar development. Exposure to hyperoxia and deficiency of vitamin A (VA) contribute to the development of BPD in preterm infants. Randomized controlled trials indicate VA supplementation decreases BPD and/or death. However, 25% of preterm infants continue to remain VA deficient despite supplementation, probably due to impairment in VA transport, VA is stored in the liver as retinyl esters which are transported to the lung and irreversibly metabolized into all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA), the active metabolite. A combination of …


Wear Of Ceramics And Enamel In A Chewing Simulator, Sridhar Janyavula Jan 2012

Wear Of Ceramics And Enamel In A Chewing Simulator, Sridhar Janyavula

All ETDs from UAB

Dental ceramics are known for their excellent chemical and optical properties. The wear of human enamel and of the restorative material is often a vital and esthetical concern when selecting a restorative material for any given clinical restorative treatment. Objective: The purpose of the study was to evaluate effect of zirconia (polished, glazed, polished then glazed, adjusted, glazed and adjusted, adjusted and polished and aged zirconia) against human enamel antagonist. A comparison was made between different zirconia, veneering porcelain (Ceramco 3) and natural enamel. Additionally, the surface roughness (Ra) of the ceramic surface was measured before and after wear testing …


Forensic Facial Reconstruction Using Computational Approach, Wenzhen Jia Jan 2012

Forensic Facial Reconstruction Using Computational Approach, Wenzhen Jia

All ETDs from UAB

Forensic facial reconstruction is an application of forensic anthropology. It is a process of recreating the face of a human being based on skull remains. The process of recreating faces can be used to identify otherwise unknown individuals or to reconstruct faces of historical figures, such as the famous effort of reconstructing King Tut in 2005. There are many approaches to perform facial reconstruction in both two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D). In 2-D cases, an artist works from photos of the skull and sketches the facial features based on his or her scientific training and artistic intuition. In 3-D cases, …


The Role Of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Response In Glioma Cell Death, Guyla G. Johnson Jan 2012

The Role Of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Response In Glioma Cell Death, Guyla G. Johnson

All ETDs from UAB

Malignant gliomas, including glioblastomas, are the main primary adult brain tumor. Even with current therapies, the median survival time for patients diagnosed with glioblastomas is only about 12 months. Therefore, it is imperative to identify pathways that can induce glioma cell death. This dissertation provides evidence defining how Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Response (ERSR) induction promotes cell death selectively in malignant glioma cells (MGCs). I present data showing a correlation between ER Ca2+ storage abnormalities, ER ribosome-translocon expression and activity, ERSR intensity and cell death in MGCs. These data show ERSR induction with thapsigargin (THAP) results in a larger loss of …


The Role Of C-Reactive Protein In Arthritic Disease, Nicholas Ryan Jones Jan 2012

The Role Of C-Reactive Protein In Arthritic Disease, Nicholas Ryan Jones

All ETDs from UAB

C-reactive protein (CRP) is an acute phase protein that is commonly used to evaluate systemic inflammation level. Blood CRP level also correlates very well with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease severity. However, CRP has many biological actions that lead one to suspect that it may be playing a role in the development or pathology of the disease. We have directly addressed whether this is the case by the use of novel mouse models (CRP deficiency or transgenic overexpression). We have shown that CRP positively affects collagen-induced arthritis development and progression. In order to thoroughly address the question, we have also reported …


Mycobacterial Iron Acquisition Systems, Christopher M. Jones Jan 2012

Mycobacterial Iron Acquisition Systems, Christopher M. Jones

All ETDs from UAB

Iron is an essential nutrient for the vast majority of organisms; yet, the availability of iron is limited to microorganisms due to the insolubility of ferric hydroxides and to pathogens by iron withholding strategies of their hosts. Many bacteria produce small, high-affinity iron chelators called siderophores to scavenge iron from the environment. In addition, many bacterial pathogens have evolved mechanisms to steal host iron contained in heme, hemoglobin, or transferrin. Mycobacteria are unique genera of bacteria represented by the notorious pathogens Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium leprae, the causative agents of tuberculosis (TB) and leprosy, respectively. Tuberculosis remains a global health …


Differential Expression Of Proteins In Keratoconus: Potential Role Of Human Antigen R (Hur) In Regulation Of Ss-Actin Gene, Roy Joseph Jan 2012

Differential Expression Of Proteins In Keratoconus: Potential Role Of Human Antigen R (Hur) In Regulation Of Ss-Actin Gene, Roy Joseph

All ETDs from UAB

DIFFERENTIAL EXPRESSION OF PROTEINS IN KERATOCONUS: POTENTIAL ROLE OF HUMAN ANTIGEN R (HuR) IN REGULATION OF ß-ACTIN ROY JOSEPH VISION SCIENCES ABSTRACT Keratoconus (KC) is a condition of unknown cause in which the cornea assumes a conical shape as a result of non-inflammatory thinning of the corneal stroma. The disease progresses at a variable speed with corneal thinning inducing irregular astigmatism, myopia, and corneal protrusion. Contact lenses, and ultimately keratoplasty, are often required to restore vision. Despite intensive investigations into the pathogenesis of KC, the exact cause of the disease is presently poorly understood. Keratoconus apparently arises due to number …


Application Of The Social Cognitive Theory To A Web-Based Physical Activity Intervention For Overweight African American Female College Students, Rodney Joseph Jan 2012

Application Of The Social Cognitive Theory To A Web-Based Physical Activity Intervention For Overweight African American Female College Students, Rodney Joseph

All ETDs from UAB

Background.African American women report low levels of physical activity and share a disproportionate burden of many health conditions associated with being insufficiently active, indicating the need for innovative approaches to promote physical activity in this population. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate changes in physical activity and associated Social Cognitive Theory constructs of outcome expectations, enjoyment, self-regulation, and social support following the completion of a six month, culturally-adapted, Social Cognitive Theory-based website-delivered weight loss and physical activity intervention for young African-American women. Methods.A secondary data analysis was performed on African-American female college students (N=34) enrolled in a …