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Mechanics Of Hip Dysplasia Reduction In Infants Using The Pavlik Harness: A Physics Based Computational Model, Orlando Ardila, Eduardo Divo, Faissal Moslehy, George Rab, Alain Kassab, Charles Price

Mechanical Engineering - Daytona Beach

Biomechanical factors influencing the reduction of dislocated hips with the Pavlik harness in patients of Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH) were studied using a three-dimensional computer model simulating hip reduction dynamics in (1) subluxated and (2) fully dislocated hip joints. Five hip adductor muscles were identified as key mediators of DDH prognosis, and the non-dimensional force contribution of each in the direction necessary to achieve concentric hip reductions was determined. Results point to the adductor muscles as mediators of subluxated hip reductions, as their mechanical action is a function of the degree of hip dislocation. For subluxated hips in …

The Economic Impact Of Metrohealth System, Matthew Hrubey, Ziona Austrian, Candi Clouse, Merissa Piazza

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

No abstract provided.

Central Georgia Regional Analysis: Demographics, Economy, Entrepreneurship And Innovation, Merissa Piazza, Joe Andre, Elorm M. Tsegah, Eunkyu Lee, Ziona Austrian

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

No abstract provided.

Preliminary Injunction Standards In Massachusetts State And Federal Courts, Arthur D. Wolf

Faculty Scholarship

Concurrent jurisdiction frequently allows attorneys the choice of filing a complaint in state or federal court. State courts presumptively have jurisdiction over claims rooted in federal law. At times, state courts are required to entertain federal claims. Similarly, federal courts have authority over state claims because of diversity, federal question, and supplemental jurisdiction. Many claims are rooted in both state and federal law, such as antitrust, civil rights, environmental, consumer protection, and civil liberties. Confronted with the choice of state or federal court, the attorney must evaluate a variety of factors before deciding in which court to file.

In a …

[Including But Not Limited To] Violence Against Women, Giovanna Shay

Faculty Scholarship

This Article highlights three developments in criminal justice in 2012 that marked the move toward more gender-inclusive anti-violence movements: the FBI’s adoption of a gender-neutral definition of rape; the debate regarding the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA); and the promulgation of new Department of Justice (DOJ) regulations under the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (PREA). These recent developments reveal a growing movement towards more gender-inclusive conceptions of rape and intimate partner violence. The change to a more gender-inclusive approach will have many implications for criminal justice policy and institutions. One critical project is to ensure that …

Translating To Communicate With Linguistic Minorities: State Obligations Under International Law, Gabriel Gonzalez Nunez

Writing and Language Studies Faculty Publications

In the on-going debate about language rights, the role of translation remains somewhat of a blind spot. And yet, because there are very few truly monolingual societies in the world, any language policy implies a translation policy. Translation policies will vary from place to place, and they are often the result of ad hoc choices by policy makers at the local level. Even so, by looking at international law, we can find a sort of lowest common denominator for what is to be expected of translation policies. Sources of international law that can have an effect in shaping domestic policies …

A Cross-Sectional Study Of Jamaican Adolescents’ Risk For Type 2 Diabetes And Cardiovascular Diseases, Sheila Barrett, Fatma G. Huffman, Paulette Johnson, Adriana Campa, Marcia Magnus, Dalip Ragoobirsingh

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

Objectives To compare obese versus non-obese Jamaican adolescents’ risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs); and to explore a suitable and economical method of screening for these risk factors in the school settings. Design A descriptive cross-sectional study of adolescents’ risk for T2D and CVD. All the participants were examined at their respective schools. Setting Jamaica, West Indies. Population 276 Jamaican adolescents aged 14–19 years, randomly selected from grades 9 to 12 from 10 high schools on the island and included both boys and girls. All ethnicities on the island were represented. Main outcome measures High fasting …

The Phenotypic Expression Of Usp14 Deficiency Is Dependent Upon Genetic Background, Andrea Gail Marshall

All ETDs from UAB

The ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) plays a critical role in regulating a diversity of cellular processes that are essential to neuronal function, such as synaptic transmission, axon guidance, and neurite outgrowth. Dysfunctions of the UPS are linked with many neurodegenerative disorders, including motor neuron diseases like spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), although it is not known how UPS dysfunction contributes to disease pathology. The proteasome, an approximate 2.5 megadalton protein complex comprised of a 20S core particle and 19S regulatory particle, is the site of ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis in the cell. Recent studies have linked ubiquitin specific …

Cd5 Regulation Of T Helper Cell Differentiation And Cytokine Signaling, Donald J. Mcguire

All ETDs from UAB

CD5 is expressed on T and B1a cells and is an important regulator of cell survival and activation. Engagement of CD5 promotes cell survival through the activation of the serine threonine kinase CK2. Mice with genetic abrogation of CD5 binding to CK2 (CD5∆CK2bd) exhibited reduced severity of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis that was associated with increased activation induced cell death. In addition to inhibiting cell death, CD5 activation of CK2 significantly enhances Th17 differentiation. Loss of CD5-CK2 signaling reduces the generation of Th17 cells despite an unexpected increase in pSTAT3 levels. The mechanisms of CD5's enhancement of Th17 differentiation have not …

Intrinsic And Extrinsic Factors Required For Cd4 T Memory Cell Formation And Function, Sarah B. Mollo

All ETDs from UAB

CD4 T cells are central to the organization of the immune response through the secretion of cytokines that recruit and activate other immune cells. Following infection and pathogen control, the majority of the effector CD4 T cells undergo apoptosis, leaving a subset that persists and gives rise to the memory T cell pool. Upon encountering the same pathogen, memory CD4 T cells respond rapidly, providing enhanced protection from re-infection. What determines which effector CD4 T cells will survive is unclear; however, there are a number of factors both intrinsic to the cell as well as external signals from the environment …

Phenotypic Analysis Of B Cells In Hla*B44 Positive Patients That Exhibit Common Variable Immunodeficiency And Recurrent Sino-Pulmonary Infections, Eva Szymanska Mroczek

All ETDs from UAB

Depressed serum immunoglobulin levels and recurrent sinopulmonary infections mark Common Variable Immune Deficiency (CVID). Many family members of CVID patients also suffer Recurrent Sino-Pulmonary Infection (RESPI) but have normal serum immunoglobulins. We identified HLAB44 positive identical female twins who suffer sinopulmonary infections and are discordant for CVID and RESPI. Flow cytometry subsets showed equivalent numbers of immature B cells (BC) in both twins, but lower numbers of transitional and mature BC in the CVID twin. Presented is an in-depth comparison of V (D) J gene usage, hydrophobicity, length, DH reading frame, and amino acid usage between µ H chain repertoires …

Making Room For A Restorative Response To Conflict: Challenging The Retributive Paradigm In American Journalism, Cynthia Duggan Mwenja

All ETDs from UAB

Reactions to current events from across the political spectrum highlight a journalistic retributive narrative framework that is ubiquitous in the American media. News articles from the childhood obesity debate support claims that journalists on both left and right interpret this story - and by implication, all stories - through a retributive cultural lens. Burke's rhetorical analysis tool, dramatism, is used to examine the rhetoric on all sides of the issue and demonstrate the common retributive aspects of the narratives, regardless of the social or political orientations of the writers and their affiliations. The retributive narrative is connected to American justice …

Effects Of Nicotine On The Human Visual System: 1) Color Perception; 2) Processing At The Cortical Level, Naser T. Naser

All ETDs from UAB

The visual system is sensitive to various types of chemical substances, including nicotine. Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are found in the nervous system, including the retina. These receptors play a role in modulating signals within the visual system. It has been shown that smoking affects color vision, and visual evoked potentials (VEPs). But few studies have been devoted to understanding the effects of nicotine alone. The purpose of this research was to examine the effects of oral administration of nicotine in human adults, who are non-smokers, on color vision, and visual cortical processing. Previous studies on adult smokers revealed that …

The Relation Of Hospital Choices In It Infrastructure Spending And Deployment With Hit/Ehr Strategies And Operational Efficiency, Harold Neumeier

All ETDs from UAB

This study examined certain aspects of the association between information technology (IT) strategy and structure changes within hospitals, as well as the effects of IT infrastructure changes on measures of financial performance for these hospitals during the period of 2009-2011. Following the Process School of the Resource Based View, both internal and external information technology resources were examined to see how hospitals had responded to Federal policies related to the "meaningful use" of Health IT and Electronic Health records. Specifically, this study examined changes in information technology spending by hospitals based on size, hospital type, and percentage of revenue derived …

Frequency Of Exercise Training's Effect On Psychological Outcomes In Older Women, William Neumeier

All ETDs from UAB

Objectives: Exercise training by older adults has demonstrated many health benefits, including improved cognition and psychological well-being. The optimal frequency of combined aerobic exercise training (AET) and resistance exercise training (RET) is unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine whether exercise improves body image, esteem, depression, and mood, among older women, and whether improvements differ by frequency of exercise. Methods: Post-menopausal women (N = 64) over the age of 60 (64.79 ± 3.74) were randomly assigned to one of three groups. Group 1 completed two exercise sessions (1 AET, 1 RET) per week, Group 2 completed four sessions …

The Effects Of Markers For Hiv Disease Progression, Social Network, Barriers To Care, Depression, And Substance Abuse On Medical Appointment Adherence Of Hiv-Infected Adults, Yeow Chye Ng

All ETDs from UAB

The study was designed to test a causal model of theoretical relationships among markers for HIV disease progression, social network, barriers to care, depression, substance abuse, and medical appointment adherence among HIV-infected adults. The proposed causal model was derived and developed from Lazarus and Folkman's theory of stress, appraisal, and coping. The knowledge gained from this study may yield critical information with respect to determining how a health care provider or researcher can develop specific behavioral interventions for the improvement of medical appointment adherence among HIV-infected adults living in the Southeastern United States. The correlational study was a secondary analysis …

Detecting Deceptive Chat-Based Communication Using Typing Behavior And Message Cues, Douglas C. Derrick, Thomas O. Meservy, Jeffrey L. Jenkins, Judee K. Burgoon, Jay F. Nunamaker Jr.

Faculty Publications

Computer-mediated deception is prevalent and may have serious consequences for individuals, organizations, and society. This article investigates several metrics as predictors of deception in synchronous chatbased environments, where participants must often spontaneously formulate deceptive responses. Based on cognitive load theory, we hypothesize that deception influences response time, word count, lexical diversity, and the number of times a chat message is edited. Using a custom chatbot to conduct interviews in an experiment, we collected 1,572 deceitful and 1,590 truthful chat-based responses. The results of the experiment confirm that deception is positively correlated with response time and the number of edits and …

An Investigation Of The Sublethal Effects Of Carbon Dioxide On The Common Sea Urchin Lytechinus Variegatus And The Carbonate Chemistry Of Its Nearshore Habitat, Roberta Challener

All ETDs from UAB

Increases in CO2 concentrations, whether from accumulation of metabolic waste under intensive culturing conditions or from increases in atmospheric levels, lead to decreases in seawater pH and carbonate saturation states. Lytechinus variegatus survive chronic exposure to hypercapnic conditions (pH 7.4 -7.8, partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) 1738-4290 μatm) in synthetic seawater, yet aspects of growth and development are affected. Rates of embryonic and larval development were delayed and larval size and arm length reduced under high pCO2 conditions. Fecal production rates were higher and ash absorption efficiency (%) was lower in individuals exposed to hypercapnic conditions, suggesting that the ability …

Identification Of Claudin-1 As An Entry Factor In Dengue Infection And Development Of A High Throughput Screening Assay For Antivirals Against Dengue Virus, Pulin Che

All ETDs from UAB

Dengue virus (DENV) has become a huge public health concern around the world with no vaccine or antivirals available. More than one-third of the world's population is living in areas at risk of infection. To conquer the dengue disease, a better understanding of virus-host interactions and development of the appropriate therapeutic treatments are required. In this dissertation, we first broadly reviewed the factors involved in dengue viral entry and the role of tight junctions as a pathogen target. Second, we developed, optimized and validated a high throughput screening (HTS) assay for anti-dengue virus drug screening. Taking advantage of using live …

Identification Of Staphylococcus Aureus Sortase A Inhibitors As Potential Antibacterial Agents, Bala Chandra Chenna

All ETDs from UAB

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is the causative organism for a wide range of infectious diseases from superficial skin infections to dangerous bacteremias. Six pathogens named ESKAPE pathogens are responsible for majority of antibiotic resistant bacterial infections. MRSA is the single most prevalent ESKAPE pathogen. Many of the nosocomial MRSA strains are multi-drug resistant, and even methicillin-sensitive strains can be deadly. S. aureus has recently taken on a new role in causing an escalating number of community-acquired infections in non-hospitalized persons without predisposing risk factors. Due to the increase in the number of infections caused by multi-drug resistant S. aureus and …

Comparisons Between Electrophysiologic Assessments Of Visual Function And Histological Findings Of Cone Photoreceptors In Light-Damaged Albino Rats, Molly Clark

All ETDs from UAB

The purpose of this project was to investigate the etiology of decreased cone-driven vision in the light damage model of retinal degenerations. Experimental albino rats underwent moderate, low-intensity light damage for 10 days. Electroretinography was utilized to assess physiologic function of the rod- and cone-driven retinal function in the experimental and control (sibling) rats. Immunohistochemical staining for cone arrestin antibody identified cone photoreceptors, allowing quantification of cone density and comparison to the decline in functional vision. In this experiment the light-damaged rats showed decreased rod- and cone-driven function with partial recovery of responses 30 days later. Outer nuclear layer thickness …

Structure-Function Analysis Of Tyrosyl-Dna Phosphodiesterase I, Evan Comeaux

All ETDs from UAB

Tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase I (Tdp1) functions to remove 3'phospho-DNA adducts, such as eukaryotic DNA Topoisomerase I (Top1) covalently bound to the DNA by a 3'phospho-tyrosyl bond. As member of the Phospholipase D superfamily Tdp1 contains two HxK(n)N motifs, each of which provide a catalytic histidine: one functioning as a nucleophile to bind the 3'phosphate and the other as a general acid/base to hydrolyze Tdp1's 3'phospho-histidyl bond. Mutation of the general acid/base catalytic histidine (Hisgab) to arginine has been implicated in the autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disease SCAN1. Further study of the yeast enzyme revealed that substitution of Hisgab in yeast Tdp1 to …

Comparison Of Fabricated Carbon Nanotube Sorbent Felts And 3m Charcoal Sorbent Wafers To Assess Passive Sampling, Samantha Connell

All ETDs from UAB

Passive air sampling is the preferred method of air sampling for many applications. Traditionally, this method uses activated charcoal as the sorbent and samples are analyzed by chemical or thermal desorption. This research explores the use of carbon nanotubes in the form of a felt as a sorbent for passive sampling by comparing the mass uptake and percent yield to that of the 3MTM Organic Vapor Monitor (OVM) 3500 over four time trials. The desorption efficiency, adsorption capacity, and mass uptake of the fabricated felts are very similar to the 3MTM OVM 3500. It was expected that the fabricated felts …

Understanding The Function And Regulation Of Eukaryotic Release Factor 1, Erf1, Sara Elisabeth Conard

All ETDs from UAB

Translation termination is an essential eukaryotic process that facilitates the end of protein synthesis and mediates the release of the nascent peptide chain. Two release factors, eRF1 and eRF3, with the help of a ribosome recycling factor assist in this process. eRF1 and eRF3 form a stable complex through conserved regions in their C-terminal domains. The eRF1/eRF3 complex, along with GTP, is absolutely vital for efficient termination in vitro and in vivo. The role of eRF1 during translation termination is to recognize the stop codon located in the ribosome aminoacyl site, stimulate GTP hydrolysis of eRF3 and enable peptide release …

Tgf-Ss And Erg In Intervertebral Disc Development, Megan Karen Cox

All ETDs from UAB

The intervertebral disc (IVD) is a fibrocartilaginous tissue that acts as a shock absorber between adjacent vertebrae in the spinal column. It is comprised of two parts, the inner jelly-like nucleus pulposus (NP) and the outer more fibrous annulus fibrosus (AF). Most IVD research has focused on the development of the NP, which is derived from condensations of the notochord involving sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling. In contrast, very little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying the specific development of the AF of the IVD. The AF is derived from the sclerotome, which is formed by the ventral half of …

Selection And Evolution Of Pneumococci In Response To Conjugate Vaccines, Christina M. Croney

All ETDs from UAB

Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) containing subsets of the >90 capsular polysaccharide antigens have been successful as a means of decreasing invasive and non-invasive pneumococcal disease worldwide. However, this success is limited to the specif-ic capsular serotypes against which PCVs are formulated and studies have reported the increase of nonvaccine serotypes. The 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) was introduced in the United States in 2010 for the prevention of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and otitis media and was released without efficacy data. In this study we set out to 1) determine potential efficacy for invasive and noninvasive pneumococcal disease and 2) …

Utilizing A Hydroxyapatite-Binding Domain To Deliver Bone Regenerative Molecules To Hydroxyapatite And Allograft Bone To Enhance Osteogenesis, Bonnie Kathleen Culpepper

All ETDs from UAB

Hydroxyapatite (HA) makes up the mineral component of bone, and synthetic HA is commonly used to coat metal implants for use in dentistry and orthopedics. Additionally, allograft and synthetic HA are common alternatives to autograft bone, to circumvent the complications associated with a second surgery site. While both HA and allograft are known to be osteoconductive, osteoinductivity is limited. In this work, we developed methods for anchoring osteoinductive factors onto multiple types of HA biomaterials and human allograft bone, with the goal of enhancing their osteoregenerative potential. Specifically, a HA-binding domain, heptaglutamate (E7), modeled on bone-binding domains within native proteins, …

An Investigation Of Trem-Like Transcript 2 Expression, Kimberly Anne Thomas

All ETDs from UAB

Acute inflammation is a necessary component for the clearance of pathogens. Cells at the site of infection utilize highly conserved receptors to both recognize microbes and induce the production of pro-inflammatory stimuli. These stimuli set off a chain reaction that includes localized vasodilation, leukocyte infiltration, and tissue destruction, collectively known as inflammation. Tightly controlled, this process is protective, and can compartmentalize the damage to a defined area, but when dysregulated can be catastrophic, inducing chronic inflammation and even death. Families of innate receptors can modulate inflammatory processes, and in doing so, increase or decrease their severity, as well as tailor …

Influence Of Implant Angulation On The Fracture Resistance Of Zirconia Abutments, Shreedevi Thulasidas

All ETDs from UAB

Zirconia-based implant abutments are widely used in prosthetic dentistry. Custom made abutments are utilized to correct for non-ideal implant positions and can successfully accommodate the morphologic requirements of the overlying crown. It was hypothesized that there will be difference in fracture strength and fracture mode of artificially aged zirconia implant abutments supported by implants at varying angulation, when load is applied to failure on overlying zirconia crowns. The implant-abutment-crown assemblies were subjected to steam autoclaving to induce some degree of phase transformation from tetragonal to weaker monoclinic form and to thermo-cycling to artificially age the samples. The effects of loading …

Neutropenia And Progenitor Cell Mobilization In Ap3-B1 Mutant Pearl Mice, Matthew Vallejo

All ETDs from UAB

Mutations in the AP3-ß1 gene are known to cause Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome type 2 (HPS2) in humans and canine cyclic hematopoiesis (CH) in gray collie dogs. HPS2 patients have severe congenital neutropenia (SCN), and dogs have cyclic neutropenia (CN). The mechanism behind neutropenia is uncertain. Pearl mice have an AP3-ß1 mutation, but whether they actually have neutropenia has not yet been evaluated. This dissertation presents a discussion of the evaluation of neutropenia in pearl mice, hematopoietic progenitor cell mobilization defect in pearl mice and finally an evaluation of methods of dog-to-mouse xenotransplantation to establish a xenotransplant model of the dog hematopoietic …