Digital Commons Network^™

Three-Dimensional Photography Of Facial Morphology Of Adult African-Americans Compared To Various Population Sets, Leslie Talbert

All ETDs from UAB

The purpose of this study is to compare the facial morphologies of an adult African-American population to an adult Caucasian-American population using three-dimensional surface imaging. Materials and Methods: Three-dimensional facial images were captured via a stereo-photogrammetric camera system (3dMDfaceTM system). One hundred images of each population (African-American and Caucasian-American) were taken. Subjects were between 19-30 years of age, normal BMI, and no gross craniofacial anomalies. All facial images were aligned and combined using Rapidform 2006 Plus Pack 2 software to produce a male and female facial average for each population. The facial averages were then superimposed for comparison and the …

Effects Of Light Spectra And Uv Radiation In Relation To Dietary Carotenoids On The Sea Urchin Lytechinus Variegatus, James Christopher Taylor

All ETDs from UAB

An important factor in the marketability of sea urchin gonad is color. A marketable color is suggested to be dependent upon the in vivo accumulation of red and yellow carotenoid pigments within the gonad. Carotenoids obtained through the diet can be modified in sea urchins, but the function of these carotenoids is unknown. We hypothesize that differential light exposure can affect carotenoid deposition and, as a consequence, gonad color in sea urchins. We performed two experiments to determine if light spectra affect gonad color of Lytechinus variegatus. In the first experiment, urchins were fed a formulated feed supplemented with or …

Patient-Centered Medical Homes: An Analysis Of The Effects Of Practice Capabilities On Costs, Mary Temm

All ETDs from UAB

The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between Patient-Centered Medical Homes (PCMH) practice capabilities and costs. Complexity science theory was used to develop a theoretical framework to address three primary and twelve secondary hypotheses. Secondary data from a consortium of physician organizations participating in Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan's Physician Group Incentive Program and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan's administrative claims data were used to test hypothesized relationships using fixed effects panel regression models. It was found that higher levels of aggregated PCMH practice capabilities were negatively associated with certain costs, specifically average readmission costs. …

Plga Nanospheres For Sustained Release Of Rifampicin, Alyssa Brianna Terry

All ETDs from UAB

Although Tuberculosis (TB) is often regarded as a disease of the past, it is still one of the leading killers of people worldwide. TB is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a bacterium that mostly infects the lungs but can also infect other organs throughout the body. One goal for TB treatment is to create a biocompatible, biodegradable drug delivery system that employs the use of multiple drugs while simultaneously relieving the patient from the burden of self-medicating. For this study, we optimized a procedure for making poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanospheres and loading Rifampicin, one of the most potent and least …

Carbon Dioxide Enhanced Oil Recovery From The Citronelle Oil Field And Carbon Sequestration In The Donovan Sand, Southwest Alabama, Konstantinos A. Theodorou

All ETDs from UAB

Capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) from stationary sources and injecting it into deep underground geologic formations has been identified as a viable method for reducing carbon emissions to the atmosphere. Sedimentary rocks, such as sandstones overlain by shales or evaporites, are the preferred formations because their morphology and structure provide pore space, and containment for the long term storage of CO2. Sandstone formations have also served as repositories to migrating hydrocarbons, and are the sites of many oil recovery operations. For many depleted oil reservoirs, secondary waterflooding recovery methods are no longer efficient or economically viable, hence the application of tertiary …

Remarital Chances, Choices, And Economic Consequences: Issues Of Social And Personal Welfare, Kevin Shafer, Todd M. Jensen

Faculty Publications

Many divorced women experience a significant decline financial, social, physical and psychological well-being following a divorce. Using data from the NLSY79 (n = 2,520) we compare welfare recipients, mothers, and impoverished women to less marginalized divorcees on remarriage chances. Furthermore, we look at the kinds of men these women marry by focusing on the employment and education of new spouses. Finally, we address how remarriage and spousal quality (as defined by education and employment) impact economic well-being after divorce. Our results show that remarriage has positive economic effects, but that is dependent upon spousal quality. However, such matches are …

The Origin, Regulation, And Function Of Tbet In Effector Cd4 T Cells During Chronic Autoimmune Disease, Wen-I Yeh

All ETDs from UAB

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease resulting from aberrant immune cells causing demyelination. We utilize the well-studied mouse model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), to decipher the underlying pathogenesis of MS. Effector CD4 T-cells play a critical role during EAE because the disease is induced by adoptively transferring myelin-specific CD4 T-cells into naïve mice. Classically, effector CD4 T-cells have been divided into distinct subsets based on their functional properties: Th1 cells produce IFNγ, Th2 cells secrete IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13, Th17 cells make IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-21, and IL-22, and regulatory T cells produce IL-10. Th1 cells were originally identified as …

Regulation Of Stim1 By O-Glcnacylation In Cardiomyocytes, Xiaoyuan Zhu-Mauldin

All ETDs from UAB

In non-excitable cells, STIM1 and Orai1 are the primary mediators of store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE); however little is known about their roles in cardiomyocyte Ca2+ handling. We have previously shown that acute increases in the levels of O-GlcNAcylation (the attachment of O-linked N- acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) to target proteins) are cardioprotective through attenuating Ca2+-mediated injury and increased O-GlcNAcylation blunts SOCE in cardiomyocytes. Therefore, the goals here were to determine the regulation of STIM1 and STIM1-mediated SOCE by O-GlcNAcylation in cardiomyocytes. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated the co-localization of STIM1 with SERCA and RyR in adult cardiomyocytes. NRVMs were transfected with the eYFP-tagged STIM1 …

The Role Of Nr4a3 And Its Agonists In Skeletal Muscle Glucose Transport And Insulin Sensitivity, Qinglan Liu

All ETDs from UAB

Insulin resistance plays a central role in the pathogenesis of Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM) and involves diminished stimulation of glucose transport in skeletal muscle. Improvements in insulin sensitivity are essential for both prevention and treatment of T2DM. However, the limitation of current medications highlights the need for alternative molecular regulators of insulin action and developing new insulin sensitizers. Our laboratory has initially identified roles for the orphan nuclear receptor NR4A3 in insulin-sensitization and stimulation of glucose transport. However, the cellular effect and downstream mechanisms of NR4A3 and its agonists (e.g. 6-mercaptopurine/6-MP) on insulin effector system in skeletal muscle remain unknown. …

Investigation Of Death Receptor-5 Mediated Apoptosis And Inhibition Of Wnt/Ss-Catenin Signaling In Basal-Like Breast Cancer Stem Cells, Angelina Ix-Ik' Londono-Joshi

All ETDs from UAB

Basal-like breast cancers (BLBC) display aggressive clinical behavior attributed to the presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs). TRA-8, a monoclonal antibody that binds specifically to TRAIL death receptor 5, preferentially induces apoptosis in BLBC subtype cells; however it is unknown if TRA-8 is also cytotoxic to the CSC population. Moreover, some BLBC cell lines are resistant to TRA-8, and overcoming resistance is critical for clinical translation of this therapy. One potential approach to overcome TRA- 8 resistance is to target the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway. LRP6 is a cell surface receptor that is an indispensable element of the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway that …

Blood Pressure And Tobacco Exposure Among Rural Adolescents Ages 15-18, Luz Huntington-Moskos

All ETDs from UAB

High blood pressure is a prevalent precursor to cardiovascular disease. An estimated 3% of US adolescents have hypertension. In addition, prehypertension is predictive of hypertension in adolescents, with progression between these stages at approximately 7% per year. Tobacco use/exposure is strongly linked to cardiovascular risk and disease in adults. Further, rural communities have higher tobacco use prevalence and fewer community policies restricting tobacco use. Little is known about the effects of tobacco exposure on blood pressure and the mediating effects of inflammation (salivary C-reactive protein (CRP)) in rural adolescents. The purpose of this study is to determine the relationships between …

Intracellular Quantitation And Pharmacokinetic Modeling Of Nucleoside Analogs In The Female Genital Tract, Amanda Marie James

All ETDs from UAB

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is one of the leading infectious diseases in the world. In spite of substantial progress in the advancement of antiretroviral therapy for HIV treatment, new infections outpace the number of infected persons initiating ART. Therefore, the prevention of HIV remains a crucial health issue. Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, (PrEP), which involves using one or more antiretroviral agents to reduce the risk of HIV infection prior to potential exposure, has shown effectiveness at reducing HIV transmission in study volunteers with different sexual orientation around the world. The clinical pharmacology of antiretroviral drugs, specifically tenofovir (TFV) and emtricitabine (FTC), in …

Interracial Couple Status In Relation To Birth Outcomes Among Singleton Infants Born To U.S. Resident Mothers, 2004-2008., Su Jin Jeong

All ETDs from UAB

Due to the growing trend in interracial marriages in the United States, the issue of birth outcomes to infants born to such couples deserves more attention and examination. The purpose of this population-based, cross-sectional, observational study is to examine the association between interracial couple status and birth outcomes (i.e. low birth weight, very low birth weight, preterm birth, very preterm birth, small for gestational age) among singleton infants delivered in the United States. Interracial couples are defined as those in a relationship who are not of the same race or ethnic designation. Non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, Hispanic, Asian, Chinese, Filipino, …

The Influence Of Pornography On Sexual Scripts And Hooking Up Among Emerging Adults In College, Scott R. Braithwaite, Gwen Coulson, Krista Keddington, Frank D. Fincham

Faculty Publications

The explosive growth in access to the Internet has led to a commensurate increase in the availability, anonymity, and affordability of pornography. An emerging body of research has shown associations between pornography and certain behaviors and attitudes; yet, how pornography actually influences these outcomes has not been documented. In two studies (Study 1N=969; Study 2N=992) we examined the hypothesis that pornography influences potentially risky sexual behavior (hooking up) among emerging adults via sexual scripts. Our results demonstrate that more frequent viewing of pornography is associated with a higher incidence of hooking up and a higher number of unique hook up …

An Exploratory Investigation Of Marital Functioning And Order Of Spousal Onset In Couples Concordant For Psychopathology, Scott R. Braithwaite, Kimberly Van Orden, Mike Anestis, Katherine Merrill Timmons, Frank Fincham, Thomas E. Joiner Jr., Peter M. Lewinsohn

Faculty Publications

Individuals with a psychiatric disorder are significantly more likely to have a spouse with a clinical diagnosis—marital concordance. We used a community sample of 304 couples concordant for either Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) or Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) to examine the relationship between marital functioning and gendered patterns of mental health diagnosis onset. For SUD concordance, couples in which wives onset before husbands—in spite of typical later onset for males—reported lower levels of marital satisfaction compared to couples in which the husband onset first. For MDD concordance, couples in which husbands onset with depression before wives—in spite of typical later …

Prediction Of Sawdust Pyrolysis Yields From A Flat-Flame Burner Using The Cpd Model, Aaron D. Lewis, Thomas H. Fletcher

Faculty Publications

High heating rate pyrolysis experiments were performed on a softwood sawdust in a flat-flame burner reactor at temperatures from 1163 to 1433 K with particle residence times ranging from 23 to 102 ms at atmospheric pressure. Volatile yields of the 45−75 μm sawdust were measured and are believed to be similar to those that would occur in an industrial entrained-flow combustor or gasifier. A refractory tar yield near 1.5 wt % (dry, ash-free) was measured. A high percentage of the fully pyrolyzed sawdust char was spherical, having lost the original sawdust structure. It is suggested that the morphology of sawdust …

Universal Reading Processes Are Modulated By Language And Writing System, Charles A. Perfetti, Lindsay N. Harris

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

The connections among language, writing system, and reading are part of what confronts a child in learning to read. We examine these connections in addressing how reading processes adapt to the variety of written language and how writing adapts to language. The first adaptation (reading to writing), as evidenced in behavioral and neuroscience data, is achieved through a universal constraint that language places on writing and through the tuning of reading procedures imposed by specific features of writing systems. Children acquire skill in reading through increasing specialization of procedures tuned to their writing system, while also acquiring more general (universal) …

Federal Constitutional Childcare Interests And Superior Parental Rights In Illinois, Jeffrey A. Parness

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

Even without a majority rationale, the opinions in Troxel v. Granville, 530 U.S. 57 (2000), support the notion that there are federal constitutional “liberty interests of parents in the care, custody, and control of their children” which generally foreclose state – compelled nonparent childcare over parental objections. They also recognize there can be exceptions, including perhaps when parental wishes are accorded “at least some special weight;” when “harm or potential harm” to children may ensue; when there are already “substantial relationships” between children and nonparents; or when states legitimately seek to preserve “established familial or family-like bonds.” As well, the …

Parentage Law (R)Evolution: The Key Questions, Jeffrey A. Parness

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

American state parentage laws have evolved significantly in the past half century in response to changes in both reproductive technologies and human conduct. Yet further evolution, if not a revolution, seems inevitable. In particular, American state laws increasingly recognize parenthood by consent for a nonbiological and nonadoptive parent-like figure in an intimate or familial relationship with a child’s biological or adoptive parent. Lawmakers, especially state legislators, will need to consider who may be granted standing as parents to seek court-ordered childcare, including former stepparents, former boyfriends and girlfriends, and present and former grandparents. As well, they must ponder whether standing …

The Impact Of Parental Involvement On A Structured Youth Program Experience: A Qualitative Inquiry, Mat D. Duerden, Peter A. Witt, Christopher J. Harrist

Faculty Publications

Parental involvement is an often proposed, but rarely researched, key element of youth programs. Questions remain regarding the impact of parental involvement on program processes and outcomes. Qualitative data were collected over a one-year period with youth participants (n=46), parents (n=26), and teachers (n=5) associated with an international immersion/service learning program for adolescents. Three main research questions guided the data analysis: (1) what role does parental involvement play in the youths’ experience in the program; (2) how does parental involvement in the program influence the parent/child relationship; and (3) what role does parental involvement play in terms of the program’s …

Physical Properties Of Marine Sediments And Their Application Toward Climate Change Studies, Tania Lado Insua

Open Access Dissertations

The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) is the world’s largest collaborative research initiative for the study of the ocean seafloor, subseafloor, and their application to earth system science. The processing of recovered cores from the subseafloor by IODP has been standardized to maintain constant, reproducible results and to make the measurements available to the scientific community using a worldwide- web based database. The study of physical properties is a basic requirement for the study of marine sediments as they form a foundation data set for most of earth system dynamic studies.

This thesis focuses on solving four different scientific problems …

An Inversion Scheme For Shear Wave Speed Using Scholte Wave Dispersion, Jennifer L. Giard

Open Access Master's Theses

Acoustic propagation in littoral waters is greatly affected by seafloor sediment properties. Shear properties of sediments are also directly related to the strength of sediments for geotechnical applications. These factors emphasize the importance of estimating shear wave speeds in semi-consolidated shallow water sediments. One of the most promising approaches to estimate shear speed is to invert the shear speed profile using the dispersion of seismo-acoustic interface (Scholte) waves that travel along the water-sediment boundary. The propagation speed and attenuation of Scholte waves are closely related to the shear wave speed and attenuation over a depth of 1-2 wavelengths into the …

Respite Care, Marital Quality, And Stress In Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Amber Harper, Tina Taylor, James Harper, Susanne Olsen Roper, Mikle South

Faculty Publications

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are at risk for having higher stress and lower marital quality than other parents. Survey data regarding respite care, marital quality, and daily hassles and uplifts were obtained from 101 mother-father dyads who were together raising at least one child with ASD (total # of children = 118). Number of hours of respite care was positively related to improved marital quality for both husbands and wives, such that a one-hour increase in weekly respite care was associated with a one-half standard deviation increase in marital quality. This relationship was significantly mediated by …

Use Of Magnetic And Olfactory Cues For Orientation By A Fossorial Rodent, Thomomys Talpoides, Dustin J. Cousins

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

"Fossorial, or below ground, living provides shelter from the elements and some predators, but comes at a cost with respect to metabolic requirements of movement and reduced, or altered, sensory cues. I examined the ability of the North American pocket gopher, Thomomys talpoides, to use magnetoreception and olfaction in navigation and foraging. Magnetoreception was tested using three manipulative experiments: 1) field homing of displaced animals, 2) nest location in an 8-arm maze, and 3) movement through a complex labyrinth. Homing results, analyzed by V-test, indicated that the gophers displaced from their burrow systems relied on magnetic cues for homing orientation. …

Predation, Turbidity, And Other Factors Influencing Juvenile Salmonid Survival In The Lower Snake River, Devin M. Sontag

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

"The object of this study was to quantify consumption rates of juvenile salmonids by three introduced species, smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), walleye (Sander vitreus) and channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). Consumption information is crucial because the construction of the Snake River hydrosystem has created a series of reservoirs, which have altered the river 's flow regimes, riparian vegetation, and turbidity. Further, several non-native fishes have been introduced as sport fish into the Lower Snake River. This combination of physical alterations and new biological interactions with introduced species has reduced the survival of anadromous salmonids in the Lower Snake River. Currently all …

The Ogbanje In Little Bee By Chris Cleave, Courtney A. Harler

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

"In Chris Cleave's 2008 novel Little Bee, he offers readers a literary representation of the Nigerian spirit-child for the purpose of political and post-colonial examination. Cleave's intentions are revealed through a full study of this traditional Nigerian concept. The Nigerian spirit-child, known as the ogbanje in the lgbo language and the abiku in the Yoruba language of Western Nigeria, is imprisoned in an endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. The concept of the ogbanje-abiku is indeed related to the overall concept of reincarnation, but it differs in the sense that the child who is unduly linked to the spirit …

Using Board Games To Teach Physics, Kadia Mohammad Alfaifi

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

"This was an exploratory study that examined how board games affect students' motivation and learning of content about science (Physics). Quasi-Experiment research was used to determine the academic effects of the board game as well as an attitudinal survey to evaluate motivation. Participants were selected by a convenience sample from undergraduate courses in the Department of Education at a regional university. Participants were taught by two methods: using a board game and traditional (lecture). Participants in both groups gave a pretest to determine their knowledge of physics followed by posttest to determine their retention after using the board game, or …

Dna Barcoding Of Jatropha Curcas, Terence L. Stephens

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

"DNA barcoding involves sequencing a standard region of DNA to be used as a tool for rapid species identification. The cytochrome C oxidase gene (COXI) is widely accepted as the standard barcode for animals and currently there is no barcode for land plants. The Consortium for the Barcode of Life (CBOL) has proposed two regions of DNA to be used as a dual-locus barcode. In this study I examine the two proposed barcoding regions, ribulose-1 ,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (rbcL) and maturase K (matK) for their ease of amplification, discrimatory power, and sequence quality in Jatropha curcas, Jatropha podagrica, Latuca sativa, and …

Sensory Exploitation And Condition Indication May Explain Red Pelvic Spines In The Brook Stickleback Culaea Inconstans, Andrew Hodgson

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

"Background: Sensory bias models of the evolution of sexually selected traits predict that trait preferences evolve in a nonsexual context such as prey selection. Indicator models predict that sexually selected traits indicate mate condition. I investigated the potential for sensory exploitation and condition indication models to explain the evolution of what appears to be a recently evolved sexually selected trait. Question: Did red pelvic spine coloration in male Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge (TNWR) brook stickleback (Cu!aea inconstans) evolve to exploit a preexisting sensory bias for red prey, thus helping males draw females to the nest? Or, did it evolve as …

Ecohydrology Effects Of An Invasive Grass (Phalaris Arundinacea) On Semi-Arid Riparian Zones, Adam D. Gebauer

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

"Riparian areas (floodplains) provide key ecological functions that are linked to the ecohydrology however; they are particularly susceptible to invasion by alien species. In much of the western United States, riparian zones are shifting from native woody and herbaceous species to invasive grass dominated ecosystems that may alter hydrology, including changes to stream flow. Compared to the woody species they often replace, dense grass stands may have higher rates of growth (productivity) and water loss through leaves (transpiration), yet may access shallower water sources and thus reduce stream flow. In eastern Washington, many streams experience low flow that degrades water …