Digital Commons Network^™

The Direct Effects And Vertical Transfer Of Carbonaceous And Metal-Loaded Hydrochars In Aquatic Organisms, Katie Lauren Kohlenberg

All ETDs from UAB

Industrial use of reactive micro- and nano-sized carbonaceous hydrochar (CH) is expanding rapidly. These carbonaceous particulates are synthesized by the pyrolysis of biomass in an industrial process called hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) and have gained attention as a soil conditioner. Additionally, the HTC process is being expanded to coat heavy-metal nanoparticles, such as nano-copper and nano-iron, to prevent surface oxidation of these metals. These carbonaceous particles are likely to undergo secondary reactions with metals, toxicants, or other compounds. There is potential for these carbonaceous particulates to enter watersheds and have deleterious effects on aquatic food web dynamics. In this study, we …

Effect Of Abutment Position On Retention After Cyclic Loading Of Cantilevered Y-Tzp Fpds, Aikaterini Kostagianni

All ETDs from UAB

Purpose: The influence of the vertical abutment positions on the retention of a three-unit implant supported cantilevered FPD restoration was measured and compared. Methods: The study included four groups (n=10) of cantilevered FPDs restorations, fabricated of monolithic zirconia. Prefabricated titanium implant abutments were used and connected to their analogs. The analogs were fixated on a split mold and their vertical position was adjusted on a 2 mm bases depending on the group, resulting also to an alteration of the occlusal thickness of the restorative material. The prosthesis were cemented to the abutments with Rely X Luting Plus resin modified glass …

Evaluation Of Tau As A Target For Alzheimer Disease And Other Conditions With Epileptiform Activity, Zhiyong Li

All ETDs from UAB

Alzheimer disease (AD) is a devastating neurological condition that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills of the affected patients. No disease-modifying medications are available. While all the treatment against Aߒ (major component of one hallmark pathology of AD) failed in clinical trials, tau (major component of the other hallmark pathology of AD) is emerging as a better alternative. Germline knockout of tau does not cause overt abnormalities in young mice and prevents AD-like deficits in mouse models of AD. Germline knockout of tau also confers resistance to epileptiform activity in models of both AD and epilepsy. Therefore tau is proposed …

Poly(N-Vinylcaprolactam) Based Thermoresponsive Nanostructured Materials, Xing Liang

All ETDs from UAB

Poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) (PVCL) is a temperature-responsive polymer displaying a low critical solution temperature (LCST) around 30 to 40℃ in aqueous solutions that is close to the human physiological temperature. In addition, compared to other ther-moresponsive polymers, PVCL is nontoxic and biocompatible. In this thesis, we will fo-cus on the synthesis, fabrication and characterization of PVCL-based thermoresponsive nanostructured materials, such as films, hydrogels and block copolymers and their poten-tial applications in biomedical and medical areas. In chapter 2, we report on nanothin multilayer hydrogels of cross-linked PVCL that exhibited distinctive and reversible thermoresponsive behavior. The single-component PVCL hydrogels were produced by selective …

Anatomical And Neurochemical Investigation Of The Brain In Autism, Lauren E. Libero

All ETDs from UAB

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder with widespread behavioral symptoms and a strong neurobiological origin. Neuroimaging studies of ASD have uncovered evidence for widespread abnormalities in brain anatomy and functioning. Abnormalities reported by structural brain imaging, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) studies have aided in characterizing ASD as a complex, systems-wide disorder. The overarching goal of this project was to use multiple modalities of neuroimaging to investigate the underlying neural mechanisms of ASD. The following techniques were used to collect and analyze multimodal neuroimaging data from a relatively large number of participants …

Ksrp Ablation Enhances Lipolysis In White Adipose Tissue Through Reduced Mir-145 Expression, Yi-Yu Lin

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White adipose tissue (WAT) releases fatty acids from stored triacylglycerol (TAG) for energy source. Here, we report that null mice for KH-type splicing regulatory protein (KSRP), an RNA-binding protein, resisted high fat diet (HFD) induced obesity. Target of deletion of KSRP regulates gene expression at multiple levels and enhances lipolysis in epididymal WAT (eWAT) due to up-regulation of genes promoting lipolytic activity. Expression of miR-145 is decreased due to impaired pri-miR-145 processing in Ksrp-/- eWAT. We show that miR-145 directly targets and represses Foxo1 and Cgi58, activators of lipolytic activity, and forced expression of miR-145 attenuates lipolysis. This study reveals …

Transmitted/Founder Siv In The Rhesus Macaque Model Of Hiv-1 Infection, Mike Lopker

All ETDs from UAB

Vitally important to HIV-1 vaccine and prevention studies is a well-characterized animal model that recapitulates the salient features of HIV infection in humans. SIVmac and SIVsmm infection of rhesus macaques share key virological and pathological parallels with HIV-1 infection of humans including target cell entry via CD4 and CCR5 (Edinger et al., 1997), progressive T cell loss (Swanstrom & Coffin, 2012), generalized immune activation and preferential loss of mucosal Th17 cells (Brenchley et al., 2008; Klatt & Brenchley, 2010), and a vigorous but ultimately ineffective adaptive immune response. Though commonly used as a vaccine challenge strain in the macaque model, …

Exploring Intrinsic Biomarkers For Optical Assessment Of Outer Retina, Rongwen Lu

All ETDs from UAB

The retina suffers pathological changes after attacked by eye diseases. The objective of my PhD dissertation is to explore intrinsic biomarkers for noninvasive assessment of retinal morphological structure and physiological function. Fundus autofluorescence (FAF), optical coherence tomography (OCT), etc. have provided indispensable information for eye disease detection. However, better understanding of the intrinsic biomarkers in FAF and OCT is desirable for quantitative interpretation of clinical outcomes. The first specific aim of the dissertation research was to characterize FAF signals across the whole retinal depth using two-photon excitation. FAF signals are usually attributable to fluorophores from the choroidal vessel and the …

The Role Of The Autophagy-Lysosome Pathway In In Vitro Models Of Neurodegeneration, Burton Mader

All ETDs from UAB

Recent studies have provided strong evidence that alterations in protein degradation pathways, such as the autophagy-lysosome pathway (ALP), may contribute to neuronal dysfunction and death which lead to clinical symptoms diagnosed with various neurodegenerative diseases. Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by neuromuscular abnormalities resulting from the pathological loss of substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons and widespread detection of Lewy bodies, intracellular protein inclusions composed primarily of α-synuclein. Additionally, altered gene function regulating the expression of α-synuclein has been directly linked to the PD pathogenesis. Autophagy is an intracellular degradation process that when altered can lead to the accumulation neurotoxic proteins such …

Night Comes Early To The Valley, Caitlin Murphree Miller

All ETDs from UAB

Night Comes Early to the Valley is a collection of short stories about vulnerable, flawed people trying to discover the best way to live their lives. They are well-meaning mothers, fathers, children, and lovers, yet all struggle to balance the fulfillment of their personal responsibilities with the realization of their deepest individual desires. The collection highlights characters who are desperate to atone for their mistakes, build brighter futures, and live up to the expectations of their loved ones--only to realize, over time, that the most formidable judge they'll ever face is their own conscience.

The Role Of Ih In 4-Aminopyridine Induced Epileptiform Activity, Steven Patrick Palladino

All ETDs from UAB

significantly different from sex ratios of control groups produced at constant incubation

Altered Dna Methylation Contributes To Temporal Lobe Epilepsy And Associated Memory Deficits, Robert Ryley Parrish

All ETDs from UAB

Status epilepticus (SE) triggers molecular mechanisms that underlie the cellular and network changes that occur during the development of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Additionally, gene expression alterations occur during epileptogenesis and in the epileptic brain that contribute to the persistence of the phenotype. However, the underlying epigenetic mechanisms responsible for aberrant gene expression that occur with epilepsy require further investigation. This dissertation investigates how DNA methylation in the hippocampus affects epilepsy and contributes to the memory impairments associated with the disorder. We found that DNA methylation was altered in a hippocampal subregion specific manner in the epileptic brain, displaying altered …

Bio-Hybrid Tubular Electrospun Scaffold For Vascular Tissue Engineering Application, Harsh Narendrakumar Patel

All ETDs from UAB

Atherosclerosis is an asymmetric thickening of the intima (innermost layer) of the artery due to plaque (a combination of lipids, debris, connective tissue elements and cells) build up causing the artery to become narrower and stiffer, resulting in a major hemodynamic disturbance[1, 2]. When atherosclerosis affects coronary arteries and prevents blood flow to the heart muscles posing a threat of, or a actual myocardial infarction, that condition is identified as coronary artery disease (CAD). To treat severely blocked coronary arteries,coronary artery bypass grafts (CABG) have became the gold standard for when angioplasty and stent placement has failed to unclog the …

Akhuwat Issue No. 92, Aga Khan University

AKHUWAT Newsletters

• AKU Pakistan Convocation Held
• University Awards of Distinction - Convocation 2013
• Post Graduate Medical Education-Convocation 2013
• University’s Expansion into Liberal Arts
• Awards Night 2013
• Face to Face with Dr Mughis Sherani Associate Dean PGME
• JCIA Library of Measures -Dashboard
• Service Excellence 2013
• New teleconsultation link connects Gilgit
• Medical Centre and AKU Karachi
• Happenings and Achievements

Biology, Ecology, And Conservation Of Hatchling And Post-Hatchling Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys Terrapin Pileata), Tandy Dolin Petrov

All ETDs from UAB

The diamondback terrapin has been considered a keystone species along its range in the coastal, brackish estuaries bordering the Atlantic Coast and Gulf of Mexico. Historically, diamondback terrapin populations have been numerous; however, in Alabama; the population has dramatically declined over the past century due to a variety of threats. The threats in Alabama include predation by raccoons, incidental drowning in crab traps, as well as road mitigated mortality. Because of these threats, collaboration efforts between UAB, USA, DISL, and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, a head-start program has been initiated to mitigate the predation of hatchlings. …

Power Issues And Internal Pilot Designs For Cluster-Randomized Trials With Unequal Cluster Sizes, Ashutosh Ranjan

All ETDs from UAB

Cluster-randomized trials that randomize groups of individuals, instead of individuals themselves, run the risk of being underpowered when they are designed assuming equal cluster sizes but end up recruiting unequal clusters. The loss in power of the trial is directly related to the amount of variation present among the cluster sizes. To overcome the loss in power, researchers often employ a weighted analysis of the cluster means. Different weighting procedures have been developed that appear to maintain the power of the trial but there have been fewer attempts to describe the impact of different weights on the type I error …

Molecular And Functional Interaction Of Runx2 And Sp7 For Development Of The Osteoblast Phenotype, Harunur Rashid

All ETDs from UAB

Runx2 and Sp7 transcription factors are essential for skeletogenesis. Deletion of either gene in mice results in failure of bone tissue development. However, underlying mechanisms responsible for a surprisingly similar phenotype by two distinctly unrelated proteins remain unknown. Sp7 is a Runx2 downstream target gene and is not expressed in Runx2 null mice. Thus, the Runx2 null model represents a compound phenotype of loss of both proteins. In contrast, normal levels of Runx2 mRNA are noted in Sp7 null mice. The failure of Runx2 to promote bone formation in Sp7 null mice suggests that Sp7 is required for Runx2 function …

Epithelial Sodium Channel Purification And X-Ray Crystallographic Studies, Bharat G. Reddy

All ETDs from UAB

Epithelial sodium channels (ENaC) play a critical role in maintaining Na+ homeostasis in various tissues throughout our body. Understanding of ENaC structure is mediated from studies of the homologous acid sensing ion channel 1 (ASIC1). However, ENaC has sev-eral notable functional differences compared to ASIC1, thereby providing justification for determination of its three-dimensional structure. Unfortunately, this goal remains elu-sive due to several experimental challenges. Of the subunits that comprise a physiological hetero-trimeric ENaC (α, ß, and γ), the α-subunit alone is of significant interest. αENaC is unique in that it is capable of forming a homo-trimeric structure capable of conducting …

Exploring The Impact Of Youth Participation In Community Service On Health Behaviors, Kymber Nigel Williams

All ETDs from UAB

hydric environment on sex ratios using the red-eared slider, Trachemys scripta, as a

Combined Effects Of Corexit Ec 9500a With Secondary Abiotic And Biotic Stressors In The Rotifer Brachionus Plicatilis, Michael Britt Williams

All ETDs from UAB

Following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill the dispersant Corexit EC 9500A (C-9500) was applied to facilitate rapid oil degradation. C-9500 toxicity has been evaluated on a number of marine species; however, many of these studies do not account for environmental conditions that may increase negative outcomes related to dispersant exposure in the wild. We examined lethality and behavioral effects of C-9500 exposure on the model marine zooplankton Brachionus plicatilis. We also evaluated interactions of abiotic and biotic stressors that may alter outcomes of exposure. C-9500 exposure at standard husbandry conditions (17.5ppt, 24°C, 200 rotifer*ml-1 density) produced a 24 hr median …

Identification Of A New Schwannomatosis-Predisposing Gene And Study Of Splicing Defects Caused By Deep Intronic Nf1 Mutations Causing Neurofibromatosis Type 1, Jing Xie

All ETDs from UAB

Schwannomatosis is the third major form of the neurofibromatoses. Constitutional mutations in the SMARCB1 gene have been found only in ~50% of familial and <10% of sporadic schwannomatosis patients, suggesting additional predisposing genes exist. In the present study, we sequenced 3.72 Mb of evolutionary conserved sequences along 22q in 8 schwannomatosis patients without a SMARCB1 mutation in blood or schwannomas, and had a molecular signature consisting of somatic partial loss of 22q and a different NF2 mutation in every schwannoma. We identified LZTR1 germline mutations in 7/8 patients. Targeted sequencing of LZTR1 in 12 further patients with the same molecular signature identified 9 additional germline mutations. Loss of heterozygosity with retention of the LZTR1 mutation was present in all 25 schwannomas studied. Mutations segregated with disease in all available affected first-degree relatives. Our findings identify LZTR1 as a gene predisposing to an autosomal dominant inherited disorder of multiple schwannomas in ~80% SMARCB1-negative 22q-related schwannomatosis patients. Neurofibromatosis type 1, another major form of neurofibromatoses, is caused by loss-of-function mutations in the NF1 gene. Approximately 2% of identified NF1 mutations are deep intronic splice mutations causing the inclusion of an intronic cryptic exon in the mature mRNA. In the present study, we identified 12 different deep intronic splice mutations in 15 unrelated probands, resulting in exonization of different fragments from intron 30(23.2) or 31(23a). This study describes the largest collection of deep intronic mutations in NF1 reported so far, and pinpoints specifically the intronic sequences flanking the alternatively spliced exon 31(23a) as a hotspot for NF1 intronic splice defects. Further investigation by fragment and cloning analysis uncovered that the deep intronic mutations residing either 5' or 3' of exon 31(23a) predominantly or preferentially affect the type II isoform including exon 31(23a), suggesting that alternative splicing of exon 31(23a) depends and is regulated by multiple flanking intronic sequences.

Statistical Methods For Set-Based Association Tests In Genetic Studies, Qi Yan

All ETDs from UAB

This dissertation research focuses on developing statistical methods for set-based association tests at both pathway and gene levels in genetic studies. Set based analysis considers the biological hierarchical structure, while traditional genome-wide association studies usually focus on single-marker analysis which only access marginal effect. Therefore, pathway analysis may potentially complement single-marker analysis and provide additional insights for the genetic architecture of complex diseases. In the first study, we propose a novel way for pathway analysis that assesses the effects of genes using the sequence kernel association test (SKAT) and the effects of pathways via an extended adaptive-rank-truncated product statistic. For …

Targeting Reactive Oxygen Species Production To Prevent Left Ventricle Remodeling In Volume Overload, Danielle Marie Yancey

All ETDs from UAB

Mechanisms of left ventricular dysfunction in cardiac volume overload (VO) are not well understood and currently, no medical therapy exists to treat this condition. Cardiac VO is marked by eccentric remodeling and contractile dysfunction ultimately resulting in cardiac failure. Oxidative stress is implicated in the pathophysiology of heart failure and recent evidence suggests mitochondrially- produced reactive oxygen species play a role in VO. To study VO, we used a rat model of aortocaval fistula (ACF). ACF results in early diastolic stress on the left ventricle (LV) and recapitulates the progressive nature of heart failure with contractile function being initially maintained …

Nonlinear Optical Characterizations Of Bithiophenes With Phosphorus Containing Substituents, Yuanli Zhang

All ETDs from UAB

This dissertation describes experimental and theoretical studies of the nonlinear optical (NLO) absorption mechanisms in chalcogenidodiphenylphosphino-substituted bithiophenes and phosphonato-substituted bithiophenes. The NLO properties of these compounds were studied by measurements of NLO absorption versus input energy and Z-scan experiments. Both of these NLO experiments were performed in the picosecond (ps) and nanosecond (ns) time regimes in the blue spectral region. These experiments demonstrate that these compounds exhibit both high linear transmissions and strong nonlinear absorptions in the blue spectral region. Saturated solutions of the bithiophenes monosubstituted with chalcogenatodiphenylphosphino groups exhibit the highest NLO absorbances of picosecond laser pulses that have …

High Spatiotemporal Resolution Mapping Of Retinal Physiology, Qiuxiang Zhang

All ETDs from UAB

The objective of my PhD dissertation research is to explore high resolution imaging of retinal function using transient intrinsic optical signals (IOSs) correlated with retinal physiological activation. The retina is responsible for capturing photons and preliminary visual information processing. Functional examination of retinal neural cells is important for eye disease detection and treatment evaluation. It is known that different diseases can target different retinal cell types, and thus high resolution imaging of retinal function is desirable. Fast IOSs with time courses comparable to retinal electroretinogram (ERG) kinetics can act as a unique biomarker to map physiological distortions correlated with eye …

Calreticulin Regulates Tgf-Ss Stimulated Extracellular Matrix Production, Kurt Zimmerman

All ETDs from UAB

Calreticulin (CRT) is an ER chaperone and regulator of Ca2+ signaling which is increased following ER stress and in fibrotic and vascular fibroproliferative disorders. Previously, we demonstrated that ER CRT regulates type I collagen transcript, trafficking, secretion, and processing into the extracellular matrix (ECM). These studies investigated the role of CRT in regulating ECM production through control TGF-ß dependent signaling pathways. Our studies show that CRT -/- mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), rat lung fibroblasts, and human IPF lung fibroblasts with siRNA knockdown of CRT had impaired production of type I collagen and fibronectin when stimulated with TGF-ß. Similarly, knockdown of …

Parent Perspectives Of Neonatal Intensive Care At The End-Of-Life And Subsequent Bereavement And Coping Experiences After Infant Death, Erin Currie

All ETDs from UAB

produced an overall female bias. The fifth chapter addressed the effects of arribada

Gene Expression Signatures In Tree Shrew Sclera In Different Visual Conditions, Lin Guo

All ETDs from UAB

The sclera is a target tissue that receives signals that are initiated in the retina, cascade through retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and choroid, and cause scleral extra cellular matrix remodeling. Biomechanical alterations of the sclera are produced by these biochemical changes, and in turn control the axial length of the eye. This dissertation project examined scleral gene expression changes in mRNA level of juvenile tree shrews. Three specific aims were investigated: specific aim one tested the hypothesis that three different GO visual conditions that all produce axial elongation and myopia: minus-lens wear, form deprivation, and continuous darkness, will produce similar …

Risk Assessment And Staging Of Cardiometabolic Diseases, Fangjian Guo

All ETDs from UAB

Obesity is associated with elevated risk for morbidity and mortality and has become an epidemic both in the United States and around the world. Insulin resistance is essentially involved in the pathogenic process of cardiometabolic diseases in obese people, which involves defects in glucose production by the liver and insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and utilization by peripheral tissues. Insulin resistance appears at an early stage of life and is the first step in the development of cardiometabolic diseases. Long-term insulin resistance will induce metabolic syndrome and prediabetes and eventually will cause type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Obesity may exacerbate insulin …

Evaluation Of Municipal Wastewater In The Vicinity Of Birmingham, Alabama For Estrogens Using Vitellogenin Gene Expression In Largescale Stonerollers (Campostoma Oligolepis), Shara Blackwell Legg

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Environmental endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) have become a growing threat to the health of humans and wildlife. Numerous studies have demonstrated the presence of EDCs in freshwater aquatic environments. Environmental estrogens, both natural and synthetic, appear to be posing a threat to the reproductive fitness of aquatic organisms. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been identified as significant routes by which the EDCs enter waterways. The egg yolk precursor protein vitellogenin (VTG) has proven to be a useful biomarker that can be used to identify organisms that have been exposed to environmental estrogens. In this study, a quantitative RT-PCR assay for …