Digital Commons Network^™

Protumorigenic Role Of Cathelicidin-Related Antimicrobial Peptide In Chemotaxis And Differentiation Of Myeloid Lineage During Prostate Cancer Progression, Ha-Ram Cha

All ETDs from UAB

A growing body of evidence indicates a positive correlation between the expression of human antimicrobial peptide leucine leucine 37 (LL-37) and the progression of epithelial cancers, including carcinomas of the breast, lung, ovary, and prostate. Although the molecular mechanisms for this correlation have not yet been clearly elucidated, the primary function of LL-37 as a chemotactic molecule for innate immune effector cells suggests its possible association in coordinating protumorigenic mechanisms mediated by tumor-infiltrating immune cells. Using a mouse model of epithelial prostate cancer (PCa), the present study identified a unique role for cathelicidin-related antimicrobial peptide (CRAMP), a murine orthologue of …

The Impact Of Student Loans On Homeownership, Matthew Eric Click

All ETDs from UAB

This thesis examines the relationship between student loan debt and homeownership. I hypothesize that a negative relationship exists, and control for a respondent’s age, household income, household size, race, gender, marital status, and level of education. Using a binary logistic regression model to examine data from the 2012 National Financial Capability Study (NFCS) and the 2014 Survey of Household Economic Decisions (SHED), I model the odds-ratios and predicted probabilities of homeownership for respondents with and without student loans. I find a decrease in the predicted probability of homeownership by 8.4% and 9.3% in the NFCS and SHED datasets, respectively. While …

Women Manufacturing Methamphetamine: Gender In The Context Of Shake And Bake Cooking In Alabama, Jessica Rae Deitzer

All ETDs from UAB

Researchers of women in the drug economy have been divided, with some portraying women involved in drug manufacturing, dealing, and trafficking as limited participants, and others acknowledging women’s use of agency and gender to successfully accomplish higher roles in drug economies. Additionally, some suggest that the context of the local community and drug market has a strong influence on the roles women occupy within the drug economy. In this study, I examine women’s roles within a particular style of meth cooking (shake and bake) to determine the various opportunities and constraints they face as women meth cooks. To do so, …

Metabolic And Oxidative Regulation Of Neuronal Autophagy And Survival, Matthew Dodson

All ETDs from UAB

Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease are all characterized by metabolic dysfunction, increased oxidative damage to proteins and organelles, formation of proteinaceous inclusions, decreased autophagic and proteasomal function, and eventual neuronal and glial cell death. While our understanding of the mechanisms that underlie many of these pathologies is constantly growing, their exact cause, onset, interplay and progression still remain unclear. The gap between the description of disease pathologies and understanding the fundamental mechanisms of disease pathogenesis, progression and potential therapeutics to mitigate disease progression is still large. Based on the observation that altered glucose utilization, …

Robust Production Of Mature Ribosomal Rna Is Directly Influenced By Multiple Steps Within The Transcription Cycle, Krysta Engel

All ETDs from UAB

Cellular growth depends on the capacity for protein synthesis, and likewise ribosome biogenesis. Therefore, robust rRNA synthesis by RNA Polymerase I (Pol I) is a critical component of cell growth. The work reported in this dissertation highlights the contribution of polymerase domains and trans-acting proteins during rRNA synthesis and ribosome biogenesis. Eukaryotes utilize three homologous nuclear RNA polymerases (RNAPs) to express their genomes. The trigger loop (TL) is a well conserved region within the active site of multi-subunit RNAPs that plays a direct role during the nucleotide addition cycle. Analysis of Pol II TL mutants has suggested that catalysis is …

Assessment Of Student-Created Videos As An Alternate Laboratory Assignment And Design And Implementation Of Classroom Activities Designed To Improve Student Retention And Learning, Mitzy Ann Erdmann

All ETDs from UAB

This dissertation presents three educationally based research projects and describes how they are related. The first portion of this manuscript describes the development of an alternate assessment for the general chemistry laboratory that harnessed both the availability of and interest in using smart phone technology in an educational setting. Student-created technique videos were implemented into the general chemistry laboratory curriculum in order to asynchronously monitor student use of standard laboratory equipment. A feasibility study was performed first, which showed that students were able to create videos that showed themselves performing standard laboratory techniques. Teaching assistants reported being able to easily …

The Role Of Ribosome Biogenesis In Exercise-Induced Skeletal Muscle Anabolism In Aging, Michael Stec

All ETDs from UAB

Numerous chronic medical conditions, as well as normal aging result in a significant loss of skeletal muscle mass. This has profound effects on quality of life and can increase the risk of all-cause mortality. Currently, the most potent treatment for reversing the loss of muscle mass is resistance exercise training (RT); however, the human muscle fiber growth (hypertrophy) response to this treatment is quite variable, and older adults do not respond as favorably to this treatment as younger adults. The focus of this dissertation is to elucidate the role that ribosome biogenesis plays in regulating the RT-induced hypertrophic response. We …

Individual, Family, And Social Factors Associated With Adolescent Obesity: A Policy Relevant Focus, Janice Marguerite Utley

All ETDs from UAB

INDIVIDUAL, FAMILY, AND SOCIAL FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH ADOLESCENT OBESITY: A POLICY RELEVANT FOCUS JANICE M. UTLEY PUBLIC HEALTH ABSTRACT This dissertation is comprised of three papers that examined individual, family, and social factors associated with adolescent overweight and obesity with the aim of generating data that could inform the design of policy interventions to prevent or reverse rising prevalence. The first investigation was a type of literature review called a scoping study that examined the extent, range, and type of research activity on adolescent obesity that used a multilevel or hierarchical design to look at two or more contextual areas …

The Effects Of The Initially Transcribed Sequence On Reiterative Transcription In Escherichia Coli, Jeffery Michael Vahrenkamp

All ETDs from UAB

Transcription, the synthesis of a ribonucleic acid transcript using a nucleic acid template, is the first step in gene expression for all life. In most organisms, high fidelity transcription is achieved through the formation of an RNA:DNA hybrid which allows the RNA polymerase to maintain the correct register. Slippage, which would lead to improper base pairing, is prevented by the heterogeneous sequence of the DNA template. However, when homogenous tracts of bases are present in the template, slippage can occur, allowing a single base in the template to encode multiple bases in the transcript in a process called reiterative transcription. …

Carbon Fiber Content Measurement In Composite, Qiushi Wang

All ETDs from UAB

. Carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRPs) have been widely used in various structural applications in industries such as aerospace and automotive because of their high specific stiffness and specific strength. Their mechanical properties are strongly influenced by the carbon fiber content in the composites. Measurement of the carbon fiber content in CFRPs is essential for product quality control and process optimization. In this work, a novel carbonization-in-nitrogen method (CIN) is developed to characterize the fiber content in carbon fiber reinforced thermoset and thermoplastic composites. In this method, a carbon fiber composite sample is carbonized in a nitrogen environment at elevated …

Characterizing The Nuclear Import And Functions Of Cystin, The Ciliary Protein Disrupted In The Cpk Mouse Model Of Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease, Jacob Asher Watts

All ETDs from UAB

Autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD; MIM 263200) is a ma-jor cause of pediatric morbidity and mortality. Typically, orthologous animal models are the mainstay for pathogenic studies of human diseases. However, gene-targeting of Pkhd1, the mouse ortholog of the ARPKD gene, results in mutants with little or no kidney disease. In contrast, disruption of the non-orthologous gene, Cys1, in the cpk mouse model closely phenocopies human ARPKD. We speculate that this phenotypic similarity suggests that the Pkhd1 and Cys1 genes encode proteins (FPC and cystin, respectively) that share, at least in part, common molecular pathways. Our laboratory, as well as …

Examining Punishment Severity: The Effect Of State Sanctioning On Dui Arrest Rates, Kimberly Williams

All ETDs from UAB

The purpose of this paper is to examine the state differences in arrest rates according to risk preference, and policy and sanction severity. The effects of policy and sanction severity on drinking and driving have been an increasing topic of discussion and study in both the political and scholarly world since the 1980s. This paper seeks to address the differences in state-level policies and sanctions concerning DUIs, focusing on the impact of punishment severity on DUI arrest rates. Results show that being located in the Western region of the United States has a significant positive effect on DUI arrest rates. …

“The Ladies” Who Founded Moma: How Three Female Art Collectors Created One Of The World's Leading Museums, Amy Katherine Williamson

All ETDs from UAB

This thesis examines three visionary women who were instrumental in founding the Museum of Modern Art in 1929: Lillie P. Bliss, Mrs. John D. Rockefeller, and Mrs. Cornelius Sullivan. In reaction to the lack of modern art in New York City’s museums, these women combined their collections, money, and resources to present Matisses, Picassos, and other modern masters to create what would become the core of the museum’s permanent collection. Both challenging and accepting the limitations of gender, the women enlisted the help of A. Conger Goodyear and Alfred Barr to help them navigate the art world whilst they built …

Building A Scalable Global Data Processing Pipeline For Large Astronomical Photometric Datasets, Paul F. Doyle

Doctoral

Astronomical photometry is the science of measuring the flux of a celestial object. Since its introduction in the 1970s the CCD has been the principle method of measuring flux to calculate the apparent magnitude of an object. Each CCD image taken must go through a process of cleaning and calibration prior to its use. As the number of research telescopes increases the overall computing resources required for image processing also increases. As data archives increase in size to Petabytes, the data processing challenge requires image processing approaches to evolve to continue to exceed the growing data capture rate. Existing processing …

Atmospheric Cold Plasma As A Tool For Microbiological Control, Dana Ziuzina

Doctoral

Outbreaks of foodborne human illnesses resulting from contaminated raw or minimally processed fruits and vegetables have been widely reported globally. The microbiological challenges associated with fresh produce are diverse and respond differently to minimal processing technologies. Atmospheric cold plasma is a relatively new technology and represents a potential alternative to traditional methods for decontamination of foods. The objective of this work was to determine the influence of extrinsic atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) treatment control parameters and to optimize treatment parameters for decontamination with respect to different forms of key safety challenges pertinent to fresh produce.

The optimisation studies demonstrated that …

State’S Highest Bench Approves Reduced Charges For Hiv Transmission, Arthur S. Leonard

Other Publications

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Online College Courses In Rehabilitating Offenders, Niares Hunn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research and testimonial evidence indicate the importance of postsecondary education in the rehabilitating inmates and in decreasing reoffending. However, limited research exists on improving critical thinking skills and cognitive processing among inmates. The purpose of this quantitative study was to (a) examine the influence of a psychology course on the critical thinking scores for individuals who took an online psychology course and to (b) analyze how the scores of inmates and other students in the course differed. Using a social cognitive theoretical framework, pretest and posttest scores were compared using a paired t test of statistical analysis of secondary, archival …

The Experiences Of Military Parents Homeschooling Using Online Teaching Resources, Georgia George Watters

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. military members and their families relocate from one duty station to another on average once every 3 years. Children in military families change schools often, introducing potential problems such as struggling to make new friends, having trouble adjusting to new teaching styles, and losing academic credits due to the transition from one school to the next. Homeschooling that incorporates online resources can provide instructional continuity, social interaction opportunities, and submission of required periodic assessments. The primary purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the experiences of military parents involved in homeschooling their children using online resources. The research …

Beyond Elections: Ghana's Democracy From The Perspective Of The Citizenry, Ransford Osafo-Danso

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ghana's democracy has been hailed by scholars, practitioners, and the international community in recent years as a shining example in the West African subregion as a result of the country's record of organizing successive elections with minimal or no violence. However, the evaluation of Ghana's democracy has predominantly focused on the elections and disproportionately captures the views of the political elite; conspicuously missing is the perspective of the ordinary Ghanaian. This presents an incomplete picture of Ghana's democracy, given the relevance of citizens' participation in democratic societies. To address this gap in knowledge, this qualitative case study explored the practice …

Exploring The Experiences Of Call Center Employees Regarding Business Scripting, Roman Dzuba

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Scripting, defined as the mechanization of business processes through automated tools or orchestrated responses, has played a significant role in shaping call center activities and the resultant customer relationship. However, findings of industry research have shown that the use of scripting to maximize operational efficiency has had a disempowering effect on call center employees by lowering their job-skill and knowledge requirements. Grounded in the concepts of knowledge management and knowledge transfer, this study explored the experiences of frontline call center employees on the effects of scripting on customer problem solving. A single-case study design with semistructured interviews was used with …

Subsurface Parameter Estimation In Oilfield Modeling, Fatin Alawam

All ETDs from UAB

Inverse problems involving partial differential equations have many physical applica- tions. One of the most important applications is in petroleum reservoir modeling. The estimation of petroleum reservoir properties is an essential component in predicting reservoir behavior. Generally, oil and water are present together in petroleum reservoirs and the resulting reservoir model consists of two nonlinear partial differential equations. Much research deals with two phase flow in porous media assuming incompressibility, but a few researchers consider the weakly compressible case which generally applies when the reservoir model does not include a gas phase. In this thesis we assume the weakly compressible …

Assessment Of Streams And Aquatic Organisms In The Vicinity Of Birmingham, Alabama For The Presence And Biological Activity Of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals, Bryan Stuart Arwood

All ETDs from UAB

Freshwater ecosystems play a central role in the environment. Through various processes such as nutrient recycling, groundwater recharging, and the attenuation of many pollutants these biological systems help to maintain environmental health. Unfortunately, many recent studies have identified emerging threats to these special environments and the life they sustain. One source of mounting concern is a group of compounds that interact with the endocrine systems of humans and wildlife. Known as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), these natural and synthetic chemicals may mimic or interfere with the action of natural hormones—thus disrupting the endocrine system. Multiple studies have reported negative effects …

Why Collegiate Athletes Could Have The Ncaa, Et Al. Singing A Different Tune, Amber Jorgensen

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Treating The Disease: A First Amendment Prescription For The U.S. Patent System, Stephanie A. Diehl

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Myth Of Obsolete Obscenity, Jennifer M. Kinsley

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Global Measures Of Gender Empowerment: A Case Study Of Sri Lankan Export Processing Zone (Epz) Workers, Peter Hancock, Sharon Middleton

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This pape r focuses on global measures of gender empowerment released a n- nually by the UNDP and the World Economic Forum. It discusses and critiques these measures on a global level and juxtaposes this analysis against research conducted among women who work in Sri Lanka's Export Processing Zones (EPZs). Global measures of gender equality show that in Sri Lanka gender-based inequality is increasing, despite the nation dramatically improving its economy and poverty levels and meeting some of the Millennium Development Goals. To explain this contradiction, we sampled 2,304 women to explore how they experienced gender and empowerment and to …

Framing Overdiagnosis In Breast Screening: A Qualitative Study With Australian Experts, Lisa M. Parker, Lucie Rychetnik, Stacy Carter

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Background: The purpose of this study was to identify how the topic of overdiagnosis in breast cancer screening is framed by experts and to clarify differences and similarities within these frames in terms of problems, causes, values and solutions.

Methods: We used a qualitative methodology using interviews with breast screening experts across Australia and applying framing theory to map and analyse their views about overdiagnosis. We interviewed 33 breast screening experts who influence the public and/or policy makers via one or more of: public or academic commentary; senior service management; government advisory bodies; professional committees; non-government/consumer organisations. Experts were currently …

The Nature Of Attachment Relationships And Grief Responses In Older Adults: An Attachment Path Model Of Grief, Yan Kho, Robert T. Kane, Lynn E. Priddis, Josephine Hudson

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Various researchers have theorized that bereaved adults who report non-secure attachment are at higher risk of pathological grief. Yet past findings on avoidant attachment representations and grief have yielded limited and contradictory outcomes. Little research has been conducted with older adults to identify the psychological processes that mediate between self-reported attachment representations and the patterns of grief.

Objective: To examine the impacts of avoidant attachment and anxious attachment dimensions on emotion and non-acceptance, in response to the loss of a conjugal partner, and the mediating effect of yearning thoughts.

Design: Men (N = 21) and women (N …

Current Capacity Building Needs Of Occupational Therapists Related To Older Driver Screening, Assessment, And Intervention, Ranyouri Hines Senia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Older adult safe driving is a growing public health issue; however, the skill set of occupational therapists that provide services to these older clients is unclear. The extent to which occupational therapists possess the skills to evaluate an elderly person's ability to operate safely an automobile is unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional survey was to determine the current capacity building needs of occupational therapists (OT) related to older driver screening, assessment, and intervention. The ecology of human performance framework was the theoretical base of the study. The independent variables were the OTs' training related to older drivers, …

Probe Method's Impact On Students' Motivation And Critical Thinking Skills, Diane Marie Specht

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The probe method (PM) is a learning model that equips students with essential learning strategies and skills so they can be successful and competitive in a highly diverse technological global workforce. Although research indicates this learning model was successful at the elementary school level with improving students' motivation to learn, their critical thinking skills, and their ability to solve complex problems, little research has examined the impact of this method at the high school level for students who participated in a career and technical education (CTE) program. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to fill a gap in …