Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

2017

Discipline
Institution
Keyword
Publication
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 56521 - 56550 of 60697

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Racial Disparities In The Maintenance Of Healthy Lifestyles And Their Effect On Cumulative Blood Pressure Burden And Left Ventricular Mass In African Americans And Whites: Data From The Coronary Artery Risk Development In Young Adults (Cardia) Study, John N. Booth Jan 2017

Racial Disparities In The Maintenance Of Healthy Lifestyles And Their Effect On Cumulative Blood Pressure Burden And Left Ventricular Mass In African Americans And Whites: Data From The Coronary Artery Risk Development In Young Adults (Cardia) Study, John N. Booth

All ETDs from UAB

The prevalence of healthy behaviors associated with optimal blood pressure (BP) levels and reduced risk for target-organ damage and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is lower in blacks compared with whites. Randomized controlled trials provide evidence that if healthy behaviors are maintained over the lifespan, including normal body weight, moderate physical activity, limited alcohol intake, limited sodium intake, adequate potassium intake and a rich diet of fruits and vegetables and low in high-fat dairy and saturated and total fat, then high BP may be preventable. The goal of this dissertation was to assess racial differences in the maintenance of healthy behaviors and …

Go to article

Connectivity Of The Striatal Resting-State Networks In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Thomas Patrick Deramus Jan 2017

Connectivity Of The Striatal Resting-State Networks In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Thomas Patrick Deramus

All ETDs from UAB

Social deficits and repetitive behaviors and are core features of autism. Structural and functional alterations in the striatum, brain regions highly involved in movement planning, regulation, and motivation, may underlie these core features. However, few studies have examined functional connectivity (FC) of the striatum in autism; and fewer have examined anatomical connectivity despite hypotheses of structural alterations influ-encing FC autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). To address these gaps, the current study examined FC of resting-state brain networks in the striatum in 19 typically developing and 19 children with autism (ages 7-17 years) from the Autism Brain Imaging Database Exchange II. The …

Go to article

Optimizing The Non-Ablative Conditioning Regimen For Bone Marrow Transplantation Using A Murine Model Of Sickle Cell Disease, Divya Devadasan Jan 2017

Optimizing The Non-Ablative Conditioning Regimen For Bone Marrow Transplantation Using A Murine Model Of Sickle Cell Disease, Divya Devadasan

All ETDs from UAB

In this dissertation, we sought to determine if a sub-myeloablative conditioning regimen followed by bone marrow transplantation/hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) using syngeneic donor cells could facilitate donor chimerism using a clinically relevant mouse model of sickle cell disease (SCD). This pre-clinical study determined the feasibility of using sub-myeloablative conditioning in the context of autologous HSCT. The prospect of using less-intense conditioning is particularly appealing in the era of modern gene-editing technologies since its extension to use in humans will allow for HSCT to be less toxic and hence be applicable in all patients. We showed that using a sub-myeloablative …

Go to article

Effect Of Antihypertensive Drugs On Left Ventricular Traits In Africam American, Anh N. Do Jan 2017

Effect Of Antihypertensive Drugs On Left Ventricular Traits In Africam American, Anh N. Do

All ETDs from UAB

The purpose of this dissertation is to evaluate the association of antihypertensive treatment as well genomic variants with left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy (LVH) -related traits among African Americans (AAs) in five cross-sectional epidemiology cohorts from the United States. AAs especially those with hypertension, are overburdened by left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy (LVH) compared to other ethnic groups. LVH is associated with increased risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Antihypertensive treatments have been found to improve LVH and related echocardiographic measures (i.e. LV traits) among hypertensive patients. However, the effect of antihypertensive treatments on LVH and related traits in AAs has not …

Go to article

Factors Guiding Cd4 T Cell Fate Bifurcations, Daniel Francis Ditoro Jan 2017

Factors Guiding Cd4 T Cell Fate Bifurcations, Daniel Francis Ditoro

All ETDs from UAB

Naïve CD4 T cells differentiate into a variety of phenotypically and functionally distinct subsets uniquely tailored to the specific inflammatory context. Despite the extraordinary heterogeneity of potential fate outcomes, two distinct but related functional bifurcations appear common to all inflammatory contexts. Following activation, CD4 T cells either home to the site of inflammation and influence peripheral events or remain in the secondary lymphoid tissue to modulate central processes. Similarly, activated cells either drive or suppress inflammation. These functional bifurcations are coincident and sufficiently independent to allow for the simultaneous generation of all four potential outcomes. Pro-inflammatory cells retained in the …

Go to article

Practical Neurology Linked To The Curriculum: An Online Resource, Dilraj Sokhi, Alice Brockington, Christine Lo Jan 2017

Practical Neurology Linked To The Curriculum: An Online Resource, Dilraj Sokhi, Alice Brockington, Christine Lo

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Navigating the online galaxy for up-to-date evidence-based knowledge in clinical neurology can be a challenge. Practical Neurology is a noted and popular online clinical resource,1 which according to its website is "…practical in the sense of being useful for everyone who sees neurological patients and who want to keep up to date, and safe, in managing them." As UK-based neurology trainees, we have been fortunate to have automatic access to Practical Neurology during our training. We found that the articles adequately covered most elements in our syllabus and were ideal reference material for our department. This accords with the …

Go to article

O-Acetyltransferase Functionality Mediates Pneumococcal Capsular Diversity, Brady Spencer Jan 2017

O-Acetyltransferase Functionality Mediates Pneumococcal Capsular Diversity, Brady Spencer

All ETDs from UAB

Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is an important human pathogen that asymptomatically colonizes the nasopharynx but can disseminate opportunistically to cause diseases such as otitis media, pneumonia, septicemia, or meningitis. The pneumo-coccal capsular polysaccharide is necessary to prevent opsonophagocytosis as nonencap-sulated pneumococci are largely avirulent. Currently, 98 antigenically distinct capsule types (serotypes) have been identified, which vary in virulence. O-acetylation, a subtle capsular modification, contributes to pneumococcal capsular diversity and modulates capsular physicochemical properties and interaction with innate or vaccine immunity. Replacement serotypes (and future vaccine types) 33F and 15B have O-acetylated capsules due to membrane-bound O-acetyltransferases (MOATs). We hypothesize that future …

Go to article

Exploring Prenatal Maternal Self-View, Early Home Environment And Toddler Socioemotional Development In First-Time Teen Low Education And Adult High And Low Education Mothers, Bethany Stenger Jan 2017

Exploring Prenatal Maternal Self-View, Early Home Environment And Toddler Socioemotional Development In First-Time Teen Low Education And Adult High And Low Education Mothers, Bethany Stenger

All ETDs from UAB

Maternal self-perception and children’s early home environment have been linked to a number of areas of child development. This study looked at the influence of both prenatal maternal parenting self-efficacy and personal mastery, coined as the concept maternal self-view (MSV), on children’s 4-month home environment and 1-year socioemotional development. The effect of 4-month home environment, as measured by the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) including the Supplement to the HOME for Impoverished Families (SHIF) and by the Family and Maternal Life History (FMLH), overall and in regards to the presence of television and crowding, on 1-year child …

Go to article

Diabetes Risk In Women: Pschosocial And Lifestyle Determinants, Sarah Katherine Sweatt Jan 2017

Diabetes Risk In Women: Pschosocial And Lifestyle Determinants, Sarah Katherine Sweatt

All ETDs from UAB

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a major public health concern. Physical inactivity, poor diet, and psychosocial distress have emerged as factors contributing to T2D. Women may be uniquely affected by these factors as obesity, physical inactivity, and the prevalence of psychosocial distress are higher in women. Additionally, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder in women and increases the risk of both T2D and psychosocial distress. However, the relationship between physical activity (PA), psychosocial distress, and metabolic health is not fully understood, particularly in at risk populations such as minorities and women with PCOS. Therefore, the goal …

Go to article

Planning For Active Transportation At Urban University Campuses, Sunil Terdalkar Jan 2017

Planning For Active Transportation At Urban University Campuses, Sunil Terdalkar

All ETDs from UAB

There are 4,726 institutions for higher education in the United States. Many of these institutions are located in urban environments and often provide limited options for transportation using alternative modes such as transit, bicycling, and walking. As urban university campuses strive to provide high quality accommodations to their students, employees and visitors, a great need exists for the development of comprehensive strategic plans that promote sustainable transportation solutions. Such solutions encourage social interaction, foster healthy living and active commute choices, and reduce the ecological footprint of university campuses on the adjacent local environment. This thesis reviews and summarizes initiatives across …

Go to article

An Investigation Of The Neurobiological Heterogeneity In Autism, Adhd, And Typical Development, Melissa Thye Jan 2017

An Investigation Of The Neurobiological Heterogeneity In Autism, Adhd, And Typical Development, Melissa Thye

All ETDs from UAB

Standard fMRI studies of healthy as well as clinical populations rely heavily on group-level averages to draw inferences about brain and behavior. This presumes neural and behavioral homogeneity within diagnostic groups resulting in group-level models which may not capture individual variability. This problem is especially relevant for studies of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) which clinically present with widespread individual differences. The prevalence of comorbidity between these disorders is roughly 28% highlighting the possibility that there may be shared behavioral and neural markers which cut across the diagnostic boundaries delineating the …

Go to article

Review: The Dose-Response Relationship Of High-Intensity Interval Training On Cardiometabolic Risk Factors, Taylor Curtis Tolleson Jan 2017

Review: The Dose-Response Relationship Of High-Intensity Interval Training On Cardiometabolic Risk Factors, Taylor Curtis Tolleson

All ETDs from UAB

Cardiometabolic disease (CMD) is a cluster of diseases, that is used to determine an individual’s increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D), in addition to identifying their increased risk of all-cause mortality. The rates of CMD have continued to climb over the past three decades, which may be inversely proportional to participation in vocational and leisure time physical activity. Continuous moderate intensity exercise training (MIT) is often recommended to improve CMD risk factors, but is usually characterized by an extensive time commitment of exercise. Emerging studies indicate that high-intensity interval exercise training (HIIT), may be …

Go to article

Effects Of A Cooking Program On Social Skills, Adaptive Functioning, And Dietary Behavior Of Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Eva Phui Phui Trinh Jan 2017

Effects Of A Cooking Program On Social Skills, Adaptive Functioning, And Dietary Behavior Of Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Eva Phui Phui Trinh

All ETDs from UAB

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by two domains: 1) deficits in social interaction and communication, and, 2) restricted and repetitive behavior, interests, or activities. Poor adaptive functioning skills is an associated feature of ASD and leads to concerns for establishing independence as adolescents with ASD transition into adults. The dietary behavior of adolescents in the United States do not meet national standards for healthy eating, which could lead to poor health outcomes. Eating and feeding problems are more prevalent in children with ASD compared to their typically developing peers. Independent skills and health are a main source of stress …

Go to article

The Role Of Adipocytes And Osteocytes In Multiple Myeloma Progression, Timothy Nathan Trotter Jan 2017

The Role Of Adipocytes And Osteocytes In Multiple Myeloma Progression, Timothy Nathan Trotter

All ETDs from UAB

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematological malignancy of plasma cells that is intrinsically tied to the bone marrow (BM). Many cells in the BM microenvironment have been studied in MM, yet there is still much progress to be made. Recent work has revealed two new potential cellular targets in MM: adipocytes and osteocytes. Both are endocrine cells and secrete many molecules that regulate other cells proximally and systemically. Our lab previously showed that MM cells shift osteoblast precursor cells towards adipogenesis through soluble molecules alone. Recent findings also revealed that osteocyte apoptosis is enhanced in MM patients compared to healthy …

Go to article

Statistical Tests For Confounding, Falynn Cartmill Turley Jan 2017

Statistical Tests For Confounding, Falynn Cartmill Turley

All ETDs from UAB

The use of propensity score methods have increased tremendously in the last several years. Propensity scores are used as a tool to correct the effects of confounding that can result in biased estimates of treatment effects. However, there is more than one method that employs propensity scores, and there is no guide in choosing the optimal method, in terms of Type I error and statistical power. This research aims to assess these attributes through a complex simulation study of a five variable model. The results of the simulations indicate performance of a particular propensity score method is dependent

Go to article

Familial Support And Mental Health Service Use: Differences Among First- And Second-Generation Asian American And Latino Older Adults, Jessica Lynn Valles Jan 2017

Familial Support And Mental Health Service Use: Differences Among First- And Second-Generation Asian American And Latino Older Adults, Jessica Lynn Valles

All ETDs from UAB

While several studies have shown that US-born Asian Americans and Latinos are more likely to use mental health services than their foreign-born counterparts, the effects of generation status and familial support is unclear. Furthermore, little is known about these associations and how they affect older adults. According to the Socioemotional Selectivity Theory (SST), as adults begin transition into advanced age, they begin to withdraw from broader social networks to focus on more intimate relations, such as those with children. In applying modernization theory to the family and aging, this theory would suggest that the status of older adults in families …

Go to article

Acute And Chronic Regulation Of Skeletal Muscle Mitochondrial Function, Jonathan Lund Warren Jan 2017

Acute And Chronic Regulation Of Skeletal Muscle Mitochondrial Function, Jonathan Lund Warren

All ETDs from UAB

Obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) represent a growing global burden on healthcare and financial resources. One hypothesis for the onset and exacerbation of these diseases is related to the role of mitochondria as the end users of products of the metabolism of the nutrients we consume and in mediating the oxidative state of the body through the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In order to meet the demands of a metabolic challenge and prevent excessive ROS production, there appear to be adaptations to mitochondrial physiology and morphology that can occur and we hypothesize that the ability of the …

Go to article

Comparative Analysis Of New Techniques For Hearing Conservation Program Selection, Laura Hurst Jan 2017

Comparative Analysis Of New Techniques For Hearing Conservation Program Selection, Laura Hurst

All ETDs from UAB

Hazardous noise is a widespread problem in industry and recreation. Noise induced hearing loss is one of the most frequently reported occupational health claims worldwide. While there has been much research on noise, its effects, and how to prevent hearing loss in industry, there is limited research available to help quantify the difference that monitoring noise at a lower threshold might create in the measured exposure estimate. Additionally, the studies involving the use of different noise monitoring settings do not attempt to explain how the results might change the outcomes when using data and statistical techniques to classify similar exposure …

Go to article

History, Counter-Memory, And Commemoration: Enacting Remembrance For The Comfort Women Of Wwii, Christina Joan Inman Jan 2017

History, Counter-Memory, And Commemoration: Enacting Remembrance For The Comfort Women Of Wwii, Christina Joan Inman

All ETDs from UAB

The case of the comfort women of East Asia is one of the largest human trafficking epidemics to have taken place in the twentieth century. It remains, however, an issue that is still widely unknown to the general public and has been obscured in both Eastern and Western historical texts up until the early 1990s. Scholars have determined that an estimated two hundred thousand young girls, now referred to as the comfort women, were forced into sexual servitude for the Japanese army during WWII. Of this number, seventy percent of the women did not survive the war. Currently, only forty …

Go to article

God Is Always There For Me: Spiritual Coping In Adolescents With Cystic Fibrosis And Their Parents - A Qualitative Study, Christina Helen Jagielski Jan 2017

God Is Always There For Me: Spiritual Coping In Adolescents With Cystic Fibrosis And Their Parents - A Qualitative Study, Christina Helen Jagielski

All ETDs from UAB

Cystic Fibrosis is a chronic, life threatening genetic disorder involving complex medical treatments and numerous psychosocial stressors affecting both the patient and his or her family. Spiritual coping strategies provide useful means to solving problems, developing a sense of control, and making meaning of negative events and have been shown to be useful for people living with chronic illness. This qualitative study focused on the use of spiritual coping strategies and the subjective impact of using such strategies for 15 adolescents with cystic fibrosis and their parents. Thematic analysis identified themes regarding personal and collective spiritual coping strategies, the impact …

Go to article

Alternative Methodological Approaches For Quantifying Dental Caries And Non-Water Beverage Consumptions For The Improvement Of Caries Risk Analyses In Children, Kelsey Harris Jordan Jan 2017

Alternative Methodological Approaches For Quantifying Dental Caries And Non-Water Beverage Consumptions For The Improvement Of Caries Risk Analyses In Children, Kelsey Harris Jordan

All ETDs from UAB

Researchers assume caries progress constantly, all crowned/extracted tooth surfaces are carious, and non-water beverage consumption (NWBC) habits are similar by relying on increments, dmfs scoring, and consumption frequencies, respectively. These assumptions are likely inaccurate. The purpose of this research was to evaluate and modify the use of 1) longitudinal caries disease assessment, 2) the dmfs score and 3) NWBC variables to more accurately estimate disease and identify risk factors. To investigate, young (8-18 months at baseline), healthy, poor, rural, African American, Alabamian children were observed annually for five years. Three calibrated dentists performed oral examinations (without radiographs), calculating the number …

Go to article

Development Of A 3d Microphysiologic Liver For Drug Toxicity Testing, Maryrose Kammer Jan 2017

Development Of A 3d Microphysiologic Liver For Drug Toxicity Testing, Maryrose Kammer

All ETDs from UAB

Development of almost all novel effective drug compounds is immensely expensive and time consuming. The process is slowed by the ineffectiveness of current toxicity testing methods, with 80% of drugs undergoing late-stage failure in clinical trials or post-market withdrawal. The leading cause of these failures and withdrawals is due to drug-induced liver injury. Much of drug metabolism occurs in the liver, but there are incredible differences among the metabolic pathways in humans, animal models, and two-dimensional testing platforms. Thus, the current methods are limited to accurately predict in vivo metabolic response of a novel compound. Three dimensional (3D) in vitro …

Go to article

Microporosity Formation Analysis Of Low-Lead And Leaded Copper Alloys, Aaron Kelley Jan 2017

Microporosity Formation Analysis Of Low-Lead And Leaded Copper Alloys, Aaron Kelley

All ETDs from UAB

The theory of predicting the formation of microporosity in specific alloy fami-lies—steel, aluminum, nickel, and magnesium— is particularly well developed, and it has become a common practice over the past several years. Combining a long solidification range, low thermal gradient, high cooling rate, and dissolved gases can lead to significant amounts of microporosity formation in these alloys. The use of the Niyama criterion has become a common tool for predicting the formation of microporosity in these alloy families. While the use of the Niyama criterion to predict microporosity formation has become routine for the alloys stated above, it is still …

Go to article

Bioactive Materials: Ion Release, Flexural Strength, Secondary Caries Depth And Elemental Analysis Of Surrounding Tooth Structure, Prajakta Shreeram Kulkarni Jan 2017

Bioactive Materials: Ion Release, Flexural Strength, Secondary Caries Depth And Elemental Analysis Of Surrounding Tooth Structure, Prajakta Shreeram Kulkarni

All ETDs from UAB

ABSTRACT Objectives: Bioactive materials release calcium, phosphate, and fluoride which may increase tooth remineralization. But limited data is available demonstrating the superiority of bioactive or ion releasing materials compared to fluoride or no ion releasing materials. The aims of the present study are to measure and compare the calcium, fluoride, and phosphate ion release at different pH, flexural strength and caries protecting ability of the materials including the ion uptake of surrounding tooth structure. Methods: Activa, Cention N, Fuji LC II and Filtek Supreme Ultra were the restorative materials tested. Firstly, the fluoride and calcium release of these materials was …

Go to article

Teleexercise For People With Disabilities, Byron Lai Jan 2017

Teleexercise For People With Disabilities, Byron Lai

All ETDs from UAB

Exercise is recognized as a method of improving health and function and preventing deconditioning for adults with neurological disabilities. However, they experience a multitude of barriers that prevent them from regular participation in exercise. To address these barriers, the goal of this dissertation was to explore the use of monitoring technology as a means for delivering exercise to adults with neurological disabilities at home. This pursuit involved three studies. The first study reviewed the extant literature for current trends in exercise interventions for people with disabilities. Regarding technology, the review indicated that technology is rarely used to deliver one-on-on supervised …

Go to article

The Role Of Klotho In Adult Neurogenesis, Ann Laszczyk Jan 2017

The Role Of Klotho In Adult Neurogenesis, Ann Laszczyk

All ETDs from UAB

Klotho is an anti-aging protein that when upregulated, extends lifespan and enhances cognition. Klotho knockout mice age prematurely and die by ~8 weeks of life after developing cognitive impairment. Klotho function outside of the brain is well established but the protein’s action within the brain remains unknown. As klotho regulates peripheral stem cell populations, I sought to determine whether klotho contributes to cognition through a role in the maintenance of the adult hippocampal neurogenic niche. I examined adult mouse neurogenesis using global klotho-deficiency or global klotho overexpression models. Klotho knockout brains show reduced progenitor proliferation and granule cell production while …

Go to article

Sample Size Re-Estimation For Confirmatory Two-Stage Multi-Arm Trials With Normal And Binary Outcomes, Yan Li Jan 2017

Sample Size Re-Estimation For Confirmatory Two-Stage Multi-Arm Trials With Normal And Binary Outcomes, Yan Li

All ETDs from UAB

Multi-arm clinical trials comparing several treatments against a common control are more efficient than traditional multiple two-arm trials. Several flexible multi-arm designs which utilize the closed test procedure for strong familywise error rate control have been proposed to allow treatment selection and sample size re-estimation (SSR) at the interim analysis. Because of the interdependence among hypothesis tests for each treatment induced by the closed test procedure, SSR methods for two-arm trials are not directly applicable to multi-arm trials. Further, there is limited literature on methods for SSR in multi-arm trials. In paper 1, we derive SSR procedures based on the …

Go to article

A Statistical Approach To Computed Tomography Perfusion, Seth Thomas Lirette Jan 2017

A Statistical Approach To Computed Tomography Perfusion, Seth Thomas Lirette

All ETDs from UAB

Stroke is, and will continue to be, a pervasive problem in the both the United States and across the world, and computed tomography (CT) perfusion scanning will continue to be a first-line diagnostic tool to quantify where and how much blood flow occlusion is present in the brain. CT perfusion maps displaying several scalar perfusion parameters for each brain voxel will continue to be used by radiologists and other clinicians. The goal of this dissertation is to examine and improve upon current standards of practice concerning CT perfusion. We first exhibit how software that constructs perfusion maps can be implemented …

Go to article

Univariate Frailty Model For Competing Risks Data Analysis, Yuliang Liu Jan 2017

Univariate Frailty Model For Competing Risks Data Analysis, Yuliang Liu

All ETDs from UAB

Unobserved individual heterogeneity, that is frailty, is a major concern in the application of analysis for competing risks data. Unlike the study of clustered competing risks data using multivariate frailty models, we have not found a study of non-clustered competing risks data using univariate frailty model. This dissertation focuses on developing frailty models for the analysis of non-clustered competing risks data. The estimation of the effects of covariates by a parametric univariate frailty model could be a useful approach when heterogeneity must be considered in the non-clustered competing risks setting. In paper 1, we compared the performance of the Cox, …

Go to article

Molecular And Biochemical Characterization Of Cellular Stress Sensing Proteins Gcn2 And Ire1 In Arabidopsis Thaliana Immune Responses, Xiaoyu Liu Jan 2017

Molecular And Biochemical Characterization Of Cellular Stress Sensing Proteins Gcn2 And Ire1 In Arabidopsis Thaliana Immune Responses, Xiaoyu Liu

All ETDs from UAB

Plants are capable of recognizing conserved molecular structures from pathogens and precisely regulates gene expression to establish effective and efficient immune responses. Transcriptional regulation has been extensively characterized in plant immunity, while relatively less is understood on the translational level. Moreover, switching cellular energy from growth- to defense-related activity may result in the buildup of misfolded or unfolded proteins within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and activating the unfolded protein response (UPR) is critical for restoringllular homeostasis. My dissertation is set out to understand the function of translational regulatory mechanism and UPR in plant immune responses. As a key transcriptional regulator …

Go to article

First Prev Next Last