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

Digital Commons Network™

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

2019

Discipline
Institution
Keyword
Publication
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 154651 - 154680 of 165638

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

What Are The Factors Related To The Success Or Failure Of Adolescents Enrolled In Uab Tasc Adolescent Substance Abuse Program?, Tamesha Alicia Duesbury Jan 2019

What Are The Factors Related To The Success Or Failure Of Adolescents Enrolled In Uab Tasc Adolescent Substance Abuse Program?, Tamesha Alicia Duesbury

All ETDs from UAB

Illicit drug use during adolescence is common. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, marijuana usage and the misuse of prescription pain relievers were the main substances used during 2016. The survey reported that 4 million people age 12 and over were diagnosed with a marijuana disorder, 2.1 million an opioid use disorder, and 1.8 million with a prescription pain reliever disorder. Limited research has been conducted on adolescent substance abuse programs, yet there is a need for effective and efficient interventions. Using multiple logistic regression this study sought to identify the factors contributing to the success …

Go to article

Regulation Of Intestinal Innate Lymphoid Cells In Acute And Chronic Inflammation, Sarah Dulson Jan 2019

Regulation Of Intestinal Innate Lymphoid Cells In Acute And Chronic Inflammation, Sarah Dulson

All ETDs from UAB

The Innate Lymphoid Cell (ILC) population encompasses five subpopulations that are increasingly appreciated to participate in immune responses to inflammation and injury as well as directly influence homeostasis in tissues throughout the body. ILCs are enriched at mucosal surfaces, such as the gastrointestinal tract, where they are transcriptionally poised for rapid activation. Therefore, ILCs contribute significantly to protective responses to infection, and can exacerbate inflammation and disease when dysregulated. Herein, we demonstrate two pathways that regulate intestinal ILC phenotype and function and delineate the impact of these pathways on both protective and pathogenic roles of ILCs. Using a murine model …

Go to article

Impact Of Familial Chronic Illness On Adolescent Somatization, Lindsey Elliott Jan 2019

Impact Of Familial Chronic Illness On Adolescent Somatization, Lindsey Elliott

All ETDs from UAB

Somatic symptoms, or physical symptoms that do not have an identifiable organic etiology, have a prevalence of 10-30% in children. They have been associated with poor psychosocial outcomes in children, including emotional and behavioral problems, school absences, and impaired social functioning. Further, these symptoms represent a burden on the health care system as patients with somatic symptoms are frequent users of both primary care physicians and specialists. The etiology of somatic symptoms is thought to be due to a combination of biological, psychological, interpersonal, and healthcare factors. Two theories exist regarding the etiology of somatic symptoms. Brown’s integrative conceptual model …

Go to article

Development Of Wind Performance Curves For Seismically Damaged Structures, Heba Mohamed Elsisi Jan 2019

Development Of Wind Performance Curves For Seismically Damaged Structures, Heba Mohamed Elsisi

All ETDs from UAB

Recently, there has been an immense increase in the severity and the frequency of extreme events across the globe. Accordingly, there is a demand for tools that can provide immediate assessment for structures safety after extreme events. This thesis introduces performance curves of wind events for seismically damaged structures. Performance curves are plots that estimates an engineering output (displacement, damage, etc.) knowing the value of certain input demand (applied forces, seismic loads, wind loads etc.). Oftentimes, structural performance is evaluated for independent events (seismic only, wind only, floods etc.). In this study, we will investigate developing performance curves for sequential …

Go to article

Marcks Effector Domain: Functions In Glioblastoma Progression And Novel Cytolytic Therapy, Nicholas James Eustace Jan 2019

Marcks Effector Domain: Functions In Glioblastoma Progression And Novel Cytolytic Therapy, Nicholas James Eustace

All ETDs from UAB

Glioblastoma (GBM; grade IV astrocytoma) is the most common primary adult brain malignancy and remains incurable despite tremendous advances in our understanding of this heterogeneous disease. In this dissertation, we explore the challenges encountered in the treatment of GBM and discuss a promising new therapeutic approach gleaned from studies of the phospholipid binding “effector” domain (ED) of the protein Myristoylated alanine-rich protein C kinase substrate (MARCKS). Following an introduction to central nervous system (CNS) tumors and the grading of diffuse gliomas, we explain how recent advancements to our understanding of the cellular and molecular composition of CNS tu-mors, and the …

Go to article

We Never Considered Teaching: A Critical Narrative Of African American Stem Majors’ Identity As Stem Educators, Paulette Georgina Evans Jan 2019

We Never Considered Teaching: A Critical Narrative Of African American Stem Majors’ Identity As Stem Educators, Paulette Georgina Evans

All ETDs from UAB

The need to diversify and retain non-White STEM teachers in the educator workforce has brought to surface the need to more deeply understand why non-White educators choose teaching as a profession and, equally as important, why they choose to stay. Although there is literature documenting the shortages of African American teachers including how African Americans can be recruited and retained, there is a need to look more closely at how African American undergraduate STEM majors who are in innovative teacher preparation programs articulate their affinity to teaching. The following critical narrative study focuses on how pre-service non-White teachers, particularly African …

Go to article

The Relationship Of Bedside Assessment Of Orientation And Cognition To Treatment Outcome In Moderate To Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Growth Curve Analysis, Amber Marie Fahey Jan 2019

The Relationship Of Bedside Assessment Of Orientation And Cognition To Treatment Outcome In Moderate To Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Growth Curve Analysis, Amber Marie Fahey

All ETDs from UAB

Disorientation and cognitive impairment are commonly experienced in acute moderate to severe TBI patients and deficits early in recovery are predictive of worse long-term outcome. Hence, tracking recovery over time is a significant aspect of rehabilitation research. The Orientation-Log (O-log) and Cognition-Log (Cog-log) are important clinical measures used to monitor cognitive progress during treatment and previous research has shown them to be predictive of long-term outcome. This study used two-level growth curve modeling to, 1) determine the growth trajectory of orientation and cognition in persons with moderate to severe TBI in acute rehabilitation, as determined by the O-log and Cog-log, …

Go to article

Wear Of Orthodontic Bite Turbos And Opposing Enamel, Kyle Feagin Jan 2019

Wear Of Orthodontic Bite Turbos And Opposing Enamel, Kyle Feagin

All ETDs from UAB

Orthodontic bite turbos are used to separate the maxillary and mandibular arches when disocclusion is needed for facial placement of orthodontic brackets or extrusion of teeth. The bite turbo should have adequate wear resistance to maintain the disocclusion but also avoid abrasion of the opposing enamel. The objective of this study was to measure the wear and opposing enamel wear of three materials used as bite turbos. 8 specimens (10x8x4 mm) each of Transbond LR (3M), Transbond Plus (3M) and Triad gel (Dentsply) were prepared in silicone molds and light cured for 30 seconds using an Acteon Satelec Blue Ray …

Go to article

Bet Bromodomain Inhibition As An Approach For Treatment Of Cholangiocarcinoma, Samuel Charles Fehling Jan 2019

Bet Bromodomain Inhibition As An Approach For Treatment Of Cholangiocarcinoma, Samuel Charles Fehling

All ETDs from UAB

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a highly aggressive neoplasm which arises from the epithelial layer of the biliary tract. It is the second most common primary hepatic malignancy. As CCA is typically diagnosed at late disease stage, the current standard of care, resection followed by gemcitabine with cisplatin, is not effective. Further, up to 90% of CCA patients are ineligible for resection. Of those eligible for resection, postoperative chemotherapy does not prolong overall survival leading to a 5-year survival of ~30%. Previously, mutations have been identified in KRAS (17% of CCA cases), TP53 (44%) and SMAD4 (17%) but none have been recognized …

Go to article

Simplified Vector-Directed Control Of A Tiltrotator Equipped Excavator, Timothy Daniel Fisher Jan 2019

Simplified Vector-Directed Control Of A Tiltrotator Equipped Excavator, Timothy Daniel Fisher

All ETDs from UAB

A tiltrotator is an attachment for an excavator, inserted between the excavator arm and the bucket. It attaches to and utilizes the excavator’s native bucket motion actuator to provide angular motion in the motion plane of the excavator arm. The tiltrotator then adds a joint with the ability to tilt ±45° perpendicular to the excavator arm, and an additional joint permitting 360° rotation normal to the previous joint axis. [1] The tiltrotator expands an excavator’s range of motion, but also increases the number and complexity of the operator’s controls. This thesis applies principles of robotics to a tiltrotator-equipped excavator, allowing …

Go to article

Evaluation Of A Novel Monoclonal Antibody Based Therapy For Neuroendocrine Tumors, Daniel Flanigan Jan 2019

Evaluation Of A Novel Monoclonal Antibody Based Therapy For Neuroendocrine Tumors, Daniel Flanigan

All ETDs from UAB

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are malignancies that arise from genetic or sporadic abnormalities in the endocrine system. These cancers can be found in various organ systems but are most frequently expressed in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and pancreas. The incidence rate of NETs has been steadily increasing in the past few decades, exhibiting a 6.4-fold increase from 1973 to 2012. Despite this observation, these cancers are still considered rare and as such there is a lack of appropriate treatments addressing them. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that specifically bind to type 2 somatostatin receptor (SSTR2), a protein commonly overexpressed in NETs, could be …

Go to article

Utilization Of The Zebrafish Model System To Predict Effects Of Dietary Lipid Composition On Human Health, Lauren Adele Fowler Jan 2019

Utilization Of The Zebrafish Model System To Predict Effects Of Dietary Lipid Composition On Human Health, Lauren Adele Fowler

All ETDs from UAB

Obesity is a disease that encompasses the interaction of both genetics and life-style factors, and the pathology behind its development remains unclear. Specifically, defining the influence of dietary lipid intake on adiposity and metabolic health continues to be a fundamental challenge, and the use of animal models will be required to gain a full understanding of the processes contributing to diet-induced obesity in humans. The zebrafish Danio rerio has emerged as a powerful model system to study diet-induced obesity and metabolic disease in humans, while simultaneously offering multiple advantages over rodent models. This dissertation addresses multiple aspects regarding the use …

Go to article

Associations Between Dietary Fat Intake And Waist Circumference, Phonchit Teng Soukhamneut Jan 2019

Associations Between Dietary Fat Intake And Waist Circumference, Phonchit Teng Soukhamneut

All ETDs from UAB

The objective of this study was to assess: 1) trends in dietary fat intake from 2003-2016 2) the association between type of dietary fat intake and waist circumference (WC), 3) the association between type of dietary fat intake and body shape, and 4) whether these associations vary by sex and race/ethnicity. This secondary data analysis included 27,057 adults aged 19 to 65 from the National Health and Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2016. For WC, participants were categorized into high-risk (men: WC ≥ 40 in; women: WC ≥ 35 in) and low-risk (men: WC < 40 in; women: WC < 35 in). Total fat intake was categorized as high (TOTFAT ≥ 35%) and low (TOTFAT< 35%). Saturated fat intake was categorized into high (SATFAT ≥ 10%) and low (SATFAT < 10%). Unsaturated fat intake was categorized into high (UNSATFAT ≥ 25%) and low (UNSATFAT < 25%). Logistic regression was performed to assess the associations between DFI and WC and DFI and body shape, controlling for age, BMI, and total caloric intake. NHW men with high TOTFAT were found to have 1.41 (OR: 1.41, 1.19 – 1.68) times the odds of having a high-risk WC compared to men with a diet low in TOTFAT, controlling for age, BMI, and total caloric intake. NHW men with a diet high in SATFAT were at increased odds of having a high-risk WC compared to men with a diet low in SATFAT, after controlling for covariates (OR: 1.49, 1.21 -1.84). NHW men with a diet high in UNSATFAT were at increased odds of having a high-risk WC compared to men with a diet low in UNSATFAT after controlling for covariates (OR: 1.375, 1.09 – 1.74). There were no significant associations found among NWB and MA men for any type of dietary fat intake. For women, no associations were found between type of dietary fat and WC by race/ethnicity. There were no associations between DFI and body shape by race/ethnicity groups and sex. Future studies are needed to further investigate the body shape cut-off points for increased risk associated with chronic disease.

Go to article

Characterization Of Chemical Uptake And Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Mutations In Zebrafish, Jaclyn Paige Souder Jan 2019

Characterization Of Chemical Uptake And Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Mutations In Zebrafish, Jaclyn Paige Souder

All ETDs from UAB

In a society driven by technology and industry, we must be increasingly aware of how changes to our environment impact our health. This is especially true concerning embryonic development, which is easily influenced by extra-embryonic factors, including environmental contaminants. Determining how exogenous compounds are absorbed, which receptors they act through, and how these receptors act endogenously is important to fully understand to what extent developmental exposures impact fetal and adult health. I have used the zebrafish model system to address these questions for two classes of environmentally-relevant chemicals—estrogens and dioxins. First, I developed an assay to measure the uptake of …

Go to article

The Role Of Protein Synthesis Attenuation And Eif2-Alpha Phosphorylation In Retinal Degeneration, Christopher Ryan Starr Jan 2019

The Role Of Protein Synthesis Attenuation And Eif2-Alpha Phosphorylation In Retinal Degeneration, Christopher Ryan Starr

All ETDs from UAB

Inherited retinal degeneration is a class of diseases in which there is no cure and very few treatment options available. An activated unfolded protein response has been detected in various animal models of retinal degenerative diseases. Several groups have found heightened activation of one pathway of the unfolded protein response in particular, the protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase signaling cascade, which converges on and phosphorylates the alpha subunit of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 to transiently halt protein synthesis and allow the cell to reestablish homeostasis. Although it is widely accepted that this signaling is inherently protective, hyperactivity or …

Go to article

The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence And Leadership Styles In School Principals, James Dale Stripling Jan 2019

The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence And Leadership Styles In School Principals, James Dale Stripling

All ETDs from UAB

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND LEADERSHIP STYLES IN SCHOOL PRINCIPALS EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP ABSTRACT This quantitative research study was designed to examine the relationship between emotional intelligence and leadership styles among principals and assistant principals in two districts located in central Alabama. There were 75 schools included. Seventy-two administrators participated. The surveys gauged the administrator’s emotional intelligence and leadership style. The emotional intelligence survey was designed by Daniel Goleman. The leadership style survey was designed by Peter Northouse. The participants also answered questions concerning their age, administrative experience and gender. After the surveys were returned, the data was entered into …

Go to article

Examining Teacher Perceptions Of Professional Learning Teams And Teacher Professionalism, Rebecca Thomas Stripling Jan 2019

Examining Teacher Perceptions Of Professional Learning Teams And Teacher Professionalism, Rebecca Thomas Stripling

All ETDs from UAB

EXAMINING TEACHER PERCEPTIONS OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING TEAMS AND TEACHER PROFESSIONALISM This study explores the perceptions of teachers’ professionalism as they participate in professional learning teams. Through a qualitative lens, teacher perceptions of how their own professionalism (as indicated by the Professionalism Index by McMahon & Hoy, 2009) is influenced or affected as a result of their participation in a PLT were examined from the perspective of teachers that fell into three categories, those teachers that scored high on the Professionalism Index, those teachers that scored low on the Professionalism Index and those teachers that had a medium score on the …

Go to article

Dysregulation In The Central Nervous System Upon Mcmv Infection In Newborn Mice, Cathy Yea Won Sung Jan 2019

Dysregulation In The Central Nervous System Upon Mcmv Infection In Newborn Mice, Cathy Yea Won Sung

All ETDs from UAB

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection is a major cause of morbidity in infants and children throughout the world. Between 0.2-1.2% of all live births is infected with HCMV in the United States. Approximately 5-15% of these newborn babies will develop long-term neurological damage resulting in motor disorders, mental retardation, and sensorineural hearing loss. Although the neurological sequelae associated with congenital HCMV infections are well characterized, little is known about the pathogenesis of the damage to the central nervous system (CNS). To study the pathogenesis of congenital HCMV infection, we have developed a mouse model in which newborn mice are infected intraperitoneally …

Go to article

Unintentional Childhood Injuries In Rural Uganda: The Role Of Sibling Supervision And The Potential For Behavior Change Through Classroom-Based Instruction, Marissa Swanson Jan 2019

Unintentional Childhood Injuries In Rural Uganda: The Role Of Sibling Supervision And The Potential For Behavior Change Through Classroom-Based Instruction, Marissa Swanson

All ETDs from UAB

Objective: Unintentional childhood injury is a significant global health burden particularly in low and middle income countries (LMIC). Effective supervision can reduce risk of injury to supervisees. Frequently, older siblings assist in supervising younger siblings, but may not be as effective as adult caregivers at preventing supervisee injury. The current investigation had three primary objectives: 1) Assess Ugandan adult caregivers’ self-reported expectations for children to provide sibling supervision; 2) Assess sixth-grade students’ self-reported experiences providing supervision; 3) Determine whether students’ supervision knowledge and skill improve through participation in the Super Siblings program, a novel classroom-based, culturally-adapted intervention. Methods: Adult caregivers …

Go to article

Drive-By Bridge Monitoring And Damage Detection, Chengjun Tan Jan 2019

Drive-By Bridge Monitoring And Damage Detection, Chengjun Tan

All ETDs from UAB

Bridges are key components of the transportation network, and their safety is essential to maintain effective and safe operation of the transportation facilities. To maintain the structural integrity of the bridges, it is essential to estimate the extent and location of the structural damage through periodic monitoring. Therefore, there is considerable interest in bridge damage detection and considerable progress has been made in recent years. The traditional bridge health monitoring requires many sensors installed on the bridge to collect vibration data for damage assessment, which is expensive, time-consuming, and even dangerous in-site. Compared with traditional ways, the concept of indirect …

Go to article

Low-Cost Smart Adaptation Of Acoustic For Blood Clot Monitoring System, Hanzhi Teng Jan 2019

Low-Cost Smart Adaptation Of Acoustic For Blood Clot Monitoring System, Hanzhi Teng

All ETDs from UAB

The patented vascular access is critical for successful hemodialysis. Patients with renal failure undergoing dialysis have increased the risk of acute arteriovenous fistula (AVF) and graft (AVG) thrombosis, placing them with severe morbidity, mortality, and financial burden. In most cases, dialysis vascular access thrombosis leading to non-functional AVG/AVF occurs in a non-health environment and is usually not detected until the patient is seen at the next dialysis appointment. This leads to the loss of opportunities for early identification and timely intervention. Studies have shown that, the results of treatment are poor in patients who have undergone thrombectomy after coagulation, and …

Go to article

Therapeutic Mechanisms In Sickle Cell Nephropathy, Crystal Taylor Jan 2019

Therapeutic Mechanisms In Sickle Cell Nephropathy, Crystal Taylor

All ETDs from UAB

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a commonly inherited genetic blood disorder that causes hypoxia-induced polymerization of mutant hemoglobin resulting in erythrocyte sickling, transient microvascular occlusion, ischemic injury, and end-organ damage. Systemic endothelial dysfunction and vaso-occlusive episodes observed in SCD are particularly deleterious to the kidney, where the hypoxic, hyperosmotic environment of the medulla makes it particularly susceptible to ischemic injury. Over recent decades, chronic kidney disease has emerged as a significant contributor to mortality and morbidity in SCD patients. Despite a growing interest in the importance of sickle cell nephropathy (SCN), therapeutic options are limited and much remains undiscovered regarding …

Go to article

Acetylcholine Signaling In Glioblastoma Invasion And Peritumoral Hyperexcitability, Emily Grace Thompson Jan 2019

Acetylcholine Signaling In Glioblastoma Invasion And Peritumoral Hyperexcitability, Emily Grace Thompson

All ETDs from UAB

Glioblastomas are the most common and deadly form of primary brain cancer in adults. Current treatment strategies are aggressive, including a combination of surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. However, median patient survival has remained stagnant at 12 to 15 months for the last several decades. This dismal patient outcome has prompted efforts to understand the unique characteristics of these tumors, since traditional therapeutics have not been efficacious. Extensive invasion is a salient feature of glioblastomas that significantly diminishes the effectiveness of current treatment strategies and is ultimately the cause of tumor recurrence within 2 years in approximately 80% of patients. …

Go to article

Examining The Role Of The Unfolded Protein Response In Depression, Matthew Timberlake Jan 2019

Examining The Role Of The Unfolded Protein Response In Depression, Matthew Timberlake

All ETDs from UAB

Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide and impacts nearly 350 million people with a disproportionate representation in women with a 1:1.7 ratio of occurrence compared to men. This disorder is characterized by shifts in mood to include feelings of hopelessness, sadness, and lethargy as well as changes in diet, motivation, and sleep patterns. Further, over 50% of patients who struggle with depression also have suicidal ideation and as many as 10% of those commit suicide. At present, treatment plans include behavioral therapy (often) in conjunction with antidepressant medications which act on monoamines and their circuits in the central …

Go to article

Racial And Gender Differences In The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experience And Chronic Health Conditions In Adulthood, Jalal Uddin Jan 2019

Racial And Gender Differences In The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experience And Chronic Health Conditions In Adulthood, Jalal Uddin

All ETDs from UAB

A growing body of studies highlights that many adult diseases and health disparities in late-life are rooted in childhood adversities. However, there is little research that examines how social stratification processes structure the inequality in early-life stress exposure, and the effects of stress exposure on health outcomes may vary based on the intersections of social stratification categories. Drawing on an integrated framework of the life course stress process and intersectionality theory, this study examines the patterns in childhood adverse experiences (ACEs) by race/ethnicity and gender and how race/ethnicity, gender, and adult socioeconomic status (SES) combine to modify the effects of …

Go to article

Intraocular Pressure Dynamics, Daniel Coleman Turner Jan 2019

Intraocular Pressure Dynamics, Daniel Coleman Turner

All ETDs from UAB

While cataracts (the leading cause of blindness worldwide) can be reversed surgical-ly, glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness, affecting over 70 million people worldwide [1]. Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) and age are the primary risk factors for glaucoma [2] and lowering IOP is the only proven treatment for the disease [3]. IOP and its fluctuations affect nearly every aspect of ocular physiology and homeo-stasis, as well as playing a dominant role in glaucoma pathophysiology, yet very little is known about IOP due to the current clinical standard of measuring mean IOP during infre-quent clinic visits. We use a …

Go to article

Teachers’ Experiences Of Change From Traditional Teaching Methods To Active Participatory Learning Approaches Within The Alabama P-3 Pilot Program: A Case Study, Shushan Vardanyan Jan 2019

Teachers’ Experiences Of Change From Traditional Teaching Methods To Active Participatory Learning Approaches Within The Alabama P-3 Pilot Program: A Case Study, Shushan Vardanyan

All ETDs from UAB

This case study explored teachers’ experiences with the implementation of the Alabama P-3 initiative to move away from traditional teaching methods to active participatory learning (APL) approaches. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine teachers from four schools who taught kindergarten (K), first, or second grade. The data were analyzed through comparison of K and primary (P) teachers’ experiences of the implementation of the initiative using Lewin’s (1951) change theory as an a priori theory. The data were organized into two a priori themes: the process of change and forces influencing the change. The process of change theme was presented in …

Go to article

Recognizing Compound Expressions And Emotion Intensity, William Wagner Jan 2019

Recognizing Compound Expressions And Emotion Intensity, William Wagner

All ETDs from UAB

Six facial expressions of emotion (anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise) have been identified as panculturally recognizable. Though recognition of those facial expressions appears to be developmentally innate, there is variation in emotion recognition between individuals. Specifically, those with autism spectrum disorder often have difficulty with this skill, contributing to issues in their social interactions. Another important skill for social interactions is identifying when someone feels more than one emotion at a time, and some evidence suggests that those emotional states are expressed with panculturally recognizable affects, termed compound expressions. Yet another skill involves determining the intensity of someone’s …

Go to article

Novel Biomarkers For Parkinson Disease, Shijie Wang Jan 2019

Novel Biomarkers For Parkinson Disease, Shijie Wang

All ETDs from UAB

Parkinson disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder with no reliable biochemical biomarkers for disease prediction or progression, nor disease-modifying treatments to slow the relentless progression. Mutations in the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene are known to increase LRRK2 kinase activity and increase the risk for late-onset PD. In this thesis, I discovered that LRRK2 is secreted into exosomes in urine and CSF, where LRRK2 kinase activity, reflected by autophosphorylation at pS1292 site, is preserved and reflective of cytosolic LRRK2 levels. In a cohort of biosamples from LRRK2 mutation carriers and matched controls, with and without PD, …

Go to article

The Anti-Tumor Effects Of Hur Inhibition In Glioblastoma, Jiping Wang Jan 2019

The Anti-Tumor Effects Of Hur Inhibition In Glioblastoma, Jiping Wang

All ETDs from UAB

Glioblastomas (GBMs) are the most malignant primary brain tumor. GBMs represent 14.7% of total primary CNS tumors and 47.7% of malignant CNS tumors. The median survival of GBM is 18-20 months, while five-year survival rate is only 5.6%. GBMs are maintained by glioma stem cells (GSCs), and poor treatment outcomes are linked to the high resistance of GSCs to radiation and chemotherapy, and the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. The mRNA binding protein HuR is a key regulator of tumor growth and development based upon the fact that HuR targets mRNAs that are broadly involved in tumorigenesis. We have previously shown that …

Go to article

First Prev Next Last