Digital Commons Network^™

A Multiple Case Study On The Experiences And Perspectives Of Instructional Coaches Supporting Teachers With The Literacy Instruction Of Historically Marginalized Populations, Kristie Basila Williams

All ETDs from UAB

This qualitative multiple case study explored the experiences and perspectives of instructional coaches that support teachers with the literacy instruction of students from historically marginalized populations through the lens of the following three theoretical frameworks: the partnership approach, critical literacy, and culturally relevant pedagogy. The three participants involved in the study all came from the same district but different schools and were recruited based on the criteria of being an instructional coach in a middle school that has more than 51% of students from historically marginalized populations, as identified by the state’s department of education website. The data collected included …

Network-Based Analytics For Discovering Gene Modules And Biomarkers In Complex Diseases, Zongliang Yue

All ETDs from UAB

With rapidly increasing novel discoveries of associations between genomic data and complex disease phenotypes, the translation of those associations into knowledge and the identification of critical molecular mechanisms are essential to guild clinical decisions such as the diagnosis of symptomatic individuals, the prediction of disease risk, reproductive genetic counseling, and determining pharmacogenetic profiles for treatment. To decipher the genome of complex diseases, gene-centric analyses focus on detecting molecular mechanisms lead by driver genetics variants, abnormally expressed genes and high-abundance proteins through gene module construction. Additionally, the gene module construction approaches implement systems biology analysis to reveal the causative co-expressed gene …

The Effect Of Visual Training On The Attention System And Visual Cortex, Mandy Kathleen Biles

All ETDs from UAB

There are many contexts in which experience causes lasting changes in behavior that improve our ability to respond to our environment. Such improvements in performance, sometimes referred to as perceptual learning, are often the result of training and can enhance our ability to effectively respond to our environment. Recently, researchers have sought a more detailed understanding of perceptual learning and worked to apply these principles to improve perceptual learning in applied domains. In addition to training, another way to improve our perception of the environment is to increase the level of attention paid to features that are useful to us. …

Measuring Student Attitudes Toward Offenders: The Potential Mediating Role Of Familial Incarceration, Susan Faith Boyd

All ETDs from UAB

Each year hundreds of thousands of ex-offenders are released from U.S. jails and prisons to return to their communities. After release, ex-offenders’ families can play a critical role in helping their loved ones re-adjust to life outside of prison as well as meet the terms of their release; however, the severe financial, emotional, and social hardships associated with reentry have great potential to strengthen or weaken ex-offenders’ family support networks. The current study sought to explore how attitudes toward offenders differ between offenders’ family members and individuals who have never experienced familial incarceration. Adaptations of The Attitudes Toward Prisoners Scale …

Symbolic Annihilation, The Politics Of (Mis)Representation, And The Stress And Health Of Millennial Black Women, Chenoia Nicole Bryant

All ETDs from UAB

The (mis)representation of Black populations in media has been extensively explored and critiqued by several scholars. From their introduction into media through radio to their visi-bility in television and news, the tropes of Black womanhood have carried over from colo-nialist perspectives to present day. Considering race and gender as cultural structures con-straining Black women through the assignment of stereotypical scripts, it is important to consider how, when and where Black women’s agency enters. Negative racialized and gendered stereotypes are informed by culture at large, but Black women’s agency impacts the interpretation of these (mis)representations, offering space for both conformity and …

Photoexcitation Dynamics In Optimally Doped Lsco Thin Films Under Applied Magnetic Field, Ashlyn Damaris Burch

All ETDs from UAB

This thesis will study the photoexcitation dynamics observed in optimally doped La2-xSrxCuO2 (LSCO) thin films while under magnetic field. The high temperature superconducting cuprates display strong spin-fluctuations and appearances of mixed phase regimes that are heavily dependent on their doping levels. This thesis focuses on the optimal Sr doping level x = 0.15. The experimental technique uses femtosecond pulses to probe the normal metallic and superconducting phases in this material while applying external electric and magnetic perturbations. The broadband (0.1 - 10 THz) optical pump-terahertz probe spectrometer that is intended for studying this material was designed at the University of …

Cognitive Factors And Treatment Adherence In Individuals With Cystic Fibrosis, Benjamin Edwin Burgess

All ETDs from UAB

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a life-threatening chronic illness which requires adherence to a many complex and time-consuming treatments. Adherence is suboptimal in this population. Thus, it is important to consider predictors of treatment adherence. Research has evaluated a number of cognitive factors that are related to adherence in groups with chronic illnesses, including those with CF. The present study considers three factors (health locus of control (HLC), perceived social support, and perceived disease severity) in order to address important gaps in the literature evaluating their relationships with treatment adherence. For each of these factors, the current research is limited by …

Restless Legs Syndrome And Multiple Sclerosis: The Possible Role Of Physical Activity For Managing Symptoms, Katie Cederberg

All ETDs from UAB

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is an idiopathic neurological disorder characterized by unpleasant sensations in the legs that affects 26% of persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). The current pharmacological treatments for RLS are associated with a number of side effects, including the worsening of symptoms (i.e., augmentation). Physical activity represents a promising, behavioral approach for managing symptoms of RLS in MS. To date, physical activity has demonstrated tremendous benefits for managing many consequences of MS, but there is no evidence on its efficacy for managing RLS in MS. This dissertation described the current literature regarding physical activity and RLS in adults …

Investigating The Efficacy And Parental Impact Of A Novel Community Education Workshop For Caregivers Of Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Christian Clesi

All ETDs from UAB

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disability that is characterized by impairments in social communication and repetitive behavior patterns that currently affects one in fifty-four individuals. Individuals with ASD often experience greater health disparities than the general population related to a lack of services that are available and systemic barriers to accessing care. Alabama’s Regional Autism Network is tasked with serving this population to reduce health disparities and increase health equity. One region within the Network created a psychoeducation program for caregivers and providers of individuals with ASD with the goal of providing evidence-based knowledge, teaching ASD intervention skills, …

Understanding Adolescent Sexual Health Through Exploration Of Their Perceptions, Behaviors, And Beliefs, Jessica L. Corcoran

All ETDs from UAB

Adolescents in the United States disproportionately experience adverse sexual health outcomes compared to adolescents in other developed countries. The purpose of this dissertation is to provide an in-depth examination of adolescent sexual health through the generation of three manuscripts. The first manuscript will provide an integrative review of adolescents’ perceptions of sexual health education programs. The second manuscript will illuminate the five-year trends in adolescent chlamydia rates by region, race, and sex. The third manuscript will provide a qualitative analysis from interviews with African American adolescent females in the southern U.S. Manuscript one reviewed studies from 2008 to 2019. The …

From Pathology To Circuits: Loss Of Pink1 Function In Parkinson’S Disease, Rose Berthe Creed

All ETDs from UAB

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the most common neurogenerative motor disorder, affecting over 10 million people worldwide. Clinically, PD is diagnosed by presentation of hypokinetic movements such as bradykinesia, rigidity, and resting tremor. Additionally, PD patients have non-motor symptoms that include anosmia, constipation, and hypophonia. Current therapeutics have been successful in treating many of the locomotor symptoms, however no therapies stop or slow disease progression and the effectiveness of current medications diminishes as the symptoms invariably become more severe over the course of many years. Histopathologically, PD diagnosis is confirmed postmortem by two pathological hallmarks: 1. loss of dopaminergic neurons in …

Enhancer Rnas As Regulators Of Gene Expression And Neuronal Function, Nancy Verena Nicole Carullo

All ETDs from UAB

Genomic enhancers are cis-regulatory elements in the DNA that exhibit spatial and temporal control over intricate gene expression programs shaping fate and function of heterogeneous cell populations in the developing and adult brain. In addition to their role in cellular development and maintenance, enhancer activity drives transcriptional changes in response to stimulation. Active enhancers are subject to bidirectional transcription that yields non-coding enhancer RNAs (eR-NAs). However, the functional role of eRNAs in transcriptional regulation remains controversial. Therefore, we used primary neuronal cultures to investigate en-hancers and eRNAs in the rat genome. We identified and verified enhancer-gene pairs, characterized their response …

Impact Of Diet And Meal Timing On Time-Of-Day Dependent Hippocampal Function, Jennifer Davis

All ETDs from UAB

Circadian rhythms are biological processes that cycle every ~24 hours and have allowed life to adapt for optimal function across the day. These rhythms are present in all tissues in the body and are coordinated to the light/dark cycle by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the hypothalamus. Along with active-rest cycles, cognitive performance fluctuates across the course of the day, peaking during the active phase. In addition to the light cycle, food and meal timing can provide signaling cues to extra-SCN tissues. Food access only during the inactive phase results in weight gain and memory impairment. High fat diet protocols …

Developing An Assessment Of Reading Impairment And Its Impact On Occupational Performance In Older Adults With Glaucoma In A Metropolitan Area Of The Southeastern Us: A Mixed Methods Approach, Robin Deacy

All ETDs from UAB

According to the United States Administration on Aging (AOA, 2014), the population of individuals over 65 will be 98 million by the year 2060, doubling its 2014 estimates. As our population ages, the prevalence of glaucoma increases. Vision loss resulting from glaucoma can limit participation in valued occupations including engagement in reading. It has long been thought that mobility issues and glare sensitivity were the main factors that characterized glaucoma. In the late 1990s and early 2000s researchers began to examine quality of life (QoL) in those with glaucoma. It was during these early QoL studies that the first reports …

Development Of Mitochondrial-Targeted Genetic Tools To Investigate How Changes In Mitochondrial Function Affect The Heart, Patrick James Ernst

All ETDs from UAB

Mitochondria are an important organelle found in all human cells, they fulfill several crucial roles necessary for cellular function such as energy production, calcium handling, metabolic regulation, and inducing pre-programmed cell death. Mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with many different diseases such as heart failure, aging, and cancer, as well as multiple neurodegenerative diseases. While there are currently different tools and approaches for studying different aspects of both mitochondrial function and dysfunction, they tend to have major drawbacks that limit their practicality and conclusions that can be drawn using them. We hypothesized that by finding the correct genetic mitochondrial targeting sequence, …

Differentiated Reading Instruction In The Early Childhood Classroom: Practical Strategies Empowering Student Success, Lynn Scott Giles

All ETDs from UAB

The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore 12 specific differentiated instructional strategies and their implementation by early childhood teachers who instruct kindergarten to third grade regarding content, process, and product components in the reading curriculum. This study was guided by three research questions: Question 1: Which specific strategies of differentiated instruction are being implemented in reading regarding content in curriculum instruction? Question 2: Which specific strategies of differentiated instruction are being implemented in reading regarding process in curriculum instruction? Question 3: Which specific strategies of differentiated instruction are being implemented in reading regarding product in curriculum instruction. Results …

Abram I. Elkus: The New York Yankees' First Lawyer, Robert M. Jarvis

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Revisiting Rose And Its Effects: A Thirty-Year Retrospective, S. Patrick Riley

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Written In Stone: The Meaning Of Public Monuments And Whether They Remain Or Go, Sanford Levinson

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

What Is "Government" "Speech"? The Case Of Confederate Monuments, Richard C. Schragger

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Why Use A Hammer When A Scalpel Will Do? Suggestions For Fairer Juvenile Plea Bargaining In Kentucky, Aaron Wallace Meek

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Choice Of Law In Kentucky Updated, John R. Leathers

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Hyperreal: Law And The Interpretation Of Visual Media, Amy L. Landers

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Up In The Air: Venue Must Remain Grounded In The Constitution, Jameson L. Gay

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

I'D Be Better Off In A Pine Box: Analyzing Kentucky's Funeral Planning Declaration Act As A Model For Uniform Legislation, J. Conner Niceley

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Freedom Of Speech-Conduct, John Fee

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Loopholes For The Affluent Bankrupt, David R. Hague

Faculty Articles

Recent bankruptcy cases are exposing a problem. Affluent individuals filing for bankruptcy are treated more favorably under the Bankruptcy Code than those debtors with little to no means of financial sustenance or income. Did Congress intend this result? The legislative history is unclear. But one thing seems certain: The United States Bankruptcy Code contains a set of loopholes that appear to be designed for the well-to-do segment of society. Courts throughout the United States are either overlooking these provisions or simply condoning their utilization under the defensible conviction that the Bankruptcy Code permits it.

In this Article, I argue that …

Quantifying Operational Impacts Of Various Work Zone Setups, Traffic Composition, And Driving Behaviors, A B M Tausif Ullah Chy

All ETDs from UAB

The presence of work zones due to pavement repair and rehabilitation is very common in highway facilities. Lane closures associated with work zones result in capacity reduction, which in turn often leads to increased congestion at such locations. Properly set work zones can minimize the adverse operational impacts. This thesis documents part of a study at the University of Alabama at Birmingham that investigated and compared the performance of freeway facilities in the presence of work zones under various Temporary Traffic Control (TTC) and lane closure scenarios while taking under consideration traffic composition and driving behaviors. The study site was …

Copper Dependent Inhibitors Subvert Common Resistance Mechanisms In Staphylococcus Aureus And Inhibit Crucial Metabolic Pathways, Cameron Crawford

All ETDs from UAB

The effective antibiotic pool is shrinking with antibiotic resistance a constant problem that threatens to make our current therapies obsolete. To combat this, new drug screening methodologies are required since the traditional drug screens are offering limited results or only improvements upon current treatments. This work expands upon the idea that transition metal toxicity can be preferentially targeted towards bacteria. Specifically, the focus is on copper dependent inhibitors that quickly work to eliminate Staphylococcus aureus. S. aureus is a particularly threatening bacteria with high strain variability, a litany of survival and virulence factors, and multiple drug resistance mechanisms that are …

Quality Of Life, Reading And Accommodation In Children With Low Vision, Dawn Kissner Decarlo

All ETDs from UAB

Childhood permanent, uncorrectable vision impairment (VI) is rare, yet it is a public health burden as the impairment lasts a lifetime. Vision impairment describes decreased vision that affects everyday activities. Acuity cut-points commonly used include 20/40, 20/60 or 20/70. Blindness often refers to legal blindness (best corrected visual acuity of 20/200 or worse or a visual field less than 20 degrees). Children with VI often have hereditary conditions such as albinism, optic atrophy and retinal degenerations and are different in many ways than adults with VI. The majority have conditions with onset at or near birth and as a result …