Digital Commons Network^™

The Role Of The Β-Catenin Signaling Pathway In Modulating The Nucleolar Proteome Of Triple Negative Breast Cancer, Shannon E. Meier

All ETDs from UAB

Previously, abnormal nucleoli were noted as indicators of cancerous lesions andused as a pathologic readout of neoplasia. Nucleolar hypertrophy and increased nucleolar number have been correlated with increased breast cancer (BC) mortality rates. Although various functions of the nucleolus have been investigated, it remains widely understudied in the context of cancer. The nucleolus was initially thought to be solely the site of ribosome biogenesis. However, over half of the proteins found in the nucleolus are associated with other biological functions. It is evident that the nucleolus plays major roles in stress response, DNA repair, and critical cellular aspects that influence …

Advancing Single Cell And Crispr/Dcas9 Technologies For The Study Of Reward Learning And Addiction, Corey Grant Duke

All ETDs from UAB

Drug addiction is a chronic relapsing condition inflicting tremendous harm to individuals and society with ineffective treatment options available to most people. Drugs of abuse elevate dopamine levels in a brain region known as the nucleus accumbens (NAc), and activate gene programs considered essential for producing lasting synaptic and cell state changes which underlie the generation of addictive behavior. These gene expression changes remain poorly understood due to a complex heterogenous cellular architecture, and the rapidly fluctuating nature of the transcriptional processes themselves which make investigation difficult. Recent technical advances increase access to both profiling and manipulating these transcriptional changes …

An Augmented Framework For Validating Neural Network Predictions Based On Statistical Modeling, William Stonewall Monroe

All ETDs from UAB

The Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) dataset (which includes several types of imaging datasets) was created to generate biomarkers for diagnosing the presence and severity of Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Unlike some conditions, PD is not intuitively diagnosed directly from brain imaging. As such, it is vital to understand as well as classify PD. Deep learning techniques are becoming increasingly prevalent in medical imaging workflows. In some cases, deep learning outperforms human diagnostic ability. However, the black-box nature of many machine learning models can be troubling, particularly in a medical context since the results could imply alternate treatments and a human …

Deficiency Of Tumor Suppressor Merlin Induces Metabolic Reprogramming In Breast Cancer, Mateus Mota

All ETDs from UAB

The tumor suppressor Merlin is encoded by Neurofibromin 2 (NF2) gene. Merlin is predominantly located in the cell cortex where regulates cell proliferation by mediating cell contact-dependent growth inhibition. Metastatic breast cancer tissues presented with a remarkable loss of Merlin protein, revealing clinical relevance of Merlin. In order to examine the cellular effect of Merlin deficiency, breast cancer cell lines were silenced for NF2. Additionally, to assess the impact of Merlin loss at the organismal level, a mammary-specific NF2 knockout mouse mammary tumor model was engineered. Merlin deficiency induced a metabolic shift from mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation to aerobic glycolysis. Furthermore, …

Protective Effects Of Thioredoxin Reductase Inhibition In The Murine Lung: The Regulation And Contribution Of Heme Oxygenase-1, Katelyn Louise Dunigan-Russell

All ETDs from UAB

Endogenous antioxidant responses defend the lung against oxygen toxicity. In premature neonates, oxygen toxicity and impaired antioxidant defenses contribute to the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), the leading cause of long-term morbidity among premature infants. In adults, oxygen toxicity and impaired antioxidant defense contributes to the pathogenesis of acute lung injury (ALI). Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), a severe form of ALI, can cause permeant lung damage and mortality. Our lab has established that pharmacologic thioredoxin reductase-1 (TXNRD1) inhibition attenuates lung injury in murine BPD and ALI models. The protective effects of TXNRD1 inhibition are mediated by the activation of …

Peace. Love. Youth. (In) Yoga: Development Of A Mental Health Program Among Adolescents Living In The Inner City, Sherilyn Jonnell Garner

All ETDs from UAB

Adolescence is a unique developmental stage during which physical, cognitive, social, and emotional changes occur simultaneously and the traumatic effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can be particularly salient for the emotional and cognitive development of adolescents as they navigate and adjust to the social environment (Blakemore & Mills, 2014). Seventy-seven percent of Black adolescents have unmet mental health needs, and only 13% of those adolescents receive services compared to 31% of White adolescents. Meeting mental health needs of Black adolescents is imperative as their mental health needs continue to grow and resources become increasingly scarce. Innovative, culturally acceptable, accessible …

The Non-Protostegid Cretaceous Marine Turtles Of Alabama And Their Bearing On The Evolution Of Extant Chelonioids, Andrew Gentry

All ETDs from UAB

The non-protostegid marine turtle fossils recovered from the Late Cretaceous of Alabama may represent some of the most recent common ancestors of modern marine turtles. Despite their evolutionary significance, almost no formal studies have been conducted on these animals for more than 60 years. Many of these species are known from incomplete holotypes which has led to decades of systematic ambiguity and made specific referrals of recently collected fossil material exceedingly challenging. The aim of this study is to review and describe the specimens of Cretaceous marine turtles collected from Alabama to determine if this material can be used to …

Immunopathogenesis In Fungal Asthma, Matthew Stephen Godwin

All ETDs from UAB

Asthma patients are increasingly presenting with asthma that is more difficult to control and treat than in years past. A subset of these patients who are sensitive to fungal species are described as having severe asthma with fungal sensitization (SAFS). Given the severity of disease, there is ever increasing interest in identifying the immune processes underlying SAFS disease pathology and the development of novel therapeutics to improve management. While sensitivity to multiple fungal species has been described in SAFS, none is more common than Aspergillus fumigatus. Here, we describe two previously unrecognized contributors to the amelioration of disease pathology in …

A Comparison Of Collection Materials And Differential Dna Extraction Methods Used To Extract Sperm And Buccal Cell Mixtures, Tyler Lawayne Corbin

All ETDs from UAB

This study focuses on two areas of interest when performing differential extractions for sexual assault kit analysis. By choosing different collection substrates, a traditional cotton swab, a nylon flocked swab, and a teased cotton swab, cellular elution capabilities were compared using two different semen dilutions. Nylon flocked swabs showed the most promise in obtaining a better male DNA yield compared to other swab types of similar dilution sets. Differential extraction methods introducing enzymatic digestion steps were modified and paired with the Qiagen DNA Investigator kit protocol to investigate their effects on cellular elution, cell separation, and time. These modified methods …

Introversion And Online Word-Of-Mouth Behavior : What Roles Do Review Website Design And Product Design Play?, Shu Ting Lau

Lingnan Theses (MPhil & PhD)

This research investigates the online review behavior of introverted customers. Introversion is a major personality trait that has been widely discussed in many personality theories. This thesis includes two essays. Essay 1 investigates how the design of an online review website can affect the willingness to do an online review of introverts. Based on the arousal theory, it is hypothesized that introverted consumers, because of their avoidance of arousal, would have a higher willingness to do online review in an environment where other users’ feedback is not allowed, but this design does not affect extroverts. These predictions are confirmed by …

Adolescent Fast Food Consumption: Underlying Factors And Related Health Outcomes, Lindsay Marie Stager

All ETDs from UAB

Obesity represents one of our nation’s leading public health issues. In 2017, over 30% of U.S. high school students presented with either overweight (15.6%) or obesity (14.8%). These trends are alarming as early childhood and adolescence are critical developmental periods for establishing healthy eating and exercise behaviors. Though past research has uncovered many factors related to adolescent eating behaviors, few studies have examined the longitudinal impacts of parenting and family variables on diet across the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Further, there is a lack of longitudinal research regarding health outcomes of fast food consumption during this same developmental period. …

Novel Methods For Establishing The Capacity For Nociception And Cognition In The Zebrafish Danio Rerio, Chris Taylor

All ETDs from UAB

Here we demonstrate the utility of a zebrafish-based model of nociception to serve as a novel screening tool for analgesic drugs. Zebrafish swimming behavior was measured following administration of various algogens used in rodent research. All compounds reduce distance traveled, thought to be an expression of nociception. Furthermore, we undertook to investigate the contribution of sex and feeding history on the acetic acid-evoked nociceptive response in zebrafish. Data suggest that male fish were more sensitive to pain than females, and that females recovered from pain faster than males. Dietary restriction increased pain sensitivity in zebrafish. We then tested the viability …

Effect Of Cement Selection On Retention Of Zirconia And Lithium Disilicate Crowns, Chan-Te Huang

All ETDs from UAB

Background: Ceramic crowns (lithium disilicate and zirconia) have become the most prescribed material for the restoration of anterior and posterior teeth due to the esthetic concerns of patients and the high cost of noble alloys. Different types of cements are used for luting crowns such as zinc phosphate, glass ionomer, resin modified glass ionomer (RMGI), resin cements and bioactive cements. Selection of different cements and bonding protocols for zirconia or lithium disilicate crowns to increase their bonding strength remains a clinical challenge for dentists. Objectives: To measure the retention strength of lithium disilicate and zirconia crowns cemented with different cements. …

C-Reactive Protein Subverts The Myeloid Lineage: Implications For Renal Injury, Rachel Jimenez

All ETDs from UAB

C-reactive protein (CRP) is an evolutionarily conserved pattern recognition molecule that was first characterized for its participation in the acute phase response to bacterial infection. In the last 90 years, knowledge of CRP biology in innate immunity has expanded significantly. CRP is known to bind and activate the classical pathway of complement, to opsonize bacteria and inflamed tissue, and to modulate myeloid cell functions. CRP is normally present in the blood at low levels with its biosynthesis and serum concentration rapidly rises upon systemic inflammation. For example, high levels of serum CRP are found following acute kidney injury (AKI) in …

Understanding And Targeting Glucose Transporter 3 In Glioblastoma, Catherine Jeanne Libby

All ETDs from UAB

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common adult primary malignant brain tumor with a median survival of about 15 months, even after aggressive treatment. Treatment of GBM is difficult for multiple reasons including the location of the tumor, tumor invasiveness, and the high degree of both inter-and intra-tumoral heterogeneity. Contributing to intratumoral heterogeneity are highly tumorigenic, stem-like tumor cells, with the capacity to self-renew and propagate the tumor, termed brain tumor initiating cells (BTICs). BTICs are also commonly therapy resistant, highly invasive, and metabolically plastic with elevated expression of glucose transporter 3 (GLUT3) allowing them to preferentially survive in low nutrient …

Analyzing Spinach Growth Using Vertical Garden Techniques And Local Water Sources For Urban Gardens, Julia Ashlyn Manzella

All ETDs from UAB

The University of Alabama at Birmingham undergraduate and graduate programs’ continued involvement in the Birmingham-Jefferson County community have identified food insecure areas, known as food deserts, and associated health issues negatively impacting the community due to poor diets and lack of access to healthy foods. Farm stands and community gardens around the Birmingham-metropolitan area have increased healthy food availability during the past several years to encourage healthier eating habits. To combat food insecurity, sustainable alternative growing techniques for urban agriculture need to be implemented and incorporated into local community gardens. Alternative gardening techniques such as vertical gardens maximize yield in …

A Computational Method For The Analysis Of Magnetic Resonance Images Using Morphological Analysis, Jon Rolf Marstrander

All ETDs from UAB

Neurodegenerative diseases are an increasingly significant source of health problems in recent years. The prevalence and severity of these diseases is only expected to grow with the aging of the population. There is a large and and growing research effort to understand, diagnose and develop treatments for this class of diseases. Many of these diseases are not well understood, and there is a dearth of approved biomarkers and other techniques to definitively diagnose these diseases. The field of computational neuroimaging has been developed as part of the effort to study and diagnose these diseases. This field has undergone explosive growth …

Translating Public Health Strategies To Examine Hypertensive Disorders Of Pregnancy In Alabama, Matthew Dean Moore

All ETDs from UAB

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are on the rise in the United States and contribute significantly to maternal and infant morbidity and mortality. The impact of such disorders is especially burdensome for women insured by Medicaid, for those who live in the South, and for those representing racial and ethnic minorities. It is evident across the aims of this dissertation that HDP remains an important public health concern to stakeholders in Alabama, its diagnosis is influenced by various maternal characteristics, and it can result in disparate severe outcomes for some populations. The first aim examines systems level decision-making in the …

Single Cell Proteins Affect Growth Performance And Body Composition Of Pacific White Shrimp Litopenaeus Vannamei, Yuan Yuan

All ETDs from UAB

The globally growing human population has increased the needs for protein based food. Single cell proteins (SCPs) as unconventional protein source, when coupled to aq-uaculture production, offer a means to ensure future protein needs can be met. To demon-strate a given type of SCP has potential as a protein source for use in aquaculture feed; a number of investigations are needed including demonstrating that the SCP is attractable and accepted by the animals, leads to equivalent survival, growth and nutritional compo-sition. This dissertation represents a series of investigations designed to evaluate the fea-sibility of using a bacterial based (MRD-Pro) and …

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 …

Stimuli Response In Ph And Temperature-Responsive Hydrogels As Probed By Neutron Reflectivity, William Todd Higgins

All ETDs from UAB

Polymer materials can be used as platforms to incorporate sensing materials, and increasingly the structure and chemistry of polymer chains is exploited in new and novel way and the unique nanoscale properties are studied. Polymers which can be dissolved in water are particularly interesting as primary components or for modifications in biomaterial applications, as many of them can have variable solubility in response to pH, temperature, or other solution conditions. This can allow the formation of microcapsules, for example, which can release drug triggered via specific solution conditions to release chemotherapeutic drug; in comparison to traditional injection or slow-release bulk …

Pathogen Manipulation Of Arabidopsis Interaction Networks, Timothy Howton

All ETDs from UAB

Under normal conditions, plants devote resources for growth, development, and reproduction. These processes require finely tuned coordination between multiple physio logical pathways. In this dissertation, we explore the connectivity of these pathways as well as what happens when the plant is challenged by biotic stress such as a bacterial pathogen. We are able to use network biology approaches in conjunction with yeast two hybrid and BiFC assays to construct a network of leucine-rich repeat receptor kinases. Furthermore, we elucidated novel effector-host interactions through the aforementioned network. Lastly, we explored the role of the glyoxylate cycle, in particular peroxisomal citrate synthase …

Rna Polymerase I Elongation Kinetics: A Biochemical And Global Study Of A Cancer Therapeutic Target, Catherine Elizabeth Scull

All ETDs from UAB

My graduate research has focused on understanding the elongation kinetics of RNA polymerase I (Pol I), the enzyme responsible for synthesizing ribosomal RNA (rRNA), and defining how inhibition of ribosome biogenesis may be used as a cancer therapeutic strategy. Here, I have defined key biophysical features of Pol I and I have expanded the field’s understanding of Pol I elongation by: 1) characterizing the enzymatic properties of Pol I by mutational analysis of the polymerase itself, and by 2) elucidating the role of DNA sequence on Pol I arrest and nucleolytic cleavage activity. In recent years, Pol I has become …

Smoke Inhalation, Lung Function, And Heart Rate In Wildland Firefighters, Jordan E. Nelson

All ETDs from UAB

Given the close proximity to the fire front and limited use of respiratory protection, wildland firefighters are exposed to elevated levels of biomass smoke during regular occupational shifts. Due to the complex composition of biomass smoke, the relationships relating biomass smoke exposure to health outcomes has yet to be elucidated. In addition to occupational exposures, increasing intensity of wildfire events may place communities within close proximity to wildfires at risk of biomass smoke exposure. This study aimed to assess exposures to biomass smoke particles and quantify respiratory and cardiovascular health responses during active fire events using novel monitoring techniques. Personal …

Movement Ability In High School Basketball Players: Pre- And Post-Season, Nikole J. Keil

Master of Education in Applied Human Development Graduate Projects

Functional movement is the ability to perform movements (e.g., deep squat, push-ups, leg lunges) requiring balance, stabilization, and basic coordination without compensation or displaying left-to-right imbalances in muscle activity or flexibility (Cook, 2010). Competent functional movement allows for the proper development of motor control and optimal adaptability to training (Cook, 2010). Participation in structured youth sports is common in American culture, but how this participation effects functional movement ability long into adulthood is yet to be determined. The purpose of this study was to determine how functional movement ability, assessed by the Functional Movement Screen® (FMS), is impacted by participation …

Why Patients Miss Appointments At An Integrated Primary Care Clinic, Katherine Lambos Wilsey

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Missed appointments in primary care clinics is of import given the significant impact not only on patients’ continuity of care, but also on the larger healthcare system. Missed appointments indicate that there are barriers to patients’ access of health care and these contribute to poor health outcomes. Further, missed appointments lead to financial and capacity issues for primary care clinics while also contributing towards higher patient utilization of emergency department services, for medical problems traditionally treated by primary care. Integrated primary care clinics offer both medical and mental health services to patients by way of employing behavioral health consultants to …

Emotional Response To Climate Change Learning: An Existential Inquiry, Jennifer Hutchinson

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This qualitative study aims to explore and explain the existential underpinnings of learning about climate change and potential emotional responses to climate change learning. Undergraduate students in environmental sciences and studies classes at the University of Washingrounded theory on in Seattle, WA participated in semi-structured interviews. Participants were asked about their experiences learning about climate change and how they responded emotionally to the learning. This dissertation examines the responses from those interviews and builds a theory out of the data analyzed. Constructivist Grounded theory as outlined by Kathy Charmaz (2014) was used to analyze the interviews. Codes were created and …

Examining Optimism And Caregiver Strain In Parents With Youth And Young Adults Diagnosed With Anxiety And Unipolar Mood Disorders, Jennifer M. Gross

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

An anonymous online survey investigated optimism and caregiver strain in parents of youth and young adults diagnosed with anxiety and unipolar depression. Caregiver strain is a

well-researched phenomenon where the experience of parenting youth with serious psychological disorders has a potentially negative impact on parents and caregivers. Optimism is a trait that confers resiliency and improved coping to the individual. The relationship between caregiver strain and optimism is not well understood. This inquiry utilized the Caregiver Strain Questionnaire (CGSQ) to measure caregiver strain and the Life Orientation Test, Revised

(LOT-R) to measure optimism. Participants endorsed significantly higher scores on the …

Accessscience, Rob Tench

Libraries Faculty & Staff Publications

The article reviews the Web site AccessScience from publisher McGraw-Hill located at accessscience.com.

Physical And Biological Factors Affecting Oxygen Transfer In The Activated Sludge Wastewater Treatment Process, Kenneth A. Campbell

Doctoral Dissertations

“The activated sludge (AS) process is widely utilized for wastewater treatment due to its versatility and general resiliency, but is energy intensive, requiring aeration and mixing energy inputs to maintain the biochemical reaction and optimize treatment performance. This study is focused on determining different factors that influence oxygen transfer and consequently its energy demand.

AS morphology, as described by the d₁₀, d₂₀, d₃₂, specific filament length (SFL), 30 min settleability (SV₃₀), etc., does influence the OTE. Filamentous organisms increase the hydrodynamic radius of suspended particles, which dilates mixed liquor apparent viscosity (µ …