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2021

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A Sociological Perspective On Pidgin's Viability And Usefulness For Development In West Africa, Victoria M. Time, Daniel K. Pryce Jan 2021

A Sociological Perspective On Pidgin's Viability And Usefulness For Development In West Africa, Victoria M. Time, Daniel K. Pryce

Sociology & Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

This essay examines the viability and usefulness of pidgin for development in West Africa. Pidgin in West Africa has endured as a unifying medium of communication among people who do not share a common language. It has been lauded as a neutral language that facilitates trade, commerce, and everyday dealings among people of all walks of life. Some have proposed supplanting English, which is the official language in most of the West African countries where the use of pidgin is prevalent, with either pidgin or some other indigenous language. Contrarians, however, consider pidgin to be a limiting factor, in that, …

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Resident Involvement In Orthopedic Surgery: A Meta-Analysis And Systematic Review, Avi Robinson, Carolyn A. Ardizzone, Anne D. Strong, Hytham S. Salem Md, Stephen Thon Md, Andres Barandiaran, Rachel Frank Md Jan 2021

Resident Involvement In Orthopedic Surgery: A Meta-Analysis And Systematic Review, Avi Robinson, Carolyn A. Ardizzone, Anne D. Strong, Hytham S. Salem Md, Stephen Thon Md, Andres Barandiaran, Rachel Frank Md

USF-LVHN SELECT

No abstract provided.

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Current Treatment Practices For Post-Tympanostomy Tube Otorrhea At Lehigh Valley Health Network, Timothy Koo, Sri Kiran Chennupati Md Jan 2021

Current Treatment Practices For Post-Tympanostomy Tube Otorrhea At Lehigh Valley Health Network, Timothy Koo, Sri Kiran Chennupati Md

USF-LVHN SELECT

No abstract provided.

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Examining Effects Of The Covid-19 Pandemic And Social Distancing On Children And Their Play And Social Development, Jenni Koehler Jan 2021

Examining Effects Of The Covid-19 Pandemic And Social Distancing On Children And Their Play And Social Development, Jenni Koehler

All ETDs from UAB

The COVID-19 pandemic is a global public health crisis that has affected everyone worldwide and drastically changed the social landscape since the first reported case on December 31, 2019 (WHO, 2020). Part of this social landscape includes children’s ability to play with their peers. Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social impairments, have been observed to initiate and reciprocate peer interactions much less frequently than their peers, including language-matched children with other developmental disabilities, without therapeutic intervention (American Psychiatric Association, 2013; Frankel et al., 2011). Therefore, children with ASD could be at an increased risk …

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An Analysis Of Preterm Birth Related To Sars-Cov-2 Infection By Race, Madeleine B. Mcgwin Jan 2021

An Analysis Of Preterm Birth Related To Sars-Cov-2 Infection By Race, Madeleine B. Mcgwin

All ETDs from UAB

Research investigating the association between pregnant women with COVID-19 infection and adverse birth outcomes, including preterm birth, having been contradicting. Individual differences between study populations, e.g., racial composition, may explain some of these inconsistencies. The aim of the present study is to determine if the association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and pre-term birth varies according to race. A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the Vizient Clinical Data Base/Research Manager (CDB/RM). The study participants were women who gave birth in one of the Vizient facilities between March 2020 and January 2021. A positive COVID-19 test status was the primary exposure …

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Review Of Inmate Litigation Challenging The Constitutionality Of Solitary Confinement, Kaelyn Little Jan 2021

Review Of Inmate Litigation Challenging The Constitutionality Of Solitary Confinement, Kaelyn Little

All ETDs from UAB

Inmate litigation has evolved since the 1960s, and little is known about the state of inmate litigation since the enactment of the Prisoner Litigation Reform Act (PLRA) in 1996. Additionally, the current conditions of solitary confinement are largely unknown, and correctional facilities operate with little accountability. This study provides an analysis of Section 1983 lawsuits across six states and decided from 2015 to 2020. All cases included in the study involved inmates filing a Section 1983 lawsuit due to a constitutional violation experienced during their time spent in solitary confinement. The findings showed that most lawsuits were unsuccessful due to …

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Evaluation Of The Bonding Strength Between Different Materials And Resin Cement Used For Cementing A Fixed Complete Prosthesis, Vinita Pankaj Ved Jan 2021

Evaluation Of The Bonding Strength Between Different Materials And Resin Cement Used For Cementing A Fixed Complete Prosthesis, Vinita Pankaj Ved

All ETDs from UAB

Statement of Problem: When a situation of full-arch edentulism is observed, CAD-CAM designed prosthesis have improved properties in comparison to conventional fixed dentures. Long term longevity of the prosthesis includes not only strength of the framework, but also enhanced bonding strength between the framework and implant coping. Purpose: To investigate the bonding strength between different polymer materials used for a monolithic metal-free fixed hybrid denture luted to Ti-Base using the push-out strength test. Materials and Methods: The experimental design consists of 20 specimens for each group, with a total of 7 groups (total = 140). The materials used in the …

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The Impact Of Blimp1 On Etreg Stability And The Tumor Microenvironment, Michael Dixon Jan 2021

The Impact Of Blimp1 On Etreg Stability And The Tumor Microenvironment, Michael Dixon

All ETDs from UAB

CD4+ Foxp3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells are responsible for maintaining immunological homeostasis and self-tolerance through the regulation of immune responses against foreign and self-antigens, and they comprise both central Treg and effector Treg (eTreg) subsets. Because of their ability to suppress potent immune responses, eTreg cells expressing the transcription factor Blimp1 are frequently recruited to the tumor microenvironment (TME) to suppress anti-tumor responses by tumor infiltrating effector cells. Here, we demonstrate in murine transplantable tumor models that Blimp1 is required for intratumoral eTreg stability and that loss of Blimp1 by intratumoral eTreg cells results in their reduced suppressive activity and …

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Studies On Nontypeable Haemophilus Influenzae Biofilm Persistence & Redox Homeostasis In Chronic Bacterial Diseases, Benjamin C. Hunt Jan 2021

Studies On Nontypeable Haemophilus Influenzae Biofilm Persistence & Redox Homeostasis In Chronic Bacterial Diseases, Benjamin C. Hunt

All ETDs from UAB

Bacterial biofilms, or surface-adherent bacterial communities surrounded by a self-produced extracellular polymeric matrix, are ubiquitous. They are found throughout Earth’s ecosystems, in the soil and waterways, and more pressingly for the medical community, they are found within humans. Bacterial biofilms are associated with a multitude of diseases and their involvement significantly complicates treatment given that bacteria growing within a biofilm are extremely more resistant to antibiotics and immune effectors. Thus, the need to better understand biofilm biology and find ways to disrupt and/or sensitize biofilms to medical treatment is significant. The goal of the research presented herein was to investigate …

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Shades Of Black: Black Collegiate Women And The Impact Of Colorism In Higher Education, Charletta Nickole Wiggins Jan 2021

Shades Of Black: Black Collegiate Women And The Impact Of Colorism In Higher Education, Charletta Nickole Wiggins

All ETDs from UAB

Colorism perpetuates the same variables that drive the principles of racism and has led to disparate treatment, lower self-esteem, and negative perceptions within communities of color for decades. Since Black women are considered second class citizens, behind both men and White women, it is vital to acknowledge that their experiences with racism, compounded by colorism, are most salient. The purpose of this qualitative research study is three-fold: (1) to explore colorism as a phenomenon while also investigating its impact on the higher education attainment of Black collegiate women, (2) to give these women a voice regarding their personal experiences with …

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Effeccts Of Hiv-1 Tat On Tspo, A Biomarker Of Neuroinflammation, Nguyen Thuy Nhu Nguyen Jan 2021

Effeccts Of Hiv-1 Tat On Tspo, A Biomarker Of Neuroinflammation, Nguyen Thuy Nhu Nguyen

All ETDs from UAB

HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) produces serious neurological dysfunction for > 50% of people living with HIV (PLWH). As antiretroviral therapy (ART) has transformed HIV into a chronic disease, and since most ART does not effectively cross the blood brain barrier, HAND is predicted to further increase in prevalence in PLWH. The HIV-Trans-Activator of Transcription (Tat) is known to persist in the central nervous system (CNS) of chronically infected HIV+ individuals. In several preclinical studies, HIV-Tat has been shown to be neurotoxic and important for HIV pathogenesis. Translocator protein (TSPO), an 18 kDa mitochondrial protein, has been shown to be increased via …

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Characterization Of Rna Polymerase I Trigger Loop Mutations, Collin Ainslie Jan 2021

Characterization Of Rna Polymerase I Trigger Loop Mutations, Collin Ainslie

All ETDs from UAB

RNA polymerases are primarily multi-subunit enzymes that synthesize RNAs from template DNA strands. RNA polymerase I (Pol I) is the eukaryotic RNA polymerase that synthesizes the majority of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) for ribosome production. These include the 5.8S, 28S, and 18S rRNAs which are synthesized from a polycistronic gene in the nucleolus. The rRNAs synthesized by Pol I, the 5S rRNA, & ribosomal proteins come together to synthesize ribosomes through ribosome biogenesis. Dysregulation of Pol I activity has been established to contribute to dysregulation of ribosome biogenesis and disease state development. These conditions include but are not limited to Cincinnati …

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Examining Interpersonal Diffnces Among Caregivers In Health Outcomes Using A Stress Process Model: The Influence Of Adverse Social Experiences And Social Support, Wesley Browning Jan 2021

Examining Interpersonal Diffnces Among Caregivers In Health Outcomes Using A Stress Process Model: The Influence Of Adverse Social Experiences And Social Support, Wesley Browning

All ETDs from UAB

Many Americans are informal caregivers who are responsible for caring for their loved ones who have difficulty performing everyday functions. Black and White caregivers each have many of the same burdens associated with caregiving, but often the way in which burden is experienced differs between these two racial groups. Caregiving places unique burden on individuals, and this burden is associated with depression and worse quality of life (QoL). This study aimed to use the stress process model to describe differences between Black and White caregivers. This study also examined the role of adverse social experiences (negative interaction, experiences of discrimination …

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The Marriage Of Public Issues And Civic Action: A Case On Integrating Public Issues Into The C3 Framework, Rebecca Macon Bidwell Jan 2021

The Marriage Of Public Issues And Civic Action: A Case On Integrating Public Issues Into The C3 Framework, Rebecca Macon Bidwell

All ETDs from UAB

This qualitative case study examined a teacher’s perceptions of implementing a research intervention that included the discussion of public issues and analyzed student artifacts from the intervention for ideas related to taking civic action. The research inter-vention was created using indicators from the Inquiry Arc of the C3 Framework pub-lished by the National Council of the Social Studies (NCSS, 2013). The researcher used purposeful sampling to choose who would implement the research intervention. The case study took place in an 11th grade U.S. history class during the 2020-2021 school year. The methods of data collection included teacher interviews and analysis …

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Impact Evaluation Of Major Hurricanes On Designated Southeast Coast Counties Of Usa Using Multivariate Analysis And Forecasting, Mukti Patel Jan 2021

Impact Evaluation Of Major Hurricanes On Designated Southeast Coast Counties Of Usa Using Multivariate Analysis And Forecasting, Mukti Patel

All ETDs from UAB

The study includes four major analyses. Each analysis has its own uniqueness. The Temporal analysis intended to track the economic effect trends of major storms in small counties and large metro regions as well as compare how the percent GDP loss in these locations has affected. The study shows that unfavorable impacts of major storms of the same scale and intensity stood the greatest shift in GDP growth rate percentage along with greatest damage in terms of GDP particularly in the smaller counties during and after major storm event. In addition to that percentage change in population growth rate, personal …

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Understanding The Role Of Biomechanics In Ovarian Cancer Biology, Alba Martinez Diaz Jan 2021

Understanding The Role Of Biomechanics In Ovarian Cancer Biology, Alba Martinez Diaz

All ETDs from UAB

Mechanical forces including compression, tension, and shear stress are increasingly implicated as instigators of tumor progression. Understanding how mechanobiology drives ovarian cancer is critical to identifying potential therapies. The effect of shear stress is beginning to be studied in ovarian cancer due to the presence of ascites in the peritoneal cavity that prompts tumor cells detachment and implantation in secondary sites. Therefore, mechanical cues are present within the peritoneal cavity. A growing ovarian tumor mass also experiences compressive and tensile forces, although their participation in tumor progression still remains unclear. Additionally, there is a specific lack of incorporation of mechanobiology …

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From Classrooms To Polluted Communities: Scientific Inquiry In Birmingham, Alabama And Beyond, Sarah Jeanne Adkins-Jablonsky Jan 2021

From Classrooms To Polluted Communities: Scientific Inquiry In Birmingham, Alabama And Beyond, Sarah Jeanne Adkins-Jablonsky

All ETDs from UAB

Nearly half of all U.S. students who declare science majors in college do not graduate with science degrees within six years. Improvements in science outcomes are linked with active-learning pedagogies such as Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs). However, despite the need for education reform particularly in Alabama, active-learning interventions are severely understudied in Alabama universities. Chapter 1 describes novel CUREs at four colleges in Birmingham, AL: The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB); Jefferson State Community College (JSCC), Samford University (SU), and Birmingham Southern College (BSC). Chapter 2 shows how an agar art CURE, The Art of Microbiology, impacts student …

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A Novel In Vitro Model To Study Immune Interactions In Glioblastoma, Hasan Alrefai Jan 2021

A Novel In Vitro Model To Study Immune Interactions In Glioblastoma, Hasan Alrefai

All ETDs from UAB

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and lethal primary brain tumor in adults. Despite decades of research, GBM has a median survival of approximately 14 months, necessitating the development of novel GBM therapeutics. The drug-development process has been hindered due to the lack of high-fidelity pre-clinical models. While in-vitro models of patient-derived xenografts (PDX) present an interesting approach to modeling GBM, they typically fail to incorporate the non-cancerous cells that support tumor growth and progression. Others have attempted to address this problem by using techniques such as 3D bioprinting to incorporate astrocytes and macrophages in an extracellular matrix; however, they …

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Cultural Narratives Of Methamphetamine Using Parents And Children, Blake Beaton Jan 2021

Cultural Narratives Of Methamphetamine Using Parents And Children, Blake Beaton

All ETDs from UAB

People who use drugs are at a greater risk of being stigmatized than those who do not. Those who use drugs and parent children are at an even greater risk of stigmatization due to social expectations for parents to be accountable for their children. Therefore, it is acutely important that parents who use drugs form distinctions between themselves (i.e. good parents) and other drug using parents who are more deserving of social demonization. Previous research on drug users has demonstrated their attempts to distance themselves from other drug users using symbolic boundaries. These symbolic boundaries create clearer distinctions between oneself …

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Structural Changes To Desmosomal Architecture During Assembly And Maturation, Reena R. Beggs Jan 2021

Structural Changes To Desmosomal Architecture During Assembly And Maturation, Reena R. Beggs

All ETDs from UAB

Desmosomes are macromolecular junctions important in adhesion and resisting mechanical stress in epithelial and cardiac tissue. Desmosomes have a complex architecture with transmembrane cadherins, desmogleins and desmocollins, constituting the adhesive interface and plaque proteins, including plakoglobin and desmoplakin, binding the cadherin tails and integrating with intermediate filaments. Dysregulation of desmosomes occurs in many disease states, such as cardiomyopathies, skin diseases, and various cancers. While mature desmosomes' structure is generally understood, less is known about desmosome architecture during assembly and recycling. Desmosomes are dynamic, biochemically intractable, and diffraction-limited, making them challenging to study. To overcome these obstacles, I applied the super-resolution …

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Studies On The Influence Of Non-Equilibrium Plasma Irradiation On Polyester Scaffolds: Characterization And Evolution Of New Surface Properties Toward Potential Biomedical Applications, Bernabe Samuel Tucker Jan 2021

Studies On The Influence Of Non-Equilibrium Plasma Irradiation On Polyester Scaffolds: Characterization And Evolution Of New Surface Properties Toward Potential Biomedical Applications, Bernabe Samuel Tucker

All ETDs from UAB

A great need exists for innovative, functional materials. Specifically, functional materials must meet the necessary mechanical and interfacial properties for successful bio-integration for end goals such as medical implants. A gap in the knowledge existed before this work. This work addressed that gap through an experimental approach that employed low-temperature plasma (LTP) processing of fibrous, polyester constructs to produce functional materials. First, atmospheric-pressure plasma processing of electrospun polyester fibers, in a tubular geometry, was reported. Characterization of that system was conducted. Next, the effects of magnetized plasmas were reported. That report was a novel application of magnetized plasma and showed …

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Choking Under Pressure Detection Model Based On Expert System Foundation Using Tennis Performance Variables For Individual Performance Enhancement, Stepan Vancurik Jan 2021

Choking Under Pressure Detection Model Based On Expert System Foundation Using Tennis Performance Variables For Individual Performance Enhancement, Stepan Vancurik

All ETDs from UAB

Choking under pressure is a phenomenon understood as underperformance or suboptimal performance in a particular task or an action that occurs due to the presence of pressure situations. The phenomenon is feared by many people, especially athletes. Choking has been heavily addressed and studied in psychology and behavioral science research. Research works addressing the phenomenon have also been occasionally published in scientific literature; however, a structural approach to objectively measure, analyze, identify, and define its determinants is absent. Therefore, this dissertation study attempts to add to the existing choking research by proposing a novel approach for choking identification, analyzing domain …

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Polymeric Vesicles: Design, Synthesis And Characterization, Yiming Yang Jan 2021

Polymeric Vesicles: Design, Synthesis And Characterization, Yiming Yang

All ETDs from UAB

Synthetic nanovesicles, known as liposomes, are assembled from synthetic lipids as encapsulation devices for delivery of small molecules and are now a key component of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. Due to their similarity to a cell membrane, liposomes also find use in anticancer treatment to reduce toxic side effects of chemotherapy. However, synthetic liposomes may require a multi-step synthesis, and very often show poor physical and chemical stability. In contrast, polymeric vesicles (polymersomes) assembled from synthetic polymers can boast much better mechanical and chemical stabilities and provide stimuli responsiveness that can enhance targeted drug delivery and provide drug release on-demand. Polymersomes …

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Fqhcs, Health Center Controlled Network Affiliation And Performance, Armika Jessica Berkley Jan 2021

Fqhcs, Health Center Controlled Network Affiliation And Performance, Armika Jessica Berkley

All ETDs from UAB

Since the mid-1960s, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) have been funded by the U.S. federal government to provide access to preventative and primary care for medically underserved communities. The federal government’s involvement in the funding of FQHCs was a response to extreme poverty, economic instability, and civil unrest related to the Civil Rights movement. Adoption of value-based care delivery practices to improve clinical and financial performances among FQHCs has been slow. This slow adoption has been attributable to cost, lack of expertise, and support. Since August 1994, the Department of Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the funding source for …

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Evaluating The Effects Of Silver Diamine Fluoride On Microbiome Analysis Of Carious Lesions, Karol Fernanda Bryant Jan 2021

Evaluating The Effects Of Silver Diamine Fluoride On Microbiome Analysis Of Carious Lesions, Karol Fernanda Bryant

All ETDs from UAB

ABSTRACT Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate changes in the oral bacterial flora before and after application of 38% Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF, manufacturer and city/state) to carious lesions. Methods: Fifteen children with at least one cavitated carious tooth and one healthy tooth were enrolled and following examination, a carious tooth was selected to receive SDF treatment. Prior to SDF treatment, two supragingival plaque samples were obtained (using sterile cotton swabs, then storage in transport fluid and frozen at -80oC until DNA extraction) at the first appointment, one carious tooth, another from a non-carious tooth. At the …

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Social Inclusion Among People With Mobility Limitations In The Global South, Shane Burns Jan 2021

Social Inclusion Among People With Mobility Limitations In The Global South, Shane Burns

All ETDs from UAB

An estimated 15% of the world’s population have a disability—roughly 80% of whom live in the Global South. People with disabilities experience profound social disparities that affect their quality of life and social inclusion. Due to the array of cultural perspectives and institutional capacities around the globe, provision of disability rights can come with its challenges. In many cultural contexts, people have moral beliefs about disability that result in shame. More medicalized beliefs toward disability are often the result of medical infrastructure that offers goods and services. Using a framework that arrays these moral and medical dimensions, I theorized that …

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How Legitimate Companies Are Being Used For Sales For Illicit Online Products, Amanda Cetnarowski Jan 2021

How Legitimate Companies Are Being Used For Sales For Illicit Online Products, Amanda Cetnarowski

All ETDs from UAB

The opioid epidemic began in the early 1990s due to the misuse and misinformation of pharmaceutical opioids. Since then, the increase in opioid use ranging from hydrocodone to fentanyl has become a world-wide issue. Over time, opioid use has evolved in many ways with three major waves of opioid use beginning with oxycodone, moving to heroin, and finally to fentanyl. Usage of online platforms and forums to sell and buy illicit opioids has increased significantly due to easier internet capabilities and social media platforms. A total of 1,946 illicit online opioid sell sites were found in this study to show …

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The Function Of Tgfβr3 (Betaglycan) In The Differentiation And Proliferation Of T Cells, Samuel Duesman Jan 2021

The Function Of Tgfβr3 (Betaglycan) In The Differentiation And Proliferation Of T Cells, Samuel Duesman

All ETDs from UAB

TGFβR3 is a membrane bound co-receptor to many members of the TGFβ superfamily of ligands and is broadly expressed in the human body. TGFβR3 is known to modulate immune system function, but its exact role is at this time poorly understood. Work by Aleman-Muench et al., (2012) suggests that TGFβR3 regulates T cell development in the thymus. In order to further investigate the role of TGFβR3 in the immune system our lab developed a mouse which lacks TGFβR3 selectively in mature T cells. The contribution of TGFβR3 on in vivo activation and differentiation of T cells was investigated by utilizing …

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A Critical Discourse Analysis: The Ways In Which African American Male Administrators Talk About Race And Their Roles As Administrators In Public Schools In Alabama, Mathew Germayne Epps Jan 2021

A Critical Discourse Analysis: The Ways In Which African American Male Administrators Talk About Race And Their Roles As Administrators In Public Schools In Alabama, Mathew Germayne Epps

All ETDs from UAB

The purpose of this study was to describe ways that African American males were either motivated or demotivated to become school administrators. Because African American males only represent 2% of educators in the United States, the field for African American males to become administrators were limited (Woodson & Pabon, 2016). There is a paucity of literature on African American male administrators (Grauerholz & Turner, 2017); however, research that has been done on African American male administrators were on their lived experiences. This study was conducted in central Alabama and 10 participants who were high school administrators agreed to participate. The …

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Policies Affecting Post-Traditional Students And Students Facing Economic Instability At The Community College, Joshua Patrick Bowens Jan 2021

Policies Affecting Post-Traditional Students And Students Facing Economic Instability At The Community College, Joshua Patrick Bowens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The following dissertation in practice researches policies from the Colorado Community College System (CCCS) that relate to Post-Traditional students and students experiencing economic instability. Using a conceptual framework of Motivational Theory (Maslow, 1943; Harrigan & Lamport-Commons, 2015; Herzberg, 1959) and the Principal-Agent theory (Jensen, & Meckling, 1976), this dissertation focuses on how one community college (CC) within the CCCS system interprets and implements those policies both college and campus wide, as well as departmentally. Although many studies exist pertaining to community college students, literature pertaining to Post-Traditional students in a community college setting has not been fully explored. This will …

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