Digital Commons Network^™

First-Principles Modeling Of Mechanical Behavior And Thermoelectric Property Under Strain And Pressure, Chia-Min Lin

All ETDs from UAB

Progresses in computer hardware and numerical algorithms in the past decade have made it possible to use first-principles calculations to model material properties, with the prediction results typically in good agreement with experiments. In this dissertation, density functional theory (DFT) calculations enable the studies of shear and tensile deformations. The theoretical ideal shear stress for transition metal osmium is found along the (001)[1–10] shear direction with the maximal shear stress ∼24 GPa at critical strain ∼0.13. DFT results indicated that transition metal borides ReB2 becomes more ductile with enhanced tendency towards metallic bonding under compression. The ReB2 DFT results also …

A Value-Based Framework For Process Alignment In Complex Provisioning Systems, Michael Lipscomb

All ETDs from UAB

Provisioning systems are human-built, process-based systems whose activities are directed toward providing something of value to another entity. The things provided are not limited to any one type but may include, for example, objects, services, and information. Systems under consideration herein are limited to those that are human based, decentralized, and complex. “Human based” means that many of the agents and all the customers of the system are human. “Decentralized” means that agents act beyond central control. Such a system presents different challenges from one in which tasks are delegated from a central authority. In a decentralized system, agents are …

Pkd-1 Signaling Inthe Regulation Of Cancer Stem Cell-Like Features And Cancer Cell Interactions With Endothelial Cells In Breast Cancer And Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor, Yichen Hailey Guo

All ETDs from UAB

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a subpopulation cancer cells that play critical roles in tumor progression, recurrence, metastasis, and drug resistance. CSCs are characterized by self-renewal and plasticity. Protein kinase D-1 (PKD-1) signaling regulates CSC/stemness features in both breast cancers and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. In PNETs, PKD-1 signaling regulates not only stemness properties of cancer, but also epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). PNETs are typically well vascularized and heterogeneous. Everolimus (an mTOR inhibitor and the 2nd generation derivative of rapamycin) has been approved as a targeted chemotherapy for PNET patients. Unfortunately, nearly all patients will progress on treatment due to drug resistance …

The Role Of Protein Translation And Degradation In Aging And Alzheimer Disease Pathogenesis, Harper S. Kim

All ETDs from UAB

Protein translation (PT) is an essential cellular process playing crucial roles in growth and development. PT precipitously declines with age in multiple animal species, including humans. It has been implicitly assumed that elevated PT at young ages is beneficial to health while PT ends up dropping as a passive byproduct of aging. However, whether this holds true and how dynamic fluctuations in PT over time impact aging remain unknown. In Drosophila, we show that a transient PT spike in early-adulthood drives aging by triggering dysfunction in protein homeostasis (proteostasis) at old ages. We propose the early-adulthood spike in PT to …

Determining The Impact Of Immune Dysregulation On Cd4 T Cell Responses To Hiv-1 And Sars-Cov-2, Jacob K. Files

All ETDs from UAB

CD4+ T cells, often referred to as helper T cells, play a crucial role in the formation of antiviral immune responses following infection and vaccination. However, this can be disrupted by various forms of immune dysregulation. Many groups have described how HIV-1 adaptation and immune escape can lead to dysregulated HIV-specific immune responses. Our lab has previously shown that predicted HLA-II associated HIV-1 adaptation leads to dysregulated, poorly immunogenic CD4+ T cell responses in HIV-1 infection. Here, we focus on the impact of this HLA-II associated viral adaptation in the setting of HIV-1 vaccination. We show that HLA-II associated, vaccine-matched …

Gendering Trust In General Surgery Training: Examining The Role Of Trust Between Residents And Attendings, Alejandra Maria Colón López

All ETDs from UAB

In medical training and throughout medical careers, women face disadvantages –especially in surgery. To better understand origins of these gender inequalities, this study examines the role of gender in surgical training, focusing on trust between faculty serving as attendings and medical residents. An environment of trust enables residents to gain handson experience and acquire practical skills during surgeries performed jointly with attendings. In this sequential explanatory mixed-methods study, 105 surgical encounters were rated utilizing the OpTrust tool, an instrument designed to measure entrustment between surgery residents and attendings. Furthermore, seventeen attendings and ten surgery residents gave in-depth interviews. Attendings’ average …

The Dyslexia Disparity: An Examination Of Inequities In The Identification And Intervention Of Early Learners Of Color, Fredeisha Harper Darrington

All ETDs from UAB

Although Black students are overrepresented in the special education (SPED) population within the educational system in the United States, the number of Black students identified with dyslexia can be concluded to be significantly lower (Annamma et al., 2018; Farkas et al., 2020; Sullivan & Bal, 2013). With experts positing that dyslexia affects as many as one in five persons, attention to this matter is needed especially regarding the youngest Black students (Hyles & Hoyles, 2010; Moats & Dakin, 2017). The characteristics of dyslexia are manifested in neurological processes surrounding reading abilities, thought processes, and motor skills (Moats & Dakin, 2017). …

Exploring The Influence Of Family History Before And After Type 2 Diabetes Development Through Statistical Analysis Of Biomarkers And An Educational Intervention, Jessica Johnson Denton

All ETDs from UAB

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is increasing at an alarming rate in both children and adults worldwide. Timely identification of those at risk for type 2 diabetes is essential to reduce morbidity and mortality and to mitigate the toll on families and the healthcare system. Family history is an effective, universal tool that can be used to identify individuals at risk for type 2 diabetes before they acquire additional risk factors. Understanding how family history contributes to biomarkers associated with diabetes in healthy individuals could facilitate the creation of early screening and prevention strategies designed for this specific at-risk …

Biomanufacturing Of Micro-Myocardial Tissue Through Suspension Differentiation With Improved Yields, Purity, And Quality, Asher M. Kahn-Krell

All ETDs from UAB

Despite major advances in revascularization and drug therapy for post-myocardial infarction (MI) heart failure (HF), heart transplantation remains the only curative therapy to prevent progressive and debilitating disease. Researchers have long sought a replenishable and expandable source of cardiomyocytes (CMs), the primary functional cell in the heart muscle, for a broad array of applications related to the treatment of HF ranging from direct implantation to high throughput drug testing. The lack of cell cycle activity and cell division in adult CMs prevented the development of an expandable primary cell line. However, with the discovery of high efficiency stem cell differentiation …

Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination (Tsd): Implications For The Biology And Conservation Of The Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys Kempii), Katherine Presz

All ETDs from UAB

The Kemp’s ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) has temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) where the incubation temperature of the egg determines the sex of the hatchling. This has significant implications for the ecology, evolution, and conservation of this species because it can affect sex ratios. The studies presented in this thesis address hatchling sex ratios produced in Kemp’s ridley conservation programs using both natural as well as manipulated incubation regimes. First, a histology-based study was utilized to investigate sex ratios produced at the Padre Island National Seashore from 2002-2019. The results indicate that a female bias has been produced each year …

Method Development Of Drug Court Samples, Kourtney Michelle Steen

All ETDs from UAB

This project was done in collaboration with the Jefferson County Drug Court system. The Drug Court program is available in Jefferson County to youth and adults to help first time offenders with felony drug offenses. Individuals can have their cases dismissed once they complete the rehabilitation program. There are three phases to the Drug Court program with random drug screens conducted through a color-coded selection system. The phases are correlated to completing screens weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. The program is completed once the individual has a clean drug test for 90 days. The overall objectives of this research project were …

An Evaluation Of The In Vitro Antibacterial, Biocompatibility, And Mineralization Properties Of Six Calcium Silicate-Based Pulp Capping Materials, Taimy Cruz Hondares

All ETDs from UAB

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity, biocompatibility, and mineralization-inducing potential of calcium silicate-based pulp capping materials. Methods: Six contemporary calcium silicate-based pulp capping materials were compared in this study, including ProRoot MTA, MTA Angelus, Biodentine, EndoSequence, NeoMTA 2 and NeoPutty. The antibacterial effects of these materials against Streptococcus mutans UA159 and Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212 were determined by the agar-diffusion assay and the direct culture test. The biocompatibility and mineralization-inducing potential of these materials in preodontoblastic 17IIA11 cells were compared by the MTT assay and by evaluating alkaline phosphatase activity and calcium deposits, respectively. …

Socioeconomic Status, Hbb, And Ttr Variants, And Cardiorenal Outcomes: The Regards Study, Onika E. Abrams

All ETDs from UAB

Blacks are disproportionately affected by heart failure (HF) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). While poorer health outcomes in Blacks have been associated with social determinants of health, there are some biological differences worth noting, namely genetic risk variants for both TTR and HBB. These genetic risk variants are known to confer additional risk in the development of heart failure and end-stage renal disease, respectively. While we understand these genetic variants aren’t fully penetrant, and genetics and are not deterministic, we aimed to examine additional factors and mechanisms responsible for the increased risk in HF and ESRD in Blacks. Neighborhood socioeconomic …

Association Between Regional Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy And Reported Positive Covid-19 Cases In The Southern United States, Orielle Caudle

All ETDs from UAB

The use of vaccinations has been shown to be beneficial in pandemics in the past, and in some cases, it has led to elimination of a particular disease (i.e. polio). The COVID-19 vaccination can also serve the same purpose, however, vaccine hesitancy within specific regions of the country may prevent and/or dilute the effectiveness of the vaccine. Vaccine hesitancy can be defined as a delay in acceptance, or refusal despite the availability of vaccine services. Southern regions have consistently had the lower vaccination rates compared to its other regional counterparts, even as the pandemic progressed and death rates increased over …

"To Create A New Image Of Women": The Fight For The Equal Rights Amendment In Birmingham, Alabama, 1972-1982, Christopher J. Bertolini

All ETDs from UAB

This thesis argues that the struggle to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in Birmingham, Alabama, rarely focused on the amendment’s legal merits, but rather became a debate about the nature and validity of gender roles. Generally, opponents of the ERA set the terms of the debate and connected the seemingly benign concept of legal equality between men and women with controversial issues like the conscription of women into the military, women’s freedom from the workplace and supposed right to the economic support of their husbands, religious interpretations of gender roles, and abortion. The struggle was primarily one between middle-class …

The Roles Of Racial Discrimination And Sleep In Cognitive Functioning In Diverse Youth, Queenisha Crichlow

All ETDs from UAB

Cognitive functioning is an important aspect of human development that is closely related to youth academic outcomes (Caemmerer et al., 2018). Specifically, there is evidence that cognitive abilities such as memory, attention, and self-control are predictive of academic achievement in youth (Peng & Kievit, 2020). Current research suggests that chronic stress reduces cognitive functioning (Korten et al., 2014), but few studies have examined this relationship for race-related stress, specifically racial discrimination. Considering that racial discrimination is a common and reoccurring type of stress in the lives of minority youth (Hughes et al., 2016), it is possible that chronic exposure to …

Smoking And Perceived Stress: Examining The Impact Of Racial Identity And Risk For Obstructive Sleep Apnea Through A Moderated Mediation Model, Sofia Mildrum Chana

All ETDs from UAB

Background: Cigarette smoking is known to have a negative effect on individuals’ sleep quality, and symptoms of insomnia. Smoking can particularly exacerbate sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) by increasing irritation and inflammation of the upper respiratory conducts. Previous research highlights the complex positive association between cigarette smoking and perceived stress. Sleep may be an important aspect intervening in the association between smoking and perceived stress, given that individuals who report high stress also report worse sleep quality and are at greater risk for OSA. However, limited research has examined the indirect association of cigarette smoking and perceived …

“Wilfrid Sellars And Liberal Naturalism”, Willem A. Devries

Faculty Publications

An examination of Wilfrid Sellars' somewhat problematic relation to liberal naturalism

State-Level Policy Environments, Discrimination, And Victimization Among Sexual And Gender Minority People, Kristen D. Clark, Mitchell R. Lunn, Eliot M. Lev, Michael A. Trujillo, Micah E. Lubensky, Matthew R. Capriotti, Thomas J. Hoffmann, Juno Obedin-Maliver, Annesa Flentje

Faculty Publications

Legislation has been passed in some states to reduce discrimination and victimization toward sexual and gender minority people (SGM; people who are not solely heterosexual and/or whose gender identity is not equal to what is socially associated with sex assigned at birth). The purpose of these analyses is to test whether state-level policy environments are associated with past-year discrimination and victimization among SGM people. Cross-sectional data from The Population Research in Identity and Disparities for Equality (PRIDE) Study annual questionnaire (collected 2018–2019), a national study of the health of SGM adults in the USA, were used for these analyses. Measures …

“Usefulness Without Use," Or, The Power Of The Virtual: Lu Xun On The Vital Efficacy Of Literature, Wenjin Cui

Faculty Publications

This article explores Lu Xun’s distinct view of the vital efficacy of literature, as

captured in his well-known conception of literature’s “usefulness without use.”

Starting with the highly idealistic vision of his youthful years, which posits an

unmediated flow of power from the free play of poetry to the direct action of politics,

I follow Lu Xun on the strenuous and crisis-ridden path he took in coming to terms

with the uselessness of literature vis-à-vis the power of politics, until he finally

reaffirmed the vital power of literature by pitching the self-transcending virtual

impetus of literature against the conservative actual …

Macroarchaeology, Epistomology, And The Quality Of The Archaeological Record, James R. Allison

Faculty Publications

Perrault (2019) combines a critique of current archaeological practice with a call to re-center research on questions of culture history as well as “macroarchaeology”, or the search for large-scale patterns of human behavior and cultural development. His arguments for what archaeologists should do (and stop doing) are driven by the way the quality of the archaeological record underdetermines the answers to questions that archaeologists often seek to answer. There is much to like in Perrault’s arguments, but there also are some problematic aspects. I agree that something like Perrault’s macroarchaeology should receive greater focus within the discipline, and that archaeologists …

Final Thoughts And Observations, James R. Allison, Heidi Roberts, Jerry D. Spangler

Faculty Publications

This chapter addresses three topics inspired by the discoveries made during Jackson Flat’s archaeological investigations. The first topic examines the implications of the discovery of early maize agriculture in the Far Western region. Our data suggest that the Far Western Basketmaker tradition developed on a trajectory separate from the Western Basketmaker groups associated with the White Dog Phase in the Four Corners region.

Closing The Achievement Gap Among Foster Care Children, Ralph Cheriza

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

In recent years, the legal landscape has changed to support a framework that guarantees educational stability to foster care students as a subgroup facing myriad adverse developmental outcomes and risk factors that impede academic achievement. In 2013, California has discovered an invisible achievement gap among this distinct subgroup with unrecognized and unmet educational needs. Nationwide, the trend has not been different, prompting a need to get insight into the school setting in Florida to meet the needs of foster care students.

The literature review has suggested that foster care students remain invisible to teachers and have unmet, unstudied, and unrecognizable …

Parent–Child Leisure And Parent Affect: The Role Of Family Structure, Camilla Hodge, Jocelyn Wikle

Faculty Publications

This study evaluates differences in parent–child leisure and parent affect across single- and two-parent families. The Ecology of Family Experiences framework suggests contextual factors such as family structure and the novelty of the activity environment contribute to heterogeneity in how parents experience leisure, partly because constraints may differ across family structures. Using a large, nationally representative data sample of parents from the American Time Use Survey (N = 78,353), this study shows single-parents experience leisure deficits compared to other parents, and leisure deficits are greatest in home-based leisure. Additionally, using a subsample (N = 16,214), we found that at-home leisure …

Leisure, Eudaimonic Behavior, Physical Activity And Well-Being Of Older Adults, Jungsu Ryu, Jinmoo Heo, Gary Ellis, Mark A. Widmer

Faculty Publications

This study explored how different types of daily experiences (leisure activity, eudaimonic behaviors) and select habits and dispositions (neuroticism, dispositional depression, physical activity level), are related to situational well-being (situational depression, immediate positive affect) among older adults from a community center. Six hundred thirty-eight situational experience sampling observations were provided by 19 participants ranging in age from 59 to 81 years (M¼68.68, SD¼7.17). Each participant was signaled on five randomly selected occasions each day for seven consecutive days. Upon receiving a signal, participants completed questionnaires measuring their activity participation and situational well-being at the time of the signal. Significant predictors …

Foundations Of Online Learning: Challenges And Opportunities, Christine Greenhow, Charles R. Graham, Matthew J. Koehler

Faculty Publications

Online learning—learning that involves interactions that are mediated through using digital, typically internet-based, technology—is pervasive, multi-faceted, and evolving, creating opportunities and challenges for educational research in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this special issue, we advance an interdisciplinary agenda for online learning research at the intersection of educational technology, educational psychology, and the learning sciences. In this first article in the issue, we define online learning including its variants, review historical and current contexts, explore its multidimensionality, and assert key issues shaping contemporary online learning. We propose five important lenses: community, engagement, pedagogy, equity, and design-based research, through …

Sulfite-Activated Ferrate For Water Reuse Applications, Charles D. Spellman Jr., Sahar Da'er, Kaoru Ikuma, Isabella Silverman, Joseph E. Goodwill

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Ferrate is a promising, emerging water treatment technology. However, there has been limited research on the application of ferrate in a water reuse paradigm. Recent literature has shown that ferrate oxidation of target contaminants could be improved by “activation” with the addition of reductants or acid. This study examined the impact of sulfite-activated ferrate in laboratory water matrix and spiked municipal wastewater effluents with the goal of transforming organic contaminants of concern (e.g., 1,4-dioxane) and inactivating pathogenic organisms. Additionally, the formation of brominated disinfection byproducts by activated ferrate were examined and a proposed reaction pathway for byproduct formation is presented. …

Multifunctional Plasmonic And Magnetic Nanostructures Guided By Self And Directed Assembly, Muzahidul Islam Anik

Open Access Dissertations

Nanomaterials showed promising development and progress in biochemical field during the past couple of decades. Nanoparticles that can not only perform as one single task such as imaging contrast or drug delivery agent but also possess the ability to perform multiple tasks simultaneously has the potential to be the next generations of nanoparticles. Multifunctional ability will allow to use reduced dosage of nanoparticles providing us control over nanoparticle induced toxicity during imaging and therapy. The synthesis of such multifunctional nanoparticles can be guided by utilizing self and directed assembly for various application ranging from in vitro non-invasive particle tracking to …

A Parametric Study On A Paper-Based Bi-Material Cantilever Valve, H. Heidari-Bafroui, Ashutosh Kumar, Amer Charbaji, Winfield Smith, Nassim Rahmani, Constantine Anagnostopoulos, Mohammad Faghri

Mechanical, Industrial & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

The novel paper-based Bi-Material Cantilever (B-MaC) valve allows the autonomous loading and control of multiple fluid reagents which contributes to the accurate operation of paper-based microfluidic devices utilized for biological and chemical sensing applications. In this paper, an extensive parametric study is presented to evaluate the effects of key geometric parameters of the valve, such as paper direction, cantilever width, paper type, tape type, and sample volume, in addition to the effects of relative humidity and temperature on the functionality of the B-MaC and to provide a better understanding of the rate of fluid flow and resulting deflection of the …

"Woman In The Mirror; Precious Child Of God Or Just A Rib?", Bonnie M. Orth

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis entitled, “Woman in the Mirror: Precious Child of God, or Just a Rib?” is based on a request from colleagues to create a curriculum as a companion piece to the Rev. Dr. Kevin Frederick’s curriculum, “Men in the Mirror: Orienting Our Lives Toward a Christ-Centered Masculinity.” The curriculum will be used by pastors and pastoral counselors working with women who struggle with self-esteem and/or are victims of domestic violence. This thesis explores the problem that some women seem to lack a clear understanding of their position in the kingdom of God. Looking at how women understood God, their …