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2022

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Exo-Sir: An Epidemiological Model To Analyze The Impact Of Exogenous Spread Of Infection, Nirmal Kumar Sivaraman, Manas Gaur, Shivansh Baijal, Sakthi Balan Muthiah, Amit Sheth Jan 2022

Exo-Sir: An Epidemiological Model To Analyze The Impact Of Exogenous Spread Of Infection, Nirmal Kumar Sivaraman, Manas Gaur, Shivansh Baijal, Sakthi Balan Muthiah, Amit Sheth

Publications

Epidemics like Covid-19 and Ebola have impacted people's lives significantly. The impact of mobility of people across the countries or states in the spread of epidemics has been significant. The spread of disease due to factors local to the population under consideration is termed the endogenous spread. The spread due to external factors like migration, mobility, etc. is called the exogenous spread. In this paper, we introduce the Exo-SIR model, an extension of the popular SIR model and a few variants of the model. The novelty in our model is that it captures both the exogenous and endogenous spread of …

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Comparing Symbolic And Connectionist Algorithms For Correlating The Age Of Healthy Children With Sigma-Lognormal Neuromuscular Parameters, Zigeng Zhang, Christian O'Reilly, Rejean Plamondon Jan 2022

Comparing Symbolic And Connectionist Algorithms For Correlating The Age Of Healthy Children With Sigma-Lognormal Neuromuscular Parameters, Zigeng Zhang, Christian O'Reilly, Rejean Plamondon

Publications

It is important to accurately evaluate the motor control maturity to help physicians diagnose delayed or abnormal motor development in children. Traditionally, it has been challenging to design assessment methods that are practical and accurate at the same time. This study aims to develop an effective algorithm to predict motor control maturity based on the Kinematic Theory of rapid human movements. We used handwritten pen strokes made on an electronic tablet by 513 children (5.5 to 13 years of age). We considered two types of movements: a single stroke and a triangle drawing test. For the analysis, Sigma-Lognormal parameters were …

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Extensive Thiol Profiling For Assessment Of Intracellular Redox Status In Cultured Cells By Hplc-Ms/Ms, Jiandong Wu, Anna Chernatynskaya, Annalise Pfaff, Huari Kou, Nan Cen, Nuran Ercal, Honglan Shi Jan 2022

Extensive Thiol Profiling For Assessment Of Intracellular Redox Status In Cultured Cells By Hplc-Ms/Ms, Jiandong Wu, Anna Chernatynskaya, Annalise Pfaff, Huari Kou, Nan Cen, Nuran Ercal, Honglan Shi

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Oxidative stress may contribute to the pathology of many diseases, and endogenous thiols, especially glutathione (GSH) and its metabolites, play essential roles in the maintenance of normal redox status. Understanding how these metabolites change in response to oxidative insult can provide key insights into potential methods of prevention and treatment. Most existing methodologies focus only on the GSH/GSH disulfide (GSSG) redox couple, but GSH regulation is highly complex and depends on several pathways with multiple redox-active sulfur-containing species. In order to more fully characterize thiol redox status in response to oxidative insult, a high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry …

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Teacher Perceptions Of Classroom Management Programs To Improve Whole-School Measures Of Attendance, Disruptive Classroom Behaviors, And Academic Outcomes, Charles E. Natt, Jr Jan 2022

Teacher Perceptions Of Classroom Management Programs To Improve Whole-School Measures Of Attendance, Disruptive Classroom Behaviors, And Academic Outcomes, Charles E. Natt, Jr

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study explored how the implementation of Capturing Kids’ Hearts (CKH) and Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) classroom management programs when implemented together affected students and teachers of a Louisiana K-12 school compared with using the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program alone. Teachers at the school who had used the PBIS alone and then also used the newly implanted CKH and MTSS programs participated in in-depth interviews to examine the practical effectiveness of both program implementations upon students and classroom learning effectiveness. Teacher perceptions were also compared with ex post facto data for the school from …

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A Comparison Of Growth Factor Release Between Platelet Rich Fibrin And Recombinant Human Platelet Derived Growth Factor Bb (Rhpdgf-Bb) And Beta-Tricalcium Phosphate: An In Vitro Analysis, Maggie Ann Misch Jan 2022

A Comparison Of Growth Factor Release Between Platelet Rich Fibrin And Recombinant Human Platelet Derived Growth Factor Bb (Rhpdgf-Bb) And Beta-Tricalcium Phosphate: An In Vitro Analysis, Maggie Ann Misch

All ETDs from UAB

Patients presenting with significant alveolar bone loss can pose challenges for the clinician. Traditional bone augmentation techniques may be inadequate in achieving necessary gains to restore missing teeth with dental implants. The adjunctive use of growth factors may accelerate the healing process and enhance tissue regeneration. GEM21S is a product that includes a recombinant growth factor approved by the Federal Drug Administration for oral surgery. It is delivered as a two-component system: 1) recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor-BB (rhPDGF-BB) and 2) betatricalcium phosphate (β-TCP).[1] The research on GEM 21S for ridge augmentation is mostly limited to case studies.[2- 4] Biologically, …

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Evaluating Cannabinoid Interference And Drug Stability In Oral Fluid For Dui/D Testing, Jasmine Maxwell Jan 2022

Evaluating Cannabinoid Interference And Drug Stability In Oral Fluid For Dui/D Testing, Jasmine Maxwell

All ETDs from UAB

Oral fluid (OF) drug testing was first applied in the workplace and pain management facilities, and is now being applied to DUI/D (Driving Under the Influence of Drugs) cases to help establish probable cause and for laboratory evidentiary confirmation. OF drug testing is efficient due to its easy, fast, gender-neutral and OF sample collection is minimally invasive compared to blood and urine. The objective of this study is to investigate the stability of cannabinoids in OF specimens over time. Limit of detection and potential matrix and analyte interference will also be evaluated. The ANSI/ASB Standard 036 for Method Validation in …

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Regional Variations In The Incidence Of Brain Glioma In Adults In Alabama, Mina Lobbous Jan 2022

Regional Variations In The Incidence Of Brain Glioma In Adults In Alabama, Mina Lobbous

All ETDs from UAB

Purpose: Gliomas are the most common primary brain tumor in adults in the US with an annual age-adjusted incidence rate of 4.67 to 5.73 per 100,000 persons. Exposure to ioniz-ing radiation is the only established risk factor for non-hereditary glioma risk. There are several sources of carcinogenic contaminants in northeast Alabama and western Georgia with the Coosa River serving as the region’s primary water source. In this study, we aimed to examine the incidence rate of glioma in northeast Alabama compared to the rest of the state as well as the association of possible environmental exposure on disease risk and …

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The Relationship Between Psychological Profiles And Longitudinal Pain Trajectories In People With Chronic Knee Pain, Daniel Alexander Kusko Jan 2022

The Relationship Between Psychological Profiles And Longitudinal Pain Trajectories In People With Chronic Knee Pain, Daniel Alexander Kusko

All ETDs from UAB

Considerable evidence demonstrates that radiographic findings (e.g., osteophytes) are only modestly associated with the severity of knee pain, suggesting that other biopsychosocial factors likely influence symptom severity. Multiple psychological factors have been linked to worse health outcomes in people with chronic knee pain; however, it remains unclear whether psychological profiles might help explain variability in knee pain severity. The primary goal of this study was to identify unique psychological differences among people with and without chronic knee pain, and then examine whether psychological profiles longitudinally predicted knee pain trajectories over two years. Individuals with (n = 175) and without (n …

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Comparison Of [18f]Fdg With 18f-Labeled Amino Acids For Pet Imaging Of Breast Cancer, Ugur Akca Jan 2022

Comparison Of [18f]Fdg With 18f-Labeled Amino Acids For Pet Imaging Of Breast Cancer, Ugur Akca

All ETDs from UAB

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) are identified by their lack of estrogen re-ceptor, progesterone receptor, and overexpression of human epidermal growth factor re-ceptor 2-gene. The glucose analog, 2-deoxy-2-[18F]-fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) is the most often utilized PET tracer for imaging TNBC. The use of FDG for imaging primary and metastatic brain tumors is limited by high FDG uptake in normal brain tissue and some forms of inflammation. Also, MRI brain imaging methods have limitation in determining the differentiation between recurrent malignant and treatment effect. Radiolabeled amino acids (AAs), which have a lower uptake in normal brain and inflammation compared to FDG, can be …

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A 15-Year Retrospective Analysis On After-Hours Dental Emergencies In A Children's Hospital Setting, Alexandra An-Yen Chen Jan 2022

A 15-Year Retrospective Analysis On After-Hours Dental Emergencies In A Children's Hospital Setting, Alexandra An-Yen Chen

All ETDs from UAB

Dental emergencies are one of the most common oral health complications and can exhibit a detrimental impact on a child’s physical and psychological development; additionally, it may impose economic challenges for the family. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze the after-hours dental emergency visits in the past 15 years at the Children’s of Alabama (COA) Hospital Emergency Department. Methods: A retrospective chart review between January 2007 and December 2021 was conducted. Patients’ demographics, type of dental complaint, and management were evaluated for overall characteristics in the 15 years and trends in 5-year increments. The impact of the …

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What "Makes A Monster Of Their Minds": The Influence Of Honor Culture, Shame, And Homsociality On Anxious Masculinity In Shakespearean Cuckoldry Plots, Hannah M. Cutting Jan 2022

What "Makes A Monster Of Their Minds": The Influence Of Honor Culture, Shame, And Homsociality On Anxious Masculinity In Shakespearean Cuckoldry Plots, Hannah M. Cutting

All ETDs from UAB

In early modern drama, cuckoldry is used as the focal point for jokes and as a major plot device. Playwrights who use cuckoldry as a plot point often put the burden of blame on the women of these trysts, regardless of if they have made the women guilty or not, while failing to critique the behavior of men who act out in the face of these accusations. Unlike his contemporaries, Shakespeare seems to criticize men who choose to believe accusations of cuckoldry by putting their faith in homosocial bonds over their marital bonds. Across the timeline of Shakespeare’s plays, four …

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Correlates Of Early Adversity In Children And Adolescents: Examining The Interrelatedness Of Aggression, Post-Traumatic Stress, And Suicidal Behaviors, Elizabeth Mcrae Jan 2022

Correlates Of Early Adversity In Children And Adolescents: Examining The Interrelatedness Of Aggression, Post-Traumatic Stress, And Suicidal Behaviors, Elizabeth Mcrae

All ETDs from UAB

The negative outcomes associated with adverse childhood experiences, especially child maltreatment ACEs (CM-ACEs), often emerge concomitantly with these experiences and have cascading negative effects across the lifespan. For example,childhood aggression, post-traumatic stress, and suicidal behaviors have all been identified as negative sequelae of CM-ACEs. They have been associated with each other, as well, and share several common underlying mechanisms. Thus, it might be that these outcomes collectively exacerbate the risk of experiencing negative effects of CM-ACEs, yet most existing research has examined these risk factors independently. Moreover, these outcomes often emerge early in development, yet most related research has been …

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A Pilot Mixed Methods Study Examining Factors Affecting Return To Work Among African American Stroke Survivors, Kristin D. Ashley Jan 2022

A Pilot Mixed Methods Study Examining Factors Affecting Return To Work Among African American Stroke Survivors, Kristin D. Ashley

All ETDs from UAB

BACKGROUND: Stroke is a highly prevalent and disabling condition among African Americans. Although there is limited research regarding barriers and facilitators to return to work among stroke survivors, evidence suggests that African American stroke survivors return to work (RTW) less frequently than Caucasians. Most of the research on this topic has been conducted in European countries, leaving significant knowledge gaps on RTW among African Americans in the United States. The purpose of this study was to identify factors that affect RTW for African American stroke survivors and then build upon those results to better understand facilitators and barriers to RTW. …

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Synthesized Copper Oxide Nanoparticles Via The Green Route Act As Antagonists To Pathogenic Root-Knot Nematode, Meloidogyne Incognita, Amir Khan, Manar Fawzi Bani Mfarrej, Mohtaram Danish, Mohammad Shariq, Mohd Farhan Khan, Moh Sajid Ansari, Mohamed Hashem, Saad Alamri, Faheem Ahmad Jan 2022

Synthesized Copper Oxide Nanoparticles Via The Green Route Act As Antagonists To Pathogenic Root-Knot Nematode, Meloidogyne Incognita, Amir Khan, Manar Fawzi Bani Mfarrej, Mohtaram Danish, Mohammad Shariq, Mohd Farhan Khan, Moh Sajid Ansari, Mohamed Hashem, Saad Alamri, Faheem Ahmad

All Works

This investigation explains the green synthesis, characterization and biocontrol potential of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) against second-stage juveniles (J2s) of root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita infesting chickpea. Mono-disperse, spherical, pure CuONPs were synthesized from Jatropha curcas leaf with particle sizes ranging from 5 to 15 nm in diameter. Antagonistic activities of synthesized CuONPs were studied against Meloidogyne incognita. The highest mortality of J2s was found in the 200 ppm concentration of CuONPs at 24 h of exposure. The exact concentration also showed maximum inhibition of J2s hatching from egg masses after six days of exposure. It was worth noting that 25 …

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Spike-And-Slab Additive Models And Scalable Algorithms For High Dimensional Data Analysis, Boyi Guo Jan 2022

Spike-And-Slab Additive Models And Scalable Algorithms For High Dimensional Data Analysis, Boyi Guo

All ETDs from UAB

There are proposals that extend classical additive models (AMs) to accommodate high-dimensional data (p >> n) using group sparse regularization. However, the sparse regularization may induce excess shrinkage when estimating smooth functions, damaging predictive performance. Moreover, most of these AMs consider an “all-in-allout” approach for functional selection, rendering them difficult to answer if nonlinear effects are necessary. While some Bayesian models can address these shortcomings, model fitting can create a new challenge, scalability. In this dissertation, we propose Bayesian hierarchical additive models to address the previous shortcomings: we consider the smoothing penalty for proper shrinkage of curve interpolation via reparameterization. A …

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A Population-Based Assessment Of Severe Maternal Morbidity Among Non-Hispanic Black Women In The United States, Lisa R. Allen Jan 2022

A Population-Based Assessment Of Severe Maternal Morbidity Among Non-Hispanic Black Women In The United States, Lisa R. Allen

All ETDs from UAB

Non-Hispanic Black women (Black women) are disproportionately affected by adverse maternal health outcomes as compared to women of other races. Little is known about the distribution of adverse maternal health outcomes among Black women. Using the 2014 National Inpatient Sample (NIS), Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), a nationally representative sample of hospital discharges in the United States (U.S.) from January 1 through December 31, 2014, we examined severe maternal morbidity (SMM) experienced during delivery hospitalization among Black women. We conducted population-based, cross-sectional studies to examine the distribution of SMM prevalence; assess within-race …

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A Framework For Designing Blockchain Systems In A Smart City Setting, Mohammad Alhefdi Jan 2022

A Framework For Designing Blockchain Systems In A Smart City Setting, Mohammad Alhefdi

All ETDs from UAB

As main characteristics of successful smart cities, the high demand for increased data security and accessibility and citizen engagement mean the role of blockchain technology has begun to increase. Nonetheless, blockchain technology also faces several challenges, which have slowed its adoption. In response, this dissertation introduces a framework for designing blockchain systems in a smart city setting and considers the smart city and blockchain challenges. Researchers have proposed several smart city models that study and analyze the complexity of smart cities to improve city security, functionality, services, and smartness. The proposed information-theoretical modeling approach to generate an innovated blockchain model …

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Benzimidazole Derivatives As New Potential Nlrp3 Inflammasome Inhibitors That Provide Neuroprotection In A Rodent Model Of Neurodegeneration And Memory Impairment, Aman Ullah, Lina Tariq Al Kury, Yusuf S. Althobaiti, Tahir Ali, Fawad Ali Shah Jan 2022

Benzimidazole Derivatives As New Potential Nlrp3 Inflammasome Inhibitors That Provide Neuroprotection In A Rodent Model Of Neurodegeneration And Memory Impairment, Aman Ullah, Lina Tariq Al Kury, Yusuf S. Althobaiti, Tahir Ali, Fawad Ali Shah

All Works

Objective: The study investigated the effect of newly synthesized benzimidazole derivatives against ethanol-induced neurodegenera-tion. According to evidence, ethanol consumption may cause a severe insult to the central nervous system (CNS), resulting in mental retardation, neuronal degeneration, and oxidative stress. Targeting neuroinflammation and oxidative stress may be a useful strategy for preventing ethanol-induced neurodegeneration. Methodology: Firstly, the newly synthesized compounds were subjected to molecular simulation and docking in order to predict ligand binding status. Later, for in vivo observations, adult male Sprague Dawley rats were used for studying behavioral and oxidative stress markers. ELIZA kits were used to analyse tumour necrosis …

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The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On College Students With Disabilities Or Pre-Existing Conditions: A Qualitative Dissertation, Caro Celestine Holmes Wolfner Jan 2022

The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On College Students With Disabilities Or Pre-Existing Conditions: A Qualitative Dissertation, Caro Celestine Holmes Wolfner

All ETDs from UAB

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a global and multifaceted impact on public health. The onset of the pandemic has resulted in widespread campus closures and transitions from in-person classes to online learning, further exacerbating the mental health crisis brought about by the pandemic. The effects of federal and state regulations have influenced the psychological well-being and mental health of many, more notably for college students with disabilities or pre-existing conditions. However, COVID-19 research on college students with disabilities or pre-existing conditions is limited and mostly international, thus it is of great importance to address these limitations. This phenomenological study …

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Analysing The Structural Dynamics Of Retinoid X Receptor Using Hydrogen Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry, Nathalia Melo Jan 2022

Analysing The Structural Dynamics Of Retinoid X Receptor Using Hydrogen Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry, Nathalia Melo

All ETDs from UAB

Nuclear receptors (NR) are ligand-activated transcription factors that are targets for drug discovery due to their ability to directly modulate gene expression. There are 48 NRs and approximately half of them require heterodimerization with retinoid X receptor (RXR) to function. Targretin (bexarotene) is an FDA-approved RXR specific (rexinoid) currently used to treat Cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma (CTCL); however, it causes hyperlipidemia toxicities. A functionally similar rexinoid developed at UAB, 9-cis-UAB30 (UAB30), is non-toxic and weak agonist in the liver. While UAB30 shows promise as a low toxicity chemopreventative drug, the mechanism of UAB30 action at the molecular level is poorly understood. …

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Factors Influencing Balance And Muscle Tone In Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Mansour M. Alotaibi Jan 2022

Factors Influencing Balance And Muscle Tone In Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Mansour M. Alotaibi

All ETDs from UAB

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition prevalent in children globally and continues to persist into adulthood. Executive function (EF) impairments are core ADHD deficits, specifically response inhibition, and believed to drive ADHD symptoms. Psychostimulant medications (PS) is the first line treatment to manage ADHD symptoms. Overall, individuals with ADHD are at greater risk of falls and physical injuries compared to healthy individuals. Perhaps adults with ADHD balance impairments are secondary to ankle plantarflexor (PF) spasticity. Using psychostimulant medications (PS) improves PF spasticity and postural control in children with ADHD, but the effects on adults with ADHD are unclear. Furthermore, …

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Role Of Dietary Compounds On Modulation Of Epigenetic Mechanisms And Gut Microbiota In Prevention Of Breast Cancer, Manvi Sharma Jan 2022

Role Of Dietary Compounds On Modulation Of Epigenetic Mechanisms And Gut Microbiota In Prevention Of Breast Cancer, Manvi Sharma

All ETDs from UAB

Breast cancer is the second leading causes of mortality among women living in the United States, representing a major public health issue. The current chemoprevention therapies can result into various adverse effects. Therefore, the use of dietary bioactive compounds has been of great interest due to their safer, non-toxic and efficacious properties. Sulforaphane (SFN) is an isothiocyanate found in various cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli sprouts (BSp) and green-tea polyphenols (GTPs) contain a major polyphenol, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). These compounds have been shown to exhibit several anticancer properties especially as an epigenetic modifier. We investigated the efficacy of BSp or GTPs …

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Bacterial Community Structures And Species Delimitation Of Five-Armed Luidia In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Michelle D. Shilling Jan 2022

Bacterial Community Structures And Species Delimitation Of Five-Armed Luidia In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Michelle D. Shilling

All ETDs from UAB

Luidia spp. (Family Luidiidae) are important predators in the benthic food web and are abundant in near-shore, shallow soft-bottom habitats throughout the northern Gulf of Mexico. Climate change-related environmental changes, such as ocean warming and acidification, are rapidly intensifying in this region and can have consequences for species diversity as well as individual sea star health through modification of host-associated bacterial communities. Our knowledge of sea star-associated bacterial community structure and dynamics is limited and conflicting genetic evidence has called into question the accuracy of species delimitation of five-armed Luidia in the northern GOM. The primary purpose of this dissertation …

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Molecular Mechanism And Impact Of Sox2 Regulation By The Transforming Growth Factor-Ss Members In Ovarian Cancer Survival And Metastasis, Zainab Shonibare Jan 2022

Molecular Mechanism And Impact Of Sox2 Regulation By The Transforming Growth Factor-Ss Members In Ovarian Cancer Survival And Metastasis, Zainab Shonibare

All ETDs from UAB

Ovarian cancer is the second most common and deadliest cancer of the female reproductive system affecting women in the United States and worldwide. The poor survival outcome seen in ovarian cancer is attributed to the subtleness of its early-stage symptoms, resulting in a majority of patients at initial diagnosis presenting with an advanced-stage disease with metastasis to other parts of the body. Hence, there is an urgent need to better understand the molecular etiology of metastasis to help develop effective therapeutic options and improve clinical outcomes in ovarian cancer patients. Ovarian cancer, an intra-abdominal cancer, most preferably undergoes metastasis via …

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Promoting The Safe Mobility Of Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Austin M. Svancara Jan 2022

Promoting The Safe Mobility Of Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Austin M. Svancara

All ETDs from UAB

Having access to adequate transportation is important for employment, healthcare, and community involvement needs. Unfortunately, the transportation needs of many individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are currently not being met. Despite having the capability to achieve licensure, a significant portion of high functioning individuals with ASD are delaying licensure or not getting their driver’s license at all. High functioning individuals with ASD are likely to have the capacity to operate a motor vehicle safely, supporting the proposition that there are existing barriers to licensure beyond the contributing role of ASD traits. This dissertation examined the perceived driving styles and …

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The Influence Of Sleep Duration And Sleep Efficiency On Abdominal Adiposity And Blood Pressure In Adolescents Ages 16 To 18 Who Participated In The Cleveland Children's Sleep And Health Study: A Secondary Data Analysis, Shameka Rodgers Phillips Jan 2022

The Influence Of Sleep Duration And Sleep Efficiency On Abdominal Adiposity And Blood Pressure In Adolescents Ages 16 To 18 Who Participated In The Cleveland Children's Sleep And Health Study: A Secondary Data Analysis, Shameka Rodgers Phillips

All ETDs from UAB

Introduction: Abdominal adiposity and blood pressure (BP) are two major modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of death in the world. The impact of abdominal adiposity and BP on health, particularly CVD, begins in childhood. Older adolescents tend to have the highest prevalence of abdominal adiposity and BP in the pediatric population. Despite interventions like diet and exercise, the prevalence of excess abdominal adiposity and elevated BP continues to increase during late adolescence. Evidence suggests that sleep duration and sleep efficiency impact abdominal adiposity and BP in adults and the pediatric population, but limited studies have …

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Applying Pet Imaging To Cancer Immunotherapy To Improve Clinical Outcomes, Kirsten M. Reeves Jan 2022

Applying Pet Imaging To Cancer Immunotherapy To Improve Clinical Outcomes, Kirsten M. Reeves

All ETDs from UAB

The use of biomarkers has significantly enhanced patient outcome by improving diagnosis, personalizing therapy, and monitoring therapeutic response yet most cancers remain non-responsive. Thus, there is a need to better understand the underlying biological mechanisms and tumor microenvironment to enhance therapeutic efficacy. Molecular imaging, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and positron emission tomography (PET) are used to assess response during oncology therapy. Molecular imaging can also provide a noninvasive approach to accurately quantify biomarkers correlated with the tumor microenvironment, including glucose metabolism and hypoxia. 18F-Fluoromisonidazole (18F-FMISO) hypoxia targeted cellular uptake has been shown to correlate with negative …

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Disease And Diet-Induced Disruption Of Effector T Cell Homeostasis, Patrick Axel Molina Jan 2022

Disease And Diet-Induced Disruption Of Effector T Cell Homeostasis, Patrick Axel Molina

All ETDs from UAB

Homeostatic departure is a central feature across all diseases and disease processes. Currently, the average individual in the US consumes an inordinate quantity of salt. However, it is unclear if only individuals that have proven blood pressure elevation with an acute load of salt should be wary. Here we demonstrate, alongside a growing body of science, that the canonical definition of salt-sensitivity is insufficient. We show that salt-resistant mice demonstrate salt-sensitivity in non-blood pressure focused phenomena, such as the acute activation of CD4+ T cells to mobilize and induce a defective effector cytokine program with high salt. We demonstrate that …

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Tissue Engineered Cardiac Muscle Patches With Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Enhance The Repairing Efficacy Of Infarcted Cardiac Muscle In Mouse Model, Xi Lou Jan 2022

Tissue Engineered Cardiac Muscle Patches With Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Enhance The Repairing Efficacy Of Infarcted Cardiac Muscle In Mouse Model, Xi Lou

All ETDs from UAB

Myocardial infarction (MI) remains one of the major contributors to heart failure, which can lead to death, and there has been a lack of effective treatments so far. Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have been found to be an encouraging candidate for MI treatment. But it is facing challenge of low engraftment, limited integration of transplanted cells with host myocardium. To enhance the therapeutic efficacy of stem cell therapy of MI treatment, two approaches have been explored: 1)The first approach was to overexpress N-cadherin (CDH2), a cell-cell adhesion molecule, in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (CDH2-hiPSC-CMs), and examine its …

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Regulation Of Stromal Cells Through Inflammatory Signalling, Victoria Matkins Jan 2022

Regulation Of Stromal Cells Through Inflammatory Signalling, Victoria Matkins

All ETDs from UAB

The bone marrow is a complex organization of hematopoietic and nonhematopoietic cells that form niches to maintain systemic homeostasis during stress and disease. Stromal cells are non-hematopoietic cells first proposed in 1978 in the bone marrow to be essential for hematopoietic stem cells (HSC). Since then, mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) have been shown to be critical for the HSC self-renewal, retention, and differentiation through chemokines, cytokines, and adhesion molecules. However, like HSCs, MSCs are multipotent progenitors that differentiate into osteoblasts, adipocytes, and chondrocytes to from tissues of the skeletal, endocrine, and connective systems. These multipotent progenitors are tightly regulated in …

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