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2023

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Machine Learning And Latent Space Representation Of Optical Responses In Nanostructures And Thin Films, David J. Hoxie Jan 2023

Machine Learning And Latent Space Representation Of Optical Responses In Nanostructures And Thin Films, David J. Hoxie

All ETDs from UAB

The ability to tune optical responses in nanophotonics makes this class of materials useful for a broad range of applications, such as drug delivery systems, molecular sensing, green energy, and telecommunications, to name a few. Optical responses that offer strong resonance at small optical mode volume are often sought, requiring manipulation of many material properties i.e., refractive index and nanostructure shape. Machine learning has recently been employed to optimize photonic elements more efficiently. Machine learning optimization of optical responses suffers from reproducibility and accuracy issues due different nanostructures producing similar optical responses. To increase reliability and accuracy in recent neural …


The Association Of Cognitive And Physical Functioning With Health And Mortality Outcomes Among Puerto Ricans, Cheyanne Celine Barba Jan 2023

The Association Of Cognitive And Physical Functioning With Health And Mortality Outcomes Among Puerto Ricans, Cheyanne Celine Barba

All ETDs from UAB

Puerto Rico has experienced a rapid increase in the older adult population over the last decade. With a growing older adult population, the importance of healthy aging becomes increasingly more important to understand. Understanding the impact that impairments in cognitive and physical functioning have on older adults in Puerto Rico will be important to supporting the rapidly aging population. The current project proposed to (1) examine predictors of transition to frailty, (2) examine whether cognitive function and frailty are associated with healthcare utilization, and (3) examine frailty and cognitive impairment as predictors of mortality and Alzheimer’s disease related cause of …


Analytical Methods Using Cardiac Mri To Assess Systolic And Diastolic Ventricular Function, Muhammad Rifqi Aufan Jan 2023

Analytical Methods Using Cardiac Mri To Assess Systolic And Diastolic Ventricular Function, Muhammad Rifqi Aufan

All ETDs from UAB

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has proven invaluable for clinical and research investigations due to its minimal invasiveness and excellent measurement precision and reproducibility. In particular, Cardiac MRI (CMR) is a powerful tool for evaluating anatomical and functional properties of the left ventricle (LV). In this study, two aspects of CMR applications of the LV are investigated: 1) assessment of diastolic function by quantifying LV stiffness index and related properties as a representation of intrinsic myocardium properties in patients with diastolic dysfunction and 2) evaluation of systolic function by relating myocardial strain and LV geometrical configuration with ejection fraction (EF). The …


Indicators Of The Social Environment And Cognition In An Older Population Of Puerto Rican Adults, Erin E. Ballard Jan 2023

Indicators Of The Social Environment And Cognition In An Older Population Of Puerto Rican Adults, Erin E. Ballard

All ETDs from UAB

Isolation and other indicators of poor social environment have been associated with a higher risk of cognitive decline. Overall evidence for this association is mixed, with most studies being conducted in Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic (aka “WEIRD”) societies. Religiosity may moderate this relationship between less robust social environments and cognition by buffering the negative effects of stress. The primary aim of this study is to assess the relationship between indicators of the social environment and psychological distress (depressive symptoms) and cognitive decline in a population-based sample of older Puerto Rican adults (n=3,557) across two time-points. Social environment included …


Analyzing Cannabinoid Stability In Different Conditions And Validating Novel Cannabinoids For Oral Fluid Analysis, Cody Paseur Jan 2023

Analyzing Cannabinoid Stability In Different Conditions And Validating Novel Cannabinoids For Oral Fluid Analysis, Cody Paseur

All ETDs from UAB

Oral fluid (OF) drug testing has been expanded to laboratory evidentiary confirmation testing in driving under the influence (DUI) cases. OF samples are collected by officers at the roadside using collection devices such as the Quantisal® device. Tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) was the most prevalent drug in Alabama DUI casework in 2022. Δ9-THC remains a Schedule I drug in Alabama and federally. Current validated targets in cannabinoid oral fluid testing include Δ9-THC, Δ8-THC, 9R-Δ10-THC, 9S-Δ10-THC 11-hydroxy-Δ9-THC (THC-OH), 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-THC (THC-OOH), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabidiol (CBD), and cannabinol (CBN). Due to the 2018 Farm Bill, cannabinoids derived from hemp with a Δ9-THC concentration less than …


Development And Validation Of A Multiplex Str Amplification Reaction For Academic And Research Purposes, Ahana Chatterjee Jan 2023

Development And Validation Of A Multiplex Str Amplification Reaction For Academic And Research Purposes, Ahana Chatterjee

All ETDs from UAB

Short Tandem Repeat (STR) typing has been accepted globally as a gold standard for human identity testing. In 1997, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Laboratory’s newly developed Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) consisted of 13 core loci to be targeted while DNA typing. In this context, leading biotechnology companies like Promega (Madison WI), Applied Biosystem/Life Technologies (Foster City, CA) etc. offer commercial STR typing kits for crime laboratories. However, these expensive kits are not the most suitable for academic and research laboratories. Students learning the method of STR typing and researchers showing proof of concept do not require identifying …


Synthesis, Characterization, And Evaluation Of A Bionanomatrix And Antibiotic-Releasing Liposomes On Osseointegration, Vascularization, Inflammation, And Antibacterial Efficacy, Benjamin Kade Estep Jan 2023

Synthesis, Characterization, And Evaluation Of A Bionanomatrix And Antibiotic-Releasing Liposomes On Osseointegration, Vascularization, Inflammation, And Antibacterial Efficacy, Benjamin Kade Estep

All ETDs from UAB

Percutaneous osseointegrated prostheses (POP) implants combat the multitude of issues and limitations of contemporary prosthetic sockets/limbs, including range of motion, comfort/fit, irritation, gait, and osseoproprioception. However, POP implants lack long-term clinical success; specifically, several risks exist at the bone-implant interface, including superficial/deep infections, inflammation, poor vascularization, and inadequate osseointegration, resulting in implant loosening over time and ultimately removal of the implant. The goal of this thesis is to evaluate a multifunctional, nitric oxide-releasing bionanomatrix incorporated with antibiotic-releasing liposomes on osseointegration, inflammation, vascularization/angiogenesis, and bacterial infection. We successfully synthesized the bionanomatrix, and the antibiotic-releasing liposomes readily encapsulated the antibiotics. The antibiotic-releasing …


Accuracy Of Ancestry Estimation In Forensic Anthropology: An Examination Of Select Nonmetric Methods, Mackenzie Miller Jan 2023

Accuracy Of Ancestry Estimation In Forensic Anthropology: An Examination Of Select Nonmetric Methods, Mackenzie Miller

All ETDs from UAB

A goal of forensic anthropology is to aid in identifying unidentified human remains, often by creating a biological profile. An important piece of this profile is an ancestry estimate, and methodological accuracy is taken seriously. Traditional typological nonmetric methods of ancestry are heavily critiqued for being subjective and lacking scientific rigor in analysis. In addition, these methods are noted for conflating morphological traits with specific ancestral categories, ignoring the reality of continuous human variation. To combat this, scholars have proposed morphoscopic nonmetric methods as an alternative because they retain the accessibility popularized by typological methods but add a layer of …


Increasing Naloxone Access For Persons Who Use Opioids: An Online Recruitment And Training Approach To Opioid Overdose Education And Naloxone Distribution, Michelle L. Sisson Jan 2023

Increasing Naloxone Access For Persons Who Use Opioids: An Online Recruitment And Training Approach To Opioid Overdose Education And Naloxone Distribution, Michelle L. Sisson

All ETDs from UAB

Drug overdose is the primary cause of accidental death in the United States, with a majority of those fatalities involving opioids. Annual rates of fatal opioid overdoses have exponentially increased over the past two decades, leading to the declaration of the current opioid epidemic. The severity of the epidemic has increased due to an upsurge in the use of heroin, synthetic opioids (e.g., fentanyl), and the lacing of other substances with synthetic opioids. As such, federal agencies have made recommendations aimed at combating fatal opioid overdose including the enhancement of naloxone distribution. Administration of naloxone has been expanded from emergency …


Quantitative Analysis Of The Impact Of Automatically Generated Normal Tissue Contours On Knowledge-Based Planning Model Quality, Samuel Christopher Baker Arnold Jan 2023

Quantitative Analysis Of The Impact Of Automatically Generated Normal Tissue Contours On Knowledge-Based Planning Model Quality, Samuel Christopher Baker Arnold

All ETDs from UAB

While radiotherapy has become one of the primary standards of treatment for cancer in areas such as the brain, treatment plans are limited by the time it takes physicians to contour CT images used for dose distribution calculations. Automation of the contouring process can not only improve the rate of plan formation but establish an improved standard of care. With the development and implementation of knowledge-based planning (KBP) in radiation oncology, information derived from treatment plans provide machine learning models with years of experience to assess and create future treatment plans. Since KBP model quality rely on contouring from training …


Unveiling The Unknown Rna-Binding Landscape Of Srsf1, Naiduwadura Ivon Upekala De Silva Jan 2023

Unveiling The Unknown Rna-Binding Landscape Of Srsf1, Naiduwadura Ivon Upekala De Silva

All ETDs from UAB

SRSF1 is a prototypical SR protein and its interactions with single stranded RNA (ssRNA) are crucial in mRNA splicing. Its RNA-binding specificity is governed by the RNA-binding Domain (RBD), which contains two RNA Recognition Motifs (RRMs) tethered by a flexible linker. Its C-terminal unstructured Serine-Arginine-rich (RS) domain has been believed to bind RNA non-specifically so far. Although SRSF1 is known to bind a variety of RNA containing its RRM-cognate motifs, its interactions with such RNA have been poorly characterized. Therefore, we explore how SRSF1 achieves a broad RNA-binding specificity ranging from ssRNA to G-quadruplex (GQ) RNA. According to our Fluorescence …


The Er Stress-Pathogen Nexus In Regulation Of Cell Death In Arabidopsis Immunity, Danish Diwan Jan 2023

The Er Stress-Pathogen Nexus In Regulation Of Cell Death In Arabidopsis Immunity, Danish Diwan

All ETDs from UAB

Pathogens and plants are involved in a coevolutionary battle for dominance. As plants lack adaptive immune systems, they rely on their innate immunity to protect themselves from infectious agents. Upon pathogen attack, plant cells activate their pro-survival strategy by recognizing the pathogen and actively transcribing and translating proteins to effectively defend against the pathogen infection. As the intensity of infection increases, the heightened demand for proteins places an excessive burden on the ER machinery resulting in the accumulation of misfolded or unfolded proteins within the ER. To restore the protein homeostasis, a cellular relief signaling pathway called Unfolded Protein Response …


Investigation Of Reversibility And Nucleotide Effects In The Kinetic Mechanisms Of Nucleotide Addition In The Eukaryotic Rna Polymerases, Kaila B. Fuller Jan 2023

Investigation Of Reversibility And Nucleotide Effects In The Kinetic Mechanisms Of Nucleotide Addition In The Eukaryotic Rna Polymerases, Kaila B. Fuller

All ETDs from UAB

Eukaryotes utilize at least three multi-subunit DNA dependent RNA polymerases (Pol I, II, and III) to synthesize RNA. The Pols are similar in structure but have distinct kinetic mechanisms that describe nucleotide addition. The product of Pol I synthesis, ribosomal RNA (rRNA) comprises the majority of the ribosome and is necessary for gene expression. Despite the importance of Pol I transcription in the cell, there is still much to understand about the roles of specific subunits in Pol I and the different factors that affect the kinetic mechanism of nucleotide addition catalyzed by Pol I. Our group has previously published …


Transdiagnostic Symptom Clusters Among Idiopathic Pain And Fatigue Disorders, Chloe Lisette Jones Jan 2023

Transdiagnostic Symptom Clusters Among Idiopathic Pain And Fatigue Disorders, Chloe Lisette Jones

All ETDs from UAB

Background: There are no established etiologies, biomarkers, or approved treatments for myalgicencephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). It is thought that the ME/CFS criteria may be diagnosing individuals within a spectrum of different disease states, or even different diseases. There likely exist shared mechanisms across idiopathic pain and fatigue disorders, and diverse mechanisms underneath each individual diagnosis. The need to compare ME/CFS to similar, overlapping, and distinct disorders is a critical element in progressing our understanding of idiopathic pain and fatigue. Methods: A total of 2,731 comprehensive medical history and symptom reports were collected from respondents across the globe with a variety …


The Critical Period Of Long-Term Plasticity In Adult-Born Granule Cells Is Mediated By T-Type Calcium Channels, William Michael Kennedy Jan 2023

The Critical Period Of Long-Term Plasticity In Adult-Born Granule Cells Is Mediated By T-Type Calcium Channels, William Michael Kennedy

All ETDs from UAB

Neurogenesis occurs in the dentate gyrus of adult rodents leading to a heterogeneous population of dentate granule cells (GCs) in the granule cell layer. Adult-born granule cells (abGCs) exhibit a transient period of elevated synaptic plasticity that contributes to their role in dentate gyrus function. Various mechanisms have been proposed to underlie the critical period of plasticity, including minimal GABAergic synaptic inhibition, robust NMDAR2B currents, and high intrinsic excitability conferred by T-type Ca2+ channels. In this collection of work, we investigate the critical period for long-term potentiation (LTP) in 4–6-week-old abGCs. We conclude that GABAergic inhibition regulates LTP in 4-week-old …


Physiology And Energetics Of Resilient Coral-Dinoflagellate Communities, Elise F. Keister Jan 2023

Physiology And Energetics Of Resilient Coral-Dinoflagellate Communities, Elise F. Keister

All ETDs from UAB

Despite coral reefs declining globally, thermally resilient coral-dinoflagellate communities have been identified, providing insight into how corals can inhabit warmer environments. These corals are able to better resist and recover from thermal stress events compared to adjacent, offshore conspecifics that are found in habitats that have cooler temperatures. To better understand the physiological traits that make corals resilient, I measured the initial tissue biomass and energy reserves of eight coral species. These corals were collected from both warm-water nearshore habitats and offshore reefs with milder temperatures in Palau, Micronesia. Despite contrasting environments, coral tissue similarities between these populations were striking, …


Impact Of Exercise On Antioxidative-Stress Induced Endoplasmic Reticulum Dysfunction And Cardiac Remodelling, Arun Jyothidasan Jan 2023

Impact Of Exercise On Antioxidative-Stress Induced Endoplasmic Reticulum Dysfunction And Cardiac Remodelling, Arun Jyothidasan

All ETDs from UAB

The gain of function of nuclear factor erythroid 2 like 2 (Nrf2), in the absence of oxidative stress (or toxic insults), its pathophysiology arising from the endoplasmic reticulum and exercise intervention to mitigate the pathology are the focal point of this dissertation. Nrf2, when constitutively expressed, has been previously associated with cardiomyopathy. Chapter II investigated the hypothesis that cardiac-specific expression of Nrf2 (mNrf2-TG) would establish a pro-reductive state and trigger adaptive cardiac remodeling by enhancing the basal antioxidant defense. Through RNA profiling and imaging techniques, the study underscored that while acute preconditioning might prove advantageous against oxidative stress, prolonged pro-reductive …


Examining The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic And Subsequent Vaccine Availability On Children’S Social Play Opportunities With A Focus On The Autism Community, Jenni Koehler Jan 2023

Examining The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic And Subsequent Vaccine Availability On Children’S Social Play Opportunities With A Focus On The Autism Community, Jenni Koehler

All ETDs from UAB

Play, especially social play, is crucial to child development and impacts their cognitive, socioemotional, and motor growth. Children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have social and motor impairments that act as barriers to their access to these critical social play opportunities. Those who are able to overcome these barriers through therapy have been shown to have better physical and mental outcomes. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic restricted social play opportunities for all children and disproportionately impacted children with ASD, further widening developmental gaps between them and their non-autistic peers. The development of the COVID-19 vaccine and its availability to children …


Characterizing The Role Of Mapk Phosphatases In Age-Dependent Macrophage Dysfucntion And Increased Suceptiblity To Pneumonia In A Tnf-Dependent Manner, Katherine Lauren Kruckow Jan 2023

Characterizing The Role Of Mapk Phosphatases In Age-Dependent Macrophage Dysfucntion And Increased Suceptiblity To Pneumonia In A Tnf-Dependent Manner, Katherine Lauren Kruckow

All ETDs from UAB

Lower respiratory infections are the primary cause of infectious death among the elderly. One reason for this is ‘inflamm-aging,’ a chronic low-grade inflammatory state that develops with advanced age. Pertinently, our group has shown increases in TNF levels to be responsible for age-dependent macrophage dysfunction (ADMD) and, in turn, enhanced susceptibility to Streptococcus pneumoniae, the leading cause of community-acquired pneumonia. The underlying molecular mechanisms responsible, however, remain unclear. Following adoptive transfer of alveolar macrophages (AM) from aged (18+ months) or young (3-6 month) mice into young mice, followed by infection with S. pneumoniae, we found that aged AM were sufficient …


Time-Restricted Feeding Attenuates Obesity-Induced Muscle Dysfunction Through Energy Metabolism And Microbiota Modulation, Christopher Livelo Jan 2023

Time-Restricted Feeding Attenuates Obesity-Induced Muscle Dysfunction Through Energy Metabolism And Microbiota Modulation, Christopher Livelo

All ETDs from UAB

Obesity is a global epidemic that affects countless numbers of people caused by genetic and environmental factors including circadian disruption, which poses significant health risks to skeletal muscle physiology and other tissues. While a feeding fasting intervention known as time-restricted feeding (TRF) has been shown to mitigate obesity-related muscle dysfunction, the underlying mechanisms remain a subject of investigation. In this study, we delve into potential mechanisms underlying TRF's protective effects on muscle physiology in the context of diet- and genetic-induced obesity using Drosophila models. Our findings reveal that TRF triggers the upregulation of key genes involved in glycine production (Sardh …


The Effects Of Mobile Shielding On Scatter Radiation In The Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, Lancer Smith Jan 2023

The Effects Of Mobile Shielding On Scatter Radiation In The Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, Lancer Smith

All ETDs from UAB

This research evaluates the effectiveness of a Specialized Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory Shielding Device (SCCLSD) compared to traditional shielding methods in reducing occupational exposure to scattered x-rays, contributing to the ongoing enhancement of radiation safety in the cardiac catheterization laboratory (CCL) setting. The upper component of the SCCLSD comprises a mobile, transparent barrier with lead-equivalent malleable drapes designed to conform to the patient's body contours. It is height-adjustable, creating a protective shield against scatter radiation generated during CCL procedures. The lower portion of the SCCLSD replaces traditional lead-lined drapes, extending further down the table and incorporating additional shielding for staff protection.An …


The Impact Of Diabetes On At-Fault Motor Vehicle Collisions In Older Adults: Visual Function, Medication, And Crash Characteristics, Thomas A. Swain Jan 2023

The Impact Of Diabetes On At-Fault Motor Vehicle Collisions In Older Adults: Visual Function, Medication, And Crash Characteristics, Thomas A. Swain

All ETDs from UAB

Older drivers represent one of the fastest growing age groups of drivers in the United States. Crash risk among older adults, who have the highest prevalence of vision impairment, has been shown to be related to worse visual function. Diabetes mellitus is a chronic health condition affecting more than 23.1 million Americans, and one in three have pre-diabetes. Persons with diabetes are at increased risk of conditions which cause vision loss. Research indicates those with diabetes have higher rates of MVCs. Despite the increased MVC risk among each of these groups, work has yet to evaluate if diabetes modifies the …


Role Of Gtp Cyclohydrolase I In Glioblastoma, Kaysaw C. Tuy Jan 2023

Role Of Gtp Cyclohydrolase I In Glioblastoma, Kaysaw C. Tuy

All ETDs from UAB

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary malignant brain tumor in adults with a median survival of 15 months. Poor patient survival is, in part, caused by a stem-like and therapy-resistant population of brain tumor initiating cells (BTICs). BTICs are plastic, with the capacity to overcome oxidative damage. Guanosine triphosphate cyclohydrolase I (GCH1), a rate limiting enzyme in the de novo synthesis of the redox cofactor, tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), was previously identified as a significant regulator of oxidative stress in BTICs. Reducing oxidative damage in the form of lipid peroxidation is imperative for GBM growth: lipid metabolism is required for the …


The Influence Of Economic Disadvantage On The Health And Well-Being Of Youth Transitioning To Adulthood, Shanquela Williams Jan 2023

The Influence Of Economic Disadvantage On The Health And Well-Being Of Youth Transitioning To Adulthood, Shanquela Williams

All ETDs from UAB

Young adults transitioning to adulthood from economically disadvantaged backgrounds may experience physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional challenges. Resources and opportunities available during this transition can significantly impact their ability to integrate into society. The impact of economic disadvantage on the well-being of youth transitioning to adulthood remains understudied. The purpose of this study was to understand how economic disadvantage influenced the well-being of youth transitioning into adulthood. This project used longitudinal data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) and its supplements: the Child Development Supplement (CDS) and the Transition into Adulthood Supplement (TAS). Hypothesis one results revealed that young …


Prostate Cancer Aggressiveness And Financial Toxicity Among Prostate Cancer Patients, Madhav Kc, Evrim Oral, Ariane L. Rung, Edward Trapido, Laura S. Rozek, Elizabeth T.H. Fontham, Jeannette T. Bensen, Laura Farnan, Susan E. Steck, Lixin Song, James L. Mohler, Saira Khan, Sanah Vohra, Edward S. Peters Jan 2023

Prostate Cancer Aggressiveness And Financial Toxicity Among Prostate Cancer Patients, Madhav Kc, Evrim Oral, Ariane L. Rung, Edward Trapido, Laura S. Rozek, Elizabeth T.H. Fontham, Jeannette T. Bensen, Laura Farnan, Susan E. Steck, Lixin Song, James L. Mohler, Saira Khan, Sanah Vohra, Edward S. Peters

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

Introduction: Financial toxicity (FT) is a growing concern among cancer survivors that adversely affects the quality of life and survival. Individuals diagnosed with aggressive cancers are often at a greater risk of experiencing FT. The objectives of this study were to estimate FT among prostate cancer (PCa) survivors after 10−15 years of diagnosis, assess the relationship between PCa aggressiveness at diagnosis and FT, and examine whether current cancer treatment status mediates the relationship between PCa aggressiveness and FT. Methods: PCa patients enrolled in the North Carolina-Louisiana Prostate Cancer Project (PCaP) were recontacted for long-term follow-up. The prevalence of FT in …


Production, Purification And Radiochemistry Development Of Manganese-52 Fir Characterization Of Pet/Mr Imaging Agents, Jennifer Marie Pyles Jan 2023

Production, Purification And Radiochemistry Development Of Manganese-52 Fir Characterization Of Pet/Mr Imaging Agents, Jennifer Marie Pyles

All ETDs from UAB

Manganese (Mn) has the potential to be an important element in biomedical research as different isotopes of Mn have the characteristics to be used for both positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Manganese(II) (55Mn) is paramagnetic which makes it useful as a contrast agent in T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Mn as a radiotracer provides excellent sensitivity for studying 55Mn, but only Manganese-52 (52Mn) met the criteria for this research. 52Mn has a half-life (t1/2 = 5.591 days) that was long enough to optimize purification, chemistry and examine timepoints over several days. 52Mn decays by positron emission …


Development And Evaluation Of A Nanomatrix Coated Stent Using A Vascular Sheet With Atherosclerosis Model, Xixi Zhang Jan 2023

Development And Evaluation Of A Nanomatrix Coated Stent Using A Vascular Sheet With Atherosclerosis Model, Xixi Zhang

All ETDs from UAB

While cardiovascular stent technology has considerable advances, there are hurdles to overcome due to the dysfunctional stented arteries which fail to maintain vascular homeostasis. Current stent designs ignored the significance of promoting functional artery healing (pro-healing). Therefore, we developed a pro-healing nanomatrix coating for stent. Previous studies investigated its effect on individual vascular cell type. In natural artery, there are multiple vascular cell types that strongly affect stent performance. Thus, an in vitro vascular double-layer (VDL) system was used to observe stent effects on different vascular cell types. And the pro-healing ability and mechanism of the nanomatrix coated stent were …


A Cold Plasma-Enabled Reduction Process For The Fabrication Of Metallic Nanostructures Onto Polymeric Biomaterials, Gerardo Hernández Moreno Jan 2023

A Cold Plasma-Enabled Reduction Process For The Fabrication Of Metallic Nanostructures Onto Polymeric Biomaterials, Gerardo Hernández Moreno

All ETDs from UAB

The design and manufacture of novel materials has served as the bedrock for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. There exists a need for more biocompatible implantable materials in the biomedical device space. The approach to developing biomaterials fit for biomedical devices has been focused on decreasing overall physiological interaction with the local environment. However, the development of more biomechanically favorable materials has placed an emphasis on designing materials that display biomimetic and biomechanical properties resembling that of the host tissue at the implant site. As biomaterials engineering has progressed, the race to find materials that interact at the nano- and …


The Utility Of Participatory Family Diagramming In Qualitative Research: Multidisciplinary Applications And Practical Advice, Melissa D. Day, Tyler B. Jamison Jan 2023

The Utility Of Participatory Family Diagramming In Qualitative Research: Multidisciplinary Applications And Practical Advice, Melissa D. Day, Tyler B. Jamison

Faculty Publications

Graphic elicitation and diagramming are useful for qualitative researchers. Diagrams of families have been used in clinical, education, and other applied settings as tools for description and analysis of family relationships since the 1950s. Despite the potential utility of family diagrams to qualitative researchers who seek to understand and theorize the complexities of family structures and relationships, participatory family diagramming, where diagrams of family relationships are co-created by researcher(s) and participant(s) and used as a foundation for interviewing, has largely remained an untapped resource. We describe how we used participatory family diagrams as design elements of multidisciplinary qualitative interview study …


Mental Health Experiences In 2021 For Adults With Disabilities Who Are Lgbt, Debra Brucker, Chris Surfus, Megan Henly Jan 2023

Mental Health Experiences In 2021 For Adults With Disabilities Who Are Lgbt, Debra Brucker, Chris Surfus, Megan Henly

Faculty Publications

Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s weekly Household Pulse Survey conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic (July 21, 2021 – October 11, 2021), this study examines the prevalence of anxiety, worry, loss of interest and depression, receipt of mental health treatment, and self-reported unmet need for mental health treatment among adults with and without disabilities by lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) status. Controlling for age, educational attainment, employment, health insurance coverage, and race/ethnicity, adults with disabilities, regardless of LGBT status, had statistically significantly increased odds of anxiety, worry, loss of interest and depression, receipt of mental health treatment, and …