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2024

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Non-Catalytic Regulators Of The Secretory Pathway, Peyton Vanwinkle Jan 2024

Non-Catalytic Regulators Of The Secretory Pathway, Peyton Vanwinkle

All ETDs from UAB

This thesis focuses on two key questions: 1) how are bone development and regeneration regulated by the CREB3L1 transcription factor; and 2) what is the mechanism of action of the endoplasmic reticulum resident protein JAGN1, which when dysregulated, causes severe congenital neutropenia (SCN)? CREB3L1 regulates bone development and regeneration in mammalian models by facilitating the expression of COL1A1 and components of the secretory pathway required for collagen secretion. We generated two zebrafish models of Creb3l1 dysfunction (creb3l1ΔbZIP/ΔbZIP and creb3l1TA+/TA+). Both models showed that Creb3l1 functions in regulating col1a1a transcription and overall regenerate size are conserved in zebrafish. However, we also …


Screening For And Addressing Social Determinants Of Health In Hospitals Participating In Accountable Care Organizations, Heather Lee Jan 2024

Screening For And Addressing Social Determinants Of Health In Hospitals Participating In Accountable Care Organizations, Heather Lee

All ETDs from UAB

There is a growing recognition among hospitals, payers, and policymakers in the United States that addressing social needs of patients is important to improving quality of care, patient outcomes, and lowering health care spending. Accountable care organizations (ACOs) may be especially incentivized to address social needs of patients to meet population health goals related to patient outcomes and costs. This cross-sectional study used data from the American Hospital Association Annual Survey to explore to explore how hospitals participating in or leading ACOs are screening for and addressing individual-level HRSNs of patients and to understand the extent to which ACOs are …


The Multifaceted Role Of Neutrophil Heterogeneity In Covid-19 Pathogenesis, Marcus Darrell Davis Jan 2024

The Multifaceted Role Of Neutrophil Heterogeneity In Covid-19 Pathogenesis, Marcus Darrell Davis

All ETDs from UAB

COVID-19 is a respiratory illness caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The disease is characterized by an excessive inflammatory response and dysfunction of the immune system triggered by immunopathological mechanisms. Neutrophils are the most abundant circulating leukocytes, playing a critical role in the pathogenesis of multiple inflammatory conditions. Several studies have demonstrated that neutrophils are key contributors to COVID-19 disease pathogenesis; however, their role in disease progression remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate immune dysregulation in COVID-19 patients characterized by a significant expansion of neutrophil numbers and reduced frequency of T-cell populations. We identify an immature …


Knocking At The Door: The Life And Legacy Of Dr. James Montgomery, Haley Eloise Wells Jan 2024

Knocking At The Door: The Life And Legacy Of Dr. James Montgomery, Haley Eloise Wells

All ETDs from UAB

The life and work of Black Birmingham cardiologist, Dr. James T. Montgomery, demonstrates the importance of viewing the history of health activism and Birmingham civil rights history as two interconnected histories that influenced each other. Traditionally, secondary scholarship on the Birmingham civil rights movement and scholarship on the history of healthcare have been treated as two separate areas of study. Scholars such as Glenn Eskew and Diane McWhorter have written extensively on the civil rights movement in Birmingham, but their scholarship excludes any comprehensive discussion of the fight for racial justice within Birmingham’s medical field. Conversely, scholars such as Thomas …


Unmasking Molecular Mechanisms Of Multiple Maladies Through Multiomic Methodologies, Luke Potter Jan 2024

Unmasking Molecular Mechanisms Of Multiple Maladies Through Multiomic Methodologies, Luke Potter

All ETDs from UAB

Much modern biomedical research is invested in determining causative molecular mechanisms and identifying potential therapeutics within human disease or injury. Traditional experiments such as over-expressing or “knocking out” the level of a gene’s abundance can determine the specific contribution of a single gene to a pathology and are a vital component of scientific research. However, taking a big picture approach through the application of ‘omics technologies can lead to a broader overall understanding of a pathology and can potentially generate numerous specific hypotheses to be tested using the more traditional molecular approaches. In this dissertation, transcriptomic and epigenomic technologies, measuring …


Entity Information Extraction And Normalization From Scientific And Clinical Texts, Abdullateef Ibrahim Almudaifer Jan 2024

Entity Information Extraction And Normalization From Scientific And Clinical Texts, Abdullateef Ibrahim Almudaifer

All ETDs from UAB

In the analysis of scientific and clinical texts, the extraction of named entities and their relevant information, such as modifiers, play a pivotal role. Recent advancements in natural language processing (NLP), particularly through the application of transfer learning from pre-trained Transformer models, have greatly enhanced the performance of entity extraction tasks. However, challenges persist with nested entities. This thesis investigates the impact of transfer learning on extracting nested entities and their modifiers, using Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) as a prototype. By adopting a multi-task training strategy, this work enhances the model's capacity to discern and categorize overlapping entities, a task …


Associations Of Religious Involvement And Cultural Justifications With Depressive Symptoms And Burden Among Caregivers, Maizonne Fields Jan 2024

Associations Of Religious Involvement And Cultural Justifications With Depressive Symptoms And Burden Among Caregivers, Maizonne Fields

All ETDs from UAB

With the advancement of medicine, life expectancy has increased globally. As a result, the need for a caregiver by an older adult has also risen. A caregiver is often a spouse, child, or friend of an older adult that assists an older adult that is experiencing changes in their ability to complete activities of daily living and/or instrumental activities of daily living. Caregivers are often unpaid for their assistance and can be at heightened risk for negative mental health outcomes. This study used the Stress Process Model to investigate the associations of high levels of religious commitment or involvement (RCI) …


Physical And Optical Properties Of Material Used For Injection Molding, Nadia Christine Farias Machado Jan 2024

Physical And Optical Properties Of Material Used For Injection Molding, Nadia Christine Farias Machado

All ETDs from UAB

Background: This project investigates the materials used in injection molding dental resin composites which involves injecting flowable composite into a clear mold. Understanding the physical and optical properties of both the resin composite and the clear mold material is crucial for successful clinical outcomes. For the clear mold material, its translucency, curing light transmission, and rigidity are vital factors. Correlations may be present between trans-lucency and curing light transmission. For the resin composite, comparing wear, hardness, translucency, radiopacity, shrinkage stress, flexural strength, and modulus will affect mate-rial performance. Finally, the depth of cure of the material will be dependent on …


Does Plastic Pollution Knowledge Play A Role In Recycling Rates, Natasha Whipple Jan 2024

Does Plastic Pollution Knowledge Play A Role In Recycling Rates, Natasha Whipple

Honors Theses - Providence Campus

Plastic pollution is a serious problem causing the planet to face irreversible damage. The oceans and air quality are changing for the worse. A substantial amount of research has been conducted on plastic pollution and its effects through the use of scientific studies; however, very little research has been conducted on the impacts of regional knowledge of plastic pollution. In this thesis, a study was conducted that contributed to understanding the relationship between knowledge about plastic pollution and people's recycling habits. This was determined through an online survey using participants from New Hampshire and Rhode Island. The data collected from …


Assessment Of Caretaker Resources And Motivation In The Wean-To-Market Phase Of Swine Production, Joshua W. Holtkamp Jan 2024

Assessment Of Caretaker Resources And Motivation In The Wean-To-Market Phase Of Swine Production, Joshua W. Holtkamp

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This study is a novel application of I/O Psychology principles to the U.S. swine industry. The Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) recently identified caretaker motivation related to compliance with biosecurity behaviors as a priority needing to be better understood. This exploratory study seeks to identify if there is indeed a worker motivation issue within the industry that is impacting compliance with biosecurity, and if so, establish both a baseline of motivation and a better understanding of the primary influencing factors. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Job Demands/Resources Model of Burnout as a framework, an online survey was …


Development And Validation Of The Nicotine Vaping Expectancy Questionnaire: Item Generation, Scale Construction, Reliability And Validity, Gabrielle Lynch Jan 2024

Development And Validation Of The Nicotine Vaping Expectancy Questionnaire: Item Generation, Scale Construction, Reliability And Validity, Gabrielle Lynch

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Over the past two decades, cigarette smoking has decreased among teenagers and young adults, but nicotine vaping has increased dramatically. Liquid vape products contain harmful chemicals ingested when vapor is inhaled, and vaping is associated with lung damage and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. There has been relatively little research on nicotine vaping and effective prevention and intervention methods have yet to be developed. Changing expectancy processes has been successful in preventing early alcohol use and cigarette smoking, but little is known about nicotine vaping expectancies. An appropriately developed nicotine vaping expectancy measure is necessary to better understand vaping behavior and …


The Effect Of Perceived Discrimination On Alcohol Use Behaviors: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study Among Hispanic/Latinx Drinkers, Ardhys N. De Leon Jan 2024

The Effect Of Perceived Discrimination On Alcohol Use Behaviors: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study Among Hispanic/Latinx Drinkers, Ardhys N. De Leon

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Hispanic/Latinx drinkers are more likely to experience adverse alcohol-related consequences and have less access to treatment services. Research indicates that discrimination has a unique effect on drinking behaviors. The Minority Stress Model depicts how discrimination places individuals at a heightened risk for adverse health outcomes. Emotion regulation and alcohol craving are also known to impact alcohol use. This study investigated the impact of perceived discrimination on emotional disturbance, alcohol craving, and alcohol use using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA). The following were proposed: H1: Emotional disturbance will predict alcohol craving in the moment (Level 1). H2: The association between perceived discrimination …


Is My Team As Passionate As Me? Effects Of Perceived Dissimilarity Of Occupational Passion-Intensity On Key Outcomes Among Working Adults, Moses Rivera Jan 2024

Is My Team As Passionate As Me? Effects Of Perceived Dissimilarity Of Occupational Passion-Intensity On Key Outcomes Among Working Adults, Moses Rivera

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This dissertation explores the impact of perceived self-to-team dissimilarity in occupational passion-intensity on individual-level outcomes among workgroup members in organizational contexts. Grounded in need-to-belong theory, moralization theory, and equity theory, the outcomes examined include job satisfaction, turnover intentions, involvement in task-conflict, and psychological safety. Additionally, results via three methods for measuring self-to-team similarity and/or dissimilarity were compared. Two self-report online questionnaires separated by one week were administered to 530 adult workers from the US, Canada, and the UK, across a wide variety of industries. Based on a final sample of N = 483, structural equation models—each corresponding to one method …


Economic, Environmental, And Social Characteristics Of E-Scooters On Lsu Campus, Mostafa Elseifi, Md Afif Rahman Chowdhury Jan 2024

Economic, Environmental, And Social Characteristics Of E-Scooters On Lsu Campus, Mostafa Elseifi, Md Afif Rahman Chowdhury

Publications

This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of e-scooter technology, with a focus on its environmental, economic, and social impacts, particularly within university settings at the Louisiana State University (LSU) campus. A life-cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted to assess the environmental sustainability of e-scooters, encompassing all stages from raw materials acquisition to end-of-life. The analysis determined that the total CO2 emissions for an e-scooter over a five-year lifespan were approximately 389 kg, with significant reductions possible by improving the lifespan of e-scooters, integrating recycled materials, and utilizing renewable energy sources for charging batteries. The study also compared the environmental and …


Vehicle Classification Technologies For Toll Collection, Samir Ahmed Jan 2024

Vehicle Classification Technologies For Toll Collection, Samir Ahmed

Publications

Toll facilities (roads, bridges, and tunnels) are intended for revenue generation to pay off the long-term debt issued to finance construction, capacity expansion, operations, and maintenance of these facilities. Tolls are one form of a broad concept known as road pricing. In addition to revenue generation, road pricing is used for other reasons including transportation demand management to reduce peak hour travel and the recurring traffic congestion on some corridors. The aim of this study is to provide the tolling industry with detailed analysis of the suitability of various non‐ pavement‐intrusive vehicle classification technologies (imaging using radar, Lidar, thermal profiling, …


Monitoring Of Transportation System Assets Using Synthetic Aperture Radar (Sar) Satellite Data, Anand Puppala, Nripojyoti Biswas, Amit Gajurel Jan 2024

Monitoring Of Transportation System Assets Using Synthetic Aperture Radar (Sar) Satellite Data, Anand Puppala, Nripojyoti Biswas, Amit Gajurel

Publications

This research harnessed both high and medium resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data to delve into infrastructure health assessment. High resolution SAR analyses capable of identifying differences between asphalt and concrete pavement surfaces. Particularly, it was found that Normalized Radar Cross Section (NRCS) values can deftly distinguish pavement types and detect surface anomalies such as alligator cracks in asphalt ahead of conventional methods. On the other hand, Time-Series Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) insights, extracted from medium resolution SAR, established a direct linkage between environmental factors and ground deformations. Such findings were corroborated by optical images collected during May 2017 …


Framework Of Internal Damage Identification In Inhomogeneous Medium Interweaving Wave Scattering Model And Deep Learning, Suyun Ham, Stefan Romanoschi, Yin Chao Wu, Dafnik Saril Kumar David Jan 2024

Framework Of Internal Damage Identification In Inhomogeneous Medium Interweaving Wave Scattering Model And Deep Learning, Suyun Ham, Stefan Romanoschi, Yin Chao Wu, Dafnik Saril Kumar David

Publications

The primary objective of this project is to investigate the framework of internal damage identification in inhomogeneous media (IHM) using deep learning techniques and wave scattering. The study focuses on two main steps: 1) analyzing the wave response pattern in homogeneous media (HM) and 2) characterizing the wave response variation (WRV) in IHM with different aggregate sizes and random distributions. The WRV patterns are then classified and used to predict internal damage using a convolutional neural network (CNN). The accuracy of the finite element (FE) model is verified using laboratory tests with artificial internal crack models of varying depths. The …


Identifying Wrong-Way Driving Entry Points On Interstate Highways Using Land-Use Impact Assessment And 911 Calls, Farman Mia, Samer Dessouky Jan 2024

Identifying Wrong-Way Driving Entry Points On Interstate Highways Using Land-Use Impact Assessment And 911 Calls, Farman Mia, Samer Dessouky

Publications

The research aims to provide insight into the initiation event of Wrong-way Driving (WWD) on highways. The intense severity of a WWD accident is encouraging the authorities to install mitigation systems that will ensure safety for motorists on highways. The WWD events are mostly resulting of intoxicated driving, where the unconscious driver takes the wrong way to enter the highway and place other motorists into life-threatening danger. This research attempted to explore from basic knowledge of WWD occurrence to examine the origin and driving philosophy of intoxicated drivers from land-use impact and mathematical modeling point of views. To identify the …


Automated Vehicle Impacts On Underserved Populations, Kate Kyung Hyun, Stephen Mattingly, Katie Kam Jan 2024

Automated Vehicle Impacts On Underserved Populations, Kate Kyung Hyun, Stephen Mattingly, Katie Kam

Publications

This research report describes the scenario framework created to determine the potential role automated vehicles (AVs) have in benefiting and adversely impacting the following underserved populations: people with disabilities and impairments (visually, hearing, physically, intellectually) and with autism spectrum disorder, younger and older populations, immigrants, low income, indigenous, rural, female and LGBTQ+, vulnerable road users (cyclists, pedestrians, low speed riders and drivers), and minority races. After presenting a literature review, three chapters explain the 3 modules of the framework: (1) scenario construction, (2) scenario factors, and (3) GIS methodology for evaluating community level AV impacts. Module 1 describes the use …


Green Mobility In Texas: Comparative Environmental Impacts And Lifecycle Cost Analysis Of Hybrid, Electric, And Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars, Raghava R. Kommalapati, Hongbo Du, Md Jobair Bin Alam Jan 2024

Green Mobility In Texas: Comparative Environmental Impacts And Lifecycle Cost Analysis Of Hybrid, Electric, And Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars, Raghava R. Kommalapati, Hongbo Du, Md Jobair Bin Alam

Publications

Compared to gasoline/diesel cars and battery electric cars (BECs), hydrogen fuel cell cars (HFCCs) are relatively new. Two main advantages of HFCCs over electric vehicles are no special requirements for heavy batteries and long charging time. There is no HFCC in Texas; thus, exploring the use of electricity or hydrogen produced from renewable energies for personal cars and mitigating vehicle emissions is critical for sustaining a long-term decarburization strategy for megacities like Houston and Dallas. This project addressed this critical gap and developed environmental impacts and cost assessments for hybrid gasoline cars, BECs, and HFCCs in Texas under several possible …


Development Of A Web Application For Traffic Accident Mapping And Analysis, Susan Bogus Halter, Su Zhang, Arian Golrokh Amin Jan 2024

Development Of A Web Application For Traffic Accident Mapping And Analysis, Susan Bogus Halter, Su Zhang, Arian Golrokh Amin

Publications

It is widely accepted that road traffic safety is a significant public health issue. One of the effective ways to improve road traffic safety is analyzing crash data to understand where traffic accidents occur, identify associated spatial and temporal patterns, and determine causation. In the State of New Mexico, locations of traffic accidents are currently visualized using a variety of static maps. Although these statics maps are easier to create and producers can control how users view the data, users cannot customize these maps to meet their special needs. That being said, new maps need to be created for any …


Motorcycle Crash Analysis, Hatim Sharif, Samer Dessouky Jan 2024

Motorcycle Crash Analysis, Hatim Sharif, Samer Dessouky

Publications

The Fatality Analysis Reporting System database shows that, in stark contrast to the 34 percent decline in non-motorcyclist crash–related fatalities, motorcyclist crash–related fatalities were up 86 percent with only three year-to-year declines since 1997, while non-motorcyclist crash–related fatalities had 13 year-to-year declines since 1997. At the national level, the rate of motorcyclist fatalities per vehicle mile traveled is 29 times higher than the rate among passenger car occupants, with overall injury rates approximately five times higher among motorcyclists than passenger car occupants. Given the frequency of motorcycle crashes and their staggering toll in terms of loss of life and economic …


Bridge Inspection Training And Enhanced Operations Using Augmented Reality, Fernando Moreu, Ali Mohammadkhorasani, Kaveh Malek Jan 2024

Bridge Inspection Training And Enhanced Operations Using Augmented Reality, Fernando Moreu, Ali Mohammadkhorasani, Kaveh Malek

Publications

This research project focused on the innovative application of Augmented Reality (AR) headsets to enhance bridge inspection processes and inspection training. The study encompassed the visualization of 3D point cloud data, utilized the Eye-Tracking features of AR headsets for inspection quantification, evaluate the applicability of AR in the bridge inspection training and instruction of an AR virtual menu for the in-field bridge inspection. The primary tasks included establishing a database connection for AR headset, designing an AR menu tailored for bridge inspection, devising an evaluation method based on Eye-Tracking capabilities, and integrating AR into bridge inspection training. Once the technical …


Deep Reinforcement Learning-Based Digital Twin For Risk Improved Decision Making In Transportation Construction, Yong-Cheol Lee, Anisha Deria Jan 2024

Deep Reinforcement Learning-Based Digital Twin For Risk Improved Decision Making In Transportation Construction, Yong-Cheol Lee, Anisha Deria

Publications

Organizing and overseeing a large number of transportation construction and maintenance projects that generally entail several miles of a worksite are a critical burden for each DOT. In addition, it requires manual monitoring of a project or construction managers to identify a progress status, a work activity, and a safety issue in a job site. Because of the projected huge volume, complexity, significant impacts of future transportation infrastructure projects, it is evident that we are now facing a critical need to create a means of improving the results of work zone management and evaluating their impacts on our society. In …


The Effect Of Covid-19 Lockdown On Traffic Crashes In Texas., Hatim Sharif, Samer Dessouky Jan 2024

The Effect Of Covid-19 Lockdown On Traffic Crashes In Texas., Hatim Sharif, Samer Dessouky

Publications

An analysis of traffic patterns during COVID-19 has identified that reduction in the miles traveled has a significant negative correlation with COVID-19 cases and deaths across the USA. Preliminary statistics in the US suggest an increase in fatal crashes over the period of the lockdown in comparison to the same period in previous years. Moreover, while total crashes are down, motor vehicle crashes involving non-motorists became more prevalent. At the same time, non-motorist traffic has increased while motor vehicle traffic and crashes have shifted to the local systems. The main goal of this research is to perform a comprehensive evaluation …


Aadej Comm 10 1 2024 Jan 2024

Aadej Comm 10 1 2024

AADEJ - The Communicator

The Communicator is the official journal of the American Association of Dental Editors and Journalists (AADEJ). It is published quarterly, distributed digitally via email to members, and posted on the Association's website, AADEJ.org. Each issue includes regular updates from the editorial team and AADEJ board, as well as feature articles on current issues in the field.


Aadej Comm 10 3 2024 Jan 2024

Aadej Comm 10 3 2024

AADEJ - The Communicator

The Communicator is the official journal of the American Association of Dental Editors and Journalists (AADEJ). It is published quarterly, distributed digitally via email to members, and posted on the Association's website, AADEJ.org. Each issue includes regular updates from the editorial team and AADEJ board, as well as feature articles on current issues in the field.


Aadej Comm 10 4 2024 Jan 2024

Aadej Comm 10 4 2024

AADEJ - The Communicator

The Communicator is the official journal of the American Association of Dental Editors and Journalists (AADEJ). It is published quarterly, distributed digitally via email to members, and posted on the Association's website, AADEJ.org. Each issue includes regular updates from the editorial team and AADEJ board, as well as feature articles on current issues in the field.


Addressing Aggressive Behaviors In Long Term Care Settings: How Do Caregivers Feel Supported?, Betty Kortey Jan 2024

Addressing Aggressive Behaviors In Long Term Care Settings: How Do Caregivers Feel Supported?, Betty Kortey

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Caregivers are faced with great challenges when it comes to handling aggressive behaviors among long term care residents and, therefore, need support in managing resident aggression. Qualitative in depth interviews will be cond ucted with a convenience sample of caregivers on the occurrence and management of aggressive behaviors in long term care settings. The findings of the research will show that caregivers have difficulties handling aggressive situations which sometimes leads to caregiver stress and high turnover. Long term care facilities give inadequate support in managing aggressive behaviors leading to challenges in staffing. Findings will help fill the gap in the …


Enhancing College And Career Readiness Of Hmong Adolescents Through Group Work In High School, Xeev Vang Jan 2024

Enhancing College And Career Readiness Of Hmong Adolescents Through Group Work In High School, Xeev Vang

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Hmong adolescents face many challenges during high school, particularly college and career readiness. School counselors are trained professionals who can help. This transcendental phenomenology study explored the lived experiences of six Hmong adolescents and how they make sense of college and career lessons in a group work format over six weeks. Data was collected through participant journals and interviews. Each participant interview was recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using Moustakas (1994) phenomenology method of data analysis. Five domains, sixteen themes, and three subthemes emerged. Family members are crucial influencers in college and career decision-making. Barriers include language, financial, family, culture, and …