Digital Commons Network^™

Neighborhood Disadvantage, Parenting, And Dna Methylation During Childhood, Malcolm Barker-Kamps

All ETDs from UAB

Being raised in a disadvantaged neighborhood increases the risk of adult obesity, chronic inflammation, and epigenetic aging even when adjusting for family socioeconomic status (SES). Because little is understood regarding the timing of these outcomes through development and possible moderating effects of the family environment, this project investigated the relationship between neighborhood disadvantage and DNA methylation in children and whether this association varies across child age, parenting behaviors, or neighborhood cohesion. The study included 112 parents (Mage=27.5; SD=1.06) and 160 children, ages 0-14 (Mage =3.89, SD=3.29; 54% female; 90% African American; 10% White), from the Birmingham Youth Violence Study. Neighborhood …

Beyond Chronic Fatigue: Studying The Role Of Neuroinflammation, Glutamate, And Glutamine, Indonesia Alohn Jordan

All ETDs from UAB

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a complex, multifaceted disease characterized by persistent, severe fatigue lasting six months or longer that is not relieved by rest. An estimated 20 million people worldwide suffer from ME/CFS. ME/CFS has long been suspected to be a post-viral illness, as viral infections can stimulate inflammatory cytokine production. Millions of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients are also predicted to develop persistent symptoms that mimic ME/CFS symptomology after the resolution of the acute infection, referred to as Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC). Inflammatory mediators produced by sustained microglia activation have been shown to lead to illness …

Investigating The Role Of The Static And Hyperviscous Mucus Defect On The Development Of Bacterial Infection In The Cystic Fibrosis Rat, Mikayla Murphree-Terry

All ETDs from UAB

INVESTIGATING THE ROLE OF THE STATIC AND HYPERVISCOUS MUCUS DEFECT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF BACTERIAL INFECTION IN THE CYSTIC FIBROSIS RAT MIKAYLA MURPHREE-TERRY GRADUATE BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES - MICROBIOLOGY ABSTRACT Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease caused by mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, resulting in dysfunctional CFTR. In the lungs, CFTR dysfunction results in dehydrated mucus that is adherent to epithelia. In the gut, thick mucus can mix with feces to form an obstruction, known as distal intestinal obstruction syndrome (DIOS). Additionally, CF mucus has a higher percentage of solids. The main solid component of …

Ai Case Study Assignment, Jeffrey Anvari-Clark

AI Assignment Library

This assignment is intended to students develop digital literacy and social work skills by creating a social work case note using ChatGPT, Claude, or a similar AI software. By using the software, creating the note, and reflecting on the process, students will learn to: 1. appropriately integrate advanced AI technology into their work as helping professionals, 2. analyze the benefits and limits of AI usage (along with ethical considerations), 3. create a case note that is clear, concise, and comprehensive, and 4. evaluate the role of social demographics on individual well-being. The assignment is for a 200-level course, a prerequisite …

An Analysis Of Flavor Descriptors On Tobacco Products In The Philippines: Regulatory Implications And Lessons For Low- And Middle-Income Countries, Samantha J. Ackary, Patrick James Cabrera, Alen Josef A. Santiago, Gianna Gayle H. Amul

Ateneo School of Government Publications

Background

Historically, tobacco companies have used flavored tobacco products to enhance the appeal of tobacco consumption, encourage initiation and experimentation of tobacco use, and contribute to sustained tobacco use. While flavored tobacco products are regulated in several countries, there is no existing regulation on flavored tobacco products in the Philippines, specifically for cigarettes and cigars. This study aims to update evidence on the flavored tobacco product landscape in the Philippines by assessing both the flavor descriptors and flavor imagery featured on cigarette and cigar packaging.

Results

We collected 106 cigarette and cigar products from four major cities in the National …

Characterizing The Monomer-Dimer Equilibrium Of Ubch8/Ube2l6: A Combined Saxs And Nmr Study, Kerem Kahraman, Scott A. Robson, Oktay Göcenler, Cansu M. Yenici, Cansu D. Tozkoparan Ceylan, Jennifer M. Klein, Volker Dötsch, Emine Sonay Elgin, Arthur L. Haas, Joshua J. Ziarek, Çağdaş Dağ

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Interferon-stimulated gene-15 (ISG15) is an interferon-induced protein with two ubiquitin-like (Ubl) domains linked by a short peptide chain and is a conjugated protein of the ISGylation system. Similar to ubiquitin and other Ubls, ISG15 is ligated to its target proteins through a series of E1, E2, and E3 enzymes known as Uba7, Ube2L6/UbcH8, and HERC5, respectively. Ube2L6/UbcH8 plays a central role in ISGylation, underscoring it as an important drug target for boosting innate antiviral immunity. Depending on the type of conjugated protein and the ultimate target protein, E2 enzymes have been shown to function as monomers, dimers, or both. UbcH8 …

Intouch Week Of September 9, 2024, New York Medical College

InTouch

• Regeneron's Immersive Drug Development Elective Equips Future Physicians with Unique Industry Insights
• Alumni and Friends Unite During an Evening of Updates and Camaraderie
• Asthma Found to Have Profound Impact on COVID-19 Patients in New Study
• Valerie Romeo-Messana Named GSBMS Associate Dean of Admissions
• Wear Gold and Join Us for a Photo-op for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
• Student Spotlight: Medical Student Helps Pioneer New Tool for Pediatric Pacemaker Implantation

Deconstructing Ageism And Quality Of Life Among Older Informal Workers : A Mixed-Methods Study In Ghana, Samuel Ampadu Oteng

Lingnan Theses (MPhil & PhD)

Despite growing research on ageism and the aging workforce, few studies have examined the perspectives and experiences of older workers in the informal economy. Also, while research has acknowledged common pathways linking ageism to relevant outcomes across older individuals, the contextual nuances within these intersections, particularly for informal sector workers in less developed countries, have been overlooked. This knowledge gap limits our understanding of the ageism faced by this population and hinders the development of evidence-based policies to address their needs. To address this gap, this study employs an exploratory sequential mixed-methods approach to investigate the nature and effects of …

Assessing Prevalence Of Blood Parasites And Ranaviruses In Hong Kong Freshwater Turtles, Julia Leung

Lingnan Theses (MPhil & PhD)

Blood parasites and ranaviruses are pathogens that impact freshwater turtles worldwide. Given that native turtle species in Hong Kong are already at a high risk of extinction, their survival becomes even more threatened in the event of a disease outbreak. However, prevalence of these pathogens among the native population in Hong Kong remains unstudied.

In this study, I aim to (1) obtain baseline prevalence data of blood parasites and ranaviruses in Hong Kong freshwater turtles, (2) compare different methods for detecting blood parasites and ranaviruses, (3) evaluate the applicability of using blood parasites as a wildlife forensic tool, assess and …

Engineered Transcription Activator-Like Effector Dimer Proteins Confer Dna Loop-Dependent Gene Repression Comparable To Lac Repressor, Nicole A. Becker, Justin P. Peters, Elizabeth Lewis, Camden L. Daby, Karl Clark, L. James Maher

Faculty Publications

Natural prokaryotic gene repression systems often exploit DNA looping to increase the local concentration of gene repressor proteins at a regulated promoter via contributions from repressor proteins bound at distant sites. Using principles from the Escherichia coli lac operon we design analogous repression systems based on target sequence-programmable Transcription Activator-Like Effector dimer (TALED) proteins. Such engineered switches may be valuable for synthetic biology and therapeutic applications. Previous TALEDs with inducible non-covalent dimerization showed detectable, but limited, DNA loop-based repression due to the repressor protein dimerization equilibrium. Here, we show robust DNA loop-dependent bacterial promoter repression by covalent TALEDs and verify …

Genome-Wide Association Study Meta-Analysis Of Neurofilament Light (Nfl) Levels In Blood Reveals Novel Loci Related To Neurodegeneration, Shahzad Ahmad, Mohammad Aslam Imtiaz, Aniket Mishra, Ruiqi Wang, Marisol Herrera-Rivero, Joshua C Bis, Myriam Fornage, Gennady Roshchupkin, Edith Hofer, Mark Logue, W T Longstreth, Rui Xia, Vincent Bouteloup, Thomas Mosley, Lenore J Launer, Michael Khalil, Jens Kuhle, Robert A Rissman, Genevieve Chene, Carole Dufouil, Luc Djoussé, Michael J Lyons, Kenneth J Mukamal, William S Kremen, Carol E Franz, Reinhold Schmidt, Stephanie Debette, Monique M B Breteler, Klaus Berger, Qiong Yang, Sudha Seshadri, N Ahmad Aziz, Mohsen Ghanbari, M Arfan Ikram

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Neurofilament light chain (NfL) levels in circulation have been established as a sensitive biomarker of neuro-axonal damage across a range of neurodegenerative disorders. Elucidation of the genetic architecture of blood NfL levels could provide new insights into molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative disorders. In this meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of blood NfL levels from eleven cohorts of European ancestry, we identify two genome-wide significant loci at 16p12 (UMOD) and 17q24 (SLC39A11). We observe association of three loci at 1q43 (FMN2), 12q14, and 12q21 with blood NfL levels in the meta-analysis of African-American ancestry. In the trans-ethnic meta-analysis, we identify …

The Rider (2024-09-09), Natalie Lapsley

The Rider Archives

Vol.10 No.3

The Association Between Environmental Factors And Substance Use Outcomes Among A Vulnerable Veteran Population, Leah Nixon Bryan

All ETDs from UAB

Background. Illicit substance use among veterans is a complex and multifaceted issue. As individuals who have served in the armed forces return to civilian life, they may face a range of challenges, including mental health issues, physical injuries, and difficulties readjusting to societal norms. Unfortunately, for some veterans, these challenges can contribute to the allure of illicit substances as a coping mechanism. The intersection of the unique stressors associated with military service creates a population with an increased vulnerability to select health and psychosocial issues and susceptible to substance misuse (Tsai & Rosenheck, 2015). In addition to military experiences, environmental …

The Relationship Of Sleep Disturbance And Disease-Related Factors On Neural And Neurocognitive Function In Youth Living With Sickle Cell Disease, Tiffany Devaughn Tucker

All ETDs from UAB

Youth living with sickle cell disease (SCD) often face neurocognitive challenges, regardless of accompanying neurological issues. SCD involves red blood cell deformation, leading to complications including chronic anemia, vaso-occlusion, and acute crises such as pain and overt stroke. While screening and intervention advancements have improved survival, enhancing functional capacity and quality of life (QoL) remains a targeted area of intervention. Disease-related factors, sleep disturbances, and social determinants significantly impact neurocognitive health in youth living with SCD. Deficits across all cognitive domains, including attention, working memory, and executive function (EF), are common, affecting academic achievement and QoL. Brain-related issues, such as …

Mapping Work Histories And Measuring Work Quality: Differences By Race, Gender, And Motherhood, Clifford James Ross

All ETDs from UAB

It is well-established that work has a strong association with health and that work is also a key driver of health inequality. However, there is little research that incorporates multiple components of work into one cohesive measure and examines how work patterns unfold over the life course. By incorporating three theoretical frameworks (1) The Sociology of Work and Health, (2) The Life Course, and (3) The Stress Process, and using over 40 years of employment data (collected from 1979-2018) from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (N=3,302), I introduce a comprehensive work measure called “Work Quality”. Then, using work …

Surface-Engineered Nano/Micro-Hybrid Polymer Systems For Environmental Health And Safety, Renjith Rajan Pillai

All ETDs from UAB

Environmental pollution involves the introduction of harmful substances into the natural environment, leading to detrimental effects on ecosystems, wildlife, and human health. This dissertation aims to advance comprehension of environmental pollution and explore efficient, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective methods of remediation. Recently, there has been increasing concern about the environmental impact of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), a subgroup of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), and Heavy Metals (HMs) pollution, both known for their carcinogenic and mutagenic properties. These pollutants can significantly harm human health through inhalation, ingestion, or contact with contaminated soil, potentially resulting in conditions such as encephalopathy, kidney dysfunction, …

A Histone Methyltransferase Contributes To Treatment Resistance In Npm1c Aml, Neha Srinivas

All ETDs from UAB

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a blood cancer marked by the rapid growth of abnormal myeloid cells, driven by various genetic mutations. AML accounts for approximately 1% of all cancers and presents complicated prognosis and treatment. Menin inhibitors have shown potential in targeting AML. However, resistance to these inhibitors presents a significant clinical obstacle, as patients treated with menin inhibitors are increasingly developing resistance to the treatment. Using CRISPR-Cas9 mediated screening, we identified an epigenetic regulator contributing to resistance against menin inhibitors in AML. Utilizing knockout (KO) models of the epigenetic regulator in-vitro, ex-vivo, and in-vivo, we observed a growth …

Improving Molecular Diagnosis Success Rates And Prognosis Prediction For Patients With Rare Diseases, Tarun Karthik Kumar Mamidi

All ETDs from UAB

Rare diseases are medical conditions that affect a small number of people compared to the general population. There are more than 10,000 estimated rare diseases with 80% being genetic in origin, which although individually have a relatively low prevalence, collectively impact the lives of hundreds of millions of people worldwide. The diagnosis process is usually difficult and slow, but an accurate and early diagnosis can be crucial for disease treatment and management. This dissertation focuses on some of the important problems in this area by investigating the application of advanced machine learning methods to enhance the accuracy, precision, and efficiency …

Investigating The Impacts Of Staphylococcus Aureus Small Colony Variant Infection In The Cystic Fibrosis Rat Lung, Gretchen E. Bollar

All ETDs from UAB

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal-recessive genetic disease characterized by recurrent and chronic airway infections. Staphylococcus aureus is currently the most common organism isolated from the CF lung, but its role as a pathogen has been historically difficult to characterize due to a broad range of genetic diversity and subtypes seen across infectious strains. Small colony variants (SCVs) are a subpopulation of S. aureus marked by slow growth rate and impaired metabolism that have been associated with worse respiratory outcomes in people with CF (pwCF). SCVs also exhibit altered colony morphology and can confound the results of traditional diagnostic assays, …

Interactions Between Oral Cancer Cells And Enterococcus Fecalis And Their Impact On Perineural Invasion, Sree Ramya Bhamidipaati

All ETDs from UAB

Oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell cancers (OSCC and OPSCC) are some of the most common cancers in the world. The overall 5-year survival rate is 68.5%, which drops to 39.3% in patients with later-stage cancers. This research aims to evaluate the effects of Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) on the OSCC and OPSCC's tumor progression. E. faecalis is associated with asymptomatic, persistent endodontic infections and was found at a higher rate in OSCC patients. We hypothesize that cancer cells and Enterococcus faecalis (Ef) interact to affect the tumorigenic properties of oral cancer cells. OSCC cells from different parts of the oral …

Understanding Biopsychosocial Influences On Physical Activity And Quality Of Life In Breast Cancer Survivors, Erica A. Schleicher

All ETDs from UAB

Receiving a breast cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment can be life-altering, presenting numerous challenges. Breast cancer treatments are effective at allowing women to live longer, but often impose long-term side-effects that survivors must manage for years. Exercise is an effective way to address many long-term side-effects of breast cancer treatment, yet 63-83% of breast cancer survivors do not meet recommended physical activity (PA) guidelines. Due to the complexity of cancer and treatment options, cancer-related factors have potential biopsychosocial impacts that can influence exercise habits, attitudes toward PA (i.e., social cognitive theory (SCT) constructs), and potentially quality of life (QoL). It …

The Effect Of Progranulin On Lysosomal Function In Bv2 Cells, Michelle Park

All ETDs from UAB

Neurodegenerative diseases afflict nearly 7 million people in United states, constituting a significant portion of the 600 known neurological disorders. Characterized by the gradual loss of neurons and axons within the central nervous system (CNS), these conditions stem from chronic inflammatory activation of the brain. Chronic inflammation disrupts important processes such as autophagy lysosome pathway, a self-degradative process that eliminates protein aggregates and damaged organelles. Trehalose, a non-reducing disaccharide that triggers autophagic flux in neuronal cells and promotes the clearance of protein aggregates; however, without understanding the mechanism behind how trehalose affects these functions, it lacks value. In our study, …

Parp-1 Selectively Impairs Kras-Driven Phenotypic And Molecular Features In Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma, Friederike L Keggenhoff, Darko Castven, Diana Becker, Stojan Stojkovic, Jovana Castven, Carolin Zimpel, Beate K Straub, Tiemo Gerber, Harald Langer, Patricia Hähnel, Thomas Kindler, Jörg Fahrer, Colm J O'Rourke, Ursula Ehmer, Anna Saborowski, Lichun Ma, Xin Wei Wang, Timo Gaiser, Matthias S Matter, Christian Sina, Stefanie Derer, Ju-Seog Lee, Stephanie Roessler, Bernd Kaina, Jesper B Andersen, Peter R Galle, Jens U Marquardt

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) is the second most common primary liver cancer with limited therapeutic options. KRAS mutations are among the most abundant genetic alterations in iCCA associated with poor clinical outcome and treatment response. Recent findings indicate that Poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase1 (PARP-1) is implicated in KRAS-driven cancers, but its exact role in cholangiocarcinogenesis remains undefined.

Design: PARP-1 inhibition was performed in patient-derived and established iCCA cells using RNAi, CRISPR/Cas9 and pharmacological inhibition in KRAS-mutant, non-mutant cells. In addition, Parp-1 knockout mice were combined with iCCA induction by hydrodynamic tail vein injection to evaluate an impact on phenotypic and molecular …

Fibrotic Response To Anti-Csf-1r Therapy Potentiates Glioblastoma Recurrence, Spencer S Watson, Anoek Zomer, Nadine Fournier, Joao Lourenco, Manfredo Quadroni, Agnieszka Chryplewicz, Sina Nassiri, Pauline Aubel, Simona Avanthay, Davide Croci, Erik Abels, Marike L D Broekman, Douglas Hanahan, Jason T Huse, Roy T Daniel, Monika E Hegi, Krisztian Homicsko, Giulia Cossu, Andreas F Hottinger, Johanna A Joyce

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Glioblastoma recurrence is currently inevitable despite extensive standard-of-care treatment. In preclinical studies, an alternative strategy of targeting tumor-associated macrophages and microglia through CSF-1R inhibition was previously found to regress established tumors and significantly increase overall survival. However, recurrences developed in ∼50% of mice in long-term studies, which were consistently associated with fibrotic scars. This fibrotic response is observed following multiple anti-glioma therapies in different preclinical models herein and in patient recurrence samples. Multi-omics analyses of the post-treatment tumor microenvironment identified fibrotic areas as pro-tumor survival niches that encapsulated surviving glioma cells, promoted dormancy, and inhibited immune surveillance. The fibrotic treatment …

Biology Department Publications: 2021, Sam Lindgren

Biology Department Bibliographies

This document is a noncomprehensive list of publications made by graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and faculty members in the Biology Department in 2021. It indexes those publications available through major databases, and serves as an archival record of the Department’s robust scholarly contributions.

Project Give: Using A Virtual Genetics Service Platform To Reduce Health Inequities And Improve Access To Genomic Care In An Underserved Region Of Texas, Blake Vuocolo, Roberta Sierra, Daniel Brooks, Christopher Holder, Lauren Urbanski, Keila Rodriguez, Jose David Gamez, Surya Narayan Mulukutla, Ana Hernandez, Alberto Allegre, Humberto Hidalgo, Sarah Rodriguez, Sandy Magallan, Jeremy Gibson, Juan Carlos Bernini, Melanie Watson, Robert Nelson, Lizbeth Mellin-Sanchez, Nancy Garcia, Lori Berry, Hongzheng Dai, Claudia Soler-Alfonso, Kent Carter, Brendan Lee, Seema R Lalani

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: The utilization of genomic information to improve health outcomes is progressively becoming more common in clinical practice. Nonetheless, disparities persist in accessing genetic services among ethnic minorities, individuals with low socioeconomic status, and other vulnerable populations. The Rio Grande Valley (RGV) at the Texas-Mexico border is predominantly Hispanic/Latino with a high poverty rate and very limited access to genetic services. Funded by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, Project GIVE (Genetic Inclusion by Virtual Evaluation) was launched in 2022 to reduce the time to diagnosis and increase provider knowledge of genomics in this region, with the goal of …

Three-Dimensional Analysis Of Mitochondria In A Patient-Derived Xenograft Model Of Triple Negative Breast Cancer Reveals Mitochondrial Network Remodeling Following Chemotherapy Treatments, Mariah J Berner, Heather K Beasley, Zer Vue, Audra Lane, Larry Vang, Mokryun L Baek, Andrea G Marshall, Mason Killion, Faben Zeleke, Bryanna Shao, Dominque Parker, Autumn Peterson, Julie Sterling Rhoades, Estevão Scudese, Lacey E Dobrolecki, Michael T Lewis, Antentor Hinton, Gloria V Echeverria

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Mitochondria are hubs of metabolism and signaling and play an important role in tumorigenesis, therapeutic resistance, and metastasis in many cancer types. Various laboratory models of cancer demonstrate the extraordinary dynamics of mitochondrial structure, but little is known about the role of mitochondrial structure in resistance to anticancer therapy. We previously demonstrated the importance of mitochondrial structure and oxidative phosphorylation in the survival of chemotherapy-refractory triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells. As TNBC is a highly aggressive breast cancer subtype with few targeted therapy options, conventional chemotherapies remain the backbone of early TNBC treatment. Unfortunately, approximately 45% of TNBC patients …

A Citizen Science Approach To Assess Management Of An Invasive Species, William Lester, Emily Kraus

Journal of Extension

Citizen science allows for broadening the scope of research by increasing data points and geographical scale. Here, Institute A and Institute B show that citizens utilized various outreach platforms to increase their knowledge of an invasive species the air potato vine, Dioscorea bulbifera, and its biological control agent the air potato beetle, Lilioceris cheni. Citizen scientists also contributed data on the distribution and establishment of the beetle, and reported on behavior change, and attitude toward the project. Valuable lessons were learned in designing surveys and training the citizens in order to increase the quality of their contributions.

Hyperglycemia And Venous Thromboembolism, Neha Panchagnula, William Philip Brasher

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) have chronically increased blood glucose and multiple physiologic alterations that place them at elevated risk for vascular disease. Traditionally, this vascular risk has mainly referred to chronic atherosclerosis and embolic arterial disease. Retrospective studies have suggested an increased risk of a pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT), collectively termed venous thromboembolism (VTE), in patients with DM, but this association has been difficult to demonstrate with comorbidities such as obesity in meta-analysis. Clinical studies have demonstrated worse outcomes for patients with DM who suffer from VTE. In vitro studies show multiple physiologic abnormalities with …

Domain-Based Nucleic-Acid Minimum Free Energy: Algorithmic Hardness And Parameterized Bounds, Erik D. Demaine, Elize Grizzell, Jayson Lynch, Ahmed Shalaby, Timothy Gomez, Markus Hecher, Robert Schweller, Damien Woods

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Molecular programmers and nanostructure engineers use domain-level design to abstract away messy DNA/RNA sequence, chemical and geometric details. Such domain-level abstractions are enforced by sequence design principles and provide a key principle that allows scaling up of complex multistranded DNA/RNA programs and structures. Determining the most favoured secondary structure, or Minimum Free Energy (MFE), of a set of strands, is typically studied at the sequence level but has seen limited domain-level work. We analyse the computational complexity of MFE for multistranded systems in a simple setting were we allow only 1 or 2 domains per strand. On the one hand, …