Digital Commons Network^™

Hope In Hyperbaric Medicine: A New Approach To Treat Neurological Injury, Lucas Andrew Lowe

All ETDs from UAB

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has emerged as a promising adjunctive treatment approach for various neurological diseases. This literature review explores the role of HBOT in the treatment of spinal cord injuries. The review discusses the mechanisms of action by which HBOT exerts its effects on neural tissues, such as oxygen delivery, anti-inflammatory actions and neuroprotection. The analysis also highlights the findings from cellular biology, animal studies and clinical trials, offering insights into the potential benefits of HBOT in improving neurological injury outcomes and enhancing patients' quality of life. Furthermore, it addresses the safety considerations and guidelines for the application of …

Investigation On The Epigenetic Mechanisms Modified By Dietary Phytochemicals In Inhibiting Mammary Cancer, Mohammad Mijanur Rahman

All ETDs from UAB

Breast cancer (BC) is global burden for the health of women. It is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women and the second leading cause of cancer mortality among women in the United States. One in every eight women in the USA has a chance of developing invasive BC in her lifetime. The limitations of the available therapeutics for BC treatment have brought the dietary prevention of BC to the attention of the scientific community as a safe, natural, and easy to implement therapeutic strategy. In this regard, our laboratory with many other laboratories have demonstrated the anti-BC effect of …

Promoting Endogenous Cardiomyocyte Proliferation In Large Mammal Hearts Via Cell Transfer Therapy Or Apical Resection: Understanding The Underlying Mechanism, Yuhua Wei

All ETDs from UAB

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes of global death. Due to the limit regenerative capacities of adult mammalian cardiomyocytes (CMs), myocardium is repaired with non-contractile fibrotic scar after a myocardial infarction (MI). Various strategies, including apical resection (AR) and cardiac cell therapy, are being explored to promote heart regeneration after MI. This dissertation research aimed to identify proliferating pig CM population after AR and understand the underlying mechanism of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) derived CMs (hiPSC-CMs) implantation for regenerating the pig hearts after MI. Our previous study showed that AR prolonged the heart regeneration window to postnatal day-28 …

Everyday Functioning In Middle Aged And Older Adults With Hiv: Factors That Influence Everyday Functioning And Awareness Of Functioning, Alexandra Elaine Jacob

All ETDs from UAB

With combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), the population of older people living with HIV (PLWH) is growing. There is a need to better understand everyday functioning, including instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), to improve real-world outcomes for this clinical population. This dissertation attempts to (1) characterize factors related to self-report and performance of IADLs in PLWH, (2) examine correlates of self-awareness for functional abilities, and (3) apply a theoretical model to examine complex relationships between factors that impact self-awareness for functional abilities. Participants in these retrospective analyses included 260 PLWH who completed a comprehensive neurobehavioral evaluation including neuropsychological tests, measures …

Reduced Order Modeling (Rom) Using Machine Learning Techniques For Analyzing Fluid Flow Around A Ground Vehicle, Emmanuel Ong'aro Ramogi

All ETDs from UAB

Predicting wind and temperature fields around military vehicles during extended missions is crucial to avoid detectability by infrared (IR) devices. Also, the abrupt shifting of wind direction can have a significant impact on vehicle stability. This is a challenging task due to the vehicles' geometric complexity and the unpredictable nature of wind direction, which can shift abruptly. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is routinely used for calculating the flow fields around ground vehicles. However, this requires extensive computational time and memory, making it unsuitable for real-time analysis. To address these challenges, this research focuses on machine learning (ML) techniques for accurate …

Combination Of 64/67cu Theranostics And Immunotherapy Targeting Fibroblast Activation Protein In Triple Negative Breast Cancer, Fnu Sharmila Sridhar

All ETDs from UAB

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) makes up 10-20% of breast cancer cases. Even with advancements in science, TNBC is treatment resistant due to the lack of any type of hormonal receptors on the cell surface making it difficult for targeted hormonal therapy. New research avenues have led to studies of the Tumor-microenvironment (TME) in detail. TME is a complex network of stromal cells, extracellular matrix (ECM) and cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) with pro-tumorigenic properties and plays a major role in tumor growth. Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is a marker of CAF and promotes ECM remodeling through several pathways and has …

Determination Of Readthrough Susceptibility Among Different Schwann Cell Lines Carrying Nonsense Mutations, Trushali Vansadia

All ETDs from UAB

Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) is a genetic disorder that affects the nervous system through the formation of tumors or neurofibromas. Encoded by the NF1 gene, neurofibromin functions as a tumor suppressor by converting active GTP-Ras to inactive GDP-Ras. 20% of NF1 patients carry a genomic nonsense mutation, which generates a premature termination codon (PTC) in the NF1 mRNA, leading to the formation of a truncated neurofibromin protein. Termination at PTCs can be suppressed by the incorporation of an amino acid at the site of the PTC, also known as readthrough. Readthrough results in continued translation elongation downstream of the PTC …

Disruption Of Cochlear Development By Murine Cytomegalovirus Infection And Therapeutic Approaches That Prevent Hearing Loss, Matthew Smith

All ETDs from UAB

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a ubiquitous virus, infecting greater than 50% of most populations worldwide. Although rarely causing symptomatic infection in immunocompetent individuals, HCMV can cause life-threatening and severe end-organ disease in immunocompromised hosts including the developing fetus. HCMV can cross the placenta and is the most common viral infection of the developing fetus. Most newborn infants with congenital HCMV infection (cCMV) exhibit no clinical evidence of infection; however, up to 15% will develop long term neurodevelopmental sequelae including sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). No prophylactic vaccines or effective antiviral treatments exist for cCMV infection, which may in part be secondary …

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 …

Bridging Implementation Science And Human-Centered Design: Developing Tailored Interventions For Healthier Eating In Restaurants, Melissa Fuster, Shelby Hipol, Terry Tk Huang, Uriyoán Colón-Ramos, Cara Conaboy, Rosa Abreu, Lourdes Castro Mortillaro, Margaret A. Handley

Publications and Research

Restaurants are important institutions in the communities’ economy with the potential to promote healthier foods but have been under-engaged in public health nutrition efforts. In particular, independently owned, minority-serving and minority-owned restaurants, remain under-represented in nutrition promotion efforts despite disproportionate burdens of diet-related health outcomes among minority populations. Addressing this gap in engagement, we undertook a process of co-designing and implementing healthy eating-focused interventions in two Latin American restaurants in New York City, combining the Behavior Change Wheel intervention development framework with a Human-Centered Design approach. Restaurant owners and chefs were involved in the research synthesis and solution development processes, …

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa And Tobramycin Effects On Aspergillus Fumigatus Infection In Cystic Fibrosis Airway, Tuan Anh Nguyen

All ETDs from UAB

Aspergillus fumigatus (Af) is one of the most common molds in the airways of people with Cystic Fibrosis (pwCF). The infection of Af is often preceded by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PsA) infection and its correlated treatment. PsA is considered a highly prevalent bacteria in the CF lung. PwCF suffers from complex and sophisticated coinfections within the airway that negatively impact the health outcomes of patients. Despite this, why fungal and bacterial coinfection occurs in pwCF is still being determined. However, abnormal mucus production and its characteristics are suspected of creating an environment that promotes Af germination and disease progression. This study …

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, …

A Visual Guide To Balancing Latency And Bandwidth In Mpi All-To-All, Naeris Netterville

All ETDs from UAB

The complex nature of parallel algorithms in the Message Passing Interface (MPI) standard challenges the ability of trivially visualizing them. Within MPI libaries (e.g., MPICH, Open-MPI), there are many collectives that offer different solutions for communicating data between processes. The collective MPI_Alltoall uses various techniques such as the spread-out and Bruck algorithms to have processes transfer data between all processes. Each technique within MPI_Alltoall is best suited for different scenarios. The spread-out algorithm uses a linear number of iterations, in process count P, while the Bruck algorithm is logarithmic. The Bruck algorithm transfers more data overall, but with fewer communication …

Approach-Avoidance Action Patterns As Indicators Of Empathic ‘Care Drive’ Strength, Stephanie R. Hruza

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Empathy, care, and prosocial behavior are essential to social group cohesion, and antisocial and violent criminal behavior, on the other pole, can cause serious disruptions in group cohesion and negatively impact society as a whole. Different psychopathological conditions tend to present with impairments in affective empathy/caring and prosocial behavior, as is observed in psychopathic traits, which are tied to antisocial behavior and outcomes. It is essential to understand how empathy and care function, both in psychopathology and normal prosocial functioning, in order to inform interventions for empathy/care deficits and avoid the potential harm that such deficits can cause for others …

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 …

Renaissance Equity Holding Llc V. Riley

All Decisions

The landlord filed a nonpayment proceeding seeking $41,176.75 in rent arrears dating back to January 2020. The tenant was granted leave to file a late answer. The court granted partial summary judgment on the tenant's laches defense, finding the landlord unreasonably delayed in bringing the case. The court limited the proceeding to only the most recent 6 months of rent, severing the remaining $30,385.15 in older arrears for a plenary action. This significantly reduced the amount the landlord could potentially recover in the summary proceeding.

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.

Swimming Performance, But Not Metabolism, Is Related To A Boldness-Activity Syndrome In Schoolmaster Snapper (Lutjanus Apodus), Peter Malorey, Emma S. Porter, A. Kurt Gamperl, Mark Briffa, Alexander D.M. Wilson

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Commercial overexploitation and climate change can alter the physiology and behavior of marine organisms, although intraspecific phenotypic responses to such changes can vary greatly depending on the environment, species, and severity of the stressor. Under the pace-of-life syndrome (POLS) hypothesis, behavior, physiology, and life-history traits are linked, and thus, affected by selection targeting any aspect of organismal biology. However, these links are understudied in tropical marine fishes, and further work is needed to better understand the impacts of fisheries and climate change on wild stocks. Moreover, tropical regions have a greater reliance on fisheries; thus investigations should focus on species …

Cardiomyocyte-Derived Small Extracellular Vesicle: A New Mechanism Driving Diabetic Cardiac Fibrosis And Cardiomyopathy, Yu Li, Yunhui Du, Yang Liu, Xiuhuan Chen, Xinxin Li, Yanru Duan, Yanwen Qin, Huirong Liu, Xinliang Ma, Shaoping Nie, Huina Zhang

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

Rationale: Diabetic cardiomyopathy is one of the major diabetic cardiovascular complications in which fibrosis plays a critical pathogenetic role. However, the precise mechanisms by which diabetes triggers cardiac fibrosis in the heart remain elusive. Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) play an important role in the cellular communication. Nevertheless, whether and how diabetes may adversely alter sEVs-mediated cardiomyocyte-fibroblast communication, promoting diabetic cardiac fibrosis and contributing to diabetic cardiomyopathy, has not been previously investigated. Methods and results: High-fat diet (HFD)-induced and genetic (db/db) type 2 diabetic models were utilized. Cardiomyocyte sEVs (Myo-sEVs) were isolated by ultracentrifugation. Normal cardiomyocyte-derived Myo-sEVs attenuated diabetic cardiac fibrosis …

Integrated Environmental Vulnerability Assessment And Adaptation Strategies For Coastal Areas Under Sustainable Development, Lien-Kwei Chien, Yu-Chi Li, Chia-Feng Hsu

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This research focuses on the holistic management and environmental vulnerability of coastal areas in Taiwan within the framework of sustainable development. With economic and social growth gravitating towards coastal regions, the strain on the natural environment is increasing. Therefore, discovering a balance between economic progress and environmental conservation is paramount. To decipher the vulnerability of Taiwan's coastal zones, this study first defines ‘Integrated Environmental Vulnerability of Coastal Areas.’Key vulnerability factors were identified across environmental, social, and economic dimensions. Seven core determinants were determined using the Fuzzy Delphi method: biodiversity, coastal erosion, water pollution, population density, population aging, land utilization, and …

Evalution Of The Ability To Infer Tilt Angle And Size Distributions Of Fish Using A Broadband Scientific Echosounder Based On Simulation, Jing Liu

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The biological information, such as species, size, and tilt angle, is crucial for converting the echo data into biomass information in acoustic surveys. Typically, the information can be obtained through trawl net sampling or underwater camera observations. However, both methods have some limitations. To overcome these limitations, scientists have utilized inversion methods with multi-frequency and broadband echosounders to derive biological information about fish, plankton, and krill. However, evaluating the reliability and accuracy of these inversion methods has been challenging due to the difficulty in obtaining accurate biological information. In this study, a numerical simulation method was used to generate fish …

Back Matter, The Auk

The Auk

No abstract provided.

Pigeons And Doves: A Guide To The Pigeons And Doves Of The World, David W. Steadman

The Auk

No abstract provided.

Models Of Adaptive Behaviour: An Approach Based On State (Review), Raymond J. O'Connor

The Auk

No abstract provided.

Bounce And Double Trill Songs Of Male And Female Western Screech-Owls: Characterization And Usefulness For Classification Of Sex, Brian L. Herting, James R. Belthoff

The Auk

No abstract provided.

Is Diet-Shifting Facilitated By Modulation Of Pancreatic Enzymes? Test Of An Adaptational Hypothesis In Yellow-Rumped Warblers, M. Eugenia Ciminari, Daniel Afik, William H. Karasov, Enrique Caviedes-Vidal

The Auk

No abstract provided.