Digital Commons Network^™

Gateways, Barriers, And Facilitators To Opioid Use Treatment For Low-Income Pregnant And Postpartum Women In The State Of Alabama, Lindsey Allison Rice Bender

All ETDs from UAB

Low income, pregnant and postpartum women who misuse opioids in the state of Alabama face potentially life-threatening challenges when seeking substance misuse treatment and recovery support services. Our study used an explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach to explore gateways, barriers, and facilitators to opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment for pregnant and postpartum women in the state of Alabama. Surveys from 32 pregnant and postpartum individuals and in-depth interviews with 15 pregnant and postpartum individuals (four pregnant, four 0-6 months postpartum, four 7-12 months postpartum and three 13-18 months postpartum) were used to identify gateways, barriers, and facilitators to OUD treatment. Our …

Vitamin D Receptor Signaling Antagonizes RorT Signaling To Reprogram Th17 Cells, Blake Frey

All ETDs from UAB

Vitamin D3 has long been associated with protection against a myriad of autoimmune diseases commonly linked to dysregulation of the T helper 17 (Th17) program. Th17 cells rely on the nuclear receptor (NR) RORγt as the master transcription factor for differentiation and function, establishing a metastate that can drive pro-inflammatory or alternative pathways depending on external cues. Vitamin D3 signals through another NR, the vitamin D receptor (VDR), to inhibit IL-17A in favor of the immunosuppressive cytokine IL-10; however, the precise mechanisms remain unclear. We developed a novel dual Vdr reporter and conditional knockout mouse model, and for the first …

Increasing The Knowledge, Awareness, And Readiness To Change Of Cultural Sensitivity Among Public Health College Students, Margaret Enlow

All ETDs from UAB

This research examined if a lecture-based intervention increased the DEI knowledge, awareness, and readiness to change in undergraduate public health students. Topics included a systematic review of DEI activities in undergraduate public health classrooms/academic programs, determining reliability of an adapted tool to measure knowledge, awareness, and readiness to change, and statistical analyses of pre- and post-data to determine knowledge, awareness, and readiness to change after students participated in the lecture-based intervention. The systematic review identified a gap in the literature regarding public health DEI education in the classroom. Through additional analyses, themes of DEI were identified in previous publications that …

Exploring Nutritional Needs In Spinal Cord Injury: Dietitian Perspectives, Bowel Health, And Dietary Recommendations, Ayse Gul Zengul

All ETDs from UAB

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a global condition affecting millions of people and leading to life-altering health complications. It profoundly alters body composition and metabolic rate, which need to be addressed with SCI-specific nutritional strategies. Muscle atrophy, fat accumulation, and decreased energy expenditure often lead to secondary health complications such as chronic diseases and SCI-related health problems, including pressure injuries and bowel dysfunction. Although nutrition plays a critical role in SCI management, our understanding of specific dietary needs for this population remains incomplete. This dissertation aims to comprehensively investigate the nutritional challenges and needs of individuals with SCI, ultimately developing …

Effects Of Whole-Food, Plant-Centered Diets On Glycemic Control, Medication Use, Ectopic Fat, And Cardiovascular Health In Adults With Type 2 Diabetes, Cody Hanick

All ETDs from UAB

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a global health and economic concern. Safe and effective treatments for T2D, including dietary approaches, are limited. Additionally, it remains unclear whether dietary carbohydrate quality or quantity matters more for managing T2D. Most nutrient-dense carbohydrate quality sources—such as fruit, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains—come from plant foods and are recommended for people with T2D by the American Diabetes Association. Furthermore, when these food groups are combined into a dietary pattern, a whole-food, plant-based (WFPB) diet is created. However, few studies have tested the effects of a WFPB diet or carbohydrate-rich food groups in people with …

Periodic Fever, Aphthous Stomatitis, Pharyngitis & Cervical Adenitis, Sonia P. Wheat

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The suffering of children with periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, and cervical adenitis (PFAPA) is well documented and includes diminished quality of life (QoL), emotional/behavioral problems, fatigue, food avoidance and school absenteeism. As an example of childhood adversity, and because the model of pediatric medical traumatic stress demonstrates traumatic responses do not always subside over time, this study examined the psychosocial health of PFAPA survivors post resolution. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional study design, the psychosocial well-being of PFAPA survivors was compared to children with persistent asthma and children without chronic illness or a history of medical trauma. Two validated parent-completed …

Land-Use Effects On Soil Organic Matter And Related Soil Properties In A Mixed Agricultural–Forest Landscape Of Central Wisconsin, Usa, Kathryn L. Hofmeister, Gwen Feitl, Kaylee Tackett, Leah Fleury, Lucas E. Nave

Michigan Tech Publications

Soil organic matter (SOM) influences a wide range of ecosystem processes, including nutrient cycling, water movement, plant productivity, and biodiversity. In agricultural landscapes, adjacent land uses often differ in SOM contents and related soil properties, such as soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks, but the direction and magnitude of these effects are inconsistent across studies. We assessed how land uses differed in SOM and related properties in a representative US Midwest agricultural–forest landscape to support land-use and management decisions by local landowners and producers. We measured SOM, bulk density (Db), root biomass, and pH, and estimated SOC stocks, in a Typic …

Myo5b And The Polygenic Landscape Of Very Early-Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease In An Ethnically Diverse Population, Ashleigh Watson, R Alan Harris, Amy C Engevik, Numan Oezguen, Maribeth R Nicholson, Sarah Dooley, Rachel Stubler, Lisa Forbes Satter, Lina B Karam, Richard Kellermayer

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Genetic discovery in very early-onset inflammatory bowel disease (VEO-IBD) can elucidate not only the origins of VEO-IBD, but also later-onset inflammatory bowel disease. We aimed to investigate the polygenic origins of VEO-IBD in a cohort with a high proportion of Hispanic patients.

Methods: Patients with VEO-IBD who underwent whole exome sequencing at our center were included. Genes were categorized as genes of interest (GOIs) (129 genes previously described to be associated with VEO-IBD) or non-GOIs. VEO-IBD "susceptibility" single nucleotide variants (SNVs) were identified through enrichment compared with gnomAD (Genome Aggregation Database) and ALFA (Allele Frequency Aggregator) and were scored …

Potential Of Native Tree Species For Post-Nickel Mining Land Restoration, Fadly Suhati, Putu Oka Ngakan, Risma Illa Maulany, Nasri Nasri, Andi Siady Hamzah, Putu Supadma Putra

Jurnal Penelitian Kehutanan Wallacea

Due to the absence of topsoil, low pH, and contamination by various heavy metals, revegetation of post-nickel mining land, which is generally carried out by planting economically valuable species, is usually unsuccessful. This study aims to identify tree species suitable for revegetation on post-nickel mining land in Kolaka Regency, Indonesia. Nine plots measuring 20 m x 20 m were distributed in the revegetated post-nickel mining land at three different age categories (1, 5, and 10 years) to observe the growth of revegetation trees, which are introduced species and native tree species that naturally invade the revegetation area. In total, there …

Dietary Program For The Reduction Of Type 2 Diabetes Prevalence In A South Texas Border Region, Siddiqua Noor

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

PURPOSE The purpose of this project was to create a culturally sensitive dietary program template to serve as a guide to offer healthier food alternatives to reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes while not compromising on their Hispanic heritage.

BACKGROUND This project was implemented in a South Texas border community which has nearly twice the national average of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, which presents a significant public health challenge.

METHODOLOGY The project followed the Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle and incorporated the Health Belief Model. A dietary pamphlet featuring local culturally relevant food options was developed. The material was presented at two …

From The Skippers Line To The School Meal Queue: The Journey Of The Plymouth Fish Finger (So Far), Clare Pettinger, Louise Hunt, Laura Dunn, Star Drew, Carol Wagstaff, Rosie Tsikritzi, Caroline Bennett, Ed Baker

School of Health Professions

Informed by several community action research workshops, the FoodSEqual Plymouth team identified fish as a food commodity for innovation to inform food system transformation. This culminated in ‘The Plymouth Fish Finger’ – a co-designed food product that is healthy and sustainable, making use of locally procured fish that would otherwise be discarded and giving fishers a fair price for normally low-value by catch. It is being piloted with a view to getting it into the local school meal system, both as a product and an educational piece.This poster will share findings and creative collaborative processes of the Fish Finger pilot …

Severe Hypercalcemia Following Hip Joint Implantation Of Calcium Sulfate Antibiotic Beads: Case Series And Review Of Literature., Andrew P. Demidowich, Mahsa Motevalli, Kevin Yi, Atena Kamali, Kristine Batty, Kendall F. Moseley, Robert Raymond Buber, Mehdi Hashemipour`, Mihail Zilbermint

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

Purpose: The diagnosis and management of hypercalcemia in hospitalized patients can be challenging. Hypercalcemia is often associated with significant morbidity and end-organ damage which may delay a patient’s recovery.

Methods: We report a case series of three patients who underwent orthopedic procedures with intraoperative placement of vancomycin-loaded calcium sulfate beads. Patients had no known history of malignancy or excess intake of calcium, vitamin A or vitamin D. Laboratory workup showed low parathyroid (PTH) levels and normal PTH-related peptide levels. The temporal nature of the non-PTH mediated hypercalcemia in relation to implantation of the antibiotic beads suggests causality of exogenous calcium …

Rapid Neurological Decline Due To Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Nicole Tesoro, David Blackwood, Robert Reif, Samuel Miller, Kalyan Paudel, Christopher Haas

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) is an exceedingly rare condition with an incidence of one case per million people worldwide. It is diagnosed with symptoms of rapid neurological decline, positive CSF biomarkers, and diagnostic findings on MRI and EEG. There is no known effective therapy for CJD and prompt diagnosis is required to prepare for the expected disease prognosis and goals of care discussions.

Primary Raynaud’S Phenomenon, Eliana Alweis, Richard Alweis

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

The authors present a clinical image of primary Raynaud's phenomenon and briefly review its pathophysiology, differential diagnosis, and need for longitudinal follow up.

Mafld: Exploring The Systemic Effects Beyond Liver., Utkarsh Dayal, Ujjwal Soni, Sourav Bansal, Kanishk Aggarwal, Chaitanya Chennupati, Sai Gautham Kanagala, Vasu Gupta, Ripudaman Singh Munjal, Rohit Jain

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a growing global health concern which is driven by the increasing prevalence of diabetes and obesity. MAFLD is characterized by excessive fat accumulation in the liver, which encompasses a range of conditions, from simple hepatic steatosis to more severe forms. This condition is associated with various complications, including chronic kidney disease (CKD), Cardiovascular Disease (CVD), liver cirrhosis, and even malignancy. Recent research has highlighted a potential connection between gut dysbiosis and MAFLD, particularly in relation to CKD. This has underscored the significance of the gut-liver-kidney axis in understanding MAFLD's pathogenesis. Inflammation triggered by …

Eng 1000-002 College Composition Studio, Ashley Flach

Fall 2024

No abstract provided.

Predictive Value Of Fdg Uptake On Pet For Future Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Mediated Colitis: A Case Series, Malek Shatila, Kei Takigawa, Yang Lu, Andres Caleb Urias Rivera, Nitish Mittal, Abdullah Sagar Aleem, Sean Ngo, Eric Lu, Deanna Wu, Gabriel Sperling, Sidra Naz, Bryan Schneider, Anusha Shirwaikar Thomas, Yinghong Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: Immune-mediated colitis (IMC) is a common immune-related adverse event during immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy. This case series and review aimed to highlight atypical cases of IMC and explore the potential of PET/CT to predict imminent ICI colitis.

Methods: Through a descriptive, retrospective study at a tertiary cancer center, we identified adult patients receiving ICIs for any cancer between 2010 and 2022 who also underwent PET/CT for routine cancer surveillance during this time. We included patients who had signs and symptoms of colitis and reviewed their surveillance PET/CT scans obtained 2 to 6 weeks before and up to 3 …

Potential Of Red Ginger Rhizome (Zingiber Officinale Roscoe Var. Rubrum) As An Anti-Cancer: A Review, I Gede Yudi Anggara, Aguslina Kirtishanti, Marisca E. Gondokesumo

Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy Research

Red ginger rhizome, Zingiber officinale Roscoe var. Rubrum has long been used as a herbal medicine. Its biological properties, including anti-cancer properties, are confirmed. Compared to their stems and leaf tissues, the average amount of gingerols in red ginger rhizomes (104.39 μg/g) is much higher. In addition to gingerol, other nonvolatile pungent chemicals found in ginger include shogaols, paradols, gingerdiols, and zingerone. Gingerol disrupts the cell cycle, triggers apoptosis in cancer cells, and prevents the growth and spread of cells by interacting with particular proteins, gene targets, and signal transduction pathways. 6-shogaol activity suppresses NF-kB and signal transducer and activator …

Heterorepur: Efficient Modeling Of Heterogeneous Disease Graph For Depression Drug Repurposing Using Heterogeneous Graph Neural Networks, Ko-Hong Lin, Tongtong Huang, Kai Zhang, Xiaoqian Jiang, Yejin Kim

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders, yet existing treatments often result in suboptimal responses and encounter high recurrence rate. Repositioning existing medications, which often significantly reduces the required time and budget, has been demonstrated to be a promising strategy for drug discovery of multiple central nervous system (CNS) disorders. However, an efficient modeling strategy of heterogeneous semantic information among biological networks has yet to be developed for drug repurposing.

Material and Methods In this study, we proposed HeteroRepur, by integrating heterogeneous graph neural networks to learn interaction features of Depression Drug Repurposing Graph …

Couple-Based Lifestyle Intervention For Minority Prostate Cancer Survivors: A Randomized Feasibility Trial, Dalnim Cho, Yisheng Li, Karen Basen-Engquist, Chiara Acquati, Nga T T Nguyen, Hilary Ma, Curtis A Pettaway, Lorna H Mcneill

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Black and Hispanic prostate cancer (PCa) survivors, who face a high burden of comorbid conditions and often engage in low levels of physical activity and healthy eating, remain significantly underrepresented in lifestyle intervention studies.

Purpose: Given the significance of spousal influence, we developed a culturally tailored lifestyle intervention for these survivors and their spouses and assessed its feasibility, acceptability, and impact on behavioral change.

Methods: Survivor-spouse couples were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 22), which received 12 health-coaching calls over 6 months, or a usual-care control group (n = 9). Assessments were conducted at baseline (T1), …

Effects Of Allocation Frequency On Cattle Performance And Forage Utilization When Swath Grazing A Sorghum-Sudangrass Hybrid In Eastern Nebraska, Thomas E. Aquino, Mary E. Drewnoski, Pedro Henrique J. Fernandes

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Summary with Implications

A sorghum-sudangrass hybrid was swath grazed by growing steers (529 ± 18 lb) from November 2023 to January 2024. Treatments were offering new forage once (1X) or twice (2X) per week to determine the effect of allocation frequency on animal performance and forage utilization. Average daily gain was not impacted by treatment (1X = 0.45 ± 0.1 lb/day, 2X = 0.45 ± 0.1 lb/day). Pre-and post-graze biomass samples were collected to estimate forage utilization, which was not different between treatments (1X = 57.1 ± 3.6%, 2X = 61.1 ± 3.6%). However, there was a difference in carrying …

Improving Student Hunger: An Exploration Of Aggravated Hunger Within Food Justice At Seattle University, Annie M. Dyer Gordon

MAGIS: Student Development Journal

This paper provides insight into the nuances and complexities of food secu- rity at a small, private, urban university. Research questions included an interest in expanding knowledge around the relationship between stigma related to food insecurity and food pantry utilization within the first year of a food pantry service on campus. Five students of the university who had all previously utilized the food pantry service on campus participated in qualitative interviews that were openly coded for themes and conducted from within a critical discourse lens. Findings in- dicated a differentiation between food insecurity and stress aggravated hunger. Ag- gravated hunger, …

Addressing Food Insecurity Beyond Food Pantries, Steffi N. Huynh

MAGIS: Student Development Journal

The issue of food insecurity is becoming more prevalent among college students. To address food insecurity at Seattle University, the Office of Multicultural Affairs at Seattle University recently opened a food pantry on campus. In order to better understand the level of food insecurity among Seattle University students, this research project will conduct a quantitative study on students who have utilized the food pantry. The literature review implied that while food pantries are an effective short-term solution, college institutions should consider financial literacy as a protective method against food insecurity. Additionally, the literature review suggested that practices which enhance students’ …

Risk Factors Which Effect The Maturity Of Placenta, Eftkar Hamza Skair, Saadya Hadi Humade, Rania Abd Elmohsen Abo El Nour, Maryam Amer Ajam

Al-Mustaqbal Journal of Pharmaceutical and Medical Sciences

Back ground Proper placental development is essential for a successful pregnancy. An important organ, the placenta carries out several physiological, immunological, and endocrine functions. It also performs vital roles in mediating the exchange of gasses, nutrients, and waste products between the fetal circulation and the physically separate mother circulation.

Aims: The purpose of the study was to evaluate how placental maturity affected the outcomes of pregnancies in Babylon City.

Setting and design: A Babylon City private clinic, a purposefully selected sample of one hundred pregnant patients who received a diagnosis at the private clinic.

Method, material: from medical records, …

Instruction Program For Patients With Cholecystectomy Regarding Nutritional Knowledge, Haider Naiser Mousa, Huda Baqir Hassan

Al-Mustaqbal Journal of Pharmaceutical and Medical Sciences

The primary objective of this study is to assess the level of patients' understanding of the educational program following cholecystectomy. Additionally, the study attempts to determine the correlation between patients' knowledge and their socio-demographic factors. A quasi-experimental design study was conducted at AL Imam Sadiq Teaching Hospital. The study employed a non-probability selection method, namely selecting 30 patients for the study group and 30 patients for the control group. The instrument consists of 14 items. The validity of the questionnaire was assessed by a panel of 11 experts. The reliability of the questionnaire was determined by calculating the Alpha Correlation …

Victim/Perpetrator, David D. Moy

Theses and Dissertations

Throughout this text, David Moy will discuss the inner working of his investigation on image overload and materialization. Through tactics of blurring, erasure, and layering he achieves obfuscation in his printed media. In doing so, he questions the compounding nature of image/text that negate themselves in the larger context of time in the digital age.

Assessing The Availability Of Adaptive Exercise For Adults With Ambulatory Disability, Erin Cullather, Lauren R. Hersh

Cooper Rowan Medical Journal

Background: Adults with an ambulatory disability are at higher risk of obesity and sequalae from obesity than aged-matched adults without disability. Research shows adults with an ambulatory disability are less likely to participate in the recommended 150 minutes of physical activity per week than non-disabledadults. Availability ofadaptive exercise could help increase physical activity participation in adults with ambulatory disability.

Objective: This observational study examines the availability of adaptive exercise programs throughout the United States and determines how it relates to the population of adults with an ambulatory disability.

Methods: Adaptive exercise sites (n=268) were identified via internet searches to form …

Current Food Trade Helps Mitigate Future Climate Change Impacts In Lower-Income Nations, Kushank Bajaj, Zia Mehrabi, Thomas O. Kastner, Jonas Jägermeyr, Christoph Müller, Florian , Schwarzmüller, Thomas Hertel, Navin Ramankutty

Department of Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

The risk of national food supply disruptions is linked to both domestic production and food imports. But assessments of climate change risks for food systems typically focus on the impacts on domestic production, ignoring climate impacts in supplying regions. Here, we use global crop modeling data in combination with current trade flows to evaluate potential climate change impacts on national food supply, comparing impacts on domestic production alone (domestic production impacts) to impacts considering how climate change impacts production in all source regions (consumption impact). Under 2°C additional global mean warming over present day, our analysis highlights that climate impacts …

Compressive Pantyhose Mitigates Muscle Fatigue In Ballet-Specific Test: A Pilot Study, Gustavo R. Mota, Jeffer Eidi Sasaki, Mirelly Rangel Rocha, Pedro Augusto Bianchi Da Fonseca, Bernardo Ide, Kazushige Goto, Donizete Oliveira, Moacir Marocolo

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 18(2): 92-106, 2025. Compression garments, utilized in sports and exercise for performance enhancement and recovery, lack sufficient well-controlled studies to overcome any potential placebo effect. Therefore, we tested whether wearing compressive pantyhose (CP) during the Ballet-specific aerobic fitness test (BAFT) would influence performance, recovery, physiological, and perceptual indicators. Additionally, this pilot study tested the feasibility of the research procedures and informed adjustments for the main study. Nine young classical ballerinas attended two sessions on different days: a) wearing CP (pressure of 20-30 mmHg) or b) wearing a placebo pantyhose ([PLA] no compression, containing an illusory …

A Discussion On The Involvement Of Somalia's Children In Armed Conflict, Matilda Nash

Plymouth Interdisciplinary Education Open Journal

This paper discusses the issue of children’s involvement in armed conflict across the historically war-torn country of Somalia. This serious breach of a child’s rights is often kept ‘under the radar’ and needs voice. Here, the immediate, short term impacts are explored in addition to the life-long consequences for a child currently involved in armed conflict and for those who have had previous experience of it. Drawing on the work of a London-based non-governmental organisation (NGO), Peace Direct, this article highlights the key challenges faced by those who attempt to tackle the problem and offers a thought-provoking, locally-led concept that …