Digital Commons Network^™

The Association Of Social Determinants Of Health And Type Ii Diabetes Self-Management Among Persons Living With Physical Disability (Mobility & Visual Impairments), Anita Aboagye

All ETDs from UAB

Type II Diabetes (T2D) management yield positive outcomes in glycemic control, lifestyle behaviors, knowledge enhancement, and self-care. Persons with disability (PWDs) - regardless of disability type - are faced with additional challenges in diabetes self- management. Moreover, PWDs exhibit adverse outcomes across various measures of social determinants of health (SDOH) compared to individuals without disabilities. This dissertation explored four research aims to examine the impact of adverse SDOH experiences on T2D self- management among persons with physical disability utilizing a preprint/reprint format - with each aim leading to a manuscript. Secondary data analysis using the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance …

Food Insecurity Among Graduate Students At The University Of Alabama At Birmingham, Amy Elizabeth Callahan

All ETDs from UAB

College food insecurity (FI) has grown steadily as a field of research over the past fifteen years. Existing research primarily has demonstrated that FI is a persistent problem with various risk factors and myriad potential impacts on students, though graduate students are largely understudied in favor of undergraduate and aggregated student populations. Given the unique circumstances graduate students face, as well as expected demographic differences such as age and household characteristics, this is a serious gap in the literature. This dissertation aims to investigate graduate student food insecurity in the United States, and particularly at the University of Alabama at …

Analysis Of Gas Station Drugs Using Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry And Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Megan Joos

All ETDs from UAB

Gas stations and head shops are a seemingly safe and legal marketplace for drug purchase. However, although marketed as dietary supplements or cognitive enhancers, the products sold there have been known to contain psychoactive substances which may be mislabeled or actually contain regulated substances. This study investigates the composition of such products, specifically those labeled as kratom and non-kratom Mitragyna species using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and those labeled as phenibut using GC-MS and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Samples were acquired from retailers in the Birmingham, AL area. The products underwent both qualitative and quantitative analysis of their ingredients …

An In-Depth Review Of Food Insecurity In College Students Enrolled In Alabama Historically Black Colleges And Universities, Janice Dansby Washington

All ETDs from UAB

Food insecurity is a common issue in the United States (US), and special attention has been given to college students. There is empirical evidence of high food insecurity among African American students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) (Duke et al., 2023; Dahl et al., 2022; Goldrick-Rab et al., 2018). The current research explores the food-insecure conditions of college students at HBCUs in Alabama, appealing for more studies highlighting the role of all stakeholders in combating this issue. The research questions posed in this study are significant, as they are expected to yield vital information regarding the experiences and …

Chronic Pain And Resilience: Associations And Interactions With Diet, Asia Wiggins

All ETDs from UAB

Chronic pain is a significant issue globally, affecting millions of people. One relatively new way mechanism to reduce pain is to promote resilience. Yet, the effect of resilience on chronic pain may differ by sociodemographic factors (like racialized group). Furthermore, access to therapies that promote resilience may be limited across populations. However, the utilization of diet interventions for chronic pain symptoms has also been well-examined. In addition, research has shown that diets can be related to psychological resilience. Therefore, beneficial diets could potentially be utilized as a catalyst to, not only promote resilience, but also reduce pain (in combination with …

Provider Perspectives On Produce Prescription Programs In A Rural Community, Heather Ward Dnp,Fnp-Bc, Sarah Giaquinta Md, Mph, Susan Storey Phd, Rn, Aocns

Nursing Publications, Posters, & Presentations

This poster was presented at the 2025 Nursing Research Symposium.

Purpose:

• To evaluate healthcare provider perspectives on PPPs in a rural community
• To identify barriers and facilitators to implementing a PPP
• To lay the groundwork for the successful implementation of a PPP in the Count

Use Of Machine Learning Models To Predict Microaspiration Measured By Tracheal Pepsin A., Annette Bourgault, Ilana Logvinov, Chang Liu, Rui Xie, Jan Powers Phd, Rn, Ccrn, Mary Lou Sole

Nursing Publications, Posters, & Presentations

BACKGROUND: Enteral feeding intolerance, a common type of gastrointestinal dysfunction leading to underfeeding, is associated with increased mortality. Tracheal pepsin A, an indicator of microaspiration, was found in 39% of patients within 24 hours of enteral feeding. Tracheal pepsin A is a potential biomarker of enteral feeding intolerance.

OBJECTIVE: To identify predictors of microaspiration (tracheal or oral pepsin A). It was hypothesized that variables predicting the presence of tracheal pepsin A might be similar to predictors of enteral feeding intolerance.

METHODS: In this secondary analysis, machine learning models were fit for 283 adults receiving mechanical ventilation who had tracheal and …

Where Do New Englanders Buy Local Farm Food And How Often?, Cindy (Luyue) Zheng, Olivia Burton, Hannah Stokes-Ramos, Jessica Carson, Isaac Sohn Leslie, Analena B. Bruce

Faculty Publications

We conducted a population-based survey of food shopping attitudes and habits to inform decision-making about ways to expand market access for New England’s food producers; these findings can be generalized to the adult population of New England. Our research shows that more than half of New Englanders say farm stores or stands, farmers’ markets and retail stores are easily available to them, but they only shop occasionally at these places, indicating other barriers may limit participation. To understand potential barriers, we conducted 35 interviews with New Hampshire adult residents between June and November of 2023, capturing a diverse range of …

What Do New Englanders Prioritize When Purchasing Food?, Cindy (Luyue) Zheng, Olivia Burton, Hannah Stokes-Ramos, Jessica Carson, Isaac S. Leslie, Analena B. Bruce

Faculty Publications

We conducted a population-based survey of food shopping attitudes and habits to inform efforts to expand market access for New England farms. Our findings can be generalized to the adult population of New England. This research brief shares insights from our survey question asking respondents to indicate how important a series of food attributes are to their everyday food purchasing decisions (response options included “not important”, “neutral”, or “important”). Our findings show that over 70% of New Englanders say food that they like, is "tasty," "high quality" and "healthy" are important to them. The majority (78%) of New Englanders say …

Develop A Cross-Platform Toolset For In Situ Deep-Sea Coral Propagation, Joe Bevilacqua

Open Access Master's Theses

Mesophotic and deep-sea gorgonian octocorals in the Gulf of Mexico were significantly damaged following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, prompting a major federal investment in developing restoration techniques for these fragile, slow-growing communities. Asexual, in-situ coral propagation offers a biologically viable path for restoration at depth. However, current ROV systems are not optimized for the delicate, fine-scale interactions required to perform this process reliably. The objective of this research was to design, prototype, and evaluate a ROV-mountable toolset capable of preparing octocoral fragments for potting in epoxy substrate, with the additional goal of integrating the toolset into URI’s Coral Carousel …

Adverse Childhood Experiences, Somatic Symptoms, And Athletic Injury Among Collegiate Student-Athletes, Samuel Aswegan

Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Probiotic Supplementation In Ruminants: A Sustainable Alternative For Enhancing Health, Milk Production, And Rumen Function, Jovahna Williams

Research Papers

This paper examines the effects of probiotic supplementation on ruminant animals, with emphasis on several key areas including ruminant animal health, milk production, rumen microbial profile, microbial protein synthesis and diversity, and patterns of rumen fermentation. As global interest in economically and biologically sustainable alternatives to antibiotics continues to grow, probiotics have emerged as promising candidates for improving livestock productivity while promoting animal and consumer welfare.

The primary objectives of this paper are to evaluate the specific effects and benefits of different probiotic strains in ruminants, to assess their potential as replacements for traditional growth-promoting substances such as fermentation enhancers …

Molecular Interactions Between The Shellfish Pathogen Vibrio Coralliilyticus Re22 And The Probiont Phaeobacter Inhibens S4sm, Jessica Coppersmith

Open Access Dissertations

Oyster larvae aquaculture is an important industry, both economically and environmentally, helping to create sustainable food systems by supplying seed oysters to farms, and also to restoration projects aimed at building coastal resilience and improving water quality by rejuvenating wild populations. However, oyster larvae are highly susceptible to rapid mortality events, crashes, which can seriously impact the industry. One source of these crashes in hatchery systems is vibriosis, caused by pathogenic species of Vibrio bacteria that are ubiquitous in temperate coastal waters, and with rising surface water temperatures their prevalence and virulence are increasing. To prevent these larval crashes from …

Impact Of Pre-Transplant Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Use On Post-Transplant Outcomes In Hcc: A Systematic Review And Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis, Mohammad Saeid Rezaee-Zavareh, Yee Hui Yeo, Tielong Wang, Zhiyong Guo, Parissa Tabrizian, Stephen C Ward, Fatma Barakat, Tarek I Hassanein, Shravan Dave, Veeral Ajmera, Sherrie Bhoori, Vincenzo Mazzaferro, David M H Chascsa, Margaret C Liu, Elizabeth S Aby, John R Lake, Miguel Sogbe, Bruno Sangro, Maen Abdelrahim, Abdullah Esmail, Andreas Schmiderer, Yasmina Chouik, Mark Rudolph, Davendra Sohal, Heloise Giudicelli, Manon Allaire, Mehmet Akce, Jessica Guadagno, Clara Y Tow, Hatef Massoumi, Paolo De Simone, Elise Kang, Robyn D Gartrell, Mercedes Martinez, Ricardo Paz-Fumagalli, Beau B Toskich, Nguyen H Tran, Gabriela Azevedo Solino, Dra Mariana Poltronieri Pacheco, Richard S Kalman, Vatche G Agopian, Neil Mehta, Neehar D Parikh, Amit G Singal, Ju Dong Yang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background & aims: Treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prior to liver transplantation (LT) has been reported; however, ICIs may elevate the risk of allograft rejection and impact other clinical outcomes. This study aims to summarize the impact of ICI use on post-LT outcomes.

Methods: In this individual patient data meta-analysis, we searched databases to identify HCC cases treated with ICIs before LT, detailing allograft rejection, HCC recurrence, and overall survival. We performed Cox regression analysis to identify risk factors for allograft rejection.

Results: Among 91 eligible patients, with a median (IQR) follow-up of 690.0 (654.5) …

Navigating The Nexus Of Food Insecurity, Anxiety, And Depression In The Face Of Climate Change: A Longitudinal Study In Rural Kenya, Michael Goodman, Lauren Raimer-Goodman, Heidi M Hagen Mcpherson, Dawit Woldu, Shreela Sharma, Ryan Ramphul, Fridah Mukiri, Agnes Maigallo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: This study aims to address critical gaps in understanding the bidirectional relationships between food insecurity, anxiety, and depression in Meru County, Kenya. By employing a cross-lagged panel analysis, we seek to clarify these temporal dynamics, contributing to the design of targeted interventions that integrate food security and mental health in the context of climate change.

Methods: A cross-lagged panel analysis was conducted using data from 362 adult participants in a community-based empowerment program (2023) in Meru County, Kenya. Participants completed self-report measures of food insecurity, anxiety, and depression at two time points, 11 weeks apart.

Results: Food insecurity (T1) …

Prediction Of Preterm Birth Among Infants With Orofacial Cleft Defects, Katherine L Ludorf, Renata H Benjamin, Mark A Canfield, Michael D Swartz, A J Agopian

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: To develop risk prediction models for preterm birth among infants with orofacial clefts.

Design: Data from the Texas Birth Defects Registry for infants with orofacial clefts born between 1999-2014 were used to develop preterm birth predictive models. Logistic regression was used to consider maternal and infant characteristics, and internal validation of the final model was performed using bootstrapping methods. The area under the curve (AUC) statistic was generated to assess model performance, and separate predictive models were built and validated for infants with cleft lip and cleft palate alone. Several secondary analyses were conducted among subgroups of interest.

Setting: …

Perspectives On Smoking Cessation In The Oncology Environment: Insights From Brazilian Patients And Healthcare Providers, Raquel Descie Veraldi Leite, Ricardo Ribeiro Gama, Fabiana De Lima Vazquez, Gabriela Beltrami Massarão, Raiany Carvalho, Renan De Jesus Teixeira, Vinicius De Lima Vazquez, Irene Tami-Maury

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify barriers and facilitators to smoking cessation among Brazilian cancer patients, considering the perspectives of both patients and healthcare professionals at a leading oncology center in the country.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, collecting smoking-related data from two groups: cancer patients and healthcare professionals at the Barretos Cancer Hospital (BCH) between 2019 and 2021. The questionnaire for healthcare professionals was adapted from the 2012 International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer and the Global Adult Tobacco Survey. For the cancer patient group, sociodemographic and clinical data were collected, along with …

Hit Me, Baby, One More Time: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of The Celebrity Gossip Magazine Shaming Of Britney Spears, Anna Drabik

Comm-entary

Britney Spears is an American pop star who rose to fame in the late 1990s at the age of 17 with her music, performances, and fashion. Spears was a prominent figure.

in celebrity gossip magazines, a genre which grew to prominence alongside and, in many ways, because of Spears. The distinct aesthetic and style of celebrity gossip magazines involved stories, blurbs, and images which wielded praise and shame—directly and indirectly—as tools to enforce norms and expectations for both female celebrities and female readers. Through a critical discourse analysis of 378 People and Us articles throughout the first ten years of …

Egalitarianism Is Not Equality: Moving From Outcome To Process In The Study Of Human Political Organisation, Duncan Stibbard-Hawkes, Christopher Von Rueden

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

Many traditional subsistence groups have been described as ‘egalitarian societies’. Definitions of ‘egalitarianism’, especially beyond anthropology, have often emphasised equality in resource access, prestige or rank, alongside generalised preferences for fairness and equality. However, there are no human societies where equality is genuinely realised in all areas of life. Here we demonstrate, empirically, that nominally egalitarian societies are often unequal across seven important interconnected domains: embodied capital, social capital, leadership, gender, age/knowledge, material capital/land tenure, and reproduction. We also highlight evidence that individuals in nominally egalitarian societies do not unfailingly adhere to strong equality preferences. We propose a new operational …

Diversity In United States Dementia Prevention Trials: An Updated Systematic Review Of Eligibility Criteria And Recruitment Strategies, Najoua Lazaar, Sabine E Van Beek, Awaale F Rirash, Janne M Papma, Jaime Perales-Puchalt, Ashley R Shaw, Eric D Vidoni, Sanne Franzen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Given the elevated dementia risk in underrepresented demographic groups in the USA - particularly in Latino and Non-Latino Black individuals compared to Non-Latino White individuals - it is vital that these groups are well-represented in dementia prevention research. Eligibility criteria and recruitment strategies may play a key role in promoting participant diversity. The aim of this review was to examine eligibility criteria and recruitment strategies in US dementia prevention trials in light of participant diversity.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted using Medline (including PubMed), Embase, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL. We explored the percent White participants for trials using …

Assessing The “Plateaus” Vertical Development Model With A New Likert Scale Instrument, Mark Divine

Theses and Dissertations

This research project will focus on the assessment of the Five Plateaus (Plateaus) vertical leadership development model with a newly constructed Likert Scale instrument. Part one of the research project was a pilot study to create a simple, internet-based instrument. The scale, comprised of 100 questions and completed in 30 minutes, assesses participants' self- perceived stage of development as presented in the Plateaus vertical development model. The instrument was designed to capture the experience of participants and to overcome limitations of existing assessments by mitigating the subjectivity of sentence completion instruments, as well as to enhance efficiency and reliability. The …

Best Practices In Leadership In Probation, Ronamae Panganiban

Theses and Dissertations

Research indicates that leadership in law enforcement is a continuous learning process (Birzer et al., 2016; Davies & Heysmand, 2021; Niles et al., 2024; Roberts et al., 2016). Due to the complex structure and changing environment, leadership responsibilities fall upon multiple individuals in a chain of command (C. Davis, 2020; G. W. Garner, 2016; Sienkiewicz-Malyjurek, 2016). The research study aimed to identify best practices for leadership in law enforcement that leaders employ that make them successful. It used a phenomenological qualitative design and purposive sampling method to obtain a sample size of 15 participants. The study utilized a semi structured …

L-Theanine Modulates Stress Physiology And Immunology In Nile Tilapia, Sammie Miller, Lindee Mason, Shah Sumaiya Khaled, Elena Deng, Ahmed Mustafa

Mansoura Veterinary Medical Journal

Background: Fish are a prominent food source within the growing aquaculture industry, particularly within recirculating aquaculture systems, to alleviate global hunger demands. Diminishing detrimental stress conditions such as overcrowding prevalence and chemical toxins remain a primary goal. Nutraceuticals, particularly L-theanine, pose a natural alternative solution to alleviate these conditions. The amino acid L-theanine was scrutinized as a potential nutraceutical additive within commercial feed within the diet of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, subjected to stress and unstressed in-vivo conditions.

Methods: To accomplish this, both 0.004% of body weight of L-theanine and 0.01% of body weight of hydrocortisone were implemented into feed …

Molecular Characterization Of Leptin Gene In Sheep (Ovis Aries), Shahenda M. Hegazy, Mohamed Fouda, Ahmed Ateya, Huda A. El Emam

Mansoura Veterinary Medical Journal

INTRODUCTION: Advances in molecular genetic techniques have simplified the process of identifying individual differences at the DNA level. Genetic polymorphisms at candidate genes controlling economic features have recently drawn a lot of scholarly attention due to their potential as a tool for genetic selection and the identification of evolutionary linkages in livestock. OBJECTIVE: This work aimed to detect nucleotide sequence variants in Lep gene as genetic markers for growth and heat tolerance traits in Barki and Abudeleik sheep using PCR-DNA sequencing approach in search of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). METHODS: 30 female ewes, 15 of each breed (Barki and Aboudeleik) …

Artificial Intelligence And Its Use By Students In A Professional Program, Shirley P. O'Brien, Sara Brito, Steven Shisley

Pedagogicon Conference Proceedings

Artificial intelligence emerged as a blessing and a curse in higher education. An overview of the topic and how the presenters implemented and incorporated the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning into an assignment is highlighted. Student voice adds to the perspective enhancing engagement and learning, preparing students for future employment.

Post-Incarceration Drug Relapse Prevention In Penobscot County, Maine, Carolina Villalobos

Selected Social Change Portfolios in Prevention, Intervention, and Consultation

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Nutritional Status On Patient Outcomes In The Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Whitt Harrelson, Brant Wagener, Andrew Barker

UAB Huntsville Research Day - All Presentations

2025 research poster

Tracheoesophageal Fistula Revision And Barriers To Care In Infant Asylee, Tina Huang, John Laue, Zaria Murrell

UAB Huntsville Research Day - All Presentations

No abstract provided.

One Million Platelets With An Interesting Twist, Hinal Rathi, Alina Sehar, Parekha Yedla, Farrah Ibrahim

UAB Huntsville Research Day - All Presentations

No abstract provided.

A Comprehensive Review On Nutritional Composition, Health Benefits, And Industrial Applications Of Jackfruit Seeds, Simran Dhani, Hamid, Nomali Ziphorah Ngobese, Sunny Sharma, Amit K. Jaiswal

Articles

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.) is one of the undervalued fruits that is rich in many nutrients not only in the edible parts but also in generated waste such as the seed and peel. Seeds of jackfruit are usually considered as waste (15 %) but are rich in protein, starch as well as various bioactive compounds. Among the bioactive components, phenolics like catechin, ferulic acid, epicatechin, rutin, and gallic acid, are a few which possess many health-promoting properties. These bioactive compounds hold high antioxidant capacity and various pharmacological properties which lower the risk of various diseases by reducing free radical generation. …