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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences
Validation Of Two Qualitative Occupational Expose Assessment Models For Particulates And Vapors, Leshan J. Elliott
Validation Of Two Qualitative Occupational Expose Assessment Models For Particulates And Vapors, Leshan J. Elliott
All ETDs from UAB
o ensure industrial workers are not overexposed to hazardous chemicals, it is necessary to evaluate the magnitude of occupational exposures. Small and medium sized companies usually do not employ industrial hygienists or other professionals trained in occupational exposure evaluations. Thus, traditional quantitative air sampling methods are usually not feasible due to resource and budgetary limitations. Qualitative exposure assessment models have gained in popularity because they are simple, inexpensive, and less time consuming than quantitative methods. Models are available which predict exposure concentrations or categorize exposures as acceptable or unacceptable. Unfortunately, most models have not been validated or previous studies have …
The Effect Of Malaria And Intestinal Helminth Coinfection On Birth Outcomes In Ghana, Nelly J. Yatich
The Effect Of Malaria And Intestinal Helminth Coinfection On Birth Outcomes In Ghana, Nelly J. Yatich
All ETDs from UAB
Several studies have reported the relationship between malaria during pregnancy and adverse pregnancy outcomes including maternal anemia, low birthweight, as well as preterm delivery and small for gestational age infants. Some studies have also demonstrated the linkage between helminth infection and maternal anemia. Few studies have assessed the occurrence of coinfection of these infections in pregnancy and its effects on maternal anemia and birth outcomes. The objective of this dissertation was to assess the effect of malaria and intestinal helminth coinfection on birth outcomes in Ghana. A cross-sectional study of 785 women presenting for delivery in two hospitals in Kumasi, …
Partner Referral Among Patients With Sexually Transmitted Diseases In Dhaka, Bangladesh, Nazmul Alam
Partner Referral Among Patients With Sexually Transmitted Diseases In Dhaka, Bangladesh, Nazmul Alam
All ETDs from UAB
This dissertation puts together three closely related articles on partner referral for sexually transmitted diseases (STD). The first paper sought to understand feasibility and acceptability of partner referral for STD in less developed countries using a systematic literature review. The results summarized from 39 articles indicate that partner referral outcome was more common for spousal partners than for causal partners. Client's reported barriers included stigma and fear of abuse while infrastructural barriers included limited resources are important. Client centered counseling was found to be effective in increasing partner referral in Africa. The second paper aimed to determine if intention of …
Evaluation Of Pre And Post Treatment Filtration Performance Of Kinetico Macrolite® Ceramic Media Compared To Traditional Sand/Anthracite And Gac Filters In Drinking Water Treatment Process, Jeff Cochran
All ETDs from UAB
This study was conducted in conjunction with the Birmingham Water Works Board to evaluate Kinetico ceramic filter media against GAC (Granular Activated Carbon) and Sand/Anthracite filters. The Birmingham Water Works Board Water Treatment Pilot Plant was located and operated on the Shades Mountain Filter Plant (SMFP) premises. The evaluation was conducted in three phases: plant matching, plant optimization, and pre-filter testing. The initial phase called for determining the best combination of Kinetico Macrolite Ceramic media to match or outperform the existing Sand/Anthracite dual media filters located at SMFP. At the end of the testing it was determined that 18 inches …
Diagnosing Antiretroviral Treatment Failure In Resource-Limited Settings, Ronald Alexander Cantrell
Diagnosing Antiretroviral Treatment Failure In Resource-Limited Settings, Ronald Alexander Cantrell
All ETDs from UAB
This dissertation had three central goals. The first was to review the existing literature for reports of virologic failure among adults initiating non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor-based antiretroviral therapy in resource-limited settings. The second was to describe the epidemiology of virologic failure over the first 6 months of therapy in Lusaka, Zambia. The third was to examine the performance of different approaches for diagnosing virologic failure. We performed a meta-analysis using data from previously published reports to create summary estimates for the prevalence of virologic failure and found that the lowest estimate of the 95% confidence interval was 10% or higher …
The Relationship Of Medical Homeness To The Quality Of Life Of Mothers Of Children With And Without Special Health Care Needs, Cynthia G. Cortes
The Relationship Of Medical Homeness To The Quality Of Life Of Mothers Of Children With And Without Special Health Care Needs, Cynthia G. Cortes
All ETDs from UAB
A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the relationship of child, family, and medical home status to quality of life for mothers of children with and without special health care needs. Mothers of children with (n=100) and without (n=80) special health care needs, completed a questionnaire at a children’s hospital in the southeastern United States focusing on the child, family, and medical home and maternal quality of life. Standardized instruments were used to measure quality of life (SF-36) and social support (Social Support Questionnaire). Non-standardized instruments used in other research were incorporated into the maternal questionnaire. Logistic and linear regression …
Enzymatic And Proteomic Analysis Of Spinal Cord In A G93a Als Mouse Model, Page Jones
Enzymatic And Proteomic Analysis Of Spinal Cord In A G93a Als Mouse Model, Page Jones
All ETDs from UAB
Mutations to copper,zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu,Zn SOD or SOD1) are the only known causes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a neurodegenerative disorder characterized primarily by death of spinal motor neurons. While the molecular mechanisms responsible for motor neuron death in this disease remain to be elucidated, recent studies implicate mitochondrial dysfunction as a key factor in the pathogenesis of ALS. In support of this, we observed ALS-dependent alterations in key functions including creatine kinase activity and ATP levels, which could be linked to changes in the mitochondrial proteome. Importantly, extensive research efforts have failed to develop a treatment that significantly …
Interim Monitoring Efficacy, Safety And Futility In Phase Iii Clinical Trials, Qing Li
Interim Monitoring Efficacy, Safety And Futility In Phase Iii Clinical Trials, Qing Li
All ETDs from UAB
Phase III trials often have both efficacy and safety outcomes. Sometimes the safety outcomes are closely associated with the efficacy outcomes. We sought to find a statistical method to treat both efficacy and safety outcomes as bivariate primary outcomes and set up stopping rules at interim stages based on the following criteria: (1) greater safety; (2) greater efficacy; (3) futility. We first examined the internal pilot design to adjust sample size for clinical trials with a bivariate response (efficacy and safety). Three nuisance parameters (two variances and correlation) need to be considered when doing sample size recalculation for the internal …
Wavelet-Based Regression And Classification For Longitudinal Diffusion Tensor Imaging Data, William R. Prucka
Wavelet-Based Regression And Classification For Longitudinal Diffusion Tensor Imaging Data, William R. Prucka
All ETDs from UAB
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique capable of in vivo characterization of the spatial and angular dependence of free water diffusion in tissue. By studying intra- and extra-cellular water mobility, inference can be made about the surrounding medium. The non-uniform angular dependence of diffusion, known as anisotropy, is evident in fibrous tissues, which exhibit greater diffusion parallel versus perpendicular to the fiber orientation. DTI’s sensitivity to anisotropy makes it an effective tool for measuring the integrity of fibrous myelinated white matter tracts in the brain. For demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), DTI has …
Gender Difference In Traumatic Brain Injury Outcomes: Survival, Functional Independence, And Employment Status, Andrea T. Underhill
Gender Difference In Traumatic Brain Injury Outcomes: Survival, Functional Independence, And Employment Status, Andrea T. Underhill
All ETDs from UAB
Medical and rehabilitative care of women living with traumatic brain injury (TBI) is based on information drawn from research conducted primarily on men. Care for men may be adequate for women, but all of the body’s organs have the capability to respond differently based on gender, and research should examine the genders separately. This dissertation examines the survival to 24 months post-TBI and the functional independence and employment status at 12 and 24 months post-TBI of men and women. Participants were drawn from a longitudinal study of injured persons and include those diagnosed only with a TBI. Variables used in …
Air Pollution And Preterm Births In Atlanta, Georgia, Corey Masuca
Air Pollution And Preterm Births In Atlanta, Georgia, Corey Masuca
All ETDs from UAB
Exposure to ambient outdoor air pollution exposure is one of the many extraneous factors associated with preterm births. Many epidemiological studies involving preterm births and ambient air pollution have repeatedly indicated positive associations. However, for many such studies, results may be statistically significant but weakly associated or inconclusive. Such results may be primarily attributable to the fact that most studies include only single or multiple criteria air pollutants but not the total air pollution mixture of criteria air pollutants and air toxic pollutants (e.g., PAHs) to which people are actually exposed. This study assessed associations between pollutant classes, including criteria …
Randomized Controlled Trial Of Low Cost Interventions To Reduce Childhood Immunization Dropouts In Pakistan, Hussain Raza Usman
Randomized Controlled Trial Of Low Cost Interventions To Reduce Childhood Immunization Dropouts In Pakistan, Hussain Raza Usman
All ETDs from UAB
Childhood immunization coverage in Pakistan remains sub-optimal despite universal and free of cost availability of vaccines. Structural impediments to progress may include the immunization card that is hard to read and interpret. A randomized controlled trial was conducted to assess the effect of redesigned immunization card and center-based education to mothers on immunization completion at rural immunization centers in Karachi, Pakistan. Other objectives were to identify the predictors of immunization completion and to identify factors associated with delay at first dose of diphtheria-tetanuspertussis (DTP1). Mother-child units were enrolled from six immunization centers at DTP1 and randomized to four study groups: …