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Articles 301 - 330 of 2525
Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences
Factors Influencing Balance And Muscle Tone In Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Mansour M. Alotaibi
Factors Influencing Balance And Muscle Tone In Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Mansour M. Alotaibi
All ETDs from UAB
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition prevalent in children globally and continues to persist into adulthood. Executive function (EF) impairments are core ADHD deficits, specifically response inhibition, and believed to drive ADHD symptoms. Psychostimulant medications (PS) is the first line treatment to manage ADHD symptoms. Overall, individuals with ADHD are at greater risk of falls and physical injuries compared to healthy individuals. Perhaps adults with ADHD balance impairments are secondary to ankle plantarflexor (PF) spasticity. Using psychostimulant medications (PS) improves PF spasticity and postural control in children with ADHD, but the effects on adults with ADHD are unclear. Furthermore, …
Photothermal Desorption Of Volatile Organic Compounds From Buckypaper Sorbents, For Occupational Exposure Assessment, Jacob S. Shedd
Photothermal Desorption Of Volatile Organic Compounds From Buckypaper Sorbents, For Occupational Exposure Assessment, Jacob S. Shedd
All ETDs from UAB
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a common source of occupational exposures. To prevent adverse health effects in employees, industrial hygienists must regularly conduct occupational air sampling to ensure exposures remain below regulatory limits. As such, the need for sensitive and reliable exposure assessment methodologies becomes apparent. Currently, diffusive sampling is popular and well-established exposure assessment method amongst professionals. However, its reliance on diffusion-driven mass uptake and chemical extraction, results in limited analytical sensitivity. In response to this, a pre-analytical technology, known as photothermal desorption (PTD), has been in development over the past decade. PTD uses pulses of high-energy light to …
Molecular Mechanism And Impact Of Sox2 Regulation By The Transforming Growth Factor-Ss Members In Ovarian Cancer Survival And Metastasis, Zainab Shonibare
Molecular Mechanism And Impact Of Sox2 Regulation By The Transforming Growth Factor-Ss Members In Ovarian Cancer Survival And Metastasis, Zainab Shonibare
All ETDs from UAB
Ovarian cancer is the second most common and deadliest cancer of the female reproductive system affecting women in the United States and worldwide. The poor survival outcome seen in ovarian cancer is attributed to the subtleness of its early-stage symptoms, resulting in a majority of patients at initial diagnosis presenting with an advanced-stage disease with metastasis to other parts of the body. Hence, there is an urgent need to better understand the molecular etiology of metastasis to help develop effective therapeutic options and improve clinical outcomes in ovarian cancer patients. Ovarian cancer, an intra-abdominal cancer, most preferably undergoes metastasis via …
The Role Of Nitric Oxide And Cyclic Guanosine Monophosphate Signaling In Arteriovenous Fistula Maturation, Maheshika S. Somarathna
The Role Of Nitric Oxide And Cyclic Guanosine Monophosphate Signaling In Arteriovenous Fistula Maturation, Maheshika S. Somarathna
All ETDs from UAB
Vascular access is the single most important component of the hemodialysis procedure and the arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is the most preferred type. However, 60% of AVFs created fail to mature successfully for dialysis use (AVF maturation failure). AVF maturation failure is primarily the result of 1) intimal hyperplasia formation (IH) and 2) poor vascular outward remodeling. Currently, a major unmet clinical need in the field is the lack of effective therapies to treat/prevent AVF maturation failure due to the poor understanding of molecular mechanisms. This proposal is designed to: 1) elucidate the pathologic significance of nitric oxide (NO) and cyclic …
Filtration And Adsorption Performance Of Activated Carbon Fiber: Applications For Respiratory Protection, Margaret C. Summers
Filtration And Adsorption Performance Of Activated Carbon Fiber: Applications For Respiratory Protection, Margaret C. Summers
All ETDs from UAB
Activated Carbon Fiber (ACF) is an adsorbent material that can be used to re-move volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the air. Unlike granular adsorbents that are currently used in organic vapor respirators, ACF is a self-supporting fiber structure that can be tailored into non-woven forms and can potentially be used to support particu-late filtration. While ACF-containing respirators first appear in patent literature in the 1980s, the use of ACF in respiratory protection has not been widely considered in the PPE market in the intervening years. To develop the concept of an ACF-containing N95 that offers particulate filtration in addition to …
Life-Space Mobility In The Older Adult, Community-Dwelling Cancer Survivor In The Deep South: A Secondary Data Analysis, Richard A. Taylor
Life-Space Mobility In The Older Adult, Community-Dwelling Cancer Survivor In The Deep South: A Secondary Data Analysis, Richard A. Taylor
All ETDs from UAB
By 2040, the U.S. is projected to have 26.1 million cancer survivors; 73% of these will be over 65 years old. Much is known about life-space mobility (LSM) in patients with non-cancer serious illnesses. Restricted LSM affects every aspect of an older adult’s life; their independence, autonomy, and quality of life (QOL). To date, there are no studies examining LSM in older cancer survivors. Therefore, we examined LSM, factors that affect LSM, and the relationship between LSM and QOL in older cancer survivors using existing data from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Study of Aging (SOA) (NIA AG15062). …
Characterization Of The Phenotype And Functional Properties Of Myeloid Subpopulations In Chronic Inflammatory Conditions, Krystle Leandra Ong
Characterization Of The Phenotype And Functional Properties Of Myeloid Subpopulations In Chronic Inflammatory Conditions, Krystle Leandra Ong
All ETDs from UAB
Myeloid cells represent a subset of leukocytes traditionally recognized as first responders to acute inflammatory stimuli. In recent years, there has been a growing appreciation of the role of myeloid cells as critical regulators of the immune system in disease pathogenesis and progression. Chronic inflammatory diseases including viral infections, autoimmune diseases, and malignancies are frequently associated with altered myelopoiesis characterized by a profound shift in the myeloid cell phenotype and function. The work presented in this dissertation provides an insight into dysregulated myelopoiesis and myeloid heterogeneity in multiple myeloma (MM), human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1), and coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). We identify …
Alzheimer Disease Special Care Units And Nursing Homes' Organizational Performance, Giovanna Pilonieta Ortiz
Alzheimer Disease Special Care Units And Nursing Homes' Organizational Performance, Giovanna Pilonieta Ortiz
All ETDs from UAB
Alzheimer’s disease special care units (AD SCUs) have been adopted to provide specialized care for people with dementia in nursing homes. However, the effects of environmental and organizational factors on AD SCUs adoption by nursing homes and their influence on nursing homes' organizational performance remains unclear. Guided by Resource Dependence Theory, Donabedian’s Structure-Process-Outcome (SPO) framework and the Resource-Based View of Firms perspective, the purpose of the three papers included in this dissertation was to provide empirical evidence of the contextual and organizational factors that influence AD SCUs adoption among nursing homes and how the adoption of AD SCUs impact nursing …
The Influence Of Sleep Duration And Sleep Efficiency On Abdominal Adiposity And Blood Pressure In Adolescents Ages 16 To 18 Who Participated In The Cleveland Children's Sleep And Health Study: A Secondary Data Analysis, Shameka Rodgers Phillips
The Influence Of Sleep Duration And Sleep Efficiency On Abdominal Adiposity And Blood Pressure In Adolescents Ages 16 To 18 Who Participated In The Cleveland Children's Sleep And Health Study: A Secondary Data Analysis, Shameka Rodgers Phillips
All ETDs from UAB
Introduction: Abdominal adiposity and blood pressure (BP) are two major modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of death in the world. The impact of abdominal adiposity and BP on health, particularly CVD, begins in childhood. Older adolescents tend to have the highest prevalence of abdominal adiposity and BP in the pediatric population. Despite interventions like diet and exercise, the prevalence of excess abdominal adiposity and elevated BP continues to increase during late adolescence. Evidence suggests that sleep duration and sleep efficiency impact abdominal adiposity and BP in adults and the pediatric population, but limited studies have …
Applying Pet Imaging To Cancer Immunotherapy To Improve Clinical Outcomes, Kirsten M. Reeves
Applying Pet Imaging To Cancer Immunotherapy To Improve Clinical Outcomes, Kirsten M. Reeves
All ETDs from UAB
The use of biomarkers has significantly enhanced patient outcome by improving diagnosis, personalizing therapy, and monitoring therapeutic response yet most cancers remain non-responsive. Thus, there is a need to better understand the underlying biological mechanisms and tumor microenvironment to enhance therapeutic efficacy. Molecular imaging, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and positron emission tomography (PET) are used to assess response during oncology therapy. Molecular imaging can also provide a noninvasive approach to accurately quantify biomarkers correlated with the tumor microenvironment, including glucose metabolism and hypoxia. 18F-Fluoromisonidazole (18F-FMISO) hypoxia targeted cellular uptake has been shown to correlate with negative …
Non-Mean Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring Parameters And Left Ventricular Hypertrophy: Analysis Of Pooled Population- And Community-Based Studies, Swati Sakhuja
All ETDs from UAB
High mean blood pressure (BP) on ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) is a strong risk factor for left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), an early manifestation of hypertension-related cardiovascular disease (CVD). Typically, 48-72 systolic and diastolic BP (SBP and DBP) readings are obtained on a 24-hour ABPM recording. The large number of readings from ABPM allows for the estimation of parameters beyond mean BP that capture level and fluctuation in BP over 24-hours, which may be useful for identifying individuals at high risk for CVD. The measures of BP level other than mean BP obtained from ABPM recording include BP load (percentage of …
The Identification And Phenotypic Characterization Of Circulating Flagellin Antigen-Specific Cd4+ T Cells In Crohn's Disease Patients, Nadine N. Morgan
The Identification And Phenotypic Characterization Of Circulating Flagellin Antigen-Specific Cd4+ T Cells In Crohn's Disease Patients, Nadine N. Morgan
All ETDs from UAB
The incidence of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) is increasing worldwide. Crohn’s disease (CD) and Ulcerative colitis (UC), the two main subtypes of IBD, are chronic intestinal conditions driven by CD4+ T-cell inflammatory responses to commensal antigen. Both conditions are incurable, and medical treatments involve drugs that require long-term usage but have limited efficacy and significant side effects. To develop therapies targeting the antigen-reactive T cells involved in sustaining these conditions, we must first gain knowledge concerning the microbial antigen-reactive T cell phenotypes and functionality in health and disease. To investigate the phenotypic and functional characteristics of the flagellin-reactive T cell …
Disease And Diet-Induced Disruption Of Effector T Cell Homeostasis, Patrick Axel Molina
Disease And Diet-Induced Disruption Of Effector T Cell Homeostasis, Patrick Axel Molina
All ETDs from UAB
Homeostatic departure is a central feature across all diseases and disease processes. Currently, the average individual in the US consumes an inordinate quantity of salt. However, it is unclear if only individuals that have proven blood pressure elevation with an acute load of salt should be wary. Here we demonstrate, alongside a growing body of science, that the canonical definition of salt-sensitivity is insufficient. We show that salt-resistant mice demonstrate salt-sensitivity in non-blood pressure focused phenomena, such as the acute activation of CD4+ T cells to mobilize and induce a defective effector cytokine program with high salt. We demonstrate that …
The Roles Of Repressive And Activating Epigenetic Factors In Vertebrates Neural And Neural Crest Development, Saeid Mohammad Parast
The Roles Of Repressive And Activating Epigenetic Factors In Vertebrates Neural And Neural Crest Development, Saeid Mohammad Parast
All ETDs from UAB
The vertebrate nervous system comes from specific regions of the ectoderm that comprises of the neural plate and the neural crest. Although genetic mechanisms governing vertebrate neural development have been investigated in depth, there is a knowledge gap regarding the roles of epigenetic mechanisms in this process. As epigenetic modulators, the COMPASS (also known as SET1/MLL complex) and HP1 proteins are responsible for regulating chromatin accessibility to transcription factors. COMPASS is responsible for deposition of activating histone H3K4 methylation marks at promoters and enhancers and thus creates open chromatin domains. The critical structural and regulatory subunits of COMPASS, Dpy30 and …
Regulation Of Stromal Cells Through Inflammatory Signalling, Victoria Matkins
Regulation Of Stromal Cells Through Inflammatory Signalling, Victoria Matkins
All ETDs from UAB
The bone marrow is a complex organization of hematopoietic and nonhematopoietic cells that form niches to maintain systemic homeostasis during stress and disease. Stromal cells are non-hematopoietic cells first proposed in 1978 in the bone marrow to be essential for hematopoietic stem cells (HSC). Since then, mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) have been shown to be critical for the HSC self-renewal, retention, and differentiation through chemokines, cytokines, and adhesion molecules. However, like HSCs, MSCs are multipotent progenitors that differentiate into osteoblasts, adipocytes, and chondrocytes to from tissues of the skeletal, endocrine, and connective systems. These multipotent progenitors are tightly regulated in …
Power And Sample Size Calculations For Linear Mixed Models Of Longitudinal Data Using The Kenward-Roger Adjusted Wald Test, Tarrant Oliver Mcpherson
Power And Sample Size Calculations For Linear Mixed Models Of Longitudinal Data Using The Kenward-Roger Adjusted Wald Test, Tarrant Oliver Mcpherson
All ETDs from UAB
The linear mixed model has become a popular technique for the analysis of longitudinal data, but Wald test statistics of fixed effects for these models frequently lack well defined distributions. A common approach to this problem uses the Kenward-Roger adjustment, which attempts to approximate the distribution of the Wald statistic by matching its moments obtained via Taylor expansion to those of an F distribution. However, this approach only matches moments obtained under the null hypothesis of no effect and cannot currently be used to approximate the distribution of the test statistic under some alternative hypothesis. This limitation prevents a straightforward …
Exploring The Relationship Between Chronic Stressors And Protective Factors And Preterm Risk In An African American Pregnant Population, Megan Mileski
Exploring The Relationship Between Chronic Stressors And Protective Factors And Preterm Risk In An African American Pregnant Population, Megan Mileski
All ETDs from UAB
BACKGROUND: In the United States, infant mortality is a serious public health issue, particularly for the African American (AA) population. Despite ample research investigating explanations for the significantly higher infant mortality rate (IMR) for AA infants in the United States, the reason for the racial disparity remains unknown. Reports suggest that chronic, life-course stressors may increase risk of preterm birth (PTB), the leading contributor to the high IMR for AA infants. Adverse childhood experiences and perceived racial discrimination, experienced over the life course, have the potential to increase a stress response in AA women, leading to PTB. Psychosocial resources may …
Primary Cilia Regulate Inflammation And Macrophage Accumulation During Injury And Cyst Formation In Mouse Pkd Models, Zhang Li
All ETDs from UAB
Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is one of the most common inherited renal disorders. The most common form, autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), affects more than 13 million people around the world, and over 50% of them will develop end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Although ADPKD genetically is caused by mutations of PKD1 or PKD2 genes, there is increasing evidence showing that non-genetic factors such as renal injury and inflammation play important roles in cyst severity and progression in PKD. Macrophages are cells of the innate immune system known to be involved in kidney injury and repair. Data from our lab …
Roles Of Chemokine Receptors In T Cell Accmulation In Omental Tumors, Mingyong Liu
Roles Of Chemokine Receptors In T Cell Accmulation In Omental Tumors, Mingyong Liu
All ETDs from UAB
The omentum is an adipose tissue in the peritoneal cavity that contains immune aggregates termed milky spots. Functionally similar to conventional lymphoid tissues, these specialized leukocyte clusters harbor effector and suppressor cells, mount immune responses to antigens, and sustain peritoneal homeostasis. However, the pre-existing leukocytes fail to protect the tissue from tumor colonization. In fact, the omentum is frequently involved in peritoneal metastasis, during which the balance between effector and suppressor immune cells is compromised with the latter gaining dominance. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) represent a major immunosuppressive population in the omentum and rapidly accumulate after tumor implantation. The increased …
Elucidating Pgc-1Α And Errγ Gene Regulation In Neurons, Kathlene Lanphear Joyce
Elucidating Pgc-1Α And Errγ Gene Regulation In Neurons, Kathlene Lanphear Joyce
All ETDs from UAB
Neuronal energy production is critical to the function of the entire central nervous system. Without enough ATP, neurons are not able to maintain their synaptic structure or activity, leading to a circuit-wide dysregulation, affecting movement and memory. The main process for ATP production in neurons is oxidative phosphorylation, which is supported by several proteins encoded by nuclear DNA. Transcription of nuclear DNA is regulated by DNA-binding transcription factors and co-activators which recruit other members of the transcription initiation complex to induce gene expression. While important basally, during neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s Disease, the transcription of these genes is altered …
Driving Anger And Aggression In Persons With And Without Adhd, Maria T. Lechtreck
Driving Anger And Aggression In Persons With And Without Adhd, Maria T. Lechtreck
All ETDs from UAB
Driving a motor vehicle is both a privilege and one of the primary activities of daily living for most persons in the U.S. and many persons abroad; however, motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) bring great costs both to individuals and society. Driver behavior is the critical factor in an estimated 94% of MVCs and aggressive driving is the cause of two-thirds of U.S. traffic fatalities. Certain populations are at an increased risk for MVCs including persons who are young (ages 15-24), persons who have developmental disabilities such as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and persons who have a high propensity for driving-related anger. …
Parent And Healthcare Provider Beliefs About Chlamydia Adolescent Vaccine, Alison P. Footman
Parent And Healthcare Provider Beliefs About Chlamydia Adolescent Vaccine, Alison P. Footman
All ETDs from UAB
Introduction: Chlamydia is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection (STI) worldwide and it disproportionally affects young people and those living in the Southern United States. If left untreated chlamydia infections can lead to complications such as infertility and pelvic inflammatory disease. Currently, chlamydia vaccines are being development. A successful chlamydia immunization program would require adolescents to be vaccinated before engagement in sexual activity and would require parental approval and recommendations from healthcare providers. Therefore, this project aims to explore parent and healthcare provider opinions about chlamydia vaccines to identify potential barriers and facilitators to uptake. Because the COVID-19 pandemic …
Determining The Impact Of Immune Dysregulation On Cd4 T Cell Responses To Hiv-1 And Sars-Cov-2, Jacob K. Files
Determining The Impact Of Immune Dysregulation On Cd4 T Cell Responses To Hiv-1 And Sars-Cov-2, Jacob K. Files
All ETDs from UAB
CD4+ T cells, often referred to as helper T cells, play a crucial role in the formation of antiviral immune responses following infection and vaccination. However, this can be disrupted by various forms of immune dysregulation. Many groups have described how HIV-1 adaptation and immune escape can lead to dysregulated HIV-specific immune responses. Our lab has previously shown that predicted HLA-II associated HIV-1 adaptation leads to dysregulated, poorly immunogenic CD4+ T cell responses in HIV-1 infection. Here, we focus on the impact of this HLA-II associated viral adaptation in the setting of HIV-1 vaccination. We show that HLA-II associated, vaccine-matched …
Characterizing The Role Of Tissue-Specific Retinol Dehydrogenases, Kelli Rae Goggans
Characterizing The Role Of Tissue-Specific Retinol Dehydrogenases, Kelli Rae Goggans
All ETDs from UAB
The bioactive form of vitamin A, retinoic acid is essential for development, cellular differentiation, epigenetic modifications, the immune system, and a variety of other processes due to its ability to regulate over 500 genes through activation of nuclear receptors. While many studies have focused on characterizing the biosynthesis and signaling of retinoic acid in embryogenesis, few have focused on adult tissues. Recent research has identified a novel retinol dehydrogenase, retinol dehydrogenase epidermal 2 (RDHE2), and shown RDHE2 is a potent, physiologically relevant retinol dehydrogenase in Xenopus. The work in this dissertation characterizes RDHE2 in mammalian models. We identify a paralog …
Transcriptional Regulation Of Metabolism And Synaptic Function In Neurons, Stephanie N. Fox
Transcriptional Regulation Of Metabolism And Synaptic Function In Neurons, Stephanie N. Fox
All ETDs from UAB
Mitochondrial dysfunction, transcriptional dysregulation, and protein aggregation are all unifying features of neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson’s Disease. Parkinson’s Disease is a debilitating movement disorder with no known cure, leading sci-entists to explore the underlying etiological contributors to neuronal dysfunction and loss to devise strategies for neuroprotection. Estrogen-related receptor gamma (ERRγ) is a member of a family of transcription factors which regulate the expression of mitochondrial genes. To determine whether ERRγ modulation can provide insight into transcriptional and mitochondrial dysfunction with neurodegeneration, the experiments in this thesis project determined 1) the importance of transcription of mitochondrial genes in disease as regu-lated …
Epigenetic Regulation Of Gene Expression In Temporal Lobe Epilepsy, Rebecca Mary Hauser
Epigenetic Regulation Of Gene Expression In Temporal Lobe Epilepsy, Rebecca Mary Hauser
All ETDs from UAB
Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the most common form of focal epilepsy and is characterized by seizures originating from the temporal lobe of the brain. A frequent seizure focus in TLE is the hippocampus, a structure located within the temporal lobe crucial for its role in memory formation. Seizures are an excess of synchronous excitation in the brain caused by a surplus of excitatory neurotransmission and a lack of sufficient inhibitory transmission. Coordinating the process of neuronal transmission is differential expression of genes likely resulting in an increase or decrease in proteins responsible for neural signaling such as neurotransmitters, ion …
Oxygen Cost Of Walking And Its Correlates In Multiple Sclerosis, Brenda Jeng
Oxygen Cost Of Walking And Its Correlates In Multiple Sclerosis, Brenda Jeng
All ETDs from UAB
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, neurological disease characterized by demyelination and transection of axons as well as loss of neurons in the central nervous system that may result in poor walking efficiency, indicated by an increase in the oxygen cost of walking (Cw). The Cw is defined as the amount of oxygen consumed per kilogram of body weight per unit distance walked and reflects disability-related gait abnormalities and manifestations and its interaction with the environment. This dissertation involved four research projects. The first project provided an overview of existing research on the Cw in MS and established a research …
Exploring The Influence Of Family History Before And After Type 2 Diabetes Development Through Statistical Analysis Of Biomarkers And An Educational Intervention, Jessica Johnson Denton
Exploring The Influence Of Family History Before And After Type 2 Diabetes Development Through Statistical Analysis Of Biomarkers And An Educational Intervention, Jessica Johnson Denton
All ETDs from UAB
The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is increasing at an alarming rate in both children and adults worldwide. Timely identification of those at risk for type 2 diabetes is essential to reduce morbidity and mortality and to mitigate the toll on families and the healthcare system. Family history is an effective, universal tool that can be used to identify individuals at risk for type 2 diabetes before they acquire additional risk factors. Understanding how family history contributes to biomarkers associated with diabetes in healthy individuals could facilitate the creation of early screening and prevention strategies designed for this specific at-risk …
Il-2-Mediated Stat3 Activation Controls Effector T Regulatory Cell Development, Emma C. Dean
Il-2-Mediated Stat3 Activation Controls Effector T Regulatory Cell Development, Emma C. Dean
All ETDs from UAB
Heterogeneity in phenotype and function of Treg cells is becoming increasingly appreciated, especially in the context of creating potent Treg cell–based therapeutics in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. One of the barriers to developing such therapeutics is the limited understanding of the signals that play a role in the development of Treg cell subsets. Here, we found STAT3 signaling to be enriched in induced IL-10 competent Treg (iTreg) cells in the colon. Through the development of a new in vitro system, we found that STAT3 was required for proper development of IL-10 competent iTreg cells and that IL-2 regulated …
Integrated Phenotypic And Molecular Expression Circuits In End-Stage Osteoarthritis, Devin J. Drummer
Integrated Phenotypic And Molecular Expression Circuits In End-Stage Osteoarthritis, Devin J. Drummer
All ETDs from UAB
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating, inflammatory, joint degeneration disorder, and is the most common form of arthritis. Individuals reaching end-stage OA often pursue elective total hip/knee arthroplasty (THA/TKA) to relieve pain and improve mobility and quality of life. However, approximately one third of THA/TKA patients suffer long-term mobility impairments following surgery, likely in part due to an inability to repair the damaged muscle surrounding the diseased joint. Mechanisms driving this impaired recovery remain poorly understood, therefore it is prudent to interrogate the molecular signatures in skeletal muscle at the time of surgery to provide candidate markers that may improve upon …