Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Hookah: Prevalence, Perceived Harmfulness, And Factors Associated With Its Use Among College Students, Dae Shik Kim, Patricia Tattersall, Theresa Green, Margaret Richardson, Amy B. Curtis

Michigan Journal of Public Health

Introduction: Given the increased use and availability of hookah among the US college students, coupled with the health risks related to its use, the current study examined awareness and use of hookah among college students as well as what characteristics are related to the use of hookah. Methods: The study utilized a self administered anonymous survey to gather information about hookah use from the students in an undergraduate general education class (n = 108). Results: The survey results indicated that the large majority of students were aware of hookah, and nearly half of them had used hookah more than once. …

The Use Of Gis Mapping In Targeted Health Surveillance Efforts For Illicit Drug Use In Detroit, Michigan, Gerry Polverento

Michigan Journal of Public Health

No abstract provided.

Establishing An Academic Division Supporting Public Health Medical Direction, Molly Polverento

Michigan Journal of Public Health

No abstract provided.

Establishing An Academic Division Of Geriatrics And Gerontology, William Wadland

Michigan Journal of Public Health

No abstract provided.

A New Paradigm For Public Health – The Hipper Model, Yvonne E. Anthony

Michigan Journal of Public Health

No abstract provided.

Three Dimensional Printing: Modern Medical Applications, Devin Peek, Elizabeth Stark

Graphic Communication

3-D printing is an additive printing process based on inkjet printing principles. Using this technology, a variety of materials can be used to create a three-dimensional product. Currently this technology is expensive, however it is slowly becoming more affordable. 3-D printing has the potential to change the future of medical model production and prototyping, due to the beneficial products it can produce. The objective of this research study is to discover the technological advancements in 3-D printing that could greatly affect several aspects of the medical industry. The areas discussed include high-risk surgery, dentistry, and prosthetics. After conducting six interviews …

Prevalence, Nature, Context And Impact Of Alcohol Use In India: Recommendations For Practice And Research, S. Prabhu, David A. Patterson Silver Wolf (Adelv Unegv Waya) Phd, Catherine N. Dulmus Phd, K. S. Ratheeshkumar

Brown School Faculty Publications

Presently alcohol policy in India takes a moral stand rather than a scientific approach towards understanding and dealing with the problem of alcoholism. To effectively address this social problem in India, public policy must take into account the nature, extent of the problem and the context in which it occurs. This literature review examines the nature, prevalence and impact of alcohol use and misuse in India, within its historical and cultural contexts, as a beginning step to inform policy. Recommendations for practice and future research directions are suggested.

Prevalence And Susceptibility Of Cryptococcus Neoformans To Fluconazole In Hiv Patients In Kenya, Rennatus Magina Mdodo

All ETDs from UAB

In an applied analysis, examining the association between log transformed C-reactive

Sexual Risk Behavior Among African-American Adolescents: Trajectories And Their Predictors, Maureen Muchimba

All ETDs from UAB

Although adolescents in the United States are at high risk of sexually transmitted infections and HIV, research indicates that many do not use condoms consistently and have high numbers of lifetime multiple sexual partners. Among adolescents, different subgroups exhibit distinct patterns of sexual behavior over time. The purpose of this dissertation was to identify trajectories of sexual risk behavior among adolescents and to determine individual, family and community factors that are predictive of membership to trajectory groups. Data were collected on sexual risk behavior among low-income African-American adolescents in Mobile County, Alabama. Gender-balanced subsamples of risky sex (N = 1294) …

Fiber Modification Of Adenoviral Vectors For Cancer Gene Therapy, Miho Murakami

All ETDs from UAB

Cancer still remains a major public health concern despite improvements in primary prevention, early detection and advanced treatments. Cancer gene therapy using human adenovirus serotype 5 (HAdV-5) as a vector has been explored as a new therapeutic approach. HAdV-5 infection is initiated by binding to the coxsackie virus and adenovirus receptor (CAR), its primary cellular receptor. However, the levels and patterns of expression of CAR vary greatly in clinical tumor tissue samples, and the expression lev-els tend to decrease as the tumors progress. The low level expression of CAR in target cancer cells diminishes the utility of HAdV-5 as a …

Organizational Support, Perceived Social Support, And Intent To Turnover Among Psychiatric Nurses: A Mixed Methods Study., Beverly Jean Myers

All ETDs from UAB

Nurse turnover compromises the quality of patient care and leads to an increase in organizational costs. Nurse turnover is defined as the intent to leave one's current job position either to transfer to another unit within the organization or to terminate employment with the organization. Few studies have examined the role social support received at work as well as at home, personal characteristics and work factors play in guiding psychiatric nurses' decisions to leave a current nursing position (turnover). The overall purpose of this mixed-methods sequential explanatory study was to explore factors that contribute to psychiatric nurses' intent to turnover. …

The Development Of Humoral And Cellular Responses To Plasmodium Falciparum Malaria In The Hypoendemic Peruvian Amazon And Potential Clinical Protection, Eva Helen Clark

All ETDs from UAB

Each year 300-500 million cases of Plasmodium falciparum malaria occur, leading to more than 1 million deaths. In high malaria transmission regions, development of immunity from severe infection requires 2-10 years of persistent parasitemia. This delay has been attributed to difficulties in the development of protective humoral responses. Indeed, anti-malarial antibody responses tend to be short-lived, and immunologic memory seems to be dysfunctional in high-transmission regions. In contrast, in the low-transmission Peruvian Amazon >60% of infections are asymptomatic, suggesting that clinical immunity occurs despite low parasite exposure. To analyze more precisely the naturally-acquired humoral responses to malarial antigens and their …

Medial Septal Beta-Amyloid 1-40 Injections Alter Septo-Hippocampal Anatomy And Function, Luis V. Colom, María Teresa Castañeda Licón, C. Banuelos, Gustavo Puras, Antonio García-Hernández, Sofia Hernandez, Suzanne Mounsey, Joy Benavidez, Claudia Lehker

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

Degeneration of septal neurons in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) results in abnormal information processing at cortical circuits and consequent brain dysfunction. The septum modulates the activity of hippocampal and cortical circuits and is crucial to the initiation and occurrence of oscillatory activities such as the hippocampal theta rhythm. Previous studies suggest that amyloid β peptide (Aβ) accumulation may trigger degeneration in AD. This study evaluates the effects of single injections of Aβ 1–40 into the medial septum. Immunohistochemistry revealed a decrease in septal cholinergic (57%) and glutamatergic (53%) neurons in Aβ 1–40 treated tissue. Additionally, glutamatergic terminals were significantly less in …

The Role Of Fat Mass Index In Determining Obesity, Gerson Peltz, Maria Teresa Aguirre, Maureen Sanderson, Mary K. Fadden

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

Objectives: The objective of this study is to compare body mass index (BMI), percent body fat (PBF), and fat mass index (FMI) and to investigate the accuracy of FMI as a convenient tool for assessing obesity.

Design: Anthropometric measurements and bioelectrical impedance analyses were performed on 538 Mexican Americans (373 women and 165 men). Correlations between BMI and PBF and between FMI and PBF were investigated. The percentage of persons misclassified as obese using different classifications was calculated. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to generate predictive models of FMI for males and females separately.

Results: BMI and PBF were …

Oral Lesions As Clinical Markers For Antiretroviral Therapy Failure In Hiv Patients, Irene M. Tamí-Maury

All ETDs from UAB

The true nature of the association of oral lesions (OL) and gold standards of HIV progression, CD4+ T cell counts (CD4) and HIV-1 RNA viral load (VL), is not completely clear, especially when patients are on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Our aim was to assess the association between OL and virologic failure among HIV/AIDS patients on ART. We conducted a retrospective study of 744 HIV patients who entered care between 2000 and 2006 at the UAB 1917 Clinic. Data was collected for 2 years after enrollment. Prevalence of OL was 35.8%. Oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC) was the most prevalent OL (74.9%). Among …

Cgmp Pde As A Novel Molecular Target For The Prevention And Treatment Of Breast Cancer, Heather Nicole Tinsley

All ETDs from UAB

Breast cancer remains a major health concern, despite efforts to develop improved therapeutics. Chemoprevention is a promising strategy for reducing breast cancer-related morbidity and mortality. However, with the exception of the selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), which have limited efficacy and severe toxicities, no drugs have been approved for breast cancer chemoprevention. Studies demonstrate that certain nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) display promising chemopreventive efficacy. Unfortunately, the depletion of physiologically important prostaglandins due to inhibition of the cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes results in potentially fatal toxicities, which exclude the use of NSAIDs and COX-2 selective inhibitors for chemoprevention. Ample data, however, suggest …

Investigation Of The Cese Framework For Viscous Flows, Balaji Shankar Venkatachari

All ETDs from UAB

A transient viscous solver has been developed based on the novel space-time conser-vation element solution element (CESE) framework. Till date, the numerical accuracy of the CESE framework in modeling inviscid flow problems has been well documented, while very little work has been done in regards to modeling transient viscous flows. In this work, an attempt to fill that gap in literature was carried out by rigorously investigat-ing the numerical accuracy and computational performance of the CESE framework in simulating such flows. The study aims at gaining a deeper understanding on the numeri-cal accuracy and dissipation characteristics of the CESE framework, …

Development And Validation Of A Palliative Care Needs Assessment Instrument-English/Arabic Versions (Pcna-Eav), For Use With Patients With Advanced Cancer, Susan Edith Volker

All ETDs from UAB

The aim of this study was to develop and translate a psychometrically valid and reliable, population-based, needs assessment instrument, the PCNA-EAV, to measure the health care and support needs of patients with advanced cancer. The cross-sectional study design combined qualitative and quantitative methods, to test instrument reliability and validity, and to examine the association between sample characteristics and health care and support needs. The 116-item, PCNA-EAV, comprised 10 domains of need: physical/functional; social; psychological/emotional; information; communication; helpful resources; financial; religious/spiritual; priority of need; and preference for care The target population was all cancer patients in the department of oncology at …

Usp14: A Link Between The Proteasome And Synaptic Function, Brandon John Walters

All ETDs from UAB

The ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) is a coordinated process by which the cell can control protein distribution and abundance. Proteins are marked for turnover by the construction of a polyubiquitin chain on the protein substrate. Once engaged by the proteasome, the ubiquitin side-chain is disassembled by proteasomal deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs), preventing entry of ubiquitin into the proteasome and recycling it for use in future reactions. One of the DUBs that resides on the proteasome is Ubiquitin Specific Protease 14 (Usp14), which is mutated in the ataxia (axJ) mice. This mutation results in pronounced physical deficits and, unexpectedly, a deficit in …

Contributions Of The Atrial Natriuretic Peptide Gene System To The Relationship Between Pediatric Body Fat, Free Fatty Acids, And Blood Pressure, Amanda Willig

All ETDs from UAB

Elevated blood pressure and nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) in children can lead to increased chronic disease risk during adulthood. The atrial natriuretic peptide precursor A (NPPA) and natiuretic peptide receptor A (NPR1) genes encode for atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and its cell receptor, respectively, and may influence levels of blood pressure and NEFA. Additionally, it is unclear how body composition, physical activity, physical fitness, and racial genetic ancestry influence pediatric NEFA and blood pressure. In order to understand the associations among these factors, five investigations were performed. For experimental aim 1, the association between blood pressure and body composition measures …

Development And Validation Of A Scale To Measure Fear Of Physical Response To Exercise Among Overweight And Obese Adults, Brooks Cotton Wingo

All ETDs from UAB

specified and alteration of both Type I and Type II error rates occurs. We examine

Small Molecule Inhibitors Of Acid Sensing Ion Channel-1, Yawar J. Qadri

All ETDs from UAB

Acid Sensing Ion Channel 1 is one of the many proteins in the Epithelial Sodium Channel/Degenerin family. The proteins in this family interact to form cation channels with unique biophysical properties and can all be inhibited by the small molecule amiloride. Their expression in many different cell types underlies their involvement in a large variety of physiological and pathophysiological processes. ASIC-1 containing channels, specifically, are an important therapeutic target for ischemic stroke, nociception, the invasiveness of glioblastoma cells, and many other processes including anxiety and memory formation. Of the members of the ENaC/Deg family, chicken ASIC-1 is the only protein …

Overexpression Of Garp2 Increases Phototransduction Gain., Shanta Sarfare

All ETDs from UAB

The cGMP-gated cation channel (CNG) in the rod photoreceptors is an essential component of phototransduction, and may have a role in maintaining structural integrity of the rod outer segment (ROS). The ß-subunit of the CNG channel (CNGB1) in the rod photoreceptors is comprised of an N-terminal glutamic acid-rich region (GARP') and a C-terminal channel-like region. Additionally, two soluble proteins GARP1 and GARP2 are alternatively spliced from the CNGB1 gene. Although GARPs are known to interact with other proteins in the rod photoreceptors, their role is currently unknown. To determine the role of GARP2 in the rod photoreceptors, we generated transgenic …

Parental Separation Anxiety And Shared Responsibility For Diabetes-Related Tasks In Adolescents Diagnosed With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, Kathryn Anne Sheppard

All ETDs from UAB

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) is most commonly diagnosed in children and young adults, and complications may be life-long as well as life threatening. Management of T1D has proven to be very challenging during adolescence, and parental involvement in diabetes management has been shown to improve adherence and glycemic control in children and adolescents. Middle adolescents should become increasingly responsible for diabetes-related tasks under the supervision and guidance of parents (shared management). However, adolescents spend less time with their family as they get older, resulting in parents' being unable to validate effective self-management; this inability may lead to anxiety about …

Association Between Birth Outcomes And Aflatoxin B1-Biomarker Levels Among Pregnant Women In Kumasi, Ghana, Faisal Mohammed Barbas Shuaib

All ETDs from UAB

Aflatoxins are fungal metabolites that contaminate staple food crops in many developing countries. Although studies have linked these toxins to adverse health outcomes, few studies have investigated the association between birth outcomes and aflatoxin B1-lysine adduct levels among pregnant women. The objective of this dissertation was to investigate the association between birth outcomes and aflatoxin B1- lysine adduct levels among pregnant women in Kumasi, Ghana. In a cross-sectional study of 755 pregnant women, Aflatoxin B1-lysine adduct (AF-ALB) levels were determined by High Performance Liquid Chromatography. AF-ALB associations were assessed as both continuous and categorical values. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was …

Louder Speech Leads To Greater Intelligibility Improvements Than Amplification Of Habitual Speech In Parkinson’S Disease, Christopher Dromey

Faculty Publications

Effects of loud and amplified speech on sentence and word intelligibility in Parkinson disease.

A Dual Protease Inhibitor/Receptor Antagonist With Therapeutic Implications For Chronic Inflammatory Lung Diseases, Matthew Thomas Hardison

All ETDs from UAB

protein (CRP) and smoking, controlling for waist circumference (WC) and race, we find

Investigation Of Residues Of The Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Nucleocapsid Protein That Affect Transcription And Rna Replication, Djamila Harouaka

All ETDs from UAB

The template for transcription and RNA replication for vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and other negative-strand RNA viruses is a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex consisting of the viral RNA genome and associated nucleocapsid (N) protein. The structure of the RNP-like complex of VSV showed that the RNA is sequestered between two lobes of the N protein, and adjacent N monomers are linked by an extensive network of interactions. Long-range interactions mediated by the N-terminal arm and C-terminal loop of the N protein stabilize the side-to-side contacts between adjacent N monomers, and are required for RNA encapsidation. It is unclear how the polymerase …

O-Glcnac Transferase Modulates Jnk1 And Foxo4 Transcription Factor To Resist Acute Oxidative Stress, Shiuh-Rong Ho

All ETDs from UAB

O-GlcNAcylation is an abundant and dynamic post-translational modification on serine and threonine residues of nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins. O-GlcNAc Transferase (OGT) and Nuclear Cytoplasmic O-GlcNAcase and Acetyltransferase (NCOAT) are the only two enzymes and major regulators in this process. In the past two decades, many studies have demonstrated its important modulation roles in nutrient sensing, protein turnover, cell cycle progression, transcription, translation as well as stress resistance. Among these biological functions, the understanding of O-GlcNAcylation dependent oxidative stress is relatively unknown. This study aims to examine the effects of O-GlcNAcylation on JNK1 and FOXO4 transcription factors under acute oxidative stress …

Cardiometabolic Risk And Risk Perception Among Oklahoma American Indian Women With Previous Gestational Diabetes, Emily Jean Jones

All ETDs from UAB

Introduction: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the number one killer of women in the United States (US). Increasing rates of CVD have been associated with the epidemic rates of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the US. Minority women, particularly American Indian women, experience a greater burden of health risk factors and significant disparities in health status related to CVD and T2DM. Furthermore, women who have had gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) during pregnancy are at greater risk for these diseases than women who have not had GDM. However, these women often do not perceive themselves to be at risk, or, if …