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2010

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Articles 5341 - 5370 of 5693

Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Pneumococcal Vaccine Response And Aging In Human, Saeyoung Park Jan 2010

Pneumococcal Vaccine Response And Aging In Human, Saeyoung Park

All ETDs from UAB

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major human pathogen, especially for young children and older adults. To protect from pneumococcal diseases, 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23) has been used clinically since 1983. However, PPV23 is not so effective among old adults with its protective efficacy diminishing with age. We confirmed that young and old adults, who were immunized with PPV23, have comparable pneumococcal polysaccharide (PS) specific IgG levels. Interestingly, we found that old adults had lower IgA and IgM antibody levels than young adults for three serotypes (serotype 14, 18C and 23F). Consistent with the previous results, opsonic capacities of immune sera …

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Regulation Of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Signaling And Metabolism By Platelet-Derived Growth Factor, Jessica Perez Jan 2010

Regulation Of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Signaling And Metabolism By Platelet-Derived Growth Factor, Jessica Perez

All ETDs from UAB

Growth factors are important inducers of vascular cell growth whose regulation is altered during the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. An increase in growth factor and cytokine production, as well as lipid oxidation is observed in cardiovascular disease (CVD) and contributes to altered vascular cell signaling, exacerbated atherosclerotic lesions and heart failure. A change in cellular bioenergetic status due to mitochondrial dysfunction or damage has also been noted in CVD. In this thesis, we first examine cell signaling pathways in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) which are activated in response to platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and regulate the cell cycle protein changes …

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The Contribution Of Different Mechanisms Of Viral Sequence Variation To The Evolution Of Positive-Sense Single-Stranded Rna Viruses, Brett Earl Pickett Jan 2010

The Contribution Of Different Mechanisms Of Viral Sequence Variation To The Evolution Of Positive-Sense Single-Stranded Rna Viruses, Brett Earl Pickett

All ETDs from UAB

The Flaviviridae family of positive-sense single-stranded RNA (+ssRNA) viruses includes viral taxa which greatly impact public health worldwide. To explore how the viruses within the Flaviviridae family evolve, we examined the extent to which these viral taxa use nucleotide covariance, spontaneous mutation, and/or homologous recombination to vary their genotype as well as the resulting phenotype. We developed and used CovarView to assist us in simultaneously viewing and inspecting the results from whole genome covariance analyses. This resulted in the identification of previously-characterized RNA functional structures in the genomes of hepatitis C virus (HCV), as well as a new RNA functional …

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Regulation Of Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 In The Pathophysiology And Treatment Of Mood Disorders, Abigail Marie Polter Jan 2010

Regulation Of Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 In The Pathophysiology And Treatment Of Mood Disorders, Abigail Marie Polter

All ETDs from UAB

Mood disorders are devastating psychiatric illnesses that will affect as many as one in every five persons worldwide over the course of their lifetime. Significant gaps still remain in our understanding of these illnesses and outcomes for many patients are far from optimal. Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 (GSK3) is a protein kinase that is increasingly recognized as playing an important role in a number of neuronal functions, as well as in pathological states such as mood disorders. GSK3 is inhibited in the brain by phosphorylation on an N-terminal serine. Several treatments for mood disorders, including lithium, antidepressants, and atypical antipsychotics …

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Small Molecule Inhibitors Of Acid Sensing Ion Channel-1, Yawar J. Qadri Jan 2010

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

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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 …

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Response Dynamics Of Retinal Ganglion And Early Visual Cortical Cells To Simulated Optical Blur, Michael Lance Risner Jan 2010

Response Dynamics Of Retinal Ganglion And Early Visual Cortical Cells To Simulated Optical Blur, Michael Lance Risner

All ETDs from UAB

Visual neurons are highly sensitive to changes in luminance around the mean level of light. The effects of changes in luminance contrast on the responses of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and V1 neurons have been extensively studied. Sharp transitions in luminance signify edges, which are key features in the visual environment. However, edges are rarely sharp and may be blurred. Edges are generally blurred because eyes have a restricted depth of field, sources of light are rarely point sources, edges are typically smooth, and rapid motion induces blur. The purpose of this research was to understand how RGCs and V1 …

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Heparanase Drives The Aggressive Myeloma Phenotype: Preclinical Development Of A Heparanase Inhibitor For The Treatment Of Multiple Myeloma, Joe Ritchie Jan 2010

Heparanase Drives The Aggressive Myeloma Phenotype: Preclinical Development Of A Heparanase Inhibitor For The Treatment Of Multiple Myeloma, Joe Ritchie

All ETDs from UAB

Heparanase, an endoglycosidase which cleaves heparan sulfate chains at specific sites, is rarely expressed in normal tissues but becomes evident in many human cancers. We have previously shown that heparanase promotes myeloma growth and angiogenesis through modulation of the tumor microenvironment. Recognition that heparanase drives the aggressive myeloma phenotype has led to new strategies designed to therapeutically target this enzyme. SST0001, a non-anticoagulant heparin that is 100% N-acetylated and 25% glycol split, was previously described as a potent inhibitor of heparanase activity in vitro, and, in limited in vivo experiments, SST0001 was identified to have efficacy as an anti-tumor agent …

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Contributions Of The Atrial Natriuretic Peptide Gene System To The Relationship Between Pediatric Body Fat, Free Fatty Acids, And Blood Pressure, Amanda Willig Jan 2010

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 …

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Development And Validation Of A Scale To Measure Fear Of Physical Response To Exercise Among Overweight And Obese Adults, Brooks Cotton Wingo Jan 2010

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

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Therapeutic Interventions For Chlorine Gas Induced Lung Injury, Amit Kumar Yadav Jan 2010

Therapeutic Interventions For Chlorine Gas Induced Lung Injury, Amit Kumar Yadav

All ETDs from UAB

Rationale: Nitrite (NO2-) has been shown to limit injury to the heart, liver and kidneys in various models of ischemia-reperfusion injury. Currently, potential protective effects of systemic NO2- in limiting lung injury or enhancing repair have not been documented. Objectives: To assess the efficacy and mechanisms by which post-exposure intra-peritoneal injections of NO2- mitigate Cl2 induced lung injury in rats. Methods: Rats were exposed to Cl2 (400 ppm) for 30 minutes and returned to room air. Nitrite (1mg/Kg) or saline were administered intraperitoneally at 10 min, 2, 4 and 6 hrs post exposure. Rats were sacrificed at 6 hrs or …

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The Structural And Functional Studies Of Yeast Nucleotide Exchange Factor Sil1p And Its Complex With Bip, Ming Yan Jan 2010

The Structural And Functional Studies Of Yeast Nucleotide Exchange Factor Sil1p And Its Complex With Bip, Ming Yan

All ETDs from UAB

Sil1 is an Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) localized protein. SIL1 was initially identified as a UPR-regulated gene. Later studies show Sil1 functions as the nucleotide exchange factor of ER lumenal Hsp70--Bip by directly interacting with the ATPase domain of Bip. Currently, the molecular mechanism how Sil1 catalyzes nucleotide exchange of Bip is still elusive. In this study we determine the complex structure of yeast S.cerevisia Sil1 and Bip (also called Kar2) ATPase domain at 2.3Å resolution by Single-anomalous dispersion (SAD) methods. The Sil1-Bip complex structure reveals that one sil1 molecule interacts with one Bip ATPase domain molecule to form the complex. …

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The Role Of Map Kinase Cascade In Msp Signaling Response, Youfeng Yang Jan 2010

The Role Of Map Kinase Cascade In Msp Signaling Response, Youfeng Yang

All ETDs from UAB

The MSP domain is an evolutionarily conserved immunoglobulin-like structure of about 120 amino acids (Miller et al., 2001). A P56S missense mutation in the MSP domain of the human vapb gene is associated with a dominantly inherited form of Amyotropic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) (Nishimura et al., 2004). In C. elegans, secreted MSP binds to the VAB-1 Eph receptor and other receptors on oocyte and ovarian sheath cell surfaces (Miller et al., 2003). We have recently shown that the P56S mutation prevents secretion of the VAPB MSP domain, suggesting that the signaling function is important in …

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A Timp2-Armed Conditionally-Replicating Adenovirus For The Treatment Of Ovarian Cancer, Sherry Wei Yang Jan 2010

A Timp2-Armed Conditionally-Replicating Adenovirus For The Treatment Of Ovarian Cancer, Sherry Wei Yang

All ETDs from UAB

Ovarian cancer remains the most lethal gynecological malignancy in the U.S. Conventional therapies have limited therapeutic value due to advanced stage of the disease at diagnosis. Conditionally-replicating adenoviruses (CRAds) are promising, novel anti-cancer agents that are designed to selectively replicate in and lyse tumor cells. In clinical trials, CRAds exhibited limited efficacy thus far. Second generation CRAds are being developed to express a therapeutic protein to further enhance antitumor efficacy. One attractive target in ovarian tumor microenvironment is the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) that degrade the extracellular matrix. Thus, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 2 (TIMP2), an endogenous inhibitor of MMPs, is …

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Il-21 Dictates The Quality Of The Cd8 T Cell Response During Acute And Chronic Infections, John Seung-Hoon Yi Jan 2010

Il-21 Dictates The Quality Of The Cd8 T Cell Response During Acute And Chronic Infections, John Seung-Hoon Yi

All ETDs from UAB

CD8 T cells contribute to the control of intracellular pathogens including viruses and certain bacteria. Recognition of foreign antigens by antigen-specific CD8 T cells initiates a differentiation process by which CD8 T cells gain effector functions including the ability to rapidly produce cytokines and kill infected cells. Currently, it is not well understood what signals dictate the generation of robust CD8 T cell responses, however it has been demonstrated that without CD4 T cell help CD8 T cell responses are compromised. CD4 T cells are the primary producers of interleukin-21 (IL-21), which has broad immunological actions. Thus for this dissertation, …

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Cross-Talk Between Marginal Zone B Cells And Marginal Zone Macrophages, Yuying You Jan 2010

Cross-Talk Between Marginal Zone B Cells And Marginal Zone Macrophages, Yuying You

All ETDs from UAB

the test of group differences and the test of covariate. When we force the predictors in the

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Radiographic Damage And Functional Disability In African American Patients With Recent-Onset Rheumatoid Arthritis, Jie Zhang Jan 2010

Radiographic Damage And Functional Disability In African American Patients With Recent-Onset Rheumatoid Arthritis, Jie Zhang

All ETDs from UAB

we adjust for heterskedasticity using a HCCM estimator, we find no significant evidence

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A Ck2-Dependent Mechanism For Activation Of The Jak-Stat Signaling Pathway: Implications For Cancer Biology, Ying Zheng Jan 2010

A Ck2-Dependent Mechanism For Activation Of The Jak-Stat Signaling Pathway: Implications For Cancer Biology, Ying Zheng

All ETDs from UAB

Janus Kinase (JAK)-Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (STAT) signaling is involved in regulation of cell survival, proliferation and differentiation. JAK tyrosine kinases can be transiently activated by cytokines or growth factors in normal cells, while they become constitutively activated as a result of mutations that affect their function in tumors. Specifically, the JAK2V617F mutation is present in the majority of patients with myeloproliferative disorders (MPDs) and is implicated in the pathogenesis of these diseases. In this dissertation, we report the identification of the serine/threonine kinase CK2 as a novel interactor and important regulator of activation of the JAK-STAT signaling …

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Roles Of Nr4a3 In Insulin Sensitivity In Skeletal Muscle, Xiaolin Zhu Jan 2010

Roles Of Nr4a3 In Insulin Sensitivity In Skeletal Muscle, Xiaolin Zhu

All ETDs from UAB

For the past several decades, the prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes and the metabolic syndrome has been increasing. Insulin resistance is the central pathogenic event for these diseases. We previously reported that the NR4A family of orphan nuclear receptors augments insulin sensitivity in adipocytes. We now found that lentiviral mediated NR4A3 hyper-expression increased insulin stimulated glucose transport (ISGT) in C2C12 myocytes while NR4A3 knock-down exhibited opposite effect. We also examined the effects of prostaglandin A2 (PGA2) on insulin action and NR4A3 trans-activation in C2C12 myocytes. PGA2 augmented ISGT and insulin stimulated AKT phosphorylation in C2C12 myocytes. Importantly, PGA2 treatment led …

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The Influence Of Self-Concept, Physical Activity, And Sedentary Screen Time Activities On Blood Pressure In 11-13 Year Old Middle School Children, Elizabeth Di Benedetto Gulledge Jan 2010

The Influence Of Self-Concept, Physical Activity, And Sedentary Screen Time Activities On Blood Pressure In 11-13 Year Old Middle School Children, Elizabeth Di Benedetto Gulledge

All ETDs from UAB

The aims of this study were to: 1) examine associations between self-concept (SC), physical activity (PA), sedentary screen time (SST), and blood pressure (BP) and 2) determine the amount of variance explained by SC, PA, and SST in BP. The increase in SST along with decreases in PA may contribute to increases in BP. SC, PA and SST have been associated with BP in adolescents but less is known about middle school children. A sample of 116 (36 males; 80 females; 51 African American, 65 White) 6th and 7th grade11-13 year old students were recruited in a southeastern state. Participants …

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Information Technology And Quality Of Care In Pediatric Hospitals, Gouri Gupte Jan 2010

Information Technology And Quality Of Care In Pediatric Hospitals, Gouri Gupte

All ETDs from UAB

The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the relationship between the adoption of information technology by pediatric hospitals and performance on several quality of care measures. This research is aimed at addressing a gap in literature by utilizing a relatively large sample size that examines health information technology adoption across institutions and utilizes validated quality indicators from Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The Donabedian evaluation model that encompasses "structure, process, and outcomes" provides the conceptual framework for the organization of this research, selection of variables, and analysis. Three secondary datasets were used, 2005 Information Technology Survey of the …

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A Pilot Study For A Computer-Tailored Program To Increase Calcium And Vitamin D Consumption In Young Women: Does Adding Quantitative Ultrasound Change Outcomes?, Donald Henry Lein Jan 2010

A Pilot Study For A Computer-Tailored Program To Increase Calcium And Vitamin D Consumption In Young Women: Does Adding Quantitative Ultrasound Change Outcomes?, Donald Henry Lein

All ETDs from UAB

Osteoporosis and osteoporosis-related fractures are costly personal and national problems. No cure exists so experts stress early practice of bone protective behaviors, like adequate calcium and vitamin D intake, to prevent osteoporosis and osteoporosis-related fractures. However, young women in the United States do not consume adequate amounts of these two nutrients. Further evaluation to identify cost effective programs to increase calcium and vitamin D consumption in young women is needed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether quantitative ultrasound (QUS) with bone strength feedback to a computer-tailored feedback and counseling intervention was needed to increase calcium and vitamin …

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Effect Of Overexpressing Apolipoprotein A-I In An Animal Model Of Alzheimer's Disease, Terry L. Lewis Jan 2010

Effect Of Overexpressing Apolipoprotein A-I In An Animal Model Of Alzheimer's Disease, Terry L. Lewis

All ETDs from UAB

Apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) is the major protein component of high density lipoprotein (HDL) in circulation and is expressed mainly by the liver and intestine. The levels of apoA-I/HDL are inversely related to the incidence of cardiovascular disease. Because of the connections between heart disease and Alzheimer's disease (AD), it is conceivable that high levels of apoA-I/HDL may be protective against AD. However, the limited literature shows mixed results on the role of apoA-I/HDL in the development of AD. It is hypothesized that increased expression of human apoA-I will ameliorate the behavioral deficits and characteristic amyloid-ß (Aß) plaque formation in a …

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Protective Antibodies To The Proline-Rich And Alpha Helical Regions Of Pneumococcal Surface Protein A And Their Detection In An In Vitro Surrogate Assay, Calvin Clay Daniels Jan 2010

Protective Antibodies To The Proline-Rich And Alpha Helical Regions Of Pneumococcal Surface Protein A And Their Detection In An In Vitro Surrogate Assay, Calvin Clay Daniels

All ETDs from UAB

Current pneumococcal vaccines containing pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide antigens protect against infection by pneumococci. However, this protection is limited to strains expressing the capsule types included in the vaccine. Since the introduction of these vaccines, the increase in incidence of infection by serotypes not targeted by the vaccine, a process called "serotype replacement," and the growing antibiotic resistance of replacement strains both stress the need for vaccines with broader protection. The alpha-helical region of a protein present on all clinical isolates of pneumococci, Pneumococcal Surface Protein A (PspA), elicits protective immunity. Downstream of the alpha-helical region is a highly conserved region …

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A Dual Protease Inhibitor/Receptor Antagonist With Therapeutic Implications For Chronic Inflammatory Lung Diseases, Matthew Thomas Hardison Jan 2010

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

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O-Glcnac Transferase Modulates Jnk1 And Foxo4 Transcription Factor To Resist Acute Oxidative Stress, Shiuh-Rong Ho Jan 2010

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 …

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Fertility Enhancing Drugs, Assisted Reproductive Technologies And Effects On Maternal And Infant Outcomes Among Live Births In Texas, Suzanne Jay Roseman Jan 2010

Fertility Enhancing Drugs, Assisted Reproductive Technologies And Effects On Maternal And Infant Outcomes Among Live Births In Texas, Suzanne Jay Roseman

All ETDs from UAB

Most studies evaluating outcomes among infertility treatment users use a spontaneously conceived (SC) group for comparative purposes, despite obvious limitations to this approach. Further, lack of comprehensive U.S. data-sources recording infertility treatments, especially non-assisted reproductive technology (non-ART) infertility treatments, has hampered the ability of U.S. researchers to explore the effects of a particular infertility treatment modality (for example ART) on maternal and infant outcomes while controlling for the effects of infertility itself. The present study makes use of the new data item: "Pregnancy resulted from infertility treatment," further categorized into ART and non-ART infertility treatments--from the 2003 revision of birth …

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Overexpression Of Garp2 Increases Phototransduction Gain., Shanta Sarfare Jan 2010

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 …

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Exploration Of The Crosslinks Between Saccadic And Vergence Eye Movement Pathways Using Motor And Visual Perturbations, Kevin Paul Schultz Jan 2010

Exploration Of The Crosslinks Between Saccadic And Vergence Eye Movement Pathways Using Motor And Visual Perturbations, Kevin Paul Schultz

All ETDs from UAB

ANCOVA models to be non-orthogonal, we get similar results to the ANCOVA with

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Parental Separation Anxiety And Shared Responsibility For Diabetes-Related Tasks In Adolescents Diagnosed With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, Kathryn Anne Sheppard Jan 2010

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 …

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Sexual Risk Behavior Among African-American Adolescents: Trajectories And Their Predictors, Maureen Muchimba Jan 2010

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) …

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