Medical Humanities Commons^™

Calciotropic Hormonal Influence On Energy Homeostasis, Lynae J. Hanks

All ETDs from UAB

Energy balance exists when intake is equivalent to expenditure. It has become evident that beyond quantitative aspects of intake, dietary components also have directive impact. On the expenditure side, an underappreciated yet key contributor is resting energy expenditure (REE). As the largest constituent of overall energy output, REE encompasses physiologic, dietary and genetic influence on body composition. While cellular and overall systemic contribution cannot be ignored, the relative proportion of adipose, bone and lean body tissue (i.e., body composition) represents the primary determinant underlying REE. It is possible that the mineral calcium is a common denominator encompassing energy balance influenced …

Knowledge Of Management Of Musculoskeletal Problems: Assessment Of Students Enrolled In Four Professional Programs At The University Of Alabama At Birmingham, Patricia Lee Perez

All ETDs from UAB

Background: Previous studies point to inadequate knowledge of musculoskeletal medicine for both student and practicing physicians and physical therapists. Professions with practice regulations that allow direct access by the consumer to healthcare should be assessed to determine competence in managing musculoskeletal conditions. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine if there is a difference in knowledge of the management of musculoskeletal conditions in students enrolled in four professional programs at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Methods: Students enrolled in the last semester of medical school (MD), adult nurse practitioner (NP), physical therapy (PT) and physician assistant …

The Association Between The Body Mass Index (Bmi) Of African American College Women And Their Exposure To Magazine Advertisements, Candice P. Prince

All ETDs from UAB

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the association between body mass index (BMI) and exposure to magazine advertisements among African-American college women aged 19 to 29. This study also sought to determine how personal, behavioral, and environmental factors affect the BMI of African-American college women. A sample of 252 African-American college women enrolled in undergraduate degree programs in the Southeast United States completed a web-based survey on their weight-related health behaviors and magazine usage. Descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations, and multivariable regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Bivariate correlations showed significant associations between BMI and several …

Altered Dna Methylation Of Repetitive Elements May Explain The Modified Risk Of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (Cin) Associated With Genetic Polymorphisms Of The Folate Metabolic Pathway In The Us Post Folic Acid Fortification Era, Suguna Badiga

All ETDs from UAB

Despite the controversy regarding the adverse effects of exposure to higher folate concentrations on health outcomes particularly cancer, there has been paucity of research to understand the biological mechanisms affected by such exposures in relation to the risk of developing pre-cancer or cancer. We have recently addressed this concern by demonstrating that higher plasma folate concentrations were not associated with greater risk of being diagnosed with higher grades of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN 2+) especially in women with sufficient plasma vitamin B12 concentrations. Higher plasma folate was also associated with a pre-cancer protective level of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) …

Comparison Of Vitamin D Supplementation Regimens In Pediatric Patients With Cystic Fibrosis, Julianna Bailey

All ETDs from UAB

COMPARISON OF VITAMIN D SUPPLEMENTATION REGIMENS IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS WITH CYSTIC FIBROSIS JULIANNA BAILEY CLINICAL NUTRITION ABSTRACT The objective of this randomized prospective study was to determine the most efficacious form of vitamin D supplementation for pediatric patients with Cystic Fibrosis (CF). We hypothesized that 50,000 IU monthly cholecalciferol would be as effective in raising serum 25-hyrdroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations as routine daily supplementation of 1000-2000 IU cholecalciferol in pediatric patients with CF, birth to 20 years of age, over a period of 3 months. Data collected at baseline included serum 25(OH)D concentration, gender, genotype, race, age, FEV1, height, weight, …

Vitamin D And Insulin Sensitivity Among African American And European American Adolescents And Adults, Jessica Alejandra Alvarez

All ETDs from UAB

Adequate vitamin D status is associated with a reduced risk for type 2 diabetes (T2DM); the relationship may be mediated by insulin sensitizing effects of vitamin D. African Americans (AA) are at a greater risk for T2DM and insulin resistance, as well as vitamin D deficiency, compared to European Americans (EA). The primary objective of this dissertation was to investigate the independent relationships of vitamin D with various measures of insulin sensitivity. Investigations were performed in a series of studies involving adolescent and adult female cohorts. The intravenous glucose tolerance test-derived insulin sensitivity index (SI) or the oral glucose tolerance …

Effects Of Growth Factor Induced Pathways On Differentiation Of The Human Neuronal Cell Line Sh-Sy-5y., Ashish D. Dwary

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Background: The VSNL1 gene product, Visinin-like-protein-1 (VILIP-1), is a member of the neuronal EF-hand Ca2+-sensor protein family. Previously, VILIP-1 mRNA and protein expression were shown to be altered in animal models and in schizophrenia patients. VILIP-1 influences cytosolic cAMP levels, cell migration, exocytotic processes and differentiation in the periphery. This raises the question, whether similar to other potential schizophrenia susceptibility genes, such as Disc1, PDE4B and Akt, VILIP-1 may be associated with schizophrenia-related measures, and if it could mechanistically affect cAMP signaling and neurite outgrowth in neurons. Methods: 627 people with schizophrenia and 541 control subjects were ascertained and the …

Organizational Configurations And Strategies Related To Financial Performance In Medical Group Practices: A Test Of Porter's Generic Strategies, Todd Brenton Smith

All ETDs from UAB

Research in the field of organizational configurations (OC) involves the formation of groups of firms that are similar to each other on certain characteristics, and dissimilar from other groups, and explores organizational performance differences between the groups (Ketchen & Shook, 1996; Short, Payne, and Ketchen, 2008). However, OC is replete with literature lacking in common key terms, measurement methods, and specification of variables, and too few empirical articles with a strong theoretical basis have been published (Short, Payne, & Ketchen, 2008). Porter's (1980, 1985) generic strategies are a specific typology within the field of OC that have been used extensively …

"The Role Of Health Promotion In Physical Therapy Survey" Reliability And Validity Testing", Jaca Stephens

All ETDs from UAB

ABSTRACT Purpose: Physical therapists (PTs) have a unique opportunity to play a meaningful role in educating patients on health and wellness to prevent chronic conditions, such as cardiac disease, cerebrovascular disease, pulmonary disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. No instrument has been validated to measure physical therapists' views on health promotion and their practices. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of a health promotion survey designed for physical therapists. Method: An expert panel of 9 physical therapists assessed the content validity of "The Role of Health Promotion in Physical Therapy Survey." as developed by Rea …

Role Of Nr4a3 Nuclear Receptor In Physiological Regulation Of Metabolism, Grace R. Walton

All ETDs from UAB

Nuclear receptor NR4A3 (NOR-1, MINOR) mediates transcriptional responses to ß-adrenergic signaling, is increased in insulin sensitive mice and humans, and enhances insulin-stimulated glucose transport in cultured adipocytes and myocytes. We therefore sought to determine the role of NR4A3 in in vivo adipose tissue and skeletal muscle physiology. Following adipose-specific NR4A3 over-expression in mice, we observed reduced circulating epinephrine due to enhanced catabolism of catecholamines in adipose tissue. Furthermore, this reduction in circulating epinephrine produced broad physiological consequences, including poor glucose tolerance, reduced insulin sensitivity, dyslipidemia, poor cardiac function, and behavioral alterations. In skeletal muscle, we show that NR4A3 protein associates …

Rafinesque And Transylvania’S First Botanical Garden, Charles T. Ambrose

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Five Early American Botanists: Works And Opinions Of Rafinesque, Charles T. Ambrose

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Carolus Linnaeus (Carl Von Linné), 1707-1778: The Swede Who Named Almost Everything, Charles T. Ambrose

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Narrative Exercise: Introduction To Therapeutic Communication In The Psychiatry Clerkship, David A. Garrison, Julia Frank

E-Learning Modules

Introduction: In medical school, much time is devoted to teaching students to elicit disease-centered histories from their patients. The narrative exercise supplements this traditional focus by requiring students to develop a person-centered narrative for one patient under their care. While the ultimate test of a diagnosis is the verification of the diagnosis by tests or treatment outcome, the ultimate test of a patient-centered narrative is whether the patient accepts it as a legitimate characterization of his or her experience.

Methods: The psychiatry clerkship directors at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and George Washington University School of Medicine have …

Traveling Exhibit: The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases From A State Hospital Attic, Laura J. Hall

Posters and Presentations

The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic was a traveling exhibit that explored the stories of patients from the Willard Psychiatric Center in New York, whose personal belongings were discovered after the institution closed in 1995. The exhibit highlighted the intersection of mental health, poverty, and systemic failures in care. Through a series of public events including panel discussions on homelessness, health equity, and mental health policy, the exhibit aimed to raise awareness and promote dialogue on mental health issues. Curated locally by Laura J. Hall and funded by the New Mexico Humanities Council, it was …

Los Caminos Del Enfermo En Una Comunidad K’Iche’ De Guatemala: Una Contribución Del Análisis De Redes Al Estudio De Los Comportamientos De Búsqueda De Atención En Salud, Alejandro Cerón

Anthropology: Faculty Scholarship

Introducción: El objetivo de este estudio fue ampliar la comprensión sobre los comportamientos de búsqueda de atención a través del análisis de las transiciones que las personas hacen entre distintas alternativas terapéuticas. Metodología: Una encuesta de prevalencia de enfermedad en 229 unidades domésticas de la comunidad, detectó 92 personas con algún padecimiento agudo, a quienes se entrevistó para establecer las acciones que tomaron respecto a la enfermedad. Las acciones correspondieron a una de las siguientes categorías: esperar, remedios caseros, compra de medicinas, o uso de profesionales (tradicionales, biomedicina o sanación divina). Estas categorías terapéuticas se tabularon en una matriz idéntica …

Identification Of Issues Faced By Cancer Survivors, Kathy Sevedge Rn, Ma, Aocn

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

An Assessment Of The Factors That Affect The Self-Care Behaviors Of Diabetics, Gregory Ellis

All ETDs from UAB

various heteroskedastic analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) models with orthogonal

The Impact Of Ehr Systems On Physician Productivity And Performance, Anantachai Panjamapirom

All ETDs from UAB

This study examines the relationship between electronic health record (EHR) adoption and physicians' operational productivity and financial performance. The resource-based view of the firm (RBV) was utilized as a theoretical framework to develop and address four hypotheses. Specifically, the first two hypotheses address the impact of EHR adoption status (i.e., electronic- vs. paper-based medical records), and the other two hypotheses focus on the length of EHR adoption (i.e., years of EHR adoption). This cross- sectional study used secondary data from the 2008 physician compensation and production survey conducted by the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA). Multiple linear regression analysis was …

Age Bias In Physicians' Recommendation For Physical Activity, Adherence, And Health Related Quality Of Life Among Individuals With Arthritis, Shamly Austin

All ETDs from UAB

The association between individuals' ages, physicians' recommendations for physical activity, adherence, and health related quality of life among individuals with arthritis was examined using the 2007 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. The sample included 33,071 individuals with self-reported, physician-diagnosed arthritis who were 45 years or older. To answer the research questions, three sets of data were created: a whole sample (n=33,071), those 45-64 years old (n=17,607), and those 65 years or older (n=15,464). The conceptual framework for the study was based on the Behavioral Model of Health Services Utilization. The variables of interests were physicians' recommendations for physical activity, adherence …