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Arts and Humanities

University of Alabama at Birmingham

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The Effects Of Growth Hormone In Human Melanoma Cell Lines, Ashiya Buckels Jan 2018

The Effects Of Growth Hormone In Human Melanoma Cell Lines, Ashiya Buckels

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Melanoma is less common than basal and squamous cell skin cancers, but is the most aggressive form of skin cancer. ~90% of melanomas carry a mutation in the RAS-RAF pathway, which promotes progression by constitutive activation of the extracellular sig-nal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling cascade. BRAF inhibition is an effective line of therapy for advance melanoma, but patients often progress due to the development of several forms of treatment resistance. Therapeutic resistance often results in increased invasion and migration of the cancer into proximal and distant tissues leading to the formation of metastasis. Examination of various cancer genomics data sets using …

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The Effects Of Inter-Age Class Competition On Habitat Use In A Territorial Lizard, David Michael Delaney Jan 2015

The Effects Of Inter-Age Class Competition On Habitat Use In A Territorial Lizard, David Michael Delaney

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All organisms have specific habitat requirements that allow them to properly function in the environment. However, optimal habitats often differ across age classes, and accordingly, juveniles shift habitat choice as they age. Field observations of the brown anole lizard (Anolis sagrei) suggest that juveniles perch in open-canopy areas on low vegetation whereas adults reside in forest edges on higher vegetation. I hypothesized that this age-specific habitat variation is because adults force juveniles to less preferred habitat. To address these issues, I conducted a series of experiments to examine the role of inter-age class competition in driving variation in perch use …

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County-Level Homicide In The United States: An Analysis From A Social Disorganization Perspective, Julien Grayer Jan 2015

County-Level Homicide In The United States: An Analysis From A Social Disorganization Perspective, Julien Grayer

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The United States has the highest rates of homicide among industrialized nations. The analysis of variations in the homicide rate lends itself to interpretation through various theoretical frameworks, one of which is social disorganization. Social disorganization is commonly used as a means to discuss crime in the context of neighborhoods and communities. The argument of social disorganization is that criminal activity is curbed by collective efficacy. That collective efficacy is affected by structural variables such as poverty, residential stability, and heterogeneity. The question then became whether social disorganization could be utilized for county-level analysis. The results showed that social disorganization …

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Effects Of Biological, Environmental, And Nutritional Factors On Fecal Pellet Size And Morphology In The Sea Urchin Lytechinus Variegatus, Lacey Nicole Dennis Jan 2014

Effects Of Biological, Environmental, And Nutritional Factors On Fecal Pellet Size And Morphology In The Sea Urchin Lytechinus Variegatus, Lacey Nicole Dennis

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Sea urchins are an important economic resource for many international fisheries and are an important animal model in developmental biology. Currently, health of cultured sea urchins is evaluated by behavior or through invasive examination of internal tissues. Destructive sampling is not conducive to longitudinal studies and a non-invasive method of evaluating sea urchin health would have practical application. Evaluation of the egesta could provide a valuable predictor of physiological well-being. The size and morphology of fecal pellets produced by the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus under a variety of environmental and nutritional conditions were characterized in terms of 2-dimensional area, length, …

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An Examination Of Secondary Metabolites And Inorganic Acids As Chemical Defenses Against Predation And Fouling In Antarctic And Sub-Tropical Ascidians, Gil Koplovitz Jan 2011

An Examination Of Secondary Metabolites And Inorganic Acids As Chemical Defenses Against Predation And Fouling In Antarctic And Sub-Tropical Ascidians, Gil Koplovitz

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Palatability of outer tissues of 12 species of ascidians from the Western Antarctic Peninsula was evaluated using the sympatric, omnivorous predator fish Notothenia coriiceps and sea star Odontaster validus. Tissues of 100% of those tested were unpalatable to fish, while 58% were unpalatable to sea stars. Lipophilic and hydrophilic extracts of 11 species were incorporated into pellets and tested in fish and sea star bioassays. Only the lipophilic extract from Distaplia colligans caused sea star and fish feeding deterrence. Organic extracts from 10 ascidian species were also examined in food pellet assays using the sympatric, omnivorous amphipod Gondogeneia antarctica. Only …

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Biological, Ecological, And Conservational Implications Of Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination In Sea Turtle Populations, Jennifer Estes Layton Jan 2011

Biological, Ecological, And Conservational Implications Of Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination In Sea Turtle Populations, Jennifer Estes Layton

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Various aspects of TSD were examined in two different sea turtle populations, representing two sea turtle species. Sex ratio was examined in the juvenile portion of the loggerhead sea turtle population in the southeastern U.S. Turtles were captured in the intake channel of the St. Lucie Nuclear Power plant on the central Atlantic coast of Florida. Blood samples were collected from a total of 111 juvenile turtles from May 2005 through April 2007, and the samples were analyzed in a testosterone radioimmunoassay that was validated for use as a sexing technique for sea turtles. The results suggest a significant female-biased …

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Assessment Of Nearshore Distribution And Abundance Of Echinoderms In The Vicinity Of Anvers Island On The Central Western Antarctic Peninsula, Brittny Alysha White Jan 2011

Assessment Of Nearshore Distribution And Abundance Of Echinoderms In The Vicinity Of Anvers Island On The Central Western Antarctic Peninsula, Brittny Alysha White

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Antarctic nearshore benthic communities are known for their unique richness and diversity of marine invertebrates. Bryozoans, soft corals, tunicates, cnidarians, tunicates, sponges and echinoderms are among the dominant groups of marine invertebrates. All five classes of Echinodermata are represented in nearshore waters of Antarctica, however, brittle stars and sea stars are the most classes. Antarctic echinoderms are important in contributing to carbon cycles and benthic production, as well as playing significant roles as determinants of community structure. To date, no systematic quantitative study has been conducted on the echinoderm fauna in nearshore shallow waters of the Antarctic Peninsula. The present …

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Living With Stress: Neighborhood Disadvantage, Social Capital, And Depression, John Porter Lillis Jan 2009

Living With Stress: Neighborhood Disadvantage, Social Capital, And Depression, John Porter Lillis

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No abstract provided.

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