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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
Effects Of Biological, Environmental, And Nutritional Factors On Fecal Pellet Size And Morphology In The Sea Urchin Lytechinus Variegatus, Lacey Nicole Dennis
All ETDs from UAB
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, …
Coevolution Of Sponges And Microbial Symbionts Across Ocean Basins, Zachary Lee Nolen
Coevolution Of Sponges And Microbial Symbionts Across Ocean Basins, Zachary Lee Nolen
All ETDs from UAB
Sponges (phylum Porifera) can comprise a large portion of benthic communities in freshwater and marine environments. Because sponges possess simple body plans and can have substantial phenotypic plasticity within species, reconstructing phylogenies of Porifera based upon morphologies alone has proven difficult. With the advent of nucleic acid sequencing technologies, interest in sponge phylogenetics has significantly increased among researchers. Additionally, sponges host a wide range of microbial symbionts, including the cyanobacterium Synechococcus spongiarum. This study examined the evolution of both sets of organisms in the symbiotic relationship between Aplysina sponges and Synechococcus cyanobacteria. In Chapter 3, gene sequences coding for the …
The Role Of Ih In 4-Aminopyridine Induced Epileptiform Activity, Steven Patrick Palladino
The Role Of Ih In 4-Aminopyridine Induced Epileptiform Activity, Steven Patrick Palladino
All ETDs from UAB
Our laboratory has taken a recent interest in understanding the role Ih plays in epilepsy. Ih is an inward rectifying current which is activated at hyperpolarized membrane potentials. Our lab found that in the freeze lesion epilepsy model, Ih is reduced, EPSP summation is increased, and membrane excitability is increased. In the present study, we used whole cell patch clamp technique to examine the role of Ih in the 4-AP hyperexcitability model. We first wanted to establish the effects of 4-AP on layer 5 (L5) pyramidal neurons. Treatment of L5 pyramidal cells with 4-AP resulted in changes in the intrinsic …
Biology, Ecology, And Conservation Of Hatchling And Post-Hatchling Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys Terrapin Pileata), Tandy Dolin Petrov
Biology, Ecology, And Conservation Of Hatchling And Post-Hatchling Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys Terrapin Pileata), Tandy Dolin Petrov
All ETDs from UAB
The diamondback terrapin has been considered a keystone species along its range in the coastal, brackish estuaries bordering the Atlantic Coast and Gulf of Mexico. Historically, diamondback terrapin populations have been numerous; however, in Alabama; the population has dramatically declined over the past century due to a variety of threats. The threats in Alabama include predation by raccoons, incidental drowning in crab traps, as well as road mitigated mortality. Because of these threats, collaboration efforts between UAB, USA, DISL, and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, a head-start program has been initiated to mitigate the predation of hatchlings. …
Therapeutic Ck2 Inhibition Attenuates Diverse Prosurvival Signaling Cascades And Decreases Cell Viability In Human Breast Cancer Cells, Gary Kenneth Gray
Therapeutic Ck2 Inhibition Attenuates Diverse Prosurvival Signaling Cascades And Decreases Cell Viability In Human Breast Cancer Cells, Gary Kenneth Gray
All ETDs from UAB
Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women worldwide, and it remains a major cause of mortality, thus necessitating further advancements in treatment. In breast cancer, numerous cell signaling pathways are aberrantly activated in order to produce the myriad phenotypes associated with malignancy; such pathways include the PI3K/Akt/mTOR, NF-κB and JAK/STAT cascades. These pathways are highly interconnected, but one prominent lateral enhancer of each is the remarkably promiscuous kinase CK2. CK2 expression has been shown to be elevated in human cancer, thus implicating it in tumorigenesis through its effects on known oncogenic signaling cascades. In this study, differential aberrant …
The Effects Of Estrogen On Learning And Memory, Carol Yvette Harden
The Effects Of Estrogen On Learning And Memory, Carol Yvette Harden
All ETDs from UAB
Learning is the process in which new information is acquired and requires cellular modifications that occur in the hippocampus. These cellular changes can be seen through behavioral modifications which indicate memorization of the previously learned material. Increases in phosphorylation of the extracellular regulated protein kinase (ERK), a subfamily of MAPKs alters synaptic efficacy making it a correlate for learning and memory. Additionally, surges in plasma 17ß estradiol (E2) levels can increase synaptic plasticity, suggesting an importance for the role of E2 in cognition. Both human and animals studies have shown that elevated levels of estrogen correlated to an enhancement in …
The Direct Effects And Vertical Transfer Of Carbonaceous And Metal-Loaded Hydrochars In Aquatic Organisms, Katie Lauren Kohlenberg
The Direct Effects And Vertical Transfer Of Carbonaceous And Metal-Loaded Hydrochars In Aquatic Organisms, Katie Lauren Kohlenberg
All ETDs from UAB
Industrial use of reactive micro- and nano-sized carbonaceous hydrochar (CH) is expanding rapidly. These carbonaceous particulates are synthesized by the pyrolysis of biomass in an industrial process called hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) and have gained attention as a soil conditioner. Additionally, the HTC process is being expanded to coat heavy-metal nanoparticles, such as nano-copper and nano-iron, to prevent surface oxidation of these metals. These carbonaceous particles are likely to undergo secondary reactions with metals, toxicants, or other compounds. There is potential for these carbonaceous particulates to enter watersheds and have deleterious effects on aquatic food web dynamics. In this study, we …
Characterization Of Murine And Human Breast Cancer Stem Cells In Vitro And In Vivo, Carnella Lee
Characterization Of Murine And Human Breast Cancer Stem Cells In Vitro And In Vivo, Carnella Lee
All ETDs from UAB
Breast cancer stem cells (BCa-SC) are considered as a rare population of cells which cause resistance to chemotherapy in breast cancer (BCa). This population is characterized in humans and mice by CD24- CD44+ ALDH1+ phenotype and expresses mesenchymal properties that differ from the normal epithelial CD24+ CD44+ phenotype expressed in the majority of BCa cells. It has been widely accepted that tumor growth is sustained by BCa-SC that are similar to normal stem cells in which they have the ability to self-renew and differentiate. However, unlike their normal counterparts, BCa-SC are rare cells within tumors with the ability to self-renew …
Evaluation Of Municipal Wastewater In The Vicinity Of Birmingham, Alabama For Estrogens Using Vitellogenin Gene Expression In Largescale Stonerollers (Campostoma Oligolepis), Shara Blackwell Legg
Evaluation Of Municipal Wastewater In The Vicinity Of Birmingham, Alabama For Estrogens Using Vitellogenin Gene Expression In Largescale Stonerollers (Campostoma Oligolepis), Shara Blackwell Legg
All ETDs from UAB
Environmental endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) have become a growing threat to the health of humans and wildlife. Numerous studies have demonstrated the presence of EDCs in freshwater aquatic environments. Environmental estrogens, both natural and synthetic, appear to be posing a threat to the reproductive fitness of aquatic organisms. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been identified as significant routes by which the EDCs enter waterways. The egg yolk precursor protein vitellogenin (VTG) has proven to be a useful biomarker that can be used to identify organisms that have been exposed to environmental estrogens. In this study, a quantitative RT-PCR assay for …
Soil Properties Of An Urban Stream Along A Restoration Gradient In The Southern Piedmont, Japhia Melissa Jacobo
Soil Properties Of An Urban Stream Along A Restoration Gradient In The Southern Piedmont, Japhia Melissa Jacobo
All ETDs from UAB
As awareness of the deleterious effects of urbanization on urban watersheds increases, restoration of degraded streams has increased. Ecologists understand the vital role healthy soil plays in nutrient cycling and the revegetation of degraded riparian ecosystems. However, restoration projects in the southeast typically focus on stabilizing streambanks and improving water quality, not recovering soil health. Manipulating riparian soils to facilitate restoration success is common, yet these methods do not influence soil health. This case study sought to discover if the recovery of critical soil properties is possible when the stressor of urbanization has not been removed. Additionally, this case study …
Abnormalities Of Glutamate Neurotransmission Following Traumatic Brain Injury, Christopher Dorsett
Abnormalities Of Glutamate Neurotransmission Following Traumatic Brain Injury, Christopher Dorsett
All ETDs from UAB
This project aims to investigate abnormalities in glutamate neurotransmission in the rat cortex following traumatic brain injury (TBI). The overarching hypothesis is that excessive glutamate release originating at the site of injury begins an excitotoxic cascade leading to increased intracellular calcium and cell death. Glutamate, the primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system, facilitates learning, memory, and other cognitive functions via activation of metabotropic and ionotropic glutamate receptors. A family of Na+- dependent excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) on the plasma membranes of neurons and glial cells facilitate the rapid removal of glutamate from the synaptic cleft, maintaining …
Combined Effects Of Corexit Ec 9500a With Secondary Abiotic And Biotic Stressors In The Rotifer Brachionus Plicatilis, Michael Britt Williams
Combined Effects Of Corexit Ec 9500a With Secondary Abiotic And Biotic Stressors In The Rotifer Brachionus Plicatilis, Michael Britt Williams
All ETDs from UAB
Following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill the dispersant Corexit EC 9500A (C-9500) was applied to facilitate rapid oil degradation. C-9500 toxicity has been evaluated on a number of marine species; however, many of these studies do not account for environmental conditions that may increase negative outcomes related to dispersant exposure in the wild. We examined lethality and behavioral effects of C-9500 exposure on the model marine zooplankton Brachionus plicatilis. We also evaluated interactions of abiotic and biotic stressors that may alter outcomes of exposure. C-9500 exposure at standard husbandry conditions (17.5ppt, 24°C, 200 rotifer*ml-1 density) produced a 24 hr median …
Skeletal Muscle Stem Cell Function Following Burn Injury, Katie Leigh Wilson
Skeletal Muscle Stem Cell Function Following Burn Injury, Katie Leigh Wilson
All ETDs from UAB
The pathophysiological response to burn injuries involves severe inflammation and a hypermetabolic state, both contributing to prolonged muscle atrophy. However, the relationship between inflammation and hypermetabolism following burn injury is poorly defined. Catabolism results from energy storage depletion, in part due to futile substrate cycling, and preferentially involving amino acids. This rapid turnover of amino acids leads to massive, full body muscle wasting. The extent and duration of muscle loss is directly related to the total body surface area burned (TBSA). Severely burned patients may experience metabolic derangements and impaired muscle synthesis for up to two years. In order to …
Exploring Novel System Biology Approaches To Understand The Molecular Mechanisms Of Immune Responses, Cassandra Camille Garbutt
Exploring Novel System Biology Approaches To Understand The Molecular Mechanisms Of Immune Responses, Cassandra Camille Garbutt
All ETDs from UAB
Entire new molecular worlds of immunity and autoimmunity have been unveiled through the lens of systems biology. Although many believe that vertebrates maintain the most complex immune system, a rival to this concept is arising due to a systems' biology perspective of plant immunity. There are various rising systems biology approaches that unveil this previously uncharted territory. The organization of subjects within systems biology including "-omes" and protein-protein interaction networks enhance such exploration. The field of plant immune network biology is growing alike its parts: prevailing computational modeling approaches of biological regulatory network dynamics, rising technologies and availing research avenues …