Digital Commons Network^™

The Relationship Between Sunlight And Cerebrovascular Health, Shia T. Kent

All ETDs from UAB

Sunlight radiation may be related to stroke risk through increased vitamin D production. The latter has been associated with a number of conditions including stroke, cognitive function and cardiovascular disease. We performed three sets of analyses to determine whether higher levels of sunlight radiation were associated with lower rates of stroke incidence, all-cause mortality, and cognitive decline. We explored these relationships using the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study, a national longitudinal cohort of 30,239 participants. We merged the participants' residential histories with a ground and satellite-derived NASA dataset to characterize 15-year average sunlight radiation and …

Distributed Graduate Seminars: An Interdisciplinary Approach To Studying Land Conservation, Jessica Owley, Adena R. Rissman

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

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

All ETDs from UAB

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 …

Assisted Migration: A Viable Conservation Strategy To Preserve The Biodiversity Of Threatened Island Nations?, Jessica A. Wentz

Sabin Center for Climate Change Law

Anthropogenic climate change poses a substantial threat to biodiversity. The IPCC estimates that 20-30% of species will face an increased risk of extinction if the average global temperature rises more than 1.5 to 2.5 degrees Celsius. Additional scientific studies indicate that 15-37% of species may become extinct by 2050 due to global warming, based on current emissions trajectories. Domestic and international strategies to manage this threat have traditionally focused on conservation and mitigation. In the last few years, however, policy makers have recognized that near-term climate impacts are inevitable and thus adaptation strategies are required to protect both humans and …

Temporal Changes In Quality Of Life And Environment In New Orleans After Hurricane Katrina, Danielle Johanna Larock

LSU Master's Theses

Understanding and assessing the spatial and temporal changes of quality of life and environment of a community is critical to its sustainable development, especially after a disaster strikes. This study explores an approach that integrates remote sensing with socioeconomic data to assess the temporal changes in quality of life and environment (QOL) using Orleans Parish as an example. Hurricane Katrina, which struck New Orleans in 2005, has had vast implications economically, socially, and environmentally for this city and the surrounding area. Empirically quantifying these concepts will help to rebuild the city more sustainably. This study investigated change in environmental quality …

Variation In Enzymatic Capabilities Of Ectomycorrhizal Fungi Along A Loblolly Pine Successional Gradient, Becky Anne Brasher

Honors Theses

Ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECM) are abundant symbionts of trees in many dominant terrestrial ecosystems. Moreover, ECM communities are speciose and vary in composition over time and space. However, we still understand surprisingly little about variation in function of different ECM species, and thus the consequences of variation in ECM community composition. I studied variation in ECM community composition and enzymatic activities on the roots of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) along a successional gradient from an old field to a second-growth mixed forest in northern Mississippi. I sought to determine not only whether ECM communities changed along the gradient, but also whether …

The Proteomic Response Of Sea Squirts (Genus Ciona Congeners) To Heat Stress: Evidence For Differential Thermal Sensitivities, Loredana Serafini

Master's Theses

The sea squirts Ciona intestinalis and C. savignyi have disparate distribution patterns, which may result from differences in their thermal tolerance limits. Because C. intestinalis, an almost cosmopolitan species, has a more widespread distribution, it is thought that it is better adapted to endure a wide range of temperatures. In order to compare the heat stress response between these two congeners, we studied global changes in protein expression, using a proteomics approach. To characterize the response to extreme heat stress, animals of both species were exposed to temperatures of 22°C, 25°C, and 28°C for 6 h, and then were …

Dormant Ethnobotany: A Case Study Of Decline In Regional Plant Knowledge In The Bull Run Mountains Of Virginia, Susan Rene Leopold

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation introduces and applies the concept of dormant ethnobotany, a concept that helps explain the socio-economic, cultural and ecological aspects and implications of the transition away from active use of ethnobotanical knowledge and the factors that may lead to its re-emergence. Dormant ethnobotany is the study of relationships between people and plants that are inactive, but nonetheless still alive in memories, the historic record, and folklore and thereby capable of reemergence in support of the transition to a more sustainable society. The dissertation extends the field of ethnobotany from its current roots in the dynamic ethnobotany of indigenous peoples. …

Specialization In Plant-Hummingbird Networks Is Associated With Species Richness, Contemporary Precipitation And Quaternary Climate-Change Velocity, B Dalsgaard, E Magard, J Fjeldsa, Amm Gonzalez, C Rahbek, Jm Olesen, J Ollerton, R Alarcon, Ac Araujo, Pa Cotton, C Lara, Cg Machado, I Sazima, M Sazima, A Timmermann, S Watts, B Sandel, Wj Sutherland, J-C Svenning

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Participatory Action Research On Food Security With Urban Women In Cap HaïTien, Haiti: A Feminist Political Ecology Approach, Susan Jennifer Vansteenkiste

Digitized Theses

In Cap Haitien, Haiti, thirty poor urban women volunteered to become participants in a Participatory Action Research project to investigate their own food insecurity. Drawing upon feminist political ecology literature, and combined with recent field work, this research maps the affect of Haiti’s changing food economy on the reproduction of local socio-economic patterns for the procurement of food. Qualitative semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions were employed to elucidate the voices of urban female participants to explain how the global food economy and social norms shape the four arenas in which women bargain for food: the household, community, market and …

Religion, Spirituality, And Suicide Ideation Among Older Adults, Saman Simon M. Tavasoli

Digitized Theses

Abstract and Keywords

Suicide is a significant public health concern among older adults. Few researchers have previously investigated associations among religion, spirituality, and suicide ideation among older adults. Although previous studies have often demonstrated negative associations among these variables, findings are inconsistent. In the present study, we explored associations among religion, spirituality, and suicide ideation in 173 community-residing adults 65 years of age and older (M =73.8, SD = 6,10) recruited from malls, libraries, and local community events. Findings indicate significant associations among measures of religion and spirituality. Religious service attendance differentiated religion from spirituality. Spiritual transcendence was significantly negatively …

Song Complexity And Stereotypy In The Song Sparrow {Melospiza Melodia) As Indicators Of Constitutive Immune Function, Shawn Phillip Kubli

Digitized Theses

Indicator models of sexual selection predict that ornaments may reliably advertise male quality and in particular, viability. Songbird song is a well-studied ornament used by females to evaluate potential mates. In this thesis I examine the reliability of two different aspects of song, thought to develop over different timescales, in indicating immune function of breeding male song sparrows [Melospiza melodia). Immunity was assessed through multiple measures of constitutive innate immune function. Overall, I observed a pattern of constitutive immunity that suggests within- system trade-offs. Moreover, this pattern was associated with measures of song complexity. Male song sparrows with more complex …

A New Species Of Marsupial Frog (Anura: Hemiphractidae: Gastrotheca) From The Río Abiseo National Park In Peru, Edgar Lehr, Alessandro Catenazzi

Edgar Lehr

We describe a new species of Gastrotheca from the Río Abiseo National Park of the San Martín Region in the Andes of northern Peru. The description is based on a series of 29 specimens that were collected between 1989 and 1999 at two localities (Pampa del Cuy, Alpamachay) in the wet puna of the national park between 3380 and 3470 m elevation. The new species has a snout–vent length of 46.9–57.7 mm (53.5 ± 3.0) in females (n = 21), and 35.3–43.8 mm (41.6 ± 3.2) in males (n  =  6). In life, the dorsum is pale grayish brown with …

Observing Copepods Through A Genomic Lens, J. E. Bron, D. Frisch, E. Goetze, S. C. Johnson, C. E. Lee, Grace Wyngaard

Grace Wyngaard

No abstract provided.