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University of Alabama at Birmingham

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Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities

"For Red, For Blue, For Blow": Acquisition Of Gang Membership Among Early Adolescents, Joanna L. Gaines Jan 2010

"For Red, For Blue, For Blow": Acquisition Of Gang Membership Among Early Adolescents, Joanna L. Gaines

All ETDs from UAB

Adolescent gang membership is increasing across the United States, and gang membership is associated with multiple negative outcomes including increased morbidity and mortality. Previous research on gangs and gang membership has established the factors of age, gender, poverty, hopelessness, conduct problems, and harsh or inconsistent parenting techniques as contributing towards adolescent gang membership acquisition. Additional factors such as academic achievement and popularity may also affect adolescent risk for gang membership acquisition. Consistent with Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979), gang membership likely results from a complex interplay of adolescents' individual characteristics and external factors, such as parent-child relationships and neighborhood …


Project-Induced Displacement, Secondary Stressors, And Health, Yue Cao Jan 2010

Project-Induced Displacement, Secondary Stressors, And Health, Yue Cao

All ETDs from UAB

It is estimated that 15 million migrants displaced by development projects every year in the world. However, research on health impacts of project-induced displacement is insufficient. The existing literature concerning the causal effect of migration on health is inconclusive due to the selective nature of migration and other methodological problems. This study employs the stress process model as the major theoretical framework, components from Cernea's IRR model as well as Scudder and Colson's framework are also incorporated to examine the short-term health impact of the displacement resulting from China's Three Gorges Dam Project. I also explore whether the displacement's effect …


Fraspa: A Framework For Synthesizing Parallel Applications, Ritu Arora Jan 2010

Fraspa: A Framework For Synthesizing Parallel Applications, Ritu Arora

All ETDs from UAB

Scientists, engineers and other domain-experts have computational problems that are growing in size and complexity, thereby, increasing the demand for High Performance Computing (HPC). The demand for reduced time-to-solution is also increasing and simulations on high performance computers are being preferred over physical prototype development. Though HPC is gradually becoming indispensible for business growth, the programming challenges associated with HPC application development are a key bottleneck to embracing it on a massive scale. Current high-level approaches for generating HPC applications are either domain-dependent or do not leverage from existing applications. Message Passing Interface (MPI) is the most popular standard for …


Chemically Mediated Macroalgal-Mesograzer Interactions Along The Western Antarctic Peninsula, Craig Farrar Aumack Jan 2010

Chemically Mediated Macroalgal-Mesograzer Interactions Along The Western Antarctic Peninsula, Craig Farrar Aumack

All ETDs from UAB

In the following dissertation, we explore benthic communities along the Western Antarctic Peninsula, specifically, interactions between the immense macroalgal and mesograzer assemblages and how these relationships are chemically mediated. Despite the widespread production of various chemical feeding deterrents throughout the macroalgal community, the system supports an abundant and diverse array of crustacean amphipods. Gut content analysis and stable isotopic signatures indicate that filamentous macroalgae and epiphytic diatoms probably play an important role as dietary constituents, despite their visible absence in the sub-tidal zones. Subsequent palatability and extract feeding assays revealed that none of the filamentous macroalgal material found in amphipod …


Teaching Literature Online In The 21st Century, Virginia Beale Jan 2010

Teaching Literature Online In The 21st Century, Virginia Beale

All ETDs from UAB

Online learning is expanding rapidly in higher education, a development which has led many scholars and educators to examine the benefits and weaknesses of instructional technology. While many scholars have written about the use of technology in teaching composition and English studies in general, there is a lack of scholarly research addressing the specific concerns of college-level literature teachers. In contrast to prevalent practice in the field of literary studies, my thesis addresses both pedagogical and technological questions. I believe that thinking critically about teaching practices in the field of literary studies is particularly important in the 21st century, when …


Challenge Difficulty And Cardiovascular Responses In Mild Cognitive Impairment, Christopher Conley Stewart Jan 2010

Challenge Difficulty And Cardiovascular Responses In Mild Cognitive Impairment, Christopher Conley Stewart

All ETDs from UAB

This study examined the effect of challenge difficulty on cardiovascular responses in patients with Alzheimer's disease and amnestic mild cognitive impairment. It extended from a model characterizing the determinants and cardiovascular consequences of effort in people confronted with performance challenges. One component of this model holds that ability has the potential to accentuate, attenuate, or have no effect on cardiovascular responses. Specifically, lower ability should accentuate cardiovascular responses so long as performers' view a challenge possible and worthwhile. However, lower ability should attenuate cardiovascular responses when it leads to the perception that a challenge is excessively difficult or impossible. The …


Structural Studies Of The Ligand Binding Domain Of The Human Retinoid X Receptor Bound To Retinoids And The Coactivator Peptide Grip-1, Gang Xia Jan 2010

Structural Studies Of The Ligand Binding Domain Of The Human Retinoid X Receptor Bound To Retinoids And The Coactivator Peptide Grip-1, Gang Xia

All ETDs from UAB

Retinoid X receptors (RXRs) are ligand-dependent transcription factors which belong to the nuclear receptor (NR) superfamily. When a ligand binds to RXRs, it activates the protein allosterically for the recruitment of coactivator proteins and enhancement of gene transcription. RXRs form either homodimers or heterodimers with numerous other NRs. Thus, RXRs are involved in many signaling pathways in vivo. 9cRA, Targretin and UAB retinoids are RXR agonists and found to be effective agents to prevent and treat cancers. The structures of retinoid-bound RXRs will be helpful in designing new retinoids. This dissertation focuses on structural studies of the human retinoid X …


Weapon Brandishment Among Impoverished Adolescents: A Longitudinal Approach, Alexis Magdalene Inabinet Jan 2010

Weapon Brandishment Among Impoverished Adolescents: A Longitudinal Approach, Alexis Magdalene Inabinet

All ETDs from UAB

Violence has become increasingly more difficult to ignore in the United States, with homicide and suicide rates among American adolescents being the highest in the world. Firearm deaths have skyrocketed, including unintentional injuries, homicides and suicides; American adolescents are more likely to die from gunshot wounds than all natural causes combined. With homicide continuing to rank as the second leading cause of death among youth, research must focus on diminishing weapon brandishment. Based on prior research and a developmental systems approach to violent behavior, this study explores individual influences on adolescent weapon carrying, including perception of danger, hopelessness, and conflict …


Birmingham's Jewish Women And Social Reform 1880-1980, Kaye Cochran Nail Jan 2010

Birmingham's Jewish Women And Social Reform 1880-1980, Kaye Cochran Nail

All ETDs from UAB

Many historians and scholars have argued that Jewish women kept a low profile during periods of southern social reform since the late nineteenth century. This thesis reveals a little known pattern of activism among some Birmingham Jewish women, encompassing many trends of social change over one hundred years, from 1880 to 1980. Nineteenth century Jewish women immigrants and migrants brought to the South a social conscience rooted in the traditions of their Jewish faith. They mentored their daughters, sisters, and neighbors in the ways of community goodwill. During the Progressive Era, their numbers and voices grew in the public sphere, …


Anger, Cognition, Ideology: What Crash Can Show Us About Emotion, Sue J. Kim Jan 2010

Anger, Cognition, Ideology: What Crash Can Show Us About Emotion, Sue J. Kim

College of Arts & Sciences Professional Work

Sue J. Kim’s essay “Anger, Cognition, Ideology: What Crash Can Show Us About Emotion” argues for the relevance and importance of cognitive studies to ethnic and postcolonial literary studies, and vice versa. After surveying recent developments in the field of cognitive studies, the essay combines cultural and cognitive approaches in order to examine anger in and around the 2005 Paul Haggis film Crash.


The Impact Of Social Support And Social Context On Incidence Of Suicidal Behavior In Low-Income African American Adolescents: A Longitudinal Study, Colin Farrell Jan 2010

The Impact Of Social Support And Social Context On Incidence Of Suicidal Behavior In Low-Income African American Adolescents: A Longitudinal Study, Colin Farrell

All ETDs from UAB

Recognizing the considerable risk of suicidal behavior experienced by the adolescent population, the significant impact of suicide as the cause of death among adolescents, and the reported increasing rates of suicidal behavior among minority populations, there is a growing need for social research regarding the phenomenon. The current study proposes that suicidal behavior among adolescents residing within areas of extreme disadvantage is a direct result of the individual's acquisition of social capital, referred to as `social capital of the disadvantaged.' It is argued that, due to the nature and limited `reach' of the networks developed by teenagers, the resources acquired …


A Multiresolution Approach To The Detection Of Image Discrepancies For Improved Quality Control Of Oligonucleotide Microarray Images, Vetria L. Byrd Jan 2010

A Multiresolution Approach To The Detection Of Image Discrepancies For Improved Quality Control Of Oligonucleotide Microarray Images, Vetria L. Byrd

All ETDs from UAB

The impact of microarrays on biological research has been phenomenal. By enabling scientists to assess the expression levels of thousands of genes simultaneously this high-throughput technology significantly reduces the time spent per experiment and allows for more complicated experiments. The microarray process is a complex series of steps that yields enormous amounts of data in microarray images. The Affymetrix GeneChip® system pioneered microarray technology, creating an image file format that has become standard for microarray image processing. During a microarray experiment, a microarray chip is scanned using a confocal laser scanner that captures the raw data (.DAT). A summary of …


Study Of The Role Of The Amygdala In The Effects Of Stress On Sensory Processing Of The Urinary Bladder, Jennifer Deberry Jan 2010

Study Of The Role Of The Amygdala In The Effects Of Stress On Sensory Processing Of The Urinary Bladder, Jennifer Deberry

All ETDs from UAB

Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a chronic visceral condition of the urinary bladder characterized by pelvic/suprapubic pain, and urinary frequency and urgency. There is no documented cause for IC, but a prominent role for stress in its pathophysiology and presentation are well-documented. In the clinical setting, IC pain-related symptomatology is exacerbated during periods of stress. Numerous laboratory studies of humans and animals have similarly demonstrated stress-induced visceral hypersensitivity. The amygdala is highly connected with physiological stress response systems and pain modulatory pathways, and its connectivity with these systems places it in a unique anatomical position for mediating the reciprocal relationship between …


Parental Well-Being And Child Outcomes Among School-Aged, Prematurely-Born Children., Desiree Maria De Jong Jan 2010

Parental Well-Being And Child Outcomes Among School-Aged, Prematurely-Born Children., Desiree Maria De Jong

All ETDs from UAB

Children born prematurely are at a significantly higher risk than their full-term peers for developing cognitive, behavioral, attention, and executive functioning difficulties by the time they reach school-age. Parents of children born prematurely are also at greater risk for developing symptoms of depression and stress compared to parents of full-term children. However, the literature is conflicting with respect to whether or not parental well-being remains compromised by the time the preterm child reaches school-age. Additionally, much of the research examining this relationship is conducted prior to school-age, with little research beyond these years. A primary purpose of the current study …


Representation, Analysis, And Refactoring Techniques To Support Code Clone Maintenance, Robert Ambrosius Tairas Jan 2010

Representation, Analysis, And Refactoring Techniques To Support Code Clone Maintenance, Robert Ambrosius Tairas

All ETDs from UAB

The existence of code cloning, which represents identical or near identical sections of code, has been documented to occur frequently in software systems. The main purpose of cloning is the reuse of a code fragment that performs some functionality by copying and pasting it to a new location in the source code. Code clones embody a unique form of coupling, because their similarity inadvertently connects their representative sections of code together. This inherent duplication requires attention to be given to all related duplicates, even if just one of these duplicates is being evaluated or changed. Failure to consider all related …


One Of Us Is Gay, Timothy Alan Tipton Jan 2010

One Of Us Is Gay, Timothy Alan Tipton

All ETDs from UAB

This is an original work of creative nonfiction centered on the challenges of living a gay lifestyle during the early years of the AIDS crisis. This work is primarily a memoir, engaging real life events and people, crafted into a chronicle of everyday life in the deep South of the mid 1980s and early 1990s. Aspects of gay life are exposed through the lense of the author's relationship with his first partner. One of Us is Gay provides a graphic exposé of the journey that a young man takes through the vulnerable and innocent awareness of his homosexuality, to the …


Biophysical Studies On Human Telomeric G-Quadruplex Dna: Characterization Of Ligand And Protein Interactions, Jason Scott Hudson Jan 2010

Biophysical Studies On Human Telomeric G-Quadruplex Dna: Characterization Of Ligand And Protein Interactions, Jason Scott Hudson

All ETDs from UAB

G-quadruplex DNAs are higher order nucleic acid structures that have been implicated in the regulation of a number of vital biological processes, including gene transcription and telomeric extension. Guanine rich sequences that are capable of forming G-quadruplex structure are found in the telomeres of chromosomes. The presence of the G-quadruplex structure prevents the binding of telomerase and inhibits the telomeric extension that would result in the immortality of cancer cells. This dissertation describes research that is focused on the biophysical characterization of the G-quadruplex and interactions with a ligand and protein. The anticancer compound, actinomycin D, is demonstrated to bind …


Conformationally Restrained Metallacrown Ethers As Catalysts For The Hydroformylation Of Alkenes, Abha Kaisare Jan 2010

Conformationally Restrained Metallacrown Ethers As Catalysts For The Hydroformylation Of Alkenes, Abha Kaisare

All ETDs from UAB

CONFORMATIONALLY RESTRAINED METALLACROWN ETHERS AS CATALYSTS FOR THE HYDROFORMYLATION OF ALKENES Abha A. Kaisare CHEMISTRY ABSTRACT Chapter1 of this dissertation explores, the monodentatephosphite/ether ligand, (2,2'-C12H8O2)POCH2CH2OCH3 for the in situ hydroformylation of styrene in the presence and absence of alkali metal salts. The catalytic studies with this ligand demonstrate that both the activity and regioselectivity of the catalyst are sensitive to the ligand:Rh molar ratio and to the presence of salts such as LiBPh4*3dme, NaBPh4 and HgCl2. Model complexes for various steps in the catalytic cycle, cis-Mo(CO)4(2,2'-C12H8O2)POCH2CH2OCH3)2, cis-PtCl2(2,2'-C12H8O2)POCH2CH2OCH3)2, and PdCl2(2,2'-C12H8O2)POCH2CH2OCH3)2, have been synthesized and characterized to provide insight into the factors …


Exploring Factors Controlling The Thermal Behavior Of Ammonium Perchlorate And Ammonium Nitrate Energetic Systems, Anthony Justin Lang Jan 2010

Exploring Factors Controlling The Thermal Behavior Of Ammonium Perchlorate And Ammonium Nitrate Energetic Systems, Anthony Justin Lang

All ETDs from UAB

This research project characterizes ammonium nitrate (AN) and ammonium perchlorate (AP) to assist in the parameter optimization of ammonium-salt propellants. Throughout these studies, the effective activation energies for thermal events are identified through the application of the Advanced Isoconversional Method. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), High Pressure DSC (HP-DSC), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), TGA-FTIR evolved gas analysis, density functional calculations, and microscopy techniques were employed to evaluate the systems. The first article studies the thermal decomposition properties of ammonium perchlorate as a function of sample condition. It was discovered that sublimation and decomposition are dependent on particle …


Conditional Well-Posedness And Error Bounds For The Groundwater Inverse Problem, Mary Antoinette Larussa Jan 2010

Conditional Well-Posedness And Error Bounds For The Groundwater Inverse Problem, Mary Antoinette Larussa

All ETDs from UAB

Inverse problems involving elliptic partial differential equations have many physical applications. In 1993, Knowles & Wallace published a variational method of numerical differentiation involving minimization of an energy functional formed from the solution of an associated elliptic equation. This method has been successfully used to estimate the values of the parameters of the groundwater flow equation. The primary focus of this dissertation will be a proof of the stability of this inverse problem. Additionally, I will present theoretical error bounds on the data surface that is constructed for the parameter recovery and results of testing a new numerical algorithm.


The Environmental And Linguistic Linkages Between Poverty And Education, Susan Mccarroll Jan 2010

The Environmental And Linguistic Linkages Between Poverty And Education, Susan Mccarroll

All ETDs from UAB

Statistically, children who live in poverty are unfairly plagued primarily with a life of educational deficits. Researchers are constantly studying this phenomenon and have attributed several factors to the decrease in quality of life seen by impoverished children. For example, quality of the physical environment, of parental care, and of school systems all can play a large role in the intellectual ability of a child living in poverty. Moreover, children who have lower exposure to toxins, such as lead, have higher IQs and better reading ability than children who have had over-abundant exposure to negative environmental factors. Nationally, early education …


Laminations: A Topological Approach, Debra Leigh Mimbs Jan 2010

Laminations: A Topological Approach, Debra Leigh Mimbs

All ETDs from UAB

Given a topological space Z and a function, f : Z --> Z, one may examine the sequence of iterates of f, i.e. {fn(z)} where n is in the set N = {0, 1, 2, ...} for z in the space Z, called the orbit of z. Then one may classify the points of Z based upon their behavior under iterates of f. Specifically, let P : C --> C, where C denotes the complex plane, be a polynomial of degree at least two. We denote by F(P) the Fatou set, which is the maximal open set on which the …


Specialization And Integration Of Brain Responses To Object Recognition And Location Detection, Mark Ryan Pennick Jan 2010

Specialization And Integration Of Brain Responses To Object Recognition And Location Detection, Mark Ryan Pennick

All ETDs from UAB

Visual information in the brain is processed by two distinct pathways, the dorsal and the ventral visual streams, which operate in a parallel and distributed manner. While the dorsal stream, associated with locating objects in space, extends from the occipital towards the parietal lobe, the ventral stream, associated with recognizing objects, projects from occipital to the temporal lobes (Ungerleider & Mishkin, 1982). This division of labor evidenced from lesion studies in monkeys may be rather reductionistic in the context of humans where the experience-driven knowledge base is rich and may prompt neural integration (Mesalum, 2008). The present fMRI study investigated …


Effects Of Caregiving Strain On All-Cause Mortality, Martinique Perkins Jan 2010

Effects Of Caregiving Strain On All-Cause Mortality, Martinique Perkins

All ETDs from UAB

Purpose. This study examined how perceived caregiving strain is related to quality of life, mental and emotional health, and mortality in a large, national sample. Methods. We used 3,714 caregivers from the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study. Participants had to complete baseline, in-home visit, and follow-up interviews to be included. Results. Approximately 12% of the REGARDS sample reported that they provided on-going care to a family member with chronic illness or a disability. Highly strained caregivers had the worst mental, physical, and emotional health but there was evidence of increased social support lessening the relationships …


Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention To Enhance Communication Skills For Cancer Patients, Heather Prayor-Patterson Jan 2010

Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention To Enhance Communication Skills For Cancer Patients, Heather Prayor-Patterson

All ETDs from UAB

Introduction: With nearly 12 million Americans living with or having a history of cancer, the patient-doctor communication process is especially important for this population. Cancer patients are often dissatisfied with the quality of the information they receive regarding their treatment, side effects, symptom control, and the quality of the relationship with their healthcare provider. A patient's self-efficacy during patient-doctor interactions influences the level of trust in his/her doctor, satisfaction with care, and the type of information exchanged. Studies have focused on intervening in patient communication, but there are limitations in the literature, including a focus on improving self-efficacy, addressing communication …


Exploring The Effects Of Limited English Language Proficiency On Disability: A Pilot Study Of Adult Chinese-, Japanese-, And Korean-Language Speakers In The United States, Xiaofei Qiao Jan 2010

Exploring The Effects Of Limited English Language Proficiency On Disability: A Pilot Study Of Adult Chinese-, Japanese-, And Korean-Language Speakers In The United States, Xiaofei Qiao

All ETDs from UAB

This is a pilot study contending that limited language proficiency is associated with disability outcomes for Chinese-, Japanese-, and Korean-speaking Americans in the United States, as determined by application of the Disablement Process model. Using the 5 percent public-use micro-data samples (PUMS) from the United States Census 2000, this study explores the relationship by employing a Poisson regression on these three language groups from a comparative perspective. The findings shed light on the significant effects of limited language proficiency as a predisposing risk factor on disability outcomes and also demonstrate the importance of individual, family, and community characteristics as either …


Drawing A Bath: Works By Robert Henri And George Bellows At The Birmingham Museum Of Art, Mary K. Russell Jan 2010

Drawing A Bath: Works By Robert Henri And George Bellows At The Birmingham Museum Of Art, Mary K. Russell

All ETDs from UAB

This thesis discussing bathing images by Robert Henri and George Bellows located at the Birmingham Museum of Art.


Rammed Earth Houses: An American Vision In The New Deal, Beth Hunter Jan 2009

Rammed Earth Houses: An American Vision In The New Deal, Beth Hunter

Vulcan Historical Review

pp. 85-97


Buildup And Base Development: The Impact Of Urban Warfare On The City Of Saigon, Emily Nelms Jan 2009

Buildup And Base Development: The Impact Of Urban Warfare On The City Of Saigon, Emily Nelms

Vulcan Historical Review

pp. 112-129


Memory With Black Umbrella, Charlene Fix Jan 2009

Memory With Black Umbrella, Charlene Fix

Birmingham Poetry Review

p. 49