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University of Alabama at Birmingham

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Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities

A Rhetoric Of Resolution: The Limits Of Competition, Michael Schandorf Jan 2008

A Rhetoric Of Resolution: The Limits Of Competition, Michael Schandorf

All ETDs from UAB

The idea of competition underlies most all Western cultural practices making conflict inevitable, but understanding the world in terms of constant, perpetual competition limits the development of lasting, adaptive, and constructive solutions to human problems and conflicts. While competition serves the vital functions of quality control and the identification of best practices, the function of “Competition” as a god term betrays a misunderstanding of both the value and process of competition as an instrument, and demonstrates how human conceptualization, mediated by language, can direct the development and acquisition of knowledge into narrow channels and exclude ways of understanding that are …


The Ghost Of Godwin: Intertextuality And Embedded Correspondence In The Works Of The Shelley Circle, James C. Stewart Jan 2008

The Ghost Of Godwin: Intertextuality And Embedded Correspondence In The Works Of The Shelley Circle, James C. Stewart

All ETDs from UAB

The members of the Shelley Circle attempted to live their lives by and produce works consistent with an arguably unrealistic and utopian political value system. Thematically, the writers show remarkable similarity in attempting to render the ideal real. During the period between 1816 and 1819, Percy Shelley, Mary Shelley, and William Godwin were struggling with living their ideals in a harsh reality. I examine two major works from each author: Godwin’s Political Justice and Caleb Williams, Percy Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound and The Cenci, and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Mathilda. In each case (with the exception of Godwin), when moving from …


Human-Centered Semantic Retrieval In Multimedia Databases, Xin Chen Jan 2008

Human-Centered Semantic Retrieval In Multimedia Databases, Xin Chen

All ETDs from UAB

The research described in this dissertation has proposed a human-centered retrieval framework that can automatically retrieve multimedia data based on their semantic content. In particular, the framework queries and searches images and videos in a multimedia database according to their visual content. In order for computers to understand the semantic contents of images and videos, human guidance is necessary. By incorporating the user’s Relevance Feedback (RF) on the retrieval results into the learning and retrieval mechanism, the semantic gap between humans and computers can be gradually bridged. High-dimensional feature vectors of multimedia data can cause a dramatic increase in computation …


Techniques For Context-Free Grammar Induction And Applications, Faizan Javed Jan 2008

Techniques For Context-Free Grammar Induction And Applications, Faizan Javed

All ETDs from UAB

Grammar Inference is the process of learning a grammar from examples, either positive (i.e., the grammar generates the string) and/or negative (i.e., the grammar does not generate the string). Although grammar inference has been successfully applied to many diverse domains such as speech recognition and robotics, its application to software engineering has been limited. This research investigates the applicability of grammar inference to software engineering and programming language development challenge problems, where grammar inference offers an innovative solution to the problem, while remaining tractable and within the scope of that problem. Specifically, the following challenges are addressed in this research: …


Gender Difference In Cardiovascular Risk Indicator And Cardiovascular Disease Among Veterans With Ptsd, Elizabeth Frazier Jan 2008

Gender Difference In Cardiovascular Risk Indicator And Cardiovascular Disease Among Veterans With Ptsd, Elizabeth Frazier

All ETDs from UAB

Using the allostatic load model of disease processes, this study investigated gender differences on cardiovascular risk and cardiovascular disease among PTSD and MDD veterans. Cross-sectional analysis of 884 de-identified veteran's data from four VISN7 primary care clinics was completed via ANCOVAs and binary logistic regression analyses. Veterans with PTSD had significantly higher levels of SBP. Among female veterans without PTSD, MDD was associated with increased DBP. Among veterans with neither PTSD nor MDD, male veterans had higher levels of DBP. Veterans without PTSD and men had higher rates of cardiovascular disease. Study results support continued focus on gender differences in …


Development Of Method For Measurement Of Passive Losses In Cr2+:Znse And Cr2+:Zns Laser Crystals Using Polarized Laser Beam, Anitha Arumugam Jan 2008

Development Of Method For Measurement Of Passive Losses In Cr2+:Znse And Cr2+:Zns Laser Crystals Using Polarized Laser Beam, Anitha Arumugam

All ETDs from UAB

Measurement of total attenuation in transition metal doped crystals is still an opened field and needs further research and development. In this investigation we developed a method for measurement of passive losses in Cr2+:ZnSe and Cr2+:ZnS laser crystals using polarized laser beam. A method for loss measurement, the Transmission Comparison Method, has been taken into consideration and modified to quantify the sample loss which in our case is larger than the extremely small loss measured in the Transmission Comparison Method. The developed method was then used to measure the surface reflectivity losses, intrinsic material absorption, and internal volumetric scattering, all …


Heroes, Jacob Melvin Jan 2008

Heroes, Jacob Melvin

All ETDs from UAB

This thesis is a collection of five personal essays dealing with moral ambiguity. The essays fit into the genre of Creative Nonfiction. Moral ambiguity is a theme that can be traced throughout the history of literature. This thesis blends the elements of literature and nonfiction in order to craft essays around a theme of moral complexity.


The Reproductive Cycle Of Lytechinus Variegatus (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) From The Florida Panhandle, Adele Cunningham Jan 2008

The Reproductive Cycle Of Lytechinus Variegatus (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) From The Florida Panhandle, Adele Cunningham

All ETDs from UAB

The range of the regular echinoid Lytechinus variegatus extends from the Carolinas along the US Atlantic coast to Brazil. To our knowledge, the present study is the northernmost study to examine histology of the reproductive cycle of Lytechinus variegatus. From April 2001 to September 2003, at intervals of about 4-6 weeks, L. variegatus with an average diameter of 45 mm were collected at Eagle Harbor in St. Joseph’s Bay, Florida.. A staging system for gamete development and maturation based on histology of the gonad was devised for female and male L. variegatus. Histology indicated a period of nutrient storage and …


Transition Metal Complexes Of Bis(Phosphorus) Donor Ligands Derived From Multifunctional Diols: Synthesis, Isomerization, Cation Binding, And Catalysis., Samuel Britt Owens Jan 2008

Transition Metal Complexes Of Bis(Phosphorus) Donor Ligands Derived From Multifunctional Diols: Synthesis, Isomerization, Cation Binding, And Catalysis., Samuel Britt Owens

All ETDs from UAB

In Chapter 1, the metallacrown ethers cis-[PdCl2{Ph2P(CH2CH2O)3CH2CH2PPh2-P,P’}] and trans-PtCl2{Ph2P(CH2CH2O)3CH2CH2PPh2-P,P’} were studied. These metallacrown ethers are ideal candidates for the study of the kinetics and thermodynamics of cis-trans isomerizations because of their highly flexible backbones. We have carried out these studies using 31P NMR spectroscopy, and the equilibrium constants and thermodynamic and kinetic parameters for these reactions are reported. Chapter 2 of this dissertation explores the cation binding ability of the tartaric acid backbone proposed as the building block for the ligands developed herein for the hydroformylation of styrene. Binding studies and crystallographic analysis confirmed that incorporating the tartaric acid backbone …


Genaweave: A Generic Aspect Weaver Framework Based On Model -Driven Program Transformation, Suman Roychoudhury Jan 2008

Genaweave: A Generic Aspect Weaver Framework Based On Model -Driven Program Transformation, Suman Roychoudhury

All ETDs from UAB

Legacy software affects critical functions of our daily lives (e.g., general commercial transactions, scientific applications and military defense systems), and represents a significant investment by government, scientific and corporate institutions. As a consequence of the longevity of such systems, existing legacy software is subject to decay over a period of time, making it increasingly difficult to address changing stakeholder requirements. Modern research approaches for software engineering and programming language design, such as aspect-oriented software development (AOSD), have been investigated as effective techniques for improving modularization of software. However, a general trend in research for supporting aspects has focused primarily on …


Characterizing Semantic Memory In Mild Cognitive Impairment, Kelli L. Netson Jan 2008

Characterizing Semantic Memory In Mild Cognitive Impairment, Kelli L. Netson

All ETDs from UAB

Episodic memory is clearly impaired in mild cognitive impairment (MCI), although recent studies have revealed deficits in other cognitive domains such as attention, executive function, and semantic memory. Studies of semantic memory in MCI have been limited by inconsistent use of diagnostic criteria and variability in the measures used. The purpose of this study was to examine semantic memory in a sample of individuals diagnosed with amnestic MCI using Mayo criteria. Performance of individuals with consensus-diagnosed MCI (n=12) was compared to that of normal controls (n=15) on a battery of semantic memory tasks. MANOVA results indicated that the MCI group …


Degradation Of The Huntingtin Polyglutamine Domain By The Proteasome: Implication To Huntington’S Disease, Marie Antoinette Blaize Jan 2008

Degradation Of The Huntingtin Polyglutamine Domain By The Proteasome: Implication To Huntington’S Disease, Marie Antoinette Blaize

All ETDs from UAB

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a progressive autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder. HD results from the genetic mutation that leads to an abnormally expanded polyglutamine (PolyQ) sequence within the protein. The disease is characterized by the accumulation of ubiquitinated mutant htt, suggesting dysfunction of the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Interestingly, there is data suggesting that the proteasome may not have the ability to efficiently degrade abnormally expanded polyglutamine. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that there is proteasome impairment in HD and in cell models that expressed mutant htt, suggesting that mutant htt may cause dysfunction of the proteasome. Therefore, in this study, we further …


Picking Up Rocks, Frankie M. Bradley Jan 2008

Picking Up Rocks, Frankie M. Bradley

All ETDs from UAB

The five short stories in this collection focus thematically on the experiences of a fictional character named Elizabeth Fuller. Each story presents an episode in Fuller’s life in which she develops as an autonomous individual, making independent choices, recognizing her relationships to the surrounding world and other people. At the beginning of the writing process I proposed creating a collection in which transcendentalism served as the philosophical undercurrent in Fuller’s progression through various life stages, working in the literary and philosophical traditions of Thoreau, Hawthorne, Jewett, Alcott, Stoddard, and Dillard. Initially I tried too hard to create ‘transcendentalist’ writing, inundating …


Micro-Raman Spectroscopy And Dry Turning Evaluations Of Nanostructured Diamond Films Deposited On Tungsten-Carbide Lathe Inserts, Thomas Ryan Lawson Jan 2008

Micro-Raman Spectroscopy And Dry Turning Evaluations Of Nanostructured Diamond Films Deposited On Tungsten-Carbide Lathe Inserts, Thomas Ryan Lawson

All ETDs from UAB

Synthetic diamond is increasingly called upon to play important roles in high-tech machining. This thesis follows the progress of nanostructured diamond films deposited on tungsten-carbide lathe inserts by means of MPCVD. Testing of films was done under the rigors of dry turning. Comparisons were made to the performance of uncoated WCCo, polycrystalline diamond compacts (PCD) and microcrystalline diamond (MCD) coated lathe inserts in the categories of surface finish and lifespan. Attempts were also made to correlate nanodiamond film performance to indentation tests and Raman spectroscopy. Raman results indicate that specifically the peak at 1556 cm-1 is detrimental to film lifespan …


The Barbary Wars: Ideology And Politics In Post-Revolutionary America, Christopher R. Null Jan 2008

The Barbary Wars: Ideology And Politics In Post-Revolutionary America, Christopher R. Null

All ETDs from UAB

This thesis examines the build-up to and the events of the First Barbary War (1801-1805) with the purpose of demonstrating that ideological factors significantly influenced the decision to go to war – specifically the republican ideology of Thomas Jefferson and his belief that this ideology represented the essence of the United States and its Revolutionary heritage. As such, Jefferson will be the main focus of this analysis. This focus is justified because it is Jefferson who broke with the policies set by his predecessors and directly engaged the Barbary States with military force. Therefore, to understand why the United States …


Conservational Implications Of Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination, Corie L. Therrien Jan 2008

Conservational Implications Of Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination, Corie L. Therrien

All ETDs from UAB

A variety of reptiles have temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), where incubation temperature determines gender. This form of sex determination has significant conservational implications because it has the potential of producing highly biased sex ratios which can affect the reproductive output of a population. TSD is of particular interest to conservation programs that use hatcheries to artificially incubate the eggs of endangered sea turtles because such programs need to select specific incubation temperatures in an effort to produce a desired sex ratio. This type of sex determination also has evolutionary implications as it may be advantageous for an animal to produce …


Study Of Nano-Mechanical Properties Of 3d Scaffolds Prepared From Polycaprolactone And Hydroxyapatite, Parul Tyagi Jan 2008

Study Of Nano-Mechanical Properties Of 3d Scaffolds Prepared From Polycaprolactone And Hydroxyapatite, Parul Tyagi

All ETDs from UAB

Nanocomposite scaffolds based on nanofibrous polycaprolactone (PCL) and nanohydroxyapatite (nanoHA) with fixed polymer compositions (7.5wt%) but different total wt% were prepared by electrostatic co-spinning to mimic the nanofeatures of the natural extracellular matrix (ECM) for natural bone tissue. Electrospinning is used to produce ultra-fine fibers using a high-voltage electrostatic field. The proposed concentrations of NanoHA in polymer were 0wt%, 10wt%, 20wt%, 30wt%, 40wt%, 50wt%. NanoHA was found to be well dispersed in polymers up to the addition of 30wt%, whereas substantial beading, electro-spraying and agglomeration of HA particles was observed in 40wt% and 50wt%. There are several factors which may …


Quantitative Protein Detection In Serum Samples Using Fiber-Optic Biosensors, Chun-Wei Wang Jan 2008

Quantitative Protein Detection In Serum Samples Using Fiber-Optic Biosensors, Chun-Wei Wang

All ETDs from UAB

We report highly specific and sensitive detection of proteins in serum samples using a combination tapered fiber-optic biosensor (CTFOB) dip-probe. Sandwich immunoassay was used to generate specific fluorescence signal. A novel competitive adsorption strategy was used to reduce the false signal from non specific binding to a negligible level. Moreover, the similar strategy was also used to reduce the loss of target protein and increase the accuracy of immunoassay. The probes do not require pre-treatment with any blocking buffer. The specificity of the sensor was established by using negative control probes. The CTFOB probes were able to detect human interleukin-6 …


Comparison Of Two Methods For Differentiating Negative From Inconclusive Gc-Ms Test Results Using An Isotopic Analog Of The Analyte As The Internal Standard - 11-Nor-Δ9- Tetrahydrocannabinol-9-Carboxylic Acid Example, Laura S. Waters Jan 2008

Comparison Of Two Methods For Differentiating Negative From Inconclusive Gc-Ms Test Results Using An Isotopic Analog Of The Analyte As The Internal Standard - 11-Nor-Δ9- Tetrahydrocannabinol-9-Carboxylic Acid Example, Laura S. Waters

All ETDs from UAB

In the testing of urine samples for illicit drugs by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), a drop in internal standard response is an indicator of possible sample adulteration. In 2007, Dennis V. Canfield (Liu et al. 2007) developed a formula to calculate factor A, an empirically determined value for the lowest acceptable internal standard (IS) signal-to-noise (S/N) response. Using this method, Liu et al. were able to distinguish true negatives from samples showing interference by ibuprofen and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in the detection of 11-nor-9-carboxy-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THCCOOH) in urine samples. To determine if Liu’s method can be universally applied, a set of …


Vulcan Historical Review 11 (Front Matter), Vulcan Historical Review Staff Jan 2007

Vulcan Historical Review 11 (Front Matter), Vulcan Historical Review Staff

Vulcan Historical Review

No abstract provided.


The Bureau Of Outdoor Recreation In Light Of The Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission, Jeremy Richter Jan 2007

The Bureau Of Outdoor Recreation In Light Of The Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission, Jeremy Richter

Vulcan Historical Review

pp. 87-102


Scavengers, Chad Davidson Jan 2007

Scavengers, Chad Davidson

Birmingham Poetry Review

p. 12


Sweet Savage Tool: Poem As Beach Novel, Mark Defoe Jan 2007

Sweet Savage Tool: Poem As Beach Novel, Mark Defoe

Birmingham Poetry Review

p. 15


Revision, Kate Schmitt Jan 2007

Revision, Kate Schmitt

Birmingham Poetry Review

p. 35


Blind Sight, M L. Brown Jan 2007

Blind Sight, M L. Brown

Birmingham Poetry Review

p. 5


After Casablanca, After The Matinee At The Film Festival, Mark Defoe Jan 2007

After Casablanca, After The Matinee At The Film Festival, Mark Defoe

Birmingham Poetry Review

pp. 13-14


Unicorn And Virgin, Cloister Tapestries, Kim Garcia Jan 2007

Unicorn And Virgin, Cloister Tapestries, Kim Garcia

Birmingham Poetry Review

p. 19


Dog, Sandra Kohler Jan 2007

Dog, Sandra Kohler

Birmingham Poetry Review

p. 20


In Winter, Philip Miller Jan 2007

In Winter, Philip Miller

Birmingham Poetry Review

p. 27


Sledge, James Owens Jan 2007

Sledge, James Owens

Birmingham Poetry Review

p. 28