Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 7 of 7

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Comparison Of Bigheaded Carp Reproduction In Tributaries Of The Illinois And Wabash Rivers, David J. Yff Jan 2022

Comparison Of Bigheaded Carp Reproduction In Tributaries Of The Illinois And Wabash Rivers, David J. Yff

Masters Theses

Understanding environmental conditions that support bigheaded carp (Hypophthalmichthys sp.) reproduction in tributary rivers provides key predictions of their invasion throughout the United States. Past research, primarily in larger order rivers, identified factors such as discharge, temperature, and turbidity as main environmental drivers of bigheaded carp reproduction. I used the variable hydrologic conditions between the Illinois and Wabash Rivers to compare environmental conditions between tributaries of each basin, determine which conditions influence bigheaded carp reproduction in tributaries, and predict tributaries likely to support bigheaded carp reproduction. Three tributaries of the Illinois and Wabash Rivers were sampled for ichthyoplankton from …


Beetle Diversity In Temperate Deciduous Forests With Different Management History In Central Illinois, Syue Ru Chien Jan 2022

Beetle Diversity In Temperate Deciduous Forests With Different Management History In Central Illinois, Syue Ru Chien

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.


Development Of Phase Change Thermal Storage Medium: Cooking With More Power And Versatility, Martin Osei Jan 2022

Development Of Phase Change Thermal Storage Medium: Cooking With More Power And Versatility, Martin Osei

Masters Theses

With an Insulated Solar Electric Cooker (ISEC), a 100 W solar panel directly cooks food while providing 5W off-grid electricity access; but it cooks slowly. Storing the day’s energy with phase change thermal storage allows ISEC to cook more rapidly as well as cook after sunset. The ISEC is made by sticking a 3ohm resistive to an aluminum pot (inner phase change assembly PCA) where another cooking pot fits. The resistive heater is surrounded by a bigger pot (outer PCA) that contains the PCM and is tightly sealed. The solar panel is connected to the resistive heater with a thermal …


Low-Head Dam Removal Increases Functional Diversity Of Stream Fish Assemblages, Adam Christopher Jones Jan 2022

Low-Head Dam Removal Increases Functional Diversity Of Stream Fish Assemblages, Adam Christopher Jones

Masters Theses

Despite the growing number of dam removals to date, very few have been studied to understand their impacts on stream fish communities. Despite being the most common type of dam in the U.S., an even smaller proportion of studies focus on the impacts of low-head dam removals, instead, focusing on the impacts of removal of larger dams. In this study, two previously impounded Illinois rivers were monitored to assess the impacts of low-head dam removal on the functional assemblage of stream fishes. This was accomplished by aggregating fishes into habitat and reproductive guilds, relating community changes to habitat, environmental metrics, …


Deciphering The Role Of Mitochondrial Physiology And Thermal Acclimation In Shaping Whole Organismal Performance Of An Invasive Forest Pest, Essa Alrashdi Jan 2022

Deciphering The Role Of Mitochondrial Physiology And Thermal Acclimation In Shaping Whole Organismal Performance Of An Invasive Forest Pest, Essa Alrashdi

Masters Theses

Environmental factors such as temperature are substantial determinants of the spongy moth, L. dispar, distribution, reproduction, and growth. Accumulating energy reserves at the larval stage is particularly important to L. dispar, since the larvae metamorphose into a fully-grown, non-feeding adult. As non-feeding adults, the energy balance of the pupae must be adequate, to ensure enough energy reserves for adult dispersal, egg maturation and overall persistence of the species in the region. At this stage, environmental temperature also determines daily metabolic demands, and the overall cost of sustaining ecologically relevant activities. Various hypotheses describing a mismatched growth and metabolic …


Cloning Of Root-Specific Promoters In Helianthus Annuus And Populus Trichocarpa, Jacob Murphy Jan 2022

Cloning Of Root-Specific Promoters In Helianthus Annuus And Populus Trichocarpa, Jacob Murphy

Masters Theses

Tissue-specific promoters are a valuable tool in plant biotechnology because they allow for precise spatial control of transgene expression. To identify root-specific promoters in sunflower (Helianthus annuus), sunflower RNA sequence (RNA-seq) data were screened in silico by Pavlidis Template Matching (PTM) with a root-specific template. Eight root-specific genes were identified in sunflower. The 2.5kbp promoter regions of six of these root-specific sunflower genes (HaTOR1L3, HaGOXL3A, HaGOXL3B, HaAPA1, HaPOE1, and HaMOP10) were successfully cloned as well as the 3kbp promoter regions of four root-specific genes previously identified in poplar (Populus trichocarpa …


Differences In The Growth And Bioenergetics Between Centrarchids In A Midwestern Power Plant Lake, Kyle Joseph Rempe Jan 2022

Differences In The Growth And Bioenergetics Between Centrarchids In A Midwestern Power Plant Lake, Kyle Joseph Rempe

Masters Theses

Black Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus and Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus are popular sportfishes that co-occur in similar bodies of water throughout most of the Central and Eastern United States but have distinct thermal physiologies. L. macrochirus is often found in warmer regions of freshwater reservoirs, where P. nigromaculatus tends to exploit cooler regions, especially in power plant cooling reservoirs. The coal-fired Coffeen Power Station ceased energy production in October 2019, providing an ideal scenario to study the organismal effects of the sudden shift in thermal regime. Previous studies showed that P. nigromaculatus inhabited the less thermally-impacted areas of Coffeen Lake, whereas L. …