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Full Issue, Vol. 11

Monographs of the Western North American Naturalist

No abstract provided.

Moving Beyond The State: An Imperative For Genocide Prediction, Hollie Nyseth Brehm

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

Studies of the onset of genocide and accompanying early warning and forecasting efforts have focused almost exclusively on states. This article suggests that genocide prediction must move beyond a purely state-centric approach. Specifically, I suggest three major avenues that will refine and complement existing research and related prediction efforts. These include 1) theorizing and analyzing non-state actors who commit genocide, 2) engaging in conflict-centered approaches, and 3) addressing the onset and triggers of genocide within subnational spaces. I conclude with a discussion of how these three avenues can be pursued simultaneously to inform more robust genocide prevention endeavors.

Hydro-Climatic Dynamics Of Lake Watershed Systems In A Changing Climate, Mussie Tekie Beyene

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the northern hemisphere, winter climate conditions are showing dramatic year-to-year swings. To date, implications of a changing winter climate pattern on individual or regional lakes are poorly understood, particularly in cold regions where seasonal ice appears on lake surfaces. This dissertation investigates the significance of yearly winter climate condition on the health and function of freezing lakes by modeling and characterizing the response of lake ice phenology (and related socio-ecological systems) to winter weather-climate variability. In Chapter 2, several case studies on winter limnology are reviewed to develop a tentative socio-ecological framework that demonstrates the local and regional implications …

The Ecology Of Soil Viruses: Abundance, Distribution, Diversity And Impact On Microbial Community Structure, Xiaolong Liang

Doctoral Dissertations

Viruses as a critical biotic component in all ecosystems have exhibited pronounced ecological significance. The global abundance of viruses in the biosphere has been estimated at 1 x 1031, with 90-95% of these viruses residing in soil and/or sedimentary environments. Despite the apparent greater abundance and diversity, soil virology is under-investigated relative to other environments such as marine and freshwater habitats and soil viral genomic data are underrepresented in public repositories of genetic information. In this dissertation, we investigated the viral abundance, diversity, and virus-host interactions in natural soils and the simulated stimulated subsurface bioremediation environments. We used epifluorescence microscopy …

From Sharks To "The Big Ugly", Kristin Rearden, Joy Bertling

The Rural Educator

This longitudinal case study explored one rural elementary art teacher’s praxis for two years after she participated in professional development sessions on place-based education (PBE). These sessions focused specifically on PBE within the discipline of art for K-12 art educators in a geographically-large southeastern school district. Through surveys, observations, interviews, and document analysis of curricular materials, the researchers investigated the teacher’s experiences with PBE as she taught art in a rural area of the district. Her curricular decisions transitioned from a focus on art reflecting her personal knowledge base to art that built on students’ expressions of, experiences in, and …

Collaborative Drama For The Adult Esl Classroom: A Guidebook For Engaging Adult English Language Learners In Their Oral Language Production Through A Television Series, Molly Mccarthy

Master's Projects and Capstones

ABSTRACT

This field project addresses the lack of engagement in oral language production of adult English as a Second Language (ESL) students in the classroom. To address this issue, this project identifies the reasons behind the lack of engagement in oral language production and suggests the ways in which drama techniques can improve engagement of adult ESL students in their oral language production. This project looks specifically at the positive effects that teaching ESL through the use of a television series will have on students’ engagement of oral language production. With a lens on lowering students’ affective filter, increasing collaboration, …

A Framework For The Development Of A Global Standardised Marine Taxon Reference Image Database (Smartar-Id) To Support Image-Based Analyses, Kerry L. Howell, Jaime S. Davies, A. Louise Allcock, Andreia Braga-Henriques, Pal Buhl-Mortensen, Marina Carreiro-Silva, Carlos Dominguez-Carrió, Jennifer M. Durden, Nicola L. Foster, Chloe A. Game, Becky Hitchin, Tammy Horton, Brett Hosking, Daniel O.B. Jones, Christopher Mah, Marchais C Laguionie, Lenaick Menot, Telmo Morato, Tabitha R.R. Pearman, Nils Piechaud, Rebecca E. Ross, Henry A. Ruhl, Hanieh Saeedi, Paris V. Stefanoudis, Gerald H. Taranto, Michael B. Thompson, James R. Taylor, Paul Tyler, Johanne Vad, Lissette Victorero, Rui P. Vieira, Lucy C. Woodall, Joana R. Xavier, Daniel Wagner

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Reconstructing Energy Flow Through Modern And Historical Marine Communities: Insights From Amino Acid Isotope Analysis, Emma A. Elliott Smith

Biology ETDs

The fundamental currency of life is energy. Organisms need energy to grow, to survive and to reproduce. Understanding the acquisition of energy by consumers is thus a foundational aspect of biological research. This is especially important in the modern era, as impacts of ongoing anthropogenic effects will be mediated or amplified through food webs. Here, I explore how isotopic analysis of individual amino acids – a technique new to ecological studies – can be used to trace energy flow through animal communities in modern and ancient time periods. In particular, I focus on kelp forest food webs, which are nearshore …

A Multivariate Ecological Approach To Delineate Unionid Freshwater Mussel Species, Ava M. Laszlo

Biology Theses

Freshwater mussels represent one of the most imperiled faunal groups on the planet and are critical to freshwater ecosystems. If mussel species are not carefully defined, our conservation plans may miss differences in the habitat needs of different species and the conservation strategies may not be as successful. Because ecological niche models can be used to provide evidence to support similar or dissimilar ecological niches and habitat requirements, I used modelling to forecast suitable habitat for Fusconaia askewi and F. lananensis, two purported threatened Texas species. The modeling results indicated that these species are not ecologically different. Based upon …

Springs Of The Arabian Peninsula: Historical Trends, Current Status And Human Impact In Saudi Arabia, Oman And Jordan, Kamal M. Aljohani

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research was conducted to update previous studies of the springs of the Arabian Peninsula (Saudi Arabia, Oman and Jordan). Approach: 76 springs were surveyed in between March and July 2018: 15 Saudi Arabia, 41 Oman and 20 Jordan to ascertain the current status, water quality and zooplankton benthos and fish communities. Investigation of the changes of biota and chemical parameters downstream from the springs source in Saudi Arabia. Results: Mercury exceeded the WHO and USEPA maximum contaminant level (MCL) in 63 of 76 springs, Aluminum exceeded MCL in 8 of 76 springs, and both were the common dissolved heavy …

Between Earth And Sky: Crafting An Architecture Of Presence, Holly-Lynn Tedder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A duality exists within the experience of architecture. For many years, architects have privileged the intellectual or conceptual dimensions of design over the haptic experience of architecture, compounding a split between mind and body within our highly technologized society. We need an architecture that brings us back to the present moment. By uniting haptic experience with intellectual understanding of place, an Architecture of Presence can create a complete human experience. Explored through the design of an ecological research field laboratory in Shelby Forest, thoughtful crafting of spatial experience using material and light, modulated by contrast, leads to increased awareness and …

The Topographic Signature Of Ecosystem Climate Sensitivity In The Western United States, Zachary Hoylman, Kelsey Jencso, Jia Hu, Zachary A. Holden, Brady W. Allred, Solomon Z. Dobrowski, Nathaniel Robinson, Justin T. Martin, David L.R. Affleck, Carl Seielstad

Montana Climate Office Publications

It has been suggested that hillslope topography can produce hydrologic refugia, sites where ecosystem productivity is relatively insensitive to climate variation. However, the ecological impacts and spatial distribution of these sites are poorly resolved across gradients in climate. We quantified the response of ecosystem net primary productivity to changes in the annual climatic water balance for 30 years using pixel‐specific linear regression (30‐m resolution) across the western United States. The standardized slopes of these models represent ecosystem climate sensitivity and provide a means to identify drought‐resistant ecosystems. Productive and resistant ecosystems were most frequent in convergent hillslope positions, especially in …

Machismo And Consequential Aphrodisiac Consumption In Oaxaca, Mexico, Brianna M. Harguth

Honors Thesis

Aphrodisiacs have been used in many cultures around the world, including, but not limited to those of Greece, Egypt, Rome, and pre-Columbian societies. Aphrodisiacs are substances consumed to increase sex drive, sexual desire, and sexual performance. In Oaxaca, Mexico males are the primary people who consume aphrodisiacs, particularly Olive ridley sea turtles eggs, which are on the brink of extinction. One of the main reasons males consume these so-called aphrodisiacs is to combat erectile dysfunction, which impedes sexual performance. Many of the men who consume the Olive ridley sea turtle eggs possess traits associated with machismo, a form of masculinity …

Characterizing Dryland Ecosystems Using Remote Sensing And Dynamic Global Vegetation Modeling, Abdolhamid Dashtiahangar

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Drylands include all terrestrial regions where the production of crops, forage, wood and other ecosystem services are limited by water. These ecosystems cover approximately 40% of the earth terrestrial surface and accommodate more than 2 billion people (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005). Moreover, the interannual variability of the global carbon budget is strongly regulated by vegetation dynamics in drylands. Understanding the dynamics of such ecosystems is significant for assessing the potential for and impacts of natural or anthropogenic disturbances and mitigation planning, and a necessary step toward enhancing the economic and social well-being of dryland communities in a sustainable manner (Global …

Crime And Greenspace: Extending The Analysis Across Cities, Samuel Scott Ogletree

All Dissertations

The role of greenspace in urban areas has become a focus of research as municipalities seek to increase the quality of life in cities. Multiple benefits are found to be associated with greenspace, but disservices such as crime are often overlooked. Studies investigating the link between crime and greenspace have revealed mixed results and been limited in geographic scope. This dissertation sought to examine the crime and greenspace relationship, extending the analysis to multiple cities in order to describe how the relationship may vary in different contexts. Additionally, one possible cause of crime, increased temperatures, was investigated to determine how …

Species Richness And Ecological Diversity Of Myxomycetes And Myxomycete-Like Organisms In The Tropical Forests Of Brazil, Isadora Lima Coelho

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Tropical rain forests cover less than two percent of Earth's surface, yet they sustain the greatest diversity of living organisms on the planet. Tropical rain forests cover nearly 73% of the Brazilian territory and besides harboring some of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet, this vast area also houses about 83% of the Brazilian population. Approximately 175 million people live in urban and rural areas with fragments of coverage of these biomes which contributes to the loss of biodiversity that rapidly increases over the years. Furthermore, the majority of the taxonomic and ecological efforts to describe and protect the …

The Urgent Need For Legal Scholarship On Firearm Policy, Dru Stevenson

Buffalo Law Review

Restrictions on federal funding for research pertaining to firearm policy have stymied academic inquiry by social science and public health researchers for over two decades. As a result, most researchers agree that our public discourse about this urgent issue is woefully under-informed, or even ill-informed, on both sides of the debate. Legal academia, which does not operate under the same grant-writing regime as most other disciplines, can and should help fill this gap in researching and theorizing the unresolved questions related to firearm policy. In fact, theoretical development and clarification from the legal academy is often a necessary antecedent for …

Anti-Inflammatory Effects Of Cruciferous And Apiaceous Vegetables In C57bl/6j Mice Colon, Rosa Moreno Narvaez

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Previous studies have demonstrated chemo-preventive potential of cruciferous and apiaceous vegetables against colon cancer. Colon inflammation is one condition closely related with colon cancer initiation. Therefore, we wanted to compare if total western diet (TWD) was as pro-inflammatory as died-induced obesity (DIO) and a better dietary model for human conditions, and determine if diet supplementation with cruciferous (broccoli, watercress and cabbage) or apiaceous vegetables (celery and parsnip) could reduce dietary inflammation, and which vegetable was more effective.

Male CBL57/6J mice were fed chow for seven days, on day eight, mice were assigned to one of the following diets: American Institute …

Oil Preference In Ants And Arthropod Diversity In Urban Environments, Itzel Guzman-Hernandez

Honors Theses

The success of certain ant species in urban areas is largely unknown. Available food in the environment could affect the composition of ants in urban areas due to a possible relationship between ant physiology and diet. I tested the oil preference of ants as a function of available arthropod prey in urban environments. I hypothesized that as arthropod diversity decreased, ant abundance at oil baits would decrease. Oil is an important nutrient that can affect ant body functions and activities. Ant foraging activities have been found to be affected by lipid depletion. A food source where ants can obtain oil …

Ecology And Conservation Of Shrubland Bird Communities In The Eastern Ghats Of Indi, Anant Deshwal

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Anthropogenic disturbance, in its multiple facets represents a major threat to biodiversity and habitat quality. Consequently, extensive research is guided towards understanding anthropogenic disturbance and their effects on wildlife for development of wildlife management plans. However, for development of effective wildlife management plans it is imperative that we understand the habitat use and preference by local fauna along with effects of anthropogenic presence. In this dissertation, I studied the habitat usage and preferences of Shrubland birds in the Eastern Ghats of India during the pre-monsoon and post monsoon seasons. Eastern Ghats show a marked difference from pre-monsoon season to post-monsoon …

Development And Employment Of Environmental Dna Methods For The Detection Of Bull Sharks (Carcharhinus Leucas) In A Freshwater And Estuarine Interface In The Mobile-Tensaw Delta And Mobile Bay, Alabama, Katherine Schweiss

Master's Theses

Species conservation and management is influenced by the quality of monitoring methods employed, especially when targeting elusive, but ecologically significant species, like elasmobranchs. Bull Sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) are highly mobile predators that rely on estuaries and freshwater rivers for maturation, resources, and refuge; their ability to withstand changing environmental conditions may mean they are linking ecosystems through their habitat usage and movements. Rather than setting nets or attaching acoustic monitoring devices, which can be expensive, time-consuming, and invasive, the analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) for tracing species presence was used to target C. leucasDNA. The present research …

Effects Of Water Table Depth And Edaphic Characteristics On Plant Diversity In A Southern Mississippi Pitcher Plant Bog, Patrick Kirby

Master's Theses

This study examined the effects that water table depth and soil characteristics have on plant species richness and species composition within pitcher plant bogs across seasons. Eight piezometers were installed at random distances to monitor long-term water table depth and pressure fluctuations along a ~710-meter line transect traversing upland and bog habitats. Vegetation sampling quadrats (n=128) were set up near each piezometer. Cover data and water table depths were collected in spring and late summer. Soil samples collected from each treatment group were used to obtain soil texture and nutrient data. The summer collection period yielded a total gdiversity of …

Ohio Conservation Plan, Revised 2019, For The Plains Gartersnake, Thamnophis Radix, Norman Reichenbach

Faculty Publications and Presentations

This plan outlines strategies and methods used in an ongoing study initiated in 1999 to restore a self- sustaining population of the Plains Gartersnake (Thamnophis radix) in Ohio. Restoring a self-sustaining population would require increases in the current population to where the ratios of T. radix to T. sirtalis are from 1:1 to 1:12.2 in multiple locations in Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area (KPWA). This range of ratios would be similar to what was seen between 1978-80 by Reichenbach and Dalrymple (1986) at one site in KPWA and then more recently (2002 to 2009) by Wynn and Reichenbach (2018) at two …

Enabling High Quality Oxygen Measurements During Robotic Based Studies Of Ocean Ecological And Biogeochemical Processes, Brianna A. Alanis

Theses and Dissertations

Dissolved oxygen is an essential parameter necessary for understanding marine ecological and biogeochemical processes. New robotic vehicles and autonomous platforms are being applied to an even wider range of ecological and biogeochemical studies. Thus, arises the opportunity for matching the best possible oxygen sensing techniques and methods to these new platforms. In so doing, we can enable both more targeted and higher resolution oxygen measurements than previously possible and potentially use oxygen measurements for a wider range of applications, including in situ incubation experiments and primary productivity measurements. This thesis tested three different oxygen sensors in a trade study for …

Mammal Species Inventory Using Various Trapping Methods In Zone 4 Of Billy Barquedier National Park, Belize During Rainy Season, Mersady Redding

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Belize is a small country, but it is extremely ecologically diverse. Based on the few studies conducted in Belize, the abundance of mammals is low but diversity is high. Particular findings note the number and identity of species differed between four sites in the Maya Mountains of Belize, indicating that a data set from a single site is not representative of the Neotropical region. Insufficient data is available to estimate current species richness of many areas in Belize, including Billy Barquedier National Park (BBNP). The objective of this study was to explore trapping and documentation methods of terrestrial mammals in …

An Evaluation Of Unmanned Aerial Systems And Structure-From-Motion For Fluvial Large Wood Sensing And Risk Assessment, Daniel Gerke

Masters Theses

This research aims to show Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) and Structure-from-Motion (SfM) technology can, in combination, improve on traditional large wood (LW) monitoring techniques. More temporally and economically efficient data collected at a finer spatial resolution and greater spatial extent will increase the effectiveness of management plans and risk assessment for LW by providing decision-makers with a complete picture of the river.

Contemporary practices are too inefficient in time and labor for large-scale monitoring of fluvial LW with anything more than the most general management or risk assessment in mind. The paradigm of river research, the river continuum concept (RCC), …

The Effect Of Historic Shipwrecks On Sediment Microbiomes In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Melissa Brock

Master's Theses

Microorganisms are ubiquitously distributed across all aquatic habitats, but it is the environmental conditions of a habitat that determine which microorganisms can thrive in terms of abundance or metabolic activity. Habitats that experience consistent physical and chemical environmental conditions repeatedly favor specific taxonomic groups which may result in a microbial assemblage that is commonly associated with that habitat (i.e., a core microbiome). Core microbiomes have been identified for a variety of natural marine habitats including methane seeps, wood falls, octocoral, and deep-sea sediments. However, it was unknown if the presence of man-made structures on the seafloor, including historic shipwrecks, also …

Multilevel Analysis In Rural Cancer Control: A Conceptual Framework And Methodological Implications, Whitney Zahnd, Sara L. Mclafferty, Jan M. Eberth

Faculty Publications

Rural populations experience a myriad of cancer disparities ranging from lower screening rates to higher cancer mortality rates. These disparities are due in part to individual-level characteristics like age and insurance status, but the physical and social context of rural residence also plays a role. Our objective was two-fold: 1) to develop a multilevel conceptual framework describing how rural residence and relevant micro, macro, and supra-macro factors can be considered in evaluating disparities across the cancer control continuum and 2) to outline the unique considerations of multilevel statistical modeling in rural cancer research. We drew upon several formative frameworks that …

The Association Between Melanoma And Exposure To Arsenic Among U.S. Adults Using The National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey (Nhanes) From 2003 To 2016, Ahmed Bedaiwi

Capstone Experience

Background: Melanoma is a deadly skin cancer at late stages, and its incidence has been increasing significantly over the last ten years in the United States. Chronic exposure to arsenic has been associated in many studies as a risk factor for non-melanoma skin cancer, notably squamous cell carcinoma. However, current knowledge is limited regarding melanoma and long-term arsenic exposure.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using the 2003-2016 cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), to investigate the association between arsenic exposure and self-reported melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer diagnoses. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were conducted. …

Genome-Wide Meta-Analysis Of Macronutrient Intake Of 91,114 European Ancestry Participants From The Cohorts For Heart And Aging Research In Genomic Epidemiology Consortium, Jordi Merino, Hassan S. Dashti, Sherly X. Li, Chloé Sarnowski, Anne E. Justice, Misa Graff, Constantina Papoutsakis, Caren E. Smith, George V. Dedoussis, John Blangero

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Macronutrient intake, the proportion of calories consumed from carbohydrate, fat, and protein, is an important risk factor for metabolic diseases with significant familial aggregation. Previous studies have identified two genetic loci for macronutrient intake, but incomplete coverage of genetic variation and modest sample sizes have hindered the discovery of additional loci. Here, we expanded the genetic landscape of macronutrient intake, identifying 12 suggestively significant loci (P < 1 × 10-6) associated with intake of any macronutrient in 91,114 European ancestry participants. Four loci replicated and reached genome-wide significance in a combined meta-analysis including 123,659 European descent participants, unraveling two novel loci; a common variant in RARB locus for carbohydrate intake and a rare variant in DRAM1 locus for protein intake, and corroborating earlier FGF21 and FTO findings. In additional analysis of 144,770 participants from the UK Biobank, all identified associations from the two-stage analysis were confirmed except for DRAM1. Identified loci might have implications in brain and adipose tissue biology and have clinical impact in obesity-related phenotypes. Our findings provide new insight into biological functions related to macronutrient intake.