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Unbridled Insights: Exploring Equine Behavior Through Gps Tracking And Analysis, Madison L. Philbrick Dec 2023

Unbridled Insights: Exploring Equine Behavior Through Gps Tracking And Analysis, Madison L. Philbrick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Horse behavior in pasture and grazing environments remains understudied, despite the substantial domestic horse population in the United States. This paper explores the utilization of Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to detect equine behavior, specifically focusing on grazing behaviors. By analyzing GPS data from (n=9) Standardbred horses, this study aims to establish the capabilities and accuracy of the Columbus P-1 data logger as a low-cost GPs unit for equine research, without the use of accelerometers. Through the data provided by the GPS unit, a model to distinguish grazing, resting, drinking, walking, trotting, and running was developed with satisfactory detection rates. …


The Relationship Between Social Cognition And Social Behavior Of Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder Using The Ucla Peers® For Young Adults Social Skill Program, Meaghan Balsdon May 2023

The Relationship Between Social Cognition And Social Behavior Of Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder Using The Ucla Peers® For Young Adults Social Skill Program, Meaghan Balsdon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research indicates that social communication impairments are a defining and persistent feature of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). Social communication consists of what an individual knows about social skills (i.e., social cognition) and how they observably respond in social situations (i.e., social behavior). It is difficult to gain a comprehensive assessment of social communication because social cognition assessments are prone to inaccuracies due to poor metacognitive skills in individuals with ASD (DeBrabander et al., 2021; Cederlund et al., 2010; Vickerstaff et al., 2006). Inaccurate reporting of social cognition leads to potential discrepancies in observable …


The Impacts Of Embryonic Arsenic Exposure Of Fundulus Heteroclitus, Torey Bowser Aug 2021

The Impacts Of Embryonic Arsenic Exposure Of Fundulus Heteroclitus, Torey Bowser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Arsenic is a toxic metalloid that exceeds safe drinking water standards in groundwater in many locations worldwide. Arsenic exposure in fish has been linked to destruction of gill tissues, impairment of growth, decreased muscle mass, memory impairment, increased aggression, and avoidance behaviors. We examined the behavior of mummichogs (Fundulus heteroclitus) following arsenic exposure during development in two studies. Embryos were collected from fish from three reference sites: Scorton Creek (SC), Massachusetts, Wells Harbor (WE), Maine, and Block Island (BLOC), Rhode Island and two contaminated sites: Callahan Mine (CM), Brooksville, Maine, and New Bedford Harbor (NBH), Massachusetts. Embryos were …


American Eel Behavior And Survival In An Impounded River System, Matthew A. Mensinger Dec 2020

American Eel Behavior And Survival In An Impounded River System, Matthew A. Mensinger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

After beginning life in the Sargasso Sea, American eel enter river systems as juveniles and swim upstream in pursuit of freshwater habitat. Many encounter dams during this migration which act as barriers to upstream movement and limit eel establishment in headwater systems. Some dams have been retrofitted with fishways to improve watershed connectivity, but the individual selection imposed by these structures remains uncharacterized. We considered whether individual differences in behavior (i.e., personality) may be used to predict the propensity of juveniles to use a passage structure, suggesting that eel personality may predict access to habitat upstream of dams. Migrating, juvenile …


Exploring The Social Effects Of Increased Hiker Use At The Northern Terminus Of The Appalachian Trail, Leah Beck Aug 2020

Exploring The Social Effects Of Increased Hiker Use At The Northern Terminus Of The Appalachian Trail, Leah Beck

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The increase of tourism and outdoor recreation popularity has produced a field of research revolved around the social and environmental impacts of visitors. Past research has shown that understanding visitor use and behavior is essential for influencing management strategies. This study focused on understanding the crowding perceptions and experiences of hikers who summit Maine’s tallest mountain, Mount Katahdin. Katahdin is designated as the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail (AT) which has seen a notable increase in use from long distance hikers in the last 25 years. Increased long-distance AT hikers, and documented issues with hiker behavior in Baxter State …


Discovery Of Distinct Mechanisms Underlying The Relationship Between Drug Taking And Predisposing Behaviors, Tyler A. Roy May 2020

Discovery Of Distinct Mechanisms Underlying The Relationship Between Drug Taking And Predisposing Behaviors, Tyler A. Roy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Drug addiction is a heritable disease characterized by compulsive drug use. The biological mechanisms driving addiction remain largely unknown.1 Previous studies show shared genetic mechanisms underlying addiction risk phenotypes such as anxiety, depression, and novelty/sensation seeking.2,3 Therefore, high-throughput behavioral screening of these traits in single gene knockout mice can allow for the rapid detection of addiction risk candidate genes and mechanisms. Many of these traits are represented in the Knock-Out Mouse Program (KOMP) phenotyping pipeline. Of the initial two hundred twenty-one strains screened in this program, we tested nineteen phenodeviant knock-out mouse strains with C57BL/6NJ controls (N = …


Hydroacoustic Analysis Of The Effects Of A Tidal Power Turbine On Fishes, Haley Viehman Dec 2016

Hydroacoustic Analysis Of The Effects Of A Tidal Power Turbine On Fishes, Haley Viehman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tidal currents help shape coastal marine environments and are essential in life cycles of many fish species. Areas with strong tidal currents are also targeted by humans for energy extraction via tidal energy turbines. The effects of these devices on fishes are difficult to predict because fish behavior within fast tidal currents is largely unstudied. Based at a tidal energy site in Cobscook Bay, Maine, this work sought to describe fish reactions to a tidal energy device, to understand the natural presence of fish at the site, and to provide guidance for future monitoring of tidal energy device effects in …