Life Sciences Commons^™

Spontaneous Alternating Behavior In Paramecium Caudatum And Paramecium Multimicronucleatum, Nyron K. A. Bovell

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Spontaneous alternating behavior (SAB) describes the tendency of an organism to spontaneously select the unfamiliar direction in a two choice situation. Paramecium is the only microscopic genus in which SAB has been studied. The two earlier studies regarding SAB in Paramecium have come to conclusive, but diametrically opposed results. Designing a single new experiment that incorporates the critical differences in the designs of both studies may help to clarify the results from these earlier studies, and provide an excellent opportunity to better understand the factors that influence SAB.

The overall objective of this research project was to determine whether or …

An Examination Of Psychological Variables Affecting Injured Athletes Prior To Returning To Play, Jessica Marie Meyers

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Injury occurs in a variety of different sports and affects athletes in a number of different ways. Following injury, athletic identity is often lost, bringing upon feelings of anger and depression (Brewer, 1993; Fortunato & Marchant, 1999). As athletes begin to re-enter sports, lower levels of sport-confidence are exhibited (Johnston & Carroll, 1998). Social support has been shown to motivate individuals as well as aid in the overall progress of rehabilitation (Ford & Gordon, 1999; Magyar & Duda, 2000). The purpose of the current study was to determine psychological factors that may influence returning to a sport in which injury …

Concentration Characteristics And Batting Performance In Collegiate Baseball And Softball, Daniel Samess

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This study examined relationships between batting performance, trait anxiety, and concentration style. A predictive analysis was also formed to determine the combination of subscales that may best explain variance in batting performance. To accurately measure these variables, the Sport Competition Anxiety Test (SCAT; Martens, Vealey, & Burton, 1990) and the Batting-specific Test of Attentional and Interpersonal Style (B-TAIS; Albrecht & Feltz, 1987) were employed. Participants consisted of both male collegiate baseball and female collegiate sofitball players located in the southeastern section of the United States. Participants' 2003 batting statistics were utilized to assess batting performance, and participants must have compiled …

Comparative Serological And Molecular Analysis Of Group Viii Spiroplasma From Australia And North America, April Carmita Murphy

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Spiroplasma bacteria (Mollicutes: Spiroplasmataceae) are characterized by motility, helical morphology and are most frequently found in insect guts and phloem tubes of plants. Traditionally, Spiroplasma have been classified by serology. Recent work has generated 16S rDNA sequences that generally correlate with the serological findings. Although the serology and the 16S rDNA sequence analysis clearly classifies strains to the group level, they do not distinguish between strains within the same group. The goal of this project was to investigate the utility of the 16S-23S rDNA intergenic spacer region sequence as a means to distinguish these closely related strains.

We chose Group …

Life Values In Youth Sport: A Qualitative Analysis, Carla J. Schmitt

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A qualitative analysis was used to examine the life values gained and enhanced through participation in youth soccer from the player, coach, and parent perspectives. Nine players, nine coaches, and nine parents were interviewed for this study. Participants were placed in groups according to classification and availability, and participants not available for the group times, were individually interviewed. The interview guides consisted of 11 questions, and two separate guides were used, one for players and one for coaches and parents. All interviews were hand, audio, and video recorded. Triangulation, involving the primary researcher and two additional researchers familiar with qualitative …

The Prevalence Of Disordered Eating Behaviors Among Sorority Versus Non-Sorority Women, Angela Lynn Guzman

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Eating disorders among college women is a serious psychological problem. Disordered eating behaviors were examined and diagnosed at a mid-sized university in southeast Georgia. The target group of this study was university sororities. The purpose of this study was to examine sorority versus nonsorority women to determine if there was a higher prevalence for those involved in sororities to develop disordered eating behaviors.

Surveys were distributed to both sorority and non-sorority women to determine the prevalence of disordered eating behaviors among each group. A quantitative, quasi-experimental design was used in conjunction with the Eating Attitudes Test (Gamer & Garfmkle, 1979). …

A Comparison Of Youth Participation Motives In Organized Sports, Kirsty L. Carrihill

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Youth participation in organized physical activity has increased by more than 5 million in the last decade (Smith & Smoll, 2002). Of the 48 million youth 8 to 16 years old in the United States, 20 million participated in organized sport (Gould & Petlichkoff, 1998; Seefeldt & Ewing, 1997; Smith & Smoll, 2002). Currently, the average age for youth to begin participating in organized sports in, or outside of, school is 11 years old (Klint & Weiss, 1986; Smith & Smoll, 2002). Although participation rates have increased, there are significant numbers of youth who drop out of sport. Over one-third …

Mosquitoes, West Nile Virus, Attractants, Competition, Environmental Conditions, And Insecticide Resistance, Alan Bradley Wells

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The six main objectives of this project were: 1) test for levels of West Nile Virus in mosquitoes collected at a Fulton County Recreational Facility, 2) assay various mosquito oviposition attractants on West Nile virus positive female mosquitoes, 3) test effects of distance between mosquito infusion attractants, 4) determine effects of study site location, treatment, and competition distances on mosquito collections, 5) test for any correlation between environmental factors and mosquito abundance, and 6) measure levels of enzymatic insecticide resistance present in species of female mosquitoes that tested positive for the presence of West Nile Virus. Ofthe two species that …

Organizing Learning And Practice To Enhance The Acquisition Of Psychomotor Skills In Athletic Training, Ansley Y. Hendrick

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No abstract provided.

Behavioral And Reproductive Aspects Of Captive Maxwell's Duiker (Cephalophus Mawellii) Husbandry, Janet Mcneill Mackinnon

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Female Maxwell's duikers (Cephalophus maxwellii) were studied at the Wildlife Survival Center on St. Catherine's Island, Georgia. The objectives were to quantify the effects of housing on activity budgets and progesterone cycling. Four animals were studied across two housing situations: housed individually versus housed in a grouped setting. Behavioral observations revealed no significant change in access to resources, rumination, or repetitive behaviors, once animals were housed together. Fecal samples were collected in order to determine levels of progesterone through radioimmunoassay (RIA). Fluctuations in progesterone levels revealed no clear estrous cycles. Animals showed less variability in progesterone levels and …

The Prevalence Of Human Granulocytic Ehrlichiae In Ixodes Scapularis Ticks In Southeastern Georgia, Heather Anne Merten

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Human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE) is a newly emerging, tick-borne zoonosis in North America. The agent that causes HGE is very similar to Ehrlichia phagocytophilia and Ehrlichia equi, but has yet to be classified as a separate species.

This study was carried out in order to determine the prevalence rate of HGE infection in blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) in insular and mainland sites in southeastern Georgia using nested PCR techniques. Four locations were studied representing 2 barrier islands and 2 mainland sites. We hypothesized that areas that have low levels of human disturbance and are somewhat isolated will …

Determining The Termination Percentage Of Heart Rate Maximum For Submaximal Testing, Julia A. Valentour

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BACKGROUND: In the Fourth Edition of the American College of Sports Medicine's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription (1991). the protocol for the ACSM's submaximal bike test was to terminate the test at 65-70% of the age predicted maximal heart rate. In the Fifth Edition, this was changed to 85% of the age-predicted maximal heart rate.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to find out, by using the ACSM submaximal cycle ergometer test (see Appendix A) if the 85% heart rate maximum termination provides a more accurate estimate of maximal aerobic capacity than the 70% heart rate maximum termination. …

The Relationship Between Jealousy And Self-Esteem In Collegiate Athletes, Paula M. Parker

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Previous research has found contradictory results when examining the possible relationship between jealousy and self-esteem (Guerrero & Afifi, 1998, Mathes & Severa, 1981; Mikulincer, Bizman, & Aizenberg, 1989, Peretti & Pudowski, 1997; Stewart & Beatty, 1985; White, 1981). Jealousy has been most often researched in romantic relationships (Peretti & Pudowski, 1997; Salovey & Rodin, 1986) and social comparison situations (Bers & Rodin, 1984, Mikulincer, Bizman, & .Aizenberg, 1989). Few studies have examined jealousy in an athletic setting. Sport jealousy has received little attention because until recently, there was no reliable instrument to measure jealousy in sport. Pease (1987) investigated the …

An Investigation Of Captive Florida Manatee (Trichecus Manatus Latirostris) Behavior And Social Interactions, Jennifer Sadler Young

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Human impacts such as pollution, habitat alteration, and boating have caused many injuries and deaths of the Florida manatee, Trichechus manutus latirostris. Rehabilitation centers have been established in Florida to help return sick or injured manatees back to the wild. Manatees that are released back to the wild after undergoing rehabilitation in captivity might lose some of their abilities to survive in the wild. A factor that might alter behavior in captive individuals was examined by determining if length of time spent in captivity influenced the behavior of manatees during rehabilitation. Even though all facilities follow similar guidelines, invariable …

A Comparative Study Of The Reproductive Biology Of Sympatric Morning Glories (Ipomoea-Convolvulaceae), Dexter R. Sowell Ii

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Despite the astounding diversity of flowering plants and of mobile organisms that serve as pollinators, sympatric co-flowering plants can potentially share pollinators with each other. This places two selection pressures on plants. First, plants compete for pollinators to visit their flowers and secondly, entice pollinators to be faithful (specialized) and visit only other members of their species. I tested whether sympatric co-flowering plants reduced their selection pressures via temporal partitioning or differential attraction of pollinators using six closely related, sympatric co-flowering morning glories (Ipomoea-Convolvulaceae).

Diurnal flower phenology tightly overlapped, which did not facilitate temporal partitioning of pollinators. However, …

The Reliability And Validity Of The Pacer For 3rd And 4th Grade Males, Jennifer A. Hinely

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BACKGROUND: FITNESSGRAM recommends the use of the PACER, a 20-meter shuttle run, to assess the aerobic ability of children in physical education classes.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the reliability and validity of the PACER for 3rd and 4th grade males. In addition, the reliability and validity of the criterion-referenced standards will be examined.

METHODS: 22 students ran 3 trials of the FITNESSGRAM PACER while wearing the Cosmed K4b2 system.

RESULTS: From the 22 students, the intraclass correlation for the number of laps for trial 2 to trial 3 was 0.81. The reliability of the estimated VO2 from trial 2 to trial …

Group Viii Spiroplasma Of Costa Rica, Kimberly M. Stewart

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Spiroplasma bacteria isolates are classified or identified through a series of serological tests that normally consists of screening, one-way deformation tests, cloning, antisera production, and reciprocal deformation tests. Serological tests on the spiroplasmas are followed by molecular analysis. The standard molecular analysis used for spiroplasmas has been 16S rRNA sequencing. The primary goal ofmy research was to evaluate serologically Group VIII spiroplasmas isolated from tropical Costa Rican tabanids (Diptera: Tabanidae) and to compare them to the temperate North American Group VIII spiroplasmas. A secondary goal was to evaluate both the temperate and tropical Group VIII strains by sequencing the 16S-23S …

The Effects Of Low Ph On Sunfish Assemblages In Southeast Georgia, William Boyd Tate

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No abstract provided.

Effects Of Height And Vegetation On Success Of Bird Nests In Maritime Forests, Sharon M. Defalco

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Nest predation is an important source of mortality in songbirds and may contribute to declines in Neotropical migrants. I used artificial nests baited with fresh Japanese Quail and Zebra Finch eggs in conjunction with observations of natural nests to quantity the ettects ol nest height and vegetation on nest predation on St. Catherine's Island, a barrier island in southeast Georgia. Because of intense browsing by white-tailed deer. I predicted that lower, more exposed nests would be least successful. Artificial nests (n = 389) were placed in the field, and natural nests (n = 49) were observed, durintz April and May …

Use Of Oak Hammocks By Neotropical Migrant Songbirds During Stopover In Coastal South Carolina, Scott Glen Somershoe

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Many species of Neotropical migrant songbirds have been reported to be declining in the last few decades, and the loss and fragmentation of stopover habitat has been implicated as a potential cause of these population declines. To manage properly a fragmented forest landscape for migrating songbirds information is needed on how the size and the habitat of forest fragments influence their use by migrants during stopover. Therefore, I conducted censuses of Neotropical migrant birds in eight oak hammocks of varying size (0.32-3.08 ha) at the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge, Jasper County, South Carolina. Censuses were conducted at 0600-1030 h during …

Cloning And Sequencing Of Sodium-Hydrogen Exchanger In The Gills Of The Long-Horned Sculpin (Myoxocephalus Octodecimspinosus), Danielle Lee Gunning

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No abstract provided.

Detection Of Ehrlichia Chaffeensis In Ticks Of The Georgia Coast And Barrier Islands Using Polymerase Chain Reaction, John Edward Whitlock

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Human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME) is an emerging, zoonosis transmitted to mammals by ixodid ticks. Prevalence of infected ticks and distribution of infection foci indicate relative risk of human exposure to ehrlichiosis and may be influenced by factors such as geographic isolation and human disturbance. To test this, individual and pooled lone star ticks, Amblyomma americanum (L.), collected from 3 populations from the coast and barrier islands of Georgia were screened for Ehrlichia chaffeensis Anderson, Dawson, Jone, and Wilson, the agent of HME. A species-specific, nested polymerase chain reaction (PGR) assay was used to amplify a 572 base pair fragment of …

Temporal And Spatial Variation In Abundance Of Migratory Birds At Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia, Andrew Allen Kinsey

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Migratory birds spend a significant part of each year in transition between their breeding and resting grounds. During this transitional period migrants rely on stopover sites to provide them with the necessary habitat to replenish lost energy stores, rest, and wait for favorable weather conditions before continuing migration. The majority of stopover work related to passerines in North America has occurred along coastal migration routes. Meanwhile, relatively little work has been conducted at inland stopover sites, areas which may be equally important to migrating birds. Kennesaw Mountain is an isolated geographically prominent peak located in the foothills of the southern …

The Effects Of Aerobic And Resistance Training On Mood State And Self-Esteem In Cardiac Rehabilitation, Cyndee M. Lee

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The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of exercise training, aerobic and a combination of aerobic and resistance, on mood state and selfesteem in a sample of cardiac rehabilitation patients. A secondary purpose was to examine the influence of activity level on the psychological benefits received from the training programs. This study was conducted in a pretest/post-test format over an eight week period. Ten phase III participants (male = 9 and female = 1) volunteered from four cardiac rehabilitation centers in Georgia for participation in this study. Each participant read and signed an informed consent form …

Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Arthrography, And Ultrasound In Diagnosing Rotator Cuff Tears: An Evaluation Of Agreement, Andrea Solsona

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Eleven patients who had a clinical suspicion of a rotator cuff tear were referred for a magnetic resonance imaging exam, an arthrographic exam or both. Additionally, all patients received a diagnostic ultrasound exam. The results of the imaging studies were compared to surgical or clinical diagnosis. Arthrography had 100% positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity. Magnetic resonance imaging had 100% PPV, 60% NPV, 78% accuracy, 100% specificity, and 67% sensitivity. Ultrasound had 80% PPV, 50% NPV, 64% accuracy, 75% specificity, and 57% sensitivity. Based on these results, taking into consideration the national average costs …

Spiroplasma Diversity In Two Tabanid Flies And In Vivo Interactions Of Spiroplasma And Entomoplasma, Latonya T. Brown-Derrick

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Chrysops vittatus, a small deer fly, and Tabanus atratus, a horse fly, were captured concurrently in Bulloch County, Georgia during June through September of 1989-1997 Cultures were made from adult females, and the frequency and diversity of spiroplasma carriage were determined by deformation and endpoint testing.

Of the 90 Chrysops vittatus processed, 23 (25 .6%) carried spiroplasmas. The most prevalent spiroplasmas were representatives of group Vlll (20/23): strain B1357 (7/23); Spiroplasma syrphidicola (5/23); S. chrysopicola (4/23); strain TAAS-1 (4/23). Groups XVIII and XXXV were represented by S. Htorale (2/23) and strain B2649 (1/23), respectively.

Of the …

The Effects Of Aerobics And Walking On Social Physique Anxiety And Self-Esteem Of Female College Students, Jessica L. Lloyd

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The purpose of this investigation was to explore the effectiveness of walking and aerobics as a way of modifying body image apprehension and self-esteem of female college students. Participants from this study comprised 88 (25 African Americans and 63 Caucasians) students from a Southeastern university. The participants were administered the 9-item Social Physique Anxiety Scale (SPAS) (Martin, Rejeski, Leary, McAuley, & Bane, 1997) and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) (Rosenberg, 1979). Body composition, body weight, body height, and body mass index (BMI) were also evaluated. The participants performed in a 9-week walking or aerobics physical activity class. At the completion …

The Effects Of A Goal Setting Intervention And Dispositional Optimism/Pessimism On Selected Golf Skills: A Qualitative Design, Matthew James Wilson

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The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a goal setting intervention on selected golf skills over the course of a competitive golf season. A secondary purpose of this study was to investigate a comparison of optimism and pessimism in relationship to goal attainment. Subjects (n=7) were elite golfers from a university men's golf team. A two-month goal setting intervention was implemented consisting of the individual golfers selecting three golf skills from five separate categories (fairways in regulation, greens in regulation, total putts per round, up and downs conversion rate, and putts per green in regulation) to …

Genetic Variation Within And Among Populations Of Florida Burrowing Owls (Athene Cunicularia Floridana), Wendy T. Denton

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This study employed DNA Polymerase Chain Reaction (PGR) and Single-Stranded Conformation Polymorphisms (SSCP) on a mitochondrial control region target to assess population structure and possible gene flow in the Florida Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia floridana), a Florida Species of Special Concern. Although widespread in Florida, Burrowing Owls occur at low densities in semi-isolated populations that are susceptible to extirpation from human development and the demographic consequences of small population size. To better manage these populations, there is a need for data on the population genetic structure of the Florida Burrowing Owl. Therefore, I acquired DNA from Burrowing Owls …

Evaluation Of Coverboards For Sampling Salamanders In South Georgia, Charles Michael Houze Jr.

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Salamanders are important components of many forested communities. However, their fossorial habits and seasonality often make them difficult to sample. The use of artificial coverboards (coverboards) is a relatively new and little-studied technique for monitoring the terrestrial activity of salamanders Coverboards are designed to simulate fallen tree limbs and logs, and to provide a moist refuge for forest salamanders. Despite several studies, questions remain concerning the value of coverboards. Therefore, I conducted an experiment in 1996-1997 to determine whether coverboards are as effective for sampling salamanders as searching natural cover objects such as logs and branches. Using a paired design, …