Digital Commons Network^™

Repeated Observations Of Northern Goshawks Foraging As Terrestrial Predators, Robert A. Miller

Intermountain Bird Observatory Publications and Presentations

The Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis; hereafter goshawk) is a generalist predator occupying boreal and temperate forests of the Holarctic (Squires and Reynolds 1997). The diet of goshawks has been studied in many areas and varies substantially among study sites, but some avian and mammalian genera are consistently represented (Squires and Reynolds 1997, Squires and Kennedy 2006). Within the northern Great Basin of North America, the breeding-season diet of goshawks is often dominated by Belding's ground squirrels (Urocitellus beldingi, also known as Spermophilus beldingi; Younk and Bechard 1994, Miller et al. 2014). The local reliance upon …

A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment Of Nutritionally Equivalent Meals With And Without Pork, Kelli Young

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The following report details a life cycle assessment of several dietary and meal scenarios with and without pork. The goal of the LCA was to identify the impacts of greenhouse gas emissions, water use, and land use of pork containing and porkless diets and meal plans in a field-to-fork analysis. The dietary and meal plan scenarios are iso-caloric meaning they contain the same number of calories. The first set of diets is based on a USDA consumption pattern, 2000 kcal per day. This diet was used to create three other dietary scenarios with and without pork. The USDA recommended food …

The Effects Of Overfeeding On Body Composition: The Role Of Macronutrient Composition - A Narrative Review, Alex Leaf, Jose Antonio

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 10(8): 1275-1296, 2017. Compared to investigations on hypocaloric diets, the effects of chronic overfeeding have been less studied. It has been posited that consuming calories in excess of daily caloric requirements will result in a gain in body weight and in particular fat mass regardless of which macronutrient(s) are consumed. However, recent evidence suggests that there is a quantitative difference in protein versus carbohydrate and/or fat overfeeding as it relates to body composition. Protein overfeeding or the consumption of a high protein diet may not result in a gain in body weight or fat mass …

Climate Change And Food Systems: Assessing Impacts And Opportunities, Meredith T. Niles, Richie Ahuja, Jimena M. Esquivel, Nelson Mango, Mil Duncan, Martin Heller, Cristina Tirado

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Food And Culture Fact Sheet: New Zealand, Une Applied Nutrition Program

All Student-Created Educational Resources

A student-designed food and culture fact sheet.

This Fact Sheet is a brief and concise introduction and outline of the traditional cuisine and culture of New Zealand intended to be a resource for the nutrition community about these subjects. Topics include: traditional food, cultural practices and beliefs, food economics, and eating patterns.

Shopping Pattern And Food Purchase Differences Among Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap) Households And Non-Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Households In The United States, Alison A. Gustafson

Dietetics and Human Nutrition Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Phylogeny And Niche Differentiation On The Diets Of Malagasy Primates, Rebekka S. Hughes

Theses and Dissertations

Previous studies have shown that haplorhine diet is affected by phylogeny; however, until now studies in Malagasy strepsirrhines were lacking. The evolution of differences in Malagasy primates’ diets appears to differ from the pattern shown in haplorhines. My results indicate that niche differentiation may be a stronger predictor of diet.

Baylisascaris Procyonis Impacts Raccoon (Procyon Lotor) Diets, Matthew E. Ingle, Stephen G. Dunbar, Jaynee L. Bartsch, Kyle J. Culbertson, Taylor A. Fulton, Katherine R. Guffey, Aubrey J. Juris, Ashlie N. Nolan, Dan P. Nordquist, Carrie E. Rowlands, Joshua A. Sitler

Stephen Dunbar, PhD

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are the definitive host for raccoon roundworms (Baylisascaris procyonis). Raccoon roundworm is responsible for a dangerous neurological disease known as larva migrans encephalopathy. Raccoons are omnivorous animals and rely on various food items. Dietary analyses help determine how a raccoon changes its diet in response to environmental features. Raccoons eat whatever food resource is most convenient and abundant. Parasite infections can potentially affect host eating habits in order to keep the host alive and active longer. In this study, we analyzed the diets of necropsied raccoons from ten townships of Clark and Greene Counties by examining their …

Evaluating The Impact Of An All-Vegetable Protein Supplement Containing Fat Emulsifiers And Probiotics On Broiler Performance, Jordan Weil

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Currently, several niche markets, such as organic and “all natural”, are marketed within the poultry industry. However, little research has been undertaken to determine the cost-effectiveness of poultry diets used to produce chicken within these markets. Specifically, the economics and resulting profits associated with raising chicken with antibiotic-free, all-vegetable (AV) diets are not evaluated. As national chain restaurants such as Chick-fil-A and Panera Bread begin to mandate poultry suppliers raise chicken without antibiotics and use AV diets, it becomes increasingly important to evaluate the economics for integrators. Given the rapidly changing feeding strategies necessary to respond to consumers’ and wholesalers’ …

Investigation Of The Cultural Context Of Sugars Consumption Behavior In Low-Income Mexican-American Women, Tanya J. Benitez, Colleen Keller, Kathryn Coe, Natasha Tasevska

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Despite the recent federal dietary recommendations to limit consumption of added sugars to less than ten percent of daily caloric intake, there is a gap in published literature examining the influence of food preparation behaviors on sugars consumption among low-income Mexican-American women. The purpose of the study was to describe the cultural context of Mexican-American women in procuring, preparing and presenting added sugars in their families’ diets.

Five focus groups were conducted to examine sugars consumption behavior in thirteen overweight/obese low-income Mexican-American women ages 27-40 years. Themes that emerged during the sessions included: changes in food procurement to include high-sugar …

The Diet Of The Cumberland Plateau Salamander (Plethodon Kentucki) In An Old Growth Forest Of Southeastern Kentucky, Jacob M. Hutton, Steven J. Price, Stephen C. Richter

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Examining the diet of salamanders is important for understanding their effects on invertebrate communities and the interactions among sympatric salamander species. We

examined the diet of the Cumberland Plateau Salamander, Plethodon kentucki (Mittleman), in an old growth forest in southeastern Kentucky. A total of 763 prey items were recovered from 73 salamanders with an average of 10.75 prey items per stomach. The four most important prey groups were Formicidae (ants), Araneae (spiders), Coleoptera (beetles), and Collembola (springtails). Overall, we found a total of 58 different prey types in the stomach contents from 20 invertebrate orders. This study represents one of …

Bacterial Community Ecology Of The Colon In Mus Musculus, Rachel Marie Nettles

Theses and Dissertations

The gut microbiome is a community of closely interacting microbes living in the gastrointestinal tract. Its structure has direct relevance to health. Disturbances to the microbiome, such as due to antibiotic use, have been implicated in various diseases. The goal of this study was to determine how the gut microbiome reacts to and recovers from disturbance caused by antibiotics. Because diet also influences the microbiome, this study included the interaction between diet and antibiotics. Half of the mice in each diet treatment were given antibiotics to disturb their microbiomes. After cessation of antibiotics, mice were paired in combinations within diets …

2017_Murphy Et Al._Food Habits Of A Small Fl Bear Population In Endangered Ecosystem.Pdf, Sean M. Murphy, Wade A. Ulrey, Joseph M. Guthrie, David S. Maehr, Warren G. Abrahamson Ii, Sutton C. Maehr, John J. Cox

Warren G. Abrahamson, II

Preliminary Investigation Into The Use Of Logistic Regression To Predict Parasite Intermediate Hosts. Case Study: Dujardinascaris Waltoni (Nemtatoda: Ascarididae) In The American Alligator (Alligator Mississippiensis), Steven Gabrey, Kelly Franklin, Michael Bodri

Georgia Journal of Science

We present here a case study that illustrates the potential for the use of logistic regression to facilitate identification of a parasite’s intermediate host. We used a full factorial logistic regression to estimate the probability that adult American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) were infected with the ascarid nematode Dujardinascaris waltoni given the alligators’ physical characteristics and stomach contents. The strength of association between a fish-based diet and infection predict fish as the intermediate host taxon. Significant but weaker associations with reptile-mammal and reptile-crustacean diets are likely due to the high percentage of alligator remains present in the stomachs examined, …

Food Of Eastern Moles, Scalopus Aquaticus, On Cumberland Island, Georgia, John O. Whitaker Jr., Carol Ruckdeschel

Georgia Journal of Science

Earthworms are usually the most heavily eaten food of eastern moles, Scalopus aquaticus, and scarabaeid larvae (grubworms), are also often very important. These were the two most important foods of this species on Cumberland Island, Georgia, making up 55.9% of the food by volume. Other important items were beetle larvae (11.3), ants (9.4), and centipedes (4.1). The purpose of this paper is to present information on the food of Eastern Moles on Cumberland Island, Georgia.

Evolution Of Mammalian Migrations For Refuge, Breeding, And Food, Gitanjali E. Gnanadesikan, William D. Pearse, Allison K. Shaw

Biology Faculty Publications

Many organisms migrate between distinct habitats, exploiting variable resources while profoundly affecting ecosystem services, disease spread, and human welfare. However, the very characteristics that make migration captivating and significant also make it difficult to study, and we lack a comprehensive understanding of which species migrate and why. Here we show that, among mammals, migration is concentrated within Cetacea and Artiodactyla but also diffusely spread throughout the class (found in 12 of 27 orders). We synthesize the many ecological drivers of round-trip migration into three types of movement—between breeding and foraging sites, between breeding and refuge sites, and continuous tracking of …

The Transcriptional Regulation Of The Human Angiotensinogen Gene After High-Fat Diet Is Haplotype-Dependent: Novel Insights Into The Gene-Regulatory Networks And Implications For Human Hypertension, A Rana, S Jain, N Puri, M Kaw, N Sirianni, D Eren, Brahma Mopidevi, Anand Kumar

NYMC Faculty Publications

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the human angiotensinogen (hAGT) gene may modulate its transcription and affect the regulation of blood pressure via activation of the renin-angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS). In this regard, we have identified polymorphisms in the 2.5 Kb promoter of the hAGT gene that form two haplotype (Hap) blocks: -6A/G (-1670A/G, -1562C/T, -1561T/C) and -217A/G (-532T/C, -793A/G, -1074T/C & -1178G/A). hAGT gene with Hap -6A/-217A (Hap I) is associated with increased blood pressure whereas, Hap -6G/-217G (Hap II) is associated with normal blood pressure in human subjects. Since RAAS over activity contributes to hypertension in obesity, we have …

The Diet And Subsistence Methods Of The Maya: Their Health And Cultural Consequences From The Pre-Classic Era To Today, Rachel E. Watson

Honors Undergraduate

The Maya, a once great civilization, seemingly vanished without an obvious reason, before the Spanish landed in the region. Some say that their downfall was a result of famine and inadequate nutrition. Surprisingly, most of the archaeological evidence surrounding the Classic Maya diet and subsistence methods indicates that they both adequately sustained the population to the point where there has been practically no change over hundreds of years. Change did not occur to the Maya diet or the classic subsistence methods until the late twentieth century when the tourism industry exploded in the area of the former Maya empire. The …

A Compromised Liver Alters Polychlorinated Biphenyl-Mediated Toxicity, Banrida Wahlang, Jordan T. Perkins, Michael C. Petriello, Jessie B. Hoffman, Arnold J. Stromberg, Bernhard Hennig

Superfund Research Center Faculty Publications

Exposure to environmental toxicants namely polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) is correlated with multiple health disorders including liver and cardiovascular diseases. The liver is important for both xenobiotic and endobiotic metabolism. However, the responses of an injured liver to subsequent environmental insults has not been investigated. The current study aims to evaluate the role of a compromised liver in PCB-induced toxicity and define the implications on overall body homeostasis. Male C57Bl/6 mice were fed either an amino acid control diet (CD) or a methionine-choline deficient diet (MCD) during the 12-week study. Mice were subsequently exposed to either PCB126 (4.9 mg/kg) or the …

Understanding The Association Between Nutrition And Depression By Assessing Diet Quality, Omega-3, Cholesterol, And Sleep Quality In College Students, Kandice H. Abramson

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Depression is one of the most common health problems in college students. Understanding the associations between diet quality, total blood cholesterol, sleep quality, and depressive symptoms could aide in improving the mental health of this population.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between diet quality, omega-3 fatty acid intake, total blood cholesterol levels, sleep quality, and depressive symptoms in college students.

Design: Data were collected from a convenience sampling of participants in a general physical fitness course at Illinois State University. The Healthy Eating Index 2010 (HEI), a composite measure to assess adherence to …

The Diet Of The Cumberland Plateau Salamander (Plethodon Kentucki) In An Old Growth Forest Of Southeastern Kentucky, Jacob M. Hutton, Steven J. Price, Stephen C. Richter

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Terrestrial lungless salamanders are known to reach very high densities in forested ecosystems of the United States.

They can be important for the top down regulation of invertebrates

Diets of 57% (31 of 54) Plethodon salamanders are still poorly known

The Cumberland Plateau Salamander (Plethodon kentucki) is a large plethodontid common in the Central Appalachians, however, its diet is only known from West Virginia

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.18118.47682

Age And Sex-Specific Effect Of Caloric Restriction On Circadian Clock And Longevity-Associated Gene Expression, Arten Andreyevich Astafev

ETD Archive

The rhythms in the expression of circadian clock genes are affected by calorie restriction (CR), a dietary paradigm known to increase lifespan. In our current study, we show that circadian rhythms are influenced by sex and the effects of CR are different between males and females. In particular, we found a group of clock genes which showed a sex-dependent difference in expression, as well as in response to CR (Rev-Erb α, Ror γ and both Cryptochromes: Cry1 and Cry2 genes). Two clock genes showed no difference in expression but their response to CR showed sexual dimorphism (Ror α and Rev-Erb …

Within-Wing Isotopic (Δ2h, Δ13c, Δ15n) Variation Of Monarch Butterflies: Implications For Studies Of Migratory Origins And Diet, Keith A. Hobson, Tessa Plint, Eligio García Serrano, Xiomara Mora Alvarez, Isabel Ramirez, Fred J. Longstaffe

Earth Sciences Publications

Increasingly, stable isotope measurements are being used to assign individuals to broad geographic origins based on established relationships between animal tissues and tissue-specific isoscapes. In particular, the eastern North American population of the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) has been the subject of several studies using established δ²H and δ¹³C wing-tissue isoscapes to infer natal origins of migrating and overwintering individuals. However, there has been no study investigating potential variance that can derive from sub-sampling different regions of the wings, especially those regions differing in pigmentation (orange versus black). Within-wing isotopic (δ²H, …

The Digestive Composition And Physiology Of Water Mites, Adrian Amelio Vasquez

Wayne State University Dissertations

Water mites are a diverse group of arachnids that inhabit aquatic habitats and have been studied in the past for their biodiversity, unique lifecycle, bioindicator species use and for their impact as parasites on insects of human pathological significance such as the mosquito. Water mites are critical in their environment as possible apex predators however, their life cycle and morphological complexity has made taxonomy and description of water mites difficult. Although water mite species richness is estimated at over 6000 species described to date, descriptions of extant North American water mite species are estimated to be only 50% of the …

Population Characteristics And Trophic Interactions Between Pacific Mole Crabs And Redtail Surfperch On Northern California Sandy Beaches, Michelle Lynn Succow

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

A network of marine protected areas (MPAs) was established to protect northern California coastal habitats in December 2012. Populations of two indicator species, Amphistichus rhodoterus (redtail surfperch) and Emerita analoga (pacific mole crabs) were characterized within MPAs and reference sites to provide baseline ecological information for this region. Data were gathered using a series of simple field surveys (hook and line fishing surveys for A. rhodoterus along with core and transect surveys for E. analoga). Relative abundance, lengths, and sex ratios of A. rhodoterus did not differ between MPAs and their respective reference sites, whereas condition (overall health) increased …