Digital Commons Network^™

Metaphors For A New Body Politic: Gaia As Holobiont, Scott F. Gilbert

Biology Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Trace Metal And Nutrient Dynamics Across Broad Biogeochemical Gradients In The Indian And Pacific Sectors Of The Southern Ocean, David J. Janssen, Matthias Sieber, Michael J. Ellwood, Tim M. Conway, Pamela M. Barrett, Xiaoyu Chen, Gregory F. De Souza, Christel S. Hassler, Samuel L. Jaccard

Marine Science Faculty Publications

The Southern Ocean is the largest high-nutrient low-chlorophyll environment in the global ocean, and represents an important source of intermediate and deep waters to lower latitudes. Constraining Southern Ocean trace metal biogeochemical cycling is therefore important not just for understanding biological productivity and carbon cycling regionally, but also for understanding trace metal distributions throughout the lower latitude oceans. We present dissolved Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb and macronutrient concentrations in the Indian and Pacific sectors of the Southern Ocean from the Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition (austral summer 2016-17), which included the first opportunities to study trace metal cycling at the …

Mg/Ca-Temperature Calibration Of Polar Benthic Foraminifera Species For Reconstruction Of Bottom Water Temperatures On The Antarctic Shelf, Elaine M. Mawbey, Katharine R. Hendry, Mervyn J. Greaves, Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand, Gerhard Kuhn, Charlotte L. Spencer-Jones, Erin L. Mcclymont, Kara J. Vadman, Amelia E. Shevenell, Patrycja E. Jernas, James A. Smith

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Benthic foraminifera Mg/Ca is a well-established bottom water temperature (BWT) proxy used in paleoclimate studies. The relationship between Mg/Ca and BWT for numerous species has been determined using core-top and culturing studies. However, the scarcity of calcareous microfossils in Antarctic shelf sediments and poorly defined calibrations at low temperatures has limited the use of the foraminiferal Mg/Ca paleothermometer in ice proximal Antarctic sediments. Here we present paired ocean temperature and modern benthic foraminifera Mg/Ca data for three species, Trifarina angulosa, Bulimina aculeata, and Globocassidulina subglobosa, but with a particular focus on Trifarina angulosa. The core-top data from several …

A Synthesis Of Deep Benthic Faunal Impacts And Resilience Following The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Patrick T. Schwing, Paul A. Montagna, Samantha B. Joye, Claire B. Paris, Erik E. Cordes, Craig R. Mcclain, Joshua P. Kilborn, Steven A. Murawski

Marine Science Faculty Publications

The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill significantly impacted the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGoM) deep benthos (>125 m water depth) at different spatial scales and across all community size and taxa groups including microbes, foraminifera, meiofauna, macrofauna, megafauna, corals, and demersal fishes. The resilience across these communities was heterogeneous, with some requiring years if not decades to fully recover. To synthesize ecosystem impacts and recovery following DWH, the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GOMRI) Core 3 synthesis group subdivided the nGoM into four ecotypes: coastal, continental shelf, open-ocean, and deep benthic. Here we present a synopsis of the deep …

Factors That Influence Persistence Of Biology Majors At A Hispanic-Serving Institution, Shetay Ashford-Hanserd, Kristy Daniel, Dana M. García, Jenn L. Idema

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

To promote diversity within the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce, we must identify factors that influence or hinder historically underrepresented minority (URM) students’ persistence to degrees in STEM. We documented potential factors that influence students’ persistence in an undergraduate biology program and created a 14-item, Likert-scale instrument. We recruited 137 undergraduate biology majors at a Hispanic-serving institution in Texas to report which factors they found influential in their decision to remain enrolled in their degree programs. We used a modified social cognitive career theory model of career choice to guide interpretation of the reported influences and identify patterns …

Mineral Fertilizer Use In Land-Scarce Conditions: Case Of Rwanda, Josaphat Rusisiro Mugabo, Eric Tollens, Jonas Nwankwo Chianu, Bernard Vanlauwe

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

This study was undertaken to investigate the use of mineral fertilizer by smallholder farmers in order to understand the set of factors influencing the decisions of smallholder farmers to use fertilizers in land-scarce conditions. Using descriptive analysis and the Cragg's double-hurdle model, the study identified and analyzed factors that determine smallholder farmer adoption of mineral fertilizers and those that affect the intensity of household mineral fertilizer use. From factors that only influence the decision of smallholder farmers to use mineral fertilizers, distance to fertilizer market and livestock affects it negatively; while farmer association membership, landholding per capita, access to extension …

Divergence In Neuronal Calcium Dysregulation In Brain Aging And Animal Models Of Ad, Adam Ghoweri

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences

Neuronal calcium dysregulation first garnered attention during the mid-1980’s as a key factor in brain aging, which led to the formulation of the Ca²⁺ hypothesis of brain aging and dementia. Indeed, many Ca²⁺-dependent cellular processes that change with age, including an increase in the afterhyperpolarization, a decrease in long-term potentiation, an increased susceptibility to long-term depression, and a reduction in short-term synaptic plasticity, have been identified. It was later determined that increased intracellular Ca²⁺ with age was due to increased Ca²⁺ channel density, elevated release from intracellular Ca²⁺ stores, and decreased Ca²⁺ buffering …

The Biology Of The Influenza D Virus, Jieshi Yu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Influenza D virus (IDV) was first identified in 2011 from clinically ill pigs in America. In nearly a decade since its discovery, the virus has been detected in multiple animal species in a vast region of the globe and is considered an important cause of concern to animal and human health. IDV utilizes cattle as the primary reservoir. The viral infection can cause mild respiratory disease in cattle and has been indicated as a causative agent of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) complex that is the most common and costly disease affecting the cattle industry. Moreover, outbreaks of IDV in swine …

Evaluation Of The Relationship Between Land Use And Water Quality In Kittitas County, Wa, Lindsay Schulz

All Master's Theses

Water in Kittitas County is extremely valuable since it supports farming, recreation, and cultural activities, as well as environmental processes and a diversity of biological life while providing many ecosystem services. However, land conversions required by agricultural and urban land uses can negatively impact water quality and the biological function of the stream. I studied how forested, agricultural, and urban land use affect six streams. Fourteen sites were sampled, once each in July, August, and September 2019. Land use was calculated as a percentage of forested, agricultural, and urban land use within a 100-m buffer of the stream, upstream of …

Strolling The Lingnan Garden = 涓流彩園錄, 2016-2019 : 上冊, Lingnan Gardeners, Kwan Fong Cultural Research And Development Programme, Lingnan University

Lingnan Gardeners Publications 嶺南彩園刊物

This current collection (Part 1) is a documentation of the Lingnan Gardeners project, from January 2016 up till December 2017. The 21 issues of Lingnan Gardeners Newsletter are collected here, which give some sense of what was happening month by month, in words and pictures. Included are also some related articles on the project, academic interviews, reflections on exchange visits and thoughts after gardening.

本結集 (上冊) 是嶺南彩園項目從2016年1月至2017年12月的活動總結。這裡收集了21期《嶺南彩園通訊》，每月發生的活動和留影記錄在這裡。還收錄了一些與項目相關的文章，有學術訪談、交流回顧及參與者感言。

Strolling The Lingnan Garden = 涓流彩園錄, 2016-2019 : 下冊, Lingnan Gardeners, Kwan Fong Cultural Research And Development Programme, Lingnan University

Lingnan Gardeners Publications 嶺南彩園刊物

This current collection (Part 2) is a documentation of the Lingnan Gardeners project, from January 2018 up till December 2019. The 12 issues of Lingnan Gardeners Newsletter are collected here, which give some sense of what was happening month by month, in words and pictures. Included are also some related articles on the project – academic interviews, reflections on exchange visits, thoughts after gardening, as well as information about our partners and Lingnan garden healthy recipes (part one and two).

本結集 (下冊) 是嶺南彩園項目從2018年1月至2019年12月的活動總結。這裡收集了12期《嶺南彩園通訊》，每月發生的活動和留影記錄在這裡。還收錄了一些與項目相關的文章，有學術訪談、交流回顧、參與者感言、夥伴機構介紹及彩園食譜 (上、下)。

Nitrogen Fertilization Decouples Roots And Microbes In Temperate Forests: Impacts On Soil Carbon And Nitrogen Cycling, Joseph E. Carrara

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Since the start of the industrial revolution the burning of fossil fuels has resulted in enhanced nitrogen (N) inputs into temperate forests through atmospheric deposition. As N is the limiting nutrient for tree growth across most forests, these inputs have generally enhanced above-ground biomass accumulation. However, the impacts of added N on soil carbon storage (C) are less straightforward. While the mean N response across studies is an enhancement of soil C, these results are variable with some studies reporting net C losses. The classic paradigm posits that N enhances soil C through negative effects on fungal decomposers. However, some …

Expression Of Soluble, Active, Fluorescently Tagged Hephaestin In Cos And Cho Cell Lines, Eli̇f Si̇bel Aslan, Kenneth N. White, Basharut A. Syed, Kaila S. Srai, Robert W. Evans

Turkish Journal of Biology

Hephaestin (Hp) is a trans-membrane protein, which plays a critical role in intestinal iron absorption. Hp was originally identified as the gene responsible for the phenotype of sex-linked anaemia in the sla mouse. The mutation in the sla protein causes accumulation of dietary iron in duodenal cells, causing severe microcytic hypochromic anaemia. Although mucosal uptake of dietary iron is normal, export from the duodenum is inhibited. Hp is homologous to ceruloplasmin (Cp), a member of the family of multi copper ferroxidases (MCFs) and possesses ferroxidase activity that facilitates iron release from the duodenum and load onto the serum iron transport …

Assessing The Food Safety Culture Of A Dairy Processing Facility In Ireland, Emer Marie Hughes

Theses

ood safety culture has become a prominent topic, with food safety management systems (FSMS), food safety regulations, training and auditing being challenged due to the reoccurrence of foodborne outbreaks. Due to its link with food safety performance, food organisations must have the ability to accurately measure their food safety culture to ensure it is an integral part of the company’s culture. The food safety culture of a dairy processing facility in Ireland was measured quantitatively using a questionnaire which was an adaptation of a food safety climate self-assessment tool. The questionnaire assessed the human dimension of food safety culture such …

Occurrence Of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes On Enset (Ensete Ventricosum) In Ethiopia With Focus On Pratylenchus Goodeyi As A Key Species Of The Crop, Selamawit A. Kidane, Beira H. Meressa, Solveig Haukeland, Trine Hvoslef-Eide, Christer Magnusson, Marjolein Couvreur, Wim Bert, Danny L. Coyne

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Summary - Enset (Ensete ventricosum) is an important starch staple crop, cultivated primarily in south and southwestern Ethiopia. Enset is the main crop of a sustainable indigenous African system that ensures food security in a country that is food deficient. Related to the banana family, enset is similarly affected by plant-parasitic nematodes. Plant-parasitic nematodes impose a huge constraint on agriculture. The distribution, population density and incidence of plant-parasitic nematodes of enset was determined during August 2018. A total of 308 fields were sampled from major enset-growing zones of Ethiopia. Eleven plant-parasitic nematode taxa were identified, with Pratylenchus (lesion nematode) being …

Compassionate Conservation And Elephant Personhood, Arian D. Wallach, Sujeewa Jasinghe, Sudarshani Fernando, Jessica Bell Rizzolo

Animal Sentience

Baker and Winkler (2020) advocate a rehabilitation program that would end the oppression of elephants — not by severing human-elephant relations, but by enabling human-bonded elephants to live a full life. We consider this program within a compassionate conservation framework, which recognises all sentient beings as persons. From this vantage point, we gaze further into the future to ask what direction just human-elephant relations could take: What could emerge from a human-elephant relation once elephants are no longer enslaved and requiring rescue? We envisage a future — beyond captivity and rewilding — of elephant sovereignty.

Changes In Chemical And Microbiological Quality Of Semi-Processed Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia Illucens L.) Larval Meal During Storage, E. Kamau, C. Mutungi, J. Kinyuru, S. Imathiu, S. Ekesi, S. Ekesi, D. Nakimbugwe, K. K.M. Fiaboe

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Edible insects are receiving attention as a protein source in the food and feed sector. However, successful commercialisation requires mass production matched with appropriate processing and storage techniques. The quality of dried and pulverised black soldier fly larvae stored in woven polypropylene (PP) sacks, polyethylene (PE) bags and plastic containers with screw lid (PL) in ambient and refrigerated environments was monitored over six months. Chemical indicators (oxidation, fatty acid profile), microbiological parameters (total viable counts, yeast and moulds, Enterobacteriaceae, presumptive coliforms, Salmonella) and colour change were examined. Temperature and relative humidity of the storage environments were monitored. In the ambient …

Evaluation Of Larval Culture And Conventional Pcr Methods For The Detection Ofstrongylus Vulgaris In Equines Of Iran, Alireza Alborzi, Sara Larki, Abbas Zeinali

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Strongylus vulgaris (S. vulgaris) is known as the equin's most pathogenic nematode due to the extraintestinal migration in mesenteric arterial vessels. Since a few kinds of S. vulgaris can threat the animals' health and working efficiency, high precision and early detection of strongylid nematodes is essential. Traditionally, the larval coproculture method was used frequently for identification of strongylid species. The technique of larval culture is costly, time consuming, and does not have sufficient accuracy and reliability. Here, we critically evaluated the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with larval culture methods for the detection of S. vulgaris eggs in fecal samples. To …

Screening Of Factors Affecting Somatic Callusing And Embryo Induction In Allium Cepa L.Through Plackett?Burman Methodology, Kourosh Keighobadi, Maryam Golabadi, Mahdi Khozaei, Abdol Majid Rezai

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Induction of embryonic callus through available asexual explant culture is applied in the protection and maintenance of cytoplasmic-male sterility and in the maintenance of other lines of onion (Allium cepa L.). Usage of the Plackett?Burman (PB) experimental design has been suggested as a screening method for many variables that influence the desired induction. In order to overcome limitations of standard experimental designs and prioritization of media culture components, a systematic investigation was carried out using the PB design. In this investigation, the effects of different factors such as 2,4-D, putrescine, carbohydrate sources (maltose, sorbitol, and sucrose), silver nitrate, glutamine, and …

Comparative Cognition And Nonhuman Individuality, Catia Correia Caeiro

Animal Sentience

Commentators Washington (2019) and Tiffin (2019) point out that the individual vs. collective dichotomy is much more complex than what is considered in the target article. This commentary will focus on why individuals are more important than collectives. Species differences in cognition and emotional processes and individuals’ feelings and experiences need to be taken into account.

Hear Me Roar, Abigail R. Seethoff

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Hear Me Roar, a compilation of personal essays interspersed with short forms, grapples with the nuances of compliance versus autonomy in the context of the male gaze, beauty standards, and pop culture. The collection also explores what it means to treasure something—another person, an object—and how to express and deepen that affection.

Modelling Silicate - Nitrate - Ammonium Co-Limitation Of Algal Growth And The Importance Of Bacterial Remineralisation Based On An Experimental Arctic Coastal Spring Bloom Culture Study, Tobias R. Vonnahme, Martial Leroy, Silke Thoms, Dick Van Oevelen, H. Rodger Harvey, Svein Kristiansen, Rolf Gradinger, Christoph Voelker

OES Faculty Publications

Arctic coastal ecosystems are rapidly changing due to climate warming, which makes modelling their productivity crucially important to better understand future changes. System primary production in these systems is highest during the pronounced spring bloom, typically dominated by diatoms. Eventually the spring blooms terminate due to silicon or nitrogen limitation. Bacteria can play an important role for extending bloom duration and total CO2 fixation through ammonium regeneration. Current ecosystem models often simplify the effects of nutrient co-limitations on algal physiology and cellular ratios and neglect bacterial driven regeneration, leading to an underestimation of primary production. Detailed biochemistry- and cell-based models …

Nanomedicine-Driven Neuropathic Pain Relief In Rat Model Is Associated With Macrophage Polarity And Mast Cell Activation, Muzamil Saleem

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We explored the immune neuropathology underlying multi-day relief from neuropathic pain in a rat model initiated at the sciatic nerve by using a nanoemulsion-based nanomedicine as a biological probe. The nanomedicine is theranostic: both therapeutic (containing celecoxib drug) and diagnostic (containing near-infrared fluorescent (NIRF) dye) and is small enough to be phagocytosed by circulating monocytes. A model of neuropathic pain is initiated by tying four 1mm spaced knots around the sciatic nerve with chromic gut suture, which results in neuroinflammation, and a resultant pain-like behavior manifests. We show that pain-like behavior reaches a plateau of maximum hypersensitivity 8 days post-surgery, …

Cholesterol Biosynthesis In The Nervous System With An Emphasis On Desmosterolosis, Luke Allen

Theses & Dissertations

Cholesterol biosynthesis is integral to proper neurodevelopment due to the reliance on de novo synthesis of cholesterol in the brain. Disruptions in this process have devastating outcomes for human life characterized by several phenotypic manifestations concomitant with developmental delay. The cholesterol biosynthesis disorder desmosterolosis is an extremely rare disorder with a severe clinical phenotype, however, the models used to study this disease are not well characterized. In addition to genetic disruptions in cholesterol biosynthesis, pharmacological perturbation is an understudied side effect of many commonly prescribed drugs. Here we present a characterization of the sterol profile of the mouse model of …

Succession Of Microbial Populations And Nitrogen-Fixation Associated With The Biodegradation Of Sediment-Oil-Agglomerates Buried In A Florida Sandy Beach, Boryoung Shin, Ioana Bociu, Max Kolton, Markus Huettel, Joel E Kostka

C-IMAGE Publications

The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill contaminated coastlines from Louisiana to Florida, burying oil up to 70 cm depth in sandy beaches, posing a potential threat to environmental and human health. The dry and nutrient-poor beach sand presents a taxing environment for microbial growth, raising the question how the biodegradation of the buried oil would proceed. Here we report the results of an in-situ experiment that (i) characterized the dominant microbial communities contained in sediment oil agglomerates (SOAs) of DWH oil buried in a North Florida sandy beach, (ii) elucidated the long-term succession of the microbial populations that developed in …

Volume 2, Chapter 3-3: Slime Molds: Ecology And Habitats - Bark And Logs, Janice M. Glime

Bryophyte Ecology Subchapters

No abstract provided.

Understanding The Differences In The Radioprotection Activity Of The Vitamin E Tocols, And Their Implications In Developing Effective Radioprotectors, Ujwani Nukala

Theses and Dissertations

With the increased use of ionizing radiation for various purposes like radiotherapy, nuclear power generation, sterilization, the likelihood of intentional or unintentional radiation exposure is increasing and there is an unmet need for effective radiation countermeasures that are safe, efficient, easy to administer. Vitamin-E is a well-known antioxidant, consisting of eight different vitamers, including four tocopherols (α, β, γ and δ) and four tocotrienols (α, β, γ and δ), which are structurally very similar and collectively known as tocols. Though alpha-tocopherol has been considered the primary form of vitamin-E and extensively studied, tocotrienols have recently gained attention for their superior …

The Role Of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids In Blood Pressure Regulation And Secondhand Smoke-Induced Vascular Dysfunction, Emily Anna Wheeler

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) may lower cardiovascular disease risk by reducing blood pressure (BP). We hypothesized that fat-1 transgenic mice, which convert n-6 PUFAs to n-3 PUFAs, would have improved vascular function in BP regulation and following secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure, compared to wild type (WT) mice.

BP was recorded in mice fed an n-6 PUFA, or standard chow diet. On the n-6 PUFA diet fat-1 mice had a lower mean arterial pressure and a greater decrease in diastolic BP when treated with an ACE inhibitor, compared to WT mice. No differences were observed on the chow diet. …

Investigations Of Aerobic Methane Oxidation In Two Marine Seep Environments: Part 2—Isotopic Kinetics, Eric W. Chan, Allan M. Shiller, Dongjoo J. Joung, Eleanor C. Arrington, David L. Valentine, Molly C. Redmond, John A. Breier, Scott A. Socolofsky, John D. Kessler

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

During aerobic oxidation of methane (CH4) in seawater, a process which mitigates atmospheric emissions, the 12C‐isotopologue reacts with a slightly greater rate constant than the 13C‐isotopologue, leaving the residual CH4 isotopically fractionated. Prior studies have attempted to exploit this systematic isotopic fractionation from methane oxidation to quantify the extent that a CH4 pool has been oxidized in seawater. However, cultivation‐based studies have suggested that isotopic fractionation fundamentally changes as a microbial population blooms in response to an influx of reactive substrates. Using a systematic mesocosm incubation study with recently collected seawater, here we investigate the fundamental isotopic kinetics of aerobic …

Lingnan Gardeners Bimonthly Newsletter (No. 46) = 嶺南彩園通訊 (第46期), Lingnan Gardeners, Kwan Fong Cultural Research And Development Programme, Lingnan University

Lingnan Gardeners Newsletter 嶺南彩園通訊

Water spinach 空心菜