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Sero-Epidemiology Of Rotavirus Gastroenteritis In Children In Ilorin, Kwara State, Omosigho Omoruyi Pius, Izevbuwa Osazee Ekundayo, Saheed Ibrahim Damilare

Journal of Bioresource Management

Rotavirus is responsible for the most severe dehydrating diarrhea among young children due to gastroenteritis. In this study, we aimed to ascertain the occurrence of childhood gastroenteritis caused by Rotavirus among infants and young children who are younger than 5 years of age in Ilorin, Kwara State and determined the risk factors posing the challenges to be susceptible to diarrhea associated with rotavirus in Ilorin, Kwara State. Diarrhea stool samples were collected from children who passed watery stools, who met predetermined inclusion criteria and who presented at the study hospitals Viz: General Hospital and Specialist Hospital Alagbado and Children Specialist …

Assessing Fish Communities And Habitat Dynamics At The North Platte River-Lake Mcconaughy Interface: Implications For Conservation And Management, Thyme Leesa Taulaki

Biology Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity

The river-reservoir interface (RRI) provides dynamic habitat heterogeneity that influences fish communities within the reservoir and the tributary upstream. However, little is known about the North Platte River-Lake McConaughy interface. Thus, the objectives of this research were to: 1) describe fish assemblages in the North Platte River and relate their temporal differences to water quality and physical habitat parameters; and 2) compare young fish communities collected with different gears in the upper reservoir. Twenty-nine species were collected across four habitat types in the North Platte River above Lake McConaughy. Main and side channel habitats were more consistently available throughout the …

Effects Of Annual Weather Variation On Peak Herbaceous Yield Date In Sagebrush Steppe, Jonathan Bates, Dustin Johnson, Kirk W. Davies, Tony Svejcar, Stuart Hardegree

Western North American Naturalist

Interannual climate variability impacts forage yield in semiarid rangelands, but it also affects the timing of peak yields. Knowledge of peak standing crop or yield dates would be useful when planning fieldwork for various research or management activities and for developing more accurate models linking herbage production to climatic variables. In this study, herbaceous yield was measured every 2 weeks (April–August) over an 8-year period in a Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis) community in southeastern Oregon. Date of peak yield (Julian day) was calculated for morphological groups (tall perennial bunchgrasses, perennial forbs, annual forbs), Sandberg bluegrass …

Taxonomic Revision And Phylogenetic Analysis Of The Philadelphicus Group In The Genus Proctacanthus (Insecta: Diptera: Asilidae), And Key To All Proctacanthus North Of Mexico, Teagan Marie Mulford

Theses and Dissertations

Proctacanthus (Macquart 1838), an elegant genus of robber flies within the Asilidae family, plays a significant ecological and economic role. However, the lack of a comprehensive taxonomic treatment hinders their identification and thus their use in evolutionary and behavioral research. This study focuses on the taxonomic revision of the Proctacanthus, identifying the features used in recognizing the philadelphicus Species Group and the rufiventris Species Group. By providing systematic and biological data, describing new species, and offering a key for identification, this research contributes to understanding the ecological significance and geographic distribution and history of Proctacanthus. This work will enhance future …

Spatiotemporal Variation Of Alfalfa Leaf Area Index And Crop Water Productivity In An Irrigated Alfalfa Field, Keegan Dillon Hammond

Theses and Dissertations

Throughout the world, there continues to be increasing demand for freshwater resources. With urban expansion, increased demand from a growing population, drought, and climate change, growers must produce more crops using less water. One approach to water conservation is with a variable rate irrigation (VRI) system. VRI technology allows growers to irrigate crops according to site-specific within-field variation instead of a uniform rate across the field. This thesis addresses aspects of within-field variation of irrigated alfalfa as it relates to the potential for VRI. Chapter 1 examines measurement of within-field variation of leaf area index (LAI) to inform variable-rate irrigation …

The First Data Of A Newly Recorded Native Goat Genotype Called Manavlı In Türkiye: Growth Traits Of Kids, Aykut Asim Akbaş, Mustafa Saatci, Özkan Elmaz, Can Meti̇n Yazici

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

This study aimed to define growth traits of kids named Manavlı goat from six flocks under the breeder?s conditions in Denizli Province. The average birth weights of the kids were 3.63 kg, 4.28 kg, 3.85 kg, 4.11 kg, 3.83 kg, and 3.64 kg for the six flocks, respectively. The average live weights of male and female kids on 60th, 90th, and 150th day of age were 16.50 kg, 22.35 kg, and 34.82 kg and 15.33 kg, 20.14 kg, and 32.06 kg, respectively (p < 0.05). While the average live weights of single kids on 60th, 90th were 16.70 kg and 21.96 kg, the values for twins were 15.13 kg and 21.03 kg, respectively (p < 0.05). Body measurements of male kids such as height at withers, rump height, rump width, body length, heart girth, head length, ear length, tail length, and front and back wrist girth were measured as 70.26 cm, 70.21 cm, 16.23 cm, 66.80 cm, 70.11 cm, 19.51 cm, 22.16 cm, 18.59 cm, 11.85 cm, and 11.57 cm, respectively, on the 150th day of age. This study is the first research related to growth traits of Manavlı kids, for which no features have been reported to date. It was thought that the results obtained will help to characterise the Manavlı goat and will provide a database for the following studies.

Black Experiences With Community Gardening In Southeast Louisiana, Kiarah Craft

LSU Master's Theses

Community gardens have been rising in popularity over the past few years (Mayers, 2023). In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many people across the United States have decided that it is crucial to grow their own food and develop sustainability within their community. Historically, Black communities have been underserved and ignored, especially in relation to food security and community safety (White, 2019, Penniman, 2018). The purpose of this study was to collect information about the effects of community-based gardening programs on Black people in Southeast Louisiana. Additionally, the researcher would like to gain knowledge regarding the reasons that Black people …

Using De Novo Transcriptomes To Decipher The Relationships In Cutthroat Trout Subspecies (Oncorhynchus Clarkii), Andrea Leena Kokkonen

Theses and Dissertations

Cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii) is a salmonid native to Western North America. For almost 200 years, the taxonomy of these species has fluctuated as ichthyologists and fisheries managers alike have tried to understand the diversity seen within these fishes. In the 1950s, Robert Behnke reexamined the cutthroat trout and identified 14 subspecies based on morphological observations, Pleistocene events, and modern geographic ranges. These designations were instrumental in preserving the remaining diversity of cutthroat trout. Over time, molecular techniques (i.e. karyotypes, allozymes, and mtDNA) have largely replicated Behnke's phylogenies. However, these studies have revealed that some of these relationships are consistently …

Resource Assessment Report For Western Australian Salmon In Western Australia, Rodney Duffy Dr., Bianca Brooks, Alex Hesp, Amber Quinn, Blaine Hodgson, Marcus Newman

Fisheries Research Reports

This document provides a cumulative description and assessment of the Western Australian Salmon Resource (Resource) and all fishing activities (i.e., fisheries / fishing sectors) affecting this Resource in WA. The overall Resource comprises a single species, Western Australian salmon, caught within WA, in both the WCB and SCB. This species is primarily captured during the annual autumn ‘salmon run’ by recreational fishers and commercial beach seine fishers that operate on the South Coast. The report contains information relevant to assist the assessment of the Resource against Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act export approval requirements / the Marine Stewardship …

Ten Tips Taylored For Successful Talks With Landowners In Ranching And Range Management Landscapes, Taylor J. Linder, Susan N. Ellis-Felege, Christopher J. Felege

Biology Faculty Publications

Privately owned lands offer substantial land area that have the potential to contribute greatly to wildlife conservation. However, it is dubious for private landowners to engage in such programs that have not readily accepted their input. Given the future directions of wildlife conservation and needing to heavily integrate private lands into habitat objectives to meet wildlife population standards, it will be of growing importance to consider the needs and wants of private landowners to meet production goals and simultaneously wildlife habitat goals (and not the other way around). We recognize the important methodological research that has built foundations for current …

Characterizing Host-Pathogen Interactions Between Zostera Marina And Labyrinthula Zosterae, Yaamini R. Venkataraman, Amanda Shore, Sukanya Dayal, James Sanghyun Lee, Mahsa Alidoost Salimi, Grace Crandall, Malina M. Loeher, Mark Stoops, Megan Swanger, Morgan E. Eisenlord, Kathryn L. Van Alstyne, Mark D. Fast, Colleen A. Burge, Maya L. Groner

Biology

Introduction: Seagrass meadows serve as an integral component of coastal ecosystems but are declining rapidly due to numerous anthropogenic stressors including climate change. Eelgrass wasting disease, caused by opportunistic Labyrinthula spp., is an increasing concern with rising seawater temperature. To better understand the host-pathogen interaction, we paired whole organism physiological assays with dual transcriptomic analysis of the infected host and parasite.

Methods:: Eelgrass (Zostera marina) shoots were placed in one of two temperature treatments, 11° C or 18° C, acclimated for 10 days, and exposed to a waterborne inoculation containing infectious Labyrinthula zosterae (Lz) or sterile seawater. At two- and …

Investigating Specialty Crop Farmers’ Preferences For Contract Design And Attitudes Towards Blockchain-Based Smart Contracts, Esther Mmenaa Agyemang-Duah

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines small and medium scale specialty crop growers’ preferences for marketing contract attributes and willingness to adopt blockchain-based smart contracts. The data used were collected using an online survey and discrete choice experiment. Findings indicate that farmers prefer higher average prices, cash, check or electronic bank payment over cryptocurrency, and immediate payment upon product delivery over delayed payment. When choosing a contract, farmers viewed traditional text-based contracts and digital platforms with automated smart contracts equivalently, on average. On average, farmers showed no preference for providing and not providing traceability lot codes to buyers, and between choosing a contract …

Adoption Of Participatory Rural Appraisal: A Case Study From China, A. Chu, A. D. Meister, P. Guo, J. Reid, B. Nowak, S. Morris, John Hodgson, P. N. P. Matthews, P. Gregg, K. Cai, J. Xie, X. Y. Li

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

There are many models of technology transfer. They vary from the linear "scientist-extension worker-farmers" model to the integrative "natural resource management" model (Jiggins, 1993). International experience has shown that for small holding farmers in developing countries a farmer driven model based on participatory approaches (the Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) Model) is more effective and efficient.

Using Landsat Imagery To Analyse Land Cover Change In The Njoro Watershed, Kenya, T. J. Baldyga, S. N. Miller, K. L. Driese, C. Maina-Gichaba

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In developing nations where resources are scarce and increased population pressures create stress on available resources, methods are needed to examine effects of human migration and resultant changes in land cover. Widespread availability and low cost of remotely sensed imagery and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are making such methods a reality to develop quantitative resource mapping and land cover change detection in developing nations (Sheng et al., 1997). However, difficulties arise in tropical regions when trying to analyse traditional vegetation bands (Bands 3 and 4), or indices such as NDVI because saturated pixels limit spectral distinction.

“Money For Food”: A Deeper Look At Food Insecurity And Class Privilege In Higher Education, April Lopez

Theses - ALL

Assumptions around the class privilege of college students are misconstrued. Food insecurity rates among college students (between 20-50%) far outweigh the rate of food insecurity nationally (12%) (Dubick et al., 2016). With the rising cost of tuition, insufficient financial aid, and the growth of first-generation and lower income students entering higher education, an increasing number of college students are struggling to balance paying for tuition and basic needs such as food. This paper looks at how factors such as race, undergraduate year, first-generation status, and employment status impact a student’s likelihood of being food insecure. While most studies focus on …

Prescribed Fire Use Among Black Landowners In The Red Hills Region, Usa, Cynthia Twyford Fowler, La’ Portia J. Perkins, Adam Coates, J. Kevin Hiers, Seth W. Bigelow

Faculty Scholarship

The Red Hills Region of southern Alabama, northern Florida, and southwestern Georgia is one of the most prominent areas in the United States for conducting prescribed fire research and is the birthplace of fire ecology. The culture of prescribed burning in the Red Hills has been influenced by multiple ethnic groups, including the Seminole and Creek nations, Black landowners, and White researchers. Given the distinctive reliance of the region on prescribed fire, it is noteworthy that the combined issues of Black land loss, underrepresentation, and incentives for using prescribed fire on private lands in the southeastern United States have generated …

Utilizing Show Cave Tours To Assess Nonformal Karst Education Outcomes In Youth, Matthew Wisenden

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Karst landscapes are regions with geological features such as caves created by the dissolution of predominantly carbonate bedrock. The aesthetic, historical, and ecological significance of karst areas results in human modification of some caves to allow public visitation as ‘show caves.’ While show caves can experience higher levels of anthropogenic degradation than non-commercialized caves, they can also be integral to regional economic, societal, and environmental wellbeing. Moreover, show caves serve as primary platforms for disseminating karst education. School fieldtrips to show caves offer a unique setting for assessing karst-related environmental learning outcomes in children through a nonformal education setting. By …

A Phylogenetic Analysis Of The Leuctra Ferruginea (Walker 1852) Species Group (Plecoptera: Leuctridae), Madison Layer

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Leuctra Stephens, 1836 is a genus of Plecoptera (Leuctridae) distributed widely across the Northern Hemisphere, with approximately 210 species reported from eastern North America, Europe, northern Africa, and sporadically across Asia. Eastern North America harbors a small proportion of the global Leuctra fauna (ca. 15% = 31 species), most of which occur in the ancient Appalachian Mountains and unglaciated landscapes in the southeastern USA. Nearctic Leuctra species, except for L. moha and L. crossi, have been divided into five species groups based on external male morphological characteristics. Current phylogenies of Nearctic Leuctra are partial and preliminary, and no comprehensive …

Analyzing The Adoption, Cropping Rotation, And Impact Of Winter Cover Crops In The Mississippi Alluvial Plain (Map) Region Through Remote Sensing Technologies, Zobaer Ahmed

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the application of remote sensing technologies in conservation agriculture, specifically focusing on identifying and mapping winter cover crops and assessing voluntary cover crop adoption and cropping patterns in the Arkansas portion of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain (MAP). In the first chapter, a systematic review using the PRISMA methodology examines the last 30 years of thematic research, development, and trends in remote sensing applied to conservation agriculture from a global perspective. The review uncovers a growing interest in remote sensing-based research in conservation agriculture and emphasizes the necessity for further studies dedicated to conservation practices. Among the 68 …

An Investigation Of Freshwater Turtle Ecology Using Stable Isotopes, Jonathan Duran

Biology ETDs

In 2022 I investigated niche partitioning among native and invasive freshwater turtles across three sites in the Middle Rio Grande using bulk stable isotope analysis. I found high degrees of niche partitioning at sites in which Red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta) have yet to establish. However, at sites in which red-eared sliders are now the most abundant species they overlapped greatly in isotopic niche with all native turtles, in particular the painted turtle (Chrysemys picta). Using these same techniques, I then examined the trophic interactions between red-eared sliders and their acanthocephalan parasites. My results suggest that acanthocephalans …

Post-Fire Plant Community Response In Subalpine Mixed Conifer Forest, Sasha Escamilla

Biology ETDs

Increased wildfire activity may lead to significant shifts in vegetation dynamics in high elevation mixed conifer forests. These changes raise concerns about the resilience of forests following wildfire, prompting the need for a deeper understanding of post-fire plant community response. We analyzed up to 11 years of post-fire vegetation data from Valles Caldera National Preserve in northern New Mexico to determine how burned vegetation sites were recovering following high severity wildfire, and whether or not plant communities were transitioning to montane grassland. We found burned understory herbaceous communities were not transitioning into distinctive montane grasslands and were instead recovering to …

A Literature Review Of The Psychosocial Impacts On Livestock Producers And Veterinary Responders Involved With Depopulation During And After An Animal Health Emergency, Beth Galles

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

A vital aspect of an animal health emergency in the United States is removing and disposing of diseased and healthy animals through depopulation. It is frequently required to prevent the spread of diseases that affect human health or economic stability. Production animals are eventually slaughtered, but this does not negate the human-animal bond felt between these animals and their caretakers. There is increasing recognition that participation in depopulation may be a traumatic event requiring care for the individuals involved, including livestock producers and veterinarians. Despite this, limited resources are available for these individuals when an animal health emergency occurs. This …

Physiological Consequences Of Adrenal Enlargement And Implications For Toxin Resistance In North American Snakes, Megen E. Kepas

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The long observed relationship between enlarged adrenal glands and toad-eating in snakes has remained a mystery in physiological ecology and herpetology. It has been predicted that large adrenal glands may be capable of producing higher amounts of key hormones, and that higher plasma hormone levels may lend some behavioral or physiological benefits after a toxic toad has been eaten. I address questions surrounding adrenal enlargement and its potential benefits to toad eaters in four research chapters. In my second chapter, I quantify adrenal hormone output at different embryonic stages in the toad-generalist snake Thamnophis elegans and examine the ability of …

Open Innovation: The Key To Advancing Brain Health, Harris A Eyre, Jason Searfoss, Malcolm Hopwood, Michael Berk, Shuo Chen, Jeffrey Cummings, Francois Veron, Vicki Zikopoulou, Agustin Ibanez, Kacie Kelly, Jair C Soares, Erin Smith, Barnabas J Gilbert

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

With the exponential growth in investment attention to brain health-solutions spanning brain wellness to mental health to neurological disorders-tech giants, payers, and biotechnology companies have been making forays into this field to identify technology solutions and pharmaceutical amplifiers. So far, their investments have had mixed results. The concept of open innovation (OI) was first coined by Henry Chesbrough to describe the paradigm by which enterprises allow free flow of ideas, products, and services from the outside to the inside and vice versa in order to remain competitive, particularly in rapidly evolving fields where there is abundant, relevant knowledge outside the …

Not All Cities Are The Same: Variation In Animal Phenotypes Across Cities Within Urban Ecology Studies, Javier Delbarco-Trillo, Breanna J. Putman

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

The sustained expansion of urban environments has been paralleled by an increase in the number of studies investigating the phenotypic changes of animals driven by urbanization. Most of these studies have been confined to only one urban center. However, as the types and strength of anthropogenic stressors differ across cities, a generalizable understanding of the effects of urbanization on urban-dwelling species can only be reached by comparing the responses of urban populations from the same species across more than one city. We conducted phylogenetic meta-analyses on data for animal species (including both invertebrates and vertebrates) for which measures about any …

Variable Rates Of Hybridization Among Contact Zones Between A Pair Of Topminnow Species, Fundulus Notatus And F. Olivaceus, David D. Duvernell, Naznin S. Remex, Jeffrey T. Miller, Jacob F. Schaefer

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Pairs of species that exhibit broadly overlapping distributions, and multiple geographically isolated contact zones, provide opportunities to investigate the mechanisms of reproductive isolation. Such naturally replicated systems have demonstrated that hybridization rates can vary substantially among populations, raising important questions about the genetic basis of reproductive isolation. The topminnows, Fundulus notatus and F. olivaceus, are reciprocally monophyletic, and co-occur in drainages throughout much of the central and southern United States. Hybridization rates vary substantially among populations in isolated drainage systems. We employed genome-wide sampling to investigate geographic variation in hybridization, and to assess the possible importance of chromosome fusions to …

Agricultural Irrigated Land And Irrigation Water Use In Utah, Burdette Barker, Matt Yost, Cody Zesiger

All Current Publications

Utah is considered the second driest state in the United States. As a result, much of the agriculture and horticulture in Utah depends upon irrigation. Irrigation is an important feature of agriculture in Utah. The distribution of irrigated and water use varies across the state, based on water availability, topography, and soils. In recent years, sprinkler irrigation has overtaken surface methods as the dominant irrigation method, based on irrigated area, in Utah. About 75% to 80% of water withdrawals in Utah are for irrigation, with about 68% of that water being consumptive use. Alfalfa, other hay crops, and pasture are …

Fun Azores: A Functional Trait Database For The Meio-, Macro-, And Megafauna From The Azores Marine Park (Mid-Atlantic Ridge), Neus Campanyà-Llovet, Amanda E. Bates, Daphne Cuvelier, Eva Giacomello, Diana Catarino, Andrew J. Gooday, Björn Berning, Blanca Figuerola, Manuel A. E. Malaquias, Carlos J. Moura, Joana R. Xavier, Tracey Sutton, Laurence Fauconnet, Sofia P. Ramalho, Bárbara De Moura Neves, Gui M. Machado, Tammy Horton, Andrey V. Gebruk, Kirill Minin, Joël Bried, Tina Molodtsova, Mónica A. Silva, Anna Dilman, Antonina Kremenetskaia, Eudriano F. S. Costa, Jameson Clarke, Helen R. Martins, Christopher K. Pham, Marina Carreiro-Silva, Ana Colaço

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Trait-based approaches that complement taxonomy-based studies have increased in popularity among the scientific community over the last decades. The collection of biological and ecological characteristics of species (i.e., traits) provides insight into species and ecosystem vulnerability to environmental and anthropogenic changes, as well as ecosystem functioning. Here, we present the FUN Azores trait database, describe our approach, evaluate its scope, compare it to other marine trait databases, and explore the spatial distribution of its traits with “functional maps.” While most of the available trait databases to date contain essential information to understand the functional diversity of a taxonomic or functional …

Disentangling Groundwater Dynamics At Oregon's Mckenzie River Headwaters, Taylor Nicole Salazar

Dissertations and Theses

Widespread mountain snowpack declines have been occurring across the western United States over the last century, and are increasing in duration and severity, with several record-breaking low-snowpack years in the last decade. In the Pacific Northwest, summer streamflow is largely a result of melting snow and groundwater discharge, as summers are typically dry and warm in this Mediterranean bioclimate, thus making spring-fed rivers critical for regional water resources. However, current trends and predictions in hydroclimate modeling indicate spring-fed rivers will experience reduced summer discharge driven by the increasingly larger impact of anthropogenic climate change (warming) on (decreased) mountain snowpack. A …

An Observed Increase In Cardiovascular And Respiratory-Disease Related Hospitalizations And Mortality In An Area Surrounding A Hazardous Waste Thermal Treatment Plant, Liana Isabelle Dela Torre Baconguis

LSU Master's Theses

Particulate matter (PM) pollution is highly correlated with respiratory and cardiovascular disease incidence. The generation of oxidative stress is a major way by which PM can damage the body. Environmentally persistent free radical-containing PM are generated by combustion processes and are capable of exerting increased damage on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems due to their ability to remain stable and regenerate reactive oxygen species for up to five years. Clean Harbors, LLC operates a thermal treatment plant near the city of Colfax, LA in Central Louisiana. Its regular open burning of explosives causes disturbances to the community, such as loud …