Digital Commons Network^™

Movement In Cats, Valerie N. Plummer

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Feral cats (Felis catus) are listed as one of the '100 world's worst invasive alien species'. There are as many as 70-100 million feral cats in the United States as well as an estimated 117-157 million domestic indoor and outdoor cats. Management efforts include a nonlethal feeding and sterilization program known as "trap-neuter-release" (TNR) where cats are surgically sterilized and returned to the environment. Population size and structure, immigration rates, spay/neuter rates, and data on spatial use all play a role in whether TNR is a viable management option. This study focuses on population structure and spatial use. …

Predictors Of Fish Assemblage Structure And Dynamics In Atlantic Coastal Plain Streams, Rebecca Scott

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Effective management of freshwater fishes requires a mechanistic understanding of the drivers of assemblage composition; in other words, what determines who is where and when. Stream fish assemblages are potentially influenced by environmental factors that act on multiple spatiotemporal scales, but the relative influence of these drivers may vary between geophysically distinct regions. This study sought to determine the patterns and drivers of fish taxonomic and functional assemblage composition in the coastal plain, a region possessing unique hydrologies, faunas, and physiochemical conditions. I addressed this goal using two complementary chapters, both of which utilized environmental and biotic data collected from …

Characterizing The Complex Relationship Between The Brown Widow Spider And Its Bacterial Endosymbiont, Wolbachia, Emily Knight

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The brown widow spider, Latrodectus geometricus (C. L. Koch 1841), has been found to harbor the maternally inherited bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia pipientis (Hertig and Wolbach 1924), but endosymbiont infection frequency varies widely among Southeastern US populations. Wolbachia is known to manipulate the reproduction of its hosts through male feminization, parthenogenesis, male killing, and cytoplasmic incompatibility. In brown widows, Wolbachia does not alter sex ratios, but any other effects the symbiont has on the spider are unknown. In my first chapter, I assess if there is linkage between Wolbachia infection and maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in three brown widow populations. …

Temporal Changes In Submarine Groundwater Discharge In A Georgia Salt Marsh, Tanner C. Avery, Jacque L. Kelly

Earth, Environment & Sustainability: Faculty Presentations (1988-2022)

No abstract provided.

Forelimb Position Affects Facultative Bipedal Locomotion In Lizards, Chase T. Kinsey, Lance D. Mcbrayer

Biology: Faculty Publications

Recent work indicates that bipedal posture in lizards is advantageous during obstacle negotiation. However, little is known about how bipedalism occurs beyond a lizard's acceleratory threshold. Furthermore, no study to date has examined the effects of forelimb position on the body center of mass (BCoM) in the context of bipedalism. This study quantified the frequency of bipedalism when sprinting with versus without an obstacle at 0.8 m from the start of a sprint. Forelimb positions were quantified during bipedal running at the start of a sprint and when crossing an obstacle. Two species with contrasting body forms (and thus different …

Parrots And Palms: Analyzing Data To Determine Best Management Strategies And Sustainable Harvest Levels, James P. Gibbs, J. Michelle Cawthorn, Adriana Bravo, Ana L. Porzecanski

Biology: Faculty Publications

This exercise¹ presents a scenario and raw data on a realistic conflict between parrot conservation and palm tree harvest. It requires that students analyze data very comparable to what would be gathered in the field, to: 1) construct a life tables for the palm and parrot, 2) extract vital statistics about both the palm and parrot population from the life tables, 3) estimate maximum sustainable yield for both species, and 4) make a decision about the sustainability of harvest intensity. It illustrates the importance of data analysis skills for conservation.

Resilience, Glenda Militano

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

ABSTRACT

My objective for creating this body of work is to explore the complexity and beauty of the human brain. What inspired these works is my research on cognitive psychology and neuroscience. Cognitive psychology involves the study of internal mental processes, while neuroscience deals with nerves and nervous tissue that relate to behavior and learning. Neuroscience is where psychology meets biology. The series of paintings in Resilience, were created with the intent to connect these two fields of study, while charting my exploration and discoveries found linked with science and psychology. The brain and its components are portrayed in …

Quantifying Genetic Responses Of Plants To Drought Stress With A Comparative Transcriptome Approach, Jessica K. Devitt

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Mentzelia section Bartonia (Loasaceae) commonly occurs in some of the hottest and driest places in North America, but we poorly understand the mechanisms that allow them to tolerate such extreme environments. Morphological and physiological adaptations are well studied in model organisms. The underlying genetic responses to drought stress in non-model organisms like Mentzelia is unknown. To better understand and identify differences and similarities in genetic responses to drought stress between species existing in different habitats with differing water availability, three species from the genus Mentzelia were compared. Species of section Bartonia occur across an environmental gradient, from temperate to arid …

Factors Relating To The Multicultural Efficacy And Attitudes Of Teachers, Donna L. Strickland

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The study was conducted to examine the relationship between factors of professional development in diversity issues, teachers’ years of experience, and experiences with diversity with teachers’ multicultural attitudes and multicultural self-efficacy. The research was conducted using a sample population from southeast Georgia. A multiple regression was conducted using survey data (Multicultural Efficacy Scale (MES)) collected from Qualtrics. There were 209 responses. Demographic data and multiple regression results are discussed as well as recommendations for future research. Findings indicate no relationship between teachers’ multicultural efficacy and multicultural attitudes and their professional development in diversity issues, years of teaching experience and experiences …

Not Cruel, Blessed, Or Merciful: Pratchett, Gaiman, And The Personification Of Death, Kiki V. Canon

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman helped to change the cultural view of Death personified through their work with the Discworld novels and Sandman comics. Despite taking seemingly different paths in portraying Death, these two authors presented a cohesive view of mortality that encourages readers to re-consider the long-held Western cultural notions of Death as a frightening figure to be tricked or avoided at all cost. Despite meeting Barthes’ criteria of the work of “bliss” that changes the mythology of the culture, academic circles frequently overlook the importance of “pop culture” writers, especially when dealing with underrepresented genres such as fantasy, …

The Relationships Among Trauma History, Disordered Eating, Body Dissatisfaction, And Social Anxiety, Rebekah Mitchell

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Eating disorders are highly prevalent and cause significant psychological impairment, up to and including death (Arcelus, Mitchell, Wales, & Nielson, 2011). This research examined how trauma history in the general population explains variation in eating disorder risk. The purpose of the current study was to provide further evidence for the relationship between abuse history and eating disorder risk. Disordered eating behaviors, body dissatisfaction, and social anxiety are all known risk factors for the development of eating disorders (Brewerton, 2007). Trauma history is related to all three of these known risk factors (Brewerton, 2007) with sexual trauma being more linked to …

Application Of Evolutionary Network Concept In Structuring Mathematics Curriculum, Aditi Mitra

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Phylogenetic tree and in general, evolutionary network, has found its application well beyond the biological fields and has even percolated into recent high demanding areas, such as data mining and social media chain reactions. An extensive survey of its current applications are presented here. An attempt has been made to apply the very concept in the mathematics course curriculum inside a degree program. Various features of the tree structure are identified within the curriculum network. To highlight various key components and to enhance the visual effect, several diagrams are presented. The combined effect of these diagram provides a sense of …

Cutting The Cords: Provider, Payer, Policy And Maternity Outcomes In Selected U. S. States, Courtney Gustin

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine if there is variation in interventions and complications in the labors of women cared for by nurse midwives compared with physicians after controlling for medical risks and sociodemographic factors in pregnant women in Georgia, New Mexico, Illinois, Virginia, and Alaska.

Methods: The study was based on a secondary analysis of 2015 Birth Certificate Data from the National Center for Health Statistics. The outcome variables included VBAC, induction/augmentation of labor, third and fourth-degree laceration, and chorioamnionitis. The exposure of interest was provider type- nurse-midwife or physician. Multiple logistic regression was used to …

Saccadic Eye Movements Between Strategic, Interceptive, And Non-Athletes, Brian Szekely

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: Athletes have differences in object tracking, search strategies, number and duration of fixations, dynamic visual acuity (DVA), and predictive eye movements than non-athletes (NON). However, these eye functions have not been assessed between athlete groups during a task that encompasses antisaccade and DVA characteristics. Purpose: To evaluate the oculomotor control sport paradigm differences between interceptive (INT) and strategic (STR) Division I collegiate athletes, as well as NON with an antisaccade task (AS) and a sport-like dual task (SDT). Methods: Fifty-seven participants (19 STR, 19 INT, and 19 NON) performed 2 trials of an AS and a SDT. Participants stood …

2018 Spring Commencement, Georgia Southern University

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Elasmobranch Bycatch And Shark Depredation In The Georgia Shrimp Fishery, Matthew M. Scanlon

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The Georgia shrimp fishery has seen a dramatic decrease in profit and productivity since the 1980’s due to a number of economic factors. Additional, yet undocumented, pressures on this fishery include interactions between foraging sharks with trawl gear. Fishermen report that sharks frequently bite nets in an attempt to prey on netted fish, resulting in large holes in the gear. Further elasmobranch interactions with trawl gear occur as bycatch; shrimp trawls represent nearly 100% of elasmobranch commercial bycatch in Georgia state waters, the species composition of which is largely unstudied. Shark interactions with nets were detailed through fishery-dependent observations on …

Foraging Ecology Of A Winter Bird Community In Southeastern Georgia, Rachel E. Mowbray

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Classical views on community structure emphasized deterministic processes and the importance of competition in shaping communities. However, the processes responsible for shaping avian communities remain controversial. Attempts to understand distributions and abundances of species are complicated by the fact that birds are highly mobile. Many species migrate biannually between summer breeding grounds and wintering grounds. The goal of this study was to test four hypotheses that attempt to explain how migratory species integrate into resident assemblages of birds (Empty-Niche Hypothesis, Competitive-Exclusion Hypothesis, Niche-Partitioning Hypothesis, and Generalist-Migrant Hypothesis). I collected data on birds foraging during the winter of 2017-2018 in Magnolia …

Environmental Factors Affecting Hatch Success In The Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta Caretta), Mattie J. Whitesell

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) is a species federally listed as “threatened” whose global populations are declining. Georgia Department of Natural Resources conservation protocols for this species require the daily monitoring of nesting activity and permit physical relocation of nests which are at risk of being eroded or flooded by storms and high tides in order to increase hatch success--the proportion of hatched to unhatched eggs. Relocated nests are moved to an area with higher elevation in order to avoid flooding, but other variables such as increased temperature and decreased moisture are introduced when relocating. For years temperature …

Graph It Out! Create Graphing Manipulatives To Explore Evolutionary Selection: A Lesson For High School Biology Students, Cassie Lawrimore, Emily A. Surber

Proceedings of the Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching & Learning Conference (Archived)

Students often struggle with the relationship between mathematical graphs and the data they represent. To truly understand types of evolutionary selection, students need to be proficient with several different skills in math, science, and literacy contexts. With math, students must be able to identify variables, design appropriate graphs based on those variables, and convert data to graphical format. With science, students must be able to relate identified variables to scientific classifications and interpret those classifications based on evaluation of the scenarios presented. With literacy, students must be able to comprehend, dissect, and interpret a given passage. This presentation provides a …

Reflector Magazine, Georgia Southern University, Student Media

Reflector Magazine

• Cuisine and Culture
• Pads, Paper, and Nancey Price
• Best Cities for Post-Grads Brunch in the 'Boro
• Health & Fitness
• Spiritual, but not Religious
• Trend Report: Skincare 101
• Features
• #MeToo
• Pantone's "Feel-Good" Spring 2018 Colors
• Life & Style
• Most Instagrammable Sports in Statesboro and Savannah
• From Ice Pick to Tattoo Needle
• The Minimalist Life
• Entertainment
• Statesboro's Music Scene
• Southern Limelights

Chemistry And Biochemistry News, Georgia Southern University

Biochemistry, Chemistry & Physics: News & Publications (2012-2023)

• SERMACS 2017
• Simpo Akech Defends her Master's Thesis

Newsroom, Georgia Southern University

Newsroom (2006-2023)

• Biology graduate student receives National Science Foundation fellowship
• Georgia Southern alumnus Nick Wiley named chief conservation officer of Ducks Unlimited

Impact Of Flow Direction On Local Flow Behavior In Biologically-Inspired Flow Passages, Derrick Dewayne Herrin

Honors College Theses

ABSTRACT

A computational fluid dynamics model was utilized to study the effect of flow direction on local flow behavior in biologically-inspired microscale flow networks. Biologically-inspired flow networks have been found to offer numerous advantages when compared with parallel flow networks, particularly in thermal management applications. Flow behavior was examined for a range of bifurcation angles and laminar inlet Reynolds numbers. The computational model was validated with existing theoretical solutions and verified for grid independence. As the bifurcation angle increased, the pressure drop, and thus pumping power, across the biologically-inspired flow networks increased. In addition, as the inlet Reynolds number increased, …

The Cosm Aggregate, Georgia Southern University

College of Science & Mathematics: News & Publications (2012-2022)

No abstract provided.

Learning Social Skills Through Natural And Paid Supports, Miyah Sundermeyer

Georgia Association for Positive Behavior Support Conference

With 1 in 68 individuals living with autism, most are born with parts of the brain that pick up on social skills. While these skills can be taught, individuals with autism extra special support in learning in this area. Social skills can be taught in two different types of supports being that they are paid and natural supports. Furthermore, social skill styles can be taught through other methods such as the internet.

A Person's A Person No Matter How Small - Understanding The Role Of Temperament In Working With Toddlers And Young Children, Kimberly B. Robinson, Ann Vanbuskirk Dr.

Georgia Association for Positive Behavior Support Conference

Early childhood and educational research have indicated that a young child’s temperament is predictive of success in school and adulthood. A child’s temperament has the potential to impact not only their interpretation of life events, but can also influence the activities that they choose and how adults respond to and interact with them. Child temperament research has identified three widely known profiles based on nine dimensions of behavior: “difficult”, “easy”, and “slow to warm up”. The purpose of this presentation is to provide information about child temperament and the ways in which adults can use positive relational interventions to teach …

Chaos To Calm: Three Behavior Management Strategies For "Complex" Students, Elaine Taylor-Klaus, Diane Dempster

Georgia Association for Positive Behavior Support Conference

Supporting and teaching children with complex challenges can be a daunting task. Teachers want to inspire their students to reach their full academic potential. But when children struggle with learning – when they fail to hit typical milestones commensurate with their peers – their challenges can raise serious obstacles for teachers in the classroom, and damage children’s self-esteem.

While behavioral management systems have been proven to be effective for classroom behavior modification, challenges with implementation prevent teachers from consistently feeling successful in using them. Teachers may know what to do in theory, but they struggle with how to make it …

A Geophysical Investigation Of Stratigraphy And Structure On St. Catherines Island, Georgia, Anne M. Delua

Honors College Theses

Geophysical tools were used to investigate potential structural and stratigraphic pathways of the salt water intrusion that is affecting the surficial aquifer on St. Catherines Island, Georgia. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is a geophysical tool that uses electromagnetic waves to view the subsurface. GPR is used for a variety of applications stratigraphically, biologically, and anthropogenically. GPR electromagnetic waves react to changes in density and composition and type and percentage of pore fluids in sediment and rock. GPR waves also react to interfaces including fractures and faults. GPR waves exhibit attenuation and decreased return signal in materials such as clay. Fresh …

November 27, 2017 Armstrong State University Faculty Senate Minutes, Armstrong State University

Armstrong Faculty Senate: Minutes (Archived)

November 27, 2017 Armstrong State University Faculty Senate Minutes

Chad Lunsford Officially Named Head Coach Of Georgia Southern Football, Georgia Southern University

Athletics: News & Publications

• Chad Lunsford Officially Named Head Coach of Georgia Southern Football
• Long-time assistant becomes 10th full-time leader of Eagles