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Effect Of Sunlight Intensity And Canopy Coverage On Herbivory In Gunnera Insignis (Gunneraceae), May 2008, Carolyn Rivers

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Studies on the influence of sunlight on herbivory have generally revealed that increased amounts of leaf damage occur in cool, shaded habitats. This study investigates the effects of both sunlight and canopy coverage on herbivore damage in Gunnera insignis by the undescribed beetle Macrohaltica sp. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). This beetle is thought to feed on G. insignis because it can obtain secondary metabolites that make it undesirable to predators. In this investigation, all 90 plants studied revealed herbivore damage, with 71% of plants showing evidence of herbivory on the majority of leaves. The highest levels of leaf damage occurred on plants …

Urban Essentials, Ruthie G. Gould

Architecture Masters of Science Program: Theses

Industrial development throughout the world has led to a global society. Although sharing of information and technology is beneficial in many ways, these global means have also created many issues that are not always contributing to economic and social societies. International business is not only unsustainable for environmental reasons, but it also often means that many unethical decisions are made for the purposes of cheap labor, mass revenue, and other un-amiable intentions. The Urban Essentials project’s purpose is to create an urban area that searches for a solution against these capitalistic means of business. This idea is realized in the …

Endangered Species Bulletin, Spring 2008 - Volume 33, No. 1

Endangered Species Bulletin

In this issue:
4 The Global Amphibian Crisis
7 Project Golden Frog
11 Chiricahua Leopard Frog Inches Towards Recovery
15 Giving Leopard Frogs a Head Start
18 Building Conservation Partnerships with Zoos
20 Conserving Missouri’s Hellbenders
22 The Ozark Hellbender: Out from Under a Rock
25 Conserving Columbian Spotted Frogs in Nevada
28 A Leap Forward for the Mountain Yellow-legged Frog
30 Ranchers Restore Amphibian-friendly Ponds
32 Moving Quickly Saves a Breeding Season
34 Evaluating Amphibian Abnormalities on Wildlife Refuges
36 Partners for Fish and Wildlife
38 USGS Research News
40 Children in Nature
43 Rule-making Actions

University Of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension Connect, May 2008

Connect (University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension)

Inside this issue:

pg. 3 Etching business
pg. 5 Sandhills field day
pg. 7 Diabetes education

(Im)Perfecting Perfection: Socially Conscious Marketing And The Professional Communicator, Layla Hakamiun

All Theses

This thesis is an interdisciplinary study that examines the beauty and advertising industries with regard to young women and body image, specifically with respect to body weight. By analyzing America's obsession with perfection, the problem with perfection, and why organizations are or are not 'jumping on board' the socially conscious bandwagon when it comes to advertising and body image, this thesis will provide my audience, marketing professional communicators in the beauty industry, with necessary information so that individuals may serve as advocates for young women while providing their employers with quality dedication to their organization. The six main takeaways professional …

Physiological Response And Nutrient Recovery Of Cool-Season Turfgrasses Under Various Environmental Stresses, William Sarvis

All Theses

Potassium (K) is an essential plant nutrient commonly applied to increase creeping bentgrass tolerance to environmental stresses and maintain overall turfgrass stand health. Limited research defining the K requirement of creeping bentgrass under heat and drought stress exists. Furthermore, research investigating K, calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) recovery under abiotic stress has been inconsistent. To build on previous research and investigate the differences between liquid and granular K fertilization, experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of liquid and granular K carriers in conjunction with liquid calcium and magnesium on their ability to suppress summer bentgrass decline of creeping bentgrass …

Temperature-Dependent Development, Survival, And Potential Distribution Of Ischnodemus Variegatus (Hemiptera: Blissidae), A Herbivore Of West Indian Marsh Grass, Rodrigo Diaz, William A. Overholt, J. P. Cuda, Paul D. Pratt, Alison Fox

Faculty Publications

The bug Ischnodemus variegatus (Signoret) (Hemiptera: Blissidae) is an adventive herbivore, native to South America that feeds in the invasive grass Hymenachne amplexicaulis (Rudge) Nees (Poaceae). This grass is a problematic weed in Florida and Australia, but it is a highly valued forage in Mexico, Cuba, and Venezuela. We studied the influence of nine constant temperatures (8-38°C) on the developmental time and survival of I. variegatus. Complete egg and nymphal mortality occurred at temperatures ≤20.5°C and at 38°C. Developmental time decreased linearly with temperature until 28-30°C and then increased at 33°C. Mortality of first, second, and third instars was high …

Undergraduate And Graduate Course Descriptions, 2008 Summer, Wright State University

Course Descriptions

Wright State University undergraduate and graduate course descriptions from Summer 2008.

Preparation Of Halogenated Derivatives Of Thiazolo[5,4-D]Thiazole Via Direct Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution, Vladimir Benin, Alan T. Yeates, Douglas Dudis

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Chlorination and bromination reactions of thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole led to the generation of its mono- and dihalogenated derivatives. These are the first instances of successful direct electrophilic aromatic substitution in the thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole ring system. X-ray analysis demonstrates that both 2-bromothiazolo[5,4-d]-thiazole and 2,5-dibromothiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole are planar structures, with strongly manifested π-stacking in the solid state. Theoretical analysis of the pyridine-catalyzed halogenation (MP2/6-31+G(d) and B3LYP/6-31+G(d)calculations) reveals that introduction of one halogen actually leads to a slightly enhanced reactivity towards further halogenation. Several halogenation mechanisms have been investigated: 1) The direct C-halogenation with N-halopyridine as electrophile; …

Chiral Recognition Of Amino Acids By Use Of A Fluorescent Resorcinarene, Gerald I. Richard, Hadi M. Marwani, Shan Jiang, Sayo O. Fakayode, Mark Lowry, Robert M. Strongin, Isiah M. Warner

Faculty Publications

The spectroscopic properties of a chiral boronic acid based resorcinarene macrocycle employed for chiral analysis were investigated. Specifically, the emission and excitation characteristics of tetraarylboronate resorcinarene macrocycle (TBRM) and its quantum yield were evaluated. The chiral selector TBRM was investigated as a chiral reagent for the enantiomeric discrimination of amino acids using steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy. Chiral recognition of amino acids in the presence of the macrocycle was based on diastereomeric complexes. Results demonstrated that TBRM had better chiral discrimination ability for lysine as compared to the other amino acids. Partial least squares regression modeling (PLS-1) of spectral data for macrocycle-lysine …

Culture-Independent Identification Of Gut Bacteria In Fourth-Instar Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis Invicta Buren, Larvae, Albert H. Lee, Claudia Husseneder, Linda Hooper-Bùi

Faculty Publications

Red imported fire ants (RIFA), Solenopsis invicta Buren, are medical, urban, and agricultural pests from South America. They are successful invaders due to their preference for disturbed habitats, high reproductive rates, and the ability to feed on a wide variety of food items (omnivorous). Fourth-instar larvae are used by the colony to digest solid food and then regurgitate it for consumption by workers and queens. Larvae are an ideal source of investigations of endosymbiotic bacteria possibly involved in nutrient distributions. Our study utilized 16S rDNA sequencing to describe the composition of the bacterial community in fourth-instar ant larvae in order …

Vol. 6, No. 02 (May/June 2008)

Indiana Law Update

No abstract provided.

Race Differences In Activity, Fitness, And Bmi In Female Eighth Graders Categorized By Sports Participation Status, John R. Sirard, Karin A. Pfeiffer, Marsha Dowda, Russell R. Pate

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to identify racial differences in physical activity (PA), fitness, and BMI in female 8th-grade sports participants and nonparticipants. Girls from 31 South Carolina middle schools (N=1,903, 48% White; mean age=13.6 ± 0.63) reported PA and previous year sports-team participation, completed a submaximal fitness test, and had height and weight measured. Sports team participation was positively associated with PA and negatively associated with television viewing and BMI, in a dose-response manner. Compared with Whites, African-Americans reported less PA and more television viewing, and had greater BMI scores. Whereas PA intervention programs that incorporate …

Diabetes Self-Management Following A Diabetes Education Intervention In A Rural Clinic, Laurel Ann Christopherson Dimler

Theses and Dissertations

Type 2 diabetes could potentially affect 61 million Americans in the next 10 years according to the Centers for Disease Control. Diabetes education is considered a cornerstone of diabetes management. Rural clinics face challenges of providing education to individuals with diabetes. This quasi-experimental research study examines 40 individuals with diabetes in a rural health care clinic to evaluate the effectiveness of a free diabetic education intervention. The intervention group (n=20), which recieved diabetes education by an RN demonstrate a decline in A1c values that reached statistical significance. Diabetes empowerment scores were also compared between the intervention and control group, with …

Healthy Habits: An Exploration Of Family Eating Choices And Practices, Stephanie Bramley

Senior Honors Projects

Before declaring myself a Human Development and Family Studies major at the end of my sophomore year, I searched for universities based upon my interest in nutrition. Since high school, I have become more health conscious and with my recent studies in human development and families, I became interested in family food choices and behaviors. Obesity is a rising epidemic in the United States and many habits, healthy or unhealthy, start with the family during childhood. I began working with Professors McCurdy and Gorman in the fall of 2007 on their Food Behavior Study, interviewing mothers with young children at …

Promoting Locally Grown Foods In Schools Through Developed Classroom Curriculum And Foodservice Educational Tools, Meredith F. Carter

Senior Honors Projects

The Massachusetts’ Farm-to-School Project has worked for years to bring local farmers and school districts together. Focused on improving the markets and economic stability of farmers, while also improving the quality of foods available to students, the project implemented the first annual “Massachusetts Harvest for Students Week” during the week of September 24, 2007. As part of Harvest Week, selected schools in Massachusetts purchased and served foods grown and made by local farmers. Marketing materials were used in the participating school cafeterias, and classroom education regarding local agriculture, nutrition, and sustainability was provided. Harvest Week had the potential to improve …

Elk Calf Survival And Mortality Following Wolf Restoration To Yellowstone National Park, Shannon M. Barber-Meyer, L. David Mech, P. J. White

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

We conducted a 3-year study (May 2003–Apr 2006) of mortality of northern Yellowstone elk (Cervus elaphus) calves to determine the cause for the recruitment decline (i.e., 33 calves to 13 calves/100 adult F) following the restoration of wolves (Canis lupus). We captured, fit with radiotransmitters, and evaluated blood characteristics and disease antibody seroprevalence in 151 calves ≤6 days old (68M:83F). Concentrations (x, SE) of potential condition indicators were as follows: thyroxine (T4; 13.8 μg/dL, 0.43), serum urea nitrogen (SUN; 17.4 mg/dL, 0.57), γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT; 66.4 IU/L, 4.36), gamma globulins (GG; 1.5 g/dL, 0.07), and insulin-like growth …

The Effects Of Physical And Chemical Modulating Agents On The Induction Of Vaccine-Induced Immune Responses, Andrea Nicole Ryan

Honors Scholar Theses

After the development of the viral-based prostate cancer vaccine, Ad5-PSA, much research has been orientated to help enhance the induced immune response by combining the vaccine with physical and chemical modulating agents, more specifically the polymers polyethylenimine (PEI), chitosan, and chitosan coated with CD3 complex antibodies; all previously shown to stimulate an immune response as isolated gene carriers. To compare the vaccine-induced immune responses between the naked vaccine and the polymer-vaccine combinations, a mouse model using the ovalbumin- specific Ad-OVA vaccine was tested using intracellular cytokine staining (ICS), tetramer staining, and cytotoxic T-cell lymphocyte assays to measure the activation of …

Factors That Influence Individual Differences In Female Sexual Response In A College-Aged Population, Tynisa La'sure Jones

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

College females (N=115) completed a questionnaire, which asked an array of questions about demographics, health, sexual partners and orgasm, sexual satisfaction, masturbation and vibrators, personality, and sex guilt. Of the participants, 106 reported that they had experienced sex of some kind, 83 indicated that they had experienced single orgasm during sex with a partner, and 46 indicated that they had experienced multiple orgasms during sex with a partner. Independent variables -- general questions, communication with partner, overall satisfaction, fear of becoming pregnant, stress, general demographics and medications -- were significantly related to one or both of the measures of sexual …

State Policy And Food Insecurity In Kenya's Arid And Semi-Arid Land (Asal) Regions, Naomi Shanguhyia

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Kenya's arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) have continued to experience chronic and persistent food crises despite the efforts made by governmental and non-governmental organizations to address the problem. Inappropriate policies and poor approaches have partly been blamed for this persistence. This study therefore seeks to examine how food insecurity is conceptualized within policy documents, the perceived causes and solutions, and potential drawbacks of such perceptions. The study adopts a political ecology framework within which Ellis' (2000) rural livelihood approach and Sen's (1981) entitlement thesis are used to analyze selected government policy documents and related reports. A brief historical overview of …

Agricultural Awareness And Perceptions Of Freshmen At West Virginia University, Laura L. Pfeifer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Increased dependence on technology and further removal from agricultural practices has given rise to a decrease in agricultural literacy among members of society, which has established a need for advancement in educating individuals about the basic concepts of agriculture. This study was designed to determine the knowledge of agriculture possessed by incoming freshmen at West Virginia University (WVU). The data collected for this study were obtained from 403 freshmen participants who reported their responses to 35 Agricultural Knowledge, 35 Agricultural Perceptions, and 24 demographic statements and questions on an instrument administered during multiple First Year Orientation courses at WVU. It …

Log-Linear Model To Assess Socioeconomic And Environmental Factors With Childhood Diarrhea Using Hospital Based Surveillance, Krishnan Rajendran, Thandavarayan Ramamurthy, Sujit Kumar Bhattacharya

Journal of Modern Applied Statistical Methods

Categorical outcomes with environment factors analyzed by log linear model are frequent in the environmental epidemiological literature. Epidemiological and socio-economical factors were obtained on 1,119 children below the age of 5 from Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) at the Kolkata, India. Significant associations of diarrhea were observed in the rural areas with family income, father’s occupation as a daily labor, literacy of parents, non-cemented floor and wall constructed of mud, and type of storage (wide mouthed earthen pot). The results of the study with specific Log linear model confirm environmental factors were important implications for childhood diarrhea in the rural community. …

A Foray Into Food Writing: A Philosophical Approach To Contemporary Food Movements, Rebecca Long

Senior Honors Projects

For my Honors Project I chose to explore one of my passions, food writing. To accomplish this I did extensive research into several food movements with which I was previously unfamiliar. On the basis of this research I generated short papers that became appendices to my final product. The research grounded subsequent journalistic pieces, which explore intriguing aspects of these food movements but in a prose style and at a scale more appropriate to a general readership.

Lowering Cholesterol: Through The Use Of Plant Sterols And Stanols, Nicole St. Jean

Senior Honors Projects

Heart disease has been the number one killer of American men and women over the past hundred years, with high blood cholesterol as a major risk factor of this disease. High Cholesterol can be a result of a number of different lifestyle choices such as diet and exercise. However, genetics and family history also play a role in the levels of cholesterol in the human body. Those who have high blood cholesterol levels are usually advised by their health professionals to consume a diet low in saturated fats and cholesterol, high in fiber and to exercise frequently. However, sometimes these …

Ethanol Exposure In Rats And Its Effect On Genetic Markers, Ceena Philipose

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Alcoholism is believed to affect an estimated 18 million people each year. The number of people abusing alcohol is three times the number of people abusing all other substances combined. (Institute for Health Policy, 2001) An estimated $276 billion per year(Institute for Health Policy, 2001)is spent to combat the influence of alcoholism in this country alone; more than cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, combined.

A full understanding of the effects of alcohol on the developing nervous system and other organ systems, and knowing when and where that central or internal organ damage has occurred after a certain period of abuse …

Overfishing And Environmental Justice In Marine Fisheries, Kristin Novak

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

This thesis focuses on the depletion of marine fisheries, as a resource, from a geographical perspective. The decline and collapse of abundant fisheries worldwide has serious, though largely unaddressed, social implications, and should be considered as an issue of environmental justice. I analyze the processes that have lead to fisheries collapses all over the world, as well as the governance structures, management strategies, and political and economic forces involved. This is examined through two case studies: one, the collapse of cod stocks in Newfoundland and New England in the 1990s after centuries of intensive fishing, and two, the currently stressed …

Community Service Intiatives Of Medical Students, Kerri I. Aronson

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

This Honors Capstone Project focuses on community service projects of medical students. Extensive research was done on the types of community service programs that exist in medical schools. The types of programs were divided into four different categories representing the various ways that schools conduct their community service initiatives. Schools may have multiple types of programs, and a combination of any of these programs is offered at many institutions. This project also examines nationally recognized programs and the awards received for excellence in community service initiatives.

The study was completed in collaboration with SUNY Upstate Medical University (UMU). A close …

Analysis Of Gnrh Receptor Gene Expression On Lines Of Swine With Divergent Ovulation Rates, Jacqueline E. Smith

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

To examine the relationship between the molecular mechanisms underlying ovulation rate and transcriptional regulation of the porcine GnRHR gene, our laboratory has isolated the GnRHR gene promoter from the Control, Index and Meishan lines (McDonald, 2005). Previous work in our laboratory has indicated divergent luciferase activity among reporter vectors containing 5000 bp of 5’ flanking region for the porcine GnRHR gene from all three genetic lines transiently transfected into gonadotrope-derived αT3-1 cells (Fig 1.1; McDonald, 2005). This suggests differential mechanisms involved in the transcriptional regulation of the GnRHR gene among pig strains. Additionally, our laboratory identified a single base alteration …

The Effect Of Disability Insurance On Health Investment: Evidence From The Va Disability Compensation Program, Perry Singleton

Center for Policy Research

I examine whether individuals respond to monetary incentives to detect latent medical conditions. The effect is identified by an amendment to Title 38 that deemed diabetes associated with Agent Orange exposure a compensable disability under the VA’s Disability Compensation program. Since a diagnosis is a requisite for benefit eligibility, and nearly one-third of diabetics remain undiagnosed, the advent of disability insurance may have encouraged the detection of diabetes among the previously undiagnosed population. Evidence from the National Health Interview Survey suggests that the policy increased the prevalence of diabetes by 2.7 percentage points among veterans.

Trypanosoma Brucei Rhodesiense Transmitted By A Single Tsetse Fly Bite In Vervet Monkeys As A Model Of Human African Trypanosomiasis, John K. Thuita, John M. Kagira, David Mwangangi, Enock Matovu, C. M.R. Turner, Daniel Masiga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

We have investigated the pathogenicity of tsetse (Glossina pollidipes)-transmitted cloned strains of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense in velvet monkeys. Tsetse files were confirmed to have mature trypanosome infections by xenodiagnosis, after which nine monkeys were infected via the bite of a single infected fly. Chancres developed in five of the nine (55.6%) monkeys within 4 to 8 days post infection (dpi). All nine individuals were successfully infected, with a median pre-patent period of 4 (range = 4-10) days, indicating that trypanosomes migrated from the site of fly bite to the systemic circulation rapidly and independently of the development of the chancre. …