Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The Usefulness Of Plastinates In Teaching Anatomy, Ann Kendzicky

Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

A New Genus Of Miniaturized And Pug-Nosed Gecko From South America (Sphaerodactylidae: Gekkota), Tony Gamble, Juan D. Daza, Guarino R. Colli, Laurie J. Vitt, Aaron M. Bauer

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Sphaerodactyl geckos comprise five genera distributed across Central and South America and the Caribbean. We estimated phylogenetic relationships among sphaerodactyl genera using both separate and combined analyses of seven nuclear genes. Relationships among genera were incongruent at different loci and phylogenies were characterized by short, in some cases zero-length, internal branches and poor phylogenetic support at most nodes. We recovered a polyphyletic Coleodactylus, with Coleodactylus amazonicus being deeply divergent from the remaining Coleodactylus species sampled. The C. amazonicus lineage possessed unique codon deletions in the genes PTPN₁₂ and RBMX while the remaining Coleodactylus species had unique codon …

Effects Of Ectoparasites And Reproductive Class On Roost-Switching And Foraging Behavior Of Indiana Bats (Myotis Sodalis), Nicholas S. Gikas

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ectoparasites of bats have been known to cause harm to their hosts and to affect roost-switching. Little research exists on effects ectoparasites may have on roosting and foraging behavior of the federally endangered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis). From 2008 through 2010, I collected ectoparasite data and documented roost-switching and foraging behavior of Indiana bats on habitat restoration lands owned by the Indianapolis International Airport (IND) in central Indiana. I tested for differences in roosting and foraging behavior between bats with varying ectoparasite loads, and for differences in ectoparasite load, roost-switching frequency, and foraging behavior between different reproductive classes of Indiana …

The North Pole Controversy Of 1909 And The Treatment Of The Greenland Inuit People: An Historical Perspective, Kayla J. Shypski

History Theses

Polar exploration was a large part of American culture and society during the mid to late nineteenth century and the early twentieth century. The North Pole controversy of 1909 in which two American Arctic explorers both claimed to have reached the North Pole was a culmination of the polar exploration era. However, one aspect of the polar expeditions that is relatively unknown is the treatment of the native Inuit peoples of the Arctic by the polar explorers. The case of a small group of Inuit peoples who were brought back from Greenland and sold to the American Museum of Natural …

Harry Potter: A Hero Of Mythic Proportions, Katie L. Baker

English Theses

This thesis argues that Harry Potter, the main character in the series of novels written by J.K. Rowling, is a mythic hero. A character in literature deemed a hero can only be a mythic hero by completing a series of events both predetermined and determined by the hero. Joseph Campbell’s work A Hero With a Thousand Faces outlines these qualities a character must possess and the events he must complete in his life called the initiation, the departure, and the return of the hero. Using Campbell’s seminar work as a critical perspective, I read the protagonist of the Harry Potter …

My Uncle Sandy, Nicholas C. Kawa

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

No abstract provided.

Does Responding On Progressive Ratio Schedule Of Reinforcement Vary As A Function Of Phase In Estrous Cycle?, Armandina M. Sanchez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Hormonal fluctuations across the menstrual and estrous cycle have been found to influence a variety of behavioral and physical responses in humans and animals, respectively. Impulsive behavior has been associated with the luteal phase of the cycle. Progressive ratio schedule of reinforcement has been widely used to assess the strength of reinforcers. In the present study, a comparison was made between the rate of motor activity, lever pressing, of early and late estrous groups. Differences between the groups were not statistically significant. Further analysis explored subjects individually. Visual examination of the data reveal extreme variability in responding, which coupled with …

Escape From Competition: Neighbors Reduce Centaurea Stoebe Performance At Home But Not Away, Ragan M. Callaway, Lauren P. Waller, Alecu Diaconu, Robert Pal, Alexandra R. Collins, Heingz Mueller-Schaerer, John L. Maron

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The greater abundance of some exotic plants in their nonnative ranges might be explained in part by biogeographic differences in the strength of competition, but these competitive effects have not been experimentally examined in the field. We compared the effects of neighbors on the growth and reproduction of spotted knapweed (Centaurea stoebe) in Europe, where it is native, and in Montana, where it is invasive. There were strong negative competitive effects of neighboring vegetation on C. stoebe growth and reproduction in Europe. In contrast, identical experiments in Montana resulted in insignificant impacts on C. stoebe. Although the …

Recent Rates Of Forest Harvest And Conversion In North America, Jeffrey G. Masek, Warren B. Cohen, Donald Leckie, Michael A. Wulder, Rodrigo Vargas, Ben De Jong, S. P. Healey, Beverly Law, Richard Birdsey, R. A. Houghton, David J. Mildrexler, Samuel Goward, W. Brad Smith

Numerical Terradynamic Simulation Group Publications

Incorporating ecological disturbance into biogeochemical models is critical for estimating current and future carbon stocks and fluxes. In particular, anthropogenic disturbances, such as forest conversion and wood harvest, strongly affect forest carbon dynamics within North America. This paper summarizes recent (2000–2008) rates of extraction, including both conversion and harvest, derived from national forest inventories for North America (the United States, Canada, and Mexico). During the 2000s, 6.1 million ha/yr were affected by harvest, another 1.0 million ha/yr were converted to other land uses through gross deforestation, and 0.4 million ha/yr were degraded. Thus about 1.0% of North America's forests experienced …

Genetic Monitoring For Managers: A New Online Resource, Jeffrey Brian Stetz, Katherine Kendall, Christina D. Vojta, Genetic Monitoring (Gem) Working Group

Wildlife Biology Faculty Publications

Monitoring our natural resources will increasingly rely on genetic tools in order to understand and respond to invasive species, habitat degradation, fragmentation, disease, or climate-related changes. In recent years, the rapidly evolving field of genetic monitoring has seen explosive growth in sampling methods, genetic markers, and analytical approaches designed to estimate a wide range of parameters from connectivity to population growth rates. Some of these methods have taken root and now dominate particular aspects of population assessment and monitoring, whereas others have seen less success in real-world applications. To aid managers and researchers with limited genetics experience, we developed a …

Experiencing The Creative Problem Solving Thinking Skills Model In Virtual Worlds, Juliana Sanchez

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

Creativity is an ability that can be taught and learned. This project intends to encourage the teaching of creativity through the use of technology. It was designed to build a space in the virtual world OpenQwaq, where creativity classes can be delivered to students all over the world. The creation of the space was inspired by the affective skills of dreaming, playfulness, sensitivity to environment, and tolerance for risk included in the Creative Problem Solving Thinking Skills Model. These skills are essential to promote change. It is also a reflection of the factors that might help or hinder the learning …

Maternal Separation Affects Dopamine Transporter Function In The Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat: An In Vivo Electrochemical Study, Jacqueline S. Womersley, Jennifer H. Hsieh, Lauriston A. Kellaway, Greg A. Gerhardt, Vivienne A. Russell

Neuroscience Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a developmental disorder characterised by symptoms of inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity. The spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) is a well-characterised model of this disorder and has been shown to exhibit dopamine dysregulation, one of the hypothesised causes of ADHD. Since stress experienced in the early stages of life can have long-lasting effects on behaviour, it was considered that early life stress may alter development of the dopaminergic system and thereby contribute to the behavioural characteristics of SHR. It was hypothesized that maternal separation would alter dopamine regulation by the transporter (DAT) in ways that distinguish SHR …

The Salt Shaker (Vol. 8, Issue 2), Valparaiso University

SALT Shaker

No abstract provided.

Novel Amino Acid Transporter-Targeted Radiotracers For Breast Cancer Imaging, Fanlin Kong

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women in the world. Its 5-year survival rate ranges from 23.4% in patients with stage IV to 98% in stage I disease, highlighting the importance of early detection and diagnosis. ¹⁸F-2-Fluoro-2-deoxy-glucose (¹⁸F-FDG), using positron emission tomography (PET), is the most common functional imaging tool for breast cancer diagnosis currently. Unfortunately, ¹⁸F-FDG-PET has several limitations such as poorly differentiating tumor tissues from inflammatory and normal brain tissues. Therefore, ¹⁸F-labeled amino acid-based radiotracers have been reported as an alternative, which is based on the fact that tumor cells uptake …

Efficacy Of Child Parent Relationship Therapy For Caregivers Of Children With Attachment Problems., Margaret Sergeant

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examined the effectiveness of Child Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT), a lO-week group model of Filial Therapy (FT), with caregivers of children with attachment problems. CPRT is an evidence-based treatment which is designed to strengthen relationship between caregiver and child. Research suggests that improvements in the relationship lead to changes in behavior and emotional regulation. Therapists treating children with attachment problems at Seven Counties Services, Inc. were concerned about the lack of interventions for children with attachment problems. This study used a randomized pre-test, post-test waitlist control group design to evaluate the effectiveness of CPRT for caregivers of children …

The Impact Of Ambrosia Trifida (Giant Ragweed) On Native Prairie Species In An Early Prairie Restoration Project, Krisztian Megyeri

Senior Honors Theses

As the ecological importance of prairies is becoming more recognized, the number of prairie restoration projects is increasing worldwide. One of the major challenges in restoring any disturbed ecosystem is the successful establishment of native species at the expensive of invasive species. While some weedy species are gradually replaced as other, more desired, species become established, there are invasive species that, due to their level of dominance, may out-compete native species indefinitely. The objectives of this study were 1) to quantify the impact of Ambrosia trifida (giant ragweed) on the plant community of a newsly established prairie, 2) to assess …

Comparing Cropping System Productivity Between Fixed Rotations And A Flexible Fallow System Using Modeling And Historical Weather Data In The Semi-Arid Central Great Plains, Juan Jose Miceli-Garcia

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In the Central Great Plains, the predominant crop rotation is winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-fallow. Producers are looking to add diversity and intensity to their cropping systems by adding summer crops, however, the elimination of summer fallow may increase crop production risk. The objective of this study was to use crop simulation modeling to compare the productivity of two fixed rotations [winter wheat-corn (Zea mays L.)-fallow and winter wheat-corn-spring triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack)] with simulated flexible fallow rotations. The flexible fallow rotations made the decision to plant triticale or use summer fallow prior to winter wheat seeding based …

World Food Crisis: Imperfect Markets Starving Development, A Decomposition Of Recent Food Price Increases, Christine Costello

College of Business: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The recent decade has experienced two rather substantial food price spikes. This thesis sets out to provide an in-depth look at the recent food price increases by achieving two goals: assessing the forces driving food prices, and determining the magnitude of those forces. These goals are reached by reviewing selected rhetoric on the recent food price increases, analyzing case studies, and lastly determining our modeling capabilities in decomposing food price changes. Additionally, this thesis will serve as a tool for stakeholder's to better address critical policy issues surrounding food, agriculture, and energy policies.

Adviser: Hendrik Van Den Berg

Characterization Of The Tolerance Response In The Soybean Ks4202 To Aphis Glycines Matsumura, Travis J. Prochaska

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Since the introduction of the soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura, to the soybean growing regions of the United States, the soybean aphid has caused considerable economic damage and yield loss to soybean growers. The objectives of this research were to evaluate selected genotypes for resistance to the soybean aphid and characterize transcriptional changes in response to aphid feeding to better understand the underlying tolerant mechanism(s) in KS4202 and genes contributing to its tolerance response. A field study (2009) was conducted to evaluate selected soybean genotypes during their reproductive stages for resistance to A. glycines. The economic injury level (EIL) …

Adaptation And Validation Of Food Product Specific Analytical Methods For Monitoring Prebiotics Present In Different Types Of Processed Food Matrices, Rebbeca M. Duar

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Prebiotic carbohydrates are now added to a variety of processed foods to beneficially affect the gut microbial composition and activities. However, published data remain limited on the stability of prebiotics during food processes, such as baking, extrusion, pasteurization, high temperature heating, low pH condition, etc. As the complexity of the food matrix may also affect the ability to test for prebiotics, product specific analytical methods, including UV-vis spectroscopy, GC and HPLC, were developed and validated to monitor the stability of FOS, inulin and GOS in different types of processed food (breakfast cereal, cookie, muffin, sports drink and a nutritional bar). …

Abiotic Stress Responses In Photosynthetic Organisms, Joseph Msanne

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Cellular and molecular aspects of abiotic stress responses in Arabidopsis thaliana subjected to cold, drought, and high salinity and in two photosynthetic green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Coccomyxa sp. C-169, subjected to nitrogen deprivation were investigated. Cold, drought, and high salinity can negatively affect plant growth and crop production. The first research aimed at determining the physiological functions of the stress-responsive Arabidopsis thaliana RD29A and RD29B genes. Cold, drought, and salt induced both genes; the promoter of RD29Awas found to be more responsive to drought and cold stresses, whereas the promoter of RD29B was highly responsive to salt stress. …

Studying The Handling Of Heat Stressed Cattle Using The Additive Bi-Logistic Model To Fit Body Temperature, Fan Yang

Department of Statistics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Daily activities consume the energy of heifers, subsequently causing an elevation of body temperature, depending on the ambient conditions. A better understanding of the dynamics of body temperature (Tb) would be helpful when deciding how to process and handle heifers. It would also lead to specific recommendations on moving heifers under different ambient conditions, especially during the summer. In this study, a bi-logistic mixed model is used to describe the dynamics of Tb during the moving event. Data were taken from heifers in pens located at different distances from the heifer work station on four separate summer days under hot …

Preparation And Characterization Of Biomimetic Hydroxyapatite-Resorbable Polymer Composites For Hard Tissue Repair, Kristopher R. Hiebner

Department of Chemistry: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Autografts are the orthopedic “gold standard” for repairing bone voids. Autografts are osteoconductive and do not elicit an immune response, but they are in short supply and require a second surgery to harvest the bone graft. Allografts are currently the most common materials used for the repair of segmental defects in hard tissue. Unlike autografts, allografts can cause an undesirable immune response and the possibility of disease transmission is a major concern. As an alternative to the above approaches, recent research efforts have focused on the use of composite materials made from hydroxyapatite (HA) and bioresorbable polymers, such as poly-L-lactide …

Management Zone Delineation Techniques On Irrigated Corn In Nebraska, Aaron M. Bereuter

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Increased interest in site-specific management of irrigated corn in Nebraska has identified the need for a decision-making framework for zone delineation. Zones based on static soil and landscape properties provide a valuable foundation for variable rate management strategies. The purpose of this project was to identify the optimal soil and landscape attributes for generating management zones (MZ) of relative productivity potential. Three producer-managed cornfields across Nebraska with varying soil types, topographic characteristics, and climate regimes were identified as research sites during the 2010 growing season. Nine soil and landscape attributes were identified as potential properties for estimation of productivity potential. …

Military Sexual Trauma Exposure And Heart Rate Variability Outcomes In Female Veterans, Elizabeth Ann Davis Lee

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Area of Investigation and Hypothesis: Decreased heart rate variability (HRV) has been used as a predictor of cardiac and all-cause mortality. Studies have documented decreased HRV in a variety of conditions, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, age, coronary artery disease (CAD), diabetes mellitus (DM), and tobacco use but improvement with beta blocker (BB) treatment. No prior study evaluated the relationship between military sexual trauma (MST) exposure and HRV outcomes. The hypothesis of this study was that female veterans exposed to MST would have lower time domain HRV measures than a reference cohort reporting non-exposure. Methods and Procedures: Electronic medical …

Rand Takes On The Constitution An Objectivist Perspective Of The United States Constitution, Farin C. Robinson

HIM 1990-2015

Author and philosopher Ayn Rand has gathered a cult like following thanks to her bestselling novels We the Living, Anthem, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. Through Rand's fictional writings she illustrates the principles of her philosophy objectivism. Objectivism employs five principles; objective reality, reason, self -interest, capitalism and individualism as the truths that govern the philosophy. Objectivists believe that their self-reliant philosophy holds the key to all life's answers. This thesis examines the following question: what would the founder of objectivism Ayn Rand think about the U.S. Constitution? Sadly Ayn Rand passed away in 1982 and never expressed her full …

Two Conceptions Of The Mind, Benjamin J. Aguda

HIM 1990-2015

Since the cognitive revolution during the last century the mind has been conceived of as being computer-like. Like a computer, the brain was assumed to be a physical structure (hardware) upon which a computational mind (software) was built. The mind was seen as a collection of independent programs which each have their own specific tasks, or modules. These modules took sensory input "data" and transduced it into language-like representations which were used in mental computations. Recently, a new conception of the mind has developed, grounded cognition. According to this model, sensory stimulus is saved in the original format in which …

Using Gis To Determine The Influence Of Wetlands On Cayuga Iroquois Settlement Location Strategies, David J. Birnbaum

HIM 1990-2015

The archaeological record of the Iroquois supports that settlements were regularly relocated during the protohistoric period (1500-1650 A.D.). With the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) computer software, archaeologists may analyze variables potentially resulting in or influencing the movement of settlements. Through the use of spatial analysis, I argue that Cayuga Iroquois settlement locations were influenced by the environmental characteristics of their surrounding landscape. Specifically, wetlands are believed to have influenced settlement location choices in central New York state. This study examines the spatial relationships between wetland habitats and protohistoric period Cayuga Iroquois settlements where swidden maize agriculture comprised most …

The Role Of Rain In Postclassic Maya Religious Belief, Lillie U. Dao

HIM 1990-2015

The concept of religion and its practice within ancient societies across the world is a subject that has fascinated scientists for centuries. The pre-Columbian Maya codices, first-hand Postclassic hieroglyphic documents, have been examined by hundreds of anthropologists. Analysis of these books has led scientist to hypothesize that these manuscripts were vitally connected to the Maya Postclassic belief system. Understanding the central focus of a civilization's religion and how, why and under what circumstances the religion is practiced truly distinguishes them as a culture. The intent of this thesis is to examine the role of rain in Maya Postclassic religious belief. …

Attitude Change Regarding Animal Abuse In Adults The Effect Of Education And Visual Aids, Ashley Carter

HIM 1990-2015

Additionally, images of animals alone immediately increased attitudes regarding treatment of animals. This difference does not appear to increase further over time. Images of animals alone appear to aid in immediately altering individuals' sense of continuity with animals. The attitude that animals and humans share some commonalities and exist in relation to each other could assist in adoption campaigns by allowing the potential owners to place themselves with the animals they are adopting. However, over time information combined with images of humans and animals significantly increase this sense of commonality. The applications for the results depend on what type of …