Digital Commons Network^™

Effects Of Wildfire And Postfire Floods On Stonefly Detritivores Of The Pajarito Plateau, New Mexico, Nicole K. M. Vieira, Tiffany R. Barnes, Katharine A. Mitchell

Western North American Naturalist

Wildfires alter the quantity and quality of allochthonous detritus in streams by burning riparian vegetation and through flushing during postfire floods. As such, fire disturbance may negatively affect detritivorous insects that consume coarse organic matter. We assessed how 2 crown fires impacted stonefly detritivores in streams of the Pajarito Plateau, New Mexico. We documented stonefly populations before and after the fires and postfire floods, and compared recovery trajectories among unburned, lightly burned, and severely burned reaches. We also conducted experiments to assess burned detritus as a food resource for Pteronarcella badia Hagen. Specifically, we characterized microbial conditioning, nutrient content, and …

Adjustment Of Families With Children Adopted From Eastern Europe, Maria Kuznetsova

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the adjustment of older children and adolescents adopted from Eastern Europe and the impact of their preadoption history and family’s functioning on their adjustment. This is a follow-up study of families first surveyed in 2005 with an addition of new families. One hundred and forty-five families reporting on 194 adopted children (9 to 19 years; 104 girls) participated in this study at Time 2. The project was conducted as an internet-based survey. Parents and adopted children reported on children’s emotional, behavioral and social problems (CBCL and YSR), as well as family environment …

The Evaluation And Treatment Of A Patient With Anorexia Nervosa, Gail S. Greenspan, Md

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

Introduction

Anorexia nervosa is a serious illness that has generated enormous public interest during recent times. Within the psychiatric field, numerous articles and books have been written about this syndrome. This literature reflects varied theoretical frameworks, from primarily biological approaches to family systems to psychodynamic theory. In this paper I will attempt to integrate family systems and psychodynamic theory in an understanding of a young woman with anorexia nervosa who was treated in a hospital setting.

Severe 2010 Cold-Water Event Caused Unprecedented Mortality To Corals Of The Florida Reef Tract And Reversed Previous Survivorship Patterns, Diego Lirman, Stephanie Schopmeyer, Derek Manzello, Lewis J. Gramer, William F. Precht, Frank E. Muller-Karger, Kenneth Banks, Brian Barnes, Erich Bartels, Amanda Bourque, James Byrne, Scott Donahue, Janice Duquesnel, Louis Fisher, David S. Gilliam, James C. Hendee, Meaghan E. Johnson, Kerry Maxwell, Erin Mcdevitt, Jamie Monty, Digna Rueda, Rob Ruzicka, Sara Thanner

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Background

Coral reefs are facing increasing pressure from natural and anthropogenic stressors that have already caused significant worldwide declines. In January 2010, coral reefs of Florida, United States, were impacted by an extreme cold-water anomaly that exposed corals to temperatures well below their reported thresholds (16°C), causing rapid coral mortality unprecedented in spatial extent and severity.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Reef surveys were conducted from Martin County to the Lower Florida Keys within weeks of the anomaly. The impacts recorded were catastrophic and exceeded those of any previous disturbances in the region. Coral mortality patterns were directly correlated to in-situ and satellite-derived …

Volume 48, Number 51: August 10, 2011, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.

Studies Of Food Thickeners In Nigeria For Contamination By Aflatoxigenic Forms Of Aspergillus And Their Detection By Pcr, G. I. Okwu, Premila Achar, Michael J. Ikenebomeh, S. Y. Sreenivasa

Faculty Articles

This paper reports the contamination of ready-to-use food thickeners, collected from the South-East geo-political zone in Nigeria, by aflatoxigenic form of Aspergillus species. A total of 150 samples from different open markets were observed for fungal contamination by using serial dilution-spread plate method. Although, Aspergillus, Fusarium and Penicillium were the most frequently isolated fungi, Aspergillus species were found to be the most prevalent in all the samples. Furthermore, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus produced aflatoxin on yeast extract sucrose (YES) media incubated for 10 to 15 days at 27°C in a CO₂ incubator. Aspergillus niger showed no sign of …

Bio-Inspired Design Of Bipolar Plate Flow Fields For Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells, Nannan Guo, Ming-Chuan Leu, Maoliang Wu

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The flow field of a bipolar plate distributes hydrogen and oxygen for polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells and removes the produced water from the fuel cells. It greatly influences the performance of fuel cells, especially regarding reduction of mass transport loss. Flow fields with good gas distribution and water removal capabilities reduce the mass transport loss, thus allowing higher power density. Inspired by natural structures such as veins in tree leaves and blood vessels in lungs, which efficiently feed nutrition from one central source to large areas and are capable of removing undesirable by-products, a mathematic model has been …

Inactivation Of Spo0a Gene Increases Stationary Phase Mutagenesis In Bacillus Subtilis, Denisse Reyes, Amanda Prisbrey, Holly Martin, Eduardo Robleto

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Stationary phase mutagenesis occurs when a population of cells acquires mutations conferring escape from nongrowing or stress conditions. This type of mutations is observed in nutritionally starved cells. Because the mutations occur after the onset of stress and in cells that are in non-replicative conditions, elucidating the underlying mechanisms contributes novel views to the process of evolution and apply to the formation of cancer in human cells and antibiotic resistance in microbial pathogens. Studies have shown that in Bacillus subtilis, the Mfd protein which is a transcription repair coupling factor is necessary for this phenomenon to occur. Here, we investigate …

Colorectal Cancer (Crc) Vaccine Study: Aim 2 Internship Experience, Selasie Goka

Summer Training Program in Cancer Immunotherapy

Activities:

1. Conducted literature review

2. CRC vaccine study booklet and survey

3. Recruitment survey questionnaire

4. Prepare web-based decision counseling program

38 PowerPoint Slides.

Hotline Press Newspaper- August 2011 Vol 28 No 10, Hotline Press Newspaper

Hotline Press Newspaper 2011

No abstract provided.

The Holistic Complementary Structure Of Western Bio-Medicine And Traditional Healing And Achieving Complete Health, Candace Gail Oubre

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Achieving complete health requires a deep understanding of complementary cultural competency sensitivity between physician and patient. This may include but is not limited to access to preventative health care resources, access to health educational resources and access to cultural healing resources, for example, shamans, Ayurvedic physicians, and herbal healers. Advocates of cultural competency emphasize great importance on knowledge of the patients' cultural background; however, the transcendence of this knowledge can be explained further through complementary cultural competency sensitivity. This is when the cultures of the physician and patient complement each other in terms of understanding what is in the patients' …

Cucumbers, Brianne Sherwood

USU Student Organic Farm Newsletter

There is a reason for the saying "cool as a cucumber." Cucumbers can be 20 degrees cooler on the inside than the outside temperature. It loves sunshine and is one of summer's favorite fruits (yes, it is a fruit because it has seeds. Interesting). Cucumbers are a member of the gourd family, which also includes pumpkins, zucchini, watermelon, and other squashes. Cucumbers are available year round, but honestly I wouldn't touch a cucumber until summertime, which is about August in Logan. If you think you don't like cucumbers, try a local one. It may change your mind. It certainly changed …

August 8, 2011 Reporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Managing The Healthcare Needs Of Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Parents' Experience, Julie Strunk

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of parents who manage the health needs of an adolescent with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Qualitative interviews were conducted with parents from 10 families of adolescents with ASD residing in Virginia. Data were analyzed using Clark Moustakas’ method of analysis of data in which the phenomenologist asks the following questions: What are the individual’s experiences, and in what context did they experience them? This study maximized credibility by using three strategies: prolonged engagement, peer debriefing, and member checking. “Parents needing help” emerged as the essence of the parents’ experiences. …

A Population Study Of Nypa Fruticans (Arecaceae) On Carey Island, Malaysia / Nasrin Asle Zaeim, Nasrin Asle Zaeim

Student Works (2010-2019)

Nypa fruticans (Arecaceae) is distributed in mangrove forests of South Asia especially in islands and the coastal area around Malaysia. It is one of the most versatile palms in terms of usage. A population study of N. fruticans at two sites using 3 plots was conducted in Carey Island, Malaysia. Aspects of demographic study of N. fruticans such as population structure, life stages of individuals, spatial distribution, reproductive phenology, growth rate, survivorship and environmental parameters such as water and soil quality were investigated in this study. Using the growth information, estimation of age would be possible. Four life developmental stages: …

Mechanisms Of Prenatal High-Salt "Fetal Programming" Resulting In Stress Hyperresponsiveness In The Adult Female Offspring In The Sprague Dawley Rat., Clinton L. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Female offspring of Sprague-Dawley rats fed a high-salt diet (HS) during pregnancy show an enhancement of mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) response to acute stress in adulthood compared to offspring whose mothers were fed a normal-salt diet (NS) [1]. In the present study, we first examined the expression of soluble epoxide hydrolase (SEH) protein in brain tissue. Whole brains were collected and SEH gene (EPHX2) mRNA and SEH protein expression were analyzed using RT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. mRNA levels were relatively decreased in high-salt rats (1.0 ± 0.32 NS vs 0.39 ± 0.07 HS, n=6). However, …

Commencement Convocation Program, Usf, August 6, 2011, University Of South Florida

USF Graduation and Convocation Programs

King O'Neal Scholars - Nadine Allan-Vaught, Sue Gibbs, Kelsey Henretta, Gabriel Lonsberry, Helmut Mehlhorn, Felicia Walker, and Allison Zangari; Outstanding Graduate - Emily Tocci

The Murray Ledger And Times, August 6, 2011, The Murray Ledger And Times

The Murray Ledger & Times

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Dietary Changes On Microbial Populations Within The Gastrointestinal Tract Of The Giant Panda (Ailuropoda Melanoleuca), Candace Lareine Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Both in-situ and ex-situ giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), display shifts in bamboo species and part preference throughout the year. The effects of this shifting preference on gastrointestinal (GIT) microbiota were observed using traditional culturing methods to characterize normal GIT microflora from fecal samples and behavioral feeding data of adult male and female pandas over a fourteen-month period. Linear and quadratic fits were used to determine any significant relationships between the time of year and part preference on the GIT microflora (P<0.05). Significant values for time of year were observed with the linear fit in total aerobes (P-value=0.0368), streptococci (P-value=0.0120), and lactobacilli (P-value=0.0166) and quadratic fits in streptococci (P-value=0.0382) and Bacteroides spp. (P-value=0.0134) at á=0.05. Significant linear relationships were observed with part preference and lactobacilli and Bacteroides spp., P-values of 0.0028 and 0.0030, respectively, indicating that part preference and time of year may affect the flux of panda GIT microflora.

The Effectiveness Of Diabetes Mellitus Education For Managing Hemoglobin A1c Levels In Adults, Amy Rebekah Farnsworth

Theses and Dissertations

Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels are indicators for managing Diabetes Mellitus. This study investigated the effectiveness of Diabetes Mellitus education classes based on participants’ HbA1c levels. The HbA1c and body mass index (BMI) values were analyzed using t-tests to determine significant (P ≤ 0.05) differences between baseline (N = 46) levels compared to three months, six months, and 12 months after class participation and reported as means ± standard deviations. The study was not able to track all participants as some did not attend all follow-up sessions. Mean HbA1c levels were lower at three months (8.1% ± 2.1, P = 0.002, …

The Effects Of Glycine-Arginine-Alpha-Ketoisocaporic Acid Calcium On Maximum Strength And Muscular Endurance, Mareio Cortez Harris

Theses and Dissertations

Glycine-arginine-alpha-ketoisocaporic acid calcium (GAKIC) is a product advertised to increase muscular endurance during exercise via metabolic intervention. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of GAKIC ingestion on maximum strength and muscular endurance. Methods: Utilizing a double-blinded, crossover design, participants completed an upper and lower body resistance exercise protocol once using 11.2gs GAKIC, and the other with a placebo. Results: An increase in maximum strength was observed in the 1RM portion of the lower body protocol phase with statistical trends in the lower body TLV portion of testing. No significant differences were found in upper body …

Oxidative Transformation Of Antimicrobial Compounds By Ferric-Modified Montmorillonite, Chamindu Liyanapatirana

Theses and Dissertations

The presence of wide spectrum antimicrobial agents triclosan (TCS) and triclocarban (TCC) in the environment has become a concern due to the adverse impact on the environment. Montmorillonite, a widely distributed clay mineral in the natural environment, has been used as an obstacle in landfills to avoid contamination of soil and water by contaminants in leachates due to its high surface area, cation exchange capacity, and abundance. The research reported here focuses on understanding the abiotic oxidative transformation of TCS and TCC by Fe(III)-modified montmorillonite. The overall objectives of this work were: 1) to investigate TCS and TCC oxidative transformation …

Community Interactions And Water As Drivers Of Soil Microbial Communities, Madhavi Latha Kakumanu

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the response of soil microbial communities to various environmental stresses is of current interest, because of their pivotal role in nutrient cycling, soil organic matter mineralization and influence on plant growth. Determining the affect of several biotic and abiotic factors on soil microbial communities is the overall objective of the study. The specific goals are to determine 1) the response of microbial communities to water deficit in soil and 2) how the presence of a rich biotic community determines the direction of microbial community development in cultures. Both goals are novel and unique contributions to understanding microbial ecology in …

Effect Of Strain Cross, Gender, And Sodium Chloride Concentrations On Broiler Meat Quality, Keyla Lopez

Theses and Dissertations

Effects of gender and strain cross on carcass characteristics, meat quality and sensory acceptability were studied. Strains consisted of a commercially available strain (Strain A), and a strain genetically selected to maximize breast yield currently in the test phase (Strain B). Broilers varying in gender and strain cross had similar compositional characteristics; all treatments yielded high quality breast and thigh meat and did not differ in sensory acceptability. Effect of salt concentrations on yields, instrumental quality, and sensory acceptability of broiler breast meat was determined. Breast fillets were vacuum-tumbled with different concentrations (0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.00, 1.25 and 1.50%) …

Ethanolic Fermentation Of Bio-Oil Hydrolysate, Darrell Rex Livingston Jr

Theses and Dissertations

As production of ethanol climbs, nonood feedstocks need to be utilized such as lignocellulosic biomass. The sugars present in bio-oil produced by fast pyrolysis can potentially be fermented by microbial organisms to produce cellulosic ethanol. This study shows the potential for microbial digestion of the aqueous fraction of bio-oil in an enrichment medium to consume glucose and produce ethanol. In addition to glucose, inhibitors such as furans and phenols are present in the bio-oil. A pure glucose enrichment medium of 20 g/L was used as a standard to compare with glucose and aqueous fraction mixtures for digestion. 30% by volume …

Antimicrobial And Antioxidant Activity Of Muscadine (Vitis Rotundifolia Michx) Extracts As Influenced By Solvent Extraction Methods And Cultivars, Weiwei Chen

Theses and Dissertations

Muscadine seeds from three cultivars (‘Carlos’, ‘Noble’ and ‘Ison’) were processed by 100% v:v methanol, 95% v:v ethanol and 70% v:v acetone. The acetone seed extracts exhibited the highest (p<0.05) total phenolics (21.62~24.84mg/g of dw) and antioxidant activity. A strong correlation (R2=0.891, p<0.01) was found between total phenolics and antioxidant activity. Methanol and ‘Carlos’ seed extracts generally showed the highest antimicrobial capacity against pathogen strains tested, which correlated well with tannic acid, catechin, epicatechin and tartaric acid content. Hot water-soluble muscadine skin extracts from 17 muscadine cultivars (6 bronze and 11 dark) showed effective antioxidant properties. Significant variations (p<0.05) were observed among the 17 cultivars in total phenolics, organic acids and antioxidant activity. ‘Alachua’, ‘Albermarle’, ‘Southland’, ‘Janebell’ and ‘CA9-37’ were the cultivars found to have the highest antioxidant capacity. Skin extracts of dark-skin cultivars showed higher (p<0.05) content than bronze-skin cultivars in phenolics, tartaric acid, tannic acid and ellagic acids.

Foraging Behavior Of Northern Bobwhites In Relation To Resource Availability, Ryan Spencer Miller

Theses and Dissertations

The Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) is a popular game bird that inhabits pine grasslands throughout the Southeast. This study used experimental manipulation of food resources to investigate how resource availability influenced foraging behavior and space use of bobwhite in a southern pine-grassland forest system. Radio marked bobwhite were monitored to determine daily space use, movements, and daily and seasonal ranges. I observed no difference in daily (P = 0.06) or seasonal home range size (P = 0.55) between feeding treatments. However, dispersion in daily locations of radio-marked bobwhite differed among feed levels (P < 0.001). I assessed effects of food availability on diet and total body lipids of birds harvested from each treatment during February. Although bobwhite extensively utilized supplemental feed when available, energy value of pre-roosting crop contents did not differ among treatments (P = 0.41), but total body lipids differed between feed treatments and years (P < 0.001).

Formulation And Sensory Evaluation Of Gluten-Free Muffins Containing Flax, Adam Michael Woodyard

Theses and Dissertations

Celiac disease is characterized by an allergic reaction to gluten that causes inflammation of the small intestine and can lead to malabsorption and malnutrition. Glutenree products are being developed that meet dietary needs of individuals with celiac disease. However, these products often lack whole grains and fiber. Fortification of glutenree products with flax can increase nutritional value and alleviate inflammation. Sensory analysis (N=152) was conducted to evaluate the acceptability of glutenree muffins with moderate (3.8%) and high (7.4%) amounts of added flax. Results indicated that consumers preferred (p<0.05) the muffin without flax or the highlax muffin more than the muffin with the moderatelax treatment. The highlax and control treatments were rated 6.7, between like slightly and moderately like; the muffins from the moderatelax treatment were rated 6.4 on a nine-point hedonic scale. Producers of glutenree products could potentially formulate muffins that include flax and are acceptable to consumers.

Growth Response Of Mixed Native Grass Stands To Simulated Grazing In Mississippi: Forage Yield And Species Dynamics, Vitalis Wilbald Temu

Theses and Dissertations

Some native warm-season forage grasses [indiangrass (IG, Sorghastrum nutans), big bluestem (BB, Andropogon gerardii) and little bluestem (LB, Schizachyrium scoparium)] are gaining popularity for improving summer forage production and wildlife habitat in the southeastern USA. Paucity of information about appropriate harvest management limits their restoration success. An experiment was conducted to assess effects of harvest intervals (30-, 40-, 60-, 90 or 120-d) and harvest duration on forage yield and quality, plant growth, sward structure and botanical composition of their mixed stands at Bryan Farms, Clay County, MS. Total season forage was greatest for 30-d and more from first (8472 kg …

Implementation And Evaluation Of The Snack Pack Project In Two Mississippi Head Start Centers, Stacey Michelle Johnson Knepple

Theses and Dissertations

Childhood obesity is a public health concern, impacting American children as early as the preschool years. Children from rural, low-income, and minority families experience unique disparities in obesity and health problems, which is especially problematic in Mississippi where a large part of the state is considered rural and economically disadvantaged. Development of healthy nutrition behaviors in early childhood plays a pivotal role in sustaining life-long healthy behaviors and preventing childhood and future obesity. The Snack Pack Project is a 19-week preschool-based nutrition education program designed to promote recognition and selection of healthful foods and encourage development of healthy nutrition behaviors …