Digital Commons Network^™

Environmental Variables Measured At Multiple Spatial Scales Exert Uneven Influence On Fish Assemblages Of Floodplain Lakes, Daniel J. Dembkowski, L.E. Miranda

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

We examined the interaction between environmental variables measured at three different scales (i.e., landscape, lake, and in-lake) and fish assemblage descriptors across a range of over 50 floodplain lakes in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley of Mississippi and Arkansas. Our goal was to identify important local- and landscape-level determinants of fish assemblage structure. Relationships between fish assemblage structure and variables measured at broader scales (i.e., landscape-level and lake-level) were hypothesized to be stronger than relationships with variables measured at finer scales (i.e., in-lake variables). Results suggest that fish assemblage structure in floodplain lakes was influenced by variables operating on three different …

Gape:Body Size Relationship For Smallmouth Bass, Craig L. Schake, Daniel J. Dembkowski, Melissa R. Wuellner

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

The types and sizes of prey fishes consumed by predatory fish often are limited by gape dimensions of the predator (Slaughter and Jacobson 2008). In general, the size of prey consumed is positively related to predator size when prey are available across a wide range of sizes (Werner and Hall 1974). Opportunistic predators with large gape dimensions, such as smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), may consume a wide range of prey types and sizes, thereby exerting top-down influences on prey population dynamics and potentially restructuring aquatic communities (e.g., Werner and Hall 1974, Jackson 2002). Although feeding ecology of smallmouth bass varies …

Bed-Site Selection By Neonatal White-Tailed Deer In Central North Dakota, Brian A. Schaffer, Jonathan A. Jenks, Troy Grovenburg, William F. Jensen

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Understanding bed-site selection and vegetation characteristics provides valuable information for population management (Verme 1977, Huegel et al. 1985a, Nelson and Woolf 1987). Predation and other natural-caused mortalities of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) neonates are most likely to occur within the first 60 days of life; a time period when selected habitat characteristics are vital to survival (Verme 1977, Huegel et al. 1985a, Nelson and Woolf 1987, Grovenburg et al. 2010). Prior to the study of Grovenburg et al. (2010), limited research had been completed on bed-site selection of neonatal white-tailed deer in the grasslands of the Northern Great Plains. In …

Synthesis And Biological Evaluation Of A Library Of Polyacetylene Compounds Based On An Antiprotozoal Natural Product From Cussonia Zimmermannii, John Hoody

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Leishmaniasis is one of several tropical diseases classified as a ôneglected tropical diseaseö. Its global prevalence is 12 million people with an estimated at-risk population of 350 million people.1 Current treatments include antimonials, amphotericin B, pentamidine, and miltefosine. Access to these medications is often limited in the impoverished nations that Leishmaniasis predominantly affects. Drug resistance and toxicity are also significant drawbacks to the current treatments.3 Therefore, there is an immediate need for the research and development of novel therapeutic molecules and strategies to combat Leishmaniasis.

Testing Of High Speed Ground Reaction Force Treadmill For Kinetic Analysis For Running In Static And Dynamic Loading Conditions, Michael Ora Powell

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis proposal describes the design, fabrication, and testing of a high-speed force treadmill capable of measuring the vertical and horizontal ground reaction forces imparted to the bed during the stance phase of human running. Natural frequency, crosstalk, linearity, use of aluminum line shaft with flexible couplings, center of pressures, and comparison to over-ground running were investigated. The natural frequency of the treadmill bed was 113 Hz achieved in part through the use of the line shaft to remove the mass of the motor (36.8 kg) with negligible dissipation of imparted force to the treadmill. The linearity test results showed …

Correlates Of Canada Lynx Reproductive Success In Northwestern Montana, Megan K. Kosterman

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Habitat loss and fragmentation continue to threaten the persistence of forest carnivores in the contiguous US. The recovery of federally threatened species, such as the Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis), will be greatly enhanced by identifying a demographic-based definition of lynx habitat based on habitat analyses of animals with differential reproductive success. We collected field data on denning and offspring survival in northwestern Montana from 1998–2012. We used these data to define four response variables as measures of female Canada lynx reproductive success: (1) potential reproductive events, (2) initial litter size, (3) litter success (≥1 survivor), and (4) surviving …

The Effects Of Seed Source Health On Whitebark Pine Regeneration Density After Wildfire, Signe B. Leirfallom

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) is declining nearly range-wide largely from mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) outbreaks and the exotic pathogen Cronartium ribicola, which causes the disease white pine blister rust. With high mortality in cone-bearing whitebark pine, seed production may not be sufficient to support natural regeneration after disturbance such as wildfire. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between whitebark pine seed source health and whitebark pine regeneration density in adjacent, stand-replacing burns. I sampled regeneration patterns and seed source health and status in 15 burns within six national forests and …

Securing Food And Livelihoods: Opportunities And Constraints To Sustainably Enhancing Household Food Production In Santa Familia Village, Belize, Siobhan B. Lozada

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Rural households play an active role in reorganizing their livelihood strategies to respond to external stresses and shocks. What is unclear is the extent to which rural households can remain resilient in the face of continued external stresses and how policy actions at larger scales can more effectively encourage rural food and livelihood sustainability. Economic and ecological stresses and shocks have negatively impacted livelihood security and wider economic stability in Belize. This has increased the number of people below the poverty line to 41.3 percent, who remain disproportionately located in rural areas. With a high degree of import dependency, global …

Neuroplasticity, Dosage, And Repetition Priming Effects In Individuals With Stroke-Induced Aphasia, Jenna Ray Griffin

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Intensity significantly impacts aphasia treatment efficacy, yet research protocols have not answered questions about optimal intensity and/or dosage. A single-subject ABA design investigated the influence of repetition priming on naming performance for four individuals with stroke-induced aphasia. The participants completed an intensive training protocol with repeated attempts to name pictures. Independent variables included training status and stimulus dosage. The dependent variable was response accuracy. Response accuracy increased for all participants during the training phase, and training effects persisted through the maintenance phase for all participants. Stimulus dosage did not consistently influence response accuracy for the participants.

Just Leftovers, Sarah Elizabeth Tancred

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Just Leftovers is intended to offer an understanding of the woman’s role within the domestic realm and its evolution over time in American society. My ultimate goal is to create an awareness of women’s inequality historically, but also to expose the inequality, biases, and double standards that continue to exist in our contemporary society. I choose to create this awareness through visual art with the manipulation of recognizable objects that the general public, stereotypically speaking, would associate with femininity and domesticity. I am fascinated by how these “feminine” objects and their historical content [e.g. bread pan] have been socially constructed …

Use And Effectiveness Of Wildlife Crossing Structures With Short Sections Of Wildlife Fencing, Elizabeth Rose Fairbank

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Our growing transportation infrastructure in the United States has many direct and indirect impacts to wildlife populations. Humans are also impacted by the interaction of roads and wildlife in terms of wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVC’s); which annually result in: hundreds of human fatalities, tens of thousands of human injuries, and billions of dollars in property damage. In response to concerns for wildlife and human safety, road mitigation measures are becoming an increasingly important tool for transportation agencies to minimize the risks of WVC’s. The construction of multiple wildlife crossing structures in combination with wildlife fencing have been shown to reduce WVC’s …

20 Years Of Domestic Violence Advocacy, Collaborations, And Challenges: Reflections Of A Clinical Law Professor, Suzanne E. Tomkins

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Food Miles: Environmental Protection Or Veiled Protectionism?, Meredith Kolsky Lewis, Andrew D. Mitchell

Journal Articles

This article examines the international trade, environmental, and development implications of campaigns to convince consumers to make food purchases based on food miles. Buying food from nearby sources has become a popular objective. One of the unmistakable messages of the “locavore” movement is that importing food – particularly food that comes from far away – causes environmental harm. The theory is that transporting food long distances results in the release of high levels of greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere and is thus a dangerous contributor to climate change. Proponents of this view therefore argue that “food miles” – the …

Effects Of Whole Body Therapeutic Hypothermia On Gastrointestinal Morbidity And Feeding Tolerance In Infants With Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy., Kimberly M. Thornton, Hongying Dai, Seth Septer, Joshua E. Petrikin

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Objective. This retrospective cohort study evaluated the effects of whole body therapeutic hypothermia (WBTH) on gastrointestinal (GI) morbidity and feeding tolerance in infants with moderate-to-severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Study Design. Infants ≥ 35 weeks gestational age and ≥1800 grams birth weight with moderate-to-severe HIE treated from 2000 to 2012 were compared. 68 patients had documented strictly defined criteria for WBTH: 32 historical control patients did not receive WBTH (non-WBTH) and 36 cohort patients received WBTH. Result. More of the non-WBTH group infants never initiated enteral feeds (28% versus 6%; P = 0.02), never reached full enteral feeds (38% versus …

Genetic Modulation Of The Serca Activity Does Not Affect The Ca(2+) Leak From The Cardiac Sarcoplasmic Reticulum., Satoshi Morimoto, Kenichi Hongo, Yoichiro Kusakari, Kimiaki Komukai, Makoto Kawai, Jin O-Uchi, Hiroyuki Nakayama, Michio Asahi, Kinya Otsu, Michihiro Yoshimura, Satoshi Kurihara

Center for Translational Medicine Faculty Papers

The Ca(2+) content in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) determines the amount of Ca(2+) released, thereby regulating the magnitude of Ca(2+) transient and contraction in cardiac muscle. The Ca(2+) content in the SR is known to be regulated by two factors: the activity of the Ca(2+) pump (SERCA) and Ca(2+) leak through the ryanodine receptor (RyR). However, the direct relationship between the SERCA activity and Ca(2+) leak has not been fully investigated in the heart. In the present study, we evaluated the role of the SERCA activity in Ca(2+) leak from the SR using a novel saponin-skinned method combined with transgenic …

Expensive Errors Or Rational Choices: The Pioneer Fringe In Late Viking Age Iceland, Orri Vesteinsson, Mike Church, Andrew Dugmore, Thomas Mcgovern, Anthony Newton

Publications and Research

Just as the colonies established on the North Atlantic islands in the Viking Age were peripheral to Europe, so these islands had their own peripheral areas. In Iceland the highland margins have long been a focus of archaeological research and the prevailing view has been that highland settlement failed because people had made unrealistic assessments of carrying capacity. This paper presents a case study of the northern highland valley of Krókdalur and argues that the dating and pattern of settlement in that valley indicates that its settlers were keenly aware of its limitations. It also suggests explanatory frameworks that can …

Nest Destruction Elicits Indiscriminate Con- Versus Heterospecific Brood Parasitism In A Captive Bird, Rachel C. Shaw, William E. Feeney, Mark E. Hauber

Publications and Research

Following nest destruction, the laying of physiologically committed eggs (eggs that are ovulated, yolked, and making their way through the oviduct) in the nests of other birds is considered a viable pathway for the evolution of obligate interspecific brood parasitism. While intraspecific brood parasitism in response to nest predation has been experimentally demonstrated, this pathway has yet to be evaluated in an interspecific context. We studied patterns of egg laying following experimental nest destruction in captive zebra finches, Taeniopygia guttata, a frequent intraspecific brood parasite. We found that zebra finches laid physiologically committed eggs indiscriminately between nests containing conspecific eggs …

Effectiveness Of Blended Learning On Student Engagement, Tyler Youngers

Graduate Research Papers

Despite the increase in 1:1 computing initiatives in K-12 schools and increased technology use in higher education for blended learning, there is little empirical evidence of significant gains in learning outcomes. The use of the 1:1 initiatives to support student blended learning is the intent and purpose, but improved learning outcomes will not occur solely from investment in devices. This review investigates the promises and emerging research evidence of effectiveness of blended learning as a way to augment learning initiatives both in K-12 and in the higher education settings. This review draws from 30 peer-reviewed studies published in academic journals, …

Why Don't They Read?, Cynde Duncan

Graduate Research Papers

Engaging all students in books and helping them develop the habit of reading is an important goal of every school librarian. In 2007 the National Endowments for the Arts compiled data in the report To Read or Not To Read that showed there was a decline in the frequency of leisure reading in students between the ages of nine and thirteen (NEA, 2007). The investigations in this study are in response to the findings of the National Endowments of the Arts (2007) report. In this study three research questions were investigated: (a) the differences in participating reluctant readers' total scores …

Constitutional Purpose And The Anti-Corruption Principle, Zephyr Teachout

Faculty Scholarship

What was the purpose of the American Constitution? What was it made to do by those who made it? This question — which might be at the center of constitutional theory — is not explicitly asked as often as one might think. Instead, it frequently takes a backseat to other questions about the appropriate mode of constitutional interpretation or the specific purposes of particular texts. And yet it is an important question. How did the Framers (and then the second Framers, the amenders) imagine their own purposes? What are legitimate ways to determine their purposes? Most importantly for the purposes …

Understanding And Contextualizing Precedents In E-Discovery: The Illusion Of Stare Decisis And Best Practices To Avoid Reliance On Outdated Guidance, Jonathan M. Redgrave, Keltie Hays Peay, Mathea K.E. Bulander

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

But as precedents survive like the clavicle in the cat, long after the use they once served is at an end, and the reason for them has been forgotten, the result of following them must often be failure and confusion from the merely logical point of view.

Detecting The Influence Of Best Management Practices On Vegetation Near Ephemeral Streams With Landsat Data, Matthew Rigge, Alexander Smart, Bruce Wylie, Kendall De Van Kamp

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Various best management practices (BMPs) have been implemented on rangelands with the goals of controlling nonpoint sourcepollution, reducing the impact of livestock in ecologically important riparian areas, and improving grazing distribution.Providing off-stream water sources to livestock in pastures, cross-fencing, and rotational grazing are common rangeland BMPsthat have demonstrated success in drawing livestock grazing pressure away from streams. We evaluated the effects of rangelandBMP implementation with six commercial-scale pastures in the northern mixed-grass prairie. Four pastures received a BMPsuite consisting of off-stream water, cross-fencing, and deferred-rotation grazing, and two pastures did not receive BMPs. Wehypothesized that the BMPs increased the quantity …

Phenology Of Annulus Formation In Walleye And Smallmouth Bass Otoliths, Brianna J. Graff, Daniel J. Dembkowski, Melissa R. Wuellner

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Walleye Sander vitreus and smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu were sampled monthly (May-October) from Lake Sharpe, South Dakota during 2006 and 2007 to estimate the timing of otolith annulus formation and to evaluate the influence of fish age, sex, and sample location (walleye only) on the timing and detection of annulus formation. Timing of annulus formation was evaluated using marginal increment analysis. Walleye samples were stratified by age, sex, and sample location (i.e., upper and lower Lake Sharpe) and smallmouth bass samples were stratified by age and sex. Monthly mean marginal increment measurements for both species generally increased from May to …

The Copyright/Patent Boundary, Viva R. Moffat

University of Richmond Law Review

No abstract provided.

Jour 4900/6900: Multimedia Mass Communication (Syllabus), Ashley D. Furrow

Journalism and Strategic Media Syllabi Archive

Course Description: Using computers to learn process/software/production design concepts involved in multimedia primarily designed for computer communication; digital editing of still images, off-line video editing, animation and production techniques for assembling all into a single CD or video to convey advertising, public relations, or news editorial concepts.

Is Animal Assisted Therapy Using Dogs An Effective Treatment For Positive And Negative Symptoms For Adult Inpatient Schizophrenics?, Brian Davidson

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) using dogs is an effective treatment for positive and negative symptoms for adult inpatient schizophrenics.

STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review of 3 articles published in English in peer reviewed journals between 2005-2009

DATA SOURCES: Two randomized controlled trials and one allocation by minimization controlled trial comparing the effects of AAT using dogs on positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia to control groups. All articles were found using PubMed and PROQuest

OUTCOMES MEASURED: Focused questionnaires were given before and after …

Does The Use Of Fascial Manipulative Therapy Help To Improve Overall Asthma Quality Of Life By Descreasing Asthma Symptoms?, Christie Mecouch

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not the use of fascial manipulative therapy helps to improve overall asthma quality of life by decreasing asthma symptoms.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and one case study, published between 2005-current, all in the English language.

DATA SOURCES: Two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and one case study, all of which evaluate the effectiveness of fascial manipulative therapy as it pertains to asthma quality of life. All studies were found using PubMed.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: The outcomes measured were an improvement …

Is Animal Assisted Therapy With Dogs Effective In Improving Psychosocial Variables Of Mood In Hospital Patients?, Kelsey A. Morris

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not animal assisted interventions with dogs are effective in improving psychosocial variables of mood in hospital patients.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of two English language randomized control trial published in 2008 and 2007, and one English language clinical trial published in 2009.

DATA SOURCES: Two randomized, controlled trials comparing animal assisted interventions to absent animal interaction, interaction with a human being, engaging in another interactive activity, or no treatment were found using PubMed and Cochrane System Reviews.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: Anxiety was measured by POMS …

Is 2% Pirenzephine Gel Effective In Slowing The Progression Of Myopia In Children Aged 7-12 Years Old?, Melissa J. Rivera

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not 2% pirenzepine gel is effective in slowing the progression of myopia in children aged 7-12 years old?

STUDY DESIGN: Systemic review of three primary randomized controlled trials, which were published in 2008, 2004, and 2005.

DATA SOURCES: Multicenter, randomized double masked, placebo controlled, randomized controlled trials (RCT) were found using PubMed, COCHRANE, and OVID databases.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: The outcome, slowing of myopia progression, was measured similarly in all three trials. Progression of myopia was measured via changes in refractory status and spherical …

Understanding Death In Brown And Poe: Backgrounds And Continuities, Anthony Cunder

The Oswald Review: An International Journal of Undergraduate Research and Criticism in the Discipline of English

No abstract provided.