Digital Commons Network^™

Maternal Effects And Offspring Behavior: Potential Contributors To The Lack Of Recruitment In Mississippi Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus Polyphemus), Aaron L. Holbrook

Master's Theses

Federally threatened in Mississippi, gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) populations within the state have strongly variable recruitment and are generally in decline. Hatching success is significantly lower in Mississippi than in any other part of the species’ range , and most hatchlings die within the first year. There are few refuges where survival and hatching success is high. Here I compare two populations that differ in recruitment and offspring survival for differences in corticosterone. Corticosterone is a hormone that influences both energy availability and is released in elevated levels during stressful events, like living in poor quality habitat. Prolonged corticosterone elevation …

A Statistical Model For The Prediction Of Dissolved Oxygen Dynamics And The Potential For Hypoxia In The Mississippi Sound And Bight, Andreas Moshogianis

Master's Theses

Hypoxia events occur when dissolved oxygen concentrations fall below the minimum threshold (dissolved oxygen concentrations < 2 mg O₂ L^-1) necessary to avoid respiratory distress among aquatic organisms. In the Mississippi Sound and Bight, hypoxia is most prevalent from late-spring through late summer. Since hypoxia events can have dramatic effects on coastal fisheries, the spatial and temporal magnitude of hypoxia presents a clear threat to the productive fisheries in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Long-term hydrographic data were collected from eight sampling stations on a monthly basis from January 2009 to December 2011 along a cross-shelf transect from the mouth of …

Progression Magazine, 2015 Winter, Coastal Carolina University

Progression Magazine

Magazine of the College of Science at Coastal Carolina University.

Eel River Estuary And Centerville Slough Enhancement Project Historic Resources Addendum, Susie Van Kirk

Susie Van Kirk Papers

A collaborative project-Eel River Estuary and Centerville Slough Enhancement Project-involves governmental agencies, non-profits, and landowners with the goal of restoring and improving habitats and agricultural opportunities on lower Eel River and in the area of Centerville in Humboldt County. Multiple project objectives include restoration of ecosystem functions on a landscape, although altered by diking and ditching, still retains a unique complex of wetlands, sloughs, a major river system, and the Pacific Ocean. Modification of artificial controls such as culverts and tide gates, reconnection of watercourses, sediment reduction, and better management of flooding potential are ongoing projects with more proposed, all …

Urinformed December 2015, Urinformed

URInformed: The URI Employees' Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Grass-Shrub Associations Over A Precipitation Gradient And Their Implications For Restoration In The Great Basin, Usa, Maike F. Holthuijzen, Kari E. Veblen

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

As environmental stress increases positive (facilitative) plant interactions often predominate. Plant-plant associations (or lack thereof) can indicate whether certain plant species favor particular types of microsites (e.g., shrub canopies or plant-free interspaces) and can provide valuable insights into whether “nurse plants” will contribute to seeding or planting success during ecological restoration. It can be difficult, however, to anticipate how relationships between nurse plants and plants used for restoration may change over large-ranging, regional stress gradients. We investigated associations between the shrub, Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis), and three common native grasses (Poa secunda, Elymus elymoides, and Pseudoroegneria spicata), …

Logistic Regression Models To Predict Solvent Accessible Residues Using Sequence- And Homology-Based Qualitative And Quantitative Descriptors Applied To A Domain-Complete X-Ray Structure Learning Set, Reecha Nepal, Joanna Spencer, Guneet Bhogal, Amulya Nedunuri, Thomas Poelman, Thejas Kamath, Edwin Chung, Katherine Kantardjieff, Andrea Gottlieb, Brooke Lustig

Faculty Publications, Chemistry

A working example of relative solvent accessibility (RSA) prediction for proteins is presented. Novel logistic regression models with various qualitative descriptors that include amino acid type and quantitative descriptors that include 20- and six-term sequence entropy have been built and validated. A domain-complete learning set of over 1300 proteins is used to fit initial models with various sequence homology descriptors as well as query residue qualitative descriptors. Homology descriptors are derived from BLASTp sequence alignments, whereas the RSA values are determined directly from the crystal structure. The logistic regression models are fitted using dichotomous responses indicating buried or accessible solvent, …

25 Year Club: 34th Annual Gala, Western Michigan University

25 Year Club

25 Year Club: 34th Annual Gala

December 1, 2015

• New Inductees
• Members
• Retirees

Ecological Niche Modeling Of Pteronotropis Hubbsi, The Bluehead Shiner: Evaluating The Effects Of Spatial Filtering And Maxent Features Across Various Spacial Extents, Justin Matthew Hernandez

Biology Theses

Ecological niche modeling (ENM) has been extensively applied as a reliable tool in conservation biology. Still, challenges abound in generating optimal models, especially when using limited occurrence data. The bluehead shiner, Pteronotropis hubbsi, a threatened species of concern, was modeled throughout its range within the U.S. South Central Plains Ecoregion. The portions of states that overlap this region include Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. I used the Maxent software package (Phillips et al., 2006), as the ENM algorithm for this project. A maximum of 14 geospatial environmental layers (climatic, hydrologic, and geologic) were chosen to determine the species' association with …

The Image Machine, Jeremy Min Burns

Architecture Senior Theses

Architecture has always been an image machine. From the Lascaux cave paintings to the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris to the multimedia installations of the Eameses to the early projects of Diller Scofidio, images and architecture have cohabited persistently and productively for centuries. However, since the dawn of the digital age, the ontological status of images has changed; and in turn so has the relationship between images and architecture. Rather than being anchored to a specific material support, images exist as manipulable data. While some have viewed the digital turns as the transcendence of information beyond the human subject, an era of …

Fossil Fuel Dependence: A Study Into The United States' Unfaltering Love Of Fossil Fuels, And The Climate Denial Machine, Samuel Gentile

Washington Semester Program

No abstract provided.

The Development Of A Platform For Expression And Purification Of The Mammalian Transmembrane Transporter Abca4, Amaryllis Ortiz

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Purpose- ABCA4 is an ATP Binding Cassette (ABC) protein localized at cone and rod photoreceptor outer segments of the retina. Though mutations in ABCA4 have been found to cause a broad spectrum of disorders, ABCA4's high molecular weight (~210 kDa) and biochemical transmembrane properties have made ABCA4 functional studies unsuccessful. Identifying how ABCA4 functions might have significant clinical impact and open unanticipated avenues for therapeutic interventions. Thus, the objective of this study was to develop a new expression system able to produce the full-length, correctly folded and fully functional ABCA4 protein.

Methods- the ABCA4 gene was amplified from the PCMV6-ABCA4 …

Avs Corner, December 2015, Casey Wheeler, Emily Cook, Alexandra Johnson, Jamison Lynch, Kim Hill, Hayley Boyd, April Jeffcoat, Johanna Johnson

AVS Corner

No abstract provided.

Genome Sequences Of Three Phytopathogenic Species Of The Magnaporthaceae Family Of Fungi, Laura H. Okagaki, Cristiano C. Nunes, Joshua Sailsbery, Brent Clay, Doug Brown, Titus John, Yeonyee Oh, Nelson Young, Michael Fitzgerald, Brian J. Haas, Qiandong Zeng, Sarah Young, Xian Adiconis, Lin Fan, Joshua Z. Levin, Thomas K. Mitchell, Patricia A. Okubara, Mark L. Farman, Linda M. Kohn, Bruce Birren, Li-Jun Ma, Ralph A. Dean

Plant Pathology Faculty Publications

Magnaporthaceae is a family of ascomycetes that includes three fungi of great economic importance: Magnaporthe oryzae, Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici, and Magnaporthe poae. These three fungi cause widespread disease and loss in cereal and grass crops, including rice blast disease (M. oryzae), take-all disease in wheat and other grasses (G. graminis), and summer patch disease in turf grasses (M. poae). Here, we present the finished genome sequence for M. oryzae and draft sequences for M. poae and G. graminis var. tritici. We used multiple technologies to sequence and annotate the …

Faculty Notes - John Carroll University, John Carroll University

Faculty Notes - John Carroll University

December 2015, Volume 8, Issue 4

Influence Of Rock-Pool Characteristics On The Distribution And Abundance Of Inter-Tidal Fishes, Gemma E. White, Grant C. Hose, Culum Brown

Ecology Collection

Rock pools can be found in inter-tidal marine environments worldwide; however, there have been few studies exploring what drives their, fish species composition, especially in Australia. The rock-pool environment is highly dynamic and offers a unique natural laboratory to study the habitat choices, physiological limitations and adaptations of inter-tidal fish species. In this study rock pools of the Sydney region were sampled to determine how the physical (volume, depth, rock cover and vertical position) and biological (algal cover and predator presence) parameters of pools influence fish distribution and abundance. A total of 27 fish species representing 14 families was observed …

Autonomic Nervous System Reactivity In A Free-Ranging Mammal: Effects Of Dominance Rank And Personality, Elodie F. Briefer, James A. Oxley, Alan G. Mcelligott

Ethology Collection

Modulation of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity allows animals to effectively respond to internal and external stimuli in everyday challenges via changes in, for example, heart and respiration rate. Various factors, ranging from social such as dominance rank to internal such as personality or affective states can impact animal physiology. Our knowledge of the combinatory effects of social and internal factors on ANS basal activity and reactivity, and of the importance that each factor has in determining physiological parameters, is limited, particularly in nonhuman, free-ranging animals. In this study, we tested the effects of dominance rank and personality (assessed …

Energy Performance And Indoor Environmental Control Of Animal Houses: A Modelling Tool, Enrico Fabrizio, Andrea Ghiggini

Housing and Confinement of Farm Animals Collection

The energy-related products Directive (ErP) 2009/125/EC has set a new generation of equipment that are more energy efficient and reliable. In the case of climate control for livestock housing, a key role can be played by EC motors direct drive variable flow fans that can be used instead of traditional AC fans in applications like broiler or dairy houses. The energy consumptions of such fans strictly depend on the specific application and on the outdoor weather conditions, and there is therefore the need to forecast their energy performance by means of computational tools. In this work, we present a tool …

Beyond Pain—Controlling Suffering In Laboratory Animals, Bernard E. Rollin

Experimental Research and Animal Welfare Collection

No abstract provided.

Uni Grad Student News, V13n5, December 2015, University Of Northern Iowa. Graduate College.

UNI Grad Student News

Inside this issue:

-- Message from the Dean
-- Faculty Profile: Dr. Windee Weiss
-- New Year, New MGSA!
-- Student: Mackensie Smith
-- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service Opportunity
-- Alumni: Dr. Tom O'Shea
-- New Faculty: Rubina Chowdhury
-- New Year, New MGSA!
-- MLK, JR. Service Opportunity
-- Tips to Prepare for the 2016 Spring Semester
-- 2nd Annual Elect HER - Panther Women Win!
-- Cedar Valley Family Step Festival - Lyuda Grygorchuk
-- American Association of University Women for UNI - Rachel Gregory
-- New Graduate College Secretary - Rubina Chowdhury
-- 9th …

Gopher Intrusion In Cropping Systems, Kenneth Romero, Paul Cardinalli

Agricultural Education and Communication

The purpose of this project was to determine if no till vs. till on gopher populations was more beneficial. Which is more efficient at controlling gophers and explain the damage they can cause and the diseases they can potentially vector. What are the different options of pest managements that have to be used when dealing with a gopher infestation in a tilled field vs. a no-tilled field.

Resource Partitioning Along Multiple Niche Axes Drives Functional Diversity In Parrotfishes On Caribbean Coral Reefs, Thomas C. Adam, Megan Kelley, Benjamin I. Ruttenberg, Deron E. Burkepile

Biological Sciences

The recent loss of key consumers to exploitation and habitat degradation has significantly altered community dynamics and ecosystem function across many ecosystems worldwide. Predicting the impacts of consumer losses requires knowing the level of functional diversity that exists within a consumer assemblage. In this study, we document functional diversity among nine species of parrotfishes on Caribbean coral reefs. Parrotfishes are key herbivores that facilitate the maintenance and recovery of coral-dominated reefs by controlling algae and provisioning space for the recruitment of corals. We observed large functional differences among two genera of parrotfishes that were driven by differences in diet. Fishes …

Ua94/6 Gemini 75 Memories, Bobbi Clark

Student/Alumni Personal Papers

Bobbi (Battle) Clark's answers to questionnaire regarding WKU's Gemini jazz bands. See Gemini Jazz Bands online exhibit for more information.

Pittsburg State University Annual Commencement, Dec 2015, Pittsburg State University

Commencement, 1903-Present

Program of undergraduate and graduate commencement exercises at Pittsburg State University on December of 2015

Multi-Marker Linkage Disequilibrium Mapping Of Quantitative Trait Loci, Soyoun Lee

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Background: Genome-wide associations have been studied for years to infer relationships between biological traits and their underlying genetic causes, known as quantitative traits loci (QTL), in a process known as QTL mapping. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which are commonly used genetic markers, are usually in linkage disequilibrium (LD) with each other within a small genetic region. Both single- and double-marker-based LD mapping methods have been developed by taking advantage of LD structure. Method: In this thesis, a more general LD mapping framework with an arbitrary number of markers has been developed in order to improve LD mapping and its detection …

A Dynamic Oyster Reef Bioenergetics Model: Predictions Of Secondary Production Based On Different Restoration Scenarios, Elizabeth Gomez

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

The presence of oyster reefs augments the biomass and abundance of many transient fish and crustacean species. Therefore, restoration of oyster reefs has become an increasingly common practice in coastal areas with the goal of enhancing production of transient fish. However, predicting the effect of oyster restoration on transient fish community biomass remains elusive. To address this challenge, I created a trophic bioenergetic model to understand how energy transfers in an oyster reef and assess the effects of various restoration strategies on transient fish species. The model used a set of functional groups representing organisms commonly found in an oyster …

The Application Of Trajectory Analysis For An Early Warning System In Stem Courses, Un Jung Lee

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

The retention of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) majors has become a national concern. “Early warning systems†(EWS) are being developed to identify students who perform poorly early in the semester so that interventions can be implemented. The research reported here utilizes clicker scores and review quiz scores collected in every class session for the longitudinal analysis, as well as pre-course concept inventory scores and self-reported student characteristics. Pre course concept inventory scores were significantly predictive of final course grade. Student demographic characteristics had a smaller fraction of final course grade explained. The cumulative average student clicker score was …

Groundwater Nitrate Contamination Remediation Through Permeable Reactive Barriers On The Forge River, Long Island, New York, Amy Bronwan Pritt

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

The Forge River on the south shore of Long Island is contaminated by nitrate. The Forge River leads into Moriches Bay. Nitrate contamination in the river leads to algal blooms, hypoxia of the river and eventually fish kills. The area surrounding the Forge River is largely residential and not sewered with the residents relying on septic systems for sewage disposal. Nitrate from even small septic systems has been found in groundwater as far as 100m down gradient. Other investigators have shown the occurrence of submarine groundwater discharge on Wills Creek, a tributary of the Forge River and my study site. …

Structure And Dynamics Of The Gulf Stream's Interannual Migration East Of Cape Hatteras, Alejandra Sanchez Franks

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

The Gulf Stream's (GS) main mode of interannual variability, its latitudinal migration, has been shown to be atmospherically forced by the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), taking a 2 year lag into account. Observational and model data were used here to examine the structure of the GS's migration and the dynamics linking it to atmospheric forcing. The structure of the GS's interannual variability was investigated from different measures of GS position and transport at 38°N and 27°N (i.e. the Florida Current). Using a zonally averaged index, the local measurements of GS position at 38°N proved good representations of overall meridional shifting …

The Bacterial Colonization Of Commonly Used Dental Implant Occluding Materials., Brandon G. Katz

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Title: The Bacterial Colonization of Commonly Used Dental Implant Occluding Materials.  Purpose: To determine the bacterial communities inhabiting commonly used materials intended to block/occlude the screw access channel of dental implant crowns/restorations. To aid in the prevention of peri-implantitis, a material that harbors less pathogenic red and orange complex microbes would be potentially beneficial when microleakage is occurring. A superior material for the purpose of the occlusion of screw access channels in implant-supported prostheses is a material that may provide a surface to which bacteria may not colonize. The choice of an occluding material that is less favorable for bacterial …