Digital Commons Network^™

Parasitoid Communities Of Remnant And Constructed Prairie Fragments In Western Ohio, Michael Drew Sheaffer

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The ability of organisms to disperse to, utilize, and persist in novel habitats in a fragmented landscape is vital to the success of many ecosystem restoration and construction efforts. With less than four percent of original tallgrass prairie persisting across its range, conservationists have made efforts to both protect and restore remnant prairies as well as to plant new prairies. Previous studies suggest that restored ecosystems do not support the same levels of biodiversity and ecosystems services as their remnant counterparts. In this study I measured tachinid fly diversity and orthopteran parasitism rates in order to assess ecological similarity of …

Genetic Analysis Of Male-Specific Lethality Between Caenorhabditis Briggsae:: Caenorhabditis Nigoni F1 Hybrids, Vaishnavi Ragavapuram

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Speciation occurs when there is a lack of reproduction due to genetic barriers. These genetic barriers to gene flow are referred as reproductive isolation mechanisms. Pre-zygotic and post-zygotic isolation are types of reproductive isolation mechanisms. In this project, post-zygotic isolation mechanisms were examined. Haldane's Rule states that in F1 hybrids, individuals of the heterogametic sex are less fit than those of the homogametic sex. Darwin's Corollary to Haldane's rule states that there is asymmetry in hybrid progeny between interspecific reciprocal crosses. Crosses done between Caenorhabditis briggsae males to Caenorhabditis nigoni females produce viable F1 hybrid females and males, yet the …

Refining A Post-Stroke Pharmacological And Physical Treatment To Reduce Infarct Volume Or Improve Functional Recovery, Using Gene Expression Changes In The Peri-Infarct Region To Examine Potential Mechanisms In Male And Female Rats, Moner A. Ragas

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Stroke, a life-threatening medical condition, is the fifth-leading cause of death in the United States with an estimated annual cost of treatments above $70 billion. A combination of innovative approaches was used in our lab to optimize the pre-clinical stroke research design by choosing the most appropriate animal model and methodologies to increase the translational capability of the stroke research. The first study, modeled after ongoing clinical trials using fluoxetine, refined the appropriate timing of fluoxetine and ascorbic acid delivery if a rat was on simvastatin for 7 days pre-stroke and throughout the remainder of the study. Administration of fluoxetine …

Examining Infarct Sizes In Female Sprague Dawley Rats In Response To A Delayed Post-Stroke Pharmacological Treatment In Combination With Physical Rehabilitation, Sayali Ravindra Dharmadhikari

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In this study, we hypothesize that a pharmacological drug treatment comprised of Fluoxetine, Simvastatin and Ascorbic acid together with physical rehabilitation would reduce infarct sizes. Over the period of 60 days after stroke-induction, 13 of the 23 rats were administered the drugs beginning 20-26 hours after stroke-induction and the rest were assigned to the control group. Physical rehabilitation exercises were initiated from poststroke day 8 and continued for 23 alternate days. The rats were tested for functional recovery using Montoya staircase apparatus and were euthanized after post-stroke day 60. The brains sections were analyzed using Nissl stain for infarct volume …

Co-Transplantation Of Endothelial Progenitor Cells And Neural Progenitor Cells For Treating Ischemic Stroke In A Mouse Model, Jinju Wang

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Ischemic stroke (IS) is a major cause of death and disability with limited and less effective therapeutics. Transplantation of stem cells, such as neuronal progenitor cells (NPCs) and endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), is promising for treating IS. It is well known that neurogenesis and angiogenesis are critical for cerebral repair following ischemic injury. However, whether co-transplantation of EPCs and NPCs has synergistic effects remains unclarified. In addition, the PI3K/Akt pathway participates in modulating a widely range of cellular functions such as anti-apoptotic and anti-oxidant. The signal pathways responsible for the effects of grafted NPCs and EPCs are also waiting for …

Genomic Signatures Of Population History In A Pair Of Recently Diverged Australian Teal Support Strong Selection On The Z Sex-Chromosome, Kevin Kyle Hawkins

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Sex chromosomes are thought to be an important component of the genome associated with speciation and the buildup of reproductive isolation. Recent advances in sequencing technologies and improvements in population genetics and modeling techniques have made it possible to better assess genomic signatures of selection, genetic drift and gene flow in diverging lineages. Recent studies have shown elevated differentiation on the Z sex-chromosome between the Australian grey teal (Anas gracilis) and chestnut teal (Anas castanea). Here, we used next generation sequencing to scan ~3,400 autosomal loci and ~190 Z loci to examine genomic differentiation and signatures of selection and gene …

Correlating Innate Functional Recovery From Stroke Either With Stem Cell Proliferation And/Or Limb Rehabilitation, Devipriyanka Nagarajan

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In the present study 10-12 month female rats were examined for functional recovery from stroke and this recovery was compared with the stem cell/progenitor cell proliferation in the brain (which was measured by Ki67). The cell proliferation indicated by Ki67 showed a 6 fold increase in control animals compared to the rehabilitation animals. The contralateral functional recovery in control animals were 46.6% and in the rehabilitation animals were 24.5%. The physical rehabilitation was carried out to determine if limb rehabilitation can promote greater functional recovery. The results showed that when the animals were made to over use their impaired limb …

Chemosensitivity In Mealworms And Darkling Beetles (Tenebrio Molitor) Across Oxygen And Carbon Dioxide Gradients, Andrew King Patterson

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Breathing in most insects is controlled through a negative feedback loop consisting of signals (O₂, CO₂, pH), sensors (chemoreceptors), integrators (neural ganglia), and effectors (spiracles over tracheae). I hypothesized that mealworms and their adult counterparts Darkling beetles, Tenebrio molitor, can sense anoxic and hyperoxic environments and preferentially avoid these environments. I also hypothesize that mealworms are attracted to hypercarbia while Darkling beetles avoid hypercarbia. I constructed a test arena to create an O₂ or CO₂ gradient. Velocity, total distance traveled, and time spent in each area of the O₂ or CO₂ gradients …

Examination Of A Post-Stroke Drug Treatment For Its Effect On Blood Brain Barrier Permeability, And Gene Expression Changes In The Peri-Infarct Region, Ankita Anil Patel

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In this current study, we have investigated this a combination of fluoxetine, simvastatin and ascorbic acid administered daily beginning at 20-26 hours after stroke induction. We hope to understand therapeutic abilities by studying its effectiveness on the blood brain barrier permeability and gene expression changes of the microglial subtypes involved in neuro-inflammation and neurogenesis factors in the peri-infarct region. Our results indicate that S-enantiomer of fluoxetine may be more beneficial compared to the R-enantiomer. The S-enantiomer was effective in tightening the blood brain barrier in contrast to the R-enantiomer, in which the latter showed a greater Evans Blue dye permeability …

Influences Of Masculinity On Health Behaviors, Tessa Louise Miracle

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Gender schema explains the processes by which gender stereotypes become so psychologically ingrained in individuals in our society, but how does gender schema impact health care practices? The purpose of this study was to investigate how ingrained gender stereotypes not only influence day to day activities but also impact health, by limiting health protective and help seeking behaviors. The Masculine Behavior Scale (MBS) was used to determine if men with strong gender schemata engage in health risking behavior more than men with a weaker gender schemata or women of any gender schemata. To investigate the mediating effect gender has on …

Purification And Recovery Of Infectious Virus Particles Using Osmolyte Flocculation, Ashish Saksule

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Viral infectious diseases cause millions of deaths and severe illness all around the world affecting public health and economics. Viral vaccines are helping to fight against viral diseases, but current vaccines are expensive and unavailable, especially in poor and developing countries. When measuring the entire manufacturing processing, the downstream processing of vaccines is the major cost of production. Our goal for this research is to develop a low-cost alternative downstream processing platform for new vaccine manufacturing infrastructures. We have developed a novel osmolyte flocculation method for viral particles. To create a platform purification for several types of viral particles, we …

Powering An Industry: The History Of The Calumet And Hecla Electrical System And The Environmental Consequences Left Behind, Emma M. Zawisza

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The Calumet and Hecla Copper Mining Company in Houghton County, Michigan, was established in 1865 and closed its doors in 1968. This company was a major contributor in developing secondary copper processing and used these methods to produce copper even when its underground mines were closed. C&H built its own electrical transmission system that could have rivaled many during its time. This allowed the company to have the ability to produce and control its electrical network and expand, but it had major environmental effects. Polychlorinated biphenyl compounds (PCBs), used in transformer oil and other components were produced between about 1930 …

The Cuyuna Iron Range: Legacy Of A 20th Century Industrial Community, Frederick Sutherland

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The Cuyuna Range is a former North American iron mining district about 90 miles(145 kilometers) west of Duluth in central Minnesota. The district was the furthest south and west of the three Minnesota iron ranges (Vermilion, Mesabi, and Cuyuna). In 2011, Students and staff from Michigan Technological University's Department of Social Sciences were asked to identify and promote features of the Cuyuna Range's mining heritage. Methods and approaches of mulitsited archaeology were used to unify the diverse places and themes into a more cohesive narrative. Their investigations focused on sites of technological innovation, social conflict, and important people. One collaborative …

Investigating The Social Habitat Of Deer Hunters In Michigan, Christopher Henderson

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

State wildlife management agencies are funded primarily by revenue from hunting and angling license sales as well as federal excise taxes on equipment. These agencies are also responsible for managing wildlife populations and providing recreational resources to the public. Declines in hunting participation across much of the United States throughout the last two decades have prompted researchers and wildlife professionals to search for explanations and solutions that will ensure a level of funding for state agencies that allows continued management of wildlife within biological and social carrying capacities, engagement in conservation initiatives, and development of recreational opportunities. Most of the …

Effectiveness Of Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus Planipennis) Trap Placement In Relation To Forest Edges, Karen Cladas

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Agrilus planipennis, Fairmaire (Order Coleoptera: Family Burprestidae), an invasive insect to North America has caused mortality and decline of millions of Fraxinus trees since its discovery in 2002. A study to evaluate purple prism trap effectiveness in low-to-moderate beetle densities in relation to road proximity and basal area of Fraxinus species was conducted in northern Michigan in 2013 and 2014. Transects of traps were established at set distances from roads during A. planipennis flight season. Analysis indicated a significant relationship between road proximity and trap effectiveness, with traps established on the road edge out-performing traps established in the forest interior. …

Experimental And Theoretical Investigation Of Sustainable Fast Pyrolysis Biofuels From Woody Biomass, Bethany Jean Klemetsrud

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Biofuels are an important advancement in alternative energy that can provide substantial environmental benefits compared to their conventional fossil fuel counterparts Said benefits are usually measured using life cycle assessments. However, it is not well understood yet how different methodological choices such as system boundaries, biomass feedstocks, conversion pathways, geographical data, etc. affect the conclusions drawn from biofuels LCA. This research shows large variability in life cycle assessment results and limits comparison across different biofuel pathways due to methodological choices set forth by policy and certification schemes. Advanced biofuels have not reached large scale production due to a limited understanding …

The Effect Of Inversion And Motor Expertise On Body Compatibility, Harrison M. Goodall Iii

Pomona Senior Theses

Previous studies have established that when a subject’s attention is directed to a specific body part, the subject is able to move that body part faster than a body part their attention was not drawn to. This is known as the body compatibility effect, and it has been shown that this effect only occurs when viewing upright images of the human body. In this study, we presented control subjects and expert acrobats with inverted and upright stimuli. We hypothesized that the amount of time the acrobats spent inverted would result in the acrobats exhibiting body compatibility effects for both upright …

Altruism, Alexander J. Field

Economics

Altruism is reflected in actions by one individual that benefit another, even when there is no expectation of reward. Altruism is often equated with selflessness and contrasted with selfishness, or alternatively, altruism is seen as other-regarding as opposed to self-regarding behavior. The latter usage is sometimes preferred because of difficulties in classifying behavior for which the individual acting altruistically receives a "warm glow" from helping others. The question raised in this instance is whether such an individual is actually selfish and, if so, whether there is any behavior that, after the fact, could not be interpreted as selfish.

The need …

Rated "M" For Misleading: How Deceptive, Anti-Consumer Practices In The Videogame Industry Became The New Norm, Luis Baez

University of Florida Journal of Law & Public Policy

No abstract provided.

The Environmental, Democratic, And Rule-Of-Law Implications Of Harper's Environmental Assessment Legacy, Jocelyn Stacey

All Faculty Publications

The article argues that Harper’s dramatic changes to federal environmental assessment give rise to a two-dimensional legacy in environmental law: first, a legacy of impoverished environmental decision-making that reflects a narrow, resource-oriented vision of the environment, and second, a legacy of undermining democratic and rule-of-law values in environmental law. The crux of this latter legacy is the argument that environmental assessment law provides an essential framework for publicly-justified decision-making in the Canadian environmental context. Indeed, as I suggest in this article, environmental assessment presently performs a quasi-constitutional role in Canadian environmental decision-making in the sense that it provides the means …

Thermal Resilience Of Feeding Kinematics May Contribute To The Spread Of Invasive Fishes In Light Of Climate Change, Ralph Turingan, Tyler Sloan

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

As a consequence of global warming, tropical invasive species are expected to expand their range pole-ward, extending their negative impacts to previously undisturbed, high-latitude ecosystems. Investigating the physiological responses of invasive species to environmental temperature is important because the coupled effects of climate change and species invasion on ecosystems could be more alarming than the effects of each phenomenon independently. Especially in poikilotherms, the rate of motion in muscle-driven biomechanical systems is expected to double for every 10 °C increase in temperature. In this study, we address the question, “How does temperature affect the speed of jaw-movement during prey-capture in …

Fostering Political Interest Among Youth During The 2012 Presidential Election: Instructional Opportunities And Challenges In A Swing State, Brett L.M. Levy

Educational Theory and Practice Faculty Scholarship

Political interest is one of the most consistent predictors of political participation, but little research has examined how this attitude develops. This study explores adolescents’ political interest during the 2012 U.S. presidential election. The research team collected and analyzed longitudinal data (surveys, interviews, observations) in high schools located in conservative, liberal, and centrist communities within one swing state. Findings indicate that students’ (n=323) political interest increased during the election. These increases were related to greater public attention to politics and having opportunities to explore multiple sides of political issues and express political opinions. When guiding such experiences, some teachers struggled …

Why The Fbi's Justifiable Homicide Statistics Are A Misleading Measure Of Defensive Gun Use, Clayton E. Cramer

University of Florida Journal of Law & Public Policy

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Of The Old Covenant To The Everlasting Covenant, Ashwani Kumar

Master's Theses

Problem

The old covenant is often understood to be contrary to the new covenant. A distinction is made by such claims as the following: the old covenant represents the Old Testament, and new covenant represents the New Testament. The old covenant was made with only Israelites while the new covenant is made with the Church. The old covenant was based on works, and the new covenant is based on grace and is better than the old.

Purpose

The goal of this study is to present evidence that the new covenant was not established because it was different in the content …

Department Of Fisheries Annual Report To Parliament 2015/16, Government Of Western Australia Department Of Fisheries

Department of Fisheries Annual Reports

This annual report provides an overview of the Department and its operations for the financial year ended 30 June 2016. It has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Financial Management Act 2006, the Fish Resources Management Act 1994 and the Public Sector Commission’s Annual reporting framework – 2015/16 reporting year.

Carnarvon Rangelands Biosecurity Association Inc. Annual Report 2015/16, Carnarvon Rangelands Biosecurity Association Inc.

Recognised Biosecurity Group Annual Reports

The CRBA is a not for profit association formed under the Associations Incorporation Act 2015, providing declared pest control services for land managers throughout Shark Bay, Carnarvon, Exmouth, Murchison and Upper Gascoyne Shires. The associations’ primary purpose is the control of declared pests using funding from Declared Pest Rates paid by landholders on pastoral stations. These Declared Pest Rates funds are matched dollar for dollar by the WA Government to reflect the public benefit of controlling declared pest animals and weeds. The association is formally recognised by the Hon Minister for Agriculture and Food as a recognised biosecurity group (RBG).

Eastern Wheatbelt Biosecurity Group Inc. Annual Report 2015/16, Eastern Wheatbelt Biosecurity Group Inc.

Recognised Biosecurity Group Annual Reports

The Eastern Wheatbelt Biosecurity Group (EWBG) Inc. has been assisting the sheep industry to manage wild dog predation in the eastern wheatbelt since 2001 and has developed robust relationships with industry members, local governments, the mining industry, and state government departments. The Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) is the responsible state government agency for managing wild dogs on Unallocated Crown Land (UCL) and DPaW estate. To achieve this DPaW employs a dogging contractor to undertake wild dog control in the region and assists in funding baiting programs when funding is available.

Goldfields Nullarbor Rangelands Biosecurity Association Inc. Annual Report 2015/16, Goldfields Nullarbor Rangelands Biosecurity Association Inc.

Recognised Biosecurity Group Annual Reports

The Goldfields Nullarbor Rangelands Biosecurity Association Inc. (GNRBA) is unique in rangeland management across Western Australia. It has a huge area to service and is working hard to provide a top class service to ratepayers. It is now well recognised as being a leader in the RBG’s in WA.

The GNRBA Inc formally became operational on 1^st July 2011. At this time it took over the APB Zone 9 operations.

Kimberley Rangelands Biosecurity Association Activity Report 2015/16, Kimberley Rangelands Biosecurity Association

Recognised Biosecurity Group Annual Reports

The Kimberley Rangelands Biosecurity Association (KRBA) has an annual Large Feral Herbivore culling program that includes feral donkeys, horses and camels with other animals such as water buffalo and pigs targeted when located. The program focusses primarily on donkeys, using the radio telemetry technique with horses and camels culled opportunistically during tracking. Currently there are 135 active collars throughout the region.

Meekatharra Rangelands Biosecurity Association Inc. Annual Report 2015/16, Meekatharra Rangelands Biosecurity Association Inc.

Recognised Biosecurity Group Annual Reports

The Meekatharra Rangelands Biosecurity Association Inc (MRBA) is an industry body with a membership of all pastoralists in the Shires of Yalgoo, Mount Magnet, Cue and Meekatharra. The Association has been established under the Biosecurity and Agricultural Management Act 2007 with a charter to manage and control declared pests, both animal and plant. The MRBA Constitution provides for a Management Committee, of up to eleven members, with the responsibility of overseeing the operation of the Association.