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University Of Texas At Tyler Catalog, 2016 - 2017, University Of Texas At Tyler

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No abstract provided.

Is The Breeze Making You Wheeze? Air Quality And Asthma In The Us, Gaurav A. Nagar

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Objective: A secular trend towards increased current and lifetime asthma prevalence has been observed in the US. The current study compared ambient Air Quality Index (AQI) data and asthma prevalence data from all fifty US states.

Methods: Air pollution is measured as AQI by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). County level AQI data are available at the EPA website. Asthma prevalence data for each state are available on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website. Data from 50 US states (2011-2013) were analyzed for AQI and asthma prevalence. The average of proportions for all counties in each …

Water Mites (Acari, Hydrachnidia): Powerful But Widely Neglected Bioindicators – A Review, Tom Goldschmidt

Neotropical Biodiversity

Various biomonitoring methods are used worldwide to evaluate water quality and the ecological integrity of freshwater habitats. Most of these methods are based upon macroinvertebrates, mainly insects, whereas water mites (Hydrachnidia) are widely neglected. In the present review, I summarize the diversity and ecology of water mites and evaluate their potential as bioindicators. Studies correlating water mite assemblages with water quality are presented in a detailed historical overview. Possible constraints to use this group as bioindicators are also discussed. The particular importance of Hydrachnidia in the monitoring of springs is discussed, as well as the state of knowledge on the …

Understanding The Evolutionary History Of A High Andean Endemic: The Ecuadorian Hillstar (Oreotrochilus Chimborazo), Carlos Antonio Rodríguez Saltos, Elisa Bonaccorso

Neotropical Biodiversity

Geographic isolation has been proposed as the factor driving subspecific diversity of the Ecuadorian hillstar (Oreotrochilus chimborazo), a highland species restricted to the naturally fragmented paramos of Ecuador and southern Colombia. Current taxonomy recognizes three subspecies: O. c. chimborazo (from the Chimborazo volcano), O. c. soderstromi (from the Quilotoa volcano), and O. c. jamesonii (along the paramos of Ecuador and southern Colombia). To understand the origin of this morphological diversity, we explored the genetic variation along the species range based on analyses of two mitochondrial genes (ND2 and ND4), and one nuclear intron (MUSK). Subspecies O. c. soderstromi was not …

Remote Sensing Derived Fire Frequency, Soil Moisture And Ecosystem Productivity Explain Regional Movements In Emu Over Australia, Nima Madani, John S. Kimball, Mona Nazeri, Lalit Kumar, David L.R. Affleck

Numerical Terradynamic Simulation Group Publications

Species distribution modeling has been widely used in studying habitat relationships and for conservation purposes. However, neglecting ecological knowledge about species, e.g. their seasonal movements, and ignoring the proper environmental factors that can explain key elements for species survival (shelter, food and water) increase model uncertainty. This study exemplifies how these ecological gaps in species distribution modeling can be addressed by modeling the distribution of the emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) in Australia. Emus cover a large area during the austral winter. However, their habitat shrinks during the summer months. We show evidence of emu summer habitat shrinkage due to …

Host Location And Host-Associated Divergence In Parasitoids Of The Gall Midge, Asteromyia Carbonifera, Jeffrey L. Howell

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Some of the world's greatest mysteries are the series of ecological and behavioral processes that promote adaptive radiation: when one species rapidly diverges into multiple descendants due to ecological selective pressures. Selective pressures from natural enemies have the potential to drive such radiations, as has been suggested in the diversification of the goldenrod gall-midge, Asteromyia carbonifera (Stireman et al., 2008, 2012). This complex, multitrophic system involves the midge species complex, their goldenrod host plants (Solidago sp.), and a suite of parasitoid enemies in the diverse wasp superfamily, Chalcidoidea. There is evidence that the midge is undergoing host-associated differentiation (HAD), in …

The Biotic Effects Of Tertiary Geoclimatic Change In The Southern Hemisphere, Stuart Val Nielsen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I explore how pre-Quaternary geoclimatic phenomena and geographical heterogeneity influenced sub-continental speciation processes and contemporary biogeographic patterns across the Southern Hemisphere, with particular focus on two regions that have experienced elevated levels of ongoing aridification – sub-Saharan (particularly Southern) Africa and Australia. I used standard methods from the molecular phylogeneticists’ toolbox (e.g. tree building using maximum likelihood and Bayesian approaches, haplotype networks, uncorrected p-distances) combined with environmental niche modeling, morphometric principal components and fossil calibrated molecular dating analyses in order to ascertain the role that Miocene geo-climatic events played in promoting lineage accumulation and diversification through time. I found a …

The Association Of Atrazine And Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma In Kentucky, Justine F. Maxwell

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Atrazine, one of the most widely used agricultural pesticides, largely sprayed on corn. throughout the Midwest.34 The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated 76.4 million pounds are applied annually where its usage on corn accounts for approximately 86% of total United States (US) domestic usage (in pounds).35 Approximately 75% of the field corn acreage grown in the U.S. is treated with atrazine.35 Once atrazine enters into waterways, it can persist having a half-life greater than 200 days in surface waters.34 In Kentucky, atrazine is the most heavily applied in heavy corn-producing locations, which are mostly in western regions of the …

Characterizing Health Risks In Privately-Supplied Drinking Water Due To Agricultural Practices In Rural Western Kentucky, Karen Schroeder Card

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

At least 400,000 people in Kentucky rely on private water wells or springs for drinking water. 551 households that rely on private water wells for drinking water were surveyed in 2009 about adverse health outcomes, including selected cancer incidence, adverse birth outcomes, and yearly incidence of diarrheal illness. Survey recipients were drawn from a population of well owners in the Jackson Purchase Region of Kentucky whose wells were tested for nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N), triazine pesticides, and E. coli or total coliforms, by Kentucky Geologic Survey within the previous 15 years. 214 questionnaires were returned and matched to water quality data for …

Nitrogen And Warming Effects On Nitrous Oxide Production Associated With Coastal Macroinvertibrates, Melanie H. Gárate

Open Access Master's Theses

Bivalve shellfish potentially reduce excess nitrogen in the water column, however they can also be involved in the emission of nitrous oxide (N₂O), a potent greenhouse gas. Environmental controls on N₂O production from bivalves have not been well quantified. We tested responses of N2O production by three bivalves (Mytilus edulis, Mercenaria mercenaria and Crassostrea virginica) to nitrogen (N) loading and/or warming after immediate (1 day) and short-term (14-28 days) exposure. This two-factor laboratory study had four treatments: (1) ammonium nitrate (N) addition (targeting 100μM-N), (2) warming (22^oC), (3) N addition + …

Temperature Effects On The Proteome Of Ciona Intestinalis, Chelsea Lopez

Open Access Master's Theses

Ciona intestinalis is a solitary ascidian that lives in temperate waters around the globe. C. intestinalis in Rhode Island exhibit normal embryonic development at water temperatures between 10° C and 18° C. This thesis is interested in what changes occur in the ovary tissue at temperatures above 18° C and below 10° C. A preliminary study to assess the reproductive fitness of C. intestinalis, found that C. intestinalis raised at 22 °C had lower embryo viability when compared to the normal temperature range. 22 °C was chosen to mimic the high temperature predicted in some climate change models (IPCC, …

Ecological Laws And Their Promise Of Explanations, Viorel Pâslaru

Philosophy Faculty Publications

Marcel Weber (1999) argued that the principle of competitive exclusion is a law of ecology that could explain phenomena (1) by direct application, or (2) by describing default states. Since he did not offer an account of explanation by direct application of laws, I offer an interpretation of explanation by direct application of laws based on a proposal by Elgin and Sober (2002). I show that in both cases it is the descriptions of mechanisms that explain phenomena, and not the laws. Lev Ginzburg and Mark Colyvan (2004) argued Malthus’ Law of Exponential Growth is the first law of ecology, …

A Floristic Study Of The Oak Leaf Lake Unit Of The Swan Lake Wildlife Management Area In Nicollet County, Minnesota, Heidi Rauenhorst

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Prairies play an integral ecological role, protecting biodiversity and providing habitat for fauna. The number of prairie acres has significantly declined in Minnesota, making the existing prairies that much more valuable. The Oak Leaf Lake Unit of the Swan Lake Wildlife Management Area in Nicollet County, Minnesota (latitude 44.311050, longitude -94.015577) was purchased by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources in 1994 and is being managed as tallgrass prairie. Floristic surveys were performed during the 2011 and 2012 growing seasons to gather baseline data. These data were used to assess the quality of the site through calculation of various indices …

The Utilization Of Morphological And Genetic Diagnostic Techniques For The Description Of Trematode Species Collected From Waterbirds From Lake Winnibigoshish, Minnesota, Usa, Tyler Joseph Achatz

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Historically, morphological techniques for species identification were the leading diagnostic methodology, however, the increased usage of genetic techniques has led to a decrease in reports of morphometrics. The decrease in morphological reports increases the chance of missing diagnostic morphometrics. The three studies described herein used morphological and genetic diagnostic methods to identify trematodes from five families in order to improve genetic and morphological information for trematode species identification.

The first study identified ten species of trematodes from intestines of waterbirds previously collected from Lake Winnibigoshish, Minnesota. Nine of the species were sequenced for 28S ribosomal DNA (rDNA). Two species were …

Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns And Protective Effects Of Statins In Bacteremic Patients, Ajinkya Pawar

Open Access Dissertations

The significant increase in antimicrobial resistance over the past few years is a serious global public health concern, particularly as the development of new antimicrobial agents had been slow for many years. Infections with resistant organisms are associated with poor clinical outcomes and higher cost burdens. Determining antimicrobial resistance patterns can help identify problem areas and modify treatment practices to improve clinical outcomes. Additionally, identifying adjunctive therapies can also help improve clinical outcomes among infected patients. The objectives, hypotheses, methods and results of this dissertation are threefold:

Manuscript 1: The objective was to analyze antimicrobial resistance trends in E. faecalis …

Photosynthetic Response Of Bromus Inermis In Grasslands Of Different Altitudes, Panagiota Kostopoulou, Maria Karatassiou

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

In Greece, grasslands constitute an important component of montane areas. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the photosynthetic responses of the forage species Bromus inermis at two montane grasslands (Filippaioi, Grammatiko) and a lowland grassland under differential irradiation and CO2 concentration levels. In each area, gas exchange parameters were calculated under: a) ambient conditions along with the measurement of variable to maximal fluorescence, b) low (300 µmol m-2 s-1) and high (1400 µmol m-2 s-1) radiation, and c) ambient (380 µmol mol-1) and high (800 µmol mol-1) CO2 concentrations. In addition, assimilation response curves to different levels …

Evaluating Survival Of Released Ranched American Alligator In Coastal Louisiana, Kristy Durham Capelle

LSU Master's Theses

Since 1986, Louisiana’s American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) ranching program has required the release of alligators produced from eggs collected from wild nests to maintain wild populations. This project assessed long-term harvest data (1991-2010s) to estimate survival of released alligators. First, wildlife and fishery harvest models and general inter-disciplinary survival models were evaluated to determine best fit to the data. Second, once the best fitting model was selected, release length, precipitation and temperature from release sites, and an index of hunter effort were added to investigate influences on survival estimates. Release length was included because over time the proportion and size …

A Step In The Right Direction: Streambank Restoration Efforts At The Botanical Garden Of The Ozarks, Dylan S. Milholen, Madison Brown, Steven Thao, Lisa S. Wood

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

The Botanical Garden of the Ozarks (BGO) is a unique destination in Northwest Arkansas that draws more than 80,000 visitors a year. While the BGO manages low-input practices, run-off from pesticide application and synthetic fertilizers containing phosphorus and nitrogen are of concern to water quality, habitat, and overall ecological interactions of the BGO streambanks and adjacent Hilton Creek, which flows directly into Lake Fayetteville. One way to reduce pollution to waterbodies is through the use of riparian buffers. This project sought to establish a riparian buffer immediately adjacent to a portion of Hilton Creek in an effort to improve ecological …

Essentials Of Research Methods In Neurosurgery And Allied Sciences For Research, Appraisal And Application Of Scientific Information To Patient Care (Part I), Ignatius N. Esene, Amr M. El-Shehaby, Saleh S. Baeesa

Neurosciences

Every neurosurgeon ought to be acquainted with the basics of research methods to enhance the comprehension of the research process and critical appraisal procedures of a scientific write-up. This in turn will ensure the appropriate application of scientific knowledge to patient care. Recent publications reveal that a significant proportion of articles published in neurosurgery are mislabeled with dire consequences on the sorting and indexing of evidence. Furthermore, many clinicians report that they feel unqualified to read the medical literature critically hence, it is for this reason that we conducted this review. Herein, we present a simple algorithm to facilitate the …

3d Tool Evaluation And Workflow For An Ecological Approach To Visualizing Ancient Socio-Environmental Landscapes: A Case Study From Copan, Honduras, Heather Richards-Rissetto, Shona Sanford-Long, Jack Kerby-Miller

Department of Anthropology: Faculty Publications

Architectural reconstructions are the centerpieces of ancient landscape visualization. When present, vegetation is relegated to the background, resulting in underutilized plant data—an integral data source for archaeological interpretation—thus limiting the capacity to take advantage of 3D visualization for studying ancient socio-environmental dynamics. Our long-term objective is to develop methods of 3D landscape visualization that have value for examining changes in land use and settlement patterns. To begin to work toward this objective, we have (1) identified 3D tools and techniques for vegetation modeling and landscape visualization, (2) evaluated the pros and cons of these tools, (3) investigated biological and ecological …

Ant Diversity And Community Structure In Coastal Dunes And Wetlands, Xuan Chen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

How do many species live in a certain place? How does species composition changes among habitats? And what mechanisms decide species distribution? These are fundamental questions in community ecology. I first investigated ant diversity in two coastal ecosystems (dunes and wetlands) in the northern Gulf of Mexico, and then used the distribution patterns to infer assembly processes that structure ant communities in coastal areas. Specifically, the following hypotheses are tested: (1) coastal systems support lower ant diversity due to the unsuitable environment; (2) species living near the seashore are a subset of those exist near inland; (3) deterministic processes are …

Long-Term Monitoring And Recovery Of A Population Of Alligator Snapping Turtles, Macrochelys Temminckii (Testudines: Chelydridae), From A Northeastern Arkansas Stream, S. E. Trauth, D. S. Siegel, M. L. Mccallum, D. H. Jamieson, A. Holt, J. B. Trauth, H. Hicks, J. W. Stanley, J. Elston, J. J. Kelly, J. D. Konvalina

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

We conducted a mark-recapture study of Alligator Snapping Turtles, Macrochelys temminckii, on Salado Creek (Independence Co., Arkansas) during 10 trapping seasons, which spanned a 20-year period (1995–2015). We trapped a total of 163 Alligator Snapping Turtles during 416 trap nights and recorded a total of 35 recaptures during this study. Both the catch per unit effort (CPUE) and Jolly-Seber approaches demonstrated that this population benefitted from removal of harvest pressure, thus leading to an increase in abundance of Alligator Snapping Turtles in the lower ~5 km of the creek. The CPUE averaged slightly greater than 0.24 (317 trap nights) during …

New Chigger (Acari) Records From Arkansas Amphibians (Caudata, Anura) And Reptiles (Sauria), M. B. Connior, C. T. Mcallister, L. A. Durden, S. E. Trauth, H. W. Robison

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Sustainable Safari Practices: Proximity To Wildlife, Educational Intervention And The Quality Of Experience, Ryan Devine Tarver

All Master's Theses

This research examines the perceived quality of experience for safari tourists in relation to wildlife viewing proximities and the potential of educational interventions as a management strategy to mitigate adverse impacts of safari participant crowding. Crowding emanates from the safari tourist preferences to obtain close proximity to animals, particularly large mammals. Recognizing these preferences and associated impacts to animal behavior defined in previous research, we develop and deliver a survey instrument designed to measure the perceived quality of experience of the safari tourist while controlling for the viewing proximity variable. The survey instrument involves responding to stock photos selected to …

Evaluation Of Estimation Quality Of A General Paradigm For Indexing Animal Abundance When Observations Are Counts, Benjamin Shulman, Brandie D. Wagner, Gary K. Grunwald, Richard M. Engeman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Relative abundance indices are widely applied to monitor wildlife populations. A general indexing paradigm was developed for structuring data collection and validly conducting analyses. This approach is applicable for many observation metrics, with observations made at stations through the area of interest and repeated over several days. The variance formula for the general index was derived using a linear mixed model, with statistical tests and confidence intervals constructed assuming Gaussian-distributed observations. However, many observation methods, like intrusions to track plots or camera traps, involve counts with many zeroes, producing Poisson-like observations. To fill this inferential gap between Gaussian analytical assumptions …

Strolling The Lingnan Garden = 涓流彩園錄, 2014-2015, Lingnan Gardeners, Kwan Fong Cultural Research And Development Programme, Lingnan University

Lingnan Gardeners Publications 嶺南彩園刊物

This current collection is a documentation of the Lingnan Gardeners project in Phase One, from September 2014 up till December 2015. The 13 issues of Lingnan Gardeners Newsletter are collected here, which give some sense of what was happening month by month, in words and pictures. Included are also some related articles on the project – academic interviews, reflections on exchange visits, thoughts after gardening, as well as information about our partners.

本結集是嶺南彩園項目從2014年9月至2015年12月第一期活動的總結。這裡收集了13期《嶺南彩園通訊》，每月發生的活動和留影記錄在這裡。還收錄了一些與項目相關的文章，有學術訪談、交流回顧、參與者感言、夥伴機構介紹。

Stress-Induced Changes In Abundance Differ Among Obligate And Facultative Endosymbionts Of The Soybean Aphid, Laramy S. Enders, Nicholas Miller

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Bacterial endosymbionts can drive evolutionary novelty by conferring adaptive benefits under adverse environmental conditions. Among aphid species there is growing evidence that symbionts influence tolerance to various forms of stress. However, the extent to which stress inflicted on the aphid host has cascading effects on symbiont community dynamics remains poorly understood. Here we simultaneously quantified the effect of host-plant induced and xenobiotic stress on soybean aphid (Aphis glycines) fitness and relative abundance of its three bacterial symbionts. Exposure to soybean defensive stress (Rag1 gene) and a neurotoxic insecticide (thiamethoxam) substantially reduced aphid composite fitness (survival 9 reproduction) …

Composition And Diversity Of Avian Communities Using A New Urban Habitat: Green Roofs, Brian E. Washburn, Ryan M. Swearingin, Craig K. Pullins, Matthew E. Rice

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Green roofs on buildings are becoming popular and represent a new component of the urban landscape. Public benefits of green roof projects include reduced stormwater runoff, improved air quality, reduced urban heat island effects, and aesthetic values. As part of a city-wide plan, several green roofs have been constructed at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD). Like some other landscaping features, green roofs on or near an airport might attract wildlife and thus increase the risk of bird–aircraft collisions. During 2007–2011, we conducted a series of studies to evaluate wildlife use of newly constructed green roofs and traditional (gravel) roofs on …

Determining The Effects Of Non-Native Brook Stickleback (Cualea Inconstans) On The Lentic Systems At Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, Cheney, Wa, Jenae N. Yri

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

"The introduction of non-native fishes can cause trophic cascades in freshwater habitats; these effects may be amplified in ephemeral/temporary habitats. Non-native brook stickleback fishes (Culaea inconstans) were first documented on the Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge (WA) in 1999 and are now present in many portions of the refuge. The consequences of their presence on the refuge's perennial/permanent and temporary habitats are poorly understood. Therefore, the purpose of my project was to determine if brook stickleback are affecting habitat characteristics that are important for waterfowl nesting success. From April-August 2015, I compared the macro invertebrate and macrophyte community characteristics, fingernail clam …

A Social-Ecological Framework For Urban Stewardship Network Research To Promote Sustainable And Resilient Cities, Michele Romolini, R. Patrick Bixler, J. Morgan Grove

Center for Urban Resilience Scholarship

To realize more sustainable and resilient urban social-ecological systems, there is great need for active engagement from diverse public agencies, non-profit organizations, businesses, natural resource managers, scientists, and other actors. Cities present unique challenges and opportunities for sustainability and resilience, as issues and organizations are frequently intertwined in networks of relations. Understanding and leveraging the range of knowledge types, motivations, skills, and goals of diverse participants and their networks is fundamental to sustainable and resilient cities. As efforts to examine and understand urban stewardship networks continue to emerge, it is increasingly clear that there are no structured or systematic frameworks …