Digital Commons Network^™

The Response Of Molting Homarus Americanus To Ocean Acidification Projections, Erin Lyn Mclean

Open Access Master's Theses

Marine calcifiers, especially those in their larval and juvenile stages, are thought to be most vulnerable to ocean acidification (OA) due to the effects of carbon dioxide (CO₂) on growth and shell mineralogy. However, recent evidence is contradictory. We monitored molting activity, length and weight in early benthic phase juvenile American lobster Homarus americanus (Milne-Edwards 1837) under elevated CO₂ conditions (500 µatm, 1100-1300 µatm, and 2000-2700 µatm) to determine how OA affects growth at this life stage. Molted shells were analyzed for magnesium (Mg²⁺) and calcium (Ca²⁺) content by laser ablation inductively coupled …

Dropping Behavior In The Pea Aphid: How Does Environmental Context Affect Anti-Predator Responses?, Katharine Van Nostrand Harrison

Open Access Master's Theses

The relationship between predator and prey has traditionally focused on the act of consumption. More recently, interest has shifted to the intimidation of prey through predator presence and the resulting alterations in prey morphology, behavior, or development. These prey responses, broadly called non-consumptive effects, are energetically costly to prey and can result in changes in prey populations. The study of non-consumptive effects can help further explain complicated trophic level relationships and food webs. The pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is a small, phloem-feeding insect that has developed an array of anti-predator responses when threatened. Dropping from a host plant, …

Effects Of Physical Activity, Diet, & Self-Efficacy On Physical Function In Older Adults, Katlynn Mathis

Open Access Master's Theses

Background: Many older adults (OA) demonstrate decreased physical function (PF) which may lead to disability. Increased physical activity (PA), eating a healthful diet, and maintaining higher self-efficacy (SE) each improve PF in older adults, but few studies have examined if the combination of these three variables have an additive effect on PF. Additionally, few longitudinal studies have assessed the change in PF in relation to the changes in PA, diet, and SE. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine: (a) the relationship between PF and PA levels, fruit and vegetable intake (F&V), and exercise SE; (b) …

Validation Of Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis For The Measurement Of Appendicular Lean Mass In Older Women, Kayla Mahoney

Open Access Master's Theses

Segmental multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (SMF-BIA) has been shown to be a valid, more portable, and less expensive alternative to dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) for the measurement of appendicular lean mass (ALM) in several populations. However, few studies have examined the validity of SMF-BIA specifically among populations of older women classified as sarcopenic or dynapenic. The aim of this cross sectional study was to investigate the accuracy of SMF-BIA compared to the gold standard DXA for the measurement of ALM among sarcopenic and/or dynapenic older women. Physical function, ALM, strength, and anthropometric tests were performed to determine the presence …

Acceptability, Short Term Impacts, And Relationships Of Variables Of A Processed Food Module, Jacqueline Corbett

Open Access Master's Theses

Objective: The purpose if this study was to evaluate the acceptability and short term impacts of an online educational module focusing on processed foods and explore the relationships between food addiction and related eating behaviors.

Methods: This single-group study used the Instructional Materials Motivation Survey (IMMS) to evaluate the module, MANOVA to assess knowledge, decisional balance, and self-efficacy change pre and post module, and multiple regression to assess variable contributions to the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) score.

Results: The module was rated positively (> 3.5) on the IMMS. Participants significantly increased knowledge, decisional balance pros, and self-efficacy. Baseline decisional …

Internalized Heteronegativity & Resilience In Relation To The Health Of Sexual Minorities Of Color, Isabel V. Rodriguez

Open Access Master's Theses

Internalized oppression and minority/social stress are negatively correlated with various physical and mental health indicators. The research on internalized oppression for sexual minorities is deceptively vast. It appears that extensive literature is available on the subject, but a deeper analysis indicated that the existing literature is limited with respect to the diversity of the populations studied. This study endeavored to explore the relationship between internalized heteronegativity, resilience, physical/general health perceptions and mental health among sexual minorities that also identify with a racial/ethnic minority group. Participants for this study were recruited from New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island, from community …

Phylogenetic Analysis Of A Cryptic Microscopic Red Alga, Katelyn Wadland

Open Access Master's Theses

Red algae demonstrate significant phenotypic plasticity and convergent evolution, making morphological species identification difficult. Microscopic members of this lineage further complicate identification by their limited number of morphological features. An unidentified red algal epiphyte (minute in size and composed of a few cells) was discovered growing on another red alga (Camontagnea oxyclada) collected in Stanley, Tasmania, Australia. This organism was originally detected as contamination during routine DNA barcoding surveys. Genetic data facilitates the discrimination between morphologically similar red algae, including this unique sample of Camontagnea oxyclada with its unknown red algal epiphyte. The objective of this research was …

Airway Wall Deformation Under Smooth Muscle Contraction, Carlos Javier

Open Access Master's Theses

The objective of this thesis is the development and evaluation of a mathematical model that captures the deformation behavior of the human airway under smooth muscle contraction. The problem consists of a multilayered circular cylindrical tube subjected to an active contractile stress generated by the smooth muscle layer. The problem formulation assumes axisymmetric deformation for an incompressible isotropic neo-Hookean material. The model is formulated as fully nonlinear and accommodates large deformation, since these are expected in the human airway and other soft biological materials. The equilibrium equations are obtained, as well as the strain-displacement relationship, boundary conditions, and constitutive equations …

Characterizing Alternative Polyadenylation In Male Germ Cells Using Poly(A)-Seq, Holly Tran

Open Access Master's Theses

Post-transcriptional processing of mRNA subsequently determines its longevity, transport, and gene expression. Alternative polyadenylation (APA), one form of post-transcriptional processing, is the use of a variant polyadenylation signal and polyA-site for transcript cleavage and addition of adenine residues. The occurrence of this phenomenon in the 3’-untranslated region (3’UTR) can lead to transcript isoforms differing in 3’UTR length and as a result, alter the downstream cis-regulatory elements in use. Transcript modification at the 3’-end in alternative polyadenylation has been shown to foster a number of diseases in altering what would otherwise be normal protein expression and is furthermore emerging as a …

Reconstructing Common Era Relative Sea-Level Changes On The Gulf Coast Of Florida, Matthew Gerlach

Open Access Master's Theses

Previous research on relative sea-level (RSL) changes in the western North Atlantic identified variations in the timing and magnitude of sea-level oscillations during the past 2,600 years. Quantifying the disparities between these records is reliant upon a robust database of sea-level reconstructions with an appropriate spatial and temporal distribution that can potentially capture a range of ice sheet melt mass balance fingerprints and ocean dynamic processes. To address an absence of high-resolution Common Era sea-level data in the southeastern US, we reconstructed ~ 1.0 m of RSL change encompassing the past ~ 2,400 years from the Gulf Coast of Florida. …

Flow Sensing In The Deep Sea: Morphology Of The Lateral Line System In Stomiiform Fishes, Ashley Marranzino

Open Access Master's Theses

The deep sea is characterized by extreme environmental conditions including limited light availability, which makes non-visual sensory capabilities quite important. In addition to the visual, auditory, olfactory and gustatory systems found in all vertebrates, all fishes have a mechanosensory lateral line system. This system is composed of neuromast receptor organs on the skin and in bony canals on the head and trunk and is sensitive to unidirectional water flows and low frequency vibrations. Our knowledge about the lateral line system (LL) in deep-sea fishes is limited.

Of the taxa in which the LL has been described, there appears to be …

Evaluating A Novel Device For Calorie Reduction: The Bite Counter Study, Gregory G. Mayette

Open Access Master's Theses

Background: Self-monitoring dietary intake is a valuable behavior for those wishing to lose weight. Unfortunately, keeping food logs to determine kilocalorie (kcal) intake becomes very cumbersome and, this behavior change is rarely maintained. Although advances in technology have eased the burden of monitoring kcal intake, attrition remains a problem. The Bite Counter is a device worn on the wrist that uses bite count as a proxy for kcal intake, without the need for laborious food intake record keeping. The Bite Counter's efficacy in helping individuals decrease kcal intake by decreasing bite counts in free-living environments has not been tested. …

Three-Dimensional Kinematics Of The Jaws And Hyoid During Feeding In White-Spotted Bamboo Sharks, Bradley Scott

Open Access Master's Theses

Elasmobranchs (sharks, skates and rays) use a distinct set of cartilaginous endochondral elements to capture and process prey using suction or bite mechanisms. In contrast, teleost use a complex linkage of dermal and endochondral bones to capture prey whether by suction or biting. This difference in complexity has, in part, enabled teleosts to radiate into a variety of different feeding styles where the jaw and hyoid arches are linked and function as a unit. However, elasmobranchs have decoupled depression of the lower jaw from depression of the hyoid arch and expand the buccal cavity using a different mechanism than teleosts. …

Native Bee Diversity And Pollen Foraging Specificity In Cultivated Highbush Blueberry (Ericaceae: Vaccinium Corymbosum L.) Plantings In Rhode Island, Zachary Scott

Open Access Master's Theses

Approximately 87% of flowering plants in the world are pollinated by animals. Bees are some of the most economically and ecologically important pollinators, necessary for the production of about one third of all crops. One such crop is highbush blueberry, grown throughout Rhode Island in small acreages. I conducted a survey of the bee species foraging on managed blueberry farms throughout Rhode Island, and analyzed their preference for blueberry pollen. I identified species using the DiscoverLife bee guides and confirmed the determinations with a taxonomist. I analyzed pollen loads, calculating percent blueberry pollen collected to determine which species were the …

Feasibility And Acceptability Of A Home-Based Intervention To Modify Maternal Food Parenting Practices, Amy Michelle Moore

Open Access Master's Theses

Background: Food parenting practices play an important role in the development of a child’s eating behaviors, and subsequent weight status early in life. Yet studies to modify and improve these practices are limited. This study explored the feasibility and acceptability of a novel home-based motivational interviewing (MI) intervention designed to modify and improve the food parenting practices of low-income mothers.

Methods: Mother-child dyads (N=15) were recruited from a Women, Infants and Children (WIC) office in southern Rhode Island. A non-experimental, pretest–posttest design was used to assess changes in maternal food parenting practices. Dyads participated in three home-based sessions …

Intimate Violence As It Relates To Risky Sexual Behavior Among At-Risk Females, Danielle C. Hill

Open Access Master's Theses

Rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among adolescents are on the rise (CDCP, 2011). The majority of adolescents who contract STIs do so through risky sexual behavior (Alleyne-Green et al., 2012). Previous literature has identified multiple correlates of risky sexual behaviors among adolescents, including physical and sexual victimization, mental health concerns, and substance use. Few studies, however, have examined these relationships together in a comprehensive model. The primary purpose of this study was to examine whether relationship violence was related to risky sexual behavior, and whether mental health symptoms and substance mediated this hypothesized relationship. Cross-sectional design was used, and …

Performance Evaluation Of Advanced Nitrogen Removal Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems, Brittany Victoria Lancellotti

Open Access Master's Theses

Wastewater from onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS; also known as septic systems) can be a significant source of nitrogen (N) to coastal ecosystems. Because N limits primary production in coastal ecosystems, excessive inputs can cause eutrophication, which results in the loss of ecosystem services. To reduce N loading to marine waters, advanced N-removal OWTS are installed in N-sensitive areas. However, once installed, final effluent total nitrogen (TN) concentration from these systems is not always monitored, making it difficult to determine the extent to which they contribute to lowering N loads. To determine how well these systems reduce influent TN concentration, …

Long-Term Impacts Of Invasive Herbivores On Tree Physiology, Growth, And Phenology: A Whole-Tree Perspective, Claire M. Wilson

Open Access Master's Theses

Insect herbivores play an essential role in structuring plant communities and species interaction therein. Plant response to herbivory, particularly to non-native insects, can be difficult to predict. A diverse array of feeding strategies, including leaf-chewing, wood-boring, and piercing-sucking, leads to varied plant responses following attack. Piercing-sucking insects are known to alter source-sink dynamics but are relatively understudied, particularly in woody plants. Two piercing-sucking invasive insects, hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae; ‘HWA’) and the elongate hemlock scale (Fiorinia externa; ‘EHS’), are commonly found on eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis; ‘hemlock’) in the eastern United …

Acceleration Of Fermentation In Brewers Yeast, Safraz Bacchus, Laura Harwell

Discovery Day (formerly Post & Beyond)

Domestication of organisms was one of the key strategies

that led to the dominance of humans on the planet. Saccharomyces

cerevisiae, Brewer’s yeast, was one of the first organisms

to be deliberately cultivated and has been used in the

production of alcohol since before written history. S. cerevisiae

can undergo anaerobic fermentation and alcohol is generated

as a byproduct. Currently, various strains of this yeast—

with varying fermentation properties—are used in the

production of beer as part of a multi-billion dollar beer industry.

The goal of this project is to generate a strain of yeast that

has an accelerated fermentation …

Humboldt Journal Of Microbiology: Volume 18, Number 1- May 2016, Press Humboldt

Humboldt Journal of Microbiology

No abstract provided.

Determining Maximum Glycolytic Capacity Using Extracellular Flux Measurements, Shona A. Mookerjee, David G. Nicholls, Martin D. Brand

Faculty Publications & Research of the TUC College of Pharmacy

Measurements of glycolytic rate and maximum glycolytic capacity using extracellular flux analysis can give crucial information about cell status and phenotype during normal operation, development of pathology, differentiation, and malignant transformation. They are also of great use when assessing the effects of chemical or drug treatments. Here, we experimentally define maximum glycolytic capacity, demonstrate how it differs from glycolytic rate, and provide a protocol for determining the basal glycolytic rate and maximum glycolytic capacity in cells using extracellular flux measurements. The results illustrate the power of extracellular flux analysis to describe the energetics of adherent cells in culture in a …

A Tribute To Dr. Henry W. “Rob” Robison, C. T. Mcallister

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

A New Technique To Improve The Operation Of Prosthetic Limbs During Muscle Fatigue, H. Albunashee, G. Rasool, K. Iqbal, G. White

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Prosthetic limbs hold a promise to renew the quality of life for the amputee. Neural commands are decoded via a classifier to generate control signals for the prosthetic devices. In the literature, many challenges and limitations have been identified that affect the prosthesis operation. One such drawback is muscle fatigue which degrades the surface electromyogram (sEMG) signals, and consequently, the performance of the deployed classification algorithm declines from 90% to 50% of average accuracy. We used a new technique using the Linear Discrimination Analysis (LDA) algorithm and the muscle synergy-based task discrimination (MSD) algorithm to improve the classification accuracy. In …

Geochemical Processes And Controls Affecting Water Quality Of The Karst Area Of Big Creek Near Mt. Judea, Arkansas, V. Brahana, J. Nix, C. Kuyper, T. Turk, F. Usrey, S. Hodges, C. Bitting, K. Ficco, E. Pollock, R. Quick, B. Thompson, J. Murdoch

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Karst regions typically are considered to be vulnerable with respect to various land-use activities, owing to the intimate association of surface and groundwater and lack of contaminant attenuation provided by most karst aquifers. Inasmuch as the soluble rocks of the karst landscape can be dissolved to create large, rapid-flow zones that compete successfully with surface streams, groundwater and subsurface flow represent a much larger component of the hydrologic budget in karst regions than in areas where non-soluble rocks predominate. Karst areas typically are distinguished by being unique, but some general approaches can be applied to characterize the hydrology of the …

Population Sampling Of Chelonians In An Urban Lake In Jonesboro, Craighead County, Arkansas, J. D. Konvalina, C. S. Thigpen, S. E. Trauth

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

We conducted a mark-recapture survey for aquatic turtles in Craighead Forest Lake in Jonesboro (Craighead County, Arkansas). From July 2, 2015 to October 14, 2015, we set six hoop nets, baited with fish parts, at specific shoreline locations around the lake. Traps were set twice a week and checked 12 hours after they were set. Carapace length, carapace width, plastron length, and plastron width were measured for each individual. Each turtle was identified to species and its sex was recorded. We also placed a notch in one or more of its marginal scutes to aid in future identification. Finally, a …

Acanthocephala Of Arkansas, Including New Host And Geographic Distribution Records From Fishes, C. T. Mcallister, D. J. Richardson, M. A. Barger, T. J. Fayton, H. W. Robison

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Little is known about the spiny- or thorny-headed worms (Phylum Acanthocephala) of Arkansas and there are no summaries on the acanthocephalans of the state. Here, we provide a checklist of the 22 acanthocephalans that occur in Arkansas’ vertebrates based on previously published records and new data presented herein. In addition, we document a new state record as well as 13 new host records for some fish acanthocephalans.

The Ticks (Arachnida: Acari: Ixodida) Of Arkansas, C. T. Mcallister, L. A. Durden, H. W. Robison

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Although ticks are a nuisance to humans and other animals, they are an important part of the biota of North America. In addition, they are vectors of many tick-borne disease agents that can negatively affect higher vertebrates. In Arkansas, there have been no recent comprehensive summaries of the ticks (Acari: Ixodida) in the last 40+ yrs. Here, we provide a summary of the ticks of the state and note the disease agents they can transmit.

Lithostratigraphic Succession And Depositional Dynamics Of The Lower Mississippian, Southern Ozarks, Northern Arkansas And Adjacent Areas, F. Mcfarlin

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The Lower Mississippian interval comprises a single, third-order, eustatic cycle subdivided lithostratigraphically into the St. Joe Limestone (Hopkins 1893) and overlying Boone Formation (Branner 1891, Simonds 1891) with type areas in northern Arkansas. Coeval, homotaxial limestones occur in adjacent southwestern Missouri and northeastern Oklahoma, but neither Arkansas name is applied. To eliminate this “state line fault,” Missouri formation names for the St. Joe interval are recognized in Arkansas as members (ascending order): Bachelor, Compton, Northview, Pierson. The Boone interval in Missouri is represented by the (ascending order): Reeds Spring, Elsey, Burlington-Keokuk undifferentiated, but utilization of those names in Arkansas is …

Evaluation Of Education And Other Influential Factors On The Perceptions Of Influenza Vaccinations, S. D. Mills, S. R. Charlton, B. M. Rowley

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Influenza is a potentially deadly contagious viral infection that attacks the respiratory system. The 1918 influenza pandemic infected approximately 1/3 of the world’s population and resulted in an estimated 50 million deaths globally. Research has led to the production of influenza vaccinations. Unfortunately, there continues to be influenza epidemics that are responsible for killing numerous people annually. One reason for the continued death toll from influenza is the lack of people receiving a yearly flu vaccination. In order to gain more public acceptance for influenza vaccinations, it is important to understand the factors influencing the choice to be vaccinated. A …

History And Fall Migration Of Northern Saw-Whet Owls (Aegolius Acadicus) In Arkansas, M. L. Pruitt, K. G. Smith

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The secretive Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus) is believed to be much more widespread during fall and winter than previously thought in the southern United States. To see if they occur more frequently in Arkansas, we initiated a banding study in fall of 2014 in northwestern Arkansas. Prior to that, only 12 historic records existed for Arkansas between 1959 and 2010. Over the course of two field seasons, we captured and banded 24 Northern Saw-whet Owls in rural Madison County. All birds were mist-netted along a trail, in woodland composed of pine and cedar with fairly dense undergrowth. Two were …