Discarnation: Expounding On Marshall Mcluhan's Critique Of Modern Subjectivity, Amanda Sevilla

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project presents Marshall McLuhan’s work as an explication of discarnate subjectivity in mediated environments, with special focus on the consequences of technological environments in society. The first and second chapters focus on McLuhan’s ground, sensibilities, and practice to shed light on his intricate discussions of social perceptions emerging in modern times—i.e., communal awareness propels perceptual and cultural shifts. The third chapter attends to people’s perceptual compass, or their ability to interpret the world around them. Chapter four considers some of the phenomenological aspects of McLuhan’s probes. The ideas show disconnects between time and space that contribute to discarnation in …

The Evolution Of Diet Breadth In Melissodes Bees (Apidae: Eucerini), Karen W. Wright

Biology ETDs

The relationship between phytophagous insects and their host plants has interested scientists since Darwinian times. Using modern phylogenetic inference, we are able to investigate these patterns using, not only the phylogenies of the insects, but the evolutionary relationships among the plants they feed on as well. The relationships between bees and the plants they pollinate were traditionally seen as mutualistic and were treated separately from the research investigating the antagonistic relationships between phytophagous insects and their host plants. However, recent phylogenetic studies have made great progress including bee-host relationships in with the larger body of work on phytophagous insects.

The …

Assessment And Application Of Dna Metabarcoding For Characterizing Arctic Shorebird Chick Diets, Danielle Elizabeth Gerik

Fisheries

Climate change in the Arctic is affecting the emergence timing of arthropods used as food by nesting shorebirds and their young. Characterizing the diets of shorebird young is a prerequisite to evaluate the potential for asynchrony to occur between the timing of arthropod emergence and when shorebird young hatch, an example of trophic mismatch. In this study, DNA metabarcoding was used to identify arthropod remains in feces collected from wild-caught Red Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius), Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos), and Dunlin (Calidris alpina), young in Utqiaġvik, Alaska between 2014 and 2016. Arthropod specimens were collected at the field site to generate …

Using Clay Models To Measure Seasonal Predation On Eastern Red-Backed Salamanders, Emma Perry

Honors Program Theses and Projects

One of the many gaps we have in our knowledge of salamanders is that of predation. Most studies suggest that salamanders are eaten mainly by birds and snakes, but there are still several unanswered questions: What other types of animals tend to prey on salamanders? Is there any difference in predator type during different times of the year? In order to answer these questions, I studied predation on one particular species of salamander, Plethodon cinereus (eastern red-backed salamander). Models of the two primary color morphs of P. cinereus (striped and unstriped) were created using impressionable clay to determine types and …

Chloroplast Development And Cytokinin And Gibberellin Effects On Ivy Geranium Under Heat Stress, Callie J. Morris

Theses and Dissertations

Developing foliar growth of ivy geraniums (Pelargonium peltatum) bleaches white after exposure to temperatures greater than 30°C. This study investigated chloroplast development in ivy geraniums under heat stress comparing a heat sensitive cultivar, Temprano™ Lavender, and a heat tolerant cultivar, Contessa™ Red. Using transmission electron microscopy and spectrophotometry, foliar bleaching under heat stress was found to be due to an absence of developed chloroplasts within the bleached new growth accompanied by lower chlorophyll content. To determine whether heat stress related foliar bleaching could be prevented, cytokinin and gibberellins were applied in combination, at different rates before, during or after a …

Beta Diversity Provides Evidence Of Niche Based Assembly In Temperate Forest Understory Assemblages Of Mississippi, David Steven Mason

Theses and Dissertations

Assembly is a process that shapes the abundance and identity of species in a community. Niche and neutral theory explain assembly processes with mechanisms driven by either species differences, or functional equivalence and stochastic dispersal. In 2017 I sampled vegetation and environmental variables at 59 sites in the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge and Tombigbee National Forest of Mississippi to explore forest understory community assembly. I developed and assessed a framework of predictions concerning general patterns and underlying mechanism. Evidence of dispersal limitation and functional equivalence were expected under neutral theory. Local environmental characteristics, surrounding landscape variables, and fire were significant …

Using Geospatial Techniques To Assess Responses Of Black Bear Populations To Anthropogenically Modified Landscapes: Conflict & Recolonization, Jamie Elizabeth Mcfadden

Theses and Dissertations

The convergence of three young scientific disciplines (ecology, geospatial sciences, and remote sensing) has generated unique advancements in wildlife research by connecting ecological data with remote sensing data through the application of geospatial techniques. Ecological datasets may contain spatial and sampling biases. By using geospatial techniques, datasets may be useful in revealing landscape scale (e.g., statewide) trends for wildlife populations, such as population recovery and human-wildlife interactions. Specifically, black bear populations across North America vary greatly in their degree of distribution stability. The black bear population in Michigan may be considered stable or secure, whereas the population in Missouri is …

An American Oilscape: The Affective Emotionalism Of Petroleum In There Will Be Blood, Maren Loveland

Cinesthesia

Underlying the physical and ideological lives of Americans is the pulsating force of oil, a power dictating not only modes of transportation and energy, but the emotions and ideas of societies dependent on the exploitation of this natural resource. Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood displays the evolution of the Californian landscape under the pressure of the oil industry, demonstrating to the audience the emotionalism imbued within oil, separating it from pure physicality and introducing it as the ideological pulse underlying California. Drawing on the vernacular of Maria Löschnigg’s work, “Sublime Oilscapes,” I posit that the closeness of oil …

Checklist Of Zooplanktons In Different Rivers Of Bajwat Area, Zahid Bhatti, Muhammad Asif Gondal, Asad Ghufran, Andleeb Batool

Journal of Bioresource Management

Zooplanktons are important fish and waterfowl food. Limnological studies of Marala Wetlands, a complex created by three rivers, i.e., Jammu Tawi, Chenab and Manawar Tawi, entering Bajwat area located 25 km from North of Sialkot city from state of Jammu and Kashmir, were carried out between October, 2000 to September 2001. This survey was carried out to create a checklist of zooplanktons existing in the study site which would help in future studies relating to aquatic biodiversity and ecological studies of wetlands. A minimum of 25 species of zooplanktons were present in the wetland area, which can be included into …

Assessment Of Dietary Patterns, Physical Activity And Obesity From A National Survey: Rural-Urban Health Disparities In Older Adults, Steven A. Cohen, Mary L. Greaney, Natalie J. Sabik

Public Health Faculty Publications

Background

Obesity is a critical public health issue, affecting over one-third of all Americans, and is an underlying cause of numerous health issues across the lifespan. For older adults, obesity is linked to premature declines in physical and mental health and cognitive functioning. The occurrence of obesity and related health behaviors and chronic diseases are higher in rural areas than in urban areas. Furthermore, rural areas of the United States have a higher proportion of older adults than urban areas. Few studies, to date, have explored rural-urban differences in the relationships between dietary patterns and obesity among older adults. Therefore, …

Molecular Basis Of Pathogenesis And Host Determination In Cercospora Sojina: From Phenotypic To Genotypic Patterns, Wagner Calegari Fagundes

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Frogeye leaf spot (FLS), caused by Cercospora sojina, is an important and recurrent disease of soybean in many production regions. Genetic resistance is potentially one of the most cost-effective and sustainable strategies to control FLS. However, C. sojina has already demonstrated the ability to overcome resistance conveyed by single R-genes (resistance genes) of soybeans, followed by the emergence of new physiological races. Although understanding population genomics and the virulence gene inventories in fungal plant pathogens is extremely important to improve disease control measures, studies regarding host specificity and pathogenesis in C. sojina are very limited. Therefore, the overarching goal of …

Lead And Crime: An Ecological Study Between Lead Contaminated Topsoil And Violent Crime., Brian Guinn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lead is a known neurotoxicant. Human exposure to lead comes primarily through environmental exposures, including remnant lead paint, lead contaminated topsoil and lead contaminated water. Prenatal and early life lead exposure has been associated with numerous neurocognitive and neuropsychiatric disorders. This dissertation presents findings from an ecological study which evaluated the geospatial association between topsoil lead content and the incidence of FBI designated violent crime in Jefferson County, Kentucky. A total of 412 topsoil samples were collected along roadways (n=300) and from Louisville Metro Parks (n=112). Jefferson County crime data was obtained from the Louisville Metro Police Department – Crime …

Sandhill Crane Activity In The Central Platte River Valley In Late May And Early June, Jenna M. Malzahn, Andrew J. Caven, Marin Dettweiler, Joshua D. Wiese

Nebraska Bird Review

In this report we discuss observations of Sandhill Cranes remaining in the Central Platte River Valley until early June 2018 and discuss potential explanations for this extended stay into the breeding season.

We detected two pairs of adult Sandhill Cranes in two different locations on 15 May 2018 (Table 1). We then detected three injured adult Sandhill Cranes in a third location on 16 May 2018 (Table 1). Two of the three Sandhill Cranes each had a missing leg and the third crane’s leg was broken above the tibiotarsal joint; however, all were still capable of foraging and flight. Later, …

Characterizing Ecological And Genetic Patterns Of The Colonizing Species Dubautia Scabra On The Big Island, Hawaii, Samantha Kaleigh Naibauer

Master's Theses

The Hawaiian Silversword Alliance (HSA) is a group of approximately 35 endemic species found on the Hawaiian Islands. The HSA is of particular interest due to the vast adaptive responses of its members across the Hawaiian Islands. Each of these plant species is generally limited to a very specific habitat type with a unique morphology and physiology. Dubautia scabra is the first angiosperm colonist of new lava flows, arriving in as few as two years after lava cools. The critical role D. scabra plays in this ecosystem gives a unique starting point for understanding downstream ecological processes such as seed …

Migration Cues And Abundance Estimation Of Imperiled Sturgeon In The Savannah River, Joshua Richard Vine

All Theses

Quantitative understanding of reproductive ecology is vital to the conservation and recovery of imperiled fishes. Atlantic Sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus) and Shortnose Sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) are endangered diadromous fish that range across the Atlantic Coast of North America. Historically, populations of both species were exploited for the black caviar trade range-wide. Although moratoria ended commercial harvest, populations are currently threatened by habitat degradation and alteration. This research represents an initiative to increase our understanding of reproductive behavior for both Atlantic and Shortnose Sturgeon by estimating adult population levels as well as the effects of environmental covariates on the initiation of spawning …

Effects Of Extreme Precipitation On Gastrointesitnal Related Hospital Admissions In Texas, Sharmila Giri

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Extreme precipitation has been implicated in more than 51% of the waterborne disease outbreaks in the United States between 1948-1994. With increased incidence of extreme precipitation projected to be more likely due to ongoing climate change, the burden of waterborne disease is expected to rise even in the United States where drinking water is considered to be one of the safest in the world. In this study we aim to quantify the risk of extreme precipitation on gastrointestinal (GI) related hospital admissions by using meteorological and emergency hospital data from twelve major metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) of Texas from year …

Exposure To Ambient Air Pollution And Fetal Death In Harris County, Texas, Amal Rammah

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The evidence from studies of maternal ambient air pollutant exposure (including O3, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and PM2.5 metal constituents) and stillbirth is limited and equivocal. There is also limited evidence of the acute effect of temperature increases in the week preceding delivery and stillbirth. In the first investigation of ambient air pollution, temperature and stillbirth among a large cohort of women in Harris County, Texas, we obtained birth and fetal death records from 2008-2013 and estimated weekly residential levels of apparent temperature and ozone (O3), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and PM2.5 metals from the local monitoring …

Factors Associated With Civilian And Police Officer Injury During 10 Years Of Officer-Involved Shooting Incidents: A Cross-Sectional Analysis, Ellen Paddock

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Purpose. Law enforcement officer-involved shootings are uncommon events in the context of encounters with the public, but extreme situations which have the potential to pose immense harm to individuals and communities. Previous research demonstrates that a large proportion of such incidents result in injury or death, most commonly to civilians, but in some cases to officers as well. However, there has been little study of what factors are associated with injury during such incidents, and whether these factors might differ for civilians compared to officers. This study examined the factors associated with both civilian and officer injury and/or fatality during …

Sponge Density Increases With Depth Throughout The Caribbean, Michael Lesser, Marc Slattery

Faculty and Student Publications (Open Access)

No abstract provided.

Bobcat Abundance And Habitat Selection On The Utah Test And Training Range, Kyle David Muncey

Theses and Dissertations

Remote cameras have become a popular tool for monitoring wildlife. We used remote cameras to estimate bobcat (Lynx rufus) population abundance on the Utah Test and Training Range during two sample periods between 2015 and 2017. We used two statistical methods, closed capture mark-recapture (CMR) and mark-resight Poisson log-normal (PNE), to estimate bobcat abundance within the study area. We used the maximum mean distance moved method (MMDM) to calculate the effective sample area for estimating density. Additionally, we captured bobcats and estimated home range using minimum convex polygon (MCP) and kernel density estimation (KDE) methods. Bobcat abundance on the UTTR …

Cold Acclimation Response Of Non-Native Italian Wall Lizard (Podarcis Siculus) Populations From New York And California, Daniel Haro

Master's Theses

Understanding how organisms respond to climatic variability and novel conditions is becoming an increasingly important task for ecologists. For ectotherms in the northern hemisphere, the response to cold is of special interest, considering that poleward range expansion events and increasing variability of temperatures during winter are already being observed as consequences of a warming planet. Though direction of change in physiological variables in response to cold is well studied in ectotherms, the extent to which traits can change and the rate at which they can change is not.

We compared the extent and rate of change in cold tolerance (CT …

Consequences Of Shade Management On The Taxonomic Patterns And Functional Diversity Of Termites (Blattodea: Termitidae) In Cocoa Agroforestry Systems, Ambele C. Felicitas, Bisseleua D.B. Hervé, Sunday Ekesi, Komivi S. Akutse, Christian T.C.L. Djuideu, Marie J. Meupia, Olubukola O. Babalola

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Termites have gained importance as major pests in cocoa agroforests. Proper identification of termite species and knowledge on their functional diversity are the first steps in developing environmentally compatible management strategies. We tested the hypothesis that patterns of termite species richness in different cocoa agroforests is related to responses by termite functional groups to changes in shade management. We compared termite assemblages under five cocoa agroforestry systems in Cameroon to assess the impact of shade on termite taxonomic and functional group diversity. Sampling was done using a modified standardized transect method. Two 30 × 30 m quadrates each divided into …

Toxicity Of Formulated Insecticide Mixtures To Apis And Non-Apis Bees, Joseph Edward Belsky

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This work investigates ecotoxicology of new insecticide mixtures to Apis and non-Apis bees. Previous studies have demonstrated the acute and sub-lethal toxicity of individual active ingredient insecticides to honey bees and to a lesser extent non-Apis bees. However, the contact toxicity of formulated premix insecticides containing multiple active ingredients to bees has not been thoroughly assessed. To address this void, laboratory studies simulating exposure to four premix insecticides under different field-realistic scenarios were conducted for two bee species.

Honey bee, Apis mellifera (Linnaeus) contact exposure was examined by simulating three scenarios: (1) when bees continuously forage in a field and …

Bryophyte Assemblages On American Hornbeam (Carpinus Caroliniana) And The Surrounding Arboreal Communities Within The Forest Of East Texas, Cassey Edwards

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The bryophytes, the non-vascular plants, include the mosses (Bryophyta with approximately 13,000 species), the liverworts (Marchantiophyta with approximately 5,000 species), and the hornworts (Anthocerotophyta with approximately 150 species). Initial observations indicated that the midstory tree Carpinus caroliniana Walter (American hornbeam) has a bryophyte composition with an unusually high diversity of leafy liverworts. Voucher samples were taken from the four intercardinal directions (Northeast, Northwest, Southwest, and Southeast) from six Carpinus trees and their nearest neighbor that was neither Pinus nor another Carpinus at each of six sites across East Texas. Percent coverage, species richness, Shannon’s diversity and Pielou’s evenness were computed. …

Methanotrophy, Methylotrophy, The Human Body And Disease, R Boden

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Perceptions Of Commercial And Recreational Fishers On The Potential Ecological Impacts Of The Block Island Wind Farm (Us), Talya S. Ten Brink, Tracey Dalton

Marine Affairs Faculty Publications

Offshore wind is gaining momentum in the United States as a viable source for meeting domestic energy needs. Although offshore wind farms have been developed in Europe and Asia, the Block Island Wind Farm (BIWF) is the first offshore wind farm built in North America. To improve marine resource management, it is critical to understand the impacts of the wind farm on marine resource users in context. Little is known about the impacts of offshore wind farms on marine resource users in the United States. This study investigates recreational and commercial fishers' perceptions of the impacts of the BIWF on …

Temporal Changes In The Diversity And Composition Of Tropical Andean Forest Communities, Claudia Andrea Aparicio-Chavez

Theses

During the last few thousand years, human population growth and resource use has been reshaping the planet’s nutrient cycles, climate and biodiversity and might be causing significant changes to spatial and temporal patterns in the distribution of species, and a general erosion of biodiversity at global scales. Many studies have been looking to model and predict how species could respond to actual rates of change on environmental conditions, with a high interest in terms of species distribution and richness with potential extinctions. However, how global change impact local communities still remains unclear. Moreover, previous research suffers from a significant bias …

A Roadmap For Urban Evolutionary Ecology, Sarah E. Diamond, Ryan A. Martin

Faculty Scholarship

Urban ecosystems are rapidly expanding throughout the world, but how urban growth affects the evolutionary ecology of species living in urban areas remains largely unknown. Urban ecology has advanced our understanding of how the development of cities and towns change environmental conditions and alter ecological processes and patterns. However, despite decades of research in urban ecology, the extent to which urbanization influences evolutionary and eco-evolutionary change has received little attention. The nascent field of urban evolutionary ecology seeks to understand how urbanization affects the evolution of populations, and how those evolutionary changes in turn influence the ecological dynamics of populations, …

Ecofeminism And Cultural Ecology: A Framework Of Connections And Intersections For Reading Margret Atwood’S “Habitation”, “The City Planners”, “Morning In The Burned House”, “February”, And “Night Poem”, Maha M. Munib Abdelmotaleb

English Language and Literature

Cultural ecology and Ecofeminism are two concepts that intersect with each other. Both concepts define and reinforce each other. It could be claimed that, Ecofeminism is one manifestation of cultural ecology since the former tackles issues about feminism’s relationship with nature including nature domination and the duality of nature which find their echoes in cultural ecology as well. The whole idea of the earth’s subjugation and male domination as well as the male/ female duality of nature in general find resonance in feminist resistance to patriarchal domination which develop under the umbrella of Ecofeminism to be part of the struggle …

Evaluating The Need For Ocean Literacy In South Africa, Eugene Nyman

World Maritime University Dissertations

Pressures on the ocean are increasing due to anthropogenic activities, which has a caused decline in the health of the ocean. This has adversely affected the services and goods that populations are able to derive from the ocean. Various international agreements and partnerships, have been adopted to stem the human pressures on the ocean. However, the decline in the health of the ocean, has persisted. Ocean literacy is summarised by UNESCO (2017) as an individual being able to understand the influence they have on the ocean, and the ocean’s influence on their life. The concept has been developed with the …