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Rivoli's Hummingbird: Eugenes Fulgens, Donald R. Powers

Faculty Publications - Department of Biological & Molecular Science

Rivoli's Hummingbird was named in honor of the Duke of Rivoli when the species was described by René Lesson in 1829. Even when it became known that William Swainson had written an earlier description of this species in 1827, the common name Rivoli's Hummingbird remained until the early 1980s, when it was changed to Magnificent Hummingbird. In 2017, however, the name was restored to Rivoli's Hummingbird when the American Ornithological Society officially recognized Eugenes fulgens as a distinct species from E. spectabilis, the Talamanca Hummingbird, of the highlands of Costa Rica and western Panama.

Rivoli's Hummingbird is found from the …

Methods Matter: The Relationship Between Strength And Hypertrophy Depends On Methods Of Measurement And Analysis, Andrew D. Vigotsky, Brad J. Schoenfeld, Christian Than, J. Mark Brown

Publications and Research

Purpose: The relationship between changes in muscle size and strength may be affected by both measurement and statistical approaches, but their effects have not been fully considered or quantified. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to explore how different methods of measurement and analysis can affect inferences surrounding the relationship between hypertrophy and strength gain.

Methods: Data from a previous study—in which participants performed eight weeks of elbow flexor training, followed by an eight-week period of detraining—were reanalyzed using different statistical models, including standard between-subject correlations, analysis of covariance, and hierarchical linear modeling.

Results: The associative relationship between strength …

Local Bdnf Delivery To The Injured Cervical Spinal Cord Using An Engineered Hydrogel Enhances Diaphragmatic Respiratory Function., Biswarup Ghosh, Zhicheng Wang, Jia Nong, Mark W. Urban, Zhiling Zhang, Victoria A. Trovillion, Megan C. Wright, Yinghui Zhong, Angelo C. Lepore

Farber Institute for Neuroscience Faculty Papers

We developed an innovative biomaterial-based approach to repair the critical neural circuitry that controls diaphragm activation by locally delivering brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) to injured cervical spinal cord. BDNF can be used to restore respiratory function via a number of potential repair mechanisms; however, widespread BDNF biodistribution resulting from delivery methods such as systemic injection or lumbar puncture can lead to inefficient drug delivery and adverse side effects. As a viable alternative, we developed a novel hydrogel-based system loaded with polysaccharide-BDNF particles self-assembled by electrostatic interactions that can be safely implanted in the intrathecal space for achieving local BDNF delivery …

Restriction Associated Dna-Genotyping At Multiple Spatial Scales In Arabidopsis Lyrata Reveals Signatures Of Pathogen-Mediated Selection, James Buckley, Eric B. Holub, Marcus A. Koch, Philippine Vergeer, Barbara K. Mable

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Purifying Selection In The Toll-Like Receptors Of Song Sparrows Melospiza Melodia, Martha J. Nelson-Flower, Ryan R. Germain, Elizabeth A. Macdougall-Shackleton, Sabrina S. Taylor, Peter Arcese

Faculty Publications

Variation in immune gene sequences is known to influence resistance to infectious diseases and parasites, and hence survival and mate choice, across animal taxa. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) comprise one essential gene family in the vertebrate innate immune system and recognize evolutionarily conserved structures from all major microorganism classes. However, the causes and consequences of TLR variation in passerine birds remain largely unexplored. We examined 7 TLR genes in song sparrows (Melospiza melodia), a species that is studied across North America. We then examined sequences from 4 unduplicated TLRs (TLR1LB, TLR3, TLR4, and TLR15) from birds in 2 parts of the …

Synthesis Of Interleukin 1 Beta And Interleukin 6 In Human Lymphocytes Is Stimulated By Tributyltin, Shyretha Brown, Mariam Boules, Nafisa Hamza, Xiaofei Wang, Margaret Whalen

Chemistry Faculty Research

Tributyltin (TBT) is a widespread environmental contaminant that is present in human blood and other tissues. It has been shown to disrupt the immune function of human natural killer (NK) cells and to alter the secretion of a number of pro-inflammatory cytokines from immune cells. Secretion of both interleukin 1β (IL-1β) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) from human lymphocytes can be increased dependent upon the level of TBT exposure. This study shows that the TBT-induced increases in secretion of both cytokines are due to TBT-induced increases in the synthesis of these proteins and not simply because of the release of pre-existing …

The Parthenon, June 27, 2018, Sadie Helmick

The Parthenon

The Parthenon, Marshall University’s student newspaper, was published by students Monday through Friday during the regular semester and weekly on Thursdays during the summer. Due to budgetary constraints, beginning with the 2016 Fall semester, the newspaper is only published two days a week. Physical issues are printed on Tuesdays and Fridays. The editorial staff is responsible for the news and the editorial content.

Hydrophilic Interaction Liquid Chromatography-Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry For Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Of Metformin And Rosuvastatin In Human Plasma, Nikolaos Antonopoulos, Giorgos Machairas, George Migias, Ariadni Vonaparti, Vasiliki Brakoulia, Constantinos Pistos, Dimitra Gennimata, Irene Panderi

Chemistry Faculty Publications

In this work a hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography/positive ion electrospray mass spectrometric assay (HILIC/ESI-MS) has been developed and fully validated for the quantitation of metformin and rosuvastatin in human plasma. Sample preparation involved the use of 100 µL of human plasma, following protein precipitation and filtration. Metformin, rosuvastatin and 4-[2-(propylamino) ethyl] indoline 2 one hydrochloride (internal standard) were separated by using an X-Bridge-HILIC BEH analytical column (150.0 × 2.1 mm i.d., particle size 3.5 µm) with isocratic elution. A mobile phase consisting of 12% (v/v) 15 mM ammonium formate water solution in acetonitrile was used for the separation and pumped …

Spatial Assessment Of Water Quality With Urbanization In 2007-2015, Shanghai, China, Huixuan Li, Cuizhen Wang, Xiao Huang, Andrew Hug

Faculty Publications

Shanghai, as one of the megacities and economic centers of China, is facing critical water quality challenges. This study analyzed the impact of urbanization on the water quality in Shanghai, from 2007 to 2015, using remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS) techniques. Five measurements of water quality were employed: total discharged wastewater volume, general water quality levels, dissolved oxygen (DO), permanganate, and ammonia nitrogen. The impacts of urban land-use changes on water quality were examined. An urban index was extracted from satellite image classification and was used to quantify the anthropogenic activities. In the watershed level, unit watersheds …

Acoustic Features Of Auditory Medical Alarms - An Experimental Study Of Alarm Volume, Schlesinger, Jj, Sh Baum, K Nash, M Bruce, D Ashmead, Ms Shotwell, Mt Wallace, Mb Weinger, J Edworthy

School of Psychology

No abstract provided.

Wmu Board Of Trustees Formal Session June 27, 2018, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

• Acceptance of the Agenda
• Approval of the Minutes (April 18, 2018 Meeting)
• Remarks by the Chair
• Remarks by the President
• Comments by the Faculty Senate President
• Comments by the Western Student Association President
• Comments by the Graduate Student Association President
• Showcasing New Student Orientation
• Public Comments Regarding Action Items
• Tuition and Fees for Main Campus
• Tuition and Fees for Extended University Programs
• University Budget for 2018-2019
• Creation of the Richmond Institute for Design and Innovation
• Academic Tenure and Promotion
• Redemption of Debt and Transfer of Building and Related Property to WMU Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine
• Action as Class …

Raptors And Humans: Exploring Alternative Therapies In Non-Clinical Environments Using Birds Of Prey, Kaleigh Hoyt

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to deconstruct current conceptions about animal-assisted interventions by investigating relationships between human beings and birds of prey. Interactions between birds of prey, or “raptors,” provide novel cases from which to reexamine failed attempts to provide empirical data in support of alternative therapies. Previous research addressing the efficacy of animal-assisted interventions is simply not robust enough to be considered a feasible treatment option by medical professionals. By extension, models of self-regulation in psychology are often presented using reductionist models and oversimplified therapeutic outcomes. Taken together, raptor-human relationships help to highlight the shortcomings of each, as well as potential …

“Livin’ The Dream?” How Veterans Of Operations Enduring Freedom And Iraqi Freedom Negotiate The Experience Of Illness As They Transition From Healthy Warrior To Sick Veteran, Jodie L. Sweezey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As combat veterans returned from supporting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, questions over the safety of vaccinations as well as exposure to burn pit smoke and toxic metals lying dormant in the sand emerged. For many, returning home was marred by unexplained symptoms followed by diagnoses of autoimmune diseases and/or cancer. This research examines how these veterans negotiate this transition from healthy to sick struggling with the many forces that interact with this transition. I focused on the lived experience of their illness as it is non-verbally expressed through embodiment, verbally expressed through illness narratives, and negotiated to avoid …

Through The Lens Of Objectification Theory: Social Media Use And Women's Behavioral Health, Gina-Maria Roca

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Objectification theory considers how gender and culture intersect to position women at a greater risk of developing eating disorders, depression, and sexual dysfunction. Self-objectification is defined as the internalization of a third person perspective to view one’s own body, which then leads to mental health consequences of anxiety, body shame, insensitivity to internal drives, and decreased peak motivational states. Body surveillance, the habitual and constant monitoring of the body, denotes the behavioral manifestation of self-objectification. Altogether, the accumulation of objectifying experiences and mental health consequences heighten women’s risks of developing the aforementioned mental disorders.

Rationale: Extant experimental and correlational …

Exploring Grit In The Experiences Of Higher Education Development Officers: A Phenomenological Study, Jessica A. Mccann

Human Resource Development Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study was designed to gain insight into experiences of grit by development officers in higher education as they pursued their goals and processed their disappointments in the course of soliciting major gifts. Three main domains of literature underpinned the research: (a) motivation theory, (b) goal-setting theory, and (c) the grit model. An extensive literature review revealed little is known about how individuals make sense and assign meaning to their experiences of passion and perseverance, and less is known about how development officers in higher education foundations and institutionally-related nonprofit organizations decide how to set and pursue goals …

Partial Characterization Of Plasmodium Falciparum Protein Kinase Abck2 (Pfabck2), Muhammad Khalid

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Malaria is a major threat to the public health worldwide as it is affecting populations in tropical and subtropical areas globally. Among those populations are around 40% of pregnant women and children who are susceptible to this disease. Plasmodium falciparum is the most lethal agent that causes malaria in human. Currently, there is drug resistance against antimalarial drugs in parasite against treatment of malaria infections, it is essential to search for new drug targets in order to find cure and alleviate suffering of human population.

There are approximately 100 protein kinases in P. falciparum that are involved in phosphorylation of …

Effect Of Surrounding Vegetation On Microbial Survival Or Die-Off On Watermelon Surface In An Agriculture Setting, Vijay Singh Chhetri, Kathryn Fontenot, Ronald Strahan, Veerachandra K. Yemmireddy, Katheryn J. Parraga Estrada, Achyut Adhikari

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Preharvest contamination of produce with food borne pathogens has been a major food safety issue. In this study, we investigated the effect of surrounding vegetation on the survival of natural and inoculated generic Escherichia coli on watermelon rinds in an agricultural field setting. There was no significant difference (p > .05) on the populations of natural generic E. coli (1–1.46 log Most Probable Number (MPN)/sample) and coliforms (E. coli inoculated on watermelon rind discs was variable with the level of vegetation. A significant reduction in generic E. coli count was observed within 12 hr at all vegetation levels. After 108 …

Chamaecrista Fasciculata In Tallgrass And Sand Prairies: The Potential For Differential Responses, Robert W. Philips

Theses and Dissertations

Successful establishment of a diversity of native species has become an important goal for restoration site managers to achieve, however as seed sources for a species may occur in habitats with different abiotic and biotic characteristics. Consequently, seeds from different sources may vary in their success in a restoration. Chamaecrista fasciculata, a native prairie species, occurs in two divergent prairie types - tallgrass and sand prairies. Tallgrass prairies have a moist soil with dense vegetation; in contrast, sand prairies have a well-drained sandy soil with sparse vegetation. I propose differential selection acting on populations in these prairie types would affect …

Sustainable Agricultural Intensification Through Crop Water And Nutrient Management Optimization, A. Pouyan Nejadhashemi, Ian Kropp, Kalyanmoy Deb, Mohammad Abouali, Proteek C. Roy, Gerrit Hoogenboom

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

To meet the needs of the Earth’s growing population, three key challenges need to be addressed in the 21^st century; namely food, energy, and water security. The demands of the growing population require that each of these sectors increase their output. However, given the interconnected nature of these sectors, sustainability is required to insure that the global demands for all three are still met while preserving the environment. In this study, optimization was used to determine when irrigation and fertilizer should be applied to maximize crop yield while minimizing environmental impacts at the farm level. To do this a …

Socio-Ecological Modeling For Guiding Water Management: Application Of The Envision Framework For The Rio Grande/Bravo Basin, Sophie Plassin, Jennifer Koch, Kellie B. Vaché, Stephanie Paladino, Kyndra Hanson, Jack R. Friedman

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Surface water resources in semi-arid watersheds are extremely vulnerable to changing climate conditions and demographic growth. The vulnerability is highest in basins with high stresses on water resources such as the transboundary Rio Grande/Bravo basin (RGB), shared by the United States and Mexico. Designing sustainable management responses for such systems calls for a better understanding of complex human-environment interactions and the exploration of alternative futures. We present a spatio-temporal simulation model that has been developed for the whole RGB basin to capture and explore the interplay between water and land resources management strategies and vegetation dynamics. We used the ENVISION …

Modelling Microbial Water Quality Across Multiple Temporal Scales, Andrew R. Slaughter, Sukhmani K. Mantel

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Microbial water quality can have profound effects on human health. Microbial water quality modelling can be a useful tool for water quality management in catchments. Since flow drives water quality, water quality models rely on estimates of flow from hydrological and systems models. However, these different hydrological and systems models operate over different time steps, which may be mismatched to those of flow processes affecting microbial water quality. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the accuracy of microbial water quality modelling across different time steps, thereby assessing which flow time steps are suitable for driving microbial water …

An Experience With Data Analysis And Modeling Of Desert Ecosystems, Peter A. Khaiter, Marina G. Erechtchoukova, Christopher J. Lortie, Stanley Ukah

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Deserts are characterized by extreme environmental conditions which require specialized adaptive mechanisms for both plants and animals to survive. Some of these important ecological mechanisms utilize indirect interactions involving non-consumptive synergy between species at distant trophic levels. For example, desert shrubs are known to mitigate extreme climate conditions and create a more favourable microclimate, thus providing thermal shelter for lizards. It is observed that changing climate may lead to more frequent and intense extreme weather events in deserts, such as prolonged drought and shorter intensive rainfall. It is, therefore, important to predict possible ecosystem dynamics under different scenarios of climatic …

Patterns Of Persistent, Bioaccumulative, And Toxic Pollutant Co-Contamination In Marine And Freshwater Fish, Kimberly Bourne, Mark E. Borsuk, Celia Chen, Amanda Curtis

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

The risk incurred from exposure to multiple contaminants in fish tissue is largely unknown due to a lack of understanding of toxicokinetic relationships and of the combinations of contaminants to which people are exposed. This knowledge gap could be detrimental to human health through possibly inadequate contaminant-specific fish advisories. The co-occurrence of various persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic pollutants (PBTs) has not been systematically explored. In this study, we utilize the wealth of fish tissue data from available EPA datasets to quantitatively characterize the patterns of contaminant co-occurrence using a new approach called generalized joint attribute modeling (GJAM). This approach allows …

Developing A Coastal Gis Model Of Sri Lanka To Pinpoint Areas At Risk Of Tsunamis, John E. Dellysse, Buddhika D. Madurapperuma

IdeaFest: Interdisciplinary Journal of Creative Works and Research from Cal Poly Humboldt

No abstract provided.

Survey And Map Distribution Of English Ivy (Hedera Helix L.) At Patrick's Point State Park, California, John W. Cortenbach, Buddhika D. Madurapperuma

IdeaFest: Interdisciplinary Journal of Creative Works and Research from Cal Poly Humboldt

No abstract provided.

Rearrangements Of Fluorinated Cyclopropylamines As A Novel Approach Toward Fluoroalkene-Based Peptidomimetics, Igor Mezentsev, Vera Zaborova

The International Student Science Fair 2018

Organofluorine molecules have been widely applied in various research fields because of the unique properties of fluorine atoms. One type of fluorinated compounds is fluoroalkene-based peptidomimetics which are structurally similar to amide-containing compounds. They have been prepared to improve the pharmaceutical properties such as bioactivity, target specificity, and metabolic stability of the bioactive amides.

We suggested a new way of synthesizing fluoroalkene-based peptidomimetics through 2-fluoro-2-halocyclopropylamines, which provides an effective way toward fluoroalkene-based peptidomimetics with increased functional group tolerance and possibility of convergent synthesis.

An Integrated Modeling Approach Coupling Stakeholders’ Values And Policy Trade-Offs In Oklahoma, Usa, Gehendra Kharel Dr., Ronald Miller Dr., Chris Zou Dr., Jennifer Koch Dr., Tracy Boyer Dr., Heather Mccarthy Dr., Naci Dilekli Dr., Raymond Huhnke Dr.

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Oklahoma watersheds and urban areas are subject to increased water shortages, woody plant encroachment, and other socio-ecological issues. To investigate these issues in an integrated fashion, we are constructing an agent-based model using an integrated modeling platform, ‘ENVISION’. Three modeled areas represent the diversity within Oklahoma: Oklahoma City (urban), Kiamichi watershed (timber, reservoir), and Cimarron watershed (agriculture, grassland). Oklahoma City (OKC) stakeholders are concerned with the ‘greenness’ of the urban environment, and the water required to maintain it in the context of future urban growth and climate change, and the OKC model estimates urban greenness and the related water demand. …

Generalisable Methods For Vegetation Classification Using Computer-Generated Pseudoquadrats, Liam Butler, Roy A. Sanderson Dr

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Many countries have developed phytosociological classifications of their vegetation to describe semi-natural and natural vegetation communities. Can methods be developed for any classification system to allocate newly surveyed quadrats, i.e. data gathered from new field surveys, into the most likely vegetation community? Algorithms or software already exist to allocate quadrats for some classifications, but these are not generalisable to any system. We test the robustness of several generalisable approaches to allocate quadrats to an existing phytosociological classification, using the British National Vegetation Classification (NVC) as a case study. Vegetation from 167 quadrats was classified using two-way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN) …

Using Fuzzy Cognitive Maps To Model The Impacts Of Autonomous Vehicle Technology On Communities: An Illustration Of The Process, Pei Zhang, Antonie Jetter

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Fuzzy Cognitive Maps (FCM), as a future-study and fuzzy-front management research tool, could help the decision-makers to get the future scenarios on decisions of new technology application in real life, with a direct capture of stakeholders' cognitions on the decision-making subjective. Currently, the Southwest Corridor Plan (connecting with Southwest Portland, from Tualatin and Sherwood to Tigard) for the city of Portland, is one of the on-going urban planning projects which is focusing on improve the on-ground passenger transit system of the City. Regarding this real-life project, the opinions from stakeholders on future scenarios on potential usage of autonomous vehicles (AV) …

Towards Model Integration Via Abductive Workflow Composition And Multi-Method Scalable Model Execution, Rafael Ferreira Da Silva, Daniel Garijo, Scott Peckham, Yolanda Gil, Ewa Deelman, Varun Ratnakar

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Workflows provide a solid foundation to address model integration challenges. Integrated models may be simply chained, or they may need to run in an interleaved (tightly-coupled) fashion. Data exchange formats may significantly differ (e.g., scale), and data transformations may be required to convert available data into the formats required by the models. In this work, we are creating the MINT (Modeling INTegration) environment for workflow composition and execution by extending the well-established workflow composition (WINGS) and execution (Pegasus) systems with a framework for model coupling for execution interleaving (EMELI/BMI). WINGS provides a semantic workflow system that can represent and propagate …