Digital Commons Network^™

Increases In Soil Salinity Affect The Efficiency Of A Thigmonastic Response In Mimosa Pudica, Gabriel Joachim

Theses & ETDs

Mimosa pudica (L.) utilizes a thigmonastic movement as a response to external stimuli. This response to mechanical perturbance if exposed repeatedly, results in a response reflective of habituation in animals. Recent research suggests this behavior in Mimosa pudica may be the primary defense against herbivory. The purpose of the current research is to determine if thigmonastic responses in plants like Mimosa pudica are influenced by changes in ecological variables like salinity, light, and temperature. Data were collected in the Summer of 2017 at the University of Louisville Kentucky. Plants were exposed to varying levels of soil salinity and exposed to …

Multi-Criteria Suitability Analysis Of Green Infrastructure Targeted At Groundwater Recharge And Flood Mitigation In Sarasota, Fl, Julia Windsor

Theses & ETDs

Traditional means for urban storm water management have fallen short in keeping up with the demands of urbanization. Flooding from impermeable surfaces, aquifer depletion from lack of recharge via percolation and over extraction are problematic facets of urban life. Water quality for potable use is threatened by utilization trends as well as from contamination due to mismanagement of storm water and runoff. Green infrastructure has risen in popularity as a potential route for development to take to mitigate these urban ills as an alternative to traditional “grey” infrastructure. Utilizing geographic information systems (GIS), I standardized and reclassified ten layers of …

Because John Oliver Said So: Satirical News, Social Empathy, And Motivation To Act Politically, Eugenia Quintanilla

Theses & ETDs

Satirical news has increased in popularity over the past decade. Hosts such as John Oliver, Samantha Bee, and Stephen Colbert have called on their viewers to act politically and many have responded emphatically. As more and more voters use the internet to stay informed on current events, the popularity of satirical news shows could lead to an increase in activism and political action, especially in the case of social issues. The influence that satirical programs have on viewers has been studied in past research across various fields. Some past findings suggest that receiving information about political and current affairs through …

More Than Just A River Of Grass: A Scientific And Artistic Exploration Into The Florida Everglades, Olivia Forero

Theses & ETDs

The Anthropocene is an epoch marked by undeniable human influence. Alterations to climatic and environmental processes threaten worldwide biodiversity and ecosystem functionality. Highlighting the unique ecology and beauty of an ecosystem in peril as a result of anthropogenic destruction, invasive species and climate change, this work foregrounds the fragility and importance of the Florida Everglades through ecological inquiry and artistic practice. Using NatureServe’s Climate Change Vulnerability Index (CCVI), I evaluated climate change sensitivities for three endangered species within the Everglades system; the Florida Bonneted Bat (Eumpos floridanus), the Snail Kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus), and the Manchineel Tree (Hippomane manchinella). Based …

Long Term Effects Of Oil Spills On Mangrove Species In Florida, Leanna Johnson

Theses & ETDs

The potential negative effects on young mangroves’ ability to grow in Florida soil saturated with oil, post-industrial oil spills and limited clean-up are examined. The focus is on Rhizophora mangle L., Avicennia germinans L., and Laguncularia racemosa L. seedlings with a sample size of 120 divided among a control and three experimental groups. Measurements included initial and final growth of stem length, root length, number of roots, number of leaves, and length of propagule, which was limited to the red mangrove, as well as leaf respiration after 60 minutes. Some statistically significant data were found.

A Social-Ecological Sustainability Analysis Of Sarasota Food Forests, Kaylynn Elizabeth Low

Theses & ETDs

This thesis draws upon previous research in ecological sustainability and social sustainability to implement a framework that incorporates both aspects when determining the long-term viability of a green space; specifically food forests. Principles of civic ecology and agroecology were drawn upon to develop this framework. Ecological sustainability was quantified using data collected from inventorying the foundational species of local food forests, which for this research was fruiting trees. For the purpose of this research, the term “tree” was broadened to include woody, fruiting plants. The trees were measured in terms of their health, productivity, and abundance within the established boundaries …

Soil Carbon Sequestration Potential For Two Species Of South Florida Lawn Trees, Zach Zildjian

Theses & ETDs

Soil carbon could be considered one of the most important resources that no one really talks about. Not only is this huge pool of carbon directly related to the carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere, but it is also vital for agricultural productivity as well as soil health and function in general. The flux of carbon in and out of the soil has always been large, but recently human land use changes have caused more carbon to be released from the soil than is replaced. Planting trees is seen as one of the ways to mitigate this issue because of …

How Far Does A Whistle Travel? The Estimated Active Space Of Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops Truncatus) Whistle Harmonics In Sarasota Bay, Florida, Christianna St. John Dewind

Theses & ETDs

Dolphins produce frequency-modulated whistles with harmonic components, and these harmonics may have important implications for providing directional cues to other dolphins about a whistler's position. This study measured the active space- how far the whistles travel- of the harmonics of dolphin whistles in Sarasota Bay, FL, using an underwater transducer to play four different dolphin whistles (10-30 kHz). A hydrophone received the signals at fixed distances at three different depths (.46 m., .91 m., and 1.37 m.), up to 240 m from the speaker to measure received levels of all harmonics across different contexts. It was found that the active …

Sexuality Salience, Mood Disturbance, And Physiological Stress Response As A Function Of Sexual Orientation, Emma Barbato

Theses & ETDs

This thesis served to explore the impact of sexuality salience, or awareness, on heterosexual, bisexual, gay, lesbian, and queer individuals’ levels of mood disturbance and physiological stress. Participants provided Time 1 (baseline) and Time 2 (post-test) responses to the abridged Profile of Mood States Questionnaire and gave Time 1 and Time 2 saliva samples. Between Time 1 and Time 2, participants engaged in a free-response style survey wherein they were encouraged to think deeply about their feelings toward their own sexual orientation and the ways through which they believe society perceives their sexual orientation. The results indicate that sexual minority …

An Observational Study Of Feather Damaging Disorder In Blue And Gold Macaws (Ara Ararauna), Codee Vogler

Theses & ETDs

Feather damaging disorder is a grooming disorder where damage a bird inflicts damage on its own plumage by over preening, manipulating feathers with the beak, breaking feathers, or plucking them from the body. It is considered to be a condition of captivity and its etiology has been widely discussed, and in many cases, is unable to be identified due to the multifactorial nature of the disorder. It is a common concern among parrot owners, and is frequently seen in avian veterinary medicine. The present study investigated the differences in oral and locomotive observable behavior in blue and gold macaws, Ara …

The Past, Present And Future Of The Surgical Treatment Of Head Injuries, Connie J. Miranda

Theses & ETDs

Head injuries can vary from a minor concussion to a gunshot wound. Every year, many patients die from injuries to the brain, while the survivors often become disabled. The aim of this review is to discuss the evolution of the surgical intervention for head injuries throughout the ages, as well as the currently available surgical treatments, in order to explore the past, present and future of neurosurgery. Head injuries have been treated medically for thousands of years, and treatment has followed a constant evolution from ancient times all the way through the 21st century. Celsus, Paul of Aegina and Berengario …

Permeability Changes And Effect Of Chemotherapy In Brain Adjacent To Tumor In An Experimental Model Of Metastatic Brain Tumor From Breast Cancer, Afroz S. Mohammad, Chris E. Adkins, Neal Shah, Rawaa Aljammal, Jessica I. G. Griffith, Rachel M. Tallman, Katherine L. Jarrell, Paul R. Lockman

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Abstract

Background: Brain tumor vasculature can be significantly compromised and leakier than that of normal brain blood vessels. Little is known if there are vascular permeability alterations in the brain adjacent to tumor (BAT). Changes in BAT permeability may also lead to increased drug permeation in the BAT, which may exert toxicity on cells of the central nervous system. Herein, we studied permeation changes in BAT using quantitative fluorescent microscopy and autoradiography, while the effect of chemotherapy within the BAT region was determined by staining for activated astrocytes.

Methods: Human metastatic breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231Br) were injected into left ventricle …

The Growing Gender/Religion Divide, Marcia L. Mccormick

Marquette Benefits and Social Welfare Law Review

No abstract provided.

Woody Ornamental Disease Management Research Reports 2018, Fulya Baysal-Gurel

Extension Publications

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Father Involvement On Emerging Adult Daughters' Romantic Relationships, Katie M. Granger

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This purpose of this study was to explore the relationships of emerging adult daughters with their fathers from childhood to adulthood, and how those unique experiences over time, impact their personal romantic relationships. Research has shown that father and daughter relationships are important and can impact women in their ability to function in romantic relationships. Fathers play a crucial role in how daughters form ideas about their own romantic relationships, since the father is generally the first male figure daughters have in their lives. Twenty-four emerging adult women (ages 18-25) irrespective of their relationship with their biological father, and data …

Full Issue

New England Classical Journal

No abstract provided.

Cacao Together: A Model For True Sustainability In The Chocolate Industry, Kerstin Roos

Capstone Collection

This Course Linked Capstone provides a critical analysis of the concept of sustainable development and then uses this analysis to create a social venture plan for a non-profit called Cacao Together. This capstone project will identify challenges in the sustainable use of cacao by first critiquing the mainstream sustainable development initiatives of certification schemes and corporate sustainability programs. It then offers an alternate framework through the 5 Capital Livelihood assessment tool which when applied, shows the gaps in cacao sustainability initiatives generally. I then propose a social venture that will addresses the needs of many parts of the chocolate supply …

Extended Combined Neonatal Treatment With Erythropoietin Plus Melatonin Prevents Posthemorrhagic Hydrocephalus Of Prematurity In Rats, Shenandoah Robinson, Fatu S Conteh, Akosua Y Oppong, Tracylyn R Yellowhair, Jessie C Newville, Nagat El Demerdash, Christine L Shrock, Jessie R Maxwell, Stephen Jett, Frances J Northington, Lauren L Jantzie

Pediatrics Research and Scholarship

Posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus of prematurity (PHHP) remains a global challenge. Early preterm infants (gestation), particularly those exposed to chorioamnionitis (CAM), are prone to intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and PHHP. We established an age-appropriate, preclinical model of PHHP with progressive macrocephaly and ventriculomegaly to test whether non-surgical neonatal treatment could modulate PHHP. We combined prenatal CAM and postnatal day 1 (P1, equivalent to 30 weeks human gestation) IVH in rats, and administered systemic erythropoietin (EPO) plus melatonin (MLT), or vehicle, from P2 to P10. CAM-IVH rats developed progressive macrocephaly through P21. Macrocephaly was accompanied by ventriculomegaly at P5 (histology), and P21 (

Illicit And Counterfeit Drug Analysis By Morphologically Directed Raman Spectroscopy, Andrew Koutrakos, Pauline E. Leary, Brooke Weinger Kammrath

Forensic Science Publications

Morphologically directed Raman spectroscopy (MDRS) is a novel tool for the forensic analysis of illicit and counterfeit drug samples. MDRS combines Raman microspectroscopy with automated particle imaging so that physical and chemical information about the components of a mixture sample can be obtained. Results of automated particle imaging are used to determine samples for Raman analysis. The use of MDRS for these types of samples can be employed for both forensic investigations and adjudications of cases. The method provides insight about the physical and chemical composition of the sample, as well as about manufacturing and sample history. Here, MDRS was …

Is Forensic Science In Danger Of Extinction?, David San Pietro, Brooke Weinger Kammrath, Peter R. De Forest

Forensic Science Publications

Observations of modern day forensic science has prompted asking the question of whether this field is in danger of extinction. Although there have undoubtedly been meaningful advancements in analytical capabilities, we have overlooked several unintended practical and philosophical consequences. This article addresses three main areas of concern: the declining role of the generalist in an era of increased specialization, the role of education in preparing the next generation of forensic scientists, and the implementation of advanced instrumentation with a focus on statistical significance and field deployable instrumentation.

Harding Magazine Winter 2018 (Vol. 26, No. 1), Harding University

Harding Magazines

Publication distributed to alumni and friends of the university.

1931 Proceedings Of The Sixth Ecumenical Methodist Conference, Ecumenical Methodist Conference

Conference Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Intertext 2018 — Complete Issue

Intertext

The complete issue of Intertext 26 (2018).

If Nonhuman Animals Can Suicide, Why Don’T They?, C. A. Soper, Todd K. Shackelford

Animal Sentience

An evolutionary analysis suggests that selection is unlikely to have tolerated the capacity for intentional self-killing in nonhuman animals. The potential to escape pain by suicide would have presented a recurrent and severe adaptive problem for an animal with a reproductive future to protect. If the potential for suicide arose in the evolutionary past, anti-suicide mechanisms may have co-evolved, as we believe they have in adult humans. Peña-Guzmán’s (2017) argument that some nonhuman animals can suicide is incomplete without an account of the defences that result in the vast majority opting not to.

The Maternal Assemblage: Nonprocreative Maternity As Contagion And Resistance, Charles E. Hicks

Journal of Feminist Scholarship

This article analyzes the consistent problematic of nonprocreative maternal identity, specifically its positioning in a heteronormative symbolic framework as the antithesis of biological or “real” motherhood. Using Lee Edelman’s work on the queer body’s relationship to a futural horizon, the first part addresses how the epistemological framework whereby nonprocreative maternal bodies are subjected to the image of the Child, a fantasy of wholeness, thematizes the nonprocreative maternal body as deviant and enacts a logic of repetition that supplements a heteronormative future. The second portion of this essay illustrates how, due to the monomaternalist matrix’s refusal to accept it as legitimate, …

"We Sick": The Deweys As Women's Willful Self-Destruction In Toni Morrison's Sula, Kathleen Anderson, Gayle Fallon

Journal of Feminist Scholarship

Toni Morrison explores the complexities of race, gender, and matrilineal influence in Sula. Although much recent feminist criticism has addressed the operations of race and gender in the novel, this essay provides the first developed examination of Morrison’s strategic use of three diminutive boys, all named “dewey,” to emphasize the willfully self-destructive tendencies of the novel’s female characters. Burdened with their community’s limiting idealizations of femininity and motherhood, the women of Sula practice various forms of self-harm in an effort to develop and proclaim their holistic, autonomous selves. The deweys’ mischievous childhood games foreshadow the consequences of female self-harm, but …

Diet Of The Invasive Lionfish Pterois Sp. In Broward County, Florida, Sarah Ann Jasper, J. D. Thomas, David Kerstetter

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

The geographic range of invasive lionfish Pterois sp. currently extends throughout the Greater Caribbean in the western North Atlantic, prompting concerns about the impacts of its predation on local ecosystems. We focused on dietary habits of lionfish in Broward County, Florida, where there is only limited, anecdotal information on the species’ prey selection. Diet was determined using percent number, percent occurrence and percent weight, as well as the composite index of relative abundance (%IRI). A high percent teleost diet was documented during the third quarter (July-September) and a high crustacean diet in the fourth quarter (October-December), but seasonal effects by …

Discover Newsletter 14, Una Newsletter

Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Health Sciences Allied Health, 2018-2019, University Of South Florida St. Petersburg

Academic Learning Compacts

The Academic Learning Compact for 2018-2019 for the Bachelor's of Science in Health Sciences/Allied Health.

Environmental Science And Policy, Bachelor's Of Science, 2018-2019, University Of South Florida St. Petersburg

Academic Learning Compacts

The Academic Learning Compact for 2018-2019 for the Bachelor's of Science in Environmental Science and Policy.