Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Exercise Training On Cardiovascular-Related Circulating Micrornas, Jacob Luther Barber

Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small regulatory RNAs that post transcriptionally modify mRNAs and control gene expression. Circulating miRNAs are significantly altered following a single session of exercise, however the effects of exercise training on the circulating miRNA profile is unclear. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of endurance exercise training on the abundance of targeted circulating miRNAs and the association of changes in miRNA levels with concomitant changes in cardiometabolic traits, in a subsample of adults from the HERITAGE Family Study.

METHODS: This exploratory analysis examined 20 previously sedentary adults from the HERITAGE Family …

Phenotypic Response Of Marine Cryptophytes To Varying Spectral Irradiance, Kristin M. Heidenreich

Theses and Dissertations

Cryptophytes are eukaryotic algae found in a variety of aquatic ecosystems, that vary in the color of light available for photosynthesis. This algal division displays a diversity in necessary photosynthetic pigments, possessing either phycoerythrin (Cr-PE; “pink”) phycocyanin (Cr-PC; “green”). According to the theory of complementary chromatic adaptation, this diversity should help maximize absorption of light within natural environments. The objective of this study was to determine if pigmentation related to growth performance in environments of differing spectral irradiance. Eight species of marine cryptophytes (5 Cr-PE and 3 Cr-PC species) were grown under four different spectral light environments. Growth rates, cellular …

Ground Truthing: The Politics And Culture Of Soil And Water Conservation In Iowa Agriculture, Brianna Farber

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the complex relationships between people, technologies, and ecologies involved in natural resource conservation and industrial agriculture in Iowa. Specifically I focus on the various efforts to address water pollution affected primarily by agriculture in the state. Using a theoretical framework informed by political ecology, Science and Technology Studies (STS), and posthumanist theory, I draw on thirteen months of ethnographic fieldwork to discuss what makes conservation culturally salient and practically difficult to achieve. This difficulty around conservation arises in part from the tensions between what I describe as the corn assemblage and the prairie assemblage. I identify these …

Regulation Of Cytoplasmic Dynein By Lis1 And Adenomatous Polyposis Coli, Timothy Joshua Hines

Theses and Dissertations

Cytoplasmic dynein 1 (dynein) is a microtubule motor that plays a role in mitosis, cell migration, and minus-end directed microtubule-based transport. The lissencephaly protein, Lis1, and its binding partner, Ndel1, are critical regulators of cytoplasmic dynein (Niethammer et al., 2000). In humans, haploinsufficiency of Lis1 leads to lissencephaly, a devastating developmental neurological disorder characterized by severe brain malformation, leading to cognitive and motor defects, and progressively worsening seizures (Dobyns et al., 1993). While Lis1 is known to play a role in regulating dynein-dependent functions such as neuronal migration and mitotic spindle orientation during development, the protein is still highly expressed …

Understanding The Adsorption And Nucleation Of Transition Metals On A Model Carbon Support, Grant S. Seuser

Theses and Dissertations

Heterogeneous catalysis plays a vital role in the commercial production of chemicals. However, much is still unknown about the fundamental surface chemistry involved in catalyst preparation and the surface chemistry of the catalysts themselves. In the first part of this work, a surface science approach was employed to develop a fundamental understanding of the surface chemistry of strong electrostatic adsorption (SEA) of metal precursors on a model carbon support, highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG). SEA is a wet impregnation method in which anionic/cationic metal precursors are adsorbed onto positively/negatively charged functional groups by adjusting the pH of the solution above …

Iron Transport Machinery: A Potential Therapeutic Target In Escherichia Coli, Clorissa L. Washington – Hughes

Theses and Dissertations

Iron metabolism is an integral part of life for most organisms. Despite its essentiality, iron can also become toxic. There are many aspects to maintaining iron balance within the cell. The aim of this work is to provide insight into the function of several components involved in bacterial iron homeostasis. This work is significant for the development of novel antibiotics for treating resistant or pathogenic bacteria. Herein, it is shown that nickel can disrupt normal bacterial iron metabolism and that bacterial resistance can be affected by expression of iron acquisition genes. Once iron is obtained by the cell, it can …

A Comprehensive Reengineering Of The Hospital Emergency Triage System, Nicholas D. Boltin

Theses and Dissertations

Hospital emergency triage and specifically Mass Casualty Incidents (MCIs) are of major concern with regard to treatment and patient outcomes. Traditional emergency department triage models are oversimplified and often lead to over/under triaging of patients. Furthermore, triage models do not account for the full spectrum of different types of MCIs which often results in misclassification. In this thesis, we begin by looking at traditional triage models currently being used in hospital systems and identify several shortcomings of using these models within the context of a chemical related MCI. I will then move to describe a new approach to creating a …

Surf Zone Hazards And Injuries On Beaches In Sw France, Bruno Castelle, Rob Brander, Eric Tellier, Bruno Simonnet, Tim Scott, Jak Mccarroll, Jean Michel Campagne, Thibault Cavailhes, Pierre Lechevrel

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Three-Dimensional Dynamics Of Baroclinic Tides Over A Seamount, Vasiliy Vlasenko, Nataliya Stashchuk, W. Alex M. Nimmo-Smith

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology general circulation model is used for the analysis of baroclinic tides over Anton Dohrn Seamount (ADS), in the North Atlantic. The model output is validated against in situ data collected during the 136th cruise of the RRS “James Cook” in May–June 2016. The observational data set includes velocity time series recorded at two moorings as well as temperature, salinity, and velocity profiles collected at 22 hydrological stations. Synthesis of observational and model data enabled the reconstruction of the details of baroclinic tidal dynamics over ADS. It was found that the baroclinic tidal waves are generated …

Exploring Public Views On Marine Litter In Europe: Perceived Causes, Consequences And Pathways To Change, Bonny L. Hartley, Sabine Pahl, Joana Veiga, Thomais Vlachogianni, Lia Vasconcelos, Thomas Maes, Tom Doyle, Ryan D'Arcy Metcalfe, Ayaka Amaha Öztürk, Mara Di Berardo, Richard C. Thompson

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Marine litter is a global challenge and society plays an important role via lifestyles and behaviour, including policy support. We analysed public perceptions of marine litter and contributing factors, using data from 1133 respondents across 16 European countries. People reported high levels of concern about marine litter, and the vast majority (95%) reported seeing litter when visiting the coast. The problem was attributed to product and packaging design and behaviour rather than lack of facilities or accidental loss of items. Retailers, industry and government were perceived as most responsible, but also least motivated and competent to reduce marine litter, whereas …

Turning The Tide On Trash: Empowering European Educators And School Students To Tackle Marine Litter, Bonny L. Hartley, Sabine Pahl, Matthew Holland, Iro Alampei, Joana M. Veiga, Richard C. Thompson

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Marine litter is a global environmental problem, and working with educators and school students has much potential to facilitate greater public understanding of the solutions and to enable action. This research examined two new educational activities designed to empower European educators and school students to engage with the topic of marine litter, particularly focusing on behavior and on known determinants of behavior rather than knowledge alone. In Study 1, 120 educators participated in an online training course on marine litter, and completed a pre- and post-course questionnaire to assess change. After participating in the course, educators felt significantly more skillful …

Genomes Of Ubiquitous Marine And Hypersaline Hydrogenovibrio, Thiomicrorhabdus, And Thiomicrospira Spp. Encode A Diversity Of Mechanisms To Sustain Chemolithoautotrophy In Heterogeneous Environments., Kathleen M. Scott, John Williams, Cody M.B. Porter, Sydney Russel, Tara L. Harmer, John H. Paul, Kirsten M. Antonen, Megan K. Bridges, Gary J. Camper, Christie K. Campla, Leila G. Casella, Eva Chase, James W. Conrad, Mercedez C. Cruz, Darren S. Dunlap, Laura Duran, Elizabeth M. Fahsbender, Dawn B. Goldsmith, Ryan F. Keeley, Matthew R. Kondoff, Breanna I. Kussy, Marannda K. Lane, Stephanie Lawler, Brittany A. Leigh, Courtney Lewis, Lygia M. Lostal, Devon Marking, Paola A. Mancera, Evan C. Mcclenthan, Emily A. Mcintyre, Jessica A. Mine, Swapnil Modi, Brittney D. Moore, William A. Morgan, Kaleigh M. Nelson, Kimmy N. Nguyen, Nicholas Ogburn, David G. Parrino, Anangamanjari D. Pedapudi, Rebecca P. Pelham, Amanda M. Preece

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Chemolithoautotrophic bacteria from the genera Hydrogenovibrio, Thiomicrorhabdus, and Thiomicrospira are common, sometimes dominant, isolates from sulfidic habitats including hydrothermal vents, soda and salt lakes, and marine sediments. Their genome sequences confirm their membership in a deeply branching clade of the Gammaproteobacteria. Several adaptations to heterogeneous habitats are apparent. Their genomes include large numbers of genes for sensing and responding to their environment (EAL- and GGDEF-domain proteins, and methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins) despite their small sizes (2.1 - 3.1 Mbp). An array of sulfur-oxidizing complexes are encoded, likely to facilitate these organisms' use of multiple forms of reduced sulfur as electron donors. …

Microplastics In Marine Sediments Near Rothera Research Station, Antarctica, Sarah Reed, Marlon Clark, Richard Thompson, Kevin A. Hughes

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Molecular Detection Of Equine Trypanosomiasis In The Riyadh Province Of Saudi Arabia., Ad Alanazi, Robert Puschendorf, Bashir Salim, Mohamed S. Alyousif, Io Alanazi, Hajri R. Al-Shehri

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

We conducted a cross-sectional study to detect trypanosome infections of horses and donkeys in the Riyadh Province of Saudi Arabia. DNA was extracted from blood samples collected from 368 horses and 142 donkeys, and subjected to universal first ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region (ITS1)-PCR followed by Trypanosoma evansi species-specific RoTat1.2-PCR. The universal ITS1-PCR revealed T. evansi infection in horses ( n = 12; 3.3%) and donkeys ( n = 4; 2.8%). There was no significant effect of sex or age on the prevalence of trypanosomiasis in horses or donkeys. Application of the RoTat1.2-PCR revealed that the RoTat1.2 VSG gene was …

Functional Diversity Mediates Macroecological Variation In Plant–Hummingbird Interaction Networks, Pk Maruyama, J Sonne, J Vizentin-Bugoni, González Am Martín, Tb Zanata, S Abrahamczyk, R Alarcón, Ac Araujo, Fp Araújo, Ac Baquero, E Chávez-González, Ag Coelho, Pa Cotton, Dm Dehling, E Fischer, G Kohler, C Lara, Fmg Las-Casas, Ao Machado, Cg Machado, Ma Maglianesi, Ts Malucelli, Oh Marín-Gómez, Pe Oliveira, Jf Ornelas, R Ortiz-Pulido, Mb Ramírez-Burbano, Ma Rocca, Lc Rodrigues, L Rosero-Lasprilla, Am Rui, B Sandel, Jc Svenning, Ba Tinoco, Ig Varassin, S Watts, C Rahbek, M Sazima, M Schleuning, B Dalsgaard

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd Aim: Species interaction networks are known to vary in structure over large spatial scales. We investigated the hypothesis that environmental factors affect interaction network structure by influencing the functional diversity of ecological communities. Notably, we expect more functionally diverse communities to form interaction networks with a higher degree of niche partitioning. Location: Americas. Time period: Current. Major taxa studied: Hummingbirds and their nectar plants. Methods: We used a large dataset comprising 74 quantitative plant–hummingbird interaction networks distributed across the Americas, along with morphological trait data for 158 hummingbird species. First, we used a …

Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Entering The Aquatic Environment From Wastewater Treatment Works: A Cause For Concern?, Sean Comber, Mike Gardner, Pernilla Sörme, Dean Leverett, Brian Ellor

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

Sterol Identification In Floating Arctic Sea Ice Algal Aggregates And The Antarctic Sea Ice Diatom Berkeleya Adeliensis, Simon T. Belt, Thomas A. Brown, Lukas Smik, Philipp Assmy, C. J. Mundy

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

Quantified Moorland Vegetation And Assessment Of The Role Of Burning Over The Past Five Millennia, Ralph M. Fyfe, Havananda Ombashi, Heather J. Davies, Katie Head

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

© 2017 International Association for Vegetation Science. Aims: To apply the Landscape Reconstruction Algorithm (LRA) to pollen count data from multiple sites to estimate local vegetation abundance and compare with charcoal-derived records of burning. Location: Exmoor, southwest England, UK. Methods: Pollen count data from 16 sites were transformed to estimates of distance-weighted vegetation abundance using the LRA (REVEALS and LOVE models), correcting for bias in pollen production and dispersal. Charcoal concentration data from six sites were normalized using Box-Cox transformation to produce z-scores. Moving-window correlation was undertaken to compare pollen percentage values for key taxa (Calluna, Poaceae) and localized burning. …

Reviewing The Effect Of Hyperemesis Gravidarum On Women's Lives And Mental Health, C Dean, K Bannigan, J Marsden

School of Health Professions

No abstract provided.

Mhealth Resources For Asthma And Pregnancy Care: Methodological Issues And Social Media Recruitment. A Discussion Paper, Graham R. Williamson, Anita O'Connor, Chervonne Chamberlain, David Halpin

School of Nursing and Midwifery

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Teacher-Student Relationships In Supporting Student Engagement And Lecturer Motivation, Anne Plessis, Alison Stokes, Mark Farnworth

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Aims of project: • Investigate the role of residential fieldwork in fostering TSRs at stage one. • Investigate the impact of TSRs on students (engagement) and lecturers (attitudes and motivation Background/context to project: Positive TSRs increase student’s engagement (Umbach and Wawrzynski, 2005), intrinsic motivation (Komarraju et al., 2010) and active learning (Morganett, 1991), all important elements of the learning experience. Furthermore, beneficial TSRs can increases students’ sense of belonging to their learning environment (Hagenauer and Volet, 2014b), which can have a strong influence on drop-out/failure rates (Wilcox et al., 2005; Palmer et al., 2009), and support the engagement of minority …

Demonstration And Damnation: William Blake's Eternal Death Of Unbelief, Joshua Schouten De Jel

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

In Blake’s mythopoeia, as well as his personal eschatology, belief is the source of life itself; all creative acts, all visionary episodes, stem from an individual’s belief. “Eternal Death,” which is the cycle of Generation, is the result of unbelief. Francis Bacon, Isaac Newton, and John Locke were, for Blake, the triumvirate of culpable votaries for the propagation of rational reductionism which had led to the reification of “Natural Religion” in the form of Deism and Rational Dissent in England and, with the addition of Rousseau and Voltaire, of the apotheosis in France of the Cult of Reason. The French …

The Relationship Between Quality Defects And The Thermal Performance Of Buildings, João Alencastro, Alba Fuertes, Wilde P De

School of Art, Design and Architecture

The construction sector accounts for a significant portion of the total final energy use and carbon emissions worldwide. Despite efforts to reduce energy consumption through energy efficiency improvements in buildings, the measures proposed by the construction sector are falling short. Among several causes which lead buildings to perform differently to what was defined in the design stage, commonly referred to as the ‘energy performance gap’, the occurrence of quality defects has been acknowledged. This paper aims to identify through an in-depth literature review, quality defects which undermine the thermal performance of buildings by comparing the studies’ findings with regard to …

Investigation Of Flocculation Dynamics Under Changing Hydrodynamic Forcing On An Intertidal Mudflat, C Guo, Qing He, Prooijen Bc Van, L Guo, Andrew J. Manning, Sarah Bass

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

© 2017 In situ floc size and turbulent shear stress were measured together with suspended sediment concentration to investigate the floc properties under changing hydrodynamic forcing over the intertidal mudflat. A tripod system was established in the field for a period of approximately one month, including ~ 6 days of stormy conditions in the middle of the investigation period. Mean floc size exhibited strong temporal variations within a tidal cycle, and inverse relationship was found between mean floc size and shear stress. Suspended sediment concentration (SSC) can modulate the flocculation dynamics when shear stress decreases down to enhancing flocculation. Asymmetrical …

Intention Insertion: Activating An Action's Perceptual Consequences Is Sufficient To Induce Non-Willed Motor Behavior, James Colton, Patric Bach, Ben Whalley, Christopher Mitchell

School of Psychology

No abstract provided.

Plankton As Prevailing Conditions: A Surveillance Role For Plankton Indicators Within The Marine Strategy Framework Directive, Abigail Mcquatters-Gollop, David Johns, Simon Greenstreet, Jacob Bedford

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) uses an indicator-based approach for ecosystem assessment; indicators of the state of ecosystem components ('state indicators') are used to determine whether, or not, these ecosystem components are at ‘Good Environmental Status’ relative to prevailing oceanographic conditions. Here, it is illustrated that metrics of change in plankton communities frequently provide indications of changing prevailing oceanographic conditions. Plankton indicators can therefore provide useful diagnostic information when interpreting results and determining assessment outcomes for analyses of state indicators across the food web. They can also perform a strategic role in assessing these state indicators by influencing target …

Scotolemon Doriae Pavesi, 1878, A Soil-Dwelling Harvestman New To Britain (Opiliones: Phalangodidae), David T. Bilton

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Separate Neural Representations Of Prediction Error Valence And Surprise: Evidence From An Fmri Meta-Analysis., Elsa Fouragnan, Chris Retzler, Marios G. Philiastides

School of Psychology

Learning occurs when an outcome differs from expectations, generating a reward prediction error signal (RPE). The RPE signal has been hypothesized to simultaneously embody the valence of an outcome (better or worse than expected) and its surprise (how far from expectations). Nonetheless, growing evidence suggests that separate representations of the two RPE components exist in the human brain. Meta-analyses provide an opportunity to test this hypothesis and directly probe the extent to which the valence and surprise of the error signal are encoded in separate or overlapping networks. We carried out several meta-analyses on a large set of fMRI studies …

Multiple Dimensions Of Biodiversity Drive Human Interest In Tide Pool Communities, Tp Fairchild, Ms Fowler, S Pahl, Jn Griffin

School of Psychology

No abstract provided.

Sumo Enters The Ring: The Emerging Role Of Sumoylation In Magnaporthe Oryzae Pathogenicity, George R. Littlejohn

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

This article is a Commentary on Liu et al., 219: 1031–1047.