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Toward A Metabolic Theory Of Life History, Joseph Robert Burger, Chen Hou, James H. Brown

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

The life histories of animals reflect the allocation of metabolic energy to traits that determine fitness and the pace of living. Here, we extend metabolic theories to address how demography and mass-energy balance constrain allocation of biomass to survival, growth, and reproduction over a life cycle of one generation. We first present data for diverse kinds of animals showing empirical patterns of variation in life-history traits. These patterns are predicted by theory that highlights the effects of 2 fundamental biophysical constraints: demography on number and mortality of offspring; and mass-energy balance on allocation of energy to growth and reproduction. These …

The Logic Behind Neural Control Of Breathing Pattern, Alona Ben-Tal, Yunjiao Wang, Maria C.A. Leite

Faculty Publications

The respiratory rhythm generator is spectacular in its ability to support a wide range of activities and adapt to changing environmental conditions, yet its operating mechanisms remain elusive. We show how selective control of inspiration and expiration times can be achieved in a new representation of the neural system (called a Boolean network). The new framework enables us to predict the behavior of neural networks based on properties of neurons, not their values. Hence, it reveals the logic behind the neural mechanisms that control the breathing pattern. Our network mimics many features seen in the respiratory network such as the …

Uav Wildlife Tracking, Kevin Bender, Tyler Couvrette, Nicolas Cucinella, Katie White, Sarah Bartak, Christopher Boone, Olivia Lockhart

Baker/Koob Endowments Awarded Projects

Over the past year, this team has designed and prototyped the first modular aerial tracking system used with Lotek systems. Students developed new technology necessary to integrate the existing USFS collars with a drone. The design is capable of adapting with the technology allowing for future development in efficiency and automation. Looking forward, this project will enable the USFS, with the aid of Cal Poly students, to better understand collared animals like the fisher, and it will continue to push for innovative ideas to not only support other animal conservation, but to provide solutions to future challenges. Image one is …

Influences Of Fiber Length On Nutrient Digestion In Leopard Tortoises (Stigmochelys Pardalis): Evaluating Titanium Dioxide As A Fecal Transit Marker, Allison G. Mullin

Baker/Koob Endowments Awarded Projects

Vertebrate animals lack endogenous enzymes to break down insoluble plant fiber, and therefore are dependent on symbiotic gut microbes to utilize this abundant food source. Although chemically higher in fiber, the efficacy of fiber particles in some commercial feeds, physically reduced in size during processing, has not been quantified. A concept developed for dairy cattle, physically effective fiber (peNDF) considers fiber physical characteristics that influence mastication and the biphasic nature of rumen contents (Mertens, 1997). The importance of describing fiber’s chemical and physical effects in nonruminant herbivores has also been identified (NRC, 2007). Tortoises provide unique insights into digestive processes …

Monitoring Of Rangeland Plant Compositions And Soil Surface Type On Cal Poly Grazing Pastures Using Assessment, Inventory, And Monitoring (Aim) Plots And The Newly Developed App, Landpks., Katie White, Sarah James

Baker/Koob Endowments Awarded Projects

The purpose of this project was to conduct field trials to determine the ease of use, efficiency, and information content of the LandPKS app, using complete AIM plots for comparison. The LandPKS app has the potential to be widely used by public, private, and nongovernmental entities to monitor rangeland conditions. This includes places that have limited access to resources and trained staff for monitoring efforts including in countries like Kenya, Namibia and Mongolia. The group concluded that the Stick Method, the methodology used by the LandPKS app, held up comparatively to the Assessment, Inventory, Monitoring (AIM) Method. The group also …

El Laberinto De Regreso Al Pasado Hacia El Futuro: La Influencia De Borges En Beltenebros De Muñoz Molina, Tanya Romero-González

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

The present article explores the connections between Antonio Muñoz Molina's Beltenebros (1989) and Jorge Luis Borges' work. Specifically, I explore how the reappearance of the past is depicted in Muñoz Molina's novel as compared to Borges' short stories "La muerte y la brújula" and "El sur", and how these connections are embedded in wider critical discourse about memory, history and their postmodernist reinterpretations. While other critics have pointed to the connection between these two authors, my comparative analysis reveals the depth of the so-called Borges effect. Firstly, the doubling of characters and the interconnections among them suggest the necessity of …

Pacific Review Winter 2019, Alumni Association Of The University Of The Pacific

Pacific Magazine and Pacific Review

No abstract provided.

Volume 2, Chapter 3-1: Slime Molds: Biology And Diversity, Janice M. Glime

Bryophyte Ecology Subchapters

No abstract provided.

Volume 2, Chapter 3-2: Slime Molds: Bryophyte Associations, Janice M. Glime

Bryophyte Ecology Subchapters

No abstract provided.

Evolution - #2: Evolutionary Evidence And Inferences, Jessica Amacher, Sowmya Anjur, Donald Dosch, Sarah O'Leary-Driscoll, Crystal Randall

Unit 1: Evolution

The theory of evolution articulates elegantly a series of inferences from a vast collection of observations and evidence. We present some of those evidences here to stimulate in our students the sorts of scientific reasoning necessary to understand the presence and origin of diversity of life on the planet.

Evolution - #1: History Of Life, Jessica Amacher, Sowmya Anjur, Donald Dosch, Sarah O'Leary-Driscoll, Crystal Randall

Unit 1: Evolution

From the perspective of a biologist, the history of life on the Earth is a recurring story. Although details may be different, what happens today has precedence in the occurrences of the past. Two underlying ideas are vital for students to understand a modern conception of the theory of evolution. First, over long periods of time, and due to natural events, the environment of the Earth has changed, sometimes dramatically. Second, each environmental change has created more favorable conditions for some species to live and reproduce, while producing less favorable conditions for others. This first lesson in our unit on …

Evolution - #6: Selection Simulation, Jessica Amacher, Sowmya Anjur, Donald Dosch, Sarah O'Leary-Driscoll, Crystal Randall

Unit 1: Evolution

A modern understanding of the theory of evolution revolves around the selection of certain types within a population that over long time periods eventually leads to change of the species. This descent with modification is modeled with this activity, and leads to a subsequent lesson that has students reading about research into examples of speciation.

Evolution - #5: Globin Gene Evolution, Jessica Amacher, Sowmya Anjur, Donald Dosch, Sarah O'Leary-Driscoll, Crystal Randall

Unit 1: Evolution

For this lesson, students are guided through the steps necessary to compare nucleotide and amino acid sequences available at the National Center for Biotechnology Information that is maintained by the National Institutes of Health. The lesson starts with an examination of the alpha-globin gene. Alpha-globin is one of the proteins that constitutes hemoglobin. Student look at the various sequences of this gene that have been deposited at NCBI with a goal of determining alternative forms of the gene. The lesson then broadens the scope of comparison to include members of the globin protein family. Students create a phylogenetic tree that …

Wofford Today Winter 2019, Wofford College. Office Of Marketing And Communications

Wofford Today

No abstract provided.

Daily Announcements December 2019, Wofford College. Office Of Marketing And Communications

Communications Office Daily Announcements

No abstract provided.

Modeling Elementary Students’ Ideas About Heredity: A Comparison Of Curricular Interventions, Cory Forbes, Dante Cisterna, Devarati Bhattacharya, Ranu Roy

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Learning about heredity is important across the K–12 continuum. However, these ideas may be challenging for students. We examined third-grade students’ ideas about heredity in the context of a new, six-week, model-based science unit that uses corn as a model organism to support students’ ideas about heredity. We analyzed data collected during implementation of the unit, including student artifacts and interviews. We compared these data to those from a pilot version of the curriculum – implemented in the prior year – that was focused on the same disciplinary concepts but was not designed around scientific modeling. Our findings illustrate levels …

The Independent Ed. 7 Vol. 1, Rollins College Students

The Independent

Managing Staff

Kenzie Helmick, Editor-in-Chief

Caitlyn Patel, Chief Creative Officer

Scott Novak & Mary Catherine Pflug, Co-Founders

Design Team

Senior Designer: Francisco Wang Yu

Designers: McKinnon bell, Capri Gutierrez, Samantha Maris, Jordan McLean, Julia Taylor

Artists/Photographers: Samantha Anderson, Christine Cole, Ghina Fawaz, Elizabeth Fleming, Maisie Haney, Sara Mehdinia

Editors

Senior Editors: Jack Gabriel, Emily O'Malley, Kate Taramykin

Copy Editors: Hannah Butcher, Fia Frasz, Elizabeth Trepanier, Rachel Ulangkaya

Contributors

Annie Baumm, Maa Bruce-Amanquah, Natalie George, Ashleigh Kutryb, Alleson Lawless, Raul Tavarez Ramirez, Alekhya Reddy, Daniela Saffran, Howard Tursi

Quantifying Carbon Stocks Within The Androscoggin Land Trust, Olivia Lamarche, Kirsten Pelletier, Eric Viera

Community Engaged Research Reports

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the burning of fossil fuels for transportation and electricity, land use and deforestation, agriculture, and industry are causing unprecedented rates of climate change. The climate emergency is intensifying as temperature extremes increase, snow and ice cover declines, and the oceans warm and acidify. The need to mitigate climate change is rapidly increasing and many mitigation efforts focus on the reduction of GHG outputs into the atmosphere, primarily the development of new renewable energy technologies in order to reduce the burning of fossil fuels. While a decreased reliance on fossil fuels is a key climate solution, …

Creating An Independent Organization For Lewiston/Auburn Trails, Ava Gulino, Nelly Junesand, Kassandra Wilson

Community Engaged Research Reports

Maine lends itself to many outdoor activities with its varied geography. Many communities around the state have acknowledged this asset and designed trail systems that allow for people to experience the outdoors. In Maine, many trail organizations are nonprofits as it allows them to provide critical services that contribute to economic stability and mobility in surrounding communities without being dependent on local governments (National Council of Nonprofits 2019a). The nonprofit community in Maine has been successful throughout the years in creating a robust and vibrant community of citizens that help protect the environment, educate children, and inform the government (Maine …

Food Waste At Lewiston Middle School, Alex Cullen, Dylan Simon, Anne Trapp

Community Engaged Research Reports

In 2017, 30-40% of all food produced in the United States ended up in landfills and contributed to the country’s carbon footprint. At the same time, 13% of US households were food insecure. In Maine, however, that number rises to 15.7% and in the city of Lewiston, ME, it to 25.2%. Enough of the Lewiston population is affected by food insecurity to make the Lewiston School District eligible for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which guarantees free breakfast and lunch to all students, regardless of socioeconomic background. As the only middle school in the district, Lewiston Middle School (LMS) receives …

Barth Syndrome: Exploring Cardiac Metabolism With Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes, Erica M. Fatica, Gina A. Deleonibus, Alisha House, Jillian V. Kodger, Ryan W. Pearce, Rohan R. Shah, Liraz Levi, Yana Sandlers

Chemistry Faculty Publications

© 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Barth syndrome (BTHS) is an X-linked recessive multisystem disorder caused by mutations in the TAZ gene (TAZ, G 4.5, OMIM 300394) that encodes for the acyltransferase tafazzin. This protein is highly expressed in the heart and plays a significant role in cardiolipin biosynthesis. Heart disease is the major clinical manifestation of BTHS with a high incidence in early life. Although the genetic basis of BTHS and tetralinoleoyl cardiolipin deficiency in BTHS-affected individuals are well-established, downstream metabolic changes in cardiac metabolism are still uncovered. Our study aimed to characterize TAZ-induced metabolic perturbations …

Evaluating The Effects Of Bisphenols F And S With Respect To Bisphenol A On Primordial Germ Cell Migration In Zebrafish (Danio Rerio) Embryos Using Immunofluorescence Microscopy, Siti Sarah Safura, George Roba, Edward A. Freeman

Undergraduate External Publications

Primordial Germ Cell (PGC) migration occurs in early embryonic development and is highly conserved across taxa. PGC migration occurs within the first 24 hours post fertilization (hpf) in zebrafish, making the organism an efficient model for observing the migration pathway. Proper PGC migration is necessary for normal gonad development and, in some species, sex determination. Disruption of this process leads to defects in gonad formation and abnormal sex determination and differentiation. Studies show that endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as bisphenol A (BPA) disrupt PGC migration in zebrafish. BPA is an estrogenic compound that has been linked to a variety of human …

Featured Bookshelf: 2019 Staff Favorite Reads, Megan M. Haught

Featured Bookshelf

For the month of December, the UCF Libraries Bookshelf celebrates the favorite books of employees of the UCF Libraries. And you know a major thing about librarians? They love talking about their favorite books. The books listed below are some of the favorite non-fiction books we read in 2019.

Keep reading below to see the full list, descriptions, and catalog links for the favorite non-fiction titles read in 2019 by UCF Library employees. These 30 books plus many, many more are also on display on the 2nd (main) floor of the John C. Hitt Library next to the bank of …

Annual Thermal Stress Increases A Soft Coral’S Susceptibility To Bleaching, Marc Slattery, M. Sabrina Pankey, Michael P. Lesser

Faculty and Student Publications

© 2019 by the authors. Bioassay-guided fractionation of an EtOAc extract of the broth of the endophytic fungus Nemania sp. UM10M (Xylariaceae) isolated from a diseased Torreya taxifolia leaf afforded three known cytochalasins, 19,20-epoxycytochalasins C (1) and D (2), and 18-deoxy-19,20-epoxy-cytochalasin C (3). All three compounds showed potent in vitro antiplasmodial activity and phytotoxicity with no cytotoxicity to Vero cells. These compounds exhibited moderate to weak cytotoxicity to some of the cell lines of a panel of solid tumor (SK-MEL, KB, BT-549, and SK-OV-3) and kidney epithelial cells (LLC-PK11). Evaluation of in vivo antimalarial activity of 19,20-epoxycytochalasin C (1) in …

Inventorying Amenities And Usage Of Lewiston-Auburn Trails, Mary Margaret Adams, Alison Bodner, Rafi Wolfson

Community Engaged Research Reports

Trails provide numerous benefits to the community and the environment, and give a space for people to engage with the outdoors. Safe and well maintained trails promote healthy lifestyles by increasing the physical activity of the public, mitigate climate change by encouraging clean means of travel and promote community building by creating a space for people to interact with each other. While trails provide overarching benefits to the community at large, each trail presents unique benefits, challenges and usage patterns, and every trail user has their own relationship with the trails that they use. The L/A Trails organization found a …

Muscle Activation Patterns During Movement Attempts In Children With Acquired Spinal Cord Injury: Neurophysiological Assessment Of Residual Motor Function Below The Level Of Lesion., Darryn A Atkinson, Laura Mendez, Natalie Goodrich, Sevda C Aslan, Beatrice Ugiliweneza, Andrea L Behrman

Physical Therapy Collection

Introduction: Characterization of residual neuromotor capacity after spinal cord injury (SCI) is challenging. The current gold standard for measurement of sensorimotor function after SCI, the International Society for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI) exam, seeks to determine isolated intentional muscle activation, however many individuals with SCI exhibit intentional movements and muscle activation patterns which are not confined to specific joint or muscle. Further, isolated muscle activation is a feature of the neuromuscular system that emerges during development, and thus may not be an appropriate measurement standard for children younger than 6.

Methods: We utilized neurophysiological assessment …

Ciencia De Las Mujeres: Experiencias En La Cadena Textil Desde Los Ayllus De Challapata, Denise Y. Arnold, Elvira Espejo

Textile Research Works

En el contexto de la crisis económica que atravesó Bolivia en los años ochenta, una comunidad de puna de pastores andinos, Livichuco, que forma parte integral del ayllu mayor de Qaqachaka, emprendió por iniciativa propia un proceso de mejoramiento de su producción textil, con un programa de rescate de los tintes naturales de la región. Con recursos mínimos, los comunarios compraron ollas y bateas metálicas, y comenzaron a preguntar a las personas mayores sobre sus conocimientos prácticos tradicionales en el ámbito de la tinción de textiles. Durante un período de diez años, y en coordinación con varias instituciones —incluida la …

Illuminator, Volume 3, Issue 4, Batten College Of Engineering & Technology, Old Dominion University

College of Engineering & Technology Newsletter

December 2019 issue of Illuminator, a monthly publication of ODU's Batten College of Engineering and Technology

Image-Driven Automated End-To-End Testing For Mobile Applications, Caleb Fritz

Computer Science and Computer Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The increasing complexity and demand of software systems and the greater availability of test automation software is quickly rendering manual end-to-end (E2E) testing techniques for mobile platforms obsolete. This research seeks to explore the potential increase in automated test efficacy and maintainability through the use of computer vision algorithms when applied with Appium, a leading cross-platform mobile test automation framework. A testing framework written in a Node.js environment was created to support the development of E2E test scripts that examine and report the functional capabilities of a mobile test app. The test framework provides a suite of functions that connect …

A Stylistic Analysis With Performance Suggestions Of Robert Muczynski’S Selected Late Piano Works: Maverick Pieces, Opus 37, Masks, Opus 40, And Dream Cycle, Opus 44, Ji Hyun Kim

Dissertations

Robert Muczynski (1929-2010) was a composer, pianist, and educator whose work is starting to garner more attention and interest from scholars, performers, and audiences.

Muczynski’s musical output covers a variety of genres from works for solo instruments to orchestral works and film scores. He was especially devoted to writing for piano. This is well represented in his musical output. Among his forty-eight compositions with opus numbers, seventeen works are for solo piano. He also wrote a piano concerto (No.1, Op.7), and twelve chamber works featuring the piano. Although his music has increased in popularity, it is less discussed when compared …