Digital Commons Network^™

Application Of New Technology For The Diagnosis Of Viral Infection, Jayme Parker

Biological Sciences

New technology is challenging conventional methods for characterizing pathogenic viruses in clinical laboratories. These newer methods are superior to older methods due to their ability to broadly target numerous pathogens in multiplexed ways. Even more intriguing, new technologies are capable of detecting viruses in non-targeted manners. Before these newer methods can be adopted by accredited medical laboratories, they must be validated to assess whether or not they meet minimum federal standards in terms of assay accuracy, precision, reproducibility, and cross-reactivity. This thesis begins to answer important questions facing clinical laboratories when adopting new technology. In Chapter 1, assays targeting single …

Plant Succession In The Arctic Brooks Range: Floristic Patterns From Alpine To Foothills, Along A Glacial Chronosequence And Elevation Gradient, Shawnee A. Kasanke

Biological Sciences

In the wake of rapid glacial retreat, alpine habitats in the Arctic are expanding as freshly exposed surfaces become vegetated. Many glaciers in alpine cirques have nearly disappeared, and little is known about the rate of colonization or pioneer communities that develop following deglaciation. Newly developed habitats may provide refugia for sensitive Arctic flora and fauna, especially in light of polar warming. To assess this process, vegetation communities developing on two recently deglaciated moraines in the Central Brooks Range were surveyed and compared with communities along a transect spanning both a glacial chronosequence (40-125,000 years since deglaciation) and an elevation …

Feeding Ecology Of Scaup Ducklings Across A Heterogeneous Boreal Wetland Landscape, Adam J. Dubour

Biological Sciences

Understanding how patterns of food resources influence the behavior and fitness of free-living animals is critical in predicting how changes to such resources might influence populations. The boreal region of North America is relatively undeveloped and contains abundant freshwater lakes and wetlands. These largely pristine and stable habitats harbor high densities of aquatic invertebrates, which are a critical food source for the numerous waterbird species that breed in the boreal. Invertebrates are of particular importance for the optimal growth and survival of waterbird chicks. However, observations of long-term change to boreal aquatic habitats and their invertebrate populations associated with a …

Demographics And Telomere Dynamics Of Hibernating Arctic Ground Squirrels (Urocitellus Parryii), Sara M. Wilbur

Biological Sciences

Aging is the complex process by which an organism loses functional integrity over time. Several measurable contributors to or components of the aging process have been identified, one of which is telomere length. Telomeres are the repetitive, nucleoprotein structures located at the ends of linear chromosomes. In general, telomeres shorten over time and when exposed to damaging reactive oxygen species (highly unstable molecules released as a byproduct of cellular respiration). Organisms that have unique physiologies, in addition to those that live longer than otherwise predicted, have recently inspired comparative telomere dynamics studies. Hibernating mammals, which exhibit both heterothermy and long …

A Framework For Evaluating Field-Based, High-Throughput Phenotyping Systems: A Meta-Analysis, Sierra N. Young

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper presents a framework for the evaluation of system complexity and utility and the identification of bottlenecks in the deployment of field-based, high-throughput phenotyping (FB-HTP) systems. Although the capabilities of technology used for high-throughput phenotyping has improved and costs decreased, there have been few, if any, successful attempts at developing turnkey field-based phenotyping systems. To identify areas for future improvement in developing turnkey FB-HTP solutions, a framework for evaluating their complexity and utility was developed and applied to total of 10 case studies to highlight potential barriers in their development and adoption. The framework performs system factorization and rates …

Respons Pertumbuhan Dan Hasil Tanaman Hanjeli (Coix Lacryma-Jobi L.) Terhadap Kombinasi Jarak Tanam Dan Jenis Pupuk Kandang Di Dataran Medium Sukasari, Sumedang, Ruminta, Tati Nurmala, Aep Wawan Irwan, Yakup Antonius Surbakti

Jurnal Kultivasi

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh jarak tanam dan jenis pupuk kandang yang memberikan pengaruh terbaik terhadap pertumbuhan dan hasil tanaman hanjeli (Coix Lacryma-jobi L.). Penelitian ini telah dilaksanakan dari bulan Desember 2015 hingga bulan Mei 2016 di desa Sindangsari, Sukasari, Sumedang. Lokasi penelitian memiliki ketinggian ± 800 m di atas permukaan laut (dpl) termasuk tipe iklim C3 menurut klasifikasi Oldemann. Rancangan percobaan menggunakan Rancangan Acak Kelompok (RAK) terdiri dari sembilan perlakuan dengan tiga kali ulangan, sehingga total terdapat 27 petak percobaan, yaitu jarak tanam 50 x 50 cm + pupuk kandang ayam 5 ton/ha, jarak tanam 50 x 50 …

Coarse Root, Forest Litter, And Soil Organic Matter Contributions To Carbon Sequestration In Loblolly Pine (Pinus Taeda) Plantations In East Texas, William Wedge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Understanding ecosystem carbon dynamics is of increasing importance with atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations on the rise. Land management strategies, such as land use conversion, effect ecosystem carbon cycling dynamics and can alter the quantity of carbon sequestered in vegetation and soils. In East Texas and much of the southern United States, there has been a trend of converting marginal pastureland into loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) plantations. This afforestation, like all other land use conversions, leads to a redistribution of carbon in vegetation and soil carbon sinks. In 2003, five marginal pasturelands in East Texas were afforested with loblolly pine …

Evaluation Of Marine And Freshwater Growth And Survival Of Auke Creek Coho Salmon, Joshua R. Russell

Fisheries

Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) are a species of great social and economic importance for commercial, sport, personal-use, and traditional harvest. We explored factors influencing Auke Creek Coho Salmon smolt production, growth, and marine survival. We analyzed 35 years (1980-2014) of data collected at the Auke Creek Research Station weir in Juneau, Alaska. This extensive data series allowed for an analysis of Auke Creek Coho Salmon growth and survival that is not possible elsewhere. Creek flow best explained variation in smolt-per-adult production. Analysis of freshwater and saltwater scale growth zones failed to identify a specific growth zone with a significant influence …

The Response Of Juvenile Coho And Chinook Salmon Stocks To Salmon Spawner Abundance: Marine Nutrients As Drivers Of Productivity, Philip J. Joy

Fisheries

Resource subsidies from spawning Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) in the form of marine-derived nutrients (MDN) benefit juvenile salmonids while they rear in fresh water, but it remains unclear if the abundance of spawners in a watershed affects the productivity of salmon stocks that rear in those riverine systems. This dissertation aimed to provide a better understanding of these dynamics by evaluating whether the response of juvenile salmon to MDN is sufficient to enhance overall stock productivity. In Chapter 1, I examined correlative relationships in the abundance of Pink (O. gorbuscha) and Coho (O. kisutch) salmon and simulated spawner-recruit dynamics to …

Commercial Fishing Livelihoods, Permit Loss, And The Next Generation In Bristol Bay, Alaska, Jesse M. Coleman

Fisheries

Fishing people across the globe have experienced a fundamental restructuring of their livelihoods, communities, and economies as the result of shifts to rights-based fisheries management in the past halfcentury. The ideological underpinnings of this movement are based in neoliberalism, which is a belief system that values individualism, competition, private property, and governance by the free market. I examine some of the long-term and latent effects of this and other significant historical transitions in the fishery-dependent Bristol Bay region of Alaska. Relationships between humans and salmon in Bristol Bay evolved over thousands of years and inform the way that many fishing …

Identification Of Spawning Areas And The Influence Of Environmental Variation On Freshwater Migration Timing And In-River Movements Of Adult Coho Salmon In The Buskin River, Alaska, Michelle Eileen Stratton

Fisheries

The timing of freshwater entry by anadromous salmonids varies markedly among species and populations within species and is frequently used as an indicator of local adaptation to sitespecific patterns of selection. Although complex stock structure is most often associated with large watersheds that have extensive habitat diversity, even small drainages can produce multiple co-occurring stocks that differ in migratory timing. In addition, migration timing can be influenced by within-year environmental conditions experienced by migrating individuals en route to spawning sites, staging near the river mouth in the ocean, or within the river itself. Each stage of migration through both freshwater …

Respons Kedelai Akibat Jarak Tanam Dan Konsentrasi Giberelin Pada Tanah Inceptisol Jatinangor, Aep Wawan Irwan, Agus Wahyudin, Toto Sunarto

Jurnal Kultivasi

Teknik budidaya untuk meningkatkan produktivitas kedelai antara lain penggunaan jarak tanam yang tepat dan penambahan input berupa giberelin. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memperoleh jarak tanam dan konsentrasi yang tepat agar pertumbuhan dan hasil meningkat. Percobaan dilakukan pada bulan Juli sampai Oktober 2017 di Kebun Percobaan Ciparanje, Fakultas Pertanian Universitas Padjadjaran, dengan ketinggian tempat yaitu ± 780 meter di atas permukaan laut. Percobaan dilakukan dengan menggunakan Rancangan Acak Kelompok pola faktorial, dengan tiga ulangan. Faktor I adalah jarak tanam, terdiri dari 3 taraf, yaitu: jarak tanam 25 cm X 25 cm, jarak tanam 15 cm X 15 cm X 40 cm …

Whale-Watching In Juneau, Ak: Assessing Potential Effects On Humpback Whales And Understanding Passenger Perceptions, Alicia Rinaldi Schuler

Fisheries

The feeding grounds of the North Pacific humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) in Juneau, Alaska have rapidly developed into a popular whale watch destination during the summer (May-September). The whale watch industry has tripled in size in the last 18 years, currently numbering approximately 65 vessels. The sustainability of this industry could be jeopardized if the health and dependability of the resource, the whales, is negatively affected by increasing vessel pressure. The aim of this project is to provide a holistic understanding of whale watch tourism in Juneau by assessing 1) humpback whale responses to whale-watching vessels and 2) passenger experiences …

Evaluating The Effects Of Sanitizing Drinker Lines In Commercial Broiler Houses On The Water Quality And Microbial Content In Biofilm Layers, Kennedi Achilles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The importance of water quality and its ability to cause major impacts, whether it is positive or negative, is often overlooked in the poultry industry. The microbial content of water is just one of many water characteristics that need to be monitored and regulated to ensure a flock is receiving good quality water. A field study was conducted to determine the effects of four different sanitizers under commercial broiler house conditions, with three replications over a three flock period. Each flock was grown for 56 days with a 2 week period between each flock. Four oxidative sanitizers were used and …

Paleobiology Of Ichthyosaurs: Using Osteohistology To Test Hypotheses Of Growth Rates And Metabolism In A Clade Of Secondarily Aquatic Marine Tetrapods, Katherine L. Anderson

Geosciences

Ichthyosaurians (Ichthyosauria) are one of the most prominent groups of secondarily aquatic Mesozoic marine reptiles. Over their 160 million years of evolution, the clade evolved a streamlined body plan with paddle-like limbs, convergent with modern cetaceans. Despite the fact that ichthyosaurians have been studied by paleontologists for over a century, very little is known about aspects of their biology, including quantification of their age structure and growth rates. Multiple lines of evidence, including oxygen isotope, swimming modality, and body shape analyses suggest that ichthyosaurians experienced elevated growth rates and likely maintained an elevated body temperature relative to ambient sea water. …

Acute Effects Of A Multi-Ingredient Pre-Workout Supplement On 5-Km Running Performance In Recreationally-Trained Athletes, Daniel J. Lutsch, Clayton L. Camic, Andrew R. Jagim, Nora J. Johnston, Taylor L. Musgjerd

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 12(2): 1045-1056, 2019. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of an acute dose of a multi-ingredient pre-workout supplement on 5-km running performance and subjective measures of fatigue. Twenty aerobically-trained, males (n= 10, mean ± SD = 80.8 ± 6.1 kg) and females (n= 10, 64.5 ± 6.6 kg) completed two 5-km running races for time in a double-blind, cross-over fashion. During the first session, subjects were randomly assigned to ingest the supplement or placebo 30 minutes prior to running a 5-km race. The supplement contained multiple …

The Importance Of Teacher Self-Efficacy In The Implementation Of A Middle And High School Science Writing Initiative, Michelle P. Whitacre

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

This study focuses on the experiences of two science teachers who worked to implement a writing-focused, science literacy project in their classrooms. More specifically, I uncover the ways these teachers’ experiences differed and how these differences influenced their implementation. Findings confirm the importance of content teachers’ sense of self-efficacy as writers and writing teachers. In order to foster writing initiatives at the middle and secondary levels, we must honor and nurture content teachers’ sense of self-efficacy and give them multiple opportunities to develop mastery experiences.

Phase Rule Classification Of Physical And Chemical Critical Effects In Liquid Mixtures, James K. Baird, Xingjian Wang, Joshua R. Lang, Pauline Norris

PRC-Affiliated Research

The isobaric heat capacity and the coefficient of thermal expansion of a binary liquid mixture with a critical point of solution diverge as functions of temperature in the critical region. When the same liquids are used as solvents for chemical reactions, the van't Hoff plot of the extent of reaction diverges in the critical region. According to the phase rule, the physical and chemical properties are isomorphic in the sense that in each case the critical behavior is determined by three fixed thermodynamic intensive variables.

Kinship, Fractionalization And Corruption, Mahsa Akbari, Duman Bahrami-Rad, Erik O. Kimbrough

Economics Faculty Articles and Research

We examine the roots of variation in corruption across societies, and we argue that marriage practices and family structure are an important, overlooked determinant of corruption. By shaping patterns of relatedness and interaction, marriage practices influence the relative returns to norms of nepotism/favoritism versus norms of impartial cooperation. In-marriage (e.g. consanguineous marriage) generates fractionalization because it yields relatively closed groups of related individuals and thereby encourages favoritism and corruption. Out-marriage creates a relatively open society with increased interaction between non-relatives and strangers, thereby encouraging impartiality. We report a robust association between in-marriage practices and corruption both across countries and within …

Characterization Of Acute Tlr-7 Agonist-Induced Hemorrhagic Myocarditis In Mice By Multiparametric Quantitative Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging., Nicoleta Baxan, Angelos Papanikolaou, Isabelle Salles-Crawley, Amrit Lota, Rasheda Chowdhury, Olivier Dubois, Jane Branca, Muneer G. Hasham, Nadia Rosenthal, Sanjay K Prasad, Lan Zhao, Sian E Harding, Susanne Sattler

Faculty Research 2019

Hemorrhagic myocarditis is a potentially fatal complication of excessive levels of systemic inflammation. It has been reported in viral infection, but is also possible in systemic autoimmunity. Epicutaneous treatment of mice with the Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR-7) agonist Resiquimod induces auto-antibodies and systemic tissue damage, including in the heart, and is used as an inducible mouse model of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Here, we show that overactivation of the TLR-7 pathway of viral recognition by Resiquimod treatment of CFN mice induces severe thrombocytopenia and internal bleeding, which manifests most prominently as hemorrhagic myocarditis. We optimized a cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) …

Diffuse Light And Wetting Differentially Affect Tropical Tree Leaf Photosynthesis, Z. Carter Berry, Gregory R. Goldsmith

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

‐Most ecosystems experience frequent cloud cover resulting in light that is predominantly diffuse rather than direct. Moreover, these cloudy conditions are often accompanied by rain that results in wet leaf surfaces. Despite this, our understanding of photosynthesis is built upon measurements made on dry leaves experiencing direct light.

‐Using a modified gas exchange setup, we measured the effects of diffuse light and leaf wetting on photosynthesis in canopy species from a tropical montane cloud forest.

‐We demonstrate significant variation in species‐level response to light quality independent of light intensity. Some species demonstrated 100% higher rates of photosynthesis in diffuse light …

Phase Rule Classification Of Physical And Chemical Critical Effects In Liquid Mixtures, James K. Baird, Xingjian Wang, Joshua R. Lang, Pauline Norris

PRC-Affiliated Research

The isobaric heat capacity and the coefficient of thermal expansion of a binary liquid mixture with a critical point of solution diverge as functions of temperature in the critical region. When the same liquids are used as solvents for chemical reactions, the van't Hoff plot of the extent of reaction diverges in the critical region. According to the phase rule, the physical and chemical properties are isomorphic in the sense that in each case the critical behavior is determined by three fixed thermodynamic intensive variables.

Phase Rule Classification Of Physical And Chemical Critical Effects In Liquid Mixtures, James K. Baird, Xingjian Wang, Joshua R. Lang, Pauline Norris

PRC-Affiliated Research

The isobaric heat capacity and the coefficient of thermal expansion of a binary liquid mixture with a critical point of solution diverge as functions of temperature in the critical region. When the same liquids are used as solvents for chemical reactions, the van't Hoff plot of the extent of reaction diverges in the critical region. According to the phase rule, the physical and chemical properties are isomorphic in the sense that in each case the critical behavior is determined by three fixed thermodynamic intensive variables.

Computational And Experimental Approach To Understanding The Structural Interplay Of Self-Assembled End-Terminated Alkanethiolates On Gold Surfaces, Juganta K. Roy, Erick S. Vasquez, Henry P. Pinto, Swati Kumari, Keisha B. Walters, Jerzy Leszcynski

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Applications of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on surfaces are prevalent in modern technologies and drives the need for a better understanding of the surface domain architecture of SAMs. To explore structural interaction at the interface between gold surfaces and a hydroxyl-terminated alkanethiol, 11-hydroxy-1-undecanethiol, (C11TH) we have employed a combined computational and experimental approach. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were carried out on the thiol–gold interface using both the Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof (PBE) and van der Waals (optB86b) density functionals. Our ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations revealed that the interface consists of four different distinguished phases, each with different C11TH orientations. Experiments involved …

Microbial Mercury Methylation At Caddo Lake: A Molecular Ecology Approach, Nevada King

Biology Theses

Caddo Lake in northeastern Texas is a cypress-Spanish moss dominated lake ecosystem. Contamination of mercury (Hg), especially methylmercury (MeHg), was reported in this lake a decade ago. MeHg is a neurotoxicant accumulated in major fish species and reptiles. Due to the biomagnification feature of MeHg transfer, Hg contamination in the fishes of Caddo Lake has caused health concerns for the wildlife and local people. However, the source and synthesis of MeHg in this lake, primarily the microbial Hg methylation mechanisms, have not been investigated. We investigated the lake for the past three years (2016-2018), by taking sediment and plant samples …

Open Educational Resources, Michelle Reed

UTA Libraries Staff Publications - Archive

This introduction to open educational resources (OER) was presented to new faculty during orientation at the University of Texas at Arlington.

This presentation by Michelle Reed was presented at New Faculty Orientation at the University of Texas at Arlington on August 16, 2019. It is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC-BY) license. Images are individually licensed as noted in source files.

The Differences Between Rewilding And Restoring An Ecologically Degraded Landscape, Johan T. Du Toit, Nathalie Pettorelli

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

1. Rewilding is a developing concept in ecosystem stewardship that involves reorganizing and regenerating wildness in an ecologically degraded landscape, with present and future ecosystem function being of higher consideration than historical benchmark conditions. This approach differs from ecosystem restoration but the two concepts are often conflated because (a) they both rely on similar management actions (at least initially) and (b) it can be erroneously assumed that they both aim for similar states of wildness.
2. Rewilding and restoring both influence biodiversity, and common management actions such as species reintroductions (e.g. beavers or wolves) can be integral to a rewilding project. However, …

Functionalized Heterocyclics As Potential Therapeutics, Anupama Indukuri

Theses and Dissertations

Heterocyclic compounds play an important role in pharmaceutical drug development. Several natural products and biologically active compounds contain heterocyclic motifs in them. Multicomponent coupling reactions offer an excellent platform for the synthesis of diverse libraries of heterocyclic compounds. We have been working on the synthesis of novel heterocyclic small molecules utilizing reactions such as Baylis-Hillman reaction, Passerini reaction, Click reaction, reductive amination aldol condensation, etc.

In the current project, we prepared three series of heterocyclic compounds using Passerini and Baylis-Hillman reactions as key steps. Owing to the importance of heterocyclic chemistry in drug discovery and the ease of synthesis, the …

Mindfulness And Blood Pressure Across Demographics: Analyses From The Serenity Study, Gabrielle R. Chin

Theses and Dissertations

Mindfulness, as a state, trait, and training, is linked with myriad positive mental and physical health outcomes. Understanding the individual characteristics potentially influencing links between mindful traits, mindfulness training, and physical health, is therefore important, yet remains under-addressed. Utilizing data from the ongoing Serenity Study (NCT02371317), the current project examines if (1) at baseline, higher trait mindfulness relates to lower BP consistently as a function of demographics, (2) Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training lowers BP consistently across demographic subgroups and initial levels of trait mindfulness, and (3) if change in trait mindfulness following MBSR training correlates with change in BP …

Burden Of Disease In Pediatric Patients With Hypophosphatasia: Results From The Hpp Impact Patient Survey And The Hpp Outcomes Study Telephone Interview., Eric T. Rush, Scott Moseley, Anna Petryk

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Hypophosphatasia (HPP) is a rare, inherited, metabolic bone disease caused by deficient tissue-non-specific isoenzyme of alkaline phosphatase activity that manifests as a broad range of signs/symptoms, including bone mineralization defects and systemic complications. The burden of disease is poorly characterized, particularly in children. This study aimed to characterize the patient-reported burden of disease among children with HPP using two survey instruments: the HPP Impact Patient Survey (HIPS) and the HPP Outcomes Study Telephone interview (HOST).

METHODS: Between September 2009 and June 2011, pediatric patients (aged younger than 18 years) with HPP were recruited to participate in the study via …