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Passive Acoustics As A Sentinel Indicator Of Environmental Conditions At A Cold-Water Coral Reef, Alexandria C. Rhoads

Open Access Master's Theses

Sentinel indicators are quantifiable variables that are sensitive to environmental changes and represent a key component or process of the ecosystem being monitored. In this study, we explored whether a sentinel monitoring approach, based on passive acoustic recordings, could shed light on specific environmental and oceanographic conditions within deep-sea habitats. Passive acoustics can capture rich multidimensional information about ecosystems, including local and distant events and natural or anthropogenic activities, using a single instrument. A benthic lander collected data for three months from April 2019 at a cold-water coral reef known as the Richardson Reef Complex (Southeast USA). In addition to …

Development Of A Road Mortality Hotspot Model For Amphibians And Reptiles In Rhode Island, Noah Hallisey

Open Access Master's Theses

Road mortality poses a serious threat to amphibians and reptiles and can lead to population declines and localized extirpation. Given road mortality tends to aggregate spatially at locations commonly referred to as road mortality hotspots, identifying the most appropriate locations for mitigation measures, such as road tunnels and culverts, is an important first step in reducing road mortality. However, the influence of imperfect detection (e.g., false absences) during road mortality surveys can lead to poor spatial patterns of road mortality hotspots and suboptimal implementation of mitigation measures intended to reduce road mortality. In this study, occupancy modeling was used to …

Post-Emergence Movements And Habitat Use By Hatchling Diamondback Terrapins (Malaclemys Terrapin), Carolyn Decker

Open Access Master's Theses

Diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) require estuarine habitats for most aspects of their life cycles. However, adult female terrapins nest in coastal uplands, and hatchling terrapins use upland habitats following nest emergence. In these upland areas, hatchlings are particularly vulnerable to mortality risks from coastal land management activities such as mowing and tilling. From 2019 to 2021, we used small tracking devices to monitor hatchling movements and habitat use at a wildlife refuge in Rhode Island. When hatchlings emerged from nests in late summer and early fall, we attached a radio transmitter and passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag (n=46) or only …

Phenotypic Plasticity In Acropora Pulchra Under Varied Environmental Conditions, Dennis A. Conetta

Open Access Master's Theses

The extent to which coral reefs have declined globally has triggered major scientific investment in coral restoration research. However, much of the predictions for reef futures do not include the capacity for coral acclimatization, or phenotypic plasticity, and how this plasticity varies across seasons. In light of this, we outlplanted clonal replicates of distinct genotypes of the reef building coral Acropora pulchra from an existing coral nursery common garden site to three sites on the North Shore of Mo’orea, French Polynesia. After transplantation (October 2019), the outplanted colonies were sampled at all three sites in January and November of 2020, …

Rethinking Habitat And How We Study Human-Wildlife Relationships, Kimberly Rivera

Open Access Master's Theses

Current methods to model species habitat use through space and diel time are limited. Development of such models is critical when considering rapidly changing habitats where species are forced to adapt to anthropogenic change, often by shifting their diel activity across space. The first chapter of this manuscript focuses on redeveloping occupancy models to incorporate hypotheses on species diel habitat use. This alternative occupancy framework, called the multi-state diel occupancy model (MSDOM), can evaluate species diel activity against continuous response variables which may impact diel activity within and across seasons or years. We used two case studies on fosa, a …

Academy Presidents And Institutional Members, Academy Editors

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Journal Of The Arkansas Academy Of Science - Volume 75, 2021, Academy Editors

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

New Distributional Records For Ectoparasites (Acari: Laelapidae, Myocoptidae) Of The Woodland Vole, Microtus Pinetorum (Rodentia: Cricetidae) From Polk County, Arkansas, Chris T. Mcallister, Lance A, Durden

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The woodland vole, Microtus pinetorum is a common Arkansas rodent found statewide. To our knowledge, it has been surveyed only once in the state for ectoparasites. Here, a single specimen was examined and found to be infested with 3 species of mites, including Androlaelaps fahrenholzi, Laelaps alaskensis, and Myocoptes japonensis. This is the first time L. alaskensis and M. japonensis have been reported from Arkansas.

Spatial And Temporal Variation In Aedes Albopictus Prevalence Across Arkansas, Alyssa N. Jones, Eric C. Lovely, Douglas G. Barron

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Aedes albopictus is a well-known vector species of mosquito that is responsible for the transmission of many arboviruses such as Zika, chikungunya, and dengue. The objective of this study was to quantify spatial and temporal variation of Ae. albopictus prevalence in Arkansas. We used egg abundance as a proxy for mosquito prevalence. Across 2 years, we worked with the Arkansas Department of Health to collect mosquito eggs using oviposition traps. Eggs were desiccated, counted, and later rehydrated in rearing chambers and raised through adulthood for species determination (>99% Ae. albopictus). We determined mean egg abundance by month, year, …

Distal Excurrent Ducts And Penile Morphology Of The Urogenital System In The Mississippi Mud Turtle, Kinosternon Subrubrum Hippocrepis (Chelonia:Kinosternidae), Stanley E. Trauth, Michael V. Plummer

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

We examined the distal excurrent ductal morphology and penile anatomy of the urogenital system in the Mississippi Mud Turtle, Kinosternon subrubrum hippocrepis, from a small sample of individuals collected in Arkansas in order to provide additional information regarding turtle urogenital anatomy. Specifically, we focused on the basic anatomy and histology of distal excurrent ducts (ductus deferens and ureter), associated structures (urogenital papillae), and penile histology in this kinosternid turtle. In addition, we provide an overview of the gross urogenital anatomy in this turtle, given that little detailed information exists on this topic in the chelonian literature.

Selected Helminth Parasites (Cestoda, Nematoda) Of Bobcat, Lynx Rufus (Carnivora: Felidae), In Northeastern Arkansas, Chris T. Mcallister, Henry W. Robison, Ethan T. Woodyard, Thomas Graham Rosser

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The bobcat, Lynx rufus is a relatively common Arkansas carnivore that ranges statewide. Although there is a great deal of information on the natural history of this species in the state, there have been few studies where parasites have been documented in Arkansas bobcats. Here, a single specimen was examined and found to be infected with a tapeworm, Taenia rileyi and 2 nematodes, Toxoascaris leonina and Toxocara cati. We document the first record of T. rileyi from Arkansas and the first report of T. leonina from a bobcat in the state.

Remote Ornithology: Studying Nesting Behavior Of Bermuda Petrels Via Live Webcam, Ragupathy Kannan, Bala Chander, Jack Jackson, Tara Chander

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

We observed over 167 hours of video of a Bermuda Petrel Pterodroma cahow nest during the 2019 nesting season. The publicly available webcam feed was provided live over the internet by Nonsuch Expeditions and Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Live webcams open new avenues of data collection resulting in observations previously deemed impractical. They help surpass logistic and financial hurdles in conducting field studies. From our offices and homes in Arkansas and New York, we documented behaviors and involuntary movements of the nesting pair in Bermuda. We noted relative roles played by each parent in incubation, and behaviors of the incubating …

Roles Of Non-Frankia Bacteria In Root Nodule Formation And Function In Alnus Sp., Kelsey Christine Mercurio

Honors Theses and Capstones

Plant roots are home to a wide variety of beneficial microbes; understanding and optimizing plant-microbe interactions may be critical to enhance global food security in a sustainable, equitable way. With the help of their nitrogen-fixing bacterial partner, Frankia, actinorhizal plants form symbiotic root nodules and play important roles in agroforestry and land reclamation. However, Frankia does not live alone in nodules, and the other microbial residents may contribute to nodule formation and function. We collected root nodules from alder trees (Alnus sp.) in 2018 and 2019, then isolated DNA and individual bacterial strains to characterize the nodule microbial …

A Student Union For Today’S Students, Tena Bennett

Ed.D. Capstone Reports

No abstract provided.

An Open-Publishing Response To The Covid-19 Infodemic, Halie M. Rando, Simina M. Boca, Lucy D.Agostino Mcgowan, Daniel S. Himmelstein, Michael P. Robson, Vincent Rubinetti, Ryan Velazquez, Casey S. Greene, Anthony Gitter

Computer Science: Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed the rapid dissemination of papers and preprints investigating the disease and its associated virus, SARS-CoV-2. The multifaceted nature of COVID-19 demands a multidisciplinary approach, but the urgency of the crisis combined with the need for social distancing measures present unique challenges to collaborative science. We applied a massive online open publishing approach to this problem using Manubot. Through GitHub, collaborators summarized and critiqued COVID-19 literature, creating a review manuscript. Manubot automatically compiled citation information for referenced preprints, journal publications, websites, and clinical trials. Continuous integration workflows retrieved up-to-date data from online sources nightly, regenerating some of …

The Effect Of Morphology, Substrate And Wind On The Clinging Ability Of Anolis Lizards During Hurricane-Force Winds, Emma Dipaolo

Open Access Master's Theses

Extreme weather events have been identified as drivers of natural selection and evolutionary change across populations and species. A recent study showed that the high wind speeds generated by hurricanes caused selection favoring particular phenotypes for island lizards. Anolis lizards (or anoles) commonly live on islands and in coastal areas frequently disturbed by hurricanes. A hallmark of the Anolis radiation is the evolution of morphological variation among species as illustrated by the evolution of different ecomorphs, which have evolved varying limb and toe morphologies to occupy different parts of arboreal habitats. Differences in limb length and toepad size lead to …

Contribution Of Maternal Mrna Provisioning To Embryonic Stress Response In A Reef-Building Coral, Erin Elizabeth Chille

Open Access Master's Theses

Prior to fertilization, mothers provision their oocytes with mRNA that regulates the early stages of development and may additionally include transcripts for proteins that support embryonic stress response early on. At some point during embryogenesis, however, these maternal transcripts are degraded as zygotic transcription activates and intensifies during a phenomenon known as the maternal-to-zygotic transition (MZT). Some evidence suggests that as the MZT progresses, and the effects of maternal transcripts are waning while the zygotic expression is being established, offspring of marine broadcast spawners become more vulnerable to environmental perturbations. In light of escalating threats to marine broadcast spawners, it …

Transcriptional Regulation Of Sox5 And Wwox By Fancd2, Kathryn Henrikson

Open Access Master's Theses

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare genetic disease characterized by an increased risk for bone marrow failure, leukemia, and premature cancers (Alter et al., 2018). The FA pathway is involved in the repair of DNA damage such as stalled replication forks and DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICL) (Feng et al., 2019; Schlacher et al., 2012). It has been previously seen that under conditions of replication stress, FANCD2, a key protein in the FA pathway, binds to and traverses large actively transcribed genes (Okamoto et al., 2018). Using U2OS 3xFLAG cells we seek to answer the question of why FANCD2 is binding …

Forest Structure Shapes Tropical Terrestrial And Arboreal Mesomammal Communities Under Moderate Disturbance, Juliana Masseloux

Open Access Master's Theses

Tropical biodiversity is threatened globally by anthropogenic disturbances, particularly forest degradation and overhunting. Where large mammals have been extirpated, smaller-bodied “mesomammals” may play an important ecological role (e.g., as seed-dispersers). However, mesomammals are routinely understudied as they tend to be rare, cryptic, and nocturnal. Tropical tree-dwelling (arboreal and semi-arboreal) mesomammals are especially vulnerable to forest conversions, particularly when reliant on old growth forest structures. Understanding species- and community-level responses of terrestrial and arboreal mesomammals to changes in forest structure and human activity is crucial for informing management decisions in protected areas where resources are limited. We deployed 20 arboreal and …

From Catch To Consumption: Food Security Dynamics In An Indonesian Fishing Community, Nicole Roberts

Open Access Master's Theses

Food and livelihood security are key concerns for coastal communities in Indonesia as local and global drivers threaten fisheries across the archipelago. However, the focus of fisheries management and conservation on fish production excludes important aspects of the fish food system such as local economies, relationships, and cultures. For management and conservation policy to address food insecurity and marine resource declines, there is a need to understand local trade and consumption. In this study, we use value chain analysis and a “fish as food” framework to investigate the links between fish production, distribution, and consumption in an Indonesian fishing community …

A Phylogenomic Approach To Explore Photosynthethic Stramenopile Evolution, Kristina Xenia Terpis

Open Access Master's Theses

Stramenopiles, Alveolates, and Rhizaria (SAR) are environmentally ubiquitous and form one of the most genetically diverse groups of eukaryotes on earth. Combined, these phyla encompass nearly half of all known eukaryotic genomic diversity. Stramenopiles comprise both non-photosynthetic taxa including important pathogens of animals and plants such as the gastric parasite Blastocystis and oomycetes like Phytophthora, the causative agent of the Irish Potato Famine. Additionally, photosynthetic members from the Phylum Ochrophyta, like the charismatic seaweeds such as giant kelp, create important ecosystems while diverse microbial phytoplankton including diatoms are fundamental to biogeochemical cycles and form the base of the food …

Influence Of Sex On Lower Limb Skeletal Muscle Oxidative Capacity And Muscle Diffusion In Endurance Trained Individuals, Lotte Black

Open Access Master's Theses

Near infra-red spectroscopy (NIRS) is a noninvasive methodology that allows in vivo measurement of the skeletal muscle tissue metabolism. Recently, a novel, of short duration, NIRS-based approach, based on a brief set of muscle contractions followed by a series of repeated intermittent arterial occlusions, has been validated to determine the skeletal muscle oxygen consumption (mV̇ O₂) recovery rate constant (k, min^-1), which is proportional to the muscle oxidative capacity. However, since its relatively recent introduction, the validity of this approach in investigating the difference in lower limb muscle oxidative capacity between female and male …

Investigating The Role Of Ribosomal Protein Us17 In 30s Ribosomal Subunit Assembly, Kelly Mcmanus

Open Access Master's Theses

Ribosomes are macromolecular machines that are responsible for protein synthesis and are a central component of gene expression. They are made up of ribosomal RNA and ribosomal proteins organized into two subunits; the 50S subunit, containing 23S and 5S rRNA and around 33 ribosomal proteins, and the 30S subunit, containing of 16S rRNA and around 21 ribosomal proteins. All of these components are created in stochiometric amounts and combine to assemble into the structure of the ribosome. Ribosome assembly is a large investment of energy by the cell, which has to create tens of thousands of ribosomes accurately and efficiently. …

Sexual Orientation And Transgendered Status Now Protected From Discrimination In The Workplace: The Bostick Decision, Marie Mckendall

Seidman Business Review

No abstract provided.

Last Interglacial Climate From Dendostrea Frons Oysters, Verrill Island, Bermuda, Lillian Minnebo

Student Summer Scholars Manuscripts

The Bermuda Islands preserve carbonates recording many past changes in sea level, including multiple warm and cool geologic intervals. Several localities expose shell-rich deposits from the Last Interglacial (~125,000 years ago), a time broadly similar to climate today that can potentially serve as an analog for future conditions. Here, we use δ18O analyses of fossil mollusks to estimate past temperatures and seasonality and compare our data with those from other species.

Eight Dendostrea frons oysters were sampled along their growth axes to reconstruct seasonal temperature curves. We report a mean δ18O value of -0.51 ± 0.17‰, corresponding to a temperature …

Student Perceptions About Metacognitive Learning Strategies In Introductory Biology Courses, Traci Collier

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractActive learning and argumentation are metacognitive teaching strategies that have demonstrated an effect on conceptual change in the sciences. Previous research studies have illustrated an association between active learning and argumentation, increased comprehension of content as well as improved academic performance and self-efficacy. However, there is a gap in literature about the perceptions of students on whether these teaching strategies are successful in increasing scientific conceptual understanding and self-efficacy. The first conceptual framework used for this study was Flavell’s theoretical and empirical research on metacognition, which provides a process for individuals to regulate their cognitive activity for increasing comprehension. A …

Lived Experiences Of Nurses Caring For Limited English Proficient Patients During A Pandemic, Thomas Cain

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study addressed the need to better understand how a patient’s healthcare is influenced by lack of health literacy for limited English proficient patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. While registered nurses are a key component in the patient care continuum, there is a lack of evidence to understand the experiences caring for this vulnerable population during a pandemic. Framed by Roy’s adaptation model and Orem’s self-care deficit nursing theory, the purpose of this interpretative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of registered nurses who cared for limited English patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in 2020. Seven registered nurses participated …

Child Exposure To Intimate Partner Violence In The Latin American Region, Gabriel Alvarado

McNair Scholars Manuscripts

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a major public health issue that harms thousands of families and communities across the globe. Unlike other forms of violence or criminal behavior, IPV is often concealed within the privacy of one's household, where the public cannot witness the occurrence of spousal abuse. Typically, more women are victims in an intimate relationship than men are based on recent research. However, there is a lack of research that investigates the vulnerability of a child who is exposed to IPV. This systematic literature review relates to the analysis and investigation of children exposed to IPV in Latin …

Concomitant Essential Thrombocythemia And Mature B -Lymphoproliferative Disorder In A Patient, Ayesha Butt, Ruhul Quddus, Natasha Bahadur Ali

Section of Haematology/Oncology

A-64-year old male presented with cough, weight loss, and maculopapular rash for 15-20 days. On examination, he was found to have cervical lymphadenopathy and splenomegaly. His leukocyte count was 62.1x109/L, platelets were 1169x109/L and LDH was 816 IU/L. Peripheral blood film showed a leukoerythroblastic picture with thrombocytosis. He was started on hydroxyurea and allopurinol. Subsequently, bone marrow evaluation was done which depicted increased lymphoid cells with an M:E ratio of 4:1. Cellular areas exhibited an increase in myeloid precursors along with prominent lymphoid cells and abundant megakaryocytes. Immunohistochemistry showed an increase in B-lymphocytes. Grade MF-2 reticulin fibrosis was noted. Overall …

Dicer Represses The Interferon Response And The Double-Stranded Rna-Activated Protein Kinase Pathway In Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells, Chandan Gurung, Mona Fendereski, Krishna Sapkota, Jason Guo, Faqing Huang, Yan Lin Guo

Faculty Publications

Recent studies have demonstrated that embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are deficient in expressing type I interferons (IFN), the cytokines that play key roles in antiviral responses. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms and biological implications of this finding are poorly understood. In this study, we developed a synthetic RNA-based assay that can simultaneously assess multiple forms of antiviral responses. Dicer is an enzyme essential for RNA interference (RNAi), which is used as a major antiviral mechanism in invertebrates. RNAi activity is detected in wild-type ESCs but is abolished in Dicer knockout ESCs (D-/-ESCs) as expected. Surprisingly, D-/-ESCs have gained the ability …