Digital Commons Network^™

Complementing Model Species With Model Clades, Makenzie E. Mabry, R. Shawn Abrahams, Ihsan A. Al-Shehbaz, William J. Baker, Simon Barak, Michael S. Barker, Russell L. Barrett, Aleksandra Beric, Samik Bhattacharya, Sarah B. Carey, Gavin C. Conant, John G. Conran, Maheshi Dassanayake, Patrick P. Edger, Jocelyn C. Hall, Yue Hao, Kasper P. Hendriks, Julian M. Hibberd, Graham J. King, Daniel J. Kliebenstein, Marcus A. Koch, Ilia J. Leitch, Frederic Lens, Martin A. Lysak, Alex C. Mcalvay, Michael T.W. Mckibben, Francesco Mercati, Richard C. Moore, Klaus Mummenhoff, Daniel J. Murphy, Lachezar A. Nikolov, Michael Pisias, Eric H. Roalson

Faculty Publications

Model species continue to underpin groundbreaking plant science research. At the same time, the phylogenetic resolution of the land plant tree of life continues to improve. The intersection of these 2 research paths creates a unique opportunity to further extend the usefulness of model species across larger taxonomic groups. Here we promote the utility of the Arabidopsis thaliana model species, especially the ability to connect its genetic and functional resources, to species across the entire Brassicales order. We focus on the utility of using genomics and phylogenomics to bridge the evolution and diversification of several traits across the Brassicales to …

Water Justice And Equity: The Disproportionate Effects Of Pollution On Black, Indigenous, And Other Communities Of Color, Rae Cade

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Access to clean drinking water is a basic human right, regardless of an individual’s background. Yet, discriminatory practices in the United States have disproportionately burdened Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) with contaminated sources of water. Understanding how and why water is disproportionately contaminated in areas with increased diversity, and identifying and targeting areas of environmental injustice, are essential steps for ensuring future water equity. Here, I examine the drivers of inequitable access to clean drinking water within the northeastern United States. In chapter one, I look at the historical drivers of land inequity within the United States. …

Extreme Temperature And Other Environmental Factors On Diabetes Admissions, Donghong Gao

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Background: Although total environmental factors have been linked with adverse health outcomes, the impacts of temperature and other total environmental factors on diabetes-related hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits remain inconclusive.Objective: This dissertation aims to Aim 1) test the associations between extreme heat and diabetes hospitalizations in the summer and its transitional months, identify populations vulnerable to extreme heat’s effects, and examine the modification effects of greenness on the heat-diabetes associations in warm months (Chapters 3 and 4); Aim 2) investigate the associations between extreme cold and diabetes hospitalizations in the winter and its transitional months, identify populations vulnerable to …

Moisture Sorption And Quality Characteristics Of Instant Rice, Anna Mays, Griffiths Atungulu

Food Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Market demand for instant rice--a processed form of rice that is cooked and dehydrated before it is sold--has risen tremendously and become a significant component of the rice industry. Compared to freshly cooked rice, the quality of instant rice (in terms of texture, color, aroma, etc.) is much lower. There exists little information regarding how instant rice’s storage conditions affect its quality. Such information may be elucidated by studying sorption isotherms which describe the storage temperature, relative humidity, and instant rice moisture relationships.

The purpose of this study was to generate moisture sorption isotherms of instant rice for temperatures and …

Personal Green Spaces During The Pandemic - Perceptions Towards Urban Home Gardens During The Covid-19 Pandemic In Bengaluru, India, Varsha Bhaskaran, Charles Nilon

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about unprecedented changes in a short span of time to people’s life and living. Being in a lockdown, especially in urban areas, has led to changes in the way people perceive nature around them and within their homes. Research on this topic in the cities of the global south has been limited with even fewer studies in Indian cities. To begin to address this gap, in this exploratory study we interviewed 30 residents of Bengaluru, India to understand how they perceived the changes they experienced in their home gardens and in the nature around their …

Open Repository @ Binghamton Monthly Additions And Top Downloads - May 2024, Caitlin Holton

Library Created Resources

Newly added work in the Open Repository @ Binghamton (ORB) from 5/1/2024-5/31/2024. Top downloads from same time frame.

Pre-Columbian Soil Management, Settlement, And Land Use In Amazonia: Insights Using Micro-Regional Predictive Modelling In Gurupá, Brazil., Lauren Zacks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The results of a micro-regional predictive model of terra preta sites in the municipality of Gurupá are presented here. A Maximum Entropy approach was selected and modified to fit a presence-background model, rather than a presence-absence model typical of binary classifications. 13 known terra preta sites were used as input samples for the relative suitability model, with explanatory variables in the respective categories of topography, hydrology, soil type and vegetation index. A 30m spatial resolution DEM served as the basis for the former two categories, while additional TauDEM analysis was performed for the hydrology category. A Sentinel-2A mosaicked quarterly composite …

Bad Water: A Critical Analysis Of Three Municipal Water Crises Through The Lens Of Political Ecology, Noelle Evelyn Schacht

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

In this paper, I analyze the municipal water crises of Flint, Michigan; Toledo, Ohio; and Jackson, Mississippi through the lens of political ecology to determine how history, power, and society have shaped the troubled water system we see in the United States today. In cities around the US, citizens cannot access clean water, violating a basic human right. Policies have been implemented to protect citizens from consuming contaminated water but are poorly enforced. Additionally, despite knowledge of the ongoing problems including insufficient treatment, outdated infrastructure, and overly contaminated source water, little has been done to remedy the situation. The theoretical …

Click, Click, Boom: A Multi-Level Analysis Of Repeat Firearm Offending In Chattanooga, Tennessee, Katlyn Whittenburg

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Criminologists have long noted the exacerbated rates of firearm-related offending in the United States in comparison to other developed nations. There has been a renewed focus on gun crime in the wake of a recent dramatic reversal of the long-trending decrease in firearm-related violence. Explorations of the factors that contribute to firearm offending are often restricted to large metro areas like Chicago, New York City, and Philadelphia—which may have limited generalizability to more common small and medium sized cities in the United States. This study attempts to address this concern through examination of the factors that contribute to firearm re-offending …

Development And Application Of Environmental Dna (Edna) Techniques To Detect Rough-Footed And Yellow Mud Turtles: A Seasonal Field Study To Detect Turtle Edna, Sakib Tahmid Rishan

Theses and Dissertations

The application of environmental DNA (eDNA) has improved the ability of humans to detect the existence and geographical distribution of aquatic organisms. The present study highlights the development and application of eDNA techniques to detect rough-footed mud turtles and yellow mud turtles in different areas in Texas. Both mud turtle species were successfully detected in lakes/resacas using direct eDNA sampling techniques. Moreover, passive eDNA sampling techniques were conducted using different membrane filters to detect mud turtle species. The findings indicated that only the mixed cellulose esters (MCE) filter membranes effectively identified eDNA of yellow mud turtles in the fall, but …

(De)Composition: Earthen Storytelling For Collective Liberation, Priya Subberwal

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This interdisciplinary portfolio is an investigation into ecological communication through pedagogical design, online collaborative learning spaces, digital and print media, and creative writing. Braiding lenses of queer ecology, decolonial studies, anarchism, and collaborative and creative practice, this work hopes to explore the field of environmental communication through avenues that are reciprocal, community-driven, and oriented towards environmental justice and collective, intersectional liberation. Through the three distinct components of 1) the creation and facilitation of an online learning community, the Spiritual Ecology Study Club at Advaya, 2) the editing and production of two issues of Camas Magazine, an environmental literary magazine based …

Optimization Of Coral Restoration Along The Florida Reef Tract, Raymond Barry Banister

Theses and Dissertations

Historically, the reefs of Florida were dominated by two framework-building corals, Acropora cervicornis and A. palmata. However, these two populations have declined by 95% since the 1970s. The predominant contributors to the coral decline have been ocean warming and disease. In response to the decline, restoration organizations were established to improve survival, growth, and reproduction. Yet, there are gaps in current restoration practices and our knowledge of effective restoration techniques. This study uses large datasets to develop models that predict the most optimal locations for coral restoration in Florida and examines the relationships between the occurrence of wild acroporids …

Examining Context Dependency Of Invasion Hypotheses At The Continental Scale Using Riverine Fish Communities, Lily Thompson

All Dissertations

Many well-supported hypotheses seek to explain invasion dynamics, but evidence for common patterns among regions and taxa remains inconclusive and often contradictory. Invasion ecology is fundamentally linked to spatial scale, and discrepancies in results among invasion studies may be attributed, in part, to a failure to fully consider scale dependency. In this dissertation, I investigate the sources of inconsistencies across spatial scales and large geographic extents using riverine fish communities across the conterminous United States. To do so, I tested three main ideas. First, that cross-scale interactions contextualize estimated invasion mechanisms among regions. My results demonstrate that local empirical support …

Consequences Of The Megafauna Extinction: Changes In Food Web Networks On The Edwards Plateau Across The Pleistocene–Holocene Transition, Quentin A. Smith Jr.

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

We are experiencing biodiversity loss due to climate change and human impacts, which is not only harmful to the environment but can also alter the composition of communities and interactions among species. The late Pleistocene experienced a loss of large-bodied mammals which resulted in significant changes in community structure due to changes in body size, diet, and species associations. The impact of these changes on species interactions and community structure across the Pleistocene-Holocene transition remains poorly understood. Using a robust data set of species composition, stable isotopes, body size, and climate variables, we constructed and compared ecological networks of mammal …

Stillbirth Mortality By Robson Ten-Group Classification System: A Cross-Sectional Registry Of 80 663 Births From 16 Hospital In Sub-Saharan Africa, Claudia Hanson, Kristi Annerstedt, Maria Alsina, Muzdalfat Abeid, Hussein Kidanto, Helle Alvesson, Andrea Pembe, Peter Waiswa, Jean-Paul Dossou, Effie Chipeta

Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health

Objective To assess stillbirth mortality by Robson ten-group classification and the usefulness of this approach for understanding trends.

Design Cross-sectional study.

Setting Prospectively collected perinatal e-registry data from 16 hospitals in Benin, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda.

Population All women aged 13–49 years who gave birth to a live or stillborn baby weighting >1000 g between July 2021 and December 2022.

Methods We compared stillbirth risk by Robson ten-group classification, and across countries, and calculated proportional contributions to mortality.

Main outcome measures Stillbirth mortality, defined as antepartum and intrapartum stillbirths.

Results We included 80 663 babies born to 78 085 women; …

Interpreting Geochemical Sourcing In The Northwest Great Basin: The 26wa12962 Sample Study, Tyler Alexander Reinholt

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Located in Northwest Washoe County Nevada along the California and Nevada border, 26WA12962 is an upland spring site consisting of habitation debris and several thousand pieces of debitage on the surface. The purpose of this research project is to interpret energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) results of 80 random samples of obsidian, and fine grain volcanics such as basalt and dacite from the excavations on 26WA12962 that were conducted in 2021. This thesis will investigate if there is a preference for a specific source, as well as assisting in gathering data within a lithic landscape. To accomplish this goal, I …

Analyzing The Impact Of Oil And Gas-Contaminated Fluids On Soil In Eddy And Lea Counties Using Sequential Extraction, Mary Adu-Gyamfi

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The study investigates the impacts of oil and gas-contaminated fluids on soil within the context of Eddy and Lea Counties in New Mexico, the United States. The increase in oil and gas operations has led to enormous wastewater production that is handled, stored, and transported, leading to thousands of spills yearly. The continuous and accidental release of this wastewater poses several risks to the environment due to its high levels of hazardous pollutants. Several studies were conducted on how to reduce the contaminants; however, the impact caused on the environment and the fate of the spilled fluids is unclear due …

Designed For Life: Unearthing Just And Sustainable Urban Design Through The Daylighting Of Phalen Creek, Corgan R. Archuleta

Geography Honors Projects

This thesis conceptualizes a relational approach to urban design. Often separated from justice, I argue urban design can shape spaces to enable respectful and reciprocal human and more-than- human relationships. Focusing on Phalen Creek in Saint Paul, Minnesota, I illuminate just and sustainable possibilities between ecologically sustainable and socially inclusive design. Phalen Creek was a natural waterway buried in a pipe during 20th century urbanization to be partially reconstructed through daylighting. The Indigenous and Immigrant stories driving restoration expand urban design’s liberatory potential. Combining just sustainabilities with infrastructure theory and Indigenous Knowledges, I contend urban design offers a relational approach …

Trophic Ecology Of Black Swallowers (Scombriformes: Chiasmodontidae: Chiasmodon) In The Deep-Pelagic Gulf Of Mexico, Travis J. Kirk

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

The ecology of deep-pelagic predatory fishes remains poorly understood despite their importance as ecosystem regulators and energy transfer vectors. This study investigated the trophic ecology of three species of the predatory fish genus Chiasmodon (“black swallowers”) in the Gulf of Mexico, a region that serves as an analog for the global low-latitude deep pelagial, the world’s largest cumulative ecosystem. Foraging habits (e.g., selectivity, chronology, daily ration) of an “advanced” evolutionary fish in a system that is otherwise dominated by basal fish taxa, were quantitatively estimated via high-resolution stomach content analysis. A quantitative dataset of both predator and prey abundance, the …

Incidence And Seasonality Of Kawasaki Disease In Children In The Philippines, And Its Association With Ambient Air Temperature, Aden Kay Celis-Seposo, Lina Madaniyazi, Xerxes Seposo, Masahiro Hashizume, Lay Myint Yoshida, Michiko Toizumi

Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health Publications

Background

Despite an unknown cause, Kawasaki disease (KD) is currently the primary leading cause of acquired heart disease in developed countries in children and has been increasing in recent years. Research efforts have explored environmental factors related to KD, but they are still unclear especially in the tropics. We aimed to describe the incidence of KD in children, assess its seasonality, and determine its association with ambient air temperature in the National Capital Region (NCR), Philippines from January 2009 to December 2019.

Methods

Monthly number of KD cases from the Philippine Pediatric Society (PPS) disease registry was collected to determine …

Cultivating Excellence: A Literature Review On Harnessing The Power Of The Gut Microbiome For Athletic Performance, Maya Katharine Dean

Honors Projects

The interplay between our gut microbiome and health is immense. This literature review analyzes the current research assessing the interplay between gut microbiome and athletic performance. Knowing how to improve gut microbial diversity via nutrition and supplementation can take athletic performance to the next level; namely improvements in immune, mental, and physical health.

Cellular Host Response Sepsis Test For Risk Stratification Of Patients In The Emergency Department: A Pooled Analysis, Hollis R. O'Neal, Roya Sheybani, Chadd K. Kraus, Wesley H. Self, Ajay M. Shah, Christopher B. Thomas, Henry T.K. Tse, Robert Scoggins

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Objectives: Sepsis is one of the most common, costly, and misdiagnosed conditions in U.S. emergency departments (EDs). ED providers often treat on nonspecific signs, subjective suspicion, or presumption of infection, resulting in over- and undertreatment. An increased understanding of host response has opened a new direction for sepsis diagnostics. The IntelliSep test is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration–cleared cellular host response diagnostic that could help distinguish sepsis in ED settings. Our objective was to evaluate the potential of the cellular host response test to expedite appropriate care for patients who present with signs of infection. Methods: We performed a …

Exploring Diatom Community Composition Along The Ganga River Ghats In Prayagraj Using Next Generation Sequencing: A Comprehensive Biodiversity Analysis, Mrinalinee Singh, Vaibhav Saran, Sam Higginbottom

New Trends In Informatics Research Conference

The Ganga River is a crucial water body in India, impacting the lives of millions. This research focuses on studying tiny organisms called diatoms in different areas of the Ganga River in Prayagraj, using High Throughput Sequencing. Diatoms were collected from four riverbanks, and the results show a diverse community of 45,447 diatoms belonging to 65 species. By using a new generation sequencing method, we classified these diatoms into four classes, nineteen orders, twenty-four families, thirty-nine genera, and sixty-five species. This detailed study is a significant contribution to understanding the ecology of the Ganga River.

Family Medicine’S Role In Addressing The Intersections Of Redlining And Climate Change, Daryl O. Traylor, Eboni E. Anderson, Brianna Clark, Alex M. Smith, Cooper K. Allenbrand

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Redlining, the practice of discriminating against specific neighborhoods based on race and socioeconomic status, leads to persistent environmental hazards and socioeconomic inequalities that have lasting adverse health effects on their populations. Health disparities are further exacerbated through the concentration of environmental hazards, as well as the escalating impact of climate change, which poses an increased risk of respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease, mental health issues, heat-related illness, infectious diseases, food insecurity, and socioeconomic difficulties in redline neighborhoods.

This paper examines the interplay of redlining, climate change, and health disparities, with an emphasis on the enduring consequences for these marginalized communities. Through …

Prevalence Of Ticks And Tick-Borne Pathogens In Mined Land Areas Of Southeast Kansas, Brayden Letterman

Oral Presentations

Ticks serve as vectors for many disease-causing pathogens, particularly bacterial and rickettsial pathogens. Diseases such as Lyme, Anaplasmosis, Ehrlichiosis, Rickettsiosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and Tularemia can result after bitten by ticks. These tick-borne diseases are more common in the Great Plains region than is recognized. The present study aimed to conduct a three-year long surveillance on various tick species in the mined land area in Cherokee County (KS) using dry ice bait as well as flag-drag technique. Over several visits (June 2020 – Aug 2022) to the collection site, ticks were collected using both trapping methods. Detailed environmental data …

Proportion Of Cancer Cases And Deaths Attributable To Potentially Modifiable Risk Factors In Peru, Jhony A De La Cruz-Vargas, Willy Ramos, Willer Chanduví, Lucy E Correa-López, Nadia Guerrero, Joan Loayza-Castro, Irene Tami-Maury, Diego Venegas

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Limited evidence exists on the population attributable fraction (PAF) of cancer cases and deaths in Latin America. In Peru several studies have been published regarding the PAF of various risk factors and their associated diseases. The objective of this study was to estimate the fraction of cancer cases and deaths attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors in Peru in 2018, before the COVID-19 pandemic in the population of 15 years old and older.

METHODS: An ecological study was conducted using the prevalence of exposure of the Peruvian population to modifiable risk factors for cancer, the relative risk associated with …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Dormant Season Grazing To Reduce Cheatgrass And Its Effect On Biodiversity, Curtis L. Drake

Theses and Dissertations

Invasion of cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) into sagebrush steppe communities threatens the survival of these at-risk ecosystems. One tool available to combat cheatgrass invasion is dormant season grazing. This study investigates the effectiveness of dormant season cattle grazing to reduce cheatgrass abundance in two high-elevation sagebrush steppe communities in southeastern Idaho, as well as the impact of dormant season grazing on plant species biodiversity. Our experiment utilized a randomized complete block design with four grazing treatments – ungrazed, fall-grazed, spring-grazed, and a combination of spring- and fall-grazed. We used an ANOVA standard least squares procedure to determine differences in biodiversity …

Effects Of Nitrogen On The Growth Of Hyparrhenia Diplandra, J Nkandza

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The nitrogen effects on Hyparrhenia diplandra were studied. Plants were grown on nutrient solutions of variable concentrations in nitrogen. The supplied nitrogen increased tillering, leaf production, lamina area, total dry matter accumulation and total nitrogen accumulation in lamina. A detailed examination showed that the effect on tillering was the main cause of the differences observed in dry weights between different treatments. The nitrogen supply elongated significantly the lamina and nitrogen deficiency increased its thickness; but this was not enough to compensate the loss of weight in lower nitrogen treatment. The lamina area as well as nitrogen accumulation in the lamina …

Dynamic Sars-Cov-2 Surveillance Model Combining Seroprevalence And Wastewater Concentrations For Post-Vaccine Disease Burden Estimates., Rochelle H. Holm, Grzegorz A. Rempala, Boseung Choi, J. Michael Brick, Alok R. Amraotkar, Rachel J. Keith, Eric C. Rouchka, Julia H. Chariker, Kenneth E. Palmer, Ted Smith, Aruni Bhatnagar

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Background

Despite wide scale assessments, it remains unclear how large-scale severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccination affected the wastewater concentration of the virus or the overall disease burden as measured by hospitalization rates.

Methods

We used weekly SARS-CoV-2 wastewater concentration with a stratified random sampling of seroprevalence, and linked vaccination and hospitalization data, from April 2021–August 2021 in Jefferson County, Kentucky (USA). Our susceptible (S" role="presentation" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: inline-block; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; word-spacing: normal; overflow-wrap: normal; text-wrap-mode: nowrap; float: none; direction: ltr; max-width: none; max-height: none; min-width: 0px; min-height: 0px; border: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; …

Movement Of Allelopathic Compound Coumarin From Plant Residue Of Sweet Vernalgrass (Anthoxanthum Odoratum L.) To Soil, Yoshito Yamamoto

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

This study investigated the movement of coumarin, an allelopathic compound, from the plant residue of sweet vernalgrass (Anthoxanthum odoratum L.) to soil, as well as the dynamics of coumarin in soil. The level of coumarin dissolved from sweet vernalgrass plant residue in both Andosols and Cambisols, which were watered every day, peaked on the 5th day after the beginning of watering, and fell gradually with each additional of day. Specifically, the coumarin content in Cambisols on the 5th day was 14.2 ppm, which is 4 times the coumarin level found in Andosols. The recovery percentage of coumarin extracted with …