Life Sciences Commons^™

Identification And Characterization Of Possible Multiple Binding Sites For ((3)H)8-Oh-Dpat In The Hippocampus, Dawna Lea Evans

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Black Flies (Simuliidae:Diptera) Of The Great Smoky Mountain National Park And Vicinity, Sitan Traore

Masters Theses

Larval black flies were collected monthly from four selected streams in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park between June 1991 and July 1992. One large size (13 m wide Little River), one small (1m wide Tipton Place) and two medium sized streams, one in the sun (6.45 m wide Mill Creek site #1) and one in the shade (6m wide Mill creek site #2) streams and additional creeks in Knox, Monroe, Morgan, Blount counties in eastern Tennessee and Haywood County in western North Carolina will be discussed.

Larvae of Simulium tuberosum (Lundstrom) complex, S. venustum/ verecundum Say, S. quebecense Twinn, …

College And University Administrators' Attitudes Concerning Contract-Managed And Self-Operated Food Service, Thomas F. Gaddis

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research was to ascertain factors which influence college and university administrators' decisions to change the management format of their food service operation. Specifically this included 1) developing a list of potential factors which could influence an administrator's decision in this area, 2) determining administrators perceived importance of the factors, 3) determining the attitudes of administrators toward contract companies and the services provided, and 4) determining if significant differences existed between attitudes toward contract companies as they related to size and type of institution (public or private).

A list of potential decisional factors was developed by both …

The Effect Of Nutrition Education In The Form Of Cafeteria Posters On Knowledge, Attitudes, And Plate Waste Of Sixth Graders, Camille L. Ivey

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research was to determine whether there was a difference in nutrition knowledge scores, nutrition attitude scores, and plate waste of 6th graders who received nutrition education in the form of cafeteria posters for a period of 19 days and 6th graders who received no nutrition education. In addition, the effects of gender, weight control action, and source of lunch on these scores were assessed.

Nutrition knowledge and attitudes regarding dietary fat were assessed in 6th grade students in 3 middle schools using pretest and posttest questionnaires. Nutrition education in 2 of the middle schools consisted of …

Isolation And Characterization Of The Triiodothyronine Regulatory Region Of The Fatty Acid Synthase Gene In Avian Species, Delfina Rivera Valencia

Masters Theses

Fatty acids are utilized for energy storage in the form of triglycerides or neutral fats. One way to regulate fatty acid biosynthesis is to regulate the activity of fatty acid synthase (FAS), the enzyme that catalyzes the reaction. Previous studies have shown that regulation of FAS activity and synthesis is regulated by the hormone triiodothyronine, T₃, at the level of transcription. Thus, isolation and characterization of the promoter region o f the FAS gene will enable the identification of the thyroid hormone response elements (TREs). This study could shed light on the mechanisms on how this gene can …

The R Value At Vo2 Max During Maximal Graded Exercise Treadmill Tests Of Coronary Artery Diseased And Nondiseased Subjects, Sherry S. Williams

Masters Theses

This study examined the R value at VO2 max during maximal graded treadmill exercise tests to determine if it was a reliable indicator of VO2 max and could therefore be used as a test termination criterion. The subjects in this study were 160 coronary artery diseased (CAD) patients and 170 nondiseased individuals. Data were collected from existing stress test records. The R value was also analyzed to determine if proportions of diseased and nondiseased subjects were the same. The time it took 100 CAD patients to reach VO2 max and exhaustion once R rose above 1.00 was also examined.

The …

Mate Choice: Investigation Of Mating Preference For Siblings Versus Nonsiblings In The Solitary Vespid Wasp Euodynerus Foraminatus, Omoury A. Chambegga

Masters Theses

Caged wasps of Euodynerus foraminatus were given a choice of a sibling or a nonsibling for mates. Two types of experiments were conducted: female choice and male choice. For female choice experiments one female, a sibling male, and an unrelated male were introduced into an observation cage. For male choice experiments one male, a sibling female, and an unrelated female were introduced into an observation cage. Females preferred to mate with siblings, but males mated randomly with regard to family relationship.

Fixed-Ratio Size As A Determinant Of The Development Of Tolerance To Morphine, Mark J. Nickel

Masters Theses

The acute and chronic effects of morphine were examined in pigeons exposed to a multiple schedule with fixed ratio 5, 25, and 125 components. Acute exposure to morphine (0.56-10.0 mg/kg) resulted in rate reductions under each component when the dose was 1 mg/kg or higher. With chronic exposure to 5.6 mg/kg, tolerance to the rate-reducing effects of morphine was evident under each fixed ratio component. The development of tolerance was determined to some extent by fixed-ratio size, a result similar to earlier findings with cocaine.

The Role Of Fire In The Regeneration Of Table Mountain Pine In The Southern Appalachian Mountains, Gregory L. Sanders

Masters Theses

Table Mountain pine (Pinus pungens Lam.) is highly intolerant, serotinous-coned species endemic to the Appalachian Mountains. Before it can successfully be regenerated, three conditions must occur--(1) heat must be present to open its serotinous cones, (2) seed must fall on mineral soil, and (3) the existing forest canopy must be removed in to expose seedlings to full sunlight. These conditions are only met in the advent of fire.

This study was conducted in stands of Table Mountain pine that were burned by wildfires to see which burning conditions best regenerate the species. It showed that the best regeneration occurred …

Coyotes In Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Evaluation Of Methods To Monitor Relative Abundance, Movement Ecology, And Habitat Use, Barron Allen Crawford

Masters Theses

Introduction: In North America, coyotes (Canis latrans) are the most primitive members of the genus Canis and are believed to have evolved from the ancestral coyote (C. leophagus) (Nowak 1978). During the late Pleistocene period, coyotes were found throughout North America. However, until the 1900's the range of modern coyotes only extended as far east as Wisconsin and south to central Texas (Nowak 1978). It appears that wolf populations were the major factor limiting coyotes in Eastern North America (Nowak 1978, Parker 1988).

Coyotes are adaptable carnivores that have survived human persecution and expanded their range …

The Suburban Rice Farmers: Economic And Cultural Change In Japan, Makoto Chiwaki

Masters Theses

The world economic situation is forcing the Japanese government to initiate policies designed to make its rice farming industry more competitive on the world market. These new policies, along with the growth of Japan's urban areas, are causing certain stresses on the cultural institution called bunke among the part-time rice farmers in the Kaizuka region of Chiba City, Japan.

An ethnographic study of these farmers reveals that the farmers of the Kaizuka region have responded to recent changes differently from the farmers of other regions because of their cultural institutions and traditions.

Reintroduction Of River Otters Into Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Mary C. Miller

Masters Theses

Beginning in December 1988, 14 river otters were obtained from South Carolina and Louisiana, implanted with radio transmitters, and released on Little River in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). A total of 896 radio locations were obtained. There were four mortalities.

Five otters established home ranges in Little River. Four otters traveled out of Little River. Of those otters, three established home ranges on the North Carolina side of GSMNP. One otter established a home range in the French Broad River outside of GSMNP. The remaining otter has not been located since its release.

After a brief period of …

A Study Of Members Of A Public Health Nutrition Practice Group: How Education, Training, And Experience Influence Competency In Practice, Annemarie Jane Novak

Masters Theses

This research was conducted to identify the self-reported continuing education needs of members of the Public Health Nutrition Practice Group of the American Dietetic Association and to determine the relationships between education, training, and experience factors and public health nutrition practice. The three categories (nutrition, public health, and social/behavioral science and education) of knowledge and skill statements identified in the public health nutrition graduate curriculum guide, Strategies for Success, were adapted for use in a survey which asked respondents to self-report the level and degree of use in the job of each knowledge/skill using a Likert-like scale. Respondents were asked …

Fountain Solution Ph And Conductivity Changes Caused By Paper Extractables During Offset Printing, Douglas E. Cox

Masters Theses

Economical and environmental issues are causing papermakers to change from the traditional acid papermaking process to neutral and alkaline papermaking processes. Also, offset printers are changing from traditional acid type fountain solutions, with or without alcohol, to: (a) neutral, (b) alkaline, and (c) acid with alcohol substitute type fountain solutions. The interaction between these new papermaking variables and fountain solutions and their effect on printability needs to be investigated.

The pH, conductivity, and contact angle changes of five different offset printing fountain solutions were monitored during offset printing press trials on acid, neutral and alkaline basestocks.

The results indicate that …

Predation Risk And Feeding Site Preferences In Winter Foraging Birds, Yen-Min Kuo

Masters Theses

A foraging animal's choice of feeding location may represent a trade-off between maximizing its energy or nutrient intake and avoiding predation. In the present study, two hypotheses were investigated to test the influence of predation risk on feeding site preferences of birds: 1) there are differences among the preferences of feeding heights of birds, 2) the magnitude of preference increases with increasing predation risk found in different habitats. In my study site, three feeding stations (located in the woods, the woods/field edge, and an open field) each containing three feeders (0 m, 1.5 m, and 3 m from the ground) …

The Effects Of Beaver-Created Wetlands On Surface Water Quality Of Streams And Rivers In Dupage County, Illinois, Brian Conklin

Masters Theses

Dam construction by beavers creates wetlands which have the potential to improve water quality, especially in areas near urban centers. However, beaver dams may also cause flooding problems which can result in the removal of the beaver(s) and the destruction of their dam. A further understanding of how beaver-created wetlands affect water quality will provide additional data which can be utilized in beaver management decisions.

In this study, 41 chemical parameters were examined from water taken above and below beaver-created wetlands that existed in DuPage County, Illinois between May and September 1991. This study was designed to examine the effects …

Effects Of Hypoxia On Egg Development In The Giant Waterbug (Belostoma Flumineum), Miki Furuya

Masters Theses

I quantified the oxygen requirements of developing eggs and the adaptive significance of male brooding behavior in the giant waterbug (Belostoma flumineum). Egg pads brooded by males, and egg pads experimentally removed from the dorsa of males and maintained in a metabolic shaker, were tested for hatching success in four oxygen treatments (5%, 8%, 10% and 21%-control) in a closed laboratory system. All of the control male brooded egg pads, and 100% of the eggs/pad, hatched whereas none of the egg pads hatched in the 5% oxygen treatment. Fifteen of 20 (75%) male brooded egg pads in the 10% oxygen …

Evaluation Of Puccinia Convolvuli (Pers.) Cast. As A Biological Control Of Calystegia Sepium (L.) R. Br., Jonathan C. Beener

Masters Theses

A rapid detached leaf assay technique was developed to test various pathogens for biological control of hedge bindweed (Calystegia sepium). Detached leaves with complete petiole were excised, surface sterilized in 70% ethanol, washed with sterile distilled water, and placed in sterile petri plates with sterile filter paper moistened with 5ml sterile distilled water. Media, leaf size, temperature and light duration were then tested for conditions that would optimize maximal leaf longevity. The best conditions derived were: 12/12 hrs. light, dark, period, 30°C, sterile distilled water medium and leaves of any size. Twenty-five isolates recovered from bindweed lesions were grown on …

A Herpetofaunal Survey Of The Braidwood Dunes And Savanna Nature Preserve, Daniel J. O'Connell

Masters Theses

A herpetofaunal survey was conducted on two sand prairie areas in Will Co., IL.; The Braidwood Dunes and Savanna Nature Preserve (BD+S), and Sandridge Savanna. Drift fences with pitfall traps, herpetological attractor panels, aquatic hoop traps, and manual collecting were used to sample the two preserves. A species list was compiled, and the habitat preferences and relative abundance of each species present were determined. The species list was compared with the species lists of other Illinois sand areas and the Nebraska sandhills. Guilds represented by the herpetofaunae of each area were also compared.

Seventeen species were recorded at BD+S and …

A Biosystematic Study Of Panus Conchatus (Basidiomycetes; Agaricales), James Edward Johnson

Masters Theses

As part of a biosystematic study of Panus conchatus (Bull.: Fr.) Fr., North American and European herbarium specimens from the Field Museum and the University of Michigan were examined and a description of the taxon prepared. Tissue and single spore isolates were obtained from basidiocarps collected in Illinois. Single and polyspore isolates were obtained from a collection made in Switzerland by R. H. Petersen. Culture mat analyses were completed on several media and the taxonomic value of cultural characters assessed. Based on this study, the identification of somatic cultures by cultural characteristics is unlikely. Single spore isolates from the Illinois …

Size-Specific Growth Of Illinois Stream Fishes: Relationships With Biotic And Abiotic Habitat Variables, John H. Putman Ii

Masters Theses

Growth is an important component in the ecology and management of stream fisheries. Growth of stream fish has received relatively little attention and relationships with habitat variables are largely unknown. We quantified growth of juvenile and adult size classes of bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), common carp (Cyprinus carpio), channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), rock bass (Ambloplites rupestris), and smallmouth bass (M. dolomieui) from Illinois streams. Growth rates for each species fell within ranges previously reported for lakes and rivers in the United States although they averaged slightly lower. Within each species except channel catfish, growth …

Diet Content And Overlap Of Six Species Of Turtle Among The Wabash River, Lori Pierce

Masters Theses

A community of six species of turtles from the Wabash River and its backwaters was studied to determine diet composition of each species and amount of dietary overlap among species. Species studied included: Trionyx muticus, Trionyx spiniferus, and Graptemys ouachitensis in the river; Trachemys scripta and Chrysemys picta in both the river and backwaters; and Chelydra serpentina in the backwaters only.

Trionyx muticus, T. spiniferus, and G. ouachitensis all belong to a guild that specializes on aquatic insects. The highest diet overlap (69.6%) was between the two softshells, T. muticus and T. spiniferus. Coexistence is possible because T. spiniferus are …

The Effects Of Plant Growth Regulators With The Addition Of A Surfactant On Rough Turf, Jennie Rebecca Chlumsky

Masters Theses

Three plant growth regulators (Embark, Event and Oust) and two surfactants (crop oil and non-ionic surfactant) were evaluated for their effectiveness in controlling the growth of rough turf at Coles County Airport. The PGRs were evaluated for control of turf height, suppression of seedheads, phytotoxicity and weed control at two, four, six and eight weeks after spraying. Embark and Event were applied at a rate of 0.43, 0.64 and 0.86 kg/ha and Oust was applied at a rate of 0.01 and 0.02 kg/ha. The surfactants were applied at 1% of solution. All PGRs were more effective with a surfactant, but …

Effects Of Forest Fragmentation On Neotropical Migrant Landbirds In East-Central Illinois, Eric Thomas Linder

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Leakage Of Solutes From Imbibing Seeds Of Supersweet Corn Cultivars That Differ In Tolerance To Low Germination Temperatures, Linda Kull

Masters Theses

Supersweet types of sweet corn (Zea mays L. var rugosa) with shrunken-2 endosperm are preferred by consumers because of their extra sweetness and postharvest retention of good flavor. However, their acceptance by growers is hindered due to reduced field emergence, especially in cold soils. This reduced emergence is related to seed quality. To examine differences between supersweet corn cultivars which are tolerant and sensitive to low temperatures, two cultivars were chosen based on their emergence in the field at low temperatures (10-15 C). 'Illini Gold' was chosen as the tolerant cultivar and 'Honey'n'Pearl' as the sensitive cultivar. Seeds …