Life Sciences Commons^™

The Effect Of Age On Recovery Of Heart Rate After Exercise, Shari A. Delisle

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if heart rate recovery, following exercise, of active women aged between 50-63 years was significantly slower than the recovery of active women aged 23-24 years when both groups exercised at the same relative perceived intensity. Ten female subjects, five young and five older, were tested during a five minute bout of treadmill exercise while working at a rating of perceived exertion(RPE) of 14. Heart rate was measured prior to and during testing and into recovery using the Vantage Performance Monitor. The time, measured in seconds, it took for each subject to drop …

The Effects Of Nest-Box Visibility And Proximity On The Frequency Of Brood Parasitism In Wood Ducks, Roger W. Jansen

Masters Theses

I studied the effects of nest box visibility and clustering on the rate of intraspecific brood parasitism (IBP) in Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa) at Lake Shelbyville Fish and Wildlife Area in Moultrie County, IL from 2 March 1992 to 22 June 1992. Sixty-eight percent of the nest boxes sampled were used and 33% of the nests were destroyed by predators. Mean clutch sizes of unparasitized (x = 9.2) and parasitized (x = 15.2) nests were significantly different. The parasitism rate in Wood Duck nests was 54%. More visible boxes had a tendency to be parasitized at a higher rate than …

Growth And Survival Of Larval Fishes: The Role Of Zooplankton Abundance And Competition, Michael T. Welker

Masters Theses

Interactions among larval gizzard shad, bluegill and zooplankton prey were examined via a controlled mesocosm experiment and field sampling in Lake Shelbyville, Illinois. In the mesocosm experiment gizzard shad growth and survival were negatively correlated with shad density and positively correlated with macrozooplankton prey. Bluegill growth was also positively correlated with prey availability, but survival was uniformly high despite differences in zooplankton abundance and fish density. Declines in macrozooplankton and copepod biomass were related to fish density. In Lake Shelbyville limnetic overlap of larval gizzard shad and bluegill was limited to a three week period, with the interval of greatest …

An Electromyographic Study Of Forward Vs Retrograde Stair Climbing On The Stairmaster 4000 Pt Machine, W. Lynette Rasmussen Thornburgh

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate, through electromyography, whether forward or retrograde stair climbing on the StairMaster 4000 PT machine demonstrates a greater muscle contraction duration, differences in intensity of muscle contractions, or variation in initiation of muscle contractions. The muscles examined were the Rectus Femoris, Vastus Medialis, and Biceps Femoris. A gender difference was also evaluated.

Twenty-one subjects apparently healthy volunteered for this study. There were two groups of ten male subjects and eleven female subjects. Subjects were assigned to subgroups according to gender. The subgroups determined which position the subject was tested in first.

The descriptive …

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 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 …

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.

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

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

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 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 …

The Effects Of Selenate, Molybdate And Chromate On The Triiodothyronine Induced Enzyme Activity And Mrna Level For Both Fatty Acid Synthase And Malic Enzyme, Yuan Zhu

Masters Theses

In chick embryo hepatocytes in culture, triiodothyronine (T3) stimulates enzyme activity, mRNA level and transcription rate for both fatty acid synthase (FAS) and malic enzyme (ME). Recent evidence has demonstrated the effects of selenate, molybdate and chromate on various physiological processes. Little information, however, is available on the effects of these metal ions on the T3- regulated gene expression for FAS and ME.

In chick embryo hepatocytes incubated in a chemically defined medium, addition of sodium selenate (20 μM) coincident with T3 almost completely inhibited the T3-induced stimulation of FAS and ME activity and accumulation of their respective mRNA's. Neither …

Cocaine And Timing: Drug Effects Under A Mixed Fixed-Interval Extinction Schedule, Vincent O. Hodge

Masters Theses

The effects of cocaine hydrochloride (3.2-56.2 mg/kg) were determined in rats performing under a mixed fixed-interval 60-seconds extinction 120-seconds schedule of food delivery. Responses were recorded in successive 5-second bins. With the exception of the highest dose (56.2 mg/kg), cocaine did not significantly affect rate of responding under the fixed-interval component or extinction component, or the time of peak responding under the extinction component. The highest dose significantly reduced response rates and shifted the time of peak responding leftward to quicker and earlier moments. Results are discussed in terms of possible rate- and time-dependent effects of stimulant drugs.

Total Blood Cholesterol, Blood Triglyceride, And Blood Hdl Correlation, Rebecca Lynn Babler

Masters Theses

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the relationship between total blood cholesterol levels, blood triglyceride levels, and blood HDL levels in men and women 20 to 80 years of age. All subjects fasted for 12 hours prior to having their blood drawn.

The computer program SPSSX (SPSSX, Inc., 1988) was used along with subprograms CONDESCRIPTIVE, CORRELATION, and ANOVA. Pearson Product Moment Correlations were calculated for all subjects, for male subjects, and for female subjects.

The study revealed a low correlation coefficient between blood cholesterol levels and blood triglyceride levels for all subjects, female subjects and male subjects. There …

1-Nitronaphthalene Causes Ultrastructural Changes Primarily In Nonciliated Bronchiolar Epithelium Followed By Ciliated Epithelium In The Rat, John-Michael Sauer

Masters Theses

This study describes morphological changes in the lung at several time intervals following a single injection of 1-Nitronaphthalene (100 mg/kg intraperitoneal) in male Sprague-Dawley rats using transmission and scanning electron microscopy. Dilation of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondrial distension in the nonciliated bronchiolar (Clara) cells was apparent as early as 1 hour after injection, while adjacent ciliated cell showed minimal changes. At 6 hours, when respiratory distress was apparent in the animals, Clara and ciliated cells exhibited chromatin clumping, loss of mitochondrial cristae and cytoplasmic vacuolization. Also at 6 hours, the interstitial area around the terminal bronchioles was infiltrated …

Effects Of Phenobarbital In Combination With Phenytoin Or Valproic Acid On The Delayed-Matching-To-Sample Performance Of Pigeons, Catherine Ann Karas

Masters Theses

The present study examined the effects of phenobarbital (S, 10,20, and 40 mg/kg), phenytoin (2.5, 5, 7.5, and 15 mg/kg), and valproic acid (40, 60, 80, and 120 mg/kg), and those of phenobarbital (10 and 20 mg/kg) in combination with phenytoin (2.5,5, and 7.5 mg/kg) or valproic acid (40, 60, and 80 mg/kg), on the delayed-matching-to-sample performance of pigeons. In general, high doses of each individual drug reduced accuracy. Drug combinations also reduced accuracy relative to control values. Reductions in accuracy produced by drug combinations were very similar in magnitude to those predicted by a response-addition model of drug interaction.

How Potassium Affects Emergence Of Five Supersweet Corn (Zea Mays L. Var. Rugosa) Cultivars With Low Temperatures, Nombasa Tsengwa

Masters Theses

Supersweet types of sweet corn (Zea mays L. var rugosa) are sensitive to low temperature during emergence and thus have difficulty in establishing stands in early spring. This study investigated how banded potash affected establishment of five supersweet cultivars of sweet corn in fields and growth chambers.

In the field, sweet corn cultivars were planted near Urbana, Il on April 18 and July 22, 1991 with three levels of potash (0, 45 and 90 kg/ha) banded at planting. Several parameters of growth and development were measured approximately 2, 4 and 6 weeks after planting. No significant effect of potash was …

The Effect Of Downhill Running Training On 200m And 2000m Running Performance, Jacquilyn L. Gallagher

Masters Theses

Downhill running as a method of training for improved running performance is an option which has rarely been explored. The purpose of this study was to explore the idea that downhill interval training may be an effective form of improving efficiency and thus, performance time, in 200m and 2000m level running by producing increases in both stride length (SL) and stride frequency (SF).

To test this hypothesis, twelve fit male subjects were divided into two training groups, downhill (D) and level (L), matched on the basis of a 2000m time trial performance and VO_2max. The dependant variables of …

Direct Immunofluorescence Detection Of Giardia Spp. In Selected Mammals In Central Illinois, Using Anti-Giardia Polyclonal And Monoclonal Antibodies, Jeanette Aba Ackon Brown

Masters Theses

Giardia species occur in many kinds of mammals, and some of these hosts have been postulated as potential reservoirs for human infections. A study was initiated in fall 1990 to determine the distribution and frequency of giardiasis in populations of selected wild animals in 12 counties in Illinois. Fecal samples from 64 white-tailed deer, 13 coyotes, 9 muskrats, 6 raccoons, and 5 badgers were examined for the presence of Giardia spp. and specifically for G. lamblia. Anti-Giardia lamblia cysts polyclonal (PAb) and monoclonal (MAb), FITC-labeled antibody solutions were used for the direct immunofluorescence detection of Giardia cysts in …