Life Sciences Commons^™

Natural Animal Food Preference Of Chinese Mole Shrew (Anourosorex Squamipes) From An Urban Area: A Laboratory Study, Yun-Chun Ye, Yi Luo, Zhao-Min Zhou

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Most wild animals are urban avoiders, but some others become adapters or exploiters successfully living in urban areas. Often, the latter is assumed to be attracted into cities by readily accessible and digestive anthropogenic food resources. Here, we quantified food preferences of sixteen (eight females and eight males) Chinese mole shrews (Anourosorex squamipes) captured from an urban area for "cafeteria tests" in laboratory. Shrews were presented with twelve foods allocated into three sets (natural animal, natural plant, and anthropogenic food). Once the most two highly consumed food items from each set were determined, six items were pooled together to form …

Contributions To The Turkish Oribatid Mite Fauna (Acari: Oribatida) From Sakarya Andyozgat Provinces, Sedat Per, Kübra Çubukçu, Ayşe Toluk, Nusret Ayyildiz

Turkish Journal of Zoology

This study deals with the data on Turkish records of oribatid mites that play an important role in decomposition of organic matter, nutrient cycling, and soil formation. Oribatid mites in litter, lichen, moss, and soil collected from Sakarya and Yozgat provinces were sampled between 2014 and 2020. Standard methods were used for extraction, detection, preservation, and preparation of mites from the material collected from study area. Five oribatid mites were for the first time recorded from Turkey, namely Mesotritia (Mesotritia) nuda (Berlese, 1887) (Oribotritiidae), Hoplophorella (Rhacaplacarus) ortizi (Pérez-Íñigo, 1970) (Phthiracaridae), Eremaeus translamellatus Hammer, 1952 (Eremaeidae), Oribatella (Oribatella) foliata Krivolutsky, 1974 …

Ant Fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Of Central Anatolian Region Of Turkey, Kadri̇ Kiran, Celal Karaman

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The Central Anatolian part of Turkey was investigated with the aim of determining its Formicidae fauna. Specimens were collected by hand sampling and pitfall traps in 24 habitats in 383 different localities in Central Anatolia Region during 2001-2016. As a result, 137 species belonging to 34 genera were determined. Messor incorruptus Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1929 and Ponera testacea Emery, 1895 are new records for Turkish ant fauna. We excluded four species, Camponotus sylvaticus (Oliver, 1792), Messor meridionalis (André, 1883), Proformica striaticeps (Forel, 1911) and Tapinoma nigerrimum (Nylander, 1856), from Turkish ant fauna due to recent taxonomic data and distribution pattern. With these …

The Impact Of Chilling On Selected Attributes Of The Blowfly, Calliphora Vicina(Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), Under Laboratory Conditions, Meltem Kökdener, Nevran Eylem Akman Gündüz, Ünal Zeybekoğlu

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of four different chilling periods, varying from 24 to 120 h, on the mean survival rate, larval and pupal development durations and the pupal and adult weight of Calliphora vicina (Robineau-Desvoidy) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) under laboratory conditions at 4 ºC in 2018 at Ondokuz Mayıs University. Chilling reduced the survival rate of the pupae of all developmental stages. The adult eclosion rate of first instar larvae and pupae was lower, especially after 72 and 120 h chilling periods, but it increased for the second instar, third instar and postfeeding larvae with …

First Report On Mild Insecticide Resistance In Newly Established Aegean Aedes Albopictus Populations Of Turkey, Sare İlknur Yavaşoğlu

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The invasive nature of Aedes albopictus, a competent vector of dengue, zika, yellow fever, and chikungunya viruses, has spread to many parts of the world. To date, there have been no report regarding the insecticide resistance status of Aedes albopictus populations along the Aegean coasts of Turkey. This study aims to confirm the occurrence of Aedes albopictus populations in the Aegean region of Turkey and test their susceptibility against different insecticide classes. Bioassay for susceptibility to Dikloro difenil trikloroetan (DDT) (4%), propoxur (0.1%), fenitrothion (1%), bendiocarb (0.1%), permethrin (0.75%), and deltamethrin (0.05%) of each population was assessed through the World …

Capoeta Kosswigi Karaman, 1969 A Junior Synonym Of Capoeta Damascina(Valenciennes, 1842) (Teleostei: Cyprinidae), Erdoğan Çi̇çek, Soheil Eagderi, Burak Seçer, Sevi̇l Sungur

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Capoeta kosswigi was described from Lake Van basin, Turkey, being close to C. damascina and C. umbla. It is distinguished from them by a pointed snout and a small horseshoe-shaped mouth, and differing from C. damascina by having smaller scales, and from the C. umbla by processing larger scales. In this study, we tested the suggested synonymy hypothesis of C. kosswigi and C. damascina by comparing the morphometric and meristic data. The results revealed that all morphometric and meristic characters of C. kosswigi overlap with those of C. damascina. In line with previous molecular studies that COI, cytb and 16S …

Exploring The Dynamics Of Small Pelagic Fish Catches In The Marmara Sea In Relation Tochanging Environmental And Bio-Optical Parameters, Eki̇n Akoğlu

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The Marmara Sea has a large drainage basin that includes cities with heavy industrialisation and agricultural land use. Therefore, it is under the influence of significant anthropogenic activities that adversely affect the well-being of its ecosystem. The Marmara Sea is also an important fishing ground with many commercially important fish species. These fish species are also under the influence of the adverse impacts of anthropogenic activities. Fisheries catches in the Marmara Sea had experienced severe fluctuations since the onset of the 2000s. In this study, possible underlying reasons for these fluctuations were investigated between 2000 and 2019 using remotelysensed environmental …

Online Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Charge Transfer Dissociation-Mass Spectrometry (Uhplc-Ctd-Ms) Of Complex Mixtures Of Oligosaccharides, Praneeth M. Mendis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Abstract

Online Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Charge Transfer Dissociation-Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC-CTD-MS) of Complex Mixtures of Oligosaccharides

Praneeth M. Mendis

Complex carbohydrates make up more than half the biomass on earth, and they are crucial to a wide range of processes in living organisms. When polysaccharides and glycans are enzymatically digested into manageable units called oligosaccharides, they typically consist of 2-20 linear or branched sugar units. The detailed structural analysis of oligosaccharides assists in the identification of structural and chemical properties of the polymers from which they derive. Tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) is a key technique used in oligosaccharides structural characterization. Within …

Population Genetics Of A Reintroduced Fisher (Pekania Pennanti) Population In West Virginia, Caroline E. Harms

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Fishers (Pekania pennanti) were reintroduced in West Virginia in 1969 with no population wide genetic analysis ever having been conducted. Genetic analysis of reintroduced populations is vital to assess genetic diversity as an indicative of population viability. My objective was to collect fisher samples throughout West Virginia, nearby states where fisher may be migrating (PA and NY), and the New Hampshire source population to provide a full genetic interpretation of the reintroduced West Virginia population. Genetic analysis was used to measure genetic diversity, admixture or delineation of subpopulations, and effective population size. Sample location and genetic data were …

Unconventional Gas Pipeline Right-Of-Way Influence On Wildlife, Samuel C. Knopka

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The development of horizontal drilling for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale in 2004 resulted in rapid exploitation of the play in the Appalachian Basin. This “unconventional” gas well drilling accesses resources deeper beneath the surface and allows for multiple wells to be co-located on a single well pad. This results in fewer, but larger, well pads on the landscape than traditional vertical wells. Pipelines are required to transport the volumes of gas produced by unconventional wells to production facilities and market. The effects of gathering pipelines, which transport gas from well pads to larger transport pipelines, are poorly studied …

Meeting The Mental Health Needs Of Student-Athletes: A Descriptive Study Of Practitioners And Their Perspectives, William C. Way Iii

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Efforts are being made to promote mental health awareness and destigmatize help-seeking behavior among student-athletes (e.g., Kern et al., 2017). The availability and visibility of practitioners with specialized training in sport psychology can facilitate these efforts (e.g., Flowers, 2007; Carr, 2007; McDuff et al., 2005). However, some student-athletes have observed that the clinical sport psychology (CSP) practitioners who are available to them are being stretched thin (Way et al., 2020). In the context of collegiate mental health more broadly, many campus counseling centers are struggling to meet the demand for clinical services (e.g., Kafka, 2019). Research on the experiences and …

Effect Of Diet, Age, And Genetics On Rainbow Trout Growth And Fillet Quality, Bahareh Adami

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this study, analyses were conducted to compare fillet quality attributes of 4 rainbow trout families (40, 102, 159, and 187) fed fish meal (FM) and a fishmeal free diet (FMF), to two age endpoints, 9 and 11 months.

Previous studies with rainbow trout have evaluated the effect of age, diet, and family on growth performance and fillet quality. However, a comprehensive analysis of variables is lacking for rainbow trout, one of the main aquatic foods for domestic and international consumers.

Separable muscle as a percent whole body weight was not affected by diet, family, age, and the interaction of …

Describing A Putative Corollary Discharge Circuit In Drosophila, Kaitlyn Nicole Boone

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Corollary discharge (CD) circuits provide critical information about movement and behavior to provide context to sensory processing. However, to date, there has not been a comprehensive study of CD circuits at a single-cell level. In this thesis, I aimed to resolve the connectivity of ascending histaminergic neurons, consisting of two pairs, the mesothoracic pair (MsAHNs) and metathoracic pair (MtAHNs) at a single-cell level and characterize contexts of activation. Using transgenic techniques, connectomics and transcriptomics, we identify neural populations receiving input from the AHNs and neural populations with significant output to the AHNs. We explored where the AHNs predominantly receive synaptic …

Plasma-Treated Solutions (Pts) In Cancer Therapy, Hiromasa Tanaka, Sander Bekeschus, Dayun Yan, Masaru Hori, Michael Keidar, Mounir Laroussi

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Cold physical plasma is a partially ionized gas generating various reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) simultaneously. ROS/RNS have therapeutic effects when applied to cells and tissues either directly from the plasma or via exposure to solutions that have been treated beforehand using plasma processes. This review addresses the challenges and opportunities of plasma-treated solutions (PTSs) for cancer treatment. These PTSs include plasma-treated cell culture media in experimental research as well as clinically approved solutions such as saline and Ringer’s lactate, which, in principle, already qualify for testing in therapeutic settings. Several types of cancers were found to succumb to …

A Global Ecological Classification Of Coastal Segment Units To Complement Marine Biodiversity Observation Network Assessments, Roger Sayre, Kevin Butler, Keith Van Graafeiland, Sean Breyer, Dawn Wright, Charlie Frye, Deniz Karagulle, Madeline Martin, Jill Cress, Tom Allen, Rebecca J. Allee, Rost Parsons, Bjorn Nyberg, Mark J. Costello, Peter Harris, Frank E. Muller-Karger

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

A new data layer provides Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS) labels for global coastal segments at 1 km or shorter resolution. These characteristics are summarized for six US Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) sites and one MBON Pole to Pole of the Americas site in Argentina. The global coastlines CMECS classifications were produced from a partitioning of a 30 m Landsat-derived shoreline vector that was segmented into 4 million 1 km or shorter segments. Each segment was attributed with values from 10 variables that represent the ecological settings in which the coastline occurs, including properties of the adjacent …

Age, Growth, And Mortality Of Atlantic Tripletail In The North-Central Gulf Of Mexico, Amanda E. Jefferson, Matthew B. Jargowsky, Meagan N. Schrandt, Pearce T. Cooper, Sean P. Powers, John Dindo, J. Marcus Drymon

University Faculty and Staff Publications

In the southeastern USA and the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), Atlantic Tripletail Lobotes surinamensis are increasingly targeted by recreational anglers, indicating that stock status should be assessed. A critical need for such assessments is age-specific data; however, previous studies have drawn conflicting conclusions regarding the most appropriate structure for aging. Moreover, growth parameters and mortality rates for GOM Atlantic Tripletail are unknown. Therefore, the goals of this study were to (1) evaluate sagittal otoliths and first dorsal spines as aging structures; (2) model combined and sex-specific growth; and (3) estimate mortality rates for GOM Atlantic Tripletail. From 2012 to 2019, …

Documentation Of Atlantic Tarpon (Megalops Atlanticus) Space Use And Move Persistence In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico Facilitated By Angler Advocates, J. Marcus Drymon, Matthew B. Jargowsky, Michael A. Dance, Mitchell Lovell, Crystal L. Hightower, Amanda E. Jefferson, Andrea M. Kroetz, Sean P. Powers

University Faculty and Staff Publications

Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus, hereafter tarpon) are facing a multitude of stressors and are considered Vulnerable by the IUCN; however, significant gaps remain in our understanding of tarpon space use and movement. From 2018 to 2019, citizen scientists facilitated tagging of 23 tarpon with SPOT tags to examine space use and movement across the northern Gulf of Mexico. Movement-based kernel densities were used to estimate simplified biased random bridge-based utilization distributions and a joint move persistence model was used to estimate a behavioral index for each fish. Tarpon showed consistent east–west movement from the Alabama/Florida border to Louisiana, and utilization …

Effects Of Human-Animal Interactions On Affect And Cognition, Elise L. Thayer, Jeffrey R. Stevens

Jeffrey Stevens Publications

Human-animal interaction has clear positive effects on people’s affect and stress. But less is known about how animal interactions influence cognition. We draw parallels between animal interactions and exposure to natural environments, a research area that shows clear improvements in cognitive performance. The aim of this study is to investigate whether interacting with animals similarly enhances cognitive performance, specifically executive functioning. To test this, we conducted two experiments in which we had participants self-report their affect and complete a series of cognitive tasks (long-term memory, attentional control, and working memory) before and after either a brief interaction with a dog …

Diets Of Double-Crested Cormorants In The Lake Winnebago System, Wisconsin, Ryan P. Koenigs, Daniel J. Dembkowski, Charles D. Lovell, Daniel A. Isermann, Adam D. Nickel

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Double-crested cormorant Phalacrocorox auritus Lesson (cormorant) populations have increased throughout the Great Lakes region of North America causing concern related to the impact of cormorant predation on fish communities. A recent decline in yellow perch Perca flavescens (Mitchill) abundance within the Lake Winnebago System, Wisconsin, USA, prompted an assessment of cormorant diets to evaluate potential effects of cormorant predation on the sportfish community. Diets were collected from 883 cormorants (417 from Lake Winnebago and 466 from Lake Butte des Morts) between 2015 and 2017. Cormorant diets on both waterbodies consisted mostly of freshwater drum Aplodinotus grunniens Rafinesque and gizzard shad …

Lichens And Biofilms: Common Collective Growth Imparts Similar Developmental Strategies, Erin C. Carr, Steven D. Harris, Joshua R. Herr, Wayne Riekhof

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Lichens are traditionally defined as a symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae and/or cyanobacteria. This union forms a unique structure called the thallus, which attaches to surfaces such as rocks and tree bark. Recent reports challenge the view that lichens are comprised of one fungus and one photobiont, and instead suggest that they are a consortium of microbes. Much of lichen biology remains unknown as most of our knowledge of lichens is limited to morphological characteristics with little to no functional analysis of lichen genes. However, lichens and biofilms share many similar physiological traits which when compared may assist in …

Root And Crown Rot Pathogens Found On Dry Beans Grown In Mozambique, Suzana Vanessa Ismael Fernandes, G. Godoy-Lutz, Celestina Nhagupana Jochua, Carlos A. Urrea, Kent M. Eskridge, James R, Steadman, Joshua Herr

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Dry edible beans are a vital food source in Mozambique, East Africa—one that alleviates hunger and malnutrition and adds value to the economy. In recent years, root/crown rot (RCR) pathogens have emerged as limiting constraints in dry bean production. Not much has been characterized concerning the causal agents of RCR in Mozambique. The purpose of this study was to identify the primary pathogen(s) associated with RCR dry bean samples collected at breeder nursery sites and farmer fields in Mozambique using molecular sequencing and culture-based methods. Sequencing revealed, not surprisingly, an increased diversity of fungal/oomycete operational taxonomic units when compared to …

Raw And Pure Education In The Society, Iwasan D. Kejawa

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

What does education mean to individuals in the world today? Education is a way one can attain or improve his or her ability to lead and survive in the society of ours. Without educational training of the mind, it may be impossible to realize the importance of adaptability of living in the environment. Without education, It may also be difficult to embellish the use of both the mental and physical attributes possessed by individual beings.

What really is education? Education is the training of the mind to perform desire functions or to perpetuate the modality of obtaining an end or …

Broadening The Capability Of Kinetics Analysis In Biomechanics, Nicholas Nelson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Two studies are discussed in this manuscript each preceded by a literature review of the topic. The first review and study explore agility movements and the effect that alternative upper designs in shoes might have on ground reaction force measures of performance. The second review and study evaluate methods of predicting ground reaction forces without the use of a force platform. A method of using effective forces and ways of improving its accuracy are evaluated in depth.

Tibial Strains And Tray-Bone Micromotions After Total Knee Arthroplasty: Computational Studies Evaluating The Tibial Fixation, Huizhou Yang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cemented and cementless fixation in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) have been successfully used for decades. As the number of younger and more active patients treated with TKA continues to increase, long-term implant survivorship is of increasing importance. One of the most common complications and hence the reason for revision is mechanical loosening (23.1% of all revised TKA). The loosening mechanisms have been proposed for different fixation types. For cemented fixation, bone remodeling after surgery is regulated by the changes in strain energy density (SED). The recruitment of osteoclasts and osteoblasts is controlled by SED-related signals. Insufficient stimuli can promote bone …

The Garden Oasis: Observations In A Southern California Garden, Chris Tankersley

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

A garden can be a special place of relaxation and a corridor from which one can connect with the natural world and observe the complex relationships among the many organisms that make it their home. These organisms include a vast array of insects that contribute to the diversity of even the smallest garden. We purchased an unassuming house in a quiet Southern California suburban neighborhood that included about half an acre of property made up of mostly lawn and a dense menagerie of backyard shrubs and trees on a steep hillside, along with a pond that was in desperate need …

Of Pigs And Men: The Best-Laid Plans For Prevention And Control Of Swine Fevers, Jishu Shi, Lihua Wang, David Scott Mcvey

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

John Steinbeck drew the title of his novel “Of Mice and Men” from a line in a Robert Burns poem “To a mouse”: “The best-laid plans of mice and men/Go often awry.” Unlike John Steinbeck who used the title to mirror the characters who were struggling during the Great Depression to the mouse whose nest was accidentally destroyed by the poet (Burns 1785), we chose this line to emphasize that the best-laid plan can go wrong in infectious disease control and prevention. Here, we will discuss the contributing factors behind the global successes and failures in the prevention and control …

Impact Of The Histidine‐Containing Phosphocarrier Protein Hpr On Carbon Metabolism And Virulence In Staphylococcus Aureus, Linda Pätzold, Anne-Christine Brausch, Evelyn-Laura Bielefeld, Lisa Zimmer, Greg A. Somerville, Markus Bischoff, Rosmarie Gaupp

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Carbon catabolite repression (CCR) is a common mechanism pathogenic bacteria use to link central metabolism with virulence factor synthesis. In gram‐positive bacteria, catabolite control protein A (CcpA) and the histidine‐containing phosphocarrier protein HPr (encoded by ptsH) are the predominant mediators of CCR. In addition to modulating CcpA activity, HPr is essential for glucose import via the phosphotransferase system. While the regulatory functions of CcpA in Staphylococcus aureus are largely known, little is known about the function of HPr in CCR and infectivity. To address this knowledge gap, ptsH mutants were created in S. aureus that either lack the open reading …

An Evaluation Of The Anti-Carcinogenic Response Of Major Isothiocyanates In Non-Metastatic And Metastatic Melanoma Cells, Melina Mitsiogianni, Sotiris Kyriakou, Ioannis Anestopoulos, Dimitrios T. Trafalis, Maria V. Deligiorgi, Rodrigo Franco, Aglaia Pappa, Mihalis I. Panayiotidi

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Malignant melanoma is one of the most deadly types of solid cancers, a property mainly attributed to its highly aggressive metastatic form. On the other hand, different classes of isothiocy- anates, a class of phytochemicals, present in cruciferous vegetables have been characterized by considerable anti-cancer activity in both in vitro and in vivo experimental models. In the current study, we investigated the anti-cancer response of five isothiocyanates in an in vitro model of melanoma consisting of non-metastatic (A375, B16F-10) and metastatic (VMM1, Hs294T) malignant melanoma as well as non-melanoma epidermoid carcinoma (A431) and non-tumorigenic melanocyte-neighboring keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells. Our aim …

Inhibition Of Zika Virus Replication By G-Quadruplex-Binding Ligands, Prativa Majee, Aryamav Pattnaik, Bikash R. Sahoo, Uma Shankar, Asit K. Pattnaik, Amit Kumar, Debasis Nayak

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Zika virus (ZIKV), a mosquito-transmitted Flavivirus, emerged in the last decade causing serious diseases and affecting human health globally. Currently, no licensed vaccines or antivirals are available to combat ZIKV, although several vaccine candidates are in the pipeline. In recent years, the presence of non-canon- ical G-quadruplex (GQ) secondary structures in viral genomes has ignited significant attention as potential targets for anti- viral strategy. In this study, we identified several novel conserved potential GQ structures by analyzing published ZIKV genome sequences using an in-house algorithm. Bio- physical and biochemical analysis of the RNA sequences con- taining these potential GQ sequences …

Il-10 As A Th2 Cytokine: Differences Between Mice And Humans, Mahima T. Rasquinha, Meghna Sur, Ninaad Lasrado, Jay Reddy

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

The discovery of interleukin (IL)-10 more than 30 years ago marked the beginning of our understanding of how cytokines regulate immune responses, based on cross-regulation between T helper (Th)1 and Th2 cytokines. Although multiple cell types were shown to produce IL-10, its identity as a Th2 cytokine remained strong since it was rigidly associated with Th2 clones in mice, whereas both Th1 and Th2 clones could secrete IL-10 in humans. However, as new Th1/Th2 cell functionalities emerged, anti-inflammatory action of IL-10 gained more attention than its inhibitory effect on Th1 cells, which may occur as an indirect consequence of suppression …