Life Sciences Commons^™

Effects Of Predatory Cues On Copper Sensitivity And Metabolic Rate In Gambusia Affinis, Melissa N. Campbell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Organisms living in aquatic environments are subject to a number of stressors from natural (temperature, predation, food availability) and anthropogenic origins (pesticides, metals, etc). Natural stressors may amplify the effects of contaminants and increase an organism’s sensitivity to them. Understanding the impact of these combined factors is therefore essential for the practical management of contaminants. This study sought to examine how predatory cues affect copper tolerance in the mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis. The influence of predatory cues on fish metabolic rate was also evaluated to gain insight on any interactive effects between the natural stressor and copper. Alarm cues, chemicals released …

Backyard Poultry Biosecurity, Joshua Dallin, Denton Perkins

All Current Publications

Biosecurity is taking measures to protect animals and humans from harmful biological agents. In commercial poultry production, this generally means total confinement operations with strict rules to maintain flock health such as shower-in and out systems, special clothing, and other measures. In small production or “backyard” poultry operations these measures aren’t always a reality. However, there are steps that should be taken to help promote biosecurity and safety for backyard flocks, and these are discussed in this fact sheet..

Utah Master Naturalist Watershed Investigations Manual, Mark Larese-Casanova

All Current Publications

The Utah Master Naturalist Watershed Investigations Manual provides a comprehensive view of watershed ecosystems in Utah, from high mountain streams to Great Salt Lake, and the plant and animal communities and their unique adaptations for survival. The Manual explores how people interact with watersheds, including water demands in a desert, water quality issues, and current management.

Caraway In The Garden, Kristiane Pedersen, Dan Drost

All Current Publications

this fact sheet sheet describes caraway, a biennial plant closely related to carrot and parsley. It includes varieties, how to grow problems. and harvest and storage.

Reef-Building Threatened By Ecosystem Decline: A Case Study From Buck Island, U.S. Virgin Islands, Elizabeth M. Whitcher

Theses and Dissertations

Coral reefs are critical barriers to coastal erosion and flooding throughout tropical regions, but their role in coastal protection is threatened by declining coral populations and sea-level rise. Climate change is causing widespread losses of live-coral cover on Caribbean reefs, and is reducing the capacity of reef-building to keep pace with sea-level rise. Reefs that lag behind rising sea level will struggle to maintain their role as protective barriers, as rising water-levels over shallow reef-crests result in a reduction of the dissipation of wave energy. A clear understanding of reef-building processes in the Caribbean will be a critical component in …

Late Holocene Climate And Vegetation Change In Central Michigan, Rachel Kathleen Sales

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the effects of drought and temperature change on eastern North America will be key in the context of future climate change. Perhaps the best method to understand how drought and temperature will impact this area is to study its paleoecological record. The records presented here, from Houghton Bog (44°23'4.50"N; 84°44'18.90"W) and Higgins Bog (44°28'58.90"N; 84°47'41.40"W) provide an opportunity to study the effects of drought and temperature on the interior of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan (hereafter central Michigan) during the Late Holocene (c. 4200 cal BP to present day). Pollen, charcoal, and testate amoebae records were analyzed to infer …

Dynamic Protein Movement Involved In Photoreceptors, Daisy Spoer

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Ciliopathies are a class of genetic diseases which affect the function of primary cilium within multiple organs throughout the body. Although ciliopathies are known to present high morbidity and mortality rates, there are no current cures and only a limited amount of treatments. A universal function of cilia is to regulate cellular activities through the transduction of signals. Disruption of the localization of proteins following the reception of a stimuli can be responsible for the phenotypic effects of dysfunctioning cilia in ciliopathies. In order to address the pathogenesis, we must first understand how proteins move within the cilia, so that …

Ubr-5, A Conserved Hect-Type E3 Ubiquitin Ligase, Negatively Regulates Notch-Type Signaling In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Anniya Gu

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Germline stem cell proliferation in C. elegans is regulated by the distal tip cell (DTC) located at the distal end of each gonad arm. The DTC signals germ cells, through a Notch-type signaling pathway, to proliferate. As germ cells move farther away from the DTC, they transition into meiosis and produce gametes. There are two Notch-type receptors in C. elegans, GLP-1 and LIN-12, which play a role in regulating cell fate decisions. Whenever GLP-1 function is lost, all the germ cells exit mitosis and enter meiosis. If this happens early in development, then the animal is sterile because it does …

Male-Biased Retrogenes In Drosophila Melanogaster: Integration Of Novel Genes Into Pathways Governing Sperm Development, Katherine Eng

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Sexual selection and co-evolution with the female reproductive tract drives the rapid evolution of the Drosophila sperm proteome. It is important to reveal the genetics underlying the rapid evolution, and understand that the sperm proteome often evolves via turnover in composition, including the incorporation of novel proteins. Retrotransposition is one mechanism that gives rise to novel genes; this process involves the mRNA from an ancestral gene being converted back to DNA and incorporated back into the genome. Genes originating through the processes of retrotransposition often acquire testis-specific expression, and a novel role in spermatogenesis. Further, in Drosophila, retrogenes with …

Analysis Of Cardiorespiratory Interactions In Infants At Increased Risk For Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, Megan Phan

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden death of an infant under 12 months of age, which remains unexplained after complete autopsy and investigation. Prior research has suggested that SIDS is related to multiple risk factors involving sleep position, age, and preexisting biological vulnerabilities. These risk factors may contribute to a failure of an infant’s autonomic nervous system (ANS) to maintain homeostatic control upon a direct physiological challenge, resulting in a sudden death. A practical way to study correlations between altered ANS functioning and homeostatic control in the developing infant is through the analysis of interactions between the cardiovascular …

Detecting Cognitive Load During Working Memory Tasks Utilizing A Digitizer Tablet, Cassandra K. Ward, Pradyumn Srivastava

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this line of research is to determine whether the ‘Digitizer’ is a reliable and valid way to measure cognitive load during dual working memory-drawing tasks. A quasi-experimental study was conducted at the University of Arkansas in a research laboratory, and participants included seven right-handed healthy adults with normal or corrected vision and no reading difficulty. The participants were selected on a volunteer basis. The study required participants to draw circles while continuously performing in three conditions – one baseline and two working memory experimental tasks, administered in counterbalanced order. The baseline task was to read an 8 …

Patterns Of Plant Functional Variation And Specialization Along Secondary Succession And Topography In A Tropical Dry Forest, Lucía Sanaphre-Villanueva, Juan Manuel Dupuy, José Luis Andrade, Cassandra Reyes-García, Paula C. Jackson, Horacio Paz

Faculty Articles

Long-term human disturbance of tropical forests may favor generalist plant species leading to biotic homogenization. We aimed to a) assess if generalist species dominate across different successional ages and topographical positions in a tropical dry forest with a long history of human disturbance, b) to characterize functional traits associated with generalist and specialist species, and c) to assess if a predominance of generalists leads to a homogeneous functional structure across the landscape. We used a multinomial model of relative abundances to classify 118 woody species according to their successional/topographic habitat. Three species were classified as secondary-forest specialists, five as mature-forest …

A Versatile Cell-Penetrating Peptide-Adaptor System For Efficient Delivery Of Molecular Cargos To Subcellular Destinations, Verra M. Ngwa, David S. Axford, Allison N. Healey, Scott J. Nowak, Carol A. Chrestensen, Jonathan L. Mcmurry

Faculty Articles

Cell-penetrating peptides have long held great potential for delivery of biomolecular cargos for research, therapeutic and diagnostic purposes. They allow rapid, relatively nontoxic passage of a wide variety of biomolecules through the plasma membranes of living cells. However, CPP-based research tools and therapeutics have been stymied by poor efficiency in release from endosomes and a great deal of effort has been made to solve this ‘endosomal escape problem.’ Previously, we showed that use of a reversible, noncovalent coupling between CPP and cargo using calmodulin and a calmodulin binding motif allowed efficient delivery of cargo proteins to the cytoplasm in baby …

Illegitimate Bodies In Legitimate Times: Life, Liberty And The Pursuit Of Movement, Brian Culp

Faculty Articles

Drawing on Michel Foucault’s concepts of state racism and biopower, the author of the 26th Delphine Hanna Lecture presents several claims: (a) that the idea of the illegitimate outsider in Western world governments like the United States has largely been influenced by ancient Greek ideals, (b) that a host of policies and intentional actions by power brokers create derision and hierarchies between “old” and “new” immigrant groups, and (c) neoliberal ideology couched in actions that aim “to protect the state” is nothing more than a recoding of traditional racist rhetoric that expands systemic racism. The author identifies the capabilities approach, …

Anthropogenic Noise Changes Arthropod Abundances, Jessie P. Bunkley, Christopher J.W. Mcclure, Akito Y. Kawahara, Clinton D. Francis, Jesse R. Barber

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Anthropogenic noise is a widespread and growing form of sensory pollution associated with the expansion of human infrastructure. One specific source of constant and intense noise is that produced by compressors used for the extraction and transportation of natural gas. Terrestrial arthropods play a central role in many ecosystems, and given that numerous species rely upon airborne sounds and substrate-borne vibrations in their life histories, we predicted that increased background sound levels or the presence of compressor noise would influence their distributions. In the second largest natural gas field in the United States (San Juan Basin, New Mexico, USA), we …

Environmental And Climatic Constraints On Large-Scale Camelina Production In Eastern Arkansas, Benjamin Robert Tracy

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Camelina sativa is a cold weather crop that is typically grown in semi-arid environments in the Western United States, usually as a spring crop, but sometimes during the winter. Research analyzing climate data and soil hydrology is important to better understand the environmental and terrain conditions necessary for Camelina farming wherever it is proposed for large-scale production. This study focused on various conditions and constraints pertaining to the potential for Camelina as a crop biofuel in Eastern Arkansas. Due to interest in the economic potential of crop biofuels in this area, and in particular the low input costs for Camelina, …

Identification Of Molecular Signatures Of Environmental And Nutritional Stress Responses In Poultry, Phuong Hieu Nguyen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Poultry production plays an important role in the food supply and security for billions of people. Poultry meat is considered the most efficient, nutritious source of protein, without religious taboos, and is relatively inexpensive. However, the poultry industry is facing substantial challenges. The global environmental temperature has experienced dramatic changes in the last few years. Modern broilers are not well adapted to environmental challenges (heat and cold stress), which have resulted in heavy economic loss in the poultry industry worldwide. In addition, the use of feed restriction regimens in management of breeders as well as the transportation of young chicks …

Influence Of Stream Permanence, Predation, And Invasive Species On Crayfish In The Ozark Highlands With An Emphasis On Species Of Greatest Conservation Need (Orconectes Marchandi, Orconectes Eupunctus And Cambarus Hubbsi), Allyson Noelle Yarra

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Due to the ecological importance of crayfish and the increasing vulnerability of freshwater systems due to habitat loss, invasive species, and hydrologic alteration, understanding crayfish-environment relationships is crucial in the context of aquatic species conservation. I sought to examine the influence of hydrologic variation among intermittent and permanent streams on crayfish occupancy, abundance, predation risk, and potential vulnerability to invasive species effects. I conducted crayfish and environmental data sampling during two consecutive summers across 20 Ozark streams of differing permanence levels (10 intermittent, 10 permanent). In these same streams, I conducted fish and scat surveys over the course of four …

Influence Of Histidine Residues, Ph And Charge Interactions On Membrane-Spanning Peptides, Ashley N. Henderson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Designed transmembrane peptides were employed for investigations of histidine residues within the hydrophobic environment of the lipid bilayer by means of oriented solid-state deuterium NMR spectroscopy. Using the model peptide GWALP23 sequence (GGALW(LA)6LWLAGA) as a host framework, the effects of single and double histidine mutations were explored. Replacement of leucine residue 12 to polar neutral histidine had little influence on the peptide average orientation, however under strongly acidic pH conditions in DOPC bilayers, the histidine becomes positively charged (pKa 2.5) and the GWALP23-H12 peptide exits the membrane and adopts a surface-bound orientation. Conversely, mutation of leucine 14 to neutral histidine …

Temporal Evaluation Of Corn Respiration Rates Using Pressure Sensors, Gagandeep Singh Ubhi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

High respiration rate of a grain indicates faster degradation of its dry matter. Proper grain management requires chronological and precise measurements of carbon dioxide evolved from grain respiration during the postharvest storage duration. Therefore the main goal of this research was to develop a new technique that evaluates temporal corn respiration rate using pressure sensors. It was based on measuring pressure drop associated with the grain respiration in a closed container and using it to calculate the grain respiration rates.

Dry corn (Zea Mays L.) was procured from a local farmer and stored at 4ºC. Corn rewetting technique was applied …

Comparing Before-And After-School Neurocognitive Performance In High School Athletes- Implications For Concussion Management, Morgan Anderson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There are several factors that influence computerized neurocognitive testing performance however, one factor that has not been examined is the potential deleterious effects of cognitive fatigue from an academic school day combined with time of computerized neurocognitive testing (CNT) administration. The primary purpose of this study was to compare before-and after-school CNT performance and total symptoms in non-concussed high school student athletes. The secondary purpose of this study was to compare before-school and after-school CNT performance and total symptoms and chronotypes in non-concussed student athletes. A crossover design was used to compare before-and after-school CNT performance and total symptoms of …

Phenology, Habitat Use, And The Impacts Of Wetland Management On Autumn Migrating Rails In Missouri, Auriel M.V. Fournier

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rails (Family: Rallidae) are among the least studied birds in North America, in large part due to their elusive nature. As a wetland-dependent species, understanding the timing of their migration and their habitat needs during migration is especially important since management needs to be timed to balance the needs of many species. I developed and verified a new distance sampling based nocturnal ATV spotlight survey because traditional call-broadcast surveys are not effective during autumn migration because of the drop off in call rate after the breeding season. These surveys allow us to ask point-level questions about what habitats rails select …

Refusing To Be Dispossessed: African American Land Retention In The Us South From Reconstruction To World War Ii, Camille Goldmon

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

African Americans in the South were tied to the land during slavery and after emancipation. Many felt that land ownership was the key to freedom. For decades, black farmers strove for land ownership, in many cases falling prey to sharecropping and tenancy agreements in the meantime. Despite this drive toward independent farming, however, since 1920, there has been a steady decline in the number of black farm owners. This trend is especially prevalent in the Southern United States. The black farm owners who persevered through periods of economic, social, and political turmoil were able to, for varying reasons, navigate those …

Development Of A One Pass Microwave Heating Technology For Rice Drying And Decontamination, Deandrae Lynette Smith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An industrial microwave (MW) system operating at 915 MHz frequency was used to dry high moisture content (MC) (23% to 24% wet basis) medium-grain rough rice samples (cv. Jupiter). The rice beds were contained in a modified tray that accommodated up to 9 kg of rice separated by thin fiberglass mesh in 3 kg increments. Each layer of rice was fitted with fiber optic sensors connected to a real time data logger during MW treatments. It was determined that drying rice to a MC of 14% to 16% was feasible with the application of MW specific energy at 600 kJ/kg-grain …

Evaluation Of Safening Effects To Herbicides Conferred Via Insecticide Seed Treatments In Soybean (Glycine Max) And Grain Sorghum (Sorghum Bicolor), Nicholas Robert Steppig

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Interactions between herbicides and insecticides in crop production have been documented for a number of years. Research has shown that applications of some organophosphate insecticides at planting can reduce cotton injury following applications of the soil-applied herbicide clomazone. Additionally, recent research has shown that, when applied as seed treatments prior to planting, some neonicotinoid insecticides can safen rice to drift from both glyphosate and imazethapyr. Since insecticide seed treatments are commonly used in many crop production systems throughout the Midsouth, exploring their ability to reduce injury from herbicides in other crops besides rice is of great interest. Presently no research …

Ecological Importance Of Invader Source Population And Disturbance In Aquatic Invasions, Nicole Elizabeth Graham

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Invasive species are a global problem and their effects on recipient ecosystems may be mediated by disturbance and intraspecific variation. Crayfish can substantially influence stream structure and function, and invasive crayfish often have differential impacts than native crayfish in aquatic ecosystems. Since species traits often vary across a distribution, it is possible that invasive crayfish from different source populations may have distinct impacts on recipient ecosystem structure and function. In the Ozark Highlands of Arkansas and Missouri, USA, invasive O. neglectus (the Ringed Crayfish) may be leading to the displacement of native O. eupunctus (the Coldwater Crayfish). The objective of …

Efficiency And Competitiveness Of Kosovo Raspberry Producers, Rina Vuciterna

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Raspberry production is a growing industry in Kosovo. In addition to private investments, this growth has been supported by grants, subsidies, and direct investment from international donor organizations and governmental institutions. At present, most of the commercially produced raspberries in Kosovo are produced on small farms, harvested by farmers and packed manually by collection centers, and then sold in frozen form for the export market. The long-term viability and continued growth of raspberry production in Kosovo depends on the industry being able to compete in export markets and hold its own against production regions in Poland, Serbia, and Russia. Our …

Influence Of Exogenous Phytase Level And Interaction With Supplmental Xylanase On Live Performance And Phosphorus Retention Of Broilers, Peyton Gilbert

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Two 3-week experiments were conducted, each using 480 day-old male broilers placed randomly among 96 battery cages (5 per cage; 680cm2 per bird), to evaluate the influence of phytase supplementation, with or without supplemental xylanase, on bird performance. Individual body weights and cage feed weights were taken on days 0, 7, 14, and 21, and mean BW, body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI), and FCR over each period calculated. Mortality was recorded daily and used to calculate livability and adjust FCR in both trials. In trial 2, excreta was collected by cage from 14 to 21 days for bone …

Triathlon Training For Women Breast Cancer Survivors: Feasibility And Initial Efficacy, Alexander V. Ng, Alyson Cybulski, Ashley A. Engel, Paula E. Papanek, Megn A. Sheffer, Leslie J. Waltke, Judy A. Tjoe

Exercise Science Faculty Research and Publications

Exercise can improve quality of life (QOL) in breast cancer survivors. In contrast to many group or home-based exercise programs, little is known about the effectiveness of goal-oriented recreational activities.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a clinically overseen team triathlon training program on improving physiological and psychosocial health-related measures in female breast cancer survivors.

Methods

Twenty-three participants (age = 48 (8), BMI = 25 (1), mean (SE)) were recruited from a 14-week sprint triathlon (800-m swim, 20-km bike, 5-km run) team training program for women breast cancer survivors (4 (3) years post-surgery, chemo-, or radiation-therapy). Training …

Surveys For Rare And Endangered Mussel Species In Kansas: Traditional Methods And Environmental Dna Analysis, Kaden R. Buer

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

The Mucket (Actinonaias ligamentina) is one of the rarest freshwater mussel species in the state of Kansas. It historically occurred in the Kansas and Osage River systems in the state. The Mucket has been extirpated from most streams and rivers in Kansas where it historically occurred, and few specimens have been documented in recent years. The objective of my project was to determine the conservation status of the Mucket by conducting qualitative surveys in the Osage River system of eastern Kansas. My goals were to collect information that will aid in the recovery of the Mucket and to provide information …