Life Sciences Commons^™

Three Fundamental Challenges To The Advancement Of Stemflow Research And Its Integration Into Natural Science, John T. Van Stan Ii, Juan Pinos

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

Plant canopies divert a portion of precipitation to the base of their stems through "stemflow", a phenomenon that influences the canopy water balance, soil microbial ecology, and intrasystem nutrient cycling. However, a comprehensive integration of stemflow into theoretical and numerical models in natural science remains limited. This perspective examines three unresolved, fundamental questions hindering this integration, spanning the canopy to the soil. First, the precise source area within the canopy that generates stemflow is undefined. Thus, we asked, "whence stemflow?" Current common assumptions equate it to the entire tree canopy, a potentially misleading simplification that could affect our interpretation of …

Gamma Sigma Delta, Nebraska Chapter Newsletter, Issue #63 January 2024

Gamma Sigma Delta, Nebraska Chapter: Newsletters

President's message, Paul E. Read

Gamma Sigma Delta committees 2024

2022 chapter awards: The Honor Society of Agriculture, Gamma Sigma Delta

New members inducted

Annual dues notice, Robert J. Wright, membership Coordinator

Membership list

Membership renewal form

Gamma Sigma Delta, Nebraska Chapter Outstanding Graduate & Undergraduate Student Award Fund

In memoriam: Dennis Lee Kahl (February 8, 1950-August 12, 2020); Col. Warder L. Shires (March 23, 1932-March 6, 2021); Dr. Leland "Lee" Julius Albert Volker (October 24, 1942-March 11, 2022); Richard "Dick" Dam (September 17, 1929-September 17, 2022); John W. Doran (November 12, 1945-November 30, 2022); Donald H. Steinegger (January 1, …

Entomologists Require Ethical Guidance For Compassionate Management Of Delusional Parasitosis Cases, Kathleen Murphy-Hollies, Michael Skvarla, Robin M. Verble

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Capture History Data From Hair Snare Sampling Of Wild Pigs In Mississippi, Tyler S. Evans, Eric T. Hileman, Melanie R. Boudreau, Bronson K. Strickland, Raymond B. Iglay

College of Forest Resources Publications and Scholarship

Capture histories of wild pigs (Sus scrofa) identified using nuclear DNA markers from hair snare samples activated on the Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge in Mississippi between 2021 and 2022. Hair snares were active for 8 weeks (occassions) with non-grain attractants placed at the center of each snare. Dat includes unique pig identifiers (Pig_ID), capture histories (Capture_Occassion), and associated capture year (Group).

Female Biology, Jennifer Dever

All USF Faculty Authored Books

Over twenty years ago I developed a course for the upper- level biology major at the University of San Francisco called

Female Biology. This was from what I perceived as a gap in the undergraduate biology curriculum- students were not learning about the evolutionary aspects of being female and studying the specific health-related issues unique to women. The information in the most widely used general biology textbooks written from a male perspective, focuses on research gained from male models by work conducted in male-led laboratories. There still exists a problem with a lack of adequate representation of women in biomedical …

Older Adult Compendium Of Physical Activities: Energy Costs Of Human Activities In Adults Aged 60 And Older, Erik A. Willis, Stephen D. Herrmann, Mary Hastert, Chelsea L. Kracht, Tiago V. Barreira, John M. Schuna Jr., Zhenghua Cai, Minghui Quan, Scott A. Conger, Wendy J. Brown, Barbara E. Ainsworth

Kinesiology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose: To describe the development of a Compendium for estimating the energy costs of activities in adults ≥60 years (OA Compendium).

Methods: Physical activities (PAs) and their metabolic equivalent of task (MET) values were obtained from a systematic search of studies published in 4 sport and exercise databases (PubMed, Embase, SPORTDiscus (EBSCOhost), and Scopus) and a review of articles included in the 2011 Adult Compendium that measured PA in older adults. MET values were computed as the oxygen cost (VO₂, mL/kg/min) during PA divided by 2.7 mL/kg/min (MET₆₀₊) to account for the lower resting metabolic rate …

Inverse Association Between Exercising Blood Pressure Response And Left Ventricular Chamber Size And Mass In Women Who Habitually Resistance Train, Evan L. Matthews

Research Data

Excel document of research data.

A Comparison Of Adenosine Triphosphate With Other Metrics Of Microbial Biomass In A Gradient From The North Atlantic To The Chesapeake Bay, Alexander B. Bochdansky, Amber A. Beecher, Joshua R. Calderon, Alison N. Stouffer, Nyjaee N. Washington

OES Faculty Publications

A new, simplified protocol for determining particulate adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels allows for the assessment of microbial biomass distribution in aquatic systems at a high temporal and spatial resolution. A comparison of ATP data with related variables, such as particulate carbon, nitrogen, chlorophyll, and turbidity in pelagic samples, yielded significant and strong correlations in a gradient from the tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay (sigma-t = 8) to the open North Atlantic (sigma-t = 29). Correlations varied between ATP and biomass depending on the microscopic method employed. Despite the much greater effort involved, biomass determined by microscopy correlated poorly with other …

From Rain Drops To Rivers: Unraveling Aridification's Influence On Coastal Stream Ecosystem Dynamics, Sean Kelly Kinard

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

This dissertation addresses the escalating threat of aridification to global freshwater ecosystems due to anthropogenic climate change, focusing on South-Central Texas, USA, using a space-for-time approach along a precipitation gradient from semi-arid to sub-humid. Over the 2017-2020 survey period, I integrated community, stable isotope, climate, and hydrologic data.In Chapter 2, my initial assessment of fish and invertebrate communities along the precipitation gradient unveiled compositional shifts and other nuanced responses. Positive correlations between fish diversity and rainfall, coupled with unexpected invertebrate diversity patterns, underscored the role of water quality in shaping fish assemblages. Drier conditions imposed abiotic filters, reducing diversity and …

Policy Recommendations For Tire Additive 6ppd And Its Derivative 6ppd-Q, Ashley E. King

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Around 3.1 billion tires are produced around the world annually1. The antioxidant additive, 6PPD (i.e., N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N’-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine) is widely employed in passenger and commercial vehicle tires at 0.4-2% by mass to impede tire degradation2. Antioxidants are intended to migrate to tire surfaces and form protective films to prevent rubber oxidation. 6PPD is designed to react with oxidant species like ozone, intentionally forming chemical transformation products that can then escape from the tire and into the environment. 6PPD-Q (i.e., 2-anilino-5-[(4-methylpentan-2-yl)amino]cyclohexa-2,5-diene-1,4-dione) is one such transformation product.

After release and disbursement in the environment, 6PPD-Q is bioavailable to aquatic animals and mammals and acute …

Loss Of Courtship Suppression Memory In A Drosophila Melanogaster Model Of Alzheimer’S Disease, Eric Robles, Johannes Berlandi, Chris Ellis, Tianyi Wu, Astrid Jeibmann, Fang-Ju Lin

Biology

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most prevalent and lethal neurodegenerative disease. Memory loss and motor dysfunction are accompanied by pathological hallmarks like neurofibrillary tangles or amyloid plaques. In this study, courtship suppression assay was used to assess learning and memory of a transgenic Drosophila melanogaster (the fruit fly) line expressing human Amyloid beta 42 (Aβ42). At young age (4–6 days old), both parental control and AD flies displayed lower courtship indices during training after being rejected by previously mated females. However, in the subsequent testing phase, young AD flies showed compromised recall memory, unlike that of parental controls. Neither control …

Unsung Heroes In Conservation: Evaluating The Limitations Faced By New England Wildlife Rehabilitation Centers And Proposing Solutions For Their Support And Recognition, Shaylee M. Sarmiento

Honors Theses and Capstones

Wildlife rehabilitation is an often-unacknowledged practice within the overarching field of wildlife protection and conservation. This practice involves the treatment and hopeful release of wild animals affected by various ailments. With the continued expansion of and interest in the field, it could be assumed that wildlife rehabilitation is supported and funded by government bodies, but this is not the case. Because of the lack of funding and resources, many wildlife rehabilitation centers cannot achieve their full rehabilitative potential and expand their reach in the conservation world. Additionally, an absence of support leads critics to question the ethical standards of wildlife …

Density Dependent Calling Behavior In North Pacific Humpback Whales, Lucas J. Anderson

Honors Theses and Capstones

Animal density can define factors such as mating success, food acquisition, and communication. Inferring animal density from vocal rates is an important tool for estimating abundance and space use in difficult-to-study species like marine mammals and requires an understanding of the relationship between social context and calling rates. The goal of this project was to investigate the relationship between animal density and call rate in Southeast Alaskan humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). Passive acoustic monitoring data were collected along with visual observations gathered near Frederick Sound and Stephen’s Passage, Southeast Alaska, over two summers (2019, 2022). Observers watched whales …

Utilizing Plasmid Dna Hydrogels For Cell-Free Protein Production, Tinotenda Duche

Honors Theses and Capstones

Proteins play an important role in various biological processes and are crucial components in biomedical research and therapeutics. Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) has provided a valuable approach for rapid protein production outside living cells, involving both transcription and translation processes. However, traditional CFPS methods encounter challenges such as high cost, relatively low yields, and scalability. The end goal of our project is to incorporate our template into the hydrogel. In this work, we report advancements towards that by trying to optimize our solution of CFPS. Unfortunately, the standards for pDNA hydrogel synthesis are not met by the pDNA production and …

Alpaca Assisted Activities In The New England Alpaca Industry: A Possible Solution To Farm Profitability And Participant Mental Health, Ashley Michele Masse

Honors Theses and Capstones

The high operating costs of the New England alpaca industry were putting the majority of alpaca farmers in this region in a state of financial loss. On a separate note, American communities were experiencing a prevalence of anxiety and depression. What if a single solution could help improve the outcome of both these challenges that seem to have little to do with each other? Alpaca Animal Assisted Activities (alpaca AAAs) was a possible solution. This study explored New England alpaca farm profitability and alpaca AAAs in a way no other research study has done before. A Farmer Survey was mailed …

Equine Rescue Success In The United States: A Statistical Analysis, Carly J. Cave

Honors Theses and Capstones

The high inflation that has characterized the post-pandemic period in the United States has increased the costs of horse ownership for private owners and equine rescue organizations, which are facing critical pressures. Over 200,000 equines are at risk for neglect or slaughter in the United States each year, which far exceeds the capacity to house these equines at rescue organizations. While demand on these organizations is high, their ability to afford appropriate resources for their care is insufficient. This study examined geographical and economic factors that impact equine rescues’ success in taking in at-risk equines and adopting them to forever …

Distribution Of Tick Species On Free-Ranging Ungulates In Northern New England, Karisa Graham

Honors Theses and Capstones

In Northern New England, ungulates are often parasitized by ticks, which is one of the leading causes for the decline in population. Ungulates are a good host for ticks, specifically deer ticks and winter ticks, and these ticks cause many tick-borne diseases in humans as well. The purpose of this study was to assess passive sampling from harvested animals as a means of tick surveillance in Vermont and New Hampshire. Ticks were collected from deer and moose and mapped throughout the two states by ArcGIS to visualize the trends in distribution. Relative abundance was greater in southeastern Vermont, with no …

Investigation Of The Effects Of Ocean Acidification On Juvenile Homarus Americanus Feeding Behavior, Sophia Roy

Honors Theses and Capstones

Climate change has led to increased CO2 absorption by ocean surface waters, resulting in decreased pH levels, a phenomenon known as ocean acidification (OA). A primary class of marine organism behavior is impacted by OA, in particular, olfactory-mediated behaviors related to foraging and feeding success. However, the biological mechanisms responsible for the documented impairment of foraging and feeding-related behaviors remains in question. We find that juvenile American lobsters (H. americanus) exhibit significantly faster rates of total feeding times in response to short-term low pH exposure. However, total search time and total handling time were not affected by pH when examined …

Financial Considerations For U.S. Equine Rescues: A Comparison Of Adoption-Based Vs. Sanctuary-Based Organizations, Carolyn V. Frank

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

The Continuation Of Thoroughbred Racing: A Dual Mission, Isabella V. Williams

Honors Theses and Capstones

Thoroughbred racing is the highest-profile segment of the equine industry in the United States and around the world, accounting for 50% of industry jobs and 25% of industry revenue. Public interest in the sport is rising thanks to social media and celebrity involvement at marquee events like the Kentucky Derby, leading to increased scrutiny of the sport, posing a high risk to human and equine participants alike. Public outcry at equine injuries in particular threatens the sport’s social license to operate (SLO), making it critical to protect the “whole-life welfare” of the animals involved in the sport to ensure its …

Prospective Associations Of Fish Consumption In Cognitive Function And Depressive Symptoms Among Puerto Rican Adults, Johanna Grace Koroma

Honors Theses and Capstones

Johanna Koroma, Anne Bodenrader, and Sherman Bigornia

Objectives

Fish intake has been linked to certain neural benefits, specifically in slowing cognitive decline and attenuating depressive symptoms. However, existing evidence is conflicting and insufficient. The present study aimed to investigate the association of fish consumption with depressive symptoms and cognitive function among Puerto Rican adults.

Methods

Data is acquired from the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study, comprised of 1517 adults residing in the Boston Metro Area. Dietary patterns were evaluated using a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) with follow-up surveys conducted 2 years from baseline. Consumption was organized into quartiles based …

Acknowledgment Note

Mansoura Engineering Journal

No Abstract

A 10-Gb/S Single-Loop Half-Rate Dll-Based Clock And Data Recovery Circuit For Forwarded-Clock Wireline Transceivers, Abdallah K. Mohamed, Sameh A. Ibrahim, Mohy Eldin A. Abo-Elsoud

Mansoura Engineering Journal

This paper introduces a 10-Gb/s single-loop, half-rate delay-locked loop (DLL)-based clock and data recovery (CDR) circuit for forwarded-clock (FC) wireline transceivers. The proposed CDR employs a differential ring oscillator (RO) with sub-feedback loops structure for multi-phase clock generation with a single-loop operation. An Alexander phase detector utilizing a flip-flop based on an improved true single-phase clock (TSPC) logic with split outputs is adopted. The proposed DLL-based CDR is an optimized solution in terms of area and power for FC wireline transceivers. The recovered clock exhibits an RMS jitter of 590 fs and a peak-to-peak jitter of 3.8 ps. The circuit …

Application Of Machine Learning Models In The Capacity Prediction Of Ccfst Columns, Khaled Megahed, Nabil Said Mahmoud, Saad Elden Mostafa Abd-Rabou

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Circular concrete-filled steel tubular (CCFST) columns are widely utilized in structural engineering due to their impressive load-bearing capabilities and ductility. Existing design standards often yield disparate outcomes when applied to structural columns with identical properties, introducing uncertainty for engineering designers. This study introduces an innovative technique to address these challenges using two machine learning (ML) models: Gaussian process regression (GPR) and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost). These models consider various input variables, including the geometric and material properties of CCFST columns, to estimate the compressive strength. The models undergo training and evaluation using two datasets comprising 1004 axially loaded CCFST columns …

Numerical And Analytical Solution For Nonlinear Free Vibration Of Tapered Beams, Zain Abu Shaeer Abu Shaeer, Ramy I. Shahin, Galal I. El-Baghdady, Saad A. Yehia

Mansoura Engineering Journal

This study introduces a computational approach that combines numerical and semi-analytical methods to solve tapered beams' nonlinear free vibration equation. The study employs a numerical approach that relies on the cubic B-spline collocation method and an approximation technique known as the Homotopy perturbation method to approximate the solution to the equation governing nonlinear large-amplitude free vibrations of tapered beams. The effect of vibration amplitude on the frequency of nonlinear vibrations is investigated. The next step is to look at different ways to get close to exact solutions across the whole range of oscillation amplitude. This will show how useful and …

An Enhanced Lane Detection Technique Based On Active Learning, Ahmed M. Radwan, Amira Y. Haikal, Hisham E. Gad, Mohamed M. Abdelsalam

Mansoura Engineering Journal

The lane detecting algorithm plays a major role in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving systems. In recent years, deep learning-based lane detection techniques have shown encouraging results; nonetheless, the quality and size of the training data set has a significant impact on how effective these techniques are. Active learning is a technique that can improve the capacity of deep learning-based lane identification systems to repeatedly choose and classify valuable samples from a large body of unlabeled data. In this research, a novel 1-dimensional deep learning approach is used to present an augmented Active Learning based Lane Detection …

Machine Learning-Based Prediction Of International Roughness Index For Continuous Reinforced Concrete Pavements, Ragaa T. Abd El-Hakim, Ahmed N. Awaad, Sherif M. El-Badawy

Mansoura Engineering Journal

The International Roughness Index (IRI) serves as a crucial indicator for ride quality and user comfort. As road roughness escalates, road serviceability diminishes, resulting in reduced vehicle speed and increased travel time, and consequently higher carbon dioxide emissions. Predicting the IRI is of utmost importance for Pavement Management Systems and sustainable development overall. While numerous studies have forecasted the IRI of flexible pavements, there is a notable scarcity of research focusing on rigid pavement performance prediction. This study addresses the gap in predicting IRI for Continuous Reinforced Concrete Pavements (CRCP), an understudied aspect of pavement engineering. Leveraging the Long-Term Pavement …

Study The Application Of Different Building Technology Systems Case Study: A Residential Villa In Al-Qassim Region, Ksa, Ahmed Abdelmonteleb M. Ali, Essam S. Almahmoud, Basem O. Elgendy, Azzam I. Aljutayli, Meshal A. Alhrabi, Khattab I. Alyahya

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Buildings are responsible for 39% of global energy-related carbon emissions; 11% come from materials and construction, and 28% come from operational emissions (the energy required to heat, cool, and power). Embodied carbon will contribute an increasing amount to the emissions from new buildings in the future as carbon emissions from building operations continue to decline. This study examined several construction methods and materials to evaluate alternatives for remodeling a residential villa. A villa in the Al-Qassim Region, Buraidah, served as a case study for this research. The methodology employed provided a meticulous appraisal of the building materials and techniques currently …

Unleashing The Potential: The Impact Of Biophilic Office Design On Enhancing Employee Productivity, Asmaa Elantary

Mansoura Engineering Journal

The observed landscape influences people in numerous ways, including aesthetic appreciation, health, and well-being. The evidence of health benefits associated with viewing those landscapes has proven exceptional value. A comprehensive review of papers on landscapes and sound effects on health was conducted. According to a growing body of evidence, exposure to visible landscapes positively affects one's health and fitness. The most pressing social and economic challenge now is increasing worker productivity, attracting, and retaining exceptionally talented employees, and improving overall employee performance. This will not happen unless companies provide a safe, comfortable, and stimulating work environment; this will not happen. …

Glaucoma Diagnosis Using Hybrid Neural Encoder Decoder Based Unet Hybrid Inception, Akanksha Bali, Vibhakar Mansotra

Mansoura Engineering Journal

The anatomy of the retinal fundus picture, which includes the optic disc, affects how glaucoma characteristics are extracted. One of the main causes of blindness in the globe is glaucoma. Correct glaucoma screening in its early phases is difficult since the condition only becomes apparent when its symptoms are severe. If glaucoma is not treated, the optic nerve head (ONH) will be harmed, resulting in vision loss. Nevertheless, there are currently not enough eye experts accessible, and eye screening is personal, time-consuming and labor-intensive. Therefore, this is a real issue that can be addressed by automatically diagnosing glaucoma using deep …