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SEX , STORAGE AND SYMBIONTS: OPTIMIZING MACROCYSTIS PYRIFERA GERMPLASM FOR KELP AQUACULTURE
No full textAs climate change and anthropogenic stressors accelerate the degradation of marine ecosystems, the need for resilient, reproductively competent germplasm to support seaweed aquaculture and restoration has never been more urgent. Yet, the evolutionary and biological integrity of long-term stored germplasm remains poorly understood. This dissertationinvestigates how artificial storage conditions reshape gene expression, host–microbe dynamics, and reproductive capacity in Macrocystis pyrifera, a foundational kelp species critical to temperate marine ecosystems and emerging aquaculture industries. By integrating transcriptomics, microbial community profiling, and fertility assessments, this work examines how ex situ conservation affects the viability and function of preserved gametophyte cultures. In Chapter 1, we examine how sex and light interact to regulate reproductive gene expression in male and female M. pyrifera gametophytes. Using RNA-seq, we identified large-scale sex-biased transcriptional programs that are differentially activated by red and blue light. Males exhibited nearly twice the number of over-expressed genes compared to females under both light treatments, particularly those related to cytoskeletal remodeling, motility, and signal transduction. In contrast, females over-expressed genes involved in metabolic processes, photosynthesis, and structural organization. We also identified over 1,000 genes with significant sex-by-light interaction effects, suggesting that environmental cues modulate gene expression in a context-dependent manner. These patterns underscore the importance of light as a developmental signal in gametogenesis and highlight the potential risks of disrupting sex-specific regulatory programs in hatchery or conservation settings where light regimes are manipulated. Chapter 2 focuses on microbial succession and host-microbiome interactions across long-term storage and recovery phases. Through 16S rRNA sequencing, we demonstrate that microbial communities undergo significant shifts during storage, characterized by a decrease in richness and compositional changes that reflect both ecological succession and storage-induced dysbiosis. Dysbiosis emerged in some cultures and correlated with reduced fertility, particularly at later recovery stages. Indicator species analysis identified taxa such as Pseudomonas as being associated with lower fertility, while others, like Nitratireductor and Labrenzia, were linked to higher reproductive success. Although antibiotic treatments altered microbial composition, reducing diversity and shifting community profiles, they did not consistently improve fertility outcomes. These results suggest that microbial community structure alone is not a reliable predictor of host performance, highlighting the complexity of host–microbiome interactions in cultured kelp gametophytes and the need for more targeted approaches to manipulate the microbiome in support of germplasm viability. In Chapter 3, we assess how reproductive performance changes over time in stored cultures, quantifying gametophyte fecundity and fertility as a function of storage duration and recovery conditions. Fecundity, measured by the number of live eggs, attached or detached, and fertility, measured by the number of sporophytes and embryos. We observed a general decline in reproduction with prolonged storage; however, gametophytes given longer recovery periods (GL treatment) frequently regained reproductive capacity comparable to or exceeding that of short-term recovered individuals (GS treatment). Notably, newly isolated gametophytes with no prior storage (NG treatment) exhibited the lowest fecundity and fertility, a surprising outcome that suggests gametophytes may require acclimation or developmental reprogramming to optimize reproductive success under lab conditions. This finding also points to possible effects of seasonal plasticity or age-related readiness, as NG cultures were collected outside the peak reproductive window. On average, GL cultures exhibited the highest number of sporophytes per frame, followed by GS, with NG cultures performing significantly worse across genotypes. Female and male genotypes had high variability among individuals, and genotype-specific patterns were evident within each treatment, emphasizing that reproductive potential is both genetically and environmentally regulated. Our results demonstrate that while long-term storage (LTS) can negatively impact gametophyte fertility, these effects can be mitigated by allowing sufficient recovery time. Moreover, the poor performance of wild-collected gametophytes highlights the importance of both developmental context and controlled acclimation in ex situ conservation programs. Together, these findings reveal that reproductive viability in kelp germplasm is not simply preserved by survival. It is shaped by evolving transcriptional landscapes, shifting microbial assemblages, and time-dependent physiological recovery. This dissertation emphasizes the need for conservation practices that maintain evolutionary functionality, not just genetic material. Recommendations include incorporating genotype-specific light regimes, microbial monitoring, and structured recovery protocols into kelp hatchery design. By addressing the biological complexity of stored gametophytes, this work lays a foundation for more reliable and informed germplasm management in seaweed aquaculture and restoration.2027-08-2
Novel Predatory and Carnivorous Behaviors of California Ground Squirrels Independent of the Age and Sex of Hunters
No full textColor poster with text, charts, and graphs.Extradiol dioxygenases are known to oxidatively cleave aromatic pollutants, such as catechol. DfdB is an extradiol dioxygenase whose activity on substituted catechols has not been studied. Catechols and other aromatic hydrocarbons are a by-product of coal conversion, coal tar chemical production and other coal industries and are found in the air and wastewater surrounding these facilities. As catechol substrates are possible human carcinogens, their potential breakdown by DfdB is a significant area of interest. Ultimately, this research aims to define the conditions under which DfdB breaks down catechol substrates most efficiently and characterize the products of this bioremediation pathway. To accomplish this goal, the enzyme kinetics of DfdB were measured with varying concentrations of catechol substrates using Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-vis) Spectroscopy, and initial rates of reaction were calculated. Upon analysis, the data suggests that DfdB experiences concentration-dependent substrate inhibition, which has been noted for other extradiol dioxygenases. By measuring kinetic profiles for a variety of substituted catechols, we have better defined the characteristics of DfdB as a potential bioremediation catalyst. This information will be leveraged to improve the utility of this catalyst broadly for synthesis and bioremediation.University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Program
Saying the Same Thing Differently : Behavioral Jargon's Influence on the Social Acceptability of School-Based Behavioral Interventions
No full textPDF with text, tables, references (pages 60-66), appendices (pages 67-71), and a brief biography (page 73).Behavior analysis, which is used by school psychologists, is often criticized for its lack of accessibility to people outside of the field (Critchfield et al., 2017; Leighland, 2002). In schools, teachers and other educators are often asked to implement behavioral interventions without this background. The purpose of the present study was to extend the current literature and the understanding of behavioral jargon’s impact on social acceptability. This was done in part to help school psychologists refine their practices when working with other professionals who do not have a background in behavior analysis, in order to help support the best outcome for the student (Reimers et al., 1987). Participants included 39 pre-services teachers attending a midwestern university. A mixed design was used to compare the social acceptability ratings regarding four vignettes on behavioral interventions commonly used in schools. Using a two-way, mixed effects ANOVA, results showed a statistically significant interaction between the intervention and the language used on social acceptability (p = .030). Surprisingly, there was one intervention, differential reinforcement, that was positively impacted by the use of jargon (p < .001). Additionally, results show a statistically significant effect of intervention on social acceptability ratings in both the jargon condition (p < .001) and the conversational language condition (p < .001). These results add to the long and complex literature surrounding behavioral jargon’s influence on social acceptability by once again show that jargon may influence the way participants view certain behavioral interventions, The results from this study may have implications on how school psychologists and other professionals with a behavior analysis background discuss interventions for teachers or other professionals who may not have a background in behavior analysis
Investigating the Role of a Secreted Snail Peptide in Schistosoma Mansoni Miracidia Host-Seeking
No full textColor poster with text, images, charts, photographs, and graphs.Schistosomes are parasitic flatworms that cause schistosomiasis, a highly prevalent neglected tropical disease impacting over 250-million people worldwide. Life cycle progression through a snail intermediate host during their first larval stage, which are called miracidia, is required for worms to become infective to humans. The mechanism miracidia use to locate snails is not known. However, a secreted snail peptide known as P12 has been shown to elicit responses from miracidia that suggest it may serve as a cue for them in locating their snail hosts. The objective of this study was to investigate the role and structural requirements of P12 in Schistosoma mansoni miracidia host-seeking. P12 was cloned and sequenced from five snail species, revealing natural variation at 7 key residues. Quantitative methods were employed to characterize miracidia behavioral responses to snail cues and synthesized P12 variants. Preliminary findings suggest that stimulant gradients are required to elicit behavioral changes in miracidia. Infection experiments with live snails were carried out to determine if P12-rich solutions can disrupt these gradients and dysregulate miracidia sensation. Miracidia dysregulation control strategies are an under-researched approach to reducing the prevalence of schistosomiasis, but they could have especially significant impacts in endemic regions of the world.NIH NIAID Grant R15 AI183095; University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Program
FROM ADVOCACY TO CANDIDACY: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF HOW INSURGENT MINORITY WOMEN CANDIDATES CONSTRUCT POLITICAL IDENTITY DURING U.S. POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS
No full textThis research explores the rhetorical strategies employed by insurgent minority women candidates in constructing their political identities during their campaigns, as they navigated the various barriers presented at the intersection of their race, gender, class, and nationality. The research studied the political campaigns of three working-class women who participated in the 2018 mid-term elections for the first time - Alexander Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Cori Bush of Missouri, and Amy Vilela of Nevada. Using critical racial rhetorical criticism as the analytical approach together with Black and Chicana feminism as the theoretical framework, the study investigated how the three insurgent candidates leveraged their lived experiences as rhetorical resources and deployed specific discursive strategies to construct compelling political identities and assert their fitness for office while simultaneously challenging traditional political structures. The research revealed and provided a rich understanding of alternative ways that minority women deploy in constructing their political identities, leveraging non-traditional political practices to challenge the hegemonic political landscape and structure
The biogeography and systematics of xylariaceous fungi on Polynesian islands
No full textXylariaceous fungi are important wood decomposers but are also among the most well-documented endophytic macrofungi in plants, lichens, and algae. Nearly no knowledge exists of the evolutionary origins of xylariaceous fungi in remote areas of the world like Polynesia. Dried specimens of xylariaceous fungi from Mo’orea (n=35), Kaua’i (n=25), Oahu (n=13), and Hawai’i (n=9) were obtained from cooperating with herbaria or directly through individual collectors. The ITS1 and ITS2 spacers as well as the alpha-actin gene were successfully PCR-amplified while beta-tubulin and LSU had failed. The pooled library was sequenced by the University of Wisconsin-Madison using the 2 X 300 bp Illumina MiSeq platform. The best-matching sequences from GenBank were found for each fungus in NCBI BLAST and their geographic data were used to assess biogeographical signal. The ITS and alpha-actin reads were aligned in MAFFT and run through a phylogenetic analysis with rapid bootstrapping in RAxML. Twenty-eight Polynesian taxa were included in an ITS-based phylogeny with 321 reference sequences of xylariaceous fungi from the seven other biogeographical realms. The Polynesian xylariaceous fungi overall show strong biogeographical affinities for the Neotropical and Indo-Malayan regions. The ITS phylogeny is poorly resolved and has not clarified biogeographical relationships among the fungi due to lack of location data and gene coverage. Future studies should sequence fresh specimens of xylariaceous fungi at phylogenetically informative loci when reconstructing phylogenies. Additionally, studies investigating their phylogeography should use extensive and trustworthy
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sequence data with location of collection available to ensure that biogeographical affinities can be illustrated in the phylogram
Sensitivity Analyses for Missing Not at Random Data in Body Donor Program Studies
No full textSenior Honors Thesis, Department of Statistics, University of Wisconsin-MadisonMissing data on socioeconomic variables, such as education and occupation, is a
common issue in survey studies and can be Missing Not at Random (MNAR), where
the likelihood of missingness depends on the unobserved value itself. Even small
amounts of MNAR can introduce bias, compromising the validity of model outcomes.
This study examines potential MNAR issues in the University of Wisconsin-Madison
Body Donation Program’s Life Course Research, which predicted whole-body accep-
tance rates using registrants’ demographic data, including incomplete education and
occupation variables.
To evaluate the robustness of the acceptance prediction model under the MNAR
assumption, a three-stage sensitivity analysis framework was developed. The frame-
work consists of (1) assigning ranks to categorical covariates based on model coeffi-
cients, (2) imputing missing data under the Missing at Random (MAR) assumption,
and (3) simulating MNAR scenarios by introducing deviations from MAR using a sen-
sitivity parameter. Bootstrapping was applied to generate mean prediction accuracies
and confidence intervals to assess MNAR’s impact on model robustness. The results
indicated that the differences between the MNAR and MAR missingness mechanisms
had minimal impact on the model, suggesting that the prediction model is robust
under the MNAR assumption. This framework is practical and interpretable for as-
sessing model robustness with categorical covariates and can be applied to enhance
decision-making in other studies facing similar missing data issues
The Longitudinal Relationship Between Childhood Adversity and Early Substance Use Initiation during Late Childhood to Early Adolescence: Exploring the Mediating Role of Neural Correlates of Inhibitory Control
No full textAdolescence is characterized by heightened risk-taking and substance use (SU) initiation. Dynamic neurodevelopment is also occurring during adolescence, which may increase susceptibility to environmental stressors such as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Exposure to ACEs has been linked with earlier SU initiation and risky SU behaviors. Research suggests that neural adaptations to stress in brain regions underlying successful inhibitory control may link ACEs and increased SU risk. Further, findings suggest this increased SU risk varies based on sex assigned at birth. Utilizing parallel process modeling, in this present study, I examined the direct relationships between ACEs, fMRI BOLD response in neural correlates underlying successful inhibitory control, and SU initiation growth trajectories from late childhood through early adolescence in youth from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. Furthermore, I tested whether the intercept (baseline level) or slope (rate of change) in fMRI BOLD signaling in neural correlates of inhibitory control mediated the relationship between ACEs and SU initiation. Finally, exploratory analyses using conditional models examined whether the strength of the direct effects or mediating pathways were conditional on sex assigned at birth. Findings revealed significant, positive direct effects between ACE scores and rates of SU initiation at intercept and slope levels during late childhood through early adolescence. The indirect effect of ACEs on SU initiation through each neural correlate were nonsignificant and were not conditional on sex assigned at birth. For the total effect (when accounting for ROI [region of interest] activation), ACEs were positively associated with SU initiation at the intercept and slope level across models during late childhood through early adolescence. Regarding sex differences, the relationships between ACEs and SU initiation were more robust in female youth but not for male youth. Findings are consistent with prior research suggesting a strong link between ACEs and increased SU risk during adolescence. Further research is warranted to understanding mechanisms contributing to this heightened risk.2027-08-2
GIScience Education from Faculty Careers to Student Training: A Dual Perspective on Academic and Professional Development
No full textA Master Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Cartography and Geographic Information Systems (Geography) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.This thesis examines the educational and institutional state of Geographic Information Science (GIScience) through two complementary components: global faculty hiring patterns and the structure of U.S.-based professional master’s programs. The first part analyzes global GIS faculty mobility, focusing on the institutions where faculty earned their PhDs and where they currently teach. Network analysis and diversity indices are applied to identify dominant academic pathways, regional hiring patterns, and thematic clusters in research focus. The findings uncover potential inequalities in faculty production, regional imbalances, and the centralization of intellectual influence within a small subset of institutions. The second part examines GIS professional programs in the United States. Drawing on IPEDS institutional data and program websites, this study identified 183 GIS-related programs in the United States, examined enrollment statistics, and narrowed the focus to 58 professional GIS programs. Text similarity analysis was conducted to compare 530 course descriptions against the GIS&T Body of Knowledge (BoK). This method enables a systematic evaluation of how well professional program content aligns with core competencies in GIScience, revealing both prevalent areas of emphasis and underrepresented topics. Additionally, twelve semi-structured interviews with program directors supplement the quantitative findings by contextualizing faculty composition, curriculum design, financial models, and industry alignment.
This study offers a novel methodological framework for understanding the development of GIScience from both academic and professional training perspectives. The combination of large-scale quantitative analysis and qualitative inquiry contributes to a more detailed understanding of how GIScience education is shaped, practiced, and institutionalized across multiple levels. It seeks to inform scholarly conversations on spatial knowledge production, educational equity, and the evolving role of geospatial professions. As GIScience continues
to expand both in scope and scale, understanding its educational infrastructures becomes essential not only for pedagogy but for the vitality of the discipline itsel
Dashcam Image Object Detection System with Deep Learning : YOLOv10 for Vehicle Information
No full textColor poster with text, charts, photographs, and graphs.As the use of car dashboard cameras (dashcams) has increased, the availability of dashcam imagery has also increased. In recent years, dashcam imagery has been predominantly used in conjunction with computer vision techniques for autonomous vehicle systems. However, this research explores an alternative application of these technologies in the domain of public safety and security. Specifically, we apply object detection to dashcam imagery to address the challenge of identifying vehicles associated with active Amber Alerts. With the goal of aiding law enforcement in locating abducted children more efficiently, we employ the YOLO (You Only Look Once) object detection model, a state-of-the-art deep learning framework known for its real-time performance and accuracy. Our methodology involves training and fine-tuning the YOLO model on a custom dataset of dashcam footage, incorporating diverse environmental conditions such as varying lighting, weather, and traffic scenarios. Experimental results demonstrate that the model achieves high precision and recall rates in detecting target vehicles, validating its effectiveness for real-world deployment. This research highlights the potential of leveraging deep learning and computer vision techniques to address critical public safety challenges, offering a novel application of these technologies beyond their traditional use in autonomous driving. Our findings contribute to the growing body of work in computer science that seeks to harness AI for societal benefit.Karlgaard Computer Science Scholarship; University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Program