80 research outputs found

    Overwintering behavior of the entomopathogenic nematodes Steinernema scarabaei and AND Heterohabditis bacteriophora (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae and Heterorhabditidae) and their white grub hosts (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

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    Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) Steinernema scarabaei and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, species endemic to New Jersey turfgrass habitats, have great potential as biological control agents of various white grub pest species. EPN have potential for long-term white grub suppression, but to more reliably achieve this, a better understanding is necessary of the nematodes' survival mechanisms expresses during harsh seasonal conditions. Infective juveniles (IJ) may employ similar vertical migratory patterns as other soil-inhabiting animals during harsh seasonal conditions. To determine the existence of vertical relocation as an overwintering mechanism we investigated the vertical distribution of S. scarabaei and H. bacteriophora relative to (1) fluctuating soil temperature and (2) changing vertical position of two white grub hosts, Japanese Beetle (Popillia japonica) and oriental beetle (Anomala orientalis), during the late fall, winter and early spring season. The vertical distributions of white grub and IJ populations were monitored every 14-18 days in established turf plots (3-4 years old) from mid-October to the first week of May in two consecutive years (2006-2007 and 2007- 2008). The vertical distribution of S. scarabaei, H. bacteriophora, and Steinernema carpocapsae did not change from the fall to the spring season. Soil temperature did not appear to influence IJ vertical distribution. The vertical distribution of both white grub species changed with temperature during fall and spring but not in winter. Overwintering S. scarabaei and H. bacteriophora IJs were only recovered in the soil. There was no evidence for successful in-host survival or latent infection in endemic white grub populations. Although the relationship between temperature and vertical distribution for EPN and their white grub hosts differed, a considerable degree of spatial and temporal overlap was observed between respective EPN and host populations. Overwintering EPN appear to survive primarily or exclusively as IJs in the soil and presumably employ various physiological and biochemical mechanisms as survival strategies during seasonally cold and freezing conditions.M.S.Includes bibliographical references (p. 34-40)by Daniel Ethan Elmowit

    Assessment of a freshwater turtle reintroduction

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    The history of conservation translocations goes back over a century, but reintroduction biology is a young discipline. Reintroductions often elicit criticism for attempting to restore populations without directly addressing sources of declines. However, global population declines have made reintroduction a necessary tool for modern conservation necessitating the refinement of reintroduction methodologies. I evaluated behavior, health, and demography of a reintroduced population of Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys temminckii) with reference to the suitability of this species for reintroduction and the prognosis of the reintroduction. Using radio telemetry, I found dispersal was size-dependent, but turtles displayed no maladaptive post-release dispersal behavior. Larger turtles were more likely to move and moved farther distances than smaller turtles. Movement behavior was related positively to temperature and precipitation. However, further analysis showed precipitation resulted in passive downstream dispersal, which could become exacerbated with predicted increases in flooding due to climate change. Habitat use and selection of reintroduced turtles were similar to natural populations of M. temminckii. Because turtles preferred higher canopy cover and log jams, managers should consider them when managing habitat or choosing release sites. I found smaller turtles selected shallow water, whereas larger turtles selected for deeper water. Thus, providing heterogeneous habitats should be a management goal for this species due to ontogenetic shifts in habitat requirements. Hematologic assessments of reintroduced turtles pre- and post-release identified non-health drivers of these values. I found packed cell volume (PCV) and white blood cell counts (WBC) varied by size and season, while total solids (TS) measures were unique to sampling periods. My results show that population-specific baselines that consider environmental and individual variation are important for maximizing the utility of hematologic assessments. Finally, I constructed integral projection models (IPMs) using population-specific survival and individual growth rates. The reintroduced population was declining (λ = 0.95), although improving individual growth and adult survival through a reduction of incidental bycatch resulted in a stable population. Elasticity analysis further illustrated the value of individual growth and survival for population growth. Ultimately, though M. temminckii appears well-suited for reintroduction, low site-specific individual growth rates and incidental bycatch resulted in a low probability of success for the current reintroduction.Submission published under a 24 month embargo labeled 'U of I Access', the embargo will last until 2022-05-01The student, Ethan Kessler, accepted the attached license on 2020-04-21 at 01:56.The student, Ethan Kessler, submitted this Dissertation for approval on 2020-04-21 at 02:16.This Dissertation was approved for publication on 2020-04-21 at 09:51.DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #15014 on 2020-08-25 at 17:27:45Made available in DSpace on 2020-08-26T23:54:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 4 KESSLER-DISSERTATION-2020.pdf: 8069005 bytes, checksum: b4b65f7dfa38e929462f2e6535b56f5e (MD5) Kessler_Dissertation_FinalVersion.docx: 7376589 bytes, checksum: 0359c78454bfb27afad67961cc994fc8 (MD5) LICENSE.txt: 4210 bytes, checksum: ebcfa387bfcdbe36e53a01f22433599d (MD5) PROQUEST_LICENSE.txt: 4556 bytes, checksum: 867f10233f094e8ce66bffdcdbd991d9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2020-04-21Embargo set by: Seth Robbins for item 115725 Lift date: 2022-08-26T23:54:40Z Reason: Author requested U of Illinois access only (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD systemEmbargo set by: Seth Robbins for item 115725 Lift date: 2022-08-26T23:55:59Z Reason: Author requested U of Illinois access only (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD systemEmbargo set by: Seth Robbins for item 115725 Lift date: 2022-08-26T23:57:28Z Reason: Author requested U of Illinois access only (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD systemEmbargo set by: Seth Robbins for item 115725 Lift date: 2022-08-26T23:58:55Z Reason: Author requested U of Illinois access only (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD systemAuthor requested U of Illinois access only (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD systemU of I Onl

    Fish Tank: Studying the Conveyance of Theme Through Film

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    In this Honors Project the author\u27s objective was to successfully helm a short film that effectively and fluidly conveyed a ciomplex thematic idea. Taking into account the research the author conducted on theories of film criticism as well as close viewings of thematically rich films. The author produced, directed, and edited a short film that expressed an intricate thematic idea. The author then tested the effectiveness of the film\u27s thematic communication by screening a polished cut for a closed audience and subsequently engaging the audience about their interpretations of the film\u27s theme via questionnaire. This report will outline the process of how the author developed the theme, used David Bordwell\u27s theory of audience interpretation to construct a thematically strong film, and then conducted a test screening to gauge the effectiveness of the film\u27s communication

    Employee Voice and Well-being: A Within-person Approach to Understanding Their Reciprocal Effects and Underlying Mechanisms

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    This item is available only to currently enrolled UTSA students, faculty or staff. To download, navigate to Log In in the top right-hand corner of this screen, then select Log in with my UTSA ID.The full text of this item is not available at this time because the author has placed this item under an embargo until August 15, 2024.Enacting voice behavior, despite its numerous benefits for organizations, has implications for employee voicers. While the major focus of research on voice has been on enlightening the work-related consequences of voice behaviors, in this dissertation, I draw attention on the outcomes of voice for the personal life of voicers. Drawing from the literature on well-being and work behaviors, and using the appraisal theory of discrete emotions (Roseman, 1990, 1996) and the broaden-and-build theory (Fredrickson, 1998, 2001), I examined the reciprocal relations of voice behavior at work with employee off-work well-being. Using experiment sampling methodology, I found that (a) the well-being of employee voicers during off-work hours impacts employee's decision to express their voice and (b) enacting voice behavior has implications for the well-being of voicers outside of work domain. These findings illuminate that engaging in positive and proactive behaviors is in link with off-work well-being of employees.Managemen

    The relationship between ego identity status, prestige, and ability and the occupational aspirations of high school seniors

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    The correlation between ego identity status (identity achievement or identity foreclosure), prestige of destination occupation, and environmental congruence of 198 high school seniors was assessed. All students came from rural and urban midwestern high schools. No significant correlations were found to exist between prestige ratings of destination occupations and either ego identity statuses, levels of congruence between vocational personalities and chosen work environments, the interaction of ego identity statuses with levels of congruence, or the interactions of ego identity statuses with levels of ability. No significant gender differences were observed. Significant differences were found for levels of congruence between students in identity achievement and identity foreclosure. A significant correlation of the prestige ratings of destination occupations with levels of ability was observed for students in identity achievement. Theoretical and counseling implications are discussed, as are suggestions for further research.Made available in DSpace on 2011-05-07T14:02:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license.txt: 4922 bytes, checksum: 910b249b4beec47e7ab768910c8f966f (MD5) 9136718.pdf: 6519545 bytes, checksum: dc62178bb81c13cec2c6843b677c9204 (MD5) Previous issue date: 1991Item marked as restricted to the 'UIUC Users [automated]' Group (id=2) by Howard Ding ([email protected]) on 2011-05-07T15:02:17Z Item is restricted indefinitely.Restriction data tranferred 2014-07-01T11:29:36-05:00 Original Data Group with Access UIUC Users [automated] Release Date: none Reason: ETDs are only available to UIUC Users without author permissionETDs are only available to UIUC Users without author permissionU of I Onl

    An Ottoman Historian in an Age of Reform: Ahmed Vasif Efendi (ca. 1730-1806).

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    In the late eighteenth century the Ottoman Empire experienced a time of profound crisis, political as well as intellectual, moral, and ideological. This dissertation explores the mental and moral climate of the period through the work of Ahmed Vasif Efendi, a statesman, ambassador, intellectual, and author of one of the century’s largest histories, and also through his personal development as a reformer. Divided into five chapters, each treating a distinct aspect of Vasif’s thought, this dissertation argues that Ottoman elites after 1774 responded to growing foreign and domestic challenges with not only military reform but a broad re-evaluation of subjects like war, peacemaking, moral rule, and human agency in history. It suggests these debates, including a basic disagreement over the legitimate place of human reason and action across life’s many spheres, indicate a vital if fractured response to the crisis, and an incipient breakdown in certain storied intellectual frameworks. In Chapter One I provide a short biography of the author in addition to a discussion of the structure and content of his history, his epistemology, and his understanding of historiography as a field of knowledge. In Chapter Two I more closely examine Vasif’s philosophy of history in relation to contemporary debates in the empire over human agency, reform, and theodicy, concluding that his approach might be called reformist. Chapter Three introduces the reader to ongoing discussions among Ottoman elites over the merits of peace and peacemaking, and shows through Vasif a distinct shift in rhetoric by the turn of the nineteenth century. Chapter Four attempts to convey a sense of Vasif’s moral universe, including his understanding of justice, ideal social order, and proper rule, all treated through the Aristotelian tradition of practical philosophy. Lastly, in Chapter Five, I seek to understand how Vasif and his peers conceptualized political reform, especially in terms Chapter Four’s universal moral order.PhDNear Eastern StudiesUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/108892/1/emenchin_1.pd
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